- Don’t miss extremely interesting Books section in this edition.
- Also, U.C. Professor rebuts “unethical” charge...see Articles section.
Salon Weekly
~ In 4 Color-Coded Sections:
- Table Notes
- Activism & Cultural or Healing Events
- Articles, Letters
- Books, Reviews, Films, Magazines
A Weekly Email Publication of The Lloyd House: Circulation: c. 600. Growing out
of the Wednesday Night Salon . For info about the Salon, see the bottom of
this email. Join us at the Lloyd House every week of the year at 5:45 for pot
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(to unsubscribe see below, bottom of page).
................................................... Section One: Table Notes ............................................................................ (Note: these notes were taken at the table and have NOT been approved or corrected by the speakers. Reader
beware of inevitable misunderstandings and misrepresentations. E.B.)
At the Table on Wednesday 4/12/07
Mike Murphy, Daisy Quarm, Roy Euvrard, Molly Bowers, Judy Cirillo, Mary Biehn, Gina Chiao, Dallas Fish, Spencer Konicov, John Heideman, Shari Able, David Rosenberg, Ellen Bierhorst, Gerry Kraus, Marvin Kraus, Alan Weiner, Bill Cahalan, Mira Rodwan, Chad Benjamin Potter, Ware Carlton-Ford circusware@hotmail.com
Song: Come Follow… Preamble read by John Heideman.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Ellen: U.C. Prof. rebuts allegation of unethical conduct and defends his position in favor of the proposed nuclear waste recycling project in Piketon, OH.
I have printed his rebuttal below in Articles section and also invited him to come to the table… stay tuned for announcement.
Mira Earth Day April 22, Paula Gonzalez will speak at the Sunday service at St. John’s UU Church. Next Wed. at 7 Mary Beth Tinker talking at Blue Ash Library on Cooper Rd. on free speech. Was kicked out of school for wearing a protest banner.
David: Rock Shabbat this Friday at 6:15 at Rockdale Temple. I play base. Singers. Folk guitar.
Gerry: at Shakespeare Festival, “The Cherry Orchard” by Chekhov.
Highly recommend. “The Namesake” at Esquire, about families. John: I recommend that also.
Alan April 28, 7 pm, Cinti. Choral Society, in Mason, U. Methodist Church, … I will be doing a solo. You can email me : JudyAlan@fuse.net you can get a $7 ticket.
Shari another movie at Esquire, “the Italian”, wonderful, about Russian orphan being adopted….
Molly: I’ve been asked to write an article on women in KY … none of the candidates seem to know what women need. Please send me email: mbowers@insightbb.com
TOPIC: DAVID ROSENBERG ON LOCAL ALTERNATIVE FOOD NETWORK
Ellen’s introduction:
David is a hero of organic farming. Started 35 years ago, before anyone else was doing it here. Has farmed, taught, spread the word. Listen now to his very important proposal for consumers and farmers to join together to break the gridlock of big grocery distribution of food.
Started farming career 33 years ago~ we learned out of books … no one knew how to do organic agriculture. At that time I hoped people would beat a path to my door. But it wasn’t that simple. … We grew lettuce. I couldn’t have that many customers coming to my farm. I tried retail …
As organic food has become more popular, the conventional food distribution system, (“CS”) has taken over the movement of organic food. Deals in huge volume. For the food distribution system to access small or medium size local farms would take much more human effort because of small volumes. … The number of organic farms is actually decreasing as organic food has become popular, and folks can buy it in the supermarkets where it is provide by the conventional system. (So people who used to buy direct from the farmer because that was the only place they could get organic produce, now can get it at Krogers.) We need an alternative local system to distribute local farm produce.
Why so few farmers getting into organic ag.
(paper circulated)
The national and global slant. How local issues are influenced by the national and global issues.
Frances Moore Lappe wrote in Yes Mag., “Creating Real Prosperity”. I want to persuade you this kind of local food distribution network is something you want in your city. And f rom you, I want to learn how you think about food issues.
(notes from article) Critics say buying local deprives third world workers of jobs. … The “Informal Economy” is street vendors, pedicab drivers, microcredit institutions, people’s movements. More new jobs in the third world from this sector than from corporate jobs. Corporate jobs are things like clothing or shoe sweat shops, with terrible conditions and low wages. These jobs are not the answer for the third world. … Ten years ago 10% of the value of coffee stayed in the country of production; now only 3%.
(Even here in Cincinnati, the myth that corporate jobs are the way to have a thriving local economy, that myth holds sway. The idea that the city has to bow down to big corporations and give them anything they demand, or they will leave and we will be poor. This is not true here any more than it is true in the third world. E.b.)
David (You can find “experts” to support any kind of philosophy you want, but) the people I read say there is a connection between independent people owning means of production being better off than people having to work in a global economy in which the profits go out of the community into the pockets of investors who live and spend elsewhere.
In Food First and Ten myths to world hunger Frances M Lappe says every country has enough arable land to feed its population. But land is being used to produce foreign exchange crops instead (e.g. bananas, coffee, tea).
I see a pattern of relationship between the global news and the local ones. Here at city council we hear, “We need outside capital to come in an employ our people.” Food, clothing, shelter should be seen as rights. No one should go wanting of them.
Molly how do you keep farm land away from developers? How do you pay the tax on your farm land?
David 40 years ago Hamilton Co. passed tax laws, Farmers pay 1/3 of the normal non-agricultural tax rate. Farmers don’t want to leave their land; they are forced out, because they aren’t earning a living. The answer is not how to keep land away from developers; it is how to keep farmers on their land by helping them earn a living farming. Here in Cincinnati, it is cheaper , due to zoning laws to tear down wonderful old buildings and put up low quality houses that won’t last 50 years. It is public policy. If we had public policy that recognized we need farm land, then we could have farmers staying on the land.
Right now the current belief (in places like City Hall) is that developers are good for all of us, bringing new jobs etc. Actually this is not accurate. We are depopulating the city and building unsustainable suburbs that stimulate automobile commuting, and pollution.
Shari: I recently read in the Wall St. Journal that buying local produce is more important than buying organic. I was surprised to read that in that paper. They were saying it was more healthy if it doesn’t spend a lot of time on trucks.
Marvin: why eat organic produce?
David: organic allows the agribusiness to wean itself off fertilizer and pesticides, herbicides because those get in the food, pollute the air and water, contaminate soil.
When you buy organic you are supporting a system that is healing the country.
The toxins get in the food and also they pollute the land and water.
Organic crops have more nutrients than the other kind. The chemically fed plants are “force fed” through osmosis and are not necessarily more nourishing, even though they may look bigger.
Bill the synthetic system (chemical fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides) masks the fact that we are losing the quality of our soil, losing our humus.
Daisy Why is organic better? Consumer Reports has done a good job with this. Historically this was not a pro-organic group. They studied the nutrition and the chemicals of org. and non-org. They generally recommend to buy organic if you can. In particular, strawberries and apples, celery, bell peppers are harmful unless organic.
Recently, I was at a Green Party gathering. Recommend Organic local-first. Between local non-org. and non-local organic can be a hard decision. Know your farmer, sometimes they are not organic-enough to qualify, but do not use the worst chemicals.
Chad local farmers don’t produce pineapples…
David You have to make sure that the people working the land are earning a living wage, and that the producers are caring for the land. Lappe says food should be a human right.
So in a better economy, countries would be self sufficient within their own borders to feed their population before they were allowed to export ,say, bananas for export.
Mira I want people to understand that good organic farmers are concerned about insects, animals, etc. diversity. Not monoculture.
David there is a notion that a farmer on a small place is going to have more contact with his land. ”The best fertilizer is the footsteps of the farmer.” If we use brainpower we can do a lot of smart things with the land. Lappe discovered that the huge mechanized farms are by far the LEAST Productive. Tiny farms are much more efficient in producing per acre. However, getting the crop to market is another matter.
Roy I lived in Wisconsin. They passed a farmland preservation act. If you have 25 or more acres it is zoned farm, and can only be assessed at agriculture levels. Prevents developers. This is better than what we have in Hamilton Co.
I tried farming. We had 20 acres. Unlimited sheep manure. Problem was distribution. I had a relationship with the mgr. of an upscale restaurant who agreed to take all the produce I could produce. I didn’t call it “organic”: because every time the neighbor sprayed, it blew into my garden. But the chef wanted different stuff from what was in season. We are spoiled in our society; used to getting all foods at any season.
Mike some farmers decide not to become “certified organic” farms because of the difficulty and paper work. … There are “Michigan bananas”… “Pawpaws”. There is a pawpaw festival in Athens OH. Also, there is a coffee substitute made here in OH called “Dandiblend”.
Gerry I want to hear your system of distribution.
David: take 5 minutes and read this 2 page paper. (If you would like to read David’s proposal for a food distribution system, email him: woodenshoegarden@fuse.net).
If we want local farms to thrive in this area, and we want good supplies of local produce, and want dollars staying local … we need to get the ball rolling. We no longer have a thriving agricultural base. We can’t wait for the conventional system to incorporate that idea. Best way is to create our own. Simple to do. Start with conversations among consumers that want this sort of thing. Then find producers willing to accommodate the needs of the consumers.
One farmer can’t supply the variety or consistency that everyone needs.
But we can create a distribution system including warehousing, production, point of sale. Best way is to make sure you have enough product running through it to have it pay for itself. … the goal is to keep the distribution system full. If the consumers are willing to let the same system also supply non-local foods,then that fills up the distribution system. For example, a farmer could farm and also sell shipped-in produce for out of season products, keep his clerks etc. employed all year. Affordable for consumers, profitable for farmer/distributor. This would stimulate more and more production.
The full time year round farmers in Hamilton co. have disappeared… they have off farm jobs to make it.
If we could save even one farm, this would be wonderful. From this it would g row. It would t ransform the food distribution network here or anywhere you want to export the idea.
Shari If WoodenShoe Garden could do this, could you make a living with 100 families of consumers.?
David Let’s say the ave. family spends $100/week on food, $5,000 / year. Let’s say the farm/distribution alternative could supply half. 400 families would spend a million. 200 families 500,000. Ten percent profit on that after staff is paid would give that farm family $50,000 a year income. There is a built in incentive to actually grow more and more of what you sell those families, because of higher net profit on that stuff.
Molly I grew up on a farm. It is a seasonal business. You are going to sustain the farm in the winter on imports. (David: yes)
There are some pot holes in your plan for year long survival.
David there are many ways. If this network was up and running and a farmer wanted to grow 50,000 lbs of tomatoes, sell for $1/lb, they would earn $30,000. How do you sell that many tomatoes in 6 weeks? Can’t. So diverse crops. Season extenders (like greenhouse).
Spencer Why would a smart man settle for $50,000/year?
David If you had more families, you earn more.
Roy rather than try to be everything it makes more sense to partner with IGA or somebody who knows how to do the distribution part and you can focus on growing tomatoes. How do you get say the IGA in Clifton to buy into that.
David IGA could not buy enough from a single crop farmer to keep him in business. At first, we are not going to get an IGA to get into this. At best they could make a token gesture. I am t hinking about the whole process. Right now we are nowhere. If we can get this little pebble rolling we can turn it into a big bolder. I believe there are thousands of people in Cinti. Who would be interested.
It could grow quickly if it were set up right.
The business plan could be written any number of ways. Let’s say we got 3,000 people, not 400. Then a farmer could specialize more, not have to do as much retail, if we could distribute the product.
The hardest part of the business plan is to get the customers what they want, reasonable priced, and not go crazy trying to manage it.
I have done some number crunching …
For tonight you are my steering committee.
Molly U of KY has an ag. Dept and also a business school. Partner with them?
David Designing a conventional business plan would cost $1,000.
Gina I am from CA. People are dying for organic produce. Santa Monica. They could block off whole streets for farmers’ markets. We are looking for that day.
David 40% of the organic product in US comes out of CA. … We don’t have the farmers here that can produce the variety of product you have in CA.
Gerry Cinti. Magazine listed a whole lot of farmers markets last summer. You can go any day of the week.
David there are farmers markets that work. In this area, there are lots of satisfied customers. But ask the farmers: do you have to work off-farm? How many hours do you work doing this farmers market? Overworked farmers.
Mira do you have experience with root cellars? Greenhouses in winter?
David yes. I have a greenhouse now. I could sell probably $20-30,00 worth of product each month over the winter. But I am earning a living growing wheatgrass now.
Chad questions about this plan. Doesn’t seem viable for the million people who live in Cincinnati. Seems like a plan for some of the elite to get organic produce.
Bill in the future it will be cheaper than the corporate produce because of rising gas prices.
David All it takes is for 200 or 400 families to get up and running with a supplier. It would grow geometrically. E.g. specialization of certain little networks in certain crops.
Chad if it gets to be cheaper in the future, what’s the plan for feeding the excess of customers?
David the future will take care of itself. Right now, the food probably will not be more expensive. Right now Krogers makes a pretty good profit on their goods. Year after year the overhead of global gets more, while local gets less, once you get this network rolling.
Chad do you see places like Wild Oats as partners?
David: I hope so, but they don’t now.
Molly how deal with differential labor costs re. cheap labor in S. America etc.
David those situations in the global south (i.e. Third World) are not that great.
David Please don’t send these proposals all over. I would like to invite everybody to write me their comments. Want to set up a listserve where we could all read the comments. I want to refine the plan, make it viable. If you find t his interesting (people at table, and also people who arfe reading the Weekly) please email me, David Rosenberg, woodenshoegarden@fuse.net
~ End of Table Notes~
Hugs to everyone,
Ellen
Section Two: Activism, Cultural, & Healing Opportunities
Dear Lloyd House Salonistas,
Soon we will be having a blow out Lloyd House spring party. I want to invite you. Come to the Wednesday night salon for your personal invitation, and to learn time and date. It will be a pot luck with live entertainment provided by the guests. Or... You can send me an email and ask about the party. As you can imagine, I wouldn’t want to publicize it on the Weekly which goes to nearly 600 people plus a blog.
don’t miss t his party!
Love,
Ellen, Neil Anderson, Carolyn Aufderhaar, Debra Martin, Kati Krome
( the Lloyd Housemates).
Gaiananda and Mohenjo Daro in concert at World Center for ...
(check out their website...it’s here in St. Bernard on Vine St.)
From Bill Messer:
SATURDAY, APRIL 14TH
@ THE CENTER FOR WORLD RHYTHMS & MOVEMENT
(513) 312-9628
Doors open at 7:00, Show starts at 8:00pm with Mohenjo Daro
Tickets - $15.00
http://www.gaiananda.net/
Bill
4719 Vine Street (St. Bernard)
Cincinnati, Ohio 45217
(513) 312-9628
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=4719+Vine+Street+45217&spn=0.022158,0.040525&hl=en
HELP HEAL COMMUNITY-POLICE RELATIONS IN CINTI.
I wanted to make sure that you received an invitation to the 2nd Annual CPOP Summit . This event takes place on Saturday, April 21st from 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM at Crossroads Community Church, located at 3500 Madison Road (at the corner of Madison and Ridge in Oakley). This event is FREE and open to everyone, and we are asking participants to RSVP by Tuesday, April 13th by contacting Tracey Wilson at the Community Police Partnering Center by calling 513-559-5450 or emailing twilson@gcul.org.
Attending the CPOP Summit will be Cincinnati Police Department Chief Thomas H. Streicher, Jr., Mayor Mark Mallory, City Manager Milton Dohoney, Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune and other local public officials. The Summit also features special guests who will highlight national models for crime reduction, including gun violence reduction. These individuals include:
- Dr. David Kennedy of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice - who will present on “targeted deterrence” to reduce gun violence, which is the strategy that provides the basis for the Cincinnati Initiative to Reduce Violence (CIRV), which was recently introduced in Cincinnati.
- Norman Livingston Kerr, Director of CeaseFire Chicago – this strategic community-based effort to stop shootings and killings through street-level outreach, public education, faith based leadership, and community mobilization provided the model for CeaseFire Cincinnati, which is currently being applied in the Cincinnati neighborhoods of Avondale and North Avondale.
Dr. Calvin Trent of the Detroit Health Department - who will describe Detroit’s efforts to reduce crime associated with convenience stores, including the sale of drug paraphernalia, cigarettes and alcohol to minors.
Ellen Bierhorst, Ph.D. Is a holistic psychotherapist with over 35 years experience. Specialty area: Optimizing Mental Health ~ “Better than well”. Also: healing trauma, strengthening families and relationships, alcohol and other addictions including food, and weight management, EMDR, GLBT, chronic pain and physical illness. Clifton. 513 221 1289 www.lloydhouse.com
Next A Small Group Monthly Meeting-
Due to Easter, the next monthly meeting will be on Friday, April 13 from 4:30-6:00PM at Peaslee Neighborhood.
The 6th Annual Rawson Woods Clean-up
Join your neighbors to pull invasive garlic mustard
and garbage pick up
Saturday, April 14, 2007
10.a.m. – 1 p.m.
Wear gloves, long pants and sleeves and bring water bottle
Call 221-8285 for more information
Sponsored by the Cincinnati Parks
Advertisement:
Beautiful and Charming, spacious first floor office space at the Lloyd House, fully furnished including bodywork table, chairs, love seat, rugs, armchairs, wood burning (gas ignited ) fireplace. Rookwood even. Available by the hour. Share waiting room. Powder room. Outside entry. Terms: contribute 20% of gross to the house. Call Ellen 221 1290
Posted by: "Caeli" caelimg@fuse.net caelimg
Mon Apr 9, 2007 5:32 pm (PST)
This is a really good 12 minute film about current and former Law enforcment agents speaking out against the War on Drugs and how this policy has devasted our cities and country monetarily and socially! It is really good. Pass it on.
Founded on March 16, 2002, LEAP is made up of current and former members of the law enforcement and criminal justice communities who are speaking out about the failures of our existing drug policies. Those policies have failed, and continue to fail, to effectively address the problems of drug abuse, especially the problems of juvenile drug use, the problems of addiction, and the problems of crime caused by the existence of a criminal black market in drugs.
http://www.leap.cc/Multimedia/LEAPpromo.php
Piketon Nuclear Waste Dump Issue: Still time to register your opinion with the gov’t:
Hello,
This message is being forwarded to you as an easy avenue to contribute to the possibility of 'folks who care' having a say in the outcome of the Piketon OH conversation. If each person extends this to the possible contacts they have that might be interested, our multiplied voices may make a difference in the outcome. And we may learn something new. Thanks for taking the time to read it. I hope you are well.
Michael E
----- Original Message -----
From: SHIPPSONG@aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2007 7:21 PM
Subject: Petition and Testimony Online!
Our website is still down but the SONG petition and testimony to DOE are now available online courtesy of Progress Ohio. They are still being edited but are functional and can be signed and sent electronically. If you have editing suggestions, pass them along. Distribute the links to all your e-mail lists.
sample testimony: http://www.progressohio.org/page/petition/DoEpetition
petition: http://www.progressohio.org/page/petition/stopnucleardump
Tri-State Treasures
Tri-State Treasures is a compilation of unique local people, places, and events that may enrich your lives. These treasures have been submitted by you and others who value supporting quality community offerings. Please consider supporting these treasures, and distributing the information for others to enjoy. And please continue to forward your Tri-State Treasures ideas to jkesner@nuvox.net.
Information about Tri-State Treasures and how to submit Tri-State Treasures is at the bottom of this email. Please help me by providing all basic information and formatting your submissions as described below.
Sincerely, Jim
~~~~~
New Stage Collective - Ushers Needed: Be part of the hottest new theatre space in town. Main Street gets its 1st performing arts organization this month in New Stage Collective, Cincinnati's award-winning company dedicated to provocative & passionate professional theatre, opening its theatre & gallery at 1140 Main Street in downtown Cincinnati (former Jekyll & Hyde's billiard club, 45202). An easy way to gain a free ticket to Cincinnati's most innovative new theatre company; can be used for class credit & community service hours. Flexible dates available during all 4 productions of the 2007 April - Nov season. Times are 6:45-10 PM on Thursdays-Saturdays, & 1:45-5 PM for Sunday matinees. Attend a required 2-hour usher orientation Wednesday 18 April & 6-8 PM; pizza & sodas provided. Let them know if you can't attend the orientation, to consider other arrangements. More info @ 513.621.3700 & www.newstagecollective.com. Send your informal resume to volunteer@newstagecollective.com.
~~~~~
Five Short Films by International & Local Artists [Thursday 12 April @ 7 PM]: Multiply (2006, 25 min) - Moving Pictures Jury Selection. Five music videos are part of 1 work by The Dozens, an imaginary band of 6 visual artists. The Country (2006, 1:30 min) Directed & animated by Brady Baltezore. A short animated film based on a poem by former US Poet Laureate Billy Collins. SF-based Baltezore used hand drawings, textiles, wood, & paper to bring the poem to 2 & 3D life. www.pistolsloaded.com. Caesura (2004, 3:35 min) Directed & animated by Leeanne Williams. In Caesura, Boston-based RISD graduate Williams uses watercolor animation to describe the intimacy of life breath. www.leeannewilliams.com. Dandle (2004; 1 min) Directed & animated by Jon Burgerman & David Bond. UK-based artist & illustrator Burgerman uses raw delineations & bold, shape shifting designs in his short films Dandle & Wolf Man. www.jonburgerman.com. Wolf Man (2006, 1:30 min) Directed & animated by Jon Burgerman. www.jonburgerman.com. Free, donations encouraged. Seating is limited to 16. First-come first-served for unreserved seats. At Manifest Gallery Drawing Theater, 2727 Woodburn Avenue, East Walnut Hills, Cincinnati, Ohio 45206. More info & RSVP @ 513.861.3638, salterjm@gmail.com, & www.manifestgallery.org/map.
A Lonely Crowd [Fridays & Saturdays 13-14 & 20-21 April @ 8 PM]: Performance Gallery, Cincinnati's home for alternative theatre, is proud to welcome Available light [theatre] from Columbus, OH, as they present a boldly theatrical mix of music, movement, mirth, & metaphor. A dissection of society's tendency for loneliness & the ways society perpetuates this problem. $10. At 3900 Eastern Avenue (the big pink/purple 'church'), Columbia Tusculum, Cincinnati, OH 45226. More info @ 513.373.7127, www.avltheatre.com, & www.performancegallery.org.
The Personal Treasures of Bernard and Shirley Kinsey: African American Art & Artifacts [opens Friday 13 April]: Original artwork created by African American artists plus an amazing collection of artifacts collected & shared by Bernard & Shirley Kinsey. Thru June 3. 3rd Floor, National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, 50 East Freedom Way, Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info @ 513.333.7500, ETurner@nurfc.org, & www.freedomcenter.org.
Are we what we eat? Or are we what our parents ate? Nutrition & genetics [Saturday 14 April @ 10 AM]: The Association for Rational Thought presents Debbie Clegg, PhD, RN, who will discuss her research on nutrition & genetics. Do you have big bones or a fat gene? Find out. Free. Molly Malone’s Restaurant, 6111 Montgomery Road, Pleasant Ridge, Cincinnati, OH 45213. More info @ rrdavis@fuse.net & www.cincinnatiskeptics.org.
Celebrate Life Together [Sunday 15 April @ 9 AM]: Live like you were dying. How many of us have forgotten to enjoy life because we are so busy enduring it? When it's all said & done what really matters? Are we filling our lives with beautiful memories? Life happens now; live in the present instead of dwelling on the past, experience each moment instead of planning it. Featured band is The Frankl Project. At the Contemporary Worship Service, St. John's Unitarian Universalist Church, 320 Resor Avenue, Clifton, Cincinnati, OH 45220. More info @ 513.961.1938 & www.stjohnsuu.org.
A Tribute to August Wilson [Sunday 15 April @ 4 PM]: A Tribute to the life & works of the greatest African American playwright of the 20th century. His singular achievement & literacy legacy is a cycle of 10 plays, each set in a different decade, depicting the comedy & tragedy of the African- American experience in the 20th century. Tickets: $20; group rates available. Presented by Cincinnati Black Theatre Company. At the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Harriet Tubman Theater, 50 East Freedom Way, Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info & tix @ 513.241.6060, Dsherman@cincyblacktheatre.com, & www.cincyblacktheatre.com.
Lunafest Film Festival [Tuesday-Wednesday 17-18 April @ 7 PM]: Nine award-winning short films by women filmmakers ranging from humorous live-action & animation to touching documentaries. With locations including India, Ireland, China, UK & USA, these thought-provoking films address contemporary issues & situations faced by women around the world. Presented by Cincinnati World Cinema in cooperation with the UC Women's Center & the UC Department of Women's Studies. Discussion after the films. Tickets are $6 & $8. At Fath Auditorium, Cincinnati Art Museum, 953 Eden Park Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info @ 859.781.8151, worldcinema@fuse.net, & www.cincyworldcinema.org.
Free Speech Hero: An Evening With Mary Beth Tinker [Wednesday 18 April @ 7 PM]: She was the plaintiff in the landmark Supreme Court case Tinker vs. Des Moines School District. In the now famous suit, Tinker was suspended from middle school because she wore a black armband to school as a sign of opposition to the Vietnam War. She now travels the country talking to young people about being engaged in civic life & speaking their minds on issues. At Blue Ash Branch, Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County, 4911 Cooper Road, Cincinnati, OH 45242. More info & RSVP @ 216.472.2220, contact@acluohio.org, & www.acluohio.org.
Peace With Justice In The Holy Land [Wednesday 18 April @ 7:45 PM]: Speaker is Zeinab Schwen. At Xavier University, Alter 217, 3800 Victory Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45207. More info @ 513.745.3320, urmston@xavier.edu, & www.xu.edu/peace/ben.htm.
The Dark Side of OZ [Thursday-Saturday 19-21 April @ various evening times]: 3 nights only annual viewing of the "Dark Side of OZ," a movie that combines the video from the "Wizard of OZ" with the soundtrack of Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" album. Read more about this phascinating phenomenon at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Side_of_the_Rainbow. $2 with UC ID; $4 general admission. Sponsored by the Mainstreet Cinema. At Tangeman University Center's Mainstreet Cinema, University of Cincinnati, OH 45220. More info including film schedule @ 513.556.FILM & www.uc.edu/mainstreet/ms_programs.html.
After Ashley [Thursday 19 April - Saturday 12 May]: A blisteringly funny & deeply moving story about a teenage boy navigating the media circus surrounding his mother's tragic death. At Know Theatre, 1120 Jackson Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info @ 513.621.ARTS, info@knowtheatre.com, & www.knowtheatre.com.
Stories From Iraq's Red Zone [Saturday 21 April @ 7-9 PM]: Mike Ferner, a Veteran for Peace tells of his experience from 2 recent trips to Iraq with Voices in the Wilderness. Sponsored by the Buddhist Peace Fellowship of Cincinnati in association with Professor Patrick Welage, from The Theology Department at Xavier University. At Xavier University, Gallagher Center Room 214, 3800 Victory Parkway Cincinnati, OH 45207. More info @ 513-254-8512 & mpm6419@yahoo.com.
Brazilian Inspired World Music [Saturday 21 April @ 8 PM]: Celebrate St. John’s “Earth Day” Green Weekend with Terra Azul, Cincinnati’s Brazilian & World Music Ensemble. Members of Terra Azul have performed at the Chicago Jazz Festival, Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center, the Cincinnati Convention Center, international & local clubs, festivals, & cultural events. The band includes St. John's member Manuel Susserat on guitar, one of St. John's resident percussionists Baba Charles, & others on vocals, bass, sax, flute, & keyboards. Dance leaders will encourage guests to move & groove to an eclectic world music mix. Drinks & light snacks will be available for purchase. $15 for 1 adult & 1 child, $10 for students with student ID, $5 for 12 & under. At St. John’s Unitarian-Universalist Church, 320 Resor Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45220. More info @ 513.961.1938 & tippeytours@hotmail.com.
Downtown HopAround Kick Off [Saturday 21 April @ 6 PM]: Join a fascinating group of people & the Downtown HopAround Grand Marshals to kick off the Spring Downtown HopAround at Downtown Cincinnati's newest restaurant, Sully's. Grand Marshals are WKRP in Cincinnati Actor Gary Sandy, Former All Star Reds Pitcher Tom Browning, & Cincinnati's Newest Pitching Phenom Mayor Mark Mallory. Then at 7 PM, start dining & hopping. The Addisons have volunteered to provide musical entertainment: Jacob Addison (lead vocals, keyboard), Joe Franckewitz (percussion & vocals), Greg Hansen (lead guitar), Brian Romic (bass guitar), Charly Sommers (guitar, keyboard, vocals), Eric Cieslewicz (drummer). Complimentary appetizers provided by Sully's. Cash bar. Valet parking available. At Sully's, 7th & Race Streets, Downtown Cincinnati, OH 45202.
Why We Sing [Sunday @ 22 April @ 2 PM]: Music has the power to uplift, inspire & unite in a way that spoken words cannot. Filmed at the GALA Choruses International Festival in Montreal, this documentary highlights a dozen of the 163 choruses from around the world that participated in the GLBT music festival, featuring Cincinnati's own MUSE Women's Choir. As a special treat, MUSE will perform a live post-film concert on the stage of the Fath Auditorium. Tickets are $6 & $8. At Fath Auditorium, Cincinnati Art Museum, 953 Eden Park Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info @ 859.781.8151, worldcinema@fuse.net, & www.cincyworldcinema.org.
Paul Farmer: Ethics Religion & Society Lecture Townhall Meeting on HIV/AIDS [Monday 23 April 7-8:30 PM]: The Director of Harvard Medical School's program in infectious disease, & subject of Tracy Kidder's book, "Mountains Beyond Mountains" will deliver the 4th & final Ethics/Religion & Society Lecture. At the Schiff Family Conference Center,
Cintas Center, 1624 Herald Dr Cincinnati, OH 45207.
The Librettist of Venice: A Discussion on the Life of Lorenzo Da Ponte [Tuesday 24 April @ 7 PM]: Award-winning writer Rodney Bolt, author of The Librettist of Venice, shares intriguing stories about the colorful & inspiring life of Mozart’s librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte. During the talk, Mr. Bolt will discuss excerpts from his book & share musical clips from Così Fan Tutte, The Marriage of Figaro, & Don Giovanni. Free; reservations requested. Sponsored by National City. At Music Hall’s Corbett Tower, 1241 Elm Street, Downtown Cincinnati, OH 45202. More info @ 513.241.2742, jbellin@cincinnatiopera.org, & www.cincinnatiopera.org.
Visibility Week Film Festival [Tuesday-Saturday 24-28 April @ various evening times]: A 1-week film festival to increase visibility in the GLBTQ community, & to promote tolerance & acceptance. Films will include "Transamerica," "Venus Boyz," "Rent," & "If These Walls Could Talk 2." All films are free. Presented by UC Women's Center & Mainstreet Cinema. At Tangeman University Center's Mainstreet Cinema, University of Cincinnati, Clifton, Cincinnati, OH 45220. More info including film schedule @ 513.556.4329, 513.556.FILM, taylords@email.uc.edu, www.uc.edu/ucwc/, & www.uc.edu/mainstreet/ms_programs.html.
Ongoing Tri-State Treasures
Italian American Film Festival [Wednesdays thru 25 April @ 7:30 PM]: Sante Matteo, Prof. & Coordinator of Italian Studies in the Department of French & Italian @ Miami University presents his Annual Spring Semester Italian American Film Festival. Free & open to the public. Apr. 18: Mafia! (1998), Jim Abrahams; The Sopranos, 1st TV series episode; Apr. 25: The Sopranos, episodes from the TV series. In Room 46 Culler Hall, Miami University, Oxford OH 45056. More info @ 513.529.5932, matteos@muohio.edu.
Collecting a Legacy: The Bernard Kinsey Collection [thru June 3]: This exhibition offers a roadmap to the cultural journey & transformation experienced by African American art collectors as they embrace & acquire art & artifacts. Within the context of their own history & the past that speaks to them, we discover how the Kinseys are changed & nurtured by what they chose to collect. Ranging from painful-to-see slave owner’s documents, to brilliantly fiery expressions in sculpture, to private glimpses into thoughts of the ancestors, the Kinsey Collection reflects a rich cultural heritage which they have been driven to capture, inspire & sustain for future generations. National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, 50 East Freedom Way, Cincinnati OH 45202. More info @ 513.333.7500, ETurner@nurfc.org, & www.freedomcenter.org.
Section Three: Articles
Contents:
- U.C. Nuclear Engineering Prof. rebuts Jeanette Raichyk’s allegation of “unethical” re. Piketon hearing testimony
- Athens OH News reader on Piketon “dump”
- Black Box Voting: Can the gov’t access your secret ballot?
U.C. Nuclear Engineering Prof. rebuts:
To Whom It May Concern:
With regard to the alleged “unethical behavior” as noted by ONE of your readers of your newsletter, I have the following remarks to make.
I am not a paid consultant of the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy. As a university professor, I compete for research grants from the DOE, among the many other research funding institutions, and I've won a few highly competitive grants because I happen to be good at what I do in my field of expertise. As side information, your readers should know that the bulk of a grant goes to support student research assistantships, student tuition, and operational overhead (56% at UC). So, having DOE grants does not represent being a “paid consultant” to the DOE. Instead, I believe it helps bring contemporary and meaningful research projects to UC graduate students and, in the process, helps raise the educational reputation of the University of Cincinnati and the State of Ohio.
Some of the research I conduct with my students actually targets to reduce the toxicity of spent nuclear (imagine that!). In fact, recycling of minor actinides (americium, curium, neptunium, and plutonium – some of the most long lived and radiotoxic isotopes in nuclear waste) is truly almost too good to be true; because it entails producing energy while eliminating some of the worst components of spent nuclear fuel. So, I think every environmentalist and especially Ms. Raichyk should be in favor of these ideas and champion some of the pertaining research, which incidentally aligns very well with the theme of the proposed GNEP facilities being evaluated for feasibility at 11 sites in the US, including Piketon.
There is a profound difference between the image folks like Ms. Raichyk and others might be painting about me and their perception of why I have written an Op Ed article and why I was present at the Piketon public meeting. So, let’s clear things up a bit. I wrote the article to primarily INFORM the public about the general subject and, incidentally, to let the locals know about the public meeting taking place (several folks had insinuated that the public meeting was kept secret and was not widely advertised – don’t blame me). The article had a positive tone because I am completely in favor of a facility of this type being built somewhere in the US.
I attended the public meeting at Piketon because I was genuinely interested in participating in our democracy, but most importantly to inform the people of Piketon that UC and Ohio State have active nuclear engineering programs where their children and other folks in Ohio and surrounding areas can study these technology and do research in the pertaining areas (instead of it all coming from other states or from overseas). Also, to let them know that many of the proposed or related technologies have been used for decades around the world; France has been reprocessing nuclear fuel for decades, and the second US nuclear submarine, the USS Seawolf (commissioned in 1957!) was actually a liquid sodium reactor (liquid sodium is one of the technologies proposed for the fast burner reactor). My remarks were recorded as a matter of public record, so anyone can dig them out and verify the informational nature of my statements.
Unlike some of the attendees who pretended to be acting in the best interest of the locals, I did not. Ultimately, it was shocking and sad for me to see democracy being derailed by the coordinated efforts obviously launched by several environmentalist groups. Their eager presence and artificially inflated representation dramatically changed the balance of what could have been an opportunity for the locals to learn about the proposal being brought forth. Instead, the locals were frightened by implying that the whole intent of this project is to basically dump the world’s nuclear waste in Piketon. In my opinion, that is not what this is about, and that is where others crossed the line into unethical behavior by twisting facts. The goal of this project, as publicly presented, is to recycle the spent nuclear fuel (most of it is still useful stuff), produce electricity from it, and then ship the “true waste” leftover into a long-term (permanent) geological repository, such as in Yucca Mountain. Recycling will dramatically reduce the amount of true waste requiring long term storage. Perhaps I’m just overly naïve and gullible, but Piketon is not a proposed site for long-term geological repository of nuclear waste.
It is up to the folks out in Piketon, alongside their local and State government to decide whether the benefits of a projected $16 billion dollar facility could outweigh the risks. It is up to all of them to decide whether their decades’ worth of experience with prior DOE projects might be a weakness in all this, or whether their experienced workforce and huge available facilities that had been qualified for similar work might give an edge toward technological and economic prosperity.
It is irrelevant to me whether a GNEP facility is ever built in Piketon, but I am strongly in favor of it being built somewhere in the US. My teaching, research, and service as a professor will remain strong independently of if or where such facility is ever built.
Regards,
-Ivan Maldonado
From the Athens News
Reader's Forum: Act now to keep nuke waste out of Ohio
By Catherine Cutcher
Thursday, March 29th, 2007
On March 8, I attended a public hearing in Piketon, Ohio that was both frightening and inspiring. The event included public testimony in response to a proposal to again bring nuclear waste to Piketon. If you do not want more nuclear waste in southern Ohio, I urge you to oppose the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) plan of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). This plan poses serious threats to our homeland security, economy, health, water supply and environment. If you have an opinion, you can write letters or send petitions to the DOE until April 4.
Piketon residents are veterans of the Cold War. They have hosted a uranium-enrichment plant for over 50 years. Many of their loved ones have died due to accidents and illnesses caused by radioactive exposure. Current residents are affected by cancer and a polluted environment. One former plant worker testified that she had to fight for 20 years just to get a medical card. In the 1980s and 1990s, an investigation discovered a number of problems associated with nuclear-waste contamination, health problems, secrecy and corruption in Piketon. The plant was closed and then reopened as the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, also known as the American Centrifuge Facility. The DOE has not yet cleaned up the mess in Piketon.
To add insult to injury, the Southern Ohio Nuclear Integration Cooperative (SONIC) recently received a $500,000 "study grant" from the DOE to measure the suitability of Piketon for a nuclear storage facility. The GNEP plan, proposed by the Bush Administration, intends to ship spent nuclear rods and radioactive waste from around the planet to Piketon for "recycling." They plan to "recycle nuclear fuel using new proliferating-resistant technologies to recover more energy and reduce waste," according to the DOE's Web site. The DOE promises that storage of nuclear waste at Piketon would be "temporary," but they have not secured a permanent site for long-term storage.
The entities supporting the proposal have fraudulently claimed to have community and state support when the majority of Ohioans oppose it. The public has been asked to comment on the proposal before any of the documents have been released. The DOE and SONIC have refused to share copies of the application or speak with community members.
Local residents organized and gathered over 1,500 signatures on petitions that were submitted to the DOE at the hearing. Over 200 people attended the hearing, and most of the 60 speakers opposed the plan. But when we began asking questions of the DOE representative, we were told to go to the other room for answers. We cannot make an informed decision or show support until we are presented with all the facts about this plan.
Would the GNEP plan bring economic development to Piketon? In exchange for hosting GNEP, Piketon has been promised jobs. But many community members believe that the site would only be used as a dump for nuclear waste, resulting in no jobs at all. The maintenance and cleanup of the site would cost billions of dollars in the future. These enormous costs and risks would drive businesses, investors and tourists away from the area. Athens resident Dave Whealey claims, "They want to privatize all the profits and socialize all the costs."
The DOE promises that this is "reliable" and "safe" technology. But reprocessing nuclear waste has caused permanent plutonium contamination in every community where it's been tried. Depleted uranium is known to cause birth defects and other severe health problems. The U.S. Department of Interior has blocked similar permits for centralized nuclear storage facilities in Utah and Yucca Mountain in Nevada.
There is a strong potential for groundwater pollution from nuclear waste in Piketon. Piketon sits on top of the Teays Aquifer, the largest aquifer in North America. The groundwater feeds into the Scioto, Ohio and Mississippi rivers. Radioactive waste would also be shipped to Piketon on trucks, trains, boats and airplanes from all over the planet. If an accident, natural disaster or terrorist attack were to occur, this would contaminate the drinking water of millions of people and would disturb delicate ecosystems throughout the U.S. and the planet.
The DOE has embraced nuclear energy as an "alternative" energy source that will reduce our nation's dependence upon foreign oil and other fossil fuels. But we now have the technology to produce safe, renewable energy such as solar, wind, geothermal, hydroelectric and bio-fuels. These sources are inexpensive, cleaner and safer than nuclear energy. Ethanol could be produced from the abundant corn that is already grown by Ohio's farmers.
The head of the GNEP program assured us that just as we "recycle" our glass, metal and plastics, we can also "recycle" our nuclear waste and clean up our environment. This Orwellian language of "recycling" is typical of the current federal administration, which uses terms such as "Healthy Forests," "Clear Skies," "No Child Left Behind" and "Iraqi Freedom" to describe policies that produce exactly the opposite results. "Recycling" nuclear waste is immoral, irresponsible and dangerous to the health of humans and the environment.
If you would like more information about this plan, please visit the Southern Ohio Neighbors Group (SONG) Web site at www.OhioNeighbors.org or e-mail shippsong@aol.com. If you would like to keep nuclear waste out of Ohio, please write letters by April 4 to: Timothy A. Frazier, GNEP PEIS Document Manager, Office of Nuclear Energy/U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, D.C. 20585-0119. You may also send letters to your elected officials urging them to act now to protect our homeland security. Let us all work to ensure that Ohio will no longer suffer from dangerous experiments with nuclear energy.
Editor's note: Catherine Cutcher is program and development coordinator with the Appalachian Peace and Justice Network in Athens.
Black Box Voting: Can the Gov’t Access your secret ballot?
* From now through April 30, every donation of $45 or more will receive a copy of the HBO special documentary DVD, "Hacking Democracy" - http://www.blackboxvoting.org.donate.html
Permission to excerpt or reprint the material below is granted, with link to http://www.blackboxvoting.org
THE GOVERNMENT AND SOME OF ITS VENDORS CAN NOW ACCESS YOUR SECRET BALLOT
It's true: Two voting products are designed to be used together. When combined, these two products do away with the secret ballot. And this is already being used.
Because this secretive process is split between two products, the sales pitch on each product truthfully claims that privacy remains in place. What they DON'T MENTION is that when the products are used together, privacy evaporates.
THE 2 PRODUCTS THAT COMBINE TO STRIP AWAY VOTE PRIVACY ARE:
1. Ballot-marked vote tracker systems (VoteHere and, from reports we have received, Populex)
2. Image-retaining vote counters (Diebold, Hart Intercivic)
Once the bar code containing embedded voter information is on the ballot, the image captured by the vote counter creates a computer file with both votes and voter-tied information.
Persons inside government are in the best position to abuse this feature. In fact, government security experts already have ties to the ballot-marked systems.
Current US Secretary of Defense and former CIA head Robert Gates has been on the advisory board of VoteHere. Former US Secretary of Defense Frank Carlucci, also a former deputy director of the CIA and a long-time Chairman of the Board at the Carlyle Group is on the advisory board for Populex. Surely, these two men know the implications of tracking votes. The second biggest expenditure for the CIA during the 1980s was influencing foreign elections; as a Director of and Deputy Director of the CIA, surely they are aware of the benefits an unscrupulous individual could gain from producing giant vote databases that tie back to voters.
HERE’S HOW THESE TWO SYSTEMS STEAL YOUR POLITICAL PRIVACY
Step 1: Vote tracking system puts bar code on ballot which embeds a connector to your voter registration system ID. Sales pitch: "This allows voters to find out if their vote went through the system."
Step 2: Ballot counting device automatically takes digital photo of each ballot. These images are stored on the computer in ballot image directories.
Here is a copy of a Diebold high speed central count ballot image directory (zip file; does not contain vote tracker bar codes):
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/72/2002-MarinL_A-46406.zip
With the vote tracking system, the digital image directories contain BOTH the bar code with your ID embedded AND the votes you cast.
More later on how the ballot tracking systems work, and why their use is about to increase. First, let's explore the dangers of allowing our vote secrecy to be stripped away by government insiders, private vendors, and proprietary trade secrets.
IS VOTER PRIVACY REALLY NECESSARY?
Some citizens think we should do away with the secret ballot. That's a radical idea, and as you'll see below, one that carries the risk of destabilizing the nation. But secret government-owned voter+votes databases are no one's cup of tea, unless you wish to live in a carceral state, which seeks to know everything about its inhabitants while hiding information about itself. Even the most radical reformers don't want this evolutionary step towards a police state.
THE USE OF COMPUTERIZED DATABASES INCREASES THE RISK
America didn't always have a secret ballot. Voter privacy laws came about after a frenzy of corruption -- wholesale vote-buying and selling as showcased with the Tammany Hall scandal.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tammany_Hall - See "Tweed Machine"
That was bad, but now it can be much worse: Computers and the ability to manipulate massive databases put political privacy at significantly greater risk. The data-crunching operations provided by companies like Choicepoint have the capability to provide unprecedented power to databases containing personal information. Choicepoint's biggest client is the US government, and Choicepoint's lobbyist is John Ashcroft.
Today, Black Box Voting asked Choicepoint this question:
"It's indisputable that his [Ashcroft's] firm is lobbying for you, so what is Choicepoint saying he is and isn't doing? "
Choicepoint responded:
"Ashcroft and his firm are not lobbying any member of Congress on our behalf nor are we using them to affect any pending or possible legislation in Congress or any state legislature. We are using his firm solely to develop business leads. Both statements have been true since we began a relationship with the Ashcroft Group and remain true today. This is a business development relationship."
That is not particularly informative, and since the US Congress has exempted itself from the Freedom of Information Act, citizens can't even find out what this is all about.
Maybe Choicepoint would never exploit the new vote+voter databases, but instead the files would be slipped to the programmers for Voter Vault, the brawny Republican political database. One of Voter Vault's key contractors, Bruce Boram, has been chastised repeatedly for low-ball political tricks, and is one of the last people Democratic voters would want to view how they voted.
Perhaps it would be some other data mining company, or even some squirrely little custom program on the private laptop of a future Nixonian president. The point is, enabling vote data to be secretly tied to voters and retained in computer directories and/or databases is dangerous.
WHAT CAN GOVERNMENT AND ITS PRIVATE VENDORS DO WITH KNOWLEDGE OF YOUR VOTE?
How long do you think it would take for someone to get the bright idea to check the actual private voting patterns of all political appointees? How about checking on the private votes of military officers? Civil servants? What about an elected official grabbing a sneak a peek at which of his constituents actually voted for him? Redistricting tactics?
Knowing who votes for whom puts winners and losers in unique positions to extract revenge on each other. Those who vote the "wrong" way may be treated unfairly by judges (whether elected or appointed by elected individuals), prosecutors or law enforcement officials who happen to learn how they voted.
HOW DANGEROUS COULD IT GET?
Given time, exploits multiply. In the late 1800s when corporations seized the "right" to corporate personhood, no one dreamed they would end up shoveling hundreds of millions into political campaigns to create candidate dependency.
If the vote-tracking programs continue, sooner or later your private votes will be harvested, whether or not anyone is exploiting this opportunity at the moment.
"As much as it extols political freedoms and governmental openness, the United States government has a long and dark history of rounding up troublemakers, suppressing dissent, criminalizing expression, sowing suspicion, and delaying justice."
This is a quote from No Greater Threat
by C. William Michaels, a book about the rise of the national security state.(1)
ROUNDING UP CITIZENS FOR THEIR POLITICAL OPINIONS
It's been done before. In 1950, Congress passed the Internal Security Act, establishing a new federal agency called the "Subversive Activities Control Board." The act was designed to identify and suppress supposedly subversive individuals and organizations.
"The chief weapon of the sea pirates was their capacity to astonish. No one could believe, until it was much too late, just how heartless and greedy they were."-- Kurt Vonnegut*
With the re-authorization of the Patriot Act, very troubling powers exist under current law, with obvious implications for what can happen now that the government can obtain information about how you voted:
According to the ACLU, "Section 215 (known as the 'library records' provision, but which actually applies to 'any tangible thing') does not require any individualized suspicion to get a court order for any record wanted." http://action.aclu.org/reformthepatriotact/whereitstands.html
That doesn't mean it's constitutional. And the use of certain kinds of data-mining programs by certain departments is now supposed to require reports to Congress, though it's unclear to any of us whether anyone is following the rules, or even how we would find out if they weren't.
"The information sharing permitted by Title II of the Patriot Act is quite wide ranging. Definitions are broadly defined, and the investigation could involve almost anything. No court order is needed for information sharing. The Act does not specify a limit to the use made of this information by other government officials. The Act does not limit information sharing to more than one official from more than one agency. Information can be "shared" by one to many. There is no limitation of the type of "official" use to be made of shared information. This opens the door to extensive and secretive sharing …" (1)
MORE ABOUT HOW VOTE TRACKING REMOVES POLITICAL PRIVACY
Is this combination vote-tracking/digital imaging system already being used?
Yes. In San Juan County, Washington the VoteHere ballot tracking system is being used with Hart Intercivic vote-counting scanners (capture digital images of the ballots).
Bar codes on the ballot - VoteHere ballot tracker:
http://votehere.net/ballottrackermailin.php
Citizens to the rescue:
Tim White and Alan Rosato, two extraordinary San Juan County citizens, along with the help of the Green Party of San Juan County, have filed a lawsuit contending that the use of the ballot tracking program is illegal. You will find much more information here: http://www.mindspring.com/~sjmedia/
BUT CAN THESE BALLOT IMAGES BE EFFICIENTLY CONVERTED TO DATABASE FORMATS?
Yes. The ballot images are stored in directories, which can then be run through a program like Hursti's Votoscope to convert the pictures into data tables.
Black Box Voting obtained the ballot image files from the Diebold high speed scanner, another voting machine that produces ballot images. (As you may recall, we used to think this was a cool feature.)
In a project sponsored by Black Box Voting, Finnish computer programmer Harri Hursti created a working version of the "Votoscope", which he proved can quickly process hundreds of thousands of ballot images, converting them to a database.
Only one step remains: To add the bar code conversion feature into the data program. Both the vendor and various government entities are in a position to do this. Not only that, but under the mushy provisions of the Patriot Act, it's probably legal for certain divisions of the government to do this, even if it is not for a "security" reason.
Vendors will tell you that the bar code containing your identifier is encrypted. Who cares? The only question that remains is what subset of individuals have the key!
CURRENT LEGISLATION IN THE US CONGRESS WILL PUT MANY MORE LOCATIONS AT RISK
1. The Holt Bill (HR 811) attempts to create permanent voting system authority for White House appointees. This unwise move will be the subject of another article, but the application to ballot tracking is simply this: White House appointees, under the Holt Bill, get regulatory power over the mechanics of voting systems. At whatever time, a small handful of politically chosen individuals can decide for American voters, "Hey, this ballot tracking concept is very good, let's require it for everybody."
It is not inaccurate to characterize the proposed permanent funding for White House appointee-led regulatory power over election systems as "a clear and present danger" which, if carried out, will destabilize our great country.
2. Bills have been submitted both in the U.S. Congress and in many states to increase mail-in voting, which already openly uses ballot-marked vote tracking. Some of the bills even try to require ballot tracking, perhaps not realizing that ballot-tracking systems can optionally put a voter-tied code on both the mail-in envelope and the ballot itself.
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/17337/47137.html
http://www.bbvforums.org/forums/messages/17337/47163.html
A ballot vote-tracking system was recently used by the United Aerospace and Machinists union in a union election. Who knows how many other places this is being used.
And it sounds so warm and fuzzy: "You get to check that your vote was counted."
Unfortunately, so can others, and they can do a whole lot more than that.
(1) C. William Michaels, in a book on the rise of the national security state, No Greater Threat
* Thanks to the many voting rights advocates who have helped so very much in developing effective communications frames for elections issues – Pokey Anderson, whose “Sea Pirates” quote I borrowed, and the many others who have been contributing such pithy phrases as “The United States of Amnesia” and others via working groups and listservs.
# # # # #
The work Black Box Voting is doing is supported solely by citizen donations. To support our work:
http://www.blackboxvoting.org/donate.html
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Black Box Voting
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Section Four: Books/Magazines/Reviews
...................................
Come on... send me names of books and stuff you are enjoying. ellen
...................................
Hello,
This is a number you can call to get free cell phone directory assistance. You will have to listen to a short commercial, but depending on what your directory assistance costs, you may find it worth while.
1-800-373-3411
Also, I just saw a fantastic movie based a true story, called, The Peaceful Warrior’.
Yours,
ShirleyReischman (our homeopath)
MASSAGE THERAPIST Barb Lliphardt writes:
Ellen,
Great meeting you.
I'm in the middle of research and don't have much
time. Let me just list some books I wish were on
required reading lists for all high school students
and the rest of the U.S.:
don't have time to go into what they are about.
- Michael Pollan's the Omnimore's Dilemma;
- John Robbin's Food Revolution;
- Doris Sarjeant and Karen Evans' Hard to Swallow: the
- Truth About Food Additives;
- George Pyle's Raising Less Corn, More Hell: the Case for the Independent Farm and Against Industrial Food;
- Richard Manning's Against the
- Grain;
- Eric S??? Fast Food Nation. etc. Sorry, I
Thanks, Barb
Hi Ellen.
I want to share a great book.
The title says it all.
Please look for,
"Dare to Hope - Saving American Democracy" by
Jason West.
He is the young mayor of New Paltz, New York.
He is "fiercely practical" and lays out many very
workable ideas. One in particular is a voting
system that makes a third or even fourth or fifth
party vote valuable, not just thrown away, or an
opposite effect vote as it is now.
He actually won the election as a Green Party
member.
Janice Trytton
I bought this one through Powell's Books for
$12.00. They were very slow delivering, but the
original price for the book was $22.00.
I have since ordered a couple from Amazon used books to share around.
Let me know if you can't find it.
FYI
Hello Ellen.
I am reading Paramhansa Yoganandas's two volume set entitled: The
Second Coming of Christ, subtitled: The Resurrection of the Christ Within
You. Please begin with some clarifications:
1. This is NOT a religious text, NOR a belief system, NOR a claim as
to the superiority of any individual, including he who was born Jewish
and named Jesus.
2. This IS, believe it or not, very old, time-honored science. (Note:
our paradigm occasionally encourages arrogant dismissal of systems,
scientific and otherwise, outside our familiarities as if they require
some indeterminate stamp of approval from some sort of self-proclaimed
expert whom we for some reason have chosen to trust, for the system to
"qualify" as science, authentic, true, etc..)
3. The actual derived meaning of the word "christ" comes from the
Greek: "christos," meaning: anointed. Anointing, in that day, meant using
oil for cleansing or purification. Cleansing of what: in the case of
the Title for Jesus: the cleansing or removal of ignorance. What
ignorance? The ignoring of our True Nature: that we all are connected, not
separate; worthy of receiving Unconditional Love, let alone making it available
to others; not born into sin, rather that we
have the capacity to experience, not as an intellectual exercise but as
visceral, 3D experience: our Infinite Nature. Yogananda's work clarifies brilliantly that
Jesus' teaching was based in these Truths. According to the book, Jesus' mission was to destroy our tendency to ignore our True Nature, that is: to destroy our ignorance. (Not inconsistent, by the way, with the role of Siva in pre-Hindu mythology/history).
That being said, the books are brilliant in their thorough,
comprehensive and scientific exploration of the life and teaching of Jesus, and in the
context of understanding that in this lifetime we have
the opportunity to Wake Up to our Infinite capacities as humans, however
sleepy we may be in this moment of now.
Yogananda and the editors utilize centuries of data and factual evidence revealing our
capacity to enliven our conscious awareness to get beyond our delusion of
separation, limitation, suffering, judgement, blame, etc., and make a
different choice.
Yogananda demystifies our tendency to default to belief systems in lieu of
noticing our own direct experience. He defines a model of consciousness
which includes the understanding of what some refer to as "Satan" as
simply our tendency to believe certain data without a thorough
investigation of all available, pertinent and relevant information. He describes the
unfolding of a mission of a teacher which included training teachers to
share knowledge of a system which could change the collective
consciousness of the world.
He explains the scientific workings of miracles, based on a science
which some in today's world would dismiss as "fantasy," or "naive
delusion." The editors of the two volume set include references from the most
current scientific data available from, for instance, Nobel Prize
winning physicists, molecular biologists, and mathematicians such as
Leonardo Fibonacci, as well as the likes of poets like William Blake. This
commentary on the original teachings of Jesus provides a scholarly approach to what
consciousness is really about, without the need to establish or deny one more
unnecessary belief system.
The suggestion that Jesus had accomplished more than enough wisdom and
status to be qualified as a "'world teacher" is not really the point.
The notion of avatar, whether Jesus or Krishna or Mohammed, or whoever,
is only acknowledged insofar as it can contribute to our better
understanding of ourselves, vis-a-vis our world, let alone our universe.
---------
Ellen:
feel free to feedback, suggest editorial changes, or print as is.
Himavat Ishaya
The Lloyd House Salon (usually about 12 people) Meets on WEDNESDAYS at 5:45,
EVERY Wednesday, 52 WEEKS/YEAR come hell or high water, as my mother used to say.
We of the Lloyd House Salon gather in a spirit of
respect, sympathy and compassion for one another
in order to exchange ideas for our mutual pleasure and enlightenment.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Our Salon blog is a promising interactive site: http:lloydhouse.blogspot.com
Also, we have an Interactive Yahoo Salon group, http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LloydHouseSalon
For Pot Luck procedures including food suggestions, mission and history visit
http://home.fuse.net/ellenbierhorst/Potluck.html .
You are invited also to visit the Lloyd House website: http://www.lloydhouse.com
> To unsubscribe from the Lloyd House Potluck Salon list, send a REPLY message
> to me and in the SUBJECT line type in "unsub potluck #". In the place of #
> type in the numeral that follows the subject line of my Weekly email. It
> will be 1,2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7. This tells me which sub-list your name is on so I can
> delete it. Thanks! ellen bierhorst
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