Monday, 6/13 will be the Festival of Shavuout (Pentacost) when we remember the giving of the Ten Commandments at Mt. Sinai. At that gathering, the disciples of the late Jesus of Nasareth broke into "tongues", and received other gifts of the spirit, hence the name "Pentacostal" for sects who believe in such miracles and practice them. Jews customaily wear white on Shavuout. ellen
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Saturday 11 June 2005
At the table Monday June 6: Robyn Repasky, Nancy Dawley (Welcome Nancy!), Pete Altekreuse, Roxanne Qualls, (Welcome Roxanne!), Mara Helmuth, (Welcome Mara!), Dan Hershey, Gwen Marshall (Welcome Gwen!), Joan Murray, (Welcome Joan), Cheryl Crowe (Welcome Cheryl!) Cherri Anne Forest, Joan Friedland, Beth White, Mike Murphy, Neil Anderson, Gary Weiss (Welcome Gary!), Mira Rodwan, Susan Wooley, Shirley Reischman, James Reischman, Marvin Kraus, Gerry Kraus, Steve Sunderland, Alan Bern, David Rosenberg, Ellen Bierhorst. (Wow, 25 people, including 7 new folks.)
This was an electric, scintillating salon conversation with an overflow crowd at 25. I am sure that it was Roxanne who drew in extra people, nearly ten over our usual numbers, and her presence added much zest and also her wonderful expertise. We decided on three topics: the vote in France and the Netherlands against the European Union Constitution; the bullying of (professors) by corporate enmeshed University administration; and third, Hope... what makes us despair in this day in our society, and where do we see hope? We got to the first two, and the third shelved for future delectation.
I am so proud of the elevated level of discourse around our table here. People know so much... have such a marvelous fund of wisdom, such sparkling ability to express themselves. We laughed. We sang our song. We did a group Oooohm. I have to say, Roxanne, that I was proud of this group, now completing its fourth year, and I trust that you were impressed and will come back often. We didn't get to hear about your "think tank for regional public policy" at NKU , and I certainly want to learn about your vision there.
What we talked about Monday: What is the meaning of France and the Netherlands saying "No" to the European Union constitution? And, How institutions and corporations are wont to bully even senior people in this climate of management.
The E.U. thing: David Rosenberg brought up this topic, saying it was a good development, since many see the No vote as a blow against corporate globalization. Gwen Marshall, a high school history and political sci. teacher and WTO opposition activist from '91 when WTO was created (the World Trade Organization is a Big Baddie in the eyes of anti-globalization folks) was wonderfully knowledgeable about globalization. She explained that the agenda of the Corporate Globalizers is to place short term corporate profits ahead of every other priority... human rights, preservation of the environment, long term survival. Roxanne Qualls suggested two excellent books to clarify the issues around the globalization debate, both by Thomas Friedman (NY Times op-ed writer): The World is Flat and The Lexus and the Olive Tree. Roxanne agreed with Friedman that the globalization of capitol is an inexorable, inevitable trend in the world, due to today's technology that eliminates the time delay formerly associated with geographic distance. I can talk to you here in Hamilton Co. at exactly the same speed as I can contact Sr. Joyce Kahle working with Tsunami relief in India (see Blue section for her final report sent yesterday). And, I presume also, that communication plus the manipulation of money through electronic funds transfer etc. is the other piece of this internationalization of capitol. It is for money the way it would be for goods if you could instantly teleport stuff anywhere in the world.
Gwen said people think the variables of importance re. globalization are cheap goods ($50 Nikes made in Indonesia) vs. jobs ($90 Nikes made in Indiana), take your pick. But, she says, that is NOT the trade off. This real issue is democracy. I think what this means is that we like having people-driven governments that can protect us against possible environmental and human rights abuses of corporate power, BUT in fact big trade agreements like NAFTA are super-governmental. That is, governments (and so, peoples) are held hostage to the profit oriented decisions of the conglomerate business powers. I am reminded of that Bill Moyers NOW program that Mira showed us over a year ago about how a Canadian company that made gas additives forced the State of California to pay a huge sum in order to stop the use of their carcinogenic additives in the state.
In some cases, the people, like the folks in Mexico he told about, were powerless to prevent a toxic waste dump from being used in their region, because it would have compromised the profits of the U.S. corporation who had bought the dump. (Gwen cited Lori Wallach of "Public Citizen", and I found her 1999 interview "primer" on the WTO and GATT on the web and reprint it below in the Blue section). Gwen, is there a more recent blurb by/about Lori that we could cite?
Steve Sunderland believes (correct me if I get this wrong, Steve) that succumbing to the inevitability of globalization means accepting a highly segregated society, with gated communities for the wealthy while the great mass of people live in grinding poverty, the middle class disappearing from view. He mentioned the trend at the university (not his favorite entity at the moment) to want to replace live professors teaching classes with videos of people who could be anywhere. There seems to be a myth that technology can replace relationship. He is powerfully opposed to the Friedman view that prosperity will result in allowing globalization to run rampant in the world, and that the rising prosperity will "lift all boats", causing everyone to be more prosperous. But as he, or perhaps David Rosenberg pointed out, this rests on the analysis that says the Mexican subsistence farming families are more "prosperous" when they move to town and work in factories and earn money, (hence are more "prosperous" than before) even though they are less healthy in this unwholesome environment, and can barely afford to feed their families on lousy food available in packages at the supermarkets. This kind of "prosperity" wreaks local economies, industries, & self-sufficiencies, and creates dependency on remote business entities with no accountability to the people they serve, whose only motive is short term corporate profits.
I believe that Roxanne's point is, don't try to hold back the river. Globalization of capitol is unavoidable. Our task is to outsmart the problems, asking the question, What are the advantages, in a global economy, of a group like Ohio, filled with a highly skilled work force as industry flees to low-wage parts of the world. Today we are seeing in only 15 years a level of sweeping societal change comparable to the entire industrial revolution, which took fully three centuries! So we have to be alert, be smart, and work with what is happening.
Steve seems to believe that it is The People versus Business Power, and that No, we don't have to lie down and succumb to the disappearance of our democratic control over how we live, work, and survive. He points to the grass roots movements that in recent times brought down the oppressive regimes of Suharto and Sukarno as evidence of the power of the people. He points to the world's outpouring of compassionate aid to the Tsunami victims this year. And he rails against corporate bullies like John Bolton, amabasadorial candidate for the US.
Susan Wooley made the trenchant point that if we want to really understand what is happening in a human situation, follow the language. Note that the very word, Globalization, which in many respects can refer to very good things, seems to have been co-opted by the business powers. That they were able to do this shows their frightening level of influence.
Dan Hershey talked about a weird and sinister sounding development. Apparently there is a move afoot to locate customer service and technical support "slave workers" on board ships located off the coast of California, presumably out of reach of all regulation.
Spencer took a dissenting view to the generally anti-corporate table, making the point that we, the people are the consumers and we have choice in what goods we purchase. Hence we have the final control.
Gary Weiss, math professor and new salonista made a number of valuable contributions to the discussion. One was to point out the widening gap between the rich and the super rich!
Finally, Neil Anderson, with characteristic eloquence, spoke of the necessity, in the evolution of our economic and societal systems, to bring our humanity with us as we go forward into change.
The questions as I understand them, are: how serious a threat to our democracy is the trend towards increasing internationalization of capitol? and What can we do to protect human rights and the environment, making the decisions we make now take into consideration the long range future of the world? It is easiest and most comfortable to gravitate towards a black-and-white belief about these things, like to say "Globalization is a monster, throw your body in the machine." However, as Alan Bern illuminated us, the defeat of the E.U. constitution is not necessarily a good thing at all: the coalition of opinion in Europe that won out in this recent referendum is composed of environmentalists and human rights people (White Hats) together with neo-nationalistic and racist and fascistic factions (Black Hats). Many Europeans, for instance, are phobic about Islam and want to block the entrance of Islam dominated Turkey into the European Union.
Our second topic, Instutions Bullying Senior Employees: The gist of the story as I got it... The head of the College of Social Work, where Steve Sunderland is a senior professor, tenured, long time pillar of the college, sought to defame Steve's teaching. Claimed he didn't adhere to the syllabus or to teaching standards. The charges fell apart when examined. (But we note the move to target "liberal" professors in America today by having students record instances of professors using their positions to influence students towards the "left".) Then the same Dean engineered a move of Steve out of her college and over to the College of Education without having invited the Dean of Education or Steve to participate in this. Fortunately, Steve and the Education dean were glad to work out an arrangement, and Steve will be continuing to teach about peace studies and other things in the department of Educational Foundations at the Education College, so in that way the story ends well. The point, however, is that the security of tenured professors, long a bastion of freedom in our country, is tottering on its base.
Steve referred to the recent ouster of Cornell West from Harvard by President Sommers. No matter that West was able to find sanctuary at Princeton University. The scary thing is that the president of Harvard did not hesitate to attack a nationally prominent senior professor when he was too liberal or too radical or too out spoken on African American issues. Steve said conservative magazines are now publishing lists of specific professors deemed dangerously liberal and inviting conservative students to "get the goods on" these professors.
We note the recent passing of U.C. professor and one-time salonista David Sterling of the history department. David worked long and hard for the AAUP, the professors' union, and was one of the old guard founding members, and served for years as the head of the union. A champion of freedoms for professors, a tireless supporter of the union movement generally, a loyal Democrat, a gracious gentleman and a friend, David will be missed.
Many fascinating comments by folks around the table, too numerous to report but here are a few: David R.--shocking censure of "Deep Throat" the Watergate whistleblower as disloyal and not following proceedure. Robyn R. - attacks on Unions is old news. And consider the hamstringing of secondary and primary teachers who now have to "teach to the tests". Roxanne Q. - There is a disturbing "comodification" of education.... We must realize the right wing has vast financial backing; they are trying to shift the long term policy of the country towards the right.... We are seeing the interests of the University conflate with those of the corporations, a very serious development. Gwen M.- the state tests require that you teach according to the ideology of the test, which is pro-globalization. e.g. in the causes of W.W. II, the idea is that Concilliation with Hitler was the problem, hence justifying preemptive military strikes, rather than the cause being the armistice after WWI. Gary W.- the NY Regents exams are an example of excellent tests improving the quality of teaching. It's not all black and white.
Finally, we'll end with Marvin's hopeful remark that despite all these evidences of power abuse, there is nonetheless much that is coming to light and that people are learning about that he never was exposed to as a student. Today there are growing numbers of self-employed individuals; many families are homeschooling their children. There is a revolution in progress. Marvin says, "See Off the Map, at the Esquire!" (It's about a family who are going their own way.) Surely there is much to fear out there. Yet... humans are pretty savvy, and in groups, like our table, they get smarter exponentially. I place my hope there. And in the Internet. Just don't take away the internet, and I believe we'll muddle through somehow. Email... and love.
Hugs,
ellen
(for Articles: see below. First, the "Announcements" section.)...
Don't miss the way cool article you want to read in blue section. It might be one of these:
- Sr. Joyce winds up her India mission of tsunami relief: her final report
- Lori Wallach explains globalization and the World Trade Organization
- Erik Bendix recommends some alternative service providers
- Jeanette Raichyk reports on huge epidemiological study in China: food is the answer.
- Joel Hoffman's long description of the wonderful New Music Fest. to start tomorrow
•
Announcements:
Gay Pride Events in June
June 10, 11, 12
Rally at Hoffner Park, Northside
And Parade.
For details: http://www.prideisalive.com
..................................
6/12/05
Join Joy on Bikes at the Gay Pride Parade
Join me with your bike for this annual fun. Look for me at the gazebo (In Burnet Woods) after noon. It's all downhill.
joy
Cincinnati Gay Pride Parade [Sunday 12 June starting @ 1 PM]: The 2005 Parade - Pride is Alive - will start at 1 PM at Burnet Woods, travel down Clifton & Ludlow Avenues into Northside, continue up Hamilton Avenue through the heart of the Northside business district, and turn onto Chase Avenue to end at Chase Elementary School. Parade organizers hope the extended route will benefit Northside businesses. No fee for Marching Units. Bring family & friends to join the community in thanking the City of Cincinnati for repealing Article XII. Experience the fun & friendship, the serious & silly, the music & mayhem. More info @ 513.362.2811, rrigby@lascinti.org, http://www.prideisalive.com/.
ps One of my favorites, Disappear Fear, is performing Saturday night June 11. (at Hoffner Park, Northside)
(PPS from Ellen: I will be performing with the Queen City Rainbow Band on Saturday night, tonight, at 6 or 6:30, hoffner park, and also marching on Sunday, tomorrow. It's a thrill.)
6/11
;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
Jewish contingent at Pride parade
Hi everyone,
This year, for the first time, there will be a Jewish presence at Cincinnati Pride thanks to a rabbi-intern here named Charlie Cytron-Walker. Charlie is an amazing guy. When he talks about his wife, he refers to her as his "partner". As you can see, he hyphenates his name, as does his wife. He speaks with such enthusiasm about events like Pride and other social and political happenings. He walks the walk, not just talks the talk. Talk about solidarity with our community. Charlie and Adena Cytron-Walker are models of what true non-discriminatory human beings should be like. We need more people like Charlie and Adena.
I just want to pass this important information on to all of you, and hope you pass it on to others, and invite you to meet and thank him at our booth (see below) at Pride. We're starting with a small Jewish presence, but hopefully, this will be the start of something big, and will grow each year. Temple Sholom is taking the lead in Cincinnati by finally recognizing and including Jewish gays and lesbians, and hopefully the other temples and synagogues will soon follow, just like the growing number of churches who each year realize that they should step up and be a part of Pride themselves.
Hope to see you all there!
Miritt
----- Original Message -----
From: Charlie Cytron-Walker <mailto:cytronwalker@hotmail.com>
Sent: Monday, June 06, 2005 9:35 AM
Subject: Pride is Alive
I know it has been a while, but we really are marching in Pride is Alive, 2005!!!!
For the first time that I'm aware of, there will be a Jewish group marching in Cincinnati's Pride.
We'll be joined by Rabbi Walter, members of Temple Sholom and others in the Jewish community. We're meeting at Temple Sholom at 9am on Sunday, June 12 to make signs for the parade and to eat a light breakfast. Then we'll head down to Clifton's Burnet Woods around 11am to line up for the parade, which begins at 1pm. It will be followed by the Pride Festival in Northside’s Hoffner Park.
We'll also have a booth with information at the Festival, so if you'd like to help out with the booth, let me know!
We had talked about having a pool party this summer, so if we can come up with a date and a flyer, we can pass it on.
Let me know if you have any questions or would like to be more involved in planning more events.
take care, Charlie Cytron-Walker
6/6
6/11
Sign Petition to Investigate U.S. Torture
Thanks to Caeli Good for sending this in.
Amnesty International is seeking to build enough political momentum to
get an independent commission formed to investigate the allegations of
abuses and torture at US detention centers. Here is the link to add
your name to the chorus:
http://www.amnestyusa.org/investigate.html
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.
Sincerely, Jim
~~~~~~~~~~
Tri-State Treasures - General:
Six Acres Bed & Breakfast & Summer Sunday Night Jazz Concerts: This recently opened B&B in College Hill embraces history & elegance. It is owned & run by two lovely women, Kristin Kitchen & Laura Long, who have spent 3 years rescuing & renovating this 6,500 square foot 1850s Colonial mansion that was built by Elon Strong, noted abolitionist & active participant in the Underground Railroad. This restored landmark showcases 5 graciously appointed guestrooms that including a full course breakfast & daily turndown service. The facility also offers a 3,000 foot lower-level available for conferences, receptions, & reunions. Kristen & Laura can also provide catering & help in a variety of other ways. The outdoor patio can accommodate 60 for outdoor presentations, as the 6-Acres B&B presents its Summer Sunday Night Jazz Concerts in a uniquely scenic, wooded & serene setting beginning with the Solari String Quartet on Sunday 19 June @ 7 PM. Bring your lawn chairs & blankets as seating is limited. Be ready for smooth grooves, tasty treats, & a cool new musical experience in Cincinnati. $15 admission includes appetizers & drinks. Shuttle parking provided from Twin Towers Retirement Community @ 5343 Hamilton Avenue. Six Acres B&B is @ 5350 Hamilton Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45224.
Read more about Six Acres B&B at www.maxinethompson.com/mar2005.html & http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041118/ENT/411190303/1091. More info @ 513.541.0873, info@sixacresbb.com, & www.sixacresbb.com.
Paint the Town [Saturday 11 June @ 8 AM - 4 PM]: Have a good time while helping others; a 4-year-old organization helps needy families when 100s of volunteers scrape & paint the outside of their houses. This is the 4th installation of Paint the Town, Give Back Cincinnati¹s largest annual event, which has increased the stakes this year by selecting more than 20 wonderful homes. As in previous years, they will update the exterior of the home with a fresh coat of paint. It's amazing what a dedicated group of volunteers can accomplish in one afternoon. Go to www.givebackcincinnati.org/events_details.asp?EventID=1005 to RSVP for this event. More info @ www.givebackcincinnati.org.
Tri-State Treasures - Specific:
University Club Spring Art Show of Eight Temperaments [Thru - June 14]: Featuring a variety of styles presented by eight of the city's top classical realists: Jeff Gandert, Sam Knecht, Alan Larkin, Richard Luschek, Carolyn Manto, Clem Robbins, & Carl Samson. At University Club, 401 East 4th Street, Downtown Cincinnati near the Taft Museum , OH 45202. Open 7 days a week; recommended to call first (513.721.2600). More info @ 513.721.2600 & richard_luschek@yahoo.com, & www.uclubcincinnati.com.
Dr. Debbi¹s Musical Medicine Show: A Parody of Healthcare in Cincinnati & America [continues on June 10 & 11]: A thigh-slapping, 1-woman musical spoof that takes a light-hearted look at pressing healthcare issues - written & performed by Cincinnati¹s own Singing Doctor. Debbi Silverman, MD, is a Board-certified family physician who has done theater, music, comedy, dialects, & hats since grade school. Her first parodies spoofed school organizations & events. Her performances range from folksinging guitarist to Broadway musicals to professional acting. In creating this show, she has finally combined her two great passions: music & medicine. Accompanist Mitch Liberman, who has been playing piano for over 40 years & creates all his own arrangements, has teamed up with Dr. Silverman for 4 years ago. Friday 10 June @ 7 PM & Saturday 11 June @ 4:30 PM. At Gabriel's Corner, 1425 Sycamore Avenue @ Liberty, Over The Rhine, Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info @ 513.621.2787 & www.cincyfringe.com.
³Summer² Art Exhibition [Saturdays; from 11 June thru 30 July @ 10 AM - 4 PM]: Come & celebrate your love of the arts with friends who share your passion for pushing the boundaries of expression. The art exhibition boasts a variety of summer flavors & featured work includes outstanding paintings & photography from South America, Indian artwork, & works from local artists in a variety of media. Warm hues, burgeoning life, & inspiring creations collide in this stirring exhibition. The Grand Opening will be Saturday 18 June @ 6-8 PM: a night of fun, food, music, & art; beverages & hors d¹ oeuvres will be served; a donation of $10 is suggested. At the Kennedy Heights Arts Center, 6546 Montgomery Road, Cincinnati, OH 45213. More info @ 513.631.4278, events@kennedyarts.com, & www.kennedyarts.com.
CCM Hosts Music05: A Festival Of New Music [Sunday - Sunday 12-19 June]: The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music presents Music05, a unique, intensive 9-day festival of new music. CCM faculty & guest artists will be joined by internationally recognized composers Moritz Eggert, Frederic Rzewski, & Michael Torke for concerts, master classes, & seminars featuring new music from around the world. Chamber works by young composers, both students & professionals, will be rehearsed, performed, & recorded under the guidance of the guest artists. Concurrently the participants & guest artists will prepare & perform 20th-century chamber music classics. Works will also be performed in a series of evening concerts, which are free & open to the public. All concerts are at the Robert J. Werner Recital Hall in the northernmost part of the Mary Emery Hall, UC West Campus, Cincinnati, OH 45221. A complete concert schedule, bios, directions, & more info @ 513.556.9198, joel.hoffman@uc.edu, & www.ccm.uc.edu/musicx.
Cincinnati Gay Pride Parade [Sunday 12 June starting @ 1 PM]: The 2005 Parade - Pride is Alive - will start at 1 PM at Burnet Woods, travel down Clifton & Ludlow Avenues into Northside, continue up Hamilton Avenue through the heart of the Northside business district, and turn onto Chase Avenue to end at Chase Elementary School. Parade organizers hope the extended route will benefit Northside businesses. No fee for Marching Units. Bring family & friends to join the community in thanking the City of Cincinnati for repealing Article XII. Experience the fun & friendship, the serious & silly, the music & mayhem. More info @ 513.362.2811, rrigby@lascinti.org, www.prideisalive.com.
Bruce Menefield Quartet @ Sunday Jazz Brunch @ The Parktown Café [Sunday 12 June @ 4-8 PM]: "Ever since I found out about the Sunday Jazz Brunch at the Parktown Cafe, I've been meaning to get there. I finally did. What a wonderful thing! I can't recommend it more. The music, food, & company were all excellent. The only disappointment was for those who weren't there. Anybody looking for a great way to spend a Sunday late afternoon/evening, please try the Parktown Cafe. It's unique & a deal that can't be beat! My 16-year old son attended with me. I knew going in that he'd be a bit reluctant, but he kept an open mind and, I believe, surprised himself with how much he liked it!" ~ Mike Ward. 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, Cincinnati, OH, 45214. More info at 513.621.5683 & www.jazzincincy.com.
Jesus & Nonviolence - a Film & Discussion Series [Sunday 12 June @ 7 PM & the following 4 Sundays]: This is the 2nd in a 6-film series to illustrate how the nonviolent teachings & life of a first century Jew influenced the nonviolent actions of the 20th century, & how we can follow the path of nonviolent action. Each Sunday will feature one of the 30-minute films followed by discussion, & readings for the next week. The series tells one of humanity's most important & least understood stories - how, during a century of extreme violence, millions chose to battle brutality & oppression with nonviolent weapons - and won. "These are powerful stories, about truth overcoming lies, love dissolving evil, & life eclipsing death," said former president Jimmy Carter of the documentary. The films draw on stunning archival footage & interviews with witnesses, survivors, & unsung heroes who contributed to these century-changing events. The stories: 2) Mohandas Gandhi's Salt March of 1930 during which he enjoined Indians to protest the British salt monopoly - a turning point in the movement that paved the way for India's independence from Britain. 3) The consumer boycott campaign against apartheid in the black townships of the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa in the mid 1980s, led by the young activist Mkhuseli Jack. 4) The courage & endurance of Denmark's citizens resistance movement during the 5-year Nazi occupation of World War II to commit sabotage & stage general strikes & rescue nearly all the country's 7000 Jews from the Holocaust. 5) The 1980 Gdansk Shipyard strike that won Poles the right to have free trade unions, launched the Solidarity movement & catapulted Lech Walesa, on a path to leadership, a Nobel Peace Prize, & the fall of communism in Poland. 6) The national protest days led by Chilean copper miners in 1983, which overcame a decade of paralyzing fear, showed that public opposition to the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet was possible, & signaled the start of a nonviolent democratic opposition. Free & open to all thoughts & ideas; local leaders from all faiths have been invited. At All Saints Episcopal Church, 6301 Parkman Place, Pleasant Ridge, Cincinnati, OH, 45213. More info & directions @ 513.531.6333, therevken@yahoo.com, www.allsaintscincinnati.org, & www.pbs.org/weta/forcemorepowerful/.
Discussing the Life of Rachel Carson [Tuesday 14 June @ 7 PM]: The Mercantile Library invites you to attend the 2005 Harriet Beecher Stowe Lecture on the life of Rachel Carson, whose 1962 book "Silent Spring" did more than any single publication to awaken the world to the dangers of environmental poisoning and led to the creation of the modern environmental movement in the U.S. Dr. Linda Lear, Senior Research Scholar of History at University of Maryland and Research Professor of Environmental History at George Washington University, is the author of the acclaimed biography "Carson: Witness for Nature," numerous articles on Carson and the politics of pesticides, and is the editor of the anthology "Lost Woods: The Discovered Writing of Rachel Carson." She has also written the introduction to the 40th anniversary edition of "Silent Spring." Dr. Lear's lecture will bring this important historic figure to life. Each year, the Harriet Beecher Stowe Lecture features a writer who in the tradition of Harriet Beecher Stowe, "wrote or writes to change the world." $20 Mercantile Library members; $25 nonmembers; group discounts available. Wine & hors d'oeuvres buffet. At the Mercantile Library, 414 Walnut Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info and RSVP @ 513.621.0717 & nolanarts@fuse.net. More info @ www.mercantilelibrary.com.
Dances In The Park 2005 [3rd Thursday of June, July & August @ 6-10:30 PM]: In the midst of one of the city park jewels, boasting floral gardens that are reminiscent of Europe, Ault Park presents Dances In The Park 2005; great dance music for all ages. Featured will be The Remains on June 16, The Modulators on July 21, & The Generics on August 18. Free admission; beer & soft drinks for sale, though it is unlawful to bring alcohol onto city property; all profits go to Ault Park. Ault Park is on Observatory Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45208. More info @ 513.871.9015, Info@AultParkAC.org, & www.aultparkac.org/.
Seeking Local Artists for 3rd Annual Summer Arts Fair [Submission deadline is Friday 17 June]: The Covedale Center for the Performing Arts is seeking artists with original, mix media works of art to sell to the public. The Arts Fair will be Saturday 27 August @ noon-5 PM at the Covedale Center for the Performing Arts, 4990 Glenway Avenue, Western Hills. Each artist will be able to use space in the lobby, main theatre, or outdoors to sell their original works. Free space. Artists are responsible for booth set up, tear down, and all equipment for their display. More info & submissions: Jennifer Perrino @ 513.241.6550, jen.johnson@fuse.net, jenniferperrino@covedalecenter.com, & www.cincinnatilandmarkproductions.com.
Usui Reiki Levels I & II Training [Saturday-Sunday 25-26 June @ 9 AM - 5 PM]. Introduction & initiation to the first & second level of this hands-on healing system Saturday-Sunday 25-26 June @ 9AM-5PM. Each class includes lecture, demonstration & practice. No experience required for Level I. Learn to give treatments to self & others & to be able to do powerful distance healing. Classes are approved for 8 hours each day for nurses. Attend one or both days. Registration: Level I is $125 on Saturday 25 June; Level II is $175 on Sunday 26 June. Pre-registration with $50 deposit for each level is required by June 17. Discount if registered & paid by June 3. At WholeCare, 4434 Carver Woods Drive, Blue Ash, OH. More info and 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.
6/11-19
Free music festival
If you, like me, are confused and want a friendly guide
to all this complexity, send me an email with "New Music Guide" in the subject line
and I'll send you a cc of the blurb Alan Bern is going to give me tomorrow.
It starts tonight with an interesting concert in Werner Recital Hall (CCM) at 8:00 pm in which Alan will play and also Mara Helmuth, who attend the salon last week. ellen.
CCM Hosts Music05: A Festival Of New Music
The nine-day event features concerts, master classes, guest artists and composers and concludes with a performance by eighth blackbird.
(see long descriptive article at the very end, in the blue section.)
By: Abby Otting <mailto:abigail.otting@uc.edu>
Phone: (513) 556-2683
Other Contact: Carrie Throm <mailto:carrie.throm@uc.edu>
Other Contact Phone: (513) 556-9485
The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music presents Music05, <http://www.ccm.uc.edu/musicx/index.html> a unique, intensive nine-day festival of new music, June 11-19. Several CCM faculty and guest artists will be joined by internationally recognized composers Moritz Eggert, <http://www.ccm.uc.edu/musicx/Bios/eggert.html> Frederic Rzewski <http://www.ccm.uc.edu/musicx/Bios/rzewski.html> and Michael Torke <http://www.ccm.uc.edu/musicx/Bios/torke.html> , for concerts, master classes and seminars featuring new music from around the world. Selected chamber works by young composers, both students and professionals, will be rehearsed, performed and recorded under the guidance of the guest artists. Concurrently the participants and guest artists will prepare and perform 20th-century chamber music classics. The works will also be performed in a series of evening concerts, which are free and open to the public. A complete concert schedule is attached.
"Music05 is a great way to take the temperature of new music in America and Europe today," says Artistic Director Joel Hoffman (friend and invisible salonista--ellen). He describes visiting composer Moritz Eggert as "an extraordinary young German composer who plays the entire piano, not just the keyboard," Frederic Rzewski as "one of the great figures in American music," and Michael Torke as a "pioneer in the 1990s fusion of pop and classical music."
Joel Hoffman will be joined by CCM faculty members Lee Fiser and Allen Otte for the festival. Guest artists include Emanuele Arciuli, piano; Gao Ping, piano/composition; Laura Rosky-Santoni, violin; Dorotea Vismara Hoffman, viola (another invisible salonista...ellen); Michael Kugel, viola; Nikola Ruzevic, cello;
(Lloyd house housemate and faithful salonista) Alan Bern, improvisation; (If you haven't heard Alan improvise, you will be amazed! ellen)
Toby Hoffman, conductor; premier new music group eighth blackbird; and the Amernet String Quartet.
Performance highlights of the festival include presentations of the Carter 5th Quartet, a new piece by Frederic Rzewski commissioned by Music05, Adjustable Wrench by Michael Torke, Hammerklavier by Mortiz Eggert, a new piano work, American Berserk by John Adams and Each for Himself ? by Joel Hoffman.
A competition for short compositions for three instruments is also part of the festival. Accent05, which runs in conjunction with Music05, is a music day camp for young musicians promoting in-depth study of musical language and performance techniques. The competition is part of both Music05 and Accent05, and winning compositions will be performed on June 17.
As part of the Music05 concerts, eighth blackbird <http://www.ccm.uc.edu/musicx/Bios/8bb.html> will perform June 19 at 8 p.m. Regarded as one of the premier new music groups in the world, eighth blackbird has established a reputation for its provocative and engaging performances. The winners of the Naumburg Chamber Music Award and the Concert Artists Guild International Competition, where they were the first contemporary ensemble to win first prize, the group is also a three-time recipient of the CMA/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming. Other awards include top prizes at the Fischoff and Coleman National Chamber Music Competitions. The group has been featured on CBS' "Sunday Morning" and was the subject of a profile in The New York Times. The ensemble is currently in residence at the University of Richmond in Virginia and the University of Chicago.
Born in Westfield, Massachusetts, Frederic Rzewksi <http://www.ccm.uc.edu/musicx/Bios/rzewski.html> studied with Walter Piston, Roger Sessions and Milton Babbitt at Harvard and Princeton Universities. In 1960 he studied with Luigi Dallapiccola and began a career as a performer of new piano music. In Rome in the mid-60s, together with Alvin Curran and Richard Teitelbaum, he formed the Musica Elettronica Viva (MEV) group, which quickly became known for its pioneering work in live electronics and improvisation. A professor of composition from 1977-2002 at the Conservatoire Royal de Musique in Liege, Belgium, he has taught at numerous other institutions including CCM. Rzewski will perform his music at the June 15 concert at 8 p.m.
Composer Michael Torke practically defined post-Minimalism, a music in which eclectic young composers utilize the repetitive structures of a previous generation to incorporate musical techniques from both the classical tradition and the contemporary pop world. Torke left graduate study at Yale to begin a professional career in New York City, where he was soon signed by Boosey and Hawkes, became an exclusive recording artist with Argo/Decca Records, and began his five-year collaboration with Peter Martins and the New York City Ballet. Highlights since then include music for the Olympics and Disney as well as Strawberry Fields, a one act opera with a libretto by A. R. Gurney and part of the trilogy Central Park, commissioned by Glimmerglass Opera, New York City Opera, and PBS' Great Performances, the broadcast of which was nominated for an Emmy Award. In 1998 Torke was appointed the first associate composer of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Torke's music will be performed June 18 at 8 p.m.
Composer and pianist Moritz Eggert's <http://www.ccm.uc.edu/musicx/Bios/eggert.html> work includes operas and works for dance and music theater, often with unusual performance elements. In 1996 he presented the complete works for piano solo by Hans Werner Henze for the first time in one concert, a program that he continues to play with great success. He was the first winner of CCM's Zemlinsky Prize, and in 1989 he was a prizewinner at the International Gaudeamus Competition for Performers of Contemporary Music. His concert-length cycle for piano solo, Haemmerklavier, is among his best-known works and has been performed around the world. Among his recent works are the concert-length cycle for voice and piano Neue Dichter Lieben featuring 20 love poems by contemporary German poets, and the orchestra piece Number Nine IV: Scapa Flow. Other recent premieres include the children's opera Dr. Booger's Scary Scheme for the opera Frankfurt am Main. In June 2004 his newest large-scale opera The Snail premiered. Currently he is working on a double bass concerto for the award-winning "Junges Klangforum Mitte Europas," and a huge "soccer oratorio" for the Ruhrtriennale 2005 and the Soccer World Championship 2006. Eggert's music will be performed June 18 at 8 p.m.
All Music05 performances will be held in Werner Recital Hall on the UC campus and are FREE and open to the public. Parking is available for all performances in the CCM garage. For more information go to Music05's website, ccm.uc.edu/musicx
Music05 Concert Schedule
All concerts are FREE and open to the public. Schedule is subject to change. Go to ccm.uc.edu/musicx for the most up-to-date concert information. All concerts are in Robert J. Werner Recital Hall on the UC campus.
Music by young composers from around the United States
June 11-19, 6 p.m. daily
Cincinnati Composers Plus
Saturday, June 11, 8 p.m.
Emanuele Arciuli, piano
Sunday, June 12, 8 p.m.
Michael Kugel, viola and Nikola Ruzevic, cello
Monday, June 13, 8 p.m.
Amernet String Quartet
Tuesday, June 14, 8 p.m.
Frederic Rzewski plays Frederic Rzewski
Wednesday, June 15, 8 p.m.
Gao Ping, piano
Thursday, June 16, 8 p.m.
Music of Moritz Eggert
Friday, June 17, 8 p.m.
Music of Michael Torke
Saturday, June 18, 8 p.m.
eighth blackbird
Sunday, June 19, 8 p.m.
6/14/05
Vote Progressive Dem. Candidate Dist. 2 U.S. Congress
Victoria Wulsin
(I made a $20 contribution...big for me...and will get a t shirt. Plan to wear it. She looks v. good. Ellen.)
Subject: June 14 Add a progressive to Congress Vote for Dr. Victoria WULSIN
We have an opportunity to elect a progressive Democrat to Congress (for the seat that Rob Portman vacated).
Dr. Victoria WULSIN is for health care for all, a secure social security, tax fairness, jobs, a responsible budget, women's rights, and alternatives to war. She has experience on the county, national, and international levels. We need her, Congress needs her, our country needs her.
She's for OUR better future. Go with WULSIN for Congress. You won't regret it.
To learn more about her campaign, visit her website at www.wulsin4congress.us <http://www.wulsin4congress.us>
Then vote for Dr. Victoria WULSIN in the Democratic party primary election on Tuesday, June 14. (District 2 is everybody East of Vine Street.)
Whether or not you're in the district---
Please volunteer to work on her campaign
Please contribute to her campaign
Please spread the word. Tell all your friends, relatives, and neighbors who live in Ohio Congressional District 2 to vote for Dr. Victoria WULSIN for Congress.
Thanks.
Caeli Good
6/11
Dear Weekly,
Please join me in an effort to save PBS from meddling by partisan
bureaucrats. This top-down political interference goes against the very
nature of PBS and the local stations we trust. Let the people speak and
decide the future of PBS:
www.freepress.net/action/pbs
http://www.freepress.net/action/pbs
Sent by Elizabeth Motter.
6/11
Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation
Looses Millions of Our Dollars
in Stupid Investments
Read Article from Toledo newspaper: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050609/NEWS24/50609003
June 25 Sat.
Free Talk: Introduction to Homeophthy
Shirley Reischman
Cincinnati's only Classically Trained Homeopath
Saturday, June 25 1:00 - 3:00 pm.
Wild Oats Market
Rookwood Shopping Center, Edwards and Madison Road
Hyde park/Norwood
Pre registration is necessary as seating is limited. Call 531 8015 to register, or you can sign up at Wild Oats.
Shirley's talk is fascinating, informative, clear, authoritative. AND if you attend the lecture, she will give you a $100 discount off an initial consultation (such a deal!).
I have been under Shirley's care since July 2004 and I am thrilled with the results. Am jogging again after arthritic knees told me fifteen years ago that I would never jog again. Much peppier and happier this winter. This is the berries! ellen
6/11
Salonista Cherri Ann Forrest announces:
GEO-CELEBRATE
DECLARATION OF INTERDEPENDENCE
July 5
We the People do hereby recognize and honor our deeply intertwined Interdependence on each other and with all Life here on our Beautiful Earth.
We do choose to honor each other's gifts and all of Creation and are free to co-create places of awesome Beauty.
for good balance, celebrate Independence Day on July 4th; As our gift to the world,
celebrate Interdependence Day July 5th. Honor it any way you choose....
(?? dancing, hiking, a meal, a prayer, sending the vision/words of the GeoCelebrate Declaration to someone across the globe and across the street)
an initiative of: GeoCelebrate Dream Of Our Regeneration Collaborative
***********************************************************
The GeoCelebrate Declaration made its first appearance at a special conference in June 2001. ( "Earth Spirit Rising" )
Its inception began in New York City, in the Battery, in 1996 between the triad of the Statue of Liberty, the old Customs House at One Bowling Green Place ... Now the (George Gustav Heye) Museum of the American Indian / Smithsonian, and, the World Trade Towers.
It was launched, with the help of many, by a small group of People at City Hall in Cincinnati Ohio, in the fall of 2001, at the Diversity PeaceWorks Event* where it was on display for 6 weeks."
(* in response to the april riots )
***********************************************************
WE of the GeoCelebrate Collaborative Community Projects wish you all a wonderful Summer ... Simply Savoring your Independence and Interdependence .
Here in North America We celebrate Independence with a colorful ferocity. Who among us does not yearn for the freedom of expressing our Gifts while alive.
Let us use our Gifts for the benefit of the little planet we call home. E x p a n d the Summer Independence Celebration to include the Appreciation of the whole Planet and Planet Community ......( kind of like Christmas in July ) In short:
GeoCelebrate !! GeoCelebrate !! GeoCelebrate !! your Summer.**
( **Winter for you Southerners/Down Under ! )
******************************************************
The GeoCelebrate Declaration recognizes and honors Native plants, animals and Peoples of every Land and Ocean - from the Americas (Turtle Island) around the world to all Countries ...
This, so that everyone's Ancestors, and everyone's Decendants are remembered with "All Being Kind".
*******************************************************
We are now aware of numerous Declarations of Interdependence. Some are older than the GeoCelebrate Declaration, some are younger.
Most definately Interdependence is an "Idea / Seed", whose blossoming time has come. We would love to see independent people recognizing interdependence everyday.... We can Think of this particular "Summer" recognition of Interdependence as : GeoCelebrate ~ ( International )
******************************************************
For those who would like color replicas of the beautiful, original GeoCelebrate Declaration send an email to : declarationofinterdependence@hotmail.com for information on how to obtain them. (by donation) All GCCP Declarations come with a cover sheet.
copyright/servicemark GCCP 2001
7/8
Paddlefest 2005
The largest canoe and kayak festival in the Midwest,
On the Ohio River
Friday July 3:00pm (four Seasons Marina, Kellogg Ave.) Free Admission, Saturday 8:30 - 1:00 pm 6 mile paddle race
http://www.OhioRiverWay.org
Register to race, or just come and watch. You can rent a canoe, but reserve it at website above. Hundreds of canoe and kayak paddlers. See you there!
July 8 - 10, 2005
EarthSpirit Rising:Summer Conference
(Hey, I have now a coupon for $25 discount on registration fee
to anyone who contacts me.
Only have one of these, so act now. ellen)
(Also, Louise writes there is more financial aid...see below)
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
$$ Aid for ESR Conference
Hi, Ellen,
I talked with David Rosenberg today about the EarthSpirit Rising conference
and the number of people connected with the Lloyd House whom he thought
would love to attend but would find the $200 fee out of reach. We
brainstormed ways to get people there, and one of the thoughts is to pass on
to you the application for work/study for the conference. (see links above for application). There are a
limited number of positions, but there is still room for a few more people.
The trade is for about 8 hours of help at the conference. The cost is
reduced to $85. It works best for local folks because it doesn't include
food or lodging.
We also talked about how to find a couple of donors who would underwite the
rest of the fee, or at least some of it. Any ideas who we might approach?
Thanks,
Louise Lawarre
July
A fascinating spiritual journey in Israel this summer: Rabbi Natan Ofir is a marvelous teacher of Kabbalah. Met him in Jerusalem in '96. ellen
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.
SEPTEMBER 24-26, 2005
Huge March in Washington
against war in Iraq
Sept. 24
ACTION ALERT * UNITED FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE
http://www.unitedforpeace.org | 212-868-5545
To subscribe, visit http://www.unitedforpeace.org/email
===========================================
Hold Bush & Congress Accountable for the Deaths, the Destruction,
SEPTEMBER 24-26, 2005
the Lies, and the Toll on Our Communities
END THE WAR ON IRAQ - BRING THE TROOPS HOME NOW!
Leave no bases behind - End the corporate occupation of Iraq
Stop bankrupting our communities - No military recruitment in our schools
Sat., 9/24 - Massive March, Rally & Festival
Sun., 9/25 - Interfaith Service, Grassroots Training
Mon., 9/26 - Lobby Day, Mass Nonviolent Direct Action and Civil Disobedience
------------------------------------------------------------------------
More than two years after the illegal and immoral U.S. invasion of Iraq, the nightmare continues. More than 1600 U.S. soldiers have died, at least another 15,000 have been wounded; even the most conservative estimates of Iraqi deaths number in the tens of thousands. Iraq, a once sovereign nation, now lies in ruins under the military and corporate occupation of the United States; U.S. promises to rebuild have not been kept and Iraqis still lack food, water, electricity, and other basic needs. ....
===========================================
ACTION ALERT * UNITED FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE
http://www.unitedforpeace.org | 212-868-5545
To subscribe, visit http://www.unitedforpeace.org/email
===========================================
6/11
Protect Citizens' Access to Internet:
A bill just introduced in Congress would take away the right of cities and towns across the country to provide citizens with universal, low-cost Internet access.
Giant cable and telephone companies don¹t want any competition -- which might actually force them to offer lower prices, higher speeds and service to rural and urban areas.
U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) -- a former telephone company executive -- has introduced a bill (HR 2726) that would let cable and telecom companies shut down municipal and community efforts to offer broadband services.
You can stop this outrageous bill. Send a message to your representative now.
Next, forward this message to everyone you know ...
No less than the future of all communications is at stake. In a few years, television, telephone, radio and the Web will be accessed through a high-speed internet connection. Low-cost alternatives to telephone (DSL) and cable monopolies are emerging across the country, as cities, towns, nonprofits and community groups build low-cost "Community Internet" and municipal broadband systems.
Companies like SBC, Verizon and Comcast have been introducing laws state by state that would prohibit municipal broadband, undercut local control and prevent competition. But we've been fighting back -- and winning.
An alliance of public interest groups, local officials, high-tech innovators and organized citizens have defeated anti-municipal broadband measures in nine of the 13 states where they've been introduced this year.
What the industry couldn't pass in the states, they're trying to push through in Washington. Sessions' bill -- the "Preserving Innovation in Telecom Act" (an Orwellian title if there ever was one) -- would prevent state and local governments from providing "any telecommunications service, information service or cable service" anywhere a corporation offers a similar service.
Congressman Sessions worked for telephone giant SBC for 16 years, and his wife currently serves as a director of Cingular Wireless, an SBC subsidiary. SBC and its employees have been Sessions' second-biggest career patron, pouring more than $75,000 into his campaign coffers.
We can stop this legislation and send a clear message to Congress that local communities -- not the giant telephone and cable companies -- should determine their own communications needs. But you must act now.
Please send a letter opposing HR 2726 -- and forward this message to everyone you know, asking them to do the same.
Onward,
Josh Silver
Executive Director
Free Press
www.freepress.net
P.S. For all of the latest news on Community Internet and municipal broadband, visit the Free Press Web site at
http://www.freepress.net/communityinternet.
P.P.S. Want to get more involved in bringing Community Internet to your hometown? Join the Free Press Action Squad at http://www.freepress.net/action/squad/signup.php.
6/11... a friend just sent me this.
>
> EVERY WOMAN SHOULD HAVE
> a set of screwdrivers, a
> cordless drill, and a
> black lace bra...
Made me laugh. Ellen
- end of Announcements -
A r t i c l e s
6/11
Sr. Joyce wraps up India mission
final report sent yesterday
Hello, everyone!
This has been one very busy week!!! I tried to write an update to you all last Monday, but the internet here was having problems and couldn't be used. And last weekend, we all (the 4 ASC's and Margo and I) took some time to play at a nearby beach on Saturday and took a bus to Velanganni on Sunday -- two of the Sisters had never been to this famous pilgrimage site, so Margo and I were the tour guides!
We just had our last day of clinics here. Lots of mixed feelings about that! I'mgoing to miss the people--their spirit is incredible and their hospitality has been wonderful. Goodbye's are not easy for me, and seeing some of the folks who have come often--sometimes with some pain or illness and other times just because they wanted to say hello, to give us some fruit, or to tell us that our medicines worked and to say thanks--there were a few tears here and there, knowing that we will probably never see one another again. Some of the women wanted us to take them with us!
Much of this week, when we weren't having clinic, was spent working out the logistics of getting two girls seen by cardiologists and set up for surgery. It's a long story that I'll try to summarize. During the course of our time here, Margo discovered some congenital heart problems in three girls. We sent all three with a parent each and two of the Sisters (Jiji and a postulant, Lourdu Mary) to Thanjavur for echo cardiograms. That's a 3 hour bus ride each way.
Two of the three are needing surgery. The 5 y.o., Shakthi, can have the surgery in Thanjavur but the 19 y.o. Mariya, will need to go to Chennai, a 10 hour bus ride away. Of course neither family can afford the surgery-- they can't afford the time off work to go for the tests! We learned that surgeries can be done free at the government hospitals and the families were willing go but needed to accompany them. So it took two more trips to Thanjavur, once with Sr. Moly and Stella on Tuesday and back again on Wednesday with Moly. The grandmother was with the child--the mother lives there too but goes away for some work and also has a younger child at home. They saw the doctors, had more tests, and with a lot of talking and a letter from Margo, the doctors agreed to do the surgery. We were all so happy and everything was set for the grandmother to take Shakhti today and the surgery was scheduled for next Tuesday . The grandmother went to the village where the father lives to tell him and get his permission and he refused. He wants it to take place in a private hospital, but of course he drinks his money away and has never supported the child. He thought that we would just give him money for the surgery (not a chance!) and threatened to kill the grandmother if anything happened to Shakhti. We were planning to pay for expenses such as transportation and food for the mother and grandmother, and even give the grandmother reimbursement for the time lost from work. Unfortunately, they decided they couldn't take the risk, because the father was likely to carry out any threat he made. We were all in tears about that situation, but are praying hard that somehow he will change his mind. The child will not live many more years without the surgery, so if you could all join us in praying, I have hope that it will happen yet before we leave. Our l ast day here in Tamil Nadu is Wednesday, June 15.
The other story is happier. Wednesday Stella and I went up to Nagaputinam (a 2 hour bus trip) where we met the Director of Health Services for this area. We needed a letter from someone in the government for Mariya to be seen at the Medical College Hospital in Chennai. We got the letter, and that night Mariya, her father, Sr Jiji and Lourdu Mary took the overnight bus to Chennai, saw the dean, saw the cardiologist, had tests repeated and had been approved for the surgery. They took the Thursday night bus home and got here this morning. She plans to return to the hospital there on June 20 to be admitted for the surgery. Her father makes less that $5 a month, so of course we will be helping with their expenses. All of this is only possible because of the generosity of all of you along with your prayers. We plan to stay in touch with the families somehow to know the outcomes of both of these situations.
There are so many stories I'd love to share, but there is just not enough time now. But one funny one is about our adventure with the rats. We've all noticed them in the bath house, but when they started eating our food in the church sacristy, we bought some rat poison. It disappeared several nights in a row and when one morning the poison was still there, we thought we might have conquered the problem. Wrong! The one disadvantage is that we had no control over where they chose to die! It wasn't too bad when we found two in different places and couldjust dispose of them. But dead rats smell terrible, and one died in the rafters above the sacristy, which is connected to ourliving space! It took a while to locate it and it was a challenge to actually get up high enough to get it down -- a chair, to a table, to the window sill-- Margo was the brave one to do the climbing and I got to get rid of the mess a fter it landed in the toilet room! The smell lingered for days, even after we incensed, sprayed everywhere and had several fires in the garbage!
We start packing up now and are planning to leave for Bangalore on Wednesday. Then we'll have a little over a week to be with the Sisters there, perhaps visit some of their houses. One goal is to find a place to get all of the pictures we have taken loaded onto one disc and organized so we can give a copy to the Sisters here who have been with us. They have been wonderful, and our lives have depended on their presence here!
I'll try to be in touch again before we leave India. And I am looking forward to seeing all of you soon. Let's continue to hold one another in prayer.
Much love,
Joyce
6/11
The WTO's Slow Motion Coup
Against Democracy
An Interview with Lori Wallach,
director of Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch
Multinational Monitor, October/November 1999
(Lori Wallach is the director of Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch. Dubbed "the Trade debate's guerrilla warrior" by the National Journal, Wallach is a leader in the worldwide movement for fair trade and investment policy. She is co-author of Whose Trade Organization?: Corporate Globalization and the Erosion of Democracy. Her other publications include numerous trade analyses and reports, and chapters in several anthologies. Wallach was a founder of the Citizens Trade Campaign and a founding board member of the International Forum on Globalization.)
Multinational Monitor: Who thought up the WTO?
Lori Wallach: The WTO was established in 1995 at the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). It was the brainchild of the European Union and Canada, with the U.S. government playing a more reticent role. But the EU and Canada were pushed by a variety of different business coalitions-the equivalent of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce-the European Roundtable of Businesses, and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
Their idea was to create a supra-powered international institution to try to limit more active governments. Already the U.S. government under Reagan was going on a deregulation binge, but that was not the case in Canada and Europe.
MM: How was it, going to override democratic governments?
Wallach: The basic idea was to fence in the range of government action so as to establish a single global market with uniform rules. Human beings are either labor or consumers. Water, trees, animals-basically all of nature-is a resource to be exploited. To exploit these human and natural resources most efficiently, all barriers breaking up this single world market must be eliminated-so as to maximize efficiency of scale.
Yet, what the corporate interests saw as market "fragmentation" is the diversity of policies, values, cultures and laws that one would consider the blessing of democracy. The WTO was to be a body that would continuously promulgate international standards that would be biased towards promoting commerce over other values and with powerful enforcement to knock down any divergent national standards.
MM: What was the corporate interest institutional vision?
Wallach: As a practical matter, the WTO was envisioned to transform the GATT, which was established in 1947 as a business contract between countries. The GATT was understood to be a contract; it was enforceable only as an agreement between consenting parties. Countries were called contracting parties. It operated like most international institutions, requiring consensus to move forward-before any decision could be adopted which would apply to or bind any country, every country was required to agree to it.
The GATT's dispute system, for instance, required consensus to adopt any case, much less to adopt any enforcement of it. Any individual country could exercise a sovereignty "emergency break," block consensus and stop implementation of a ruling. That was only done once in the history of the GATT because generally countries thought they benefited more from the rules functioning and they didn't want to undermine the authority of the system. But it existed and was somewhat of a curb on the most outrageous cases that could have occurred.
The transformation that was sought with the WTO was to develop a broad set of international commercial rules that would impose a global regulatory scheme that was favorable to the biggest of businesses.
This regulatory system was to have what is called self-executing enforcement, which is a rare phenomenon in international law. None of the multilateral environmental agreements have it, arms control treaties don't have it, the International Labor Organization doesn't have it, the World Health Organization and UNICEF agreements don't have it. Self-executing enforcement means that the institution is given its own legal personality, like the UN, and it has the capacity to enforce decisions on signatory countries-which are called Members- absent their unanimous consent. It also is empowered to facilitate further rule-making that binds all members even in the absence of their explicit consent. At the WTO, a two-thirds vote of the membership can bind all the members.
That is a totally different phenomenon than the notion of being a party to a contract from which you can walk away. For instance, under WTO rules, it requires unanimous consensus to stop the institution from implementing a decision issued by a WTO tribunal or authorizing permanent trade sanctions against countries that refuse to change their domestic laws to comply with a WTO decision. There is no other international agreement that requires every single signatory country to agree in order to stop action.
The combination of much broader, expansive rules and stronger enforcement was an enormous transformation that was not well understood at the time it was imposed on governments around the world. This subtle but incredibly effective expansion of WTO power is why we often say it is carrying out a slow-motion coup d'état against democratic, accountable governments.
MM: What is the WTO's scope of action?
Wallach: The WTO itself is the enforcement body. Think of it as the head of the octopus. But the octopus has 12 arms-12 underlying, substantive sets of rules that are free-standing agreements. One of those is an updated version of GATT-the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. It covers trade in goods, tariff's and quotas on trade in goods.
What was added during the Uruguay Round are 11 free-standing agreements on a whole set of issues that you would never think of as particularly related to trade. There are 800 pages of regulations under these 12 different agreements. Obviously a global free trade agreement would require one page-cut tariff's and quotas. Instead, the WTO is managed trade - corporate managed trade.
The 12 agreements cover services, food safety, environmental and other product safety standards, agriculture, subsidies, intellectual property, investment rules, and government procurement. Those agreements constrain government actions-they constrain both the goal a government seeks and the means it uses to obtain them.
Take the rules about standards. In the food area, a government is not allowed to have an environmental goal, an animal welfare goal or a consumer information goal in setting up a standard that limits trade in food. For instance, the U.S. ban on DDT had more to do with what it did to birds-to their egg shells-than with what its effect on humans. That would not be allowed as a goal under the WTO. You can't seek to help the environment through food standards.
Then the means are tested, and you have to always use the "least trade restrictive means." This is a huge element of the imposition of commercial objectives over all other values and goals. What this means in practice is that when you are making a health standard or a consumer information standard, the first thing you have to think about is not its efficacy, or how politically practical it is, but its impact on trade. If the trade effect is not the most minimal possible, you have to change it, regardless of how effective it is otherwise.
MM: How are WTO rules enforced.?
Wallach: These goals and means tests are enforced through the WTO dispute settlement system. That system sets up free-standing tribunals. The WTO includes a system for resolving cases where one country can challenge any other country's laws-federal, state, or local-or even the policy outcome of any law.
First, there's a consultation period. The country which has the complaint tries to get the other country to change their law before a formal case is filed.
During the consultation phase, especially when there is a dispute between a rich country and a developing country, frequently the developing country just preemptively dumps its law. Often this happens even if a country thought it could win, because of the expense of defending the law for a year in Geneva.
The threats are working even on powerful rich countries that have the resources to defend their laws. The European Union, for example, had a Europe-wide ban on the sale of furs caught with steel jaw leg-hold traps, which are banned in a number of countries because they're considered very cruel. The U.S. and Canada still use them, and the U.S. and Canada threatened WTO action. As a matter of WTO jurisprudence, the European Union would have lost the case-countries are not allowed to look at cruelty to animals in setting market access conditions. So, in response to a threat of a case, Europe basically dumped the implementation of its ban.
If the consultation does not resolve the dispute, then the complaining country asks for the formation of a panel.
MM: How are the panels formed ?
Wallach: WTO tribunals consist of three trade experts chosen from a roster. The WTO Dispute Settlement Understanding sets up the criteria to serve on one of these panels. The criteria ensure that the judges will have a built-in bias towards maintaining the status-quo system, as well as making sure commercial values triumph over others. There are four ways you can get on the roster: 1 ) you have worked at the GATT; 2) you have represented a country at the GATT or WTO; 3) you have worked at a high-level trade job in your government; or 4) you are a private trade attorney who has published in international trade treatises. Which is to say, if you're not part of the international trade elite status quo, you are not going to sit on a WTO panel. It doesn't matter if you are a brilliant trade lawyer who happens to work at the Sierra Club. You wouldn't qualify, absent having worked at the U.S. Trade Representative's office before working at the Sierra Club.
Unlike a court, there are no conflict-of-interest rules that mean anything. In fact, we discovered a case where a former head of the GATT-Arthur Dunkel-was appointed to judge the Helms-Burton law (related to the U.S.-Cuban trade battles). Dunkel was at the time sitting as the chairman of the committee of the International Chamber of Commerce that had just issued a paper arguing that Helms-Burton violated WTO rules and had launched a global campaign against Helms-Burton. He was also on the board of Nestle's Cuban subsidiary, which would directly benefit if these trade rules that were being challenged were changed!
MM: What is the public's role in the process?
Wallach: The three-person tribunals sit in secrecy. The only written procedural rule in the entire WTO dispute settlement understanding is a requirement that all documents, proceedings, panels and discussions are confidential. There's no ability for the press, the public, or even the attorney general of a state whose law is being challenged even to be in the room during a tribunal's proceedings. The U.S. now must release the U.S. briefs filed on behalf of its citizens at the WTO only because Public Citizen won a lawsuit in 1992 forcing the government to do so.
The WTO now publishes on its web site summaries with a very polished, smoothed-over version of "country A thinks country B's law about item C is not kosher; we will let you know in a year and a half whether or not the law survives." Otherwise you only know the subject matter.
A truly stunning story is of a WTO panelist who was in Washington on summer holiday in August, during one of the WTO challenge to the U.S. Clean Air Act by Venezuela. He showed up with his teenage son, both in shorts, at Public Citizen's Capitol Hill office. He had heard a rumor that Public Citizen and the Sierra Club had tried to file an amicus (friend of the court) brief about the case, even though no amicus briefs are allowed. He was interested if in fact there was important information that he was not being allowed to see. He asked whether we could provide him a copy as a private tourist, and of course we gave him a copy.
Even though these panels are now empowered to judge food safety laws, intellectual property rules and health issues, there is no requirement that there be any but trade expertise on any of the panels. Nor is there any requirement to seek outside expertise. The panelists are allowed to ask for information, but there's no requirement that, for instance, the World Health Organization must be the substantive authority to decide the pros and cons of a health law.
MM: What are the consequences of a tribunal's hearing?
Wallach: After hearing the case, the tribunal issues a ruling. The ruling is automatically binding unless there's a consensus among all the countries -including the winning country-to stop its adoption. Once it's adopted, there's a period that cannot exceed 15 months during which the country that lost the case must change its law to comply with the orders of the WTO.
Trade sanctions are automatically adopted if a country hasn't changed its laws within a reasonable time period. For instance, right now, the U.S. has challenged Europe's ban on the sale of meat contaminated with artificial growth hormone residues. The European public is outraged about the prospect of being forced to eat this stuff. As a political matter, the European Union has decided it can't change the policy, so as a result it is facing hundreds of millions of dollars of trade sanctions every year from the U.S. The kind of sanctions we're talking about include a 100 percent tariff on oats exported to the U.S. from Europe. Eighty percent of the oats imported for human consumption in the U.S. come from Europe. Oats are a low-cost, nutritional food. The price of oats has now doubled. So suddenly your cereal is more expensive. And now we have a lose-lose situation, where consumers in Europe have to have tainted meat and consumers in the U.S. have to have their cereal too expensive.
There is no outside appeal from a WTO decision. There is only an internal appeal to an appellate body whose staff is paid by the WTO. So far the appellate body has not reversed a single one of the 24 cases to have gone through the whole WTO system.
The track record of this whole system is that basically the countries that have the money to file win. Of the 24 cases that have made it through the system, the country which filed the case won in all but three instances. The U.S. has filed nearly half the cases and has by far been the big aggressor at the WTO. They have the cash to use this tool and know that if they file they typically win (though two of the three cases where the aggressor that filed the case didn't win were U.S. cases). Very few cases have been brought by developing nations, because it is a very expensive process. They have to hire outside attorneys to really start the case.
MM: How does the Technical Barriers to Trade agreement work?
Wallach: The WTO's Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreement covers all standards except those related to food safety. The basic rule of that agreement and also for the food standards agreement is even for standards that treat domestic and foreign countries identically (i.e. there is no discrimination against foreign products) a country's level of protection is additionally capped.
The old GATT had a rule that said you can't discriminate between domestic and foreign producers or products; the WTO additionally sets value decisions. Under the TBT agreement, a country must base its domestic standard on an international standard if such a standard exists or its completion is imminent. The only exceptions to using the international standard that are defensible are fundamental climactic, geographic or technological problems. Rationales for exceptions like "We don't trust that inspection system, so we want to ban that toxin" are not allowed.
A case epitomizing the worst of the TBT is Canada's current challenge against France's ban on asbestos. Canada is using the TBT Agreement to argue that France cannot ban asbestos because the international standards-at both the International Labor Organization and the World Health Organization, which have been very heavily influenced by industry-require a contained use of asbestos instead of an absolute ban. Because those are the international standards, the only legitimate defense under WTO rules that France can put forward for why it does not have a "controlled use" standard (i.e. regulating, containing and labeling, instead of banning) would be fundamental climactic, geographic or technological reasons. Obviously, France's issue isn't one of those three-their issue is that the stuff kills people, it can't be regulated well, there is no safe use of it, and so they want to ban it. Now the whole European Union has decided to do the same thing, and it's going to cause an even greater trade fight.
That case is still under dispute. It's unclear how it will be ruled on, but if you interpreted the TBT as is, without putting any political twist to tone it down, Canada would win its case.
MM: Does the WTO agreement on food safety- the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standards (SPS) Agreement-follow the same principles as the TBT?
Wallach: Same outcome, different rules. The SPS Agreement-which is GATT-ese for food safety standards-establishes that member countries should base their food safety standards on international standards. The food standards listed are those of the Codex Alimentarius, a UN-affiliated body which is very heavily influenced by industry. If a country's standards are less protective than Codex or at the Codex level, they are defensible. If they provide a higher level of protection than Codex, a country can only maintain them if it meets a long list of tests.
The Sanitary and Phytosanitary Agreement is particularly pernicious because it eviscerates the Precautionary Principle. It explicitly requires that a certain level of scientific evidence is required in advance of acting to protect food safety.
If a country's standard is higher than the international standard, it must prove there is a certain level of scientific evidence to support its regulation. The evidence must show not just that a risk exists, but that in fact a risk exists that is at a certain level of threat to your population, and that the way you intend to deal with it is scientifically proven to be the way to do it. Of course that's a fallacy-that's promoting science into what are value decisions.
But that inappropriate elevation of science is used to basically trip up the ability of any government to put the burden on a company to prove their products are safe. The use of science in this way requires that the governments prove a product is dangerous-exactly the reverse of how many governments' regulatory systems work.
It was this backwards logic that was used to sack the European ban on beef tainted with artificial hormone residues. Europe said, "We know the hormones themselves are carcinogens. There is not complete evidence about what happens when the hormone is ingested as a residue in meat, as compared to direct exposure to the hormone itself. And because there is no long-term data on its safety, we as a precautionary matter are going to act to stop avoidable, perhaps irreversible health harm to humans in the future. We intend to ban this stuff until the industry can prove to us that it is safe in the long-term." This was a ban that was for domestic use, as well as for imported meat.
The SPS Agreement was used to rule against that ban because the European Union had put the burden on the companies to prove the beef was safe. Under these WTO rules, the governments have to prove something is dangerous to keep it off the market.
That's for food products for humans. These rules also cover invasive species issues. If the case deals with issues other than human health - that is, with the health of an animal or plant, i.e., the threat of some invasive species coming in and wiping out some domestic plant or animal-the test is even more difficult. In every SPS case that has been brought on plants and animals, the law that's been challenged has been taken down.
MM: Even though there are a handful of cases, it doesn't seem that the harms have been as bad as the rules might suggest.
Wallach: There are two answers to that. First, the WTO hasn't been fully implemented yet. Some of the harshest rules related to intellectual property and investment services will be applied to the developing countries that are the majority of the 134 members of the WTO over 10 to 15 years. So all of the wreckage that has happened already has been with a good third of the rules not implemented at all.
And even the rules that are implemented have not been fully enforced. There are many instances of laws that are clearly outside the rules where the cases have not been brought yet. This is why we describe this as a subtle, slow-motion coup d'état -we've seen countries not acting so as to avoid any future challenges. And those are not as obvious or easy to document.
In one example we do know about-which we know is the tip of the iceberg-the state of Maryland was going to pass a selective purchasing law relating to the military dictatorship of Nigeria. The U.S. State Department sent a platoon of lobbyists to Annapolis three days before the vote, which had been expected to pass handily. The State Department lobbyists said, "Stop. This will violate WTO rules. You're going to lose, and we will charge you for the defense. You're not even going to be at the defense table." Ten votes swung and the Maryland legislation went down by one vote.
Who knows how many other measures have been defeated that way?
My second response is that I'm surprised in the opposite way-that so much damage has already happened, considering that a full third of the WTO rules haven't been implemented and the rules that are in force haven't been very well enforced.
There's already such a list of cases where either through the chilling effect or through threats, laws have been sacked, chilled, weakened. These are in addition to the 24 cases that have gone through dispute resolution. The damage is much larger than I thought it would be at this point, given the long phase-ins. It is the WTO's actual record that is causing such a global build up of opposition to it.
6/11
Cincinnati practitioners
recommended by Erik Bendix
Here is a list of interesting alternative and "regular" healers and advisors that Erik Bendix (my esteemed Alexander Technique teacher) has used and recommends in the Cincinnati area. Take note. I could also make a list, so if you are interested to know who is great, ask me re. massage, acupuncture, chiropractic, Rolf Structural Integration, homeopathy, etc. etc. Ellen
Body-Mind Centering® practitioner:
Vickie Fairchild, tel. 792-2300, viqidance@aol.com
Developmental Movement + Laban Movement Analysis:
Fanchon Shur, tel. 221-3222, fanchon@fuse.net
Craniosacral therapists:
Vickie Fairchild, tel. 792-2300, viqidance@aol.com
Tina Holsapple, tel. 321-7551, holsapple@fuse.net
Acupuncture and Internal Medicine:
Dorothy Shaffer, M.D., tel. 221-2111
Lymphatic Drainage Massage:
Brenda Ghantous, tel. 703-0148
Tina Holsapple, tel. 321-7551, holsapple@fuse.net
Feldenkrais Method + Pilates:
Dana Pilolli, tel. 531-2416, dpilolli@fuse.net
Tellington Touch (Energy healing)(for animals):
Dana Pilolli, tel. 531-2416, dpilolli@fuse.net
Watsu:
Alan Hundley, tel. 281-8606, ahundley@fuse.net
Weight Training + Running Coach:
Scott Woods, tel. 348-7960 cell, 631-8144 home
Body-centered Trauma Recovery:
Ed Gutfreund, tel. 542-6917, egutfreund@aol.com
Gestalt Therapy:
Paul Diamond, Ph.D., tel. 421-9739
Financial Advice + Spiritual Direction:
Mary Jo Ruccio, tel. 859-384-2491, mjruccio@insightbb.com
6/11
Huge China Study points to food as the way to solve many world problems
from Jeanette Raichyk, homeschool mom, faithful salon reader and alt. energy leader
Hi Ellen,
someday when you don't have a guest speaker, or you have one who's centered on health care or medicine, I have the blockbuster book for you to knock the socks off your readers, since the book (The China Study -- T.C.Campbell ) is not yet in CINCH (public library) circulation unless you order it through inter-library loan.
The project called China Study was a multi-stage survey of incredible dimensions and significance, commissioning of the first part was the work of Chou En Lai (premier at the time and dying of cancer). They did fairly in-depth data collection on 880 MILLION chinese, ranging over all 2400 counties (?) and covering the vast array of lifestyles from city office workers to rural peasant to party mogul. The followup work was conducted by the author as part of a team of nutrition and epidemiology researchers from china to london and their research confirmed the existance of two classes of disease -- the diseases of affluence and the diseases of poverty. The latter we can defeat with clean water, clean air and better work conditions. The former are the total result of excess animal protein in the diet.
Considering that we americans are going down the tubes healthwise, when we could be the healthiest on the planet, just because we stuff ourselves with what we think is the Great American Diet, it seems so shameful that the fundamental research for justifying this need for changes was actually done in the late 70s and early 80s, and has been confirmed repeatedly since. But to top it off, there's stories in the book that demonstrate that the medical wizards here are aware of the fact that we could cure ourselves (not just avoid the diseases) by demolishing the industrial food processing, the factory farms and ultimately big pharma corporations and the $100thousand dollar a pop cardio-surgery game along with the frankensteinian oncology dungeons IF we would just get the word out to people that the research is not "controversial" because it's too incomplete, it's controversial because it disrupts the power structure.
For a feminist angle, consider that food is "women's work" and women seeking corporate parity will likewise resist the news since they are rigidly fearful of the home rearing its head as important. And politically, how many ways are we made "needy" and dependent on massive interventions by government that would go away, so there's no chance of seeing "political will" coming to our aid. And if your buddy Mike is right about the connection to massive amounts of oil needed for sustaining the meat industry production that's killing us, think of the impact on the warmongers, drooling over other countries' oil.
The answer is food, Ellen. With one blow we can take down the walls of this nightmare machine. It's simple people-doable, it's even economical for the adopter from the start, and massively later. How about a Salon event focussing on the implications of The China Study. Now I know I haven't managed to get there yet, our house building project is for after regular daywork til dark. Someday I might make it, but this is too important not to get started. Food is our silver bullet.
Jeanette
6/11
CCM New Music Festival, long description
from Joel Hoffman, director, (and absentee salonista)
CCM HOSTS MUSIC05: A FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSIC
The 9-day event includes concerts, master classes, guest artists and composers as well as the world premiere of Frederic Rzewski¹s ³Spoils², commissioned by Music05.
The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music presents Music 05, a unique and intensive 9-day festival of new music, June 11-19. Several CCM faculty and guest artists will be joined by internationally recognized composers Moritz Eggert, Frederic Rzewski and Michael Torke for concerts, master classes and seminars featuring new music from around the world. Selected chamber works by young composers, both students and professionals, will be rehearsed, performed and recorded under the guidance of the guest artists. These pieces, along with works by the principal guest composers, will be performed in a series of evening concerts throughout the 9-day festival, which are free and open to the public. (Please see the Music05 website: http://www.ccm.uc.edu/musicx for the complete concert and master class schedules.)
Artistic Director Joel Hoffman will be joined by CCM faculty members Michael Fiday, Lee Fiser and Allen Otte for the festival. Guest artists include Emanuele Arciuli, piano; Gao Ping, piano; Laura Rosky-Santoni, violin; Dorotea Vismara Hoffman, viola; Michael Kugel, viola; Nikola Ruzevic, cello; Alan Bern, improvisation; the Amernet String Quartet and premier new music group "eighth blackbird".
As part of the Music05 concerts, eighth blackbird will perform June 19 at 8 p.m. Regarded as one of the premier new music groups in the world, eighth blackbird has established a reputation for its provocative and engaging performances. The winners of the Naumburg Chamber Music Award and the Concert Artists Guild International Competition, where they were the first contemporary ensemble to win first prize, the group is also a three-time recipient of the CMA/ASCAP Award for Adventurous Programming. The group has been featured on CBS¹ ³Sunday Morning² and was the subject of a profile in The New York Times. The ensemble is currently in residence at the University of Richmond in Virginia and the University of Chicago.
The other featured ensemble in Music05 is the Amernet String Quartet. The Amernet Quartet is well-known to Cincinnati audiences, and will be playing two works: the sensuous and captivating Quartet by Maurice Ravel and Elliott Carter¹s groundbreaking Quartet no. 5.
Moritz Eggert (born 1965, Heidelberg) studied piano and composition at Dr.Hoch´s Konservatorium in Frankfurt (with Wolfgang Wagenhaeuser and Claus Kuehnl), at the Musikhochschule Frankfurt (with Leonard Hokanson) and in Munich at the Musikhochschule Muenchen (with Wilhelm Killmayer). Later he continued his piano studies with Raymund Havenith in Frankfurt, and his composition studies with Hans-Jürgen von Bose in Munich. In 1992 he spent a year in London as a post-graduate composition student with Robert Saxton at the Guildhall School for Music and Drama.
Moritz Eggert has covered all genres in his work his oeuvre includes 6 operas as well as ballets and works for dance and music theatre, often with unusual performance elements. 1997 German TV produced a feature-length film portrait about his music. His main duo partner is the cellist Sebastian Hess. In 1996 he presented the complete works for piano solo by Hans Werner Henze for the first time in one concert, a programme that he continues to play with great success. In 1989 he was a prizewinner at the International Gaudeamus Competition for Performers of Contemporary Music.
As a composer Moritz Eggert has been awarded with prizes like the composition prize of the Salzburger Osterfestspiele, the Schneider/Schott-prize, the “Ad Referendum³-prize in Montréal, the Siemens Förderpreis for young composers, and the Zemlinsky Prize. 2003 he became a member of the ³Bayerische Akademie der Schoenen Kuenste². 1991 he founded - together with Sandeep Bhagwati - the A*Devantgarde festival for new music, which took place for the 7th time in June 2003. His concert-length cycle for piano solo, “Haemmerklavier³, is among his best known works and has been performed around the world.
Among his recent works are the concert-length cycle for voice and piano “Neue Dichter Lieben³ featuring 20 love poems by contemporary German poets, and the orchestra piece “Number Nine IV: Scapa Flow³. Other recent premieres include the children¹s opera “Dr. Booger¹s Scary Scheme³ for the opera Frankfurt am Main (a collaboration with librettist Andrea Heuser) and a song-cycle for Jazz Ensemble produced by the CD-label ³between the lines² called ³wide unclasp² (based on poems by the American poet Anne Sexton). June 2004 saw the premiere of his newest large scale opera ³The Snail², a collaboration with the renowned director and author Hans Neuenfels (Mannheim opera house). Currently he is working on a double bass concerto for the award-winning ³Junges Klangforum Mitte Europas, and a huge ³soccer oratorio² for the Ruhrtriennale 2005 and the Soccer World Championship 2006.
Born in Westfield, Massachusetts in 1938, Frederic Rzewski studied with Walter Piston, Roger Sessions and Milton Babbitt at Harvard and Princeton Universities. He went to Italy in 1960, where he studied with Luigi Dallapiccola and began a career as a performer of new piano music. Rzewski's early friendship with Christian Wolff and David Behrman, and (through Wolff) his acquaintance with John Cage and David Tudor strongly influenced his development in both composition and performance. In Rome in the mid-sixties, together with Alvin Curran and Richard Teitelbaum, he formed the MEV (Musica Elettronica Viva) group, which quickly became known for its pioneering work in live electronics and improvisation.
The experience of MEV can be felt in Rzewski's compositions of the late sixties and early seventies, which combine elements derived equally from the worlds of written and improvised music (Les Moutons de Panurge, Coming Together). During the seventies he experimented further with forms in which style and language are treated as structural elements; the best-known work of this period is The People United Will Never Be Defeated!, a 50-minute set of piano variations. A number of pieces for larger ensembles written between 1979 and 1981 show a return to experimental and graphic notation (Le Silence des Espaces Infinis, The Price of Oil), while much of the work of the eighties explores new ways of using twelve-tone technique (Antigone-Legend, The Persians). A freer, more spontaneous approach to writing can be found in more recent work (Whangdoodles, Sonata). Rzewski's largest-scale work to date is The Triumph of Death (1987-8), a two-hour oratorio.
Rzewski has recorded on hatART records and Newport Classics. His music also appears on the Vanguard, New Albion, Opus One, CRI, Music and Arts, OO Records, Hungaroton and Nonesuch labels.
Since 1977 Rzewski has been Professor of Composition at the Conservatoire Royal de Musique in Liege, Belgium. He has also taught at a number of other institutions, including the College-Conservatory of Music in 1985-86.
With his two best known early pieces, Ecstatic Orange and Yellow Pages, written in 1985 while still a composition student at Yale, Michael Torke practically defined post-Minimalism, a music in which eclectic young composers utilize the repetitive structures of a previous generation to incorporate musical techniques from both the classical tradition and the contemporary pop world. Yet, at 23, Torke cut short his graduate study at Yale to begin his professional career in New York City, where he was soon signed by Boosey and Hawkes (the publisher of Stravinsky and Copland), became an exclusive recording artist with Argo/Decca Records, and began his five year collaboration with Peter Martins and the New York City Ballet.
Highlights since then include: Color Music, (1985-89) a series of orchestral pieces that each explore a single, specific color; Javelin, for orchestra, recorded twice, for Argo and for the official 1996 Olympics album, Summon the Heroes, conducted by John Williams, which reached #62 on the Billboard 200; Four Seasons, Disney Millennium Symphony, a 65 minute symphony for two chorus, four soloists, and extended orchestra commissioned by the Walt Disney Company and Michael Eisner, premiered by Kurt Masur and the New York Philharmonic at Lincoln Center; and, Strawberry Fields, a one act opera with a libretto by A. R Gurney, part of the trilogy Central Park, commissioned by Glimmerglass Opera, New York City Opera, and PBS' Great Performances, the broadcast of which was nominated for an Emmy Award.
In 1998 Torke was appointed the first Associate Composer of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Naxos has released an album of orchestral works commissioned and performed by that orchestra, which includes Rapture, his percussion concerto, and An American Abroad, a tone poem.
In 2003 Torke acquired the rights to re-issue the complete Decca/Argo recorded catalog of his works, and founded Ecstatic Records. Later that year, the boxed set of these complete recordings was picked by The New York Times as one of the top Classical albums of the year.
Current projects include the musical, House of Mirth, which was given a workshop (May 2004) at the Sundance Theater Lab at White Oak, with lyrics by Mark Campbell, book by A. R. Gurney, and directed by Bart Sher, and Italian Straw Hat, a full evening farce for ballet, commissioned by the National Ballet of Canada, with choreography by James Kudelka, and sets and costumes by Santo Loquasto.
All Music05 performances will be held in Werner Recital Hall on the UC campus and are FREE and open to the public. Parking is available for all performances in the CCM garage. For more information go to Music05¹s website, www.ccm.uc.edu/musicx.
# # #
Music05 Concert Schedule
All concerts are FREE and open to the public. Schedule is subject to change. Go to www.ccm.uc.edu/musicx for the most up-to-date concert information. All concerts are in Robert J. Werner Recital Hall on the UC campus.
Concert 1: Young Composers 1
Saturday, June 11, 6 p.m.
Concert 2: Cincinnati Composers Plus
Works by: Ivica Ico Bukvic, Mara Helmuth, Michael Fiday,
Ellen Harrison, Douglas Lowry, Robert Denham
Saturday, June 11, 8 p.m.
Concert 3: Young Composers 2
Sunday, June 12, 6 p.m.
Concert 4 featuring pianist Emanuele Arciuli
Works by: Talib Rasul Hakim,
Joel Hoffman, John Adams
Sunday, June 12, 8 p.m.
Concert 5: Young Composers 3
Monday, June 13, 6 p.m.
Concert 6 featuring Nikola Ruzevic, cello and Michael Kugel, cello
Works by: George Crumb, Witold Lutoslawski, Joan Tower,
Berislav Sipus, Ernest Bloch, Nancy Van de Vate, Michael Kugel
Monday, June 13, 8 p.m.
Concert 7: Young Composers 4
Tuesday, June 14, 6 p.m.
Concert 8 featuring the Amernet Quartet in works by
Elliott Carter and Maurice Ravel;
Also a new ensemble work by Frederic Rzewski commissioned by Music05
Tuesday, June 14, 8 p.m.
Concert 9: Young Composers 5
Wednesday, June 15, 6 p.m.
Concert 10: Music of Frederic Rzewski
Frederic Rzewski, piano
Wednesday, June 15, 8 p.m.
Concert 11: Rzewski's "Honk" and the Inner Voice
Thursday, June 16, 6 p.m.
Concert 12 featuring pianist Gao Ping
Works by: David Crumb, Claude Debussy, Joel Hoffman, Gao Ping,
Jack Body, Frederic Rzewski, Francis Poulenc
Thursday, June 16, 8 p.m.
Concert 13: Young Composers 7
Friday, June 17, 6 p.m.
Concert 14: Music of Moritz Eggert and the Accent05/Music05 Competition Finalists
Friday, June 17, 8 p.m.
Concert 15: Young Composers 8
Saturday, June 18, 6 p.m.
Concert 16: Music of Michael Torke
Saturday, June 18, 8 p.m.
Concert 17: Young Composers 9 and an Improvisation by Bern/Hoffman/Rzewski
Sunday, June 19, 6 p.m.
Concert 18: eighth blackbird
Works by: Derek Bermel, Frederic Rzewski, Jennifer Higdon,
David Lang, Frederic Rzewski/Matt Albert
Sunday, June 19, 8 p.m.
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.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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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