Salon Weekly
A Weekly Email Publication of The Lloyd House
Circulation: c. 460
Growing out of the Monday Night Salon
For info about the Salon, see the bottom of this email
Join us at the Lloyd House every Monday of the year at 5:45 for pot luck and discussion.
3901 Clifton Avenue
Cincinnati, Ohio
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Wednesday 23 August, 2005
At the Table on Monday ____8/22/05___: Marvin Kraus, Pat Farkas,(Welcome Pat!) , Mara Helmuth, Ray Ash, Steve Sunderland, Janet Kalven, Gerry Kraus, Gary Weis, Leslie Goldman, Daisy Quarm, Dan Hershey, Spencer Konicov, Roy Euvrard, Adrienne Cooper, Barbara Feiman, David Rosenberg, Mira Rodwan, Shirley Maul, Caeli Good, Isabelle Provosty,(Welcome Isabelle!), Amiel Provosty (Welcome Amiel!), Neil Anderson, Ellen Bierhorst (23 people! a big one.)
Janet Kalven graciously volunteered to be here next Monday to open the door for the salon. I will be traveling home from my daughter¹s wedding in Denver.
David R. will take notes of the discussion next week and send email by Friday
Announcements:
Mira Marlena Sly went to Crawford Tx; she videotaped Joan Baez singing songs.
And my sister in law (and Salonista Judy Cirillo) got back from Jerusalem from the Women in black internat¹l conference. Said it was scary; good conference. Walking in Jerusalem, young Israeli soldiers with rifles at the ready all the time.
Leslie I hear that pro Bush supporters were also camping there.
Steve It is clearly terrifying the far right.
Spencer Ava Michaele born Aug 12, 6¹11oz, 21 oz. Grand child.
Gerry from art world, exhibit at the Art museum (free) on Japanese work garments. Cultural and artistic. e.g. firemen in Japan. Through Sept 11. Only takes an hour.
Caeli Cindy Sheehan vigil last Wednesday, and I passed out Dept. of Peace flyers. Well received. Sept 13 the legisltation will be reintroduced in the House. I am team leader for Dist 1.
Steve sept 4 at riverfront, ducky race, fundraiser for Free Store. $5 per rubber duck. Winner gets a car and a million dollars. Noon on Labor Day. Serpentine Wall. Need helpers to remove ducks 2:45 pm.. YOu can buy one at Krogers, or at http://www.freestore.com online.
Sept 10, seminar at the Mosque, ³bridges to hope², 7 pm. Saturday. How Islam has been the focus of prejudice since bombings. At 8 shift to Clifton U. Methodist. What have we learned from 9/11. On Sunday, 9/11 walk at 1:00 from mosque to U.C. Not all night. We will stop at 10 pm. Sat night.
Marvin Gerry Kraus, our candidate for city council has yard signs tonight.
Roy: Wed night (vigil in support of Cindy Sheehan) when we got down to the serpintine wall, hecklers said, ³Hey, they joined the army, what did they think they¹d do, sit in a country club?² and I answered, ³That¹s what Bush did.²
Mira one person thought ³Give peace a chance² was ³Impeach his ass².
Topics Nominated:
Steve: Thich Nhat Hahn conference
Dan short follow up on Sheehan action
Roy the Gaza pullout. An essay I wrote
Adrienne: I¹d like to hear what people think about the Mayoral election. Mark Mallory not popular in Winton Place.
THICH NAT HAHN CONFERENCE: VETERANS¹ SANGA
STEVE:
T.N.H. was expelled in 64 from S Vietnam for opposing the US occupation; also wanted the North to stop fighting. So expelled from both. Started his own branch of Buddhism that year. A number of monks and nuns left with him. Just this Jan. he went back for the first time.
He has been seeking reconcilliation between Vietnmaese, Veterans, and War Protestors. 1,000 participants. Theme: Engaged Buddhism. Meditation is expressed in action. Believes in social justice. Women¹s equality. Rescuing boat people. Every peace movement since 64.
This is the first time, these conferences the last 4 years, for vets to share and reconcile with peace protestors.
IN the beginning, vets were hostile to me as a peacenik.
Now, much love, warmth.
Most of the time we were sitting in silence together.
One vet with PTSD, read names of vets who died this year of Agent Orange.
ONe vet from the Iraq war. 15 mos. as a gunner. Is a Buddhist. Distrusted by fellow soldiers AND by buddhists.
Nam Vet: ³I came home an assasin. who is there to talk to.² Wants to go work with the rehab. pts. in Hawaii. (that¹s where soldiers from the current war in Iraq are taken for rehabilitation after losing limbs etc.) Wife died this year, he thinks of Agent Orange.
Most of the vets were marines.
Conf. was held at Stone Hill college in Mass.
Hahn: we must understand whether we are doing action out of anger or out of compassion. Stresses the temptations of victims to want to seek revenge. What is the Buddhist process? -- to respect the seeds of anger, but bring us to compassion.
Last hour of the conference is given over to the Vet¹s Sanga. I chose to write a poem. ³Where is my voice?
Where is my voice for peace?
... the bloom of anger...
... Will someone go back to Bagdad in 20 years...?
...victories of PTSD on lips that quiver...
...I did not go when my number was called.
...Where¹s my voice of hope.
... I was drafted into the army of peace...
The sweet bell of love.² (read the complete text of Steve¹s poem in Blue section below.)
There was open weeping. Open desire to reconcile with the vets. ³Welcome home², the most wonderful words. We Said them as a group to the Iraq war vet. The importance of not adding to bitterness and anger in our peace protests.
Anamazing week of opening the heart. I realize how cold I am most of the time. Priviledged to be there...also to be here, another sanga. We take refuge and strength from this group.
Here in this group, we do things out of hearts of compassion. We need to acknowledge that more often.
Gerry: one of the women we met at the Sheehan vigil, woman from Warren Co. told how the recruiters are beating the drum to recruit highschool students. Esp. in small towns.
Leslie they were at Sycamore HS last year. When my son was there, they were calling the house all the time. This was four years of recruiter pressure he experienced in high school.
Ellen: There is a movement (see in Announcements section) for parents and others to host home events against recruiting. Lift awareness that this is going on. Encourage youth and parents to resist this.
Daisy the school allows access to the recruiters.
Roy one of the memories seared in my mind ... in 73 when the POWs came home from Vietnam, they brought them back at night, sneeking them back into the country. I was angry with the public reception that they received. the Army was afraid the POWs would be boo¹d. Today we recognize that it wasn¹t the soldiers that made the policy.
Dan The supreme court just decided colleges may not barr recruiters to come on campus. ... If even one college department says they don¹t want recruiters, the feds. can withold money to the whole college as a result.
Gerry it¹s one thing to make a pitch at the campus or school; it is another thing to harrass the students at home repeatedly.
Ray I was too old for Vietnam; my younger brothers served. I took ROTC in college. Many peers of mine went to VN. I served with them. (Was not sent to Vietnam myself.) They were moved by patriotism and courage. Putting aside their views of the policy. They were spit on when returning. Shameful! Let¹s not repeat that.
I am ambivalent about the Iraq war.
But I am talking about the drive (patriotism, responsibility) that sends our kids to war. Many are too young to understand the politics, and that¹s tragic.
A beautiful poem, Steve. I heard the higher theme: compassion as a bridge connecting two opposing sides. Dissipates anger. Forginess flows across.
FOLLOW UP TO SHEEHAN VIGIL ETC.
Dan I told you about Frank Rich (op-ed page writer for NY Times) who said ³Someone should tell Bush the war is over². I made 20 cc. This week¹s NYTimes, Frank Rich wrote ³The Swift Boating of Cindy Sheehan². You can tell how much angst there is in the Right Wing over this by the efforts to blacken her name. ... You can tell they are worried, because they are dredging up Clinton again. Rich wrote: ³Couldn¹t have picked a more apt date.. Aug. 6, the anniversary of when Bush went on vacation and chose not to read the report that predicted the 9/11 debacle...² ... The president now is avoiding talking about the Iraq war.
... soon the special prosecutor will be coming with indictments against Carl Rove and Wilson¹s wife spy outing thing.
THE GAZA PULL OUT
ROY: Bush and co. are not Republicans. As a former Republican myself, I object to the label for Bush. They don¹t qualify as Republicans.
Early memory, 6 yrs old, NYC, mother (in rehab. nursing) brought home Israeli vets. for dinner. Vets of the 48 Israeli war. They were in NY to get prosthesis limbs. The feeling I had listening to them, talking about their love of Israel, growing up on a kibutz. Any of them would have given another limb for their country. Over the last sixty years, I have seen a change. The founders of Is. were secular. There has been a big change since then. I don¹t know how the Is. Pal. issue will be solved. Seems more like a divorce ....
Often in divorce, people become irrational and do things against their own interest. The Jews and Pallestinians have been living together in peace for 2,000 years and now they are trying to get divorced. I think an outside force will have to step in, since there is no trust between the two parties.
My essay is an idea at how to make peace. (passed around essay. I hope he will send it so I can publish it in the Weekly. ellen.)
Steve Bush seems to be pressuring Sharon to get rid of the settlements. I was shocked that Israel agreed to let go of the settlements. ... shocked that Sharon is working for peace. Land given back to Palestinians. Amazing.
(Fanchon: writing from Israel. I read her comment at the table: ³The palestenians don't want the houses. they plan to build high rises instead on the land, so that the millions of palestenians can have places. the settlers offered the houses, they turned them down.
fanchon
i am so proud of the israeli army........they are marvelous and have taken the high ground.
see you all soon.
fanchon²)
Barbara F. (Barbara is originally from S. Africa): Steve, Can you explain what you meant about the parallel between S Africa and Israel?
Steve for 40 years, the government supported ghettoization, apartheid. Like the situation in Israel for Palestinians.
Barbara Leclerc and Sharon very different motivation. Leclerc¹s government was brought to its knees. ... threat of the blood bath was hanging over S Africa for many many years. Many white exodus movements. Leclerc released Mandela, and prevented the blood bath. ... the country is still in shreds economically. Don¹t see parallel.j
Spencer the reason behind the Gaza pull out is based on fact. 60% Israelis agree with the policy. Israel. is a democracy; is a Jewish country; want to maintain both. 55% of the Israeli¹s claim to be Jewish. 45% claim to be Muslim. the birth rate of Jews is 2.7; the birthrate of the average Muslim in Gaza is 6. Over time will become the majority...
In west bank it is 5.7 . This is a time bomb of birth. If they continue as a democratic country it will cease to be a Jewish country. Their response is to build the (infamous) fence.
Unlike apartheid in S Africa, Is. has a minority of arab people who will stop at nothing to attack the country.
It is not a conspiracy by Bush, it is a matter of facts. Is. has to decide what to maintain, Jewishness or democracy.
Janet you could educate the (Arab) women and that would reduce the birth rate.
Spencer After Oslow agreements, 50% of the aid money disappeared, no one knows where it went. The Palestinians have chosen not to allow their people to become educated.
ROY IN 1962 I mad a slurr comment against Arabs and was immediately upbraided by Israelis.
I once dated an Egyptian Jewish girl girl who left Egypt after the 56 war. Had good things to say about the Arab Egyptians. Had only good to say about the Muslims, Egyptians. Her fam. had been there for 2000 years.
MAYORAL ELECTION
Reece, Mallory, Pepper, Winburn (and other dark horses) competing for the nomination. Neck and neck. Non partisan Primary Sept 13, Tues. the top two vote getters (regardless of party) will nave a run off on Nov 8.
Marvin: five are running. Non partisan. Top two vote getters will run for mayor against each other.
Winburn, Reece, Pepper, Mallory, ...
Some think winburn¹s candidacy is to detract from other black candidates.
Reece family have been living in 3 efficiencies in bond Hill. Board of election s must decide whether Alicia is actually a resident.
Nathaniel Livingston is charging she is not a resident. African Amer. political activist. You can read his (extreme) point of view at
http://blackcincinnati.blogspot.com
............................ end of table notes..............................
I (Ellen) will be leaving before six tomorrow morning to go to Denver for the wedding of my daughter Anna with her partner Fran. They have asked me to chant the Seven Benedictions, Sheva B¹rachot, at their ceremony, complete with Rabbi, in the Denver Botanic Gardens on Sunday. Such an honor! Please send your good vibes and blessings to the newly wed pair. This is a match made in heaven. I¹ll be back very late Monday night.
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:
- Sen. Hagel, R. Nebraska, says "Looking like Vietnam!"
- Invisible Salonista Gene Bierhorst: on Democracy at the Salon Table
- Jeanette R.: Hydrogen Energy Storage a Joke!
- Roy Euvrard on Terrorism and the Israeli/Palestinian question
- Steve Sunderland's poem about the Veterans' Sanga
- Jeanette R.: animal waste CAN be composted, but....
Blurb about the Sept. 23-25 Peak Oil Conference in Yellow Springs
Announcements:
8/25 thanks Elizabeth Motter for sending in:
Jancoa Janitors hold candle light vigil at Cincinnati Financial Corporation
Thursday, August 25
7:00 pm
Cincinnati Financial Corporation
6200 South Gilmore Road, Fairfield
(275 West to exit 39, right onto Gilmore)
Janitors and community supporters will hold a candle light vigil at the Cincinnati Financial Corporation headquarters in response to Jancoa Inc, the contractor employed by CinFin and the largest in Greater Cincinnati, replacing 18 janitors who protested a plan to turn janitors into independent contractors.
We cannot allow Cincinnati to be a place where people are punished for exercising their rights.
Jancoa's actions are not isolated. Throughout the year, Jancoa has faced:
- 4 Unfair Labor Practices charges under the National Labor Relations Board for firing union activists, threatening newly hired employees who participate in Justice for Janitors, not permiting a female janitor active in the campaign to return to work from her maternity leave, and threatening to change workers into independent contractors in a effort to skirt labor & safety regulations
- 6 Department of Labor charges for failure to pay overtime
- $5,000 in OSHA safety fines
What is perhaps most troubling, though, is that prominent Cincinnati-area corporate citizens and building owners continue to prop the company up: Duke Realty, Cincinnati Financial Corp, and the owners of the 580 Walnut Building, fully aware of Jancoas behavior, continue to employ the company and deny janitors the opportunity to work for a responsible employer who respects workplace laws.
Says Marisol Morales, a janitor at CinFin for three years, Ive been proud to clean the Cincinnati Financial Corporation building. All I want is to be treated with respect, like a human being. But Jancoa would not do that and when we spoke out, they kicked everyone out. This is the real Jancoa. This is why Justice for Janitors is so needed.
Janitors are joining the Justice for Janitors campaign and organizing for fair treatment and livable wages in the highly competitive janitorial industry. Over the last two decades, SEIUs Justice for Janitors campaign has been successful in creating quality industry-wide standards and earning respect for janitors in over 25 cities throughout the US.
For updates and other ways to support Justice for Janitors, log onto http://www.cincijanitors.org.
8/24 (9/23) Get a Free Tree for your yard
CTM has learned that the Cincinnati Park Board¹s Urban Forestry Department and Cinergy are sponsoring once again a tree giveaway program to Cincinnati residents. Small trees will be provided free of charge to city residents willing to plant them within 30 feet of public rights-of-way and visible from the street. Large properties, including apartment complexes, churches and businesses may request multiple trees if space permits. Seven varieties of trees will be offered, including Kousa Dogwood, Robinson¹ Crabapple, Norwegian Sunset¹ Maple, Littleleaf Linden, Black Tupelo, London Planetree (sycamore) and Black Hills Spruce. To request a tree, an application must be filled out and the site approved by Urban Forestry representatives. To receive an application, call 861-9070 and ask for Randy or Aimee, or request one via e-mail at urban.forestry@cincinnati-oh.gov The applications must be received by September 23rd, and the trees will be available for pickup from our Avondale office on October 29th.
8/26
Calling All Artists, Poets
Moving pictures
Your art and poetry could ride the region's buses
By Sara Pearce
Enquirer staff writer
HOW TO ENTER
What: ArtMoves, poetry and art on Metro and TANK buses.
When: Kicks off Sept. 30
To enter: Work can be created directly on the 28-inch by 11-inch display cards or submitted electronically to artmovesartmoves@inktank.org. Cards also are available at Enjoy the Arts (1338 Main St., Over-the-Rhine), the Carnegie Visual & Performing Arts Center (1028 Scott Blvd., Covington) and InkTank (1311 Main St., Over-the-Rhine). A template can also be downloaded from www.inktank.org.
Deadline: Fri. Aug. 26. Works can be dropped off at the InkTank office.
Information: (513) 542-0195; www.inktank.org.
Here's a chance to showcase your words or art before a mass audience - well, a mass transit audience.
Metro and TANK have teamed up for ArtMoves, a project that will put poems and artwork inside buses this fall on 1,000 placards normally reserved for advertising.
So a call is out for entries from area poets and visual artists. The umbrella theme asks the question "Where are we going?"
"We get all kinds of people on the bus, rich and poor, young and old, students and professionals - and this allows us to extend art into the community," says Sallie Hilvers, Metro's director of public affairs.
Metro was involved in a similar project in 2002 when it worked with the Cincinnati Recreation Commission on All Aboard Arts, which put 200 cards on buses. It was such a success that sets of postcards were sold depicting the top pieces.
This time, the project extends to both sides of the river and an average of 77,000 riders daily. Because the route a bus travels varies, chances are that every rider will eventually see some of the art, Hilvers says.
On the Ohio side, the literary group InkTank and the arts advocacy group Enjoy the Arts are co-sponsors. The project will kick off Sept. 30, coinciding with the launch of Enjoy the Arts' fourth annual 20/20 Festival, which showcases the arts over 20 days.
On the Kentucky side, Northern Kentucky University and Covington's Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center are participating.
Other groups are being brought in, such as Women Writing for (a) Change, Visionaries and Voices, and the Alzheimer's Association.
"It's a wonderful idea," says Pat Statzer, a Delhi Township artist whose "Cityscape" - a Cincinnati skyline made from silk neckties made by Queen City haberdashers past and present - made the cut in 2002.
"All the artwork was wonderful and they had entries from everyone from children to 80-year-olds, so it covered a lot of people."
Art-challenged writers needn't worry about the look of their poems, says Jeff Syroney, InkTank's executive director. "We'll send the poems to graphic designers," he points out.
Of course, there are rules, including one stating that "all artwork and written work must be in good taste and appropriate for viewing by the general public."
Hilvers calls it a common-sense restriction. "After all, these are public buses," she says.
More words to the wise: Enter a copy of your piece; last time, many originals disappeared.
E-mail spearce@enquirer.com
Please join us for an evening with Senator Mark Mallory
Candidate for Mayor of Cincinnati
Saturday, August 27th
6:30 PM
508 Howell Ave. in Clifton
Hosted by Nicole & Matt Gunderman, Carla Sarr & Holbrook Sample
$25 suggested donation (feel free to give more - his campaign needs it!)
RSVP 751-4516 or reply to this email : Nicole Gunderman <nicole.gunderman@customrecognition.com>
Please forward this invitation to others who may be interested in meeting Mark and learning more about his vision for Cincinnati.
7/16/05
2 Rooms Available at Lloyd House
Fabulous Clifton Gaslight Castle; warm, multicultural environment
2 miles from U.C. 1/2 mile from Mitchell Ave. exit I-75
Call Ellen: 513 221 1289
Third floor walk up. One room with sleeping loft, private bath, share kitchen
Room has ethernet for high speed internet connection: $10/mo. extra
Also available Sept. 1: third floor two room suite, private bath, beautiful teak bedroom set, etc. etc.
Share: third floor meditation/dance/yoga room
first floor TV/VCR/DVD, iMac w/ high speed internet, dining room, veranda
Off street parking, spacious yard, gardens, sauna, workout room
2 hours per month building maintenance/yard care/housmates meeting
Laundry (indoor lines for drying) free
Minimum age: 25
Monthly house contribution: $350; $430 (more if you use A/C, internet)
Available 1 September, 2005
Other housemates include: me, Neil Anderson (our fabulous massage therapist), Alan Bern (musician, doctoral student CCM).
No smoking in house.
I am looking for: rock solid good vibes 24/7. Also rock solid financial reliability. Also, prefer a person who will enjoy the Monday night Salon and is interested in building community here. Eventually want to explore sharing ownership and all responsibilities.
Please pass the word to any of your contacts who might know of folks looking for a place to live/work.
ellen
9/7
Our famous and wonderful Peter Block to lead this free series: Fabulous Experience!
The next Civic Engagement Series will take place on Wednesday, September 7 & 14 from 6-9PM at Memorial Hall in Over the Rhine. More details below. Please feel free to share this invitation with others that you feel may enjoy this experience!
Civic Engagement Series
A Small Group is a volunteer group that is working to increase the quality of civic engagement in Cincinnati. The public is invited to attend a two-part education and skill development series designed to provide the tools to change the nature of the conversation in the civic community.
- Participants will learn that community reconciliation requires a shift in the conversation, not more negotiations of interest of positions or a reworking of the past. We will focus on changing the public debate from problem solving to possibility,
- We will create a network of support among participants and share what has been tried since the last session and consulting on how to bring the ideas of engagement into practice.
- Participants will have the opportunity to apply what has been learned by engaging in discussions with community leaders involved in making a difference in their communities.
- The sessions are high interaction and one of the key benefits is the connection you will make with a great group of committed, powerful people working to make this city better for all.
The series will be led by Peter Block and members of A Small Group, and will be held at the Memorial Hall (1229 Elm Street) in Over the Rhine. The series is offered at no fee, other than your time, energy and good will, and we ask your commitment to attend both sessions, which will take place on:
Wednesdays September 7 & 14 6:00 to 9:00PM
or
Saturdays September 24 & October 1 9:00 a.m. to noon
*PLEASE NOTE THAT THE SATURDAY SESSION HAS BEEN CANCELLED.*
Peter Block is an author of several best selling books, an international consultant, and citizen of Cincinnati. His work is about empowerment, stewardship, chosen accountability, and the reconciliation of community. Peter¹s books are about ways to create workplaces and communities that work for all. They offer an alternative to the patriarchal beliefs that dominate our culture. His work is to bring change into the world through consent and connectedness rather than through mandate and force. He was featured in a CityBeat article September 3-9, 2003 (http://www.citybeat.com/2003-09-03/cover.shtml). Also learn more about the series and Peter Block on the following websites: ww.asmallgroup.net or www.peterblock.com.
A Small Group is a group of people committed to the creation of a restorative community. Our strategy is to discover ways to engage the disengaged and to offer powerful tools and strategies of civic possibility, civic accountability and civic commitment.
To sign up for the series contact Collette Thompson at 513-451-0166 or cert@fuse.net. If you have questions, contact Barry Morris at bmorris1228@cinci.rr.com or (513) 604-3988.
Reservations must be made by September 5, 2005. There are a limited number of seats so please make your plans as soon as possible.
9/17
Greetings Members & Friends of the Progressive Alliance! (Local Political Group)
In this email:
General Membership Meeting & Party Announcement
Business Info Constitution, Election of Directors, Voting Eligibility, Speakers
Party Info Food, Drink, Music, Dancing, Volunteers
<> The PA General Membership Meeting will be held Saturday, September 17 at the IBEW Hall at 1216 East McMillan Street, starting at 7:00 PM. See the PA website (http://www.paohio.org <http://www.paohio.org/> ) for details and a map. All members (paid and otherwise) and those with interest in the Progressive Alliance are invited to attend.
BUSINESS INFO
<> Constitution. The PA Governance Committee, under the guidance of Ron Harris, has drafted a constitution and ...https://www.progressiveallianceonline.org/community/).
You can also view, download and print a copy of the final draft at this link: Constitution <http://tinyurl.com/bhe8x> ....
...
<> Voting Eligibility. Members who have paid their $10.00 dues for 2005 are entitled to vote to ratify the constitution and to elect new directors to the board.
If you wish to participate in the voting on September 17, your dues payment must be received no later than August 17. Mail your check for $10, payable to The Progressive Alliance of Southwest Ohio, to:
Tim Swallow, PA Membership & Outreach Committee
30 Fairway Drive, Southgate, KY 41071
Tim Swallow <cincyworldcinema@fuse.net>
If you are not sure about your dues status, contact Tim directly at 859.781.8151 or via reply to this email.
<> Speakers. In addition to a brief update regarding PA progress and future projects, we are arranging for guest speakers to share some thoughts with you after the voting. Names will be announced when confirmed.
PARTY INFO
We expect the festivities to get underway circa 8:30 - plenty of time for socializing with friends and PA members!
Music will be provided by the Howard House Band, offering selections from reggae to classic rock, with a little swing thrown in to boot!
Dancing - well push back the chairs in front of the stage and the dance floor is yours!
Food - well provide finger foods dips and snacks.
Cash bar - soft drinks, water, beer and wine, coffee and tea.
Volunteers as with our successful events earlier this year, we need volunteer help. Please contact Sabrina Holloway at sabrinalou1971@yahoo.com for details. Your participation is requested!
If you can join us on September 17, please RSVP via reply email.
Tim Swallow <cincyworldcinema@fuse.net>
___________________________________________
The Progressive Alliance of Southwest Ohio
ProgressiveAlliance@fuse.net
www.ProgressiveAllianceOnline.org
M. Timothy Swallow
Voice: 859.781.8151
Fax: 859.781.8152
"A great democracy must be progressive or it
will soon cease to be great or a democracy."
~ Theodore Roosevelt
8/20 through 9/30
Cincinnati Earth Institute / Imago Events
and Announcements
... events related to its discussion course topics of simple living, sustainability, and globalization. Details follow below.
-- Healthy Children - Healthy Planet discussion course - NEW! and now available through CEI. Parents concerned about the health, development and happiness of their young children will want to do this course with other like-minded parents
-- 1st Friday Dinner Conversation at Imago Earth Center open to all; 9/2 topic will be the viewing and discussion of the popular video ?The End of Suburbia.?
-- Imago Executive Director Job Opening - the long-time non-profit Imago is currently seeking applications to fill its executive director job.
-- Music in the Woods - Saturday, 9/10 fun, toe-tapping musical event featuring Jake Speed and the Freddies and the Rumpke Mountain Boys to benefit Imago
-- Great Outdoor Weekend 2005 - weekend of 9/24-25 that offers a free sampling of the best nature and environmental activities in the Cincinnati Region.
-- Take Back Your Time Day - is a major U.S./Canadian initiative to challenge the epidemic of overwork, over-scheduling and time famine that now threatens our health, our families and relationships, our communities and our environment.
Healthy Children - Healthy Planet Discussion Course - NEW! and now available! This 8-week discussion course delves into the pervasive effects of advertising, media, and our consumer culture on a child?s view of the world. It provides ways to create meaningful family times and healthful environments for children, and ways to develop a child?s connection to nature. They say that our children are our future. As such, parents today must be more intentional and counter-cultural in raising their children to teach and expose them to a natural world that they can experience and fall in love with. This is a ?must take? course for parents wanting to raise their children to live lives that reverence, protect, and celebrate earth.
Four course sessions address cultural pressures, the impact of advertising on a child?s worldview, the link between diet and learning, and the impact of technology and media on a child?s development;
Three course sessions offer suggestions for creating meaningful family celebrations and rituals, finding balance between activities and unstructured time to foster creativity, and ways to promote and foster outdoor time to nurture a child?s inborn sense of wonder.
For more information or to suggest people/groups who may be interested in offering this course, call John Hoff at 513-631-5932 or email to info@cinciearth.org.
1st Friday Dinner Conversation
Date: Friday, September 2nd th at 6:00 PM
Location: Imago Earth Center, 700 Enright Avenue, Price Hill
Registration: none, except dinner buffet
Cost: none, except dinner buffet (suggested donation of $10/person)
Description: Following dinner, the popular video ?The End of Suburbia? will be shown that explores the American Way of Life and its prospects as the planet approaches a critical era, as global demand for fossil fuels begins to outstrip supply. A discussion will follow.
More Information: Call Louise Lawarre at 921-5124 or at llawarre@imagoearth.org
Imago Executive Director Job Opening
Imago, Inc. is an education organization focusing on Ecology and Spirituality. The work is important and exciting with a magnificent staff and council (board). Located in a 16-acre nature preserve. Salary is $15K/year for a 50% work schedule. Imago website: www.imagoearth.org. <http://www.imagoearth.org./> Deadline is August 8th. Send cover letter and resume to Jim Schenk, 700 Enright Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45205, or email to jschenk@imagoearth.org.
Music in the Woods - Imago's annual benefit
Date: Saturday, September 10th from 7:00-11:00 pm.
Location: Imago Earth Center, 700 Enright Avenue, Price Hill
Registration: Pre-order your tickets by calling Imago (921-5124) or email imago@imagoearth.org. To print off a reservation form, visit http://www.imagoearth.org/MusicInTheWoods-ticket.pdf
Cost: Pre-ordered tickets cost $12 each (or $10 each if 4 or more are purchased) while entry at the door costs $15 (no group discount available). Buy your tickets before the event and save! All proceeds from this event will benefit Imago.
Description: This event promises to be a fun-loving, foot stomping good time with the local musical talent of Jake Speed and the Freddies and the Rumpke Mountain Boys. In addition to the music, there will be a silent auction of services, vacations, and a few items donated by local businesses and individuals. This year's items include 5 days at a breath taking beachfront property in Nova Scotia, tickets to the Cincinnati playhouse, certificates to a local salon, and Imago themed gift baskets.
Great Outdoor Weekend 2005
Date: Saturday, September 24, and Sunday, September 25, 2005
Time: throughout the day; refer to program guide
Location: throughout the Greater Cincinnati area; refer to program guide
Cost: Free and open to the public!
Reserve these dates and join us during this fall weekend to experience a free sampling of the best nature and environmental activities in the Cincinnati Region. The Great Outdoor Weekend has been designed by a group of environmental education and outdoor recreational organizations. Visit www.CincyGreatOutdoorWeekend.org <http://www.cincygreatoutdoorweekend.org/> for more information and to view the program guide.
Take Back Your Time Day is a major U.S./Canadian initiative to challenge the epidemic of overwork, over-scheduling and time famine that now threatens our health, our families and relationships, our communities and our environment. Monday, October 24th is designated as ?Take Back Your Time? Day. For more information about this important subject, visit http://www.simpleliving.net/timeday/ and click the ?Why You Should Care? link. Collectively, we?re working more than ever in our past and on average, work more than 9 full weeks more than the European Union with about a third of the vacation time EU workers enjoy. The affects? More stress, worse health, diminished quality of life, less informed, less time for loved ones and greater environmental degradation. Check it out!
Cincinnati Earth Institute
www.CinciEarth.org <http://www.cinciearth.org/> ? info@CinciEarth.org
phone 513.207.0038
--
To subscribe from: CEI, just follow these links:
http://cinciearth.org/cgi-bin/mojo/mojo.cgi?f=u&l=econews&e=info@cinciearth.org&p=6622 <http://cinciearth.org/cgi-bin/mojo/mojo.cgi?f=u&l=econews&e=info@cinciearth.org&p=6622>
Tri-State Treasures
Sincerely, Jim
~~~~~~~~~~Tri-State Treasures:
First Farm Inn, Kentucky's Bed & Breakfast for People & Horses: Escape your routine. Refresh, reflect, & turn down Stevens Road into a time before weed whackers & pounding boom boxes. Wind your way to First Farm Inn, a quiet refuge for 2 & 4 footed friends who enjoy tasty, healthy food, comfortable surroundings & warm companionship. Or just sit, rock, paddle, ride, swing, ski, play piano, listen to music, watch the stars, laugh at Fluffy herding cats, enjoy some fur therapy (pick your species), or reminisce about the old family farm of your childhood. Ride the horses, relax under the open sky in the whirlpool, fish in the ponds, catch a rainbow from the stained glass windows, listen to rain on the tin roof, meet the alien in the kitchen, watch the lava lamp move, warm up beside the fireplace, or visit with the horses, cows, & goats. Hike the hills, explore the barns, check out the playhouse or track down the spring that feeds the creek. Convenience & comfort. First Farm Inn offers two guest rooms in a elegantly renovated 1870s farmhouse. Their 21 acres are set in Kentucky's rolling hills above the Ohio River where Indiana, Kentucky & Ohio join 20 minutes outside Cincinnati, just off I-275. 2510 Stevens Road, Idlewild, KY 41080. More info between 8 AM & 8 PM @ 859.586.0199, 800.277.9527, info@firstfarminn.com, & www.firstfarminn.com.
French Film Festival [Thursday 25 August @ 6 PM]: The beautiful newly refurbished Taft Museum presents a series of classic French films by Jean Renoir, son of Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Each film will be introduced by Tom Zaniello, director of the Honors Program & professor of film at NKU. Free admission. Box dinner is available for $12 with 24 hours advance reservation.
<> Thursday 18 August 18: The Rules of the Game (1939). Cloaked in a comedy of manners, this scathing critique of French society is about a weekend hunting party at which amorous escapades abound among the aristocratic guests & the servants downstairs alike. The refusal of one of the guests to play by society's rules sets off a chain of events that ends in tragedy.
<> Thursday 25 August 25: French Cancan (1955). French Cancan recreates the backstage world of the music halls of Montmartre, focusing on the grand opening of the Moulin Rouge. Aging impresario Danglard (Jean Gabin) has a talent for transforming common working girls into dance-hall sensations. Complications arise when he is captivated by Nini (Françoise Arnoul), a beautiful laundress, & decides to make her the star of his new show.
At the Taft Museum, 316 Pike Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202. While there, enjoy the Taft's current exhibit An Impressionist Eye through August 28. More info @ 513.684.4515, taftmuseum@taftmuseum.org, & www.taftmuseum.org.
Light Over Time - Palimpsest Series: Art by Bill Davis [Opening Friday 26 August @ 6-9 PM]: Knowledge as aesthetic experience. The artist drew, photographed, & printed chalkboard renderings to map & identify the shared boundaries of sound, light, & time. The resulting images are more akin to palimpsests. Initially used by monks, palimpsests are partially erased & rewritten instructional parchments, which continue to transmit traces of previous information. While parts of the work trace the history of light & optics, they also visit how one processes knowledge. In its essence this series seeks to operate amongst the whimsy of imagination & sobriety of intellect. DeoGracias Lerma Gallery, 1319 Main Street, Cincinnati, OH, 45202. More info @ 513.305.2585, william.davis@wmich.edu, & http://homepages.wmich.edu/~wdavis/.
Seeking Local Artists for 3rd Annual Summer Arts Fair [Saturday 27 August @ noon-5 PM]: The Covedale Center for the Performing Arts presents original, mix media works of art. The Arts Fair will be at the Covedale Center for the Performing Arts, 4990 Glenway Avenue, Western Hills. More info @ 513.241.6550, jen.johnson@fuse.net, jenniferperrino@covedalecenter.com, & www.cincinnatilandmarkproductions.com.
Ohio River Run from Aurora to Rising Sun [Saturday 27 August; registration & unloading @ 7:30 AM, take-off @ 8:30 AM]: Venture down the river to a couple charming river towns in Indiana & then enjoy a day on the river canoeing or kayaking. Registration ($15 before Aug. 15; $20 day of event) includes boat launch, lunch in Rising Sun provided by Grand Victoria Casino & Resort, transportation back to Aurora for vehicle pick-up, & goodie bag. Pre-registrants get a free t-shirt. Registration & unloading is at the Aurora Landing Marina. More info @ 812.926.1100, mainstreetaurora@suscom.net, & www.ohioriverway.org/paddlefest/ohioriverrun/.
Zumba @ Six Sundays At Six Acres - Evening Concerts [Sunday 28 August @ 7 PM]: High energy, spicy Cuban and Latin rhythms and moves. The Six Acres B&B embraces history & elegance in this 1850s Colonial mansion that was part of the Underground Railroad. Concerts are from the spacious outdoor patio for an audience seated on the lawn in a uniquely scenic, wooded & serene setting. Bring your lawn chairs & blankets as seating is limited. 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. More info @ 513.541.0873, info@sixacresbb.com, www.tracywalker.com, & www.sixacresbb.com.
Celtic Retreat [Friday 26 August @ 4 PM thru Sunday 28 August after lunch]: If you are looking for a peaceful get-away on a late summer weekend, you might wish to consider attending the Celtic Retreat held at the Mt. St. Joseph Spirituality Center on the far west side of Cincinnati on a cliff high above the Ohio River at the convent of the Sisters of Charity Spirituality Center. The retreat is open to both men & women. There will be presentations, workshops, discussions on Celtic spirituality, a prayer walk, a Saturday evening Ceilidh, an evening of songs & stories, & the climax of a celebration of the Eucharist in the Celtic Tradition. Some of the workshop topics will include a labyrinth experience & hands-on Celtic art. The Celts had an underlying conviction that the pulse of God's heart permeated all creation & all experience. The retreat will be led by an experienced team of Catholic & Episcopal leaders. Fee: $190 for overnight retreatants ($200 after Aug. 18); $140 for commuters ($150 after Aug. 18); $50 non-refundable deposit required. At the Sisters of Charity Motherhouse, 5900 Delhi Road, Mt. St. Joseph, OH 45051. More info @ 513-347-5449, matyi@fuse.net, & www.srcharitycinti.org/spirit.htm.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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.
8/27
A Day For Men Workshop
Shirley Reischman (our estimable homeopath) sends this along. I don't know about it, but Jack Armstrong is a wonderful healing professional, worked on my family many years to great benefit, is a D.C.
Gary Matthews is a massage therapist in town, good guy, partner of Beverly Wellbourn.
Shirley says,
FYI. Gary Mathews and Jack Armstrong are among those doing workshops at A Day for Men event on Sat. August 27th. Please pass this on to all the men you know. http://www.celebratewisdom.com/pages_blocks_v3_exp/index.cgi?Key=402&Field=key_field&catg=index&Exact=Yes&this_sect=The%20Wisdom%20Center%20Coaching%20&thisroot=/pages <http://www.celebratewisdom.com/pages_blocks_v3_exp/index.cgi?Key=402&Field=key_field&catg=index&Exact=Yes&this_sect=The%20Wisdom%20Center%20Coaching%20&thisroot=/pages>Check out the Peak Oil Conference, Yellow Springs, also is the weekend of Sept. 23. In the Blue section below, last article.
9/23/05
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,
the Lies, and the Toll on Our Communities
SEPTEMBER 24-26, 2005END 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
===========================================
- end of Announcements -
A r t i c l e s
8/24
Hagel, Republican Senator: 'Iraq War looking like Vietnam'
Sent on by Green Activist friend in D.C., Jenefer Ellingston
Ellen, more signs of cracks in the fortress. JE
Great support from rightwing entrenchment. Looks like the pirannah(sic.) are circling their own. The pressure is on and the steam is rising in the Oval Office/Crawford, TX. Can we keep the pressure on "W" and his cronnies. With people within his own party seeing the light, we have an opportunity to shed thew light of truth to those blinded by neocon nationalistic rhetoric. Rethinking Sept. 24 Peace March on DC. Airfares low from here in JAX, $88 rd trp. This one needs to top those in past. We need a "shock and awe" presence. Let's get a million souls. Check airfares around country, could be more lucrative then caravan. Lot's of GI's in airports who need to see the reality of America's perception of how this war is going.
peace,
bob moore
AOL News - Hagel Says Iraq War Looking Like Vietnam
Hagel Says Iraq War Looking Like Vietnam
'We Should Start Figuring Out How We Get Out of There'
By DOUGLASS K. DANIEL, AP
WASHINGTON (Aug. 21) - A leading Republican senator and prospective presidential candidate said Sunday that the war in Iraq has destabilized the Middle East and is looking more like the Vietnam conflict from a generation ago.
Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, who received two Purple Hearts and other military honors for his service in Vietnam, reiterated his position that the United States needs to develop a strategy to leave Iraq.
Hagel scoffed at the idea that U.S. troops could be in Iraq four years from now at levels above 100,000, a contingency for which the Pentagon is preparing.
"We should start figuring out how we get out of there,'' Hagel said on "This Week'' on ABC. "But with this understanding, we cannot leave a vacuum that further destabilizes the Middle East. I think our involvement there has destabilized the Middle East. And the longer we stay there, I think the further destabilization will occur.''
Hagel said "stay the course'' is not a policy. "By any standard, when you analyze 2 1/2 years in Iraq ... we're not winning,'' he said.
President Bush was preparing for separate speeches this week to reaffirm his plan to help Iraq train its security forces while its leaders build a democratic government. In his weekly Saturday radio address, Bush said the fighting there protected Americans at home.
"The longer we stay, the more problems we're going to have."
-Sen. Chuck Hagel
Polls show the public growing more skeptical about Bush's handling of the war.
In Iraq, officials continued to craft a new constitution in the face of a Monday night deadline for parliamentary approval. They missed the initial deadline last week.
Other Republican senators appearing on Sunday news shows advocated remaining in Iraq until the mission set by Bush is completed, but they also noted that the public is becoming more and more concerned and needs to be reassured.
Sen. George Allen, R-Va., another possible candidate for president in 2008, disagreed that the U.S. is losing in Iraq. He said a constitution guaranteeing basic freedoms would provide a rallying point for Iraqis.
"I think this is a very crucial time for the future of Iraq,'' said Allen, also on ABC. "The terrorists don't have anything to win the hearts and minds of the people of Iraq. All they care to do is disrupt.''
Hagel, who was among those who advocated sending two to three times as many troops to Iraq when the war began in March 2003, said a stronger military presence by the U.S. is not the solution today.
"The terrorists don't have anything to win the hearts and minds of the people of Iraq. All they care to do is disrupt."
-Sen. George Allen
"We're past that stage now because now we are locked into a bogged-down problem not unsimilar, dissimilar to where we were in Vietnam,'' Hagel said. "The longer we stay, the more problems we're going to have.''
Allen said that unlike the communist-guided North Vietnamese who fought the U.S., the insurgents in Iraq have no guiding political philosophy or organization. Still, Hagel argued, the similarities are growing.
"What I think the White House does not yet understand - and some of my colleagues - the dam has broke on this policy,'' Hagel said. "The longer we stay there, the more similarities (to Vietnam) are going to come together.''
The Army's top general, Gen. Peter Schoomaker, said Saturday in an interview with The Associated Press that the Army is planning for the possibility of keeping the current number of soldiers in Iraq - well over 100,000 - for four more years as part of preparations for a worst-case scenario.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, said U.S. security is tied to success in Iraq, and he counseled people to be patient.
"The worst-case scenario is not staying four years. The worst-case scenario is leaving a dysfunctional, repressive government behind that becomes part of the problem in the war on terror and not the solution,'' Graham said on "Fox News Sunday."
Allen said the military would be strained at such levels in four years yet could handle that difficult assignment. Hagel described the Army contingency plan as "complete folly.''
"I don't know where he's going to get these troops,'' Hagel said. "There won't be any National Guard left ... no Army Reserve left ... there is no way America is going to have 100,000 troops in Iraq, nor should it, in four years.''
Hagel added: "It would bog us down, it would further destabilize the Middle East, it would give Iran more influence, it would hurt Israel, it would put our allies over there in Saudi Arabia and Jordan in a terrible position. It won't be four years. We need to be out.''
Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., said the U.S. is winning in Iraq but has "a way to go'' before it meets its goals there. Meanwhile, more needs to be done to lay out the strategy, Lott said on NBC's "Meet the Press.''
"I do think we, the president, all of us need to do a better job, do more,'' Lott said, by telling people "why we have made this commitment, what is being done now, what we do expect in the process and, yes, why it's going to take more time.''
08/21/05 14:23 EDT
8/24
My hilarious/brilliant brother in NY follows the Weekly and has a comment on Democracy at the Salon Table
"Hi, C.,*
I like Gerry's religious belief that there's intelligent life in Cinti. On the other hand, we won't be free "until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest" (Diderot). Or, "until the last one of you Buckeyes gets after all the other Buckeyes and erases the Ohio River of Shame" (me).
David R.'s thoughts on democracy: we should give it a try here in the US. Why, after all, does the nation of California have the same number of senators (2) as each of the villages of S. Dakota, No. Dakota, Iowa, Wyoming, Montana...etc.? His acquaintance who says secrecy's ok, just get the job done...yeah. Which job? This is why so many Republicans wear two faces...simultaneously. Hold your hand up in front of the face of the Republican on TV, making with it a horizontal line across the nose. From there down is a happy, smiling guy; from there up is a nervous set of eyes that are afraid of the people. Try that. It's amazing. You'll laugh.
Therefore, you should keep taking the notes and not contributing more. So the local (dining room) democracy will work. The last thing you want in your salon meetings is leadership. And leadership always emerges, given the chance. In plenty of situations it's necessary; not in a salon.
Busting in,
Gene"
* (you may wonder who C. is... my childhood nickname, "Chusti"--ellen.)
8/20
Jeanette Raichyk: Hydrogen energy storage...He must be joking!
Paul Brown, "Clock is Ticking" writer reprinted in last week's Weekly said:
"A third method of storing energy is to use an element that will be integral to the rational energy economy anyway, namely hydrogen. During excess electrical energy supply, we can produce hydrogen by hydrolysis, releasing oxygen to the atmosphere. The stored hydrogen can be recombined with oxygen to produce electricity during periods of excess demand. Although stored hydrogen tends to leak, it¹s easy to recapture leaked hydrogen and re-store it. "
Ellen, this fellow either has a droll sense of humor or... Hydrogen surely does have a tendency in all the technology we currently have to leak and what's more, our current level of usage gives us no idea what that leakage rate would do to the environment if our usage were as massive as the advocates of the hydrogen economy are proposing. Nada, no clue. Let's go right along and put all our futures on that boat, just like we blythely did with the solemn promises of the high priests of nuclear 50 years ago. "It's easy to recapture leaked hydrogen and re-store it" What a joke. He is kidding right? With such a straight delivery, I'd wager most readers would take him literally.
The good news is that we don't need to store electric to make wind and solar viable. The Prof might want to look for a recent article, I only saw a mention of the results of a mathematical simulation that was done to demonstrate that if we networked about a half dozen sites doing wind, the probabilities that they would *all* be quiescent simultaneously just when we wanted power was miniscule, vanishing. That's what the grid is good for, managing the peaks and troughs. And we've got wind throughout the Dakotas (the saudis of wind), off both coasts Atlantic and Pacific as well as across the plains of OK, CO, NB, etc. Meanwhile, our southern reaches are good for solar, as are NV, UT etc. If we did want to store electric, I'd suggest the gyros before hydrogen. Spin'em up and they smooth out the peaks and troughs and it would be a stationary application suitable for industrial use, which has been done apparently reliably and solid.
Jeanette
8/24
Salonista Roy E. on the Israeli/Palestinian Problem
We have to understand the roots of terrorism. Terrorism is an act of desperation. Especially when the terrorist willingly dies in the process. People become desperate when they believe that they are suffering a grave injustice and that they have no other options. Religion is not the cause of terrorism, it merely provides some glimmer of hope for a better future.
There are two major causes of frustration and desperation in the Middle East. They are the existence of Israel and undemocratic governments. Both are viewed as creations of Western Imperialism. When the West failed to prevent the Holocaust and then refused to admit Jewish refugees into their own countries, it gave the Jews land it did not own, i.e. Palestine. To make matters worse, it has consistently supported undemocratic regimes in the Arabian Peninsula, Kuwait, Egypt, and Iran. (The popularly elected Prime Minister of Iran was assassinated by the CIA and replaced with the Shah in the 1950¹s.)
I am not suggesting that Israel should not exist. Nor do I believe that most Middle Easterners would not accept a Jewish state if there were an equitable solution to the Palestinian refugee problem. There would of course be some who would continue to seek the destruction of Israel, just as there are Germans and East Europeans who would like to see a return to the pre-war borders in Eastern Europe. But they would not have popular support and most would not feel so desperate that they would commit acts of terrorism.
We would all like to see the parties negotiate a peaceful solution as did the Czechs and Slovaks. But this is not going to happen for two reasons. There have been too many atrocities committed by both sides. The hatred and distrust run too deep for either to sit down and negotiate with the other in good faith. Further more, there is a total inequality in power. One side, Israel, has all the power. Only equals can negotiate a just and lasting peace.
With regard to the Israeli/Palestinian problem, I would like to suggest that the United Nations, with NATO forces, impose the following peace:
Palestinian State. A fully independent Palestinian state must be established with membership in the United Nations and complete sovereignty over its territory.
Israel. The Palestinians and all the neighboring countries must recognize the right of Israel to exist and establish normal diplomatic relations with Israel.
Borders. Establish a defensible border along the lines of the 1948 ³Green² line, i.e. pre-1967 border. Minor adjustments may be made to make the border more easily defended and administered, but no major population changes should be made from what existed prior to 1967.
Refugees. Palestinians have demanded the right of all Palestinians to return to their pre-1948 homes. This cannot happen because it would mean the end Israel as a Jewish state. However, it must be recognized that the Palestinians did not leave of their own free will. They were forced to leave. As such, they must be compensated. Many were landless peasants so do not have titles to show for their homes and farms. Palestine was a feudal society. None-the-less, they have lost the only homes and livelihoods they have known for generations. A Hague Tribunal should be established to adjudicate their loss. Money that the U.S. is currently giving to Israel, money that Israel is spending on resettlement and defense, and money that the Arab states are providing the Palestine Liberation Organization should be used to compensate the Palestinian refugees so that they can start new lives in Palestine outside the Refugee Camps.
Settlements. Jewish settlers inside the new state of Palestine should be granted the same rights, responsibilities, and privileges as Palestinians living in Israel are granted. There must be equal treatment. This is one area where I believe the Israelis and Palestinians can negotiate, so long as there is reciprocity.
Jerusalem. East Jerusalem should be the new capital of Palestine. West Jerusalem should be the capital of Israel. The ³Old City² should become a theocracy along the lines of the Vatican in Rome. It should be governed by a tribunal appointed equally by Jewish Rabbis, Christian Bishops, and Moslem Imams.
Water. Water rights should be proportioned between Israel and Palestine according to a formula that takes into account population and arable land. The apportionment should be done by a United Nations commission and administered by a joint Israeli and Palestinian board with United Nations oversight.
Gaza. Palestine cannot exist in two parts. There must be free communication and travel between Gaza and the ²West Bank.² The German experience with rail, highway and air corridors between ³West² Germany and Berlin should be used as a model with access guarantied and monitored by the United Nations.
With regard to our support for undemocratic regimes, I would like to recommend that we treat all nations with respect and dignity and that we actively support regimes based on how closely they come to emulating the principals of self determination and human rights enunciated in our Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights and the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. We need to recognize that our long-term strategic interest is best served when human rights, including the rights of self determination and democracy, are supported.
We must recognize that the Middle East was once the richest area of the world. At the time the Ottoman Turks subjugated the area, it lead the world in art, science and technology. While European churches were being decorated with scenes from the Bible, Middle East Mosques were being decorated with passages from the Quorum, because Middle Easterners were literate while Europeans were not. It was rich from trade in goods it manufactured as well as a cross road between three continents. The Ottoman Turks were great military leaders and administrators. However, they saw no need to foster science and technology since they were so far ahead of the rest of the world. They had little need for trade since the wealth of the Middle East far exceeded their wildest dreams in the steps of Asia. They could have extended their power further into Europe, but saw little worth the effort.
It was the Turks lack of interest in trading with Europe that led the Portuguese and Spanish to seek sea routes to the Far East. The discovery of the Americas dramatically changed the balance of power between the Middle East and Europe. The gold and silver that the Spanish brought back from the Americas caused inflation and weakened the economic power of the Turks. Sea born trade with the Far East and India further weakened the economies of the Middle East. The combination of cheep money and the need to produce trade goods fed the industrial revolution in Europe and enabled it, for the first time, to dominate the Middle East.
While the Middle East is economically poor, except for oil, it still has a deep love for learning. The area from Palestine to Iran has one of the highest concentrations of scientists and engineers in the world. There are those, including governments in the Middle East, who do not want to see this power unleashed by fostering democracy in this area. They do not want to see an end to the Israeli Palestinian conflict because it would remove the excuse for inept and corrupt governments in the Middle East. We in the West, while working to promote democracy, should not be too critical of the people for tolerating dictatorships. Every western society went through a period of dictatorship when transitioning from feudalism to democracy. England had its Cromwell, France its Napoleon, and Spain its Franco.
We must recognize and respect the Middle East as the Cradle of Western Civilization and birthplace of three great religions and work to restore hope, dignity and democracy in the Middle East.
Roy E.
8/24
"Vet's Sangha: 2005"
Steve Sunderland
Where is my voice?
Where is my voice for peace?
I, too am lost in the bloom of anger.
I do not want to speak about the pretty
pictures of Viet-Nam and They's return.
Will someone go "back: to Baghdad in 20 years?
Will there be an Iraq so full of
graveyards that the "prettiness" is obscured?
Where is my voice of compassion?
I,too, am so glad to listen to the vet's stories--
their victories with PTSD on lips that quiver.
Yet, my heart stays too cold, too closed,
too violent. I want to stay in the
mob, throwing rocks of protest.
Where is my voice of forgiveness?
I, too, did not go when my number was called.
Someone went for me--increasing their fear
as I reduced mine?
I want to say to my twin--"thank you,"
And, "I am sorry"--and to the dark brother who went for me
And never returned,
I want to say, rather, to scream,
"IT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN!"
Where is my voice of hope?
Sometime in the 1940's and 1950's I was "drafted"
Into the peace army.
I bow to my parents, brother and sister for
Their complicity. I bow to Jackie Robinson
For his inspiring example. And to all of my
Teachers.
Yet, my voice of hope is weak. I am late
To the chorus of daily singing, only
Now awakening to the perpetual need of
loving care. I am recognizing my voice
For me.
Where is my voice?
It is here, in this veteran's sangha, reflecting the deep thunder
Of memories one half recovered; it is here
In the body's roots, and you and I can
Hear the sweet bell of love.
Steve Sunderland
8/20
Jeanette Raichyk writes in about Composting:
Put Animal Waste in "hot compost"
At the table (from last week's Weekly) Mira said: "the green goddess says don¹t mix animal waste in the vegetable compost."
This rule has sometimes generated argument over the viability of composting
toilets, but the explanation is that there are two types of composting
processes, something code officials are in need of recognizing. There's
high temperature composting, aka hot composting, and there's low temperature
composting, aka cold composting.
To do high temperature composting requires some level of monitoring, control
and usually a container or bin or wire wrap where the needed heat processes
in the core of the pile can be conserved and fostered to last for the
necessary timeframe. Hot composting is what's required for 'animal waste'.
Also for composting toilets. Best source on hot composting is the book
Humanure.
Cold composting otoh is simple and carefree, just a pile with a mix of
greenery and kitchen offal, all vegetable, and can be done right on the site
of its later use, with the next day's additions just mixed into the middle
or layered over with last season's leaf mulch.
Hot composting reaches temperatures in the vicinity of 150*F and more, and
sustains them for periods that will guarantee sterilization of all microbial
life in the mix, friend and foe alike. Such extremes are unnecessary for
vegetable matter but health dept, zoning and rulemakers fail to learn their
science, have overblown fears of citiizen ignorance and microbes because of
their exposure to alternative sewage treatment systems, in particular, and
to vendors of cleaning agents and pharmaceuticals, in general. As a result
they make and enforce rules about 'bins' requirements that penalize
vegetarians for the sins of the majority.
Meanwhile they make fear-laden rules on the sizes for household sewage
treatment, on the premise that because some homeowners will abuse their
systems, we must all pay for excessive systems or risk exposure to the
excesses of the few, instead of relying on our vigilance for things that
matter. The more unfamiliar they are with technology, the more twisted
become their rules. The greywater greenhouse at the strawbale home on our
earthday tour was forced to design their system so large that they will be
wasting huge amounts of water to support the size instead of conserving
water, as greywater systems are intended to do. And to make the excess even
more ridiculous, the home is on a couple hundred acres (the owner is an
organic farmer) with no neighbor-risk or public exposure to justify such
massive fears, ever.
Apparently the green goddess prefers living without fears. So do I.
Jeanette
7/16/05
At the Earth Spirit Rising Conference I saw Megan Quinn, salon attendee (at least one time!) and manager of Community Solutions, the group in Yellow Springs that sponsored that terrific Peak Oil conference David R, Mike M and I went to last November. The conference this year will be in September. Invisible salonista Judy Leever who heard about it here says she has already registered! The power of the Weekly! ellen.
Second U.S. Conference
on ³Peak Oil² and
Community Solutions
Peak Oil the point in time when world oil
Keynotes: Richard Heinberg, author
production will begin to decline forever.
Hear the latest on this vital issue and its
connection to economics. Also learn about
designing viable low-energy living solutions
and new forms of community.
of Powerdown: Options and Actions for a
Post-Carbon World and The Party¹s Over: Oil,
War and The Fate of Industrial Societies and
Michael Shuman, author of Going Local:
Creating Self-Reliant Communities in a
Global Age.
Friday evening, September 23
Register with the attached form or online:
through Sunday, September 25,
2005, Yellow Springs, Ohio
http://www.communitysolution.org
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 45 members as of 7/05. 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, 5, or 6. This tells me which sub-list your name is on so I can
> delete it. Thanks! ellen bierhorst
- end of Salon Weekly -