The Lloyd House Virtual Salon: June 2010

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Weekly 6/24/10 - 12

The Lloyd House Wednesday Night Salon WEEKLY

A Newsletter published every Thursday from the Lloyd House in Cincinnati
Email subscriptions: 623

Our Salon blog is an interactive site: http://lloydhouse.blogspot.com
If you would like to respond, amend, or correct anything in this Newsletter, please consider using that. I will receive a copy of anything posted there.

FIVE SECTIONS, including:
Table Notes of the discussion at this Wednesday night's Salon, as recorded by Ellen
Events and Opportunities
Articles and Letters
Book, Film, Theater, TV, Music, Website Reviews
Tri-State Treasures, compiled by Jim Kesner (currently we cannot receive. Sorry)

Submissions: you must have the email copy to me by Wednesday night midnight. Copy the format you see in this Weekly please. (Times New Roman font, text 14 pt, headlines 20 pt. Maroon for Opportunities and Events, Navy for articles.)

The Wednesday Night Salon has been meeting each week of the year (no break for holidays, weather) since July 2001 in pursuit of good talk. Bring a dish at 5:45 pm and join us. We are usually about 10 people of varied erudition and age. We like to talk politics, environmentalism, social issues, literature, the arts, ad any blamed thing we want. Sometimes we have a special presenter. We emphasize good fellowship and civility always. Way fun! Everyone welcome. 3901 Clifton Avenue 45220.

SECTION ONE: TABLE NOTES

Lauren Mr. G.

Heiko, Boris, Sophia

Julia

At the Table: Mr. G., Lauren Hanisian, Ellen Bierhorst. Julia Yarden, Sophia Yarden. Boris Wolfley. Heiko Stowasser.

Announcements at the table:

next week we will have Gregory Landua... A visiting permaculturist, who will present. See in Announcements section below.

Discussion of donor sperm for lesbian couples to have children.

Mr. G: what if there were a sperm donor whose identity were not known. ... Many states, it is impossible to sign a contract with resepct to an unborn child, e.g. Not obligating a sperm donor to contribute financially to the child. ...
Ellen: there are special safeguards when you use a sperm bank.
(see http://lesbianlife.about.com/od/families/a/DonorInseminate.htm   for legal rammifications of donor sperm. )

Mr. G.:  Good Sam is a catholic hospital. They forbid abortions. ... An acquaintance of mine used to be head of nursing there. We were discussing, What if there is a case where the state law is in
conflict with church dictum, as for instance re. living will and end of life decisions, or abortion to save the mother's life.    ... I like a dilemma.

Julia: I am happy that Imago is hooking us up as one of the Bioneer movement locations. Conference next Oct 15-17 at X.U. See http://bioneers.org
... Seeds of change, heirloom seed company. Blue corn. Alan Kaplur, Kenny Ausable. Gabriel Howearth. Kenny Ausable left Seeds of Change and founded Bioneers. 21 years ago.

~ end of table notes ~

Hugs to all,

Ellen

SECTION TWO: ACTIVITIES, OPPORTUNITIES

Democrats' Day of Action Saturday !
(Worried about right wing? Want to help? This is your opportunity. See you there. Ellen)

Hi Ellen,

This is Theo from the Democratic Coordinated Campaign (DCC) here in Cincinnati. We spoke on the phone last evening. I just wanted to follow-up with the event I began telling you about. We here at the DCC have joined with Organizing for America to help get Democrats, like Governor Ted Strickland and Congressman Steve Driehaus elected in November. On Saturday, June 26, we're having a city-wide day of action, making phone call throughout the day to bring more people into our campaign.

We have four two-hour shifts beginning at 9:30am, noon, 3:00pm, and 6:00pm.

The address for our Westwood office is 3502 Boudinot Ave., 45211.
The address for our Woodlawn office is 10036 Springfield Pike, 45215.
The address for our Pleasant Ridge office is 6109 Webbland Place, 45213. (just NW of Ridge and Montgomery, just off Montgomery Rd.)
The address for our Bond Hill (Jordan's Crossing) office is 7030 Reading Rd., 45237

At Bond Hill, we will only have a shirt at 6:00pm.

Please view the flyer attached to this email and RSVP with Aaron Bly if you plan to attend. We would really appreciate your support helping us with our National Day of Action.

Best,

Theo Takougang

James & Mai Needham: "Walking for Peace"

(James and Mai are an attractive and intelligent couple—see photo above— they look in their late 50's. Apparently they live in Mexico, but have three grown children here in Cinti. They are followers of a Mayan teacher, AcTah, who has some kind of special vision for world peace. I believe they said they will be walking all the way back to their home in Mexico as a demonstration for peace, giving talks all along the way. Ellen.)

The Ceremony at Serpents Mound is Sunday
June 27th 4:30 in the afternoon.

We will be following a program given to us by Actah for activating Serpent Mound. To generate higher frequencies that will have an effect on the people living within hundreds of miles.

This will be done by placing circles within the coils of the Serpent, in which we will have people practicing various musical sounds, meditations, energy techniques, movement, prayer, visualization, healing, etc. It will be opened and closed with Ceremony and should last from 4:30 until 6:30 P.M

This is a great opportunity to contribute to the awakening in your area and the world, and to also experience a Ceremonial Event as it is being done in Mexico. We are aligning with more then 25 cities this same weekend.

Please bring a botttle of drinking water to place in one of the circles along with a plantable plant to take home with you at the end.

There is no charge for this event. However be advised that Serpent Mound has an entrance fee of $ 7.00 per car.

We are excited to meet the people in this area opening their hearts, sharing their truths and love.

Thank you for sharing this email with others.

Much love & Peace,
James and Mai
513 407 5699
marilynneedham@yahoo.com

An Evening with Will Tuttle ~ Sunday, June 27: 7:30-9:30 pm
$5 Suggested Contribution

Dr. Will Tuttle is an award-winning speaker, educator, author, and musician. His music, writings, and presentations focus on creativity, intuition, and compassion. At this event, Dr. Tuttle will discuss his book The World Peace Diet, which has been called one of the most important books of the 21st century: the foundation of a new society based on the truth of the interconnectedness of all life.

The evening will include delicious vegan snacks, a lecture and book signing.

Dr. Tuttle presents about 150 events yearly at conferences, retreats, and progressive churches and centers throughout North America. A former Zen monk with a Ph.D. in education from U.C., Berkeley, he has worked extensively in intuition development, spiritual healing, meditation, music, creativity, vegan living, and cultural evolution.

Event Location: World Peace Yoga
268 Ludlow Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45220

www.worldpeaceyoga.com
513-300-9642

"Venture Altruist" Gregory Landua to present on Permaculture
At Salon next week:

Ellen,
Please allow me to introduce myself,
My name is Gregory Landua. I am a permaculture designer and general nerdowell jackofalltrades.
I am a friend of Braden, and he thought it would be good for us to connect. I am in Cincinnati visiting my partner for a couple weeks, and would love to connect with like minded folk, and potentialy give a presentation or two.
I am the Program Director for the Financial Permaculture Institute, an organization focused on bringing the ethics and principles of ecological design into the conversation around finance, economics and business. It is a super interesting conversation topic, and one on which I can give either visual or simply verbal presentations.
My style is very participatory (no boring lecture) and I like to engage folks using different facilitation techniques.
I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to come and present to the Solon Potluck next Wednesday the 30th of June.
I would be happy to bring over some Chocolate from my fair trade chocolate venture, and chat about Financial Permaculture, participatory community design, and Regenerative Enterprise (all terms to be defined in conversation!)

for more about me check out:
www.gaiaemerging.com (my sometimes blog)
www.facebook.com/landua
www.nemawashi.org (old business site)
www.booyacacao.com (direct trade chocolate venture)
www.financialpermaculture.org (financial permaculture blog)
www.gaiauniversity.org (Revolution Deisquiged as a University of which I am an adviser and alumni )

haha..a barrage to be sure.

Anyway, I look forward to connecting.

P.s. I am a big fan of Alexander Technique!

Gregory Landua
Venture Altruist

CELTIC ROSE Free Concert
(harp and flute music. Gorgeous!)

Hello Dear Friends,
  Three new concerts to tickle your ears and get your Celtic toes a-tapping!
Hope you can join us!

Thanks so much,

Pam Jurgens (Ellen's dear friend, harpist), Rose Reidmiller and Laurie Phenix

     Friday, July 23 8-10 p.m.,
                         Marty's Hops and Vines
                   6110 Hamilton Avenue
                   681-4222

Advertisement: Try the Alexander Technique

FREE Alexander Technique Practice session every Sunday 3:00 – 4 at the Lloyd House. Open to all.

Ellen Bierhorst Ph.D. ~ Alexander Technique ~ http://www.lloydhouse.com ~ 513 221 1289 ~ Cincinnati

I am having a blast here in my first year of teaching the Alexander Technique! Unbelievably, a full calendar since the launch of my practice in late June.   This winter I was having so much demand formy lessons that I had to stop advertising and ask some well-progressing students to drop back to twice a month instead of weekly lessons. Now that spring is finally here I am feeling more energetic and again am daring to reach out to more folks.

    Fantastic fee deal (limited time only): First lesson free; second through 4th lessons only $10. After that, only $40/lesson if you buy a package of 4 at a time, prepaid. *   The "real fee" is $78 per lesson. I am interested in "turning on" as many people as possible to this wonderful learning. Good for pain, for performance improvement in the arts, atheltics, ... And finally, good for personal development. It has definite geriatric benefit as well.

    You can read about my own experiences and find links to other sites here:
http://www.lloydhouse.com

    Call and make an appointment or to discuss it with me. 513 221 1289.
........
* However, it is my commitment to adjust fees for anyone truly wanting lessons who cannot afford even this modest fee. Try it and see. Ellen

From: Ramona Toussaint <Ramona@langsfordcenter.com>
Date: March 15, 2010 11:16:06 AM EDT
To: cs_news@cintishares.org
Subject: International Peace Gathering Event

ANNOUNCING: Hope Springs Institute International Peace Gathering
June 23-27, 2010
Hope Springs Institute, Peebles, Ohio (50 miles east of Cincinnati)

Planting the Seeds of Peace for the Planet! This extraordinary event features four days of learning, play and celebration. We start with a focus on healing - healing collective trauma, healing peace in Northern Ireland and healing the planet. Midweek we learn about action we can take - armed with art, the role of dissent and pilgrims of peace. As we move toward closure, we look at how we step into activism through a whole systems event and the final talk on feminism, activism and waging peace.
Our keynote speakers are—Member Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers Flordemayo, Irish Peace Activist and Musician Kate Fitzpatrick, Atlanta Poet, Playwright and Community Organizer Alice Lovelace, Feminist, Pacifist and Transnational Consultant Alexandra Merrill, President International Trauma Institute Gina Ross, Bangalore, India OD Consultant Bhanumathy Vasudevan and Anti-War Activist Ann Wright. Performance artists—emma's revolution, Minton Sparks, Chauncey Beaty, Mariangela Mihai and MUSE Cincinnati's Women's Choir are also featured.

Peace Gathering website: http://www.hopespringsinstitute.org/peace.html

Peace Gathering blog: http://hopespringspeace.blogspot.com/

Ramona Toussaint
Director of Community Outreach
513.531.7400 x114

Your Child. Our Center.

View parent and student testimonials at:
www.LangsfordLearning.com

Be a Champion of an Individual's Potential.
You can help a child become a successful reader by passing along my contact information.

Upcoming SUMMER Vacancy at the Lloyd House
Third floor two room suite, has own bathroom. Monthly house dues: $460 includes all utilities plus high speed wireless internet. Kitchen shared with two others. Wonderful space! Please call Ellen: (513) 221 1289 Available June 23 to Sept 15.
Must be rock solid financially, over 25, non smoker, homo sapiens only.
Very jolly, juicy multicultural household in Victorian Castle. See www.lloydhouse.com

Joan Friedland, February 6, 1936 to June 20, 2010.

Joan passed away at 8:12 this morning at Hospice of Cincinnati in Blue Ash after surviving many years of breast cancer. Her body is now at Weil Funeral Home in Mason, OH. Thank you for sending her your loving thoughts and healing and restful energies. There are as yet no funeral arrangements. I am sure there will be a memorial and will let you know more as soon as I do.

If you would like to share some of your thoughts about this extraordinary kind person, I will try to make them available. Thanks.

Mary Ann Lederer

513-591-3003

From: Mary Ann Lederer [mailto:maryannl@fuse.net]

ARTICLES AND LETTERS

Summer is such a busy time! More stuff next week. Ellen.

REVIEWS: BOOKS, MUSIC, CONCERTS, RESTAURANTS, WEBSITES ...

Please send me your tips...love to hear what you are reading etc. ellen
......................................

Tri-State Treasures
(having trouble receiving the regular TST. This is a special. Ellen)

Special Tri-State Treasure

East End Veterans' Memorial Garden: Some ideas seem organically perfect. The East End Veterans' Memorial Garden seem to be one of those ideas that, due to the vision & hard work of one of the neighborhood residents, Joe Corcoran, and his affiliation with the Civic Garden Center, has become a reality. The concept: retire houses from the flood plain & reclaim the green space. Create a garden that will draw people from various neighborhoods to grow produce in the heart of Cincinnati's oldest neighborhood near Columbia Tusculum. A place where a man named Joe works tirelessly to reclaim the land, inspire gardeners, bring people together, teach kids and honor veterans.

Ever since Cincinnati made this land available for green space development 6 years ago, Joe and his crew have cleared the honeysuckle, raised the garden beds, planted fruit trees, and built a memorial to Joe's brother and other veterans, past and present. They also built raised beds for the after-school gardening club of nearby Riverside Academy, a Cincinnati Public Elementary School, to teach kids invaluable lessons. They are creating an adjacent park where neighbors - near & far - can gather to exchange produce, stories, recreation and cultures. They are building a brick smoker, open BBQ and pizza/bread oven to meet all the community cooking needs. The Garden grew so much produce last year, they were able to donate 1,000 pounds to the Freestore/Foodbank and East End neighborhood.

So, what's in it for you? Well, you can rent a 10' x 10' plot for $30 to grow your garden. You can work in the dirt, meet interesting people, hop on the bike path 50 meters away, and walk 100 meters to ponder the passing Ohio River and its barges. And you can donate one or more of the following to help Joe, his crew, and the Civic Garden Center to further this vision...
  *    Gardeners (any level of experience)
    *    Well-used pick-up that needs a home & purpose
   *    Lawn mower, weedwacker, chainsaw blades
   *    Help to finish building the smoker, pizza and bread oven
   *    Use of a Bobcat for 1 day
   *    Grant writer
   *    Engineer/architect to design 3 projects:
           *   Band stand gazebo made of natural river stone to be built by Boy Scouts
           *   Electricity-generating prototypes driven by water and bicycle
           *   Solar panels & bio-digester to power garden equipment & to educate students
   *    Signage to highlight the Garden & its work
   *    Funds to support the project and vision
   *    Volunteers to help spread the concept around the city

Looking ahead... Cincinnati's 1st Neighborhood Barbeque Cook-Off (attached poster) will be Saturday 7 August from noon until 11 PM, at the East End Veterans' Memorial Garden, co-hosted by Cincinnati Recreation, Civic Garden Center, Columbia Tusculum Community Council, East End Area Council and Keep Cincinnati Beautiful. Live music, food, beer and multi-cultural entertainment. Cash and prizes for the Best Ribs in Cincinnati. All in the newly-created park, while christening Joe's newly constructed smokers, grill & oven to cook the ribs and accessories. Fresh and barbecued vegetables grown in the garden will compliment the barbecued meats.

The East End Veterans' Memorial Garden is at 247 Strader Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45226. For more info and to volunteer to help create and support the garden, contact the Civic Garden Center @ 513.221.0981 & www.civicgardencenter.org/garden_files/east.htm or Joe @ 513.330.3342.

To unsubscribe from the Weekly, send me an email message and in the subject line put "unsub weekly - #" and in the place of "#" put the numeral (1 - 15) found on this email to you in the subject line after the date.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Weekly 6/10/10 - 12

Most likely will not publish the Weekly next Thursday as I will be in Ann Arbor attending an Alexander Technique conference. See you in two weeks! Ellen (but the Salon goes on as always, 52 weeks a year.)

The Lloyd House Wednesday Night Salon WEEKLY

A Newsletter published every Thursday from the Lloyd House in Cincinnati
Email subscriptions: 623

Our Salon blog is an interactive site: http://lloydhouse.blogspot.com
If you would like to respond, amend, or correct anything in this Newsletter, please consider using that. I will receive a copy of anything posted there.

FIVE SECTIONS, including:
Table Notes of the discussion at this Wednesday night's Salon, as recorded by Ellen
Events and Opportunities
Articles and Letters
Book, Film, Theater, TV, Music, Website Reviews
Tri-State Treasures, compiled by Jim Kesner (currently we cannot receive. Sorry)

Submissions: you must have the email copy to me by Wednesday night midnight. Copy the format you see in this Weekly please. (Times New Roman font, text 14 pt, headlines 20 pt. Maroon for Opportunities and Events, Navy for articles.)

The Wednesday Night Salon has been meeting each week of the year (no break for holidays, weather) since July 2001 in pursuit of good talk. Bring a dish at 5:45 pm and join us. We are usually about 10 people of varied erudition and age. We like to talk politics, environmentalism, social issues, literature, the arts, ad any blamed thing we want. Sometimes we have a special presenter. We emphasize good fellowship and civility always. Way fun! Everyone welcome. 3901 Clifton Avenue 45220.

SECTION ONE: TABLE NOTES

Photo: Viddle, Julia, Byron, Mira, Mr. G., Vlasta, Marilyn

At the Table:Viddle, Byron Moody, Mr. G., Vlastya Molak, Mira Rodwan, Marilyn Gale, Mai Needham, James Needham, Julia Yarden

topics:
Mira: let's talk about the Israelis and Palestinians. I am for a two state solution. There have been stubborn hatred on both sides.
Viddle: it's anti Semitism, pure and simple.
Mira: ... Some Arabs have barely welcomed the Palestinians who are barely living between the Israelis and the Arabs.
Marilyn:  Hamas is a terrorist organization.
Viddle: Hamas is running Gaza.
Mira:  the UN should be engaged in bridging these problems.
Vlasta:  in Spain the Israelis were to participate in an environmentalism conference, and they were mobbed by Arabs and nearly killed. They escaped. ... There needs to be a reformation of Islam, and I think it will come out of the U.S.
Ellen:  I resigned from Farm Fresh Delivery... Seemed not enough produce for my $35; they use fruits from California, Florida. They deliver to your house weekly. See their web page.

Vlasta: there were Black Africans from Darfur who tried to go thru Egypt to Israel because they had heard they would be treated with respect, but they were killed by Egyptian border police.

Yesterday it has been one year off the grid. Now I have solar floor lamps, only $40.

Byron: we've started now officially. 3 minutes. One at a time; I'll call on you.
Mira:  ... My daughter is half Arab and half Jew. I have family on both sides.
Viddle: I was in Israel 1989 for several years and I have personal feelings and knowledge. I was walking by the Kotel, the Western Wall, there was an Arab in a kafia (shawl covering head) and I felt he hated me... I felt strong hatred from him. I was filming. I met with members of the Stern Gang. They were Jewish terrorists fighting against the British before 1948. Frieda, invited me for chicken soup . Another woman, spoke good English, was going to the US. Frieda said, "When you get to America, you tell them 'we should have killed them all, all the Arabs', because that's what they want for us." I concluded the whole thing is baloney. Politics is deceptive. Political leaders should be put away. I am against violence for any reason.

Marilyn: you can be against politics but you have to call a spade a spade. Anti semitism is so rampant it is disgusting. ... The Saudis do not allow Jews in their country, nor women without men. ... This is not a benign situation, and we cannot ignore it. ... In the Holocaust one out of every three Jews in the world were killed .

Ellen:  Have we decided to discuss the middle east? I am not interested in vituperation without new information.

Vlasta  I was in Israel from 71 to 76. Visited my friend in Jerusalem, old city, there were many Arabs around. This one said, "We are going to kill all you Jews and throw you into the sea." He also said, "It doesn't matter if I am killed; only God is great, human beings are nothing.   ... The Palestinians have been banned from settling in most Arab countries. Most Arab countries are dictatorships. They need to divert the animosity of their own masses towards someone, and they use the Palestinian cause for this.
The Palestinians have the highest birth rate in the world, because their stipend from the UN is based on the number of children.

Mira: ... There have been unnecessarily rough military measures against the Palestinians by the Israeli military.

Byron:  Other subjects: the national political scene. Republican women have won elections in CA and SCA. Also I read an article from Blumberg Business Week: during the past year, markets show improvement in the economy. Stocks are up. Commodities up. Currency is up. Mortgage rates. So the markets are "voting" in favor of the president. The Gulf oil spill has overshadowed Obama's work... But his economic stimulus plan is working.
We have to work to keep Obama in the presidency, work and support.

Mr. G.  what's the date of that. (April 8, 2010). ... I have some skepticism. I have lost a lot of money since April 8 because of the market down turn. I know the dollar is up. I have no doubt that Obama is doing a better job than any alternatives.
Did anybody have any information to support Vlasta's claim that the UN pays the Palestinians more for children? (it's welfare for refugee status.) OK I get it.

Marilyn  I read Obama had given permission for more off shore drilling? (yes, but not deep water.)

Vlasta Saturday, charade, the citizens' advisory meeting to discuss city budget. The biggest portion of budget 80% goes to police and fire. They were emphasizing cuts to services rather than jobs creation. There are 20 million in uncollected taxes, and the council doesn't care.
    Two weeks ago they gave up 40 million in tax abatement for the owner of Faye apartments (low income). He is known as a SOB.
    There are all kinds of surplus funds that the council divert to developers. CCDC is like an octopus with tentacles everywhere. They want to move the Drop Inn center to Mt. Airy. CCDC wants to create a story that the bar on the corner at Race and 14th, a Macedonian owns it, is a center for crime. The owner told me he has never had to call the police. It is really a diner, it closes at 5 pm.

Viddle Politics is the art of compromise; and I am opposed to compromise. It accomplishes zero.
The Israelis really hate the Palestinians. I filmed the Israeli forces... An officer said he never killed anybody, but he sees a lot of death in conflict with the Palestinians. ... The Palestinians are being supported financially from oil money ... They are trying to decapitate Israel. Andrew Cort, my nephew had a conversation with a man who said the state of Israel could lift the economy of the entire region, and it isn't happening.
I have given up on politics.

Mr. G: that article on the economy. I hope it is true. However, are the masses of people doing better or just "some markets". For whom is the economy improved.

Mira:  how many think it is possible to have a fair two state solution and for Jerusalem to be shared by Christian, Jews, and Palestinians? (6).

Mai: we are here to see our family in Cinti. And we are Peacewalkers. We are going to be speaking here and many others on our way back to Mexico. I just completed walking 4 months in Haiti, just got back.
We are going to be doing a labyrinth at Serpent Mound. It is based on Orion, the constellation. I seek peace. Our inspiration is from AcTah, the Walking Maya.
Aquarius Cafe on Ludlow, at Unity Church. (see below in Announcements section)
In Haiti, on a square with a huge tent city in front of the police station there is a place where people from all over the world come to do spiritual services. I was next to Israelis and Koreans. People lay down arms and were hugging each other. Having seen that I now believe Anything is possible. Haiti is the pivot point of our world; watch it closely. They have lost everything, but you don't hear grumbling, and much gratitude.
I watched people transform.
I am a retired R.N. I worked in the 70s and 80's in Haiti previously. (See announcement below about James and Mai's talks upcoming. Ellen)
Julia:  about the Israel situation. Remember the peaceful co existence in Spain before 1492.
... Down town I am fighting the vacant building ordinance. They are tearing down properties that could be rehabilitated. There is a class action suit being brought. Attorney Kinney. ... Turns out the city is the biggest slumlord of all.
...

~ end of table notes ~

Hugs to all,

Ellen

SECTION TWO: ACTIVITIES, OPPORTUNITIES

James & Mai Needham: "Walking for Peace"

(James and Mai are an attractive and intelligent couple—see photo above— they look in their late 50's. Apparently they live in Mexico, but have three grown children here in Cinti. They are followers of a Mayan teacher, AcTah, who has some kind of special vision for world peace. I believe they said they will be walking all the way back to their home in Mexico as a demonstration for peace, giving talks all along the way. Ellen.)

Talk, presentation
June 12..........................Cincinnati Yoga School    7 -9 pm    6125 Ridge Road, Pleasant Ridge, Ohio 45213
June 16.........................Unitiy Church 7-9 pm    3581 West Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45239
June 17..........................Aquarius OM Cafe, Clifton 7-9 pm     329 Ludlow Ave. Clifton GasLight District
June 20..........................Earthsave Picnic Begins at 2 pm, we speak second.....Imago Earth Center, 700 Enright Av. Price Hill

Date To be determined, Serpent Mound
End of the month: a large Maya Labyrinth (we are looking for a place for this)

For more info, contact them at marilynneedham@yahoo.com or
513 407 5699

P.S. This just in from Mai:
Thank you Ellen,
Cincinnati is a wonder!
Please let people know that we are looking for places to speak and share regarding 2012 , the Truth ....given to us by a Maya named ACTAH
Have a great day!
Mai

Cool Music Gig, local talent June 13, Sunday
Hello friends--
We never expected we'd be playing Cincinnati's premier Jazz Club (we're not exactly jazz, after all) but we are truly excited about this upcoming benefit for Play It Forward, an organization whose mission we support, yet hope we never need--that of providing aid to Cincinnati musicians in times of need, as with health crises.
Please come out to catch the show and support this most worthy of causes.
Cheers,
Shari
Thanks also for passing this info along to your networks.
Shari Lauter,

Twice Grant recipient, City of Cincinnati Arts Allocation Committee, Music Composition and Performance:
for "Sharing Waterrs: A Videosong Celebrating our Ohio River" and for "The Chakra Cycle" for SATB, crystal glassware, pipe organ, bass, djembe, tambourine

80s minimal synth new romantic electrolushpoptronica
www.perfectjewishcouple.com
www.myspace.com/perfectjewishcouple
Your donation at the door supports PLAY IT FORWARD: "The dedication of musicians to their craft andto the enjoyment of so many sometimes comes at the expense of their financial security and well being, occasionally leaving them in very dire straits. We seek to educate the public about those cases and to create and manage an investment fund whose annual profits will be used to assist
Greater Cincinnati musicians and their families in times of catastrophic need."
www.pifcincy.org
@ THE BLUE WISP on SUNDAY, JUNE 13, 8:30 pm

EarthSave Cincinnati presents

THE NATI GOING NATIVE

to begin our Age of Reconciliation

Speaker: George Hardebeck

of ARCHE (Arts Restoring Culture for Healing Earth)

2pm: vegan potluck dinner

3pm: program

Sunday, June 20th, 2010

Imago Earth Center

700 Enright Ave. (Price Hill)

Please bring a vegan dish to share –

vegetables, fruits, grains, beans, seeds, nuts

(No animal derived ingredients: no dairy, eggs, casein, honey, etc.)

And please bring your own plates, cups, personal and serving utensils

Remember to take home everything you brought that is not compostable

EarthSave educates people about the powerful effects our food

choices have on the environment, our health and all life on Earth,

and encourages a shift toward a healthy plant-based diet.

513-929-2500   http://cincinnati.earthsave.org   cincinnati@earthsave.org

Absolutely Everybody Welcome!
- - - - - - -

CELTIC ROSE Free Concerts
(harp and flute music. Gorgeous!)

Hello Dear Friends,
  Three new concerts to tickle your ears and get your Celtic toes a-tapping!
Hope you can join us!

Thanks so much,

Pam Jurgens (Ellen's dear friend, harpist), Rose Reidmiller and Laurie Phenix

Friday, June 11 8-10 p.m.        Tuesday, June 22 8-8:30p.m.     Friday, July 23 8-10 p.m.,
Marty's Hops and Vines            Music Cafe                             Marty's Hops and Vines
6110 Hamilton Avenue            Fitton Arts Center                    6110 Hamilton Avenue
681-4222                              Hamilton, Ohio                         681-4222

Zumba® Fitness Classes
[Wednesdays @ 6-7PM & Saturdays @ 12:30-1:30PM]: Clifton Cultural Arts Center in the Old Clifton School, 3711 Clifton Avenue @ McAlpin, Cincinnati, OH 45220. The Zumba workout program fuses Latin rhythms & easy-to-follow moves to create a 1-of-a-kind fun dance fitness program. The routines feature interval-training sessions where fast & slow rhythms & resistance training are combined to tone & sculpt your body while burning fat. Ages 12 & up. Wear exercise/comfortable clothes; bring a water bottle & lots of energy; some like to bring a towel. 1st class is free; then $10/class or $80 for 10-classes (pay in class). Instructor is (my friend) Ellen Sorkin. More info about Zumba (see Ellen's profile too) @ http://www.zumba.com

Advertisement: Try the Alexander Technique

FREE Alexander Technique Practice session every Sunday 3:00 – 4 at the Lloyd House. Open to all.

Also, We also have a vacancy now at the Lloyd House
Third floor single room + bathroom. $360/month house dues, all utilities included, high speed wireless internet included. Share kitchen. Many perks. Ellen: 221 1289 No smoking, nobody under age 25.

ARTICLES AND LETTERS

Driehaus explains Health Care Reform benefits applicable now
Brain dysfunction resulting from iPad, cellphone, wireless everything. NY Times
Brown outlines mass transit plans for Ohio
Obama displeases anti-nuclear activists (from Popular Mechanics mag.)
Letters from Weekly readers: from Jane Auer
Vlasta: the Gingham Dress story

Driehaus explains Health Care Reforms Benefits Now

June 10, 2010

Dear ELLEN:

Congress passed landmark health care reform legislation two months ago, and I wanted to take a moment to update you on some of the provisions in the law that will be taking effect soon, and some that are already in place.

The Affordable Care Act prohibited rescission, the practice of insurance companies dropping coverage of patients when they become sick. Originally, this provision was set to take effect six months after the law's enactment, but many insurers around the country are doing the right thing and putting an end to this practice immediately. Without the fear of losing health care coverage, more Americans will have the peace of mind of knowing their health care will be there if they need it.

This summer, seniors who fall into the Medicare Part D "Donut Hole" will see that gap in coverage begin to close. Medicare patients who are paying out of pocket for their pharmaceuticals will receive a $250 rebate. In the years ahead, the Donut Hole will continue to close until it's completely eliminated.

Here are a few other provisions in the health care reform law that will take effect in the next year:

HEALTH CARE REFORMS TAKING EFFECT THIS YEAR
Small Business Tax Credits of up to 35 percent of premiums will be immediately available to businesses with fewer than 25 full-time employees that choose to offer coverage.
Ban on Discrimination Against Children With Pre-Existing Conditions.
Effective September 23, 2010.
Free Preventive Care Under Medicare. Effective January 1, 2011.
Ban On Lifetime Coverage Limits. Effective September 23, 2010.
Ban On Restrictive Annual Coverage Limits Coverage. Effective September 23, 2010.
Ensuring Value For Premium Payments. Requires plans in the individual and small group market to spend 80 percent of premium dollars on medical services, and plans in the large group market to spend 85 percent. Insurers that do not meet these thresholds must provide rebates to policyholders. Effective on January 1, 2011.
Extending Coverage For Young People Up To 26th Birthday Through Parents' Insurance. Effective September 23, 2010.
Increasing Number Of Primary Care Doctors by providing new investment in training programs to increase the number of primary care doctors, nurses, and public health professionals. Effective beginning in fiscal year 2010.

For even more information on the health care reform law, I encourage you to click on the following links:

MORE INFORMATION ON HEALTH CARE REFORM

Healthreform.gov, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' site offering a wide range of information about the recent law and how it will affect you and your family:http://healthreform.gov/

The State of Ohio has created a site showing how provisions of the health reform law will affect Ohio residents: http://healthcarereform.ohio.gov/

AARP offers information on health reform, particularly how it will affect Medicare patients and older Americans. For more information, please visit my website.

The Kaiser Family Foundation has created a calculator to illustrate how costs will change for patients buying insurance on the Exchange. For more information, please visit my website.

The Center for American Progress has a tool for small businesses to calculate their likely tax credit based on the new health care law. For more information, please visit my website.

If you have questions about these provisions or other parts of the health reform law, please do not hesitate to contact my office.

Sincerely,

Steve Driehaus
Member of Congress

Scrambled Brains: price of Instant cyber connectivity

This article reports on the dangers to our nervous system functioning from the deluge of instant electronic stimulation through cell phones and wireless computers (iPad, blackberry, etc.). Special counter measures are needed to detox, in my opinion, such as meditation and the Alexander Technique. Ellen.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/technology/07brain.html?emc=eta1

Mass Transit that Works for Ohioans
From office of Sen. Sherrod Brown, Dem Senator from OH

Cheri, a bus driver from Cincinnati, was laid off two days after Christmas. A single mother, she and her daughter are doing the best they can to get by until the local transit agency receives enough funding to rehire her. Gregory is a transit worker from Cleveland who lost his job in April. At age 56 with two children in college, he too is hoping that he can get his old job back or find another one. Meanwhile, Ohioans from all walks of life who depend on public transportation – the services that Cheri and Gregory provided – are facing fewer options and steeper fares to get to work or find new work.

Cheri and Gregory traveled to Washington a few months ago to share an all too familiar story: with severe budget short-falls, too many Ohio transit agencies have to choose between cutting services, raising fares, or laying-off workers. Over the past year, the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority has seen a 12 percent reduction in services and hundreds of layoffs. In November 2009, the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority announced its first-ever layoff – affecting more than 130 employees.

Regardless of these no-win choices, bus drivers and mechanics worry about losing their jobs; Ohioans who rely on public transit to get to work or school worry about losing the only means of transportation to provide for their family; Ohio's seniors worry about how they will get to the doctor's office or meet other basic needs.

To save and create transit jobs, prevent fare increases, and preserve our mass transit service, I introduced a piece of legislation to ease the financial burden facing Ohio's transit agencies.

Across our nation, states have been hit hard by a recession that drains tax revenues which fund public services ranging from law enforcement to education to public transit. Funding that would normally be available failed to materialize, hitting our transit agencies the hardest. In March, I introduced a bill that would give transit agencies the flexibility they need to use federal funds for operating assistance in addition to making capital improvements.

As it stands, transit agencies can use federal funds to make capital improvements to buy new buses, purchase essential radio equipment, or make important safety upgrades like new tires and brakes, or safer doors and windows. With this bill, transit agencies would also have the flexibility to use federal funds to cover operating expenses – ensuring fares are not increased and routes are not disrupted.

I've heard positive stories from transit authorities around Ohio about the flexibility they were given under the Recovery Act to use up to 10 percent of recovery funds for operating assistance. They've told me that recovery funding helped keep jobs and preserve routes. This bill would provide greater flexibility by enabling transit agencies to set aside from 30-50 percent of their funds for operating assistance.

And just last week, I joined my colleagues to announce the introduction of the Public Transportation Preservation Act of 2010. This legislation would provide emergency funding for Ohio's transit agencies to rehire workers and restore service routes. Ohio's 59 transit systems employ more than 5,200 people and serve large cities and small towns across Ohio, ranking our state 12th in the nation for public transit ridership. With this bill, urban and rural transit systems would receive critical funds to help shore up budgets.

Transit is about jobs and economic opportunity – not only for bus drivers like Cheri or transit workers like Gregory, but for all Ohioans who rely on public transit and who make our communities stronger and more prosperous.

Sincerely,

Sherrod Brown

Salonista Judy Cirillo sends article about Obama's Nuke policy
"Hi Ellen,
I didn't find anything in the fact checking web sites. However i'm attaching an article when I Googled 2011 Defense Budget or some such thing. The subject, naturally is complicated. From what I gather, there may be fewer nukes, but the ones we have will be updated. See what you think. I personally think it stinks! Judy"

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military/missile-defense/nuclear-weapons-funding

Letters
From Jane Auer, our Weekly lurker in Lexington:
(re. Table conversation about rules of order at the table)
"Aw- come on!! Shake hands or hug at the end of the salon. Look each other in the eye before you leave. Try not to call each other 'stupid' ( and I know how absolutely hard that can be) I love the conversation- keep it up!!!" Jane.

Salonista Vlasta Rails Against Council, Chesley, CCCDC
(I cannot vouch for the accuracy of Vlasta's reporting. Ellen)

It is nice of Chesley to pitch in $135,000 for keeping pools open,
since it is a pocket change for him, and the kids and adults (who
don't have money to belong to YMCA or JCC) need a place to cool off.
Mr. Chesley probably made more than that from the Hamilton County,
for trying to change the bad contract with Mr. Brown, in which the
County keeps losing money, and now wants to plug the hole with
increasing taxes, rather then going after those rich cats who had
caused the problem in the first place with the help of Mr. Bedinghouse
(Brown, Castelini and Lindner).

Also, since the County Prosecutor moonlights for Chesley, while
employing the attorney who successfully defended Brown from the County
(represented by Chesley), Mr. Chesley may make the Council and the
Mayor ashamed of their continuing fleecing the poor in order to enrich
the rich ;-)!

When I went to CRC to renew my membership ($10/year for use of all CRC
facilities except Dunham center) and they told me that it would take
$250,000 to keep the 10 pools that are scheduled for axing open. They
also told me that all the 27 pools out of 37 pools will be open only
till July 31.   It would take additional $250,000 to extend ALL pools
till Labor Day. The pools used to be open from Memorial Day to Labor
Day, until the city managers started cost cutting measure on the backs
of services for the poor.

Also, currently the pools are poorly funded, which had decreased the
attendance in some of them.   For example the OTR indoor pool has not
been heated and does not have warm water to shower after swimming, so
that most times it stayed empty since only polar bears (like me) would
dare to face cold water in the pool and cold shower afterward.   I
think that the City Manager did it on purpose to discourage kids and
adults living in poor neighborhoods to use those pools, so that he can
justify closing them.    Also, a new community center in Hartwell does
not have indoor changing room and showers, in addition that the times
for swimming are limited in all pools, so that working people cannot
swim laps early in the morning or in the evening.

Restoring funding to CRC in order that ALL 37 swimming pools in the
City can be open from Memorial Day till Labor Day (as they used to be)
will cost less than $500,000, which is a tiny fraction of what the
City keeps doling out to 3CDC and other developers for building
garages, which it opposite of green (except the money green).

When they again have riots in the inner city, because the Mayor and
the Council keep fleecing working poor who still live in the City, in
order to enrich the rich sport team owners, their bankers and their
lawyers, using the incompetent ignorant and arrogant guys from 3CDC
(who know how to play money games), they should not be surprised.
Then they will have to hire more police, and build a new jail, which
will cost MUCH MUCH more than half a million dollars! Keeping the
pools open can create jobs for inner city teenagers, who could be
trained to be lifeguards and helpers, in addition to providing place
for community gathering, as it used to be before the 3 CDC got their
octopus tentacles all over the City (and the County) sucking life out
of the City poor in their grand gentrification scheme to turn Downtown
into an entertainment district for the rich. The Fountain Square,
which needed only garage fixing (my architect could have done it for
$3 million dollars) cost the city $4 MILLION in addition to giving the
permitting rights and collection of garage fees (~$2 million/year) to
3CDC.

Now 3CDC wants to build another garage (at the cost of $46 millions),
by cutting mature trees in Washington park, which used to be a
cemetery in early 1800, when cholera came to Cincinnati. In
coordinated effort to displace the Drop Inn Center (which is not any
more a "drop in", since only registered users can sleep there), 3 CDC
had spread its tentacles to the County. Apparently they want to move
the poor from the Washington Park area (where they may offend the
delicate senses of their rich friends attending Music Hall and SPCA,
which was build against the wishes of CPS and is too small for their
needs).   The CEO of 3CDC makes $300,000

Games and bread was the end of Roman Empire, and soup kitchens and
games for the rich may be the end of the City of Cincinnati.   As John
the Baptist said: Repent ye, the Council and the Mayor and start
working for the PEOPLE rather then your rich friends, before it is too
late ;-)!.

VM
............................
You may have heard this story before, but it is always a good reminder that one should look behind the suits when deciding about credibility of a person. Stanford University is a result of a mistake by the President of Harvard University to look behind the gingham dress and modest appearance of Leland Stanford who wanted to donate a building to Harvard in memory of their son who died while a student there.

In Cincinnati City Council, apparently this is not a case, since business attire gets attention and money for their ill-conceived poorly designed and expensive projects, like the ones by 3CDC.   The Council publicly admires the expensive suits of 3CDC staff, payed for by the Cincinnati taxpayers. If the Mayor and the Council stop doling money to 3CDC, they would go out of business on the free market of ideas and projects, since they are incompetent and 10-15 TIMES more expensive than companies who do similar business in the area.   The 3CDC doles out millions of the taxpayers money to out of town corporations (like those friends of Mr, Castellini from Atlanta for the Banks, or 21C, friends of City Manger for Metropol gentrification, Towne Properties...Mr. Bortz's corporation for many projects etc.)   Thus the taxpayers money goes to out of town people, who are further degrading the City infrastructure and kicking the people out of Downtown and OTR.

Who knows, maybe a new university will result from the Cincinnati Mayor and the Council refusal of a good thing, becaue they judge people by their clothes ;-)?

VM

The Gingham Dress

A lady in a faded gingham dress and her husband, dressed in a homespun threadbare suit, stepped off the train in Boston, and walked timidly without an appointment into the Harvard University President's outer office.The secretary could tell in a moment that such backwoods, country hicks had no business at Harvard & probably didn't even deserve to be in Cambridge.

"We'd like to see the president," the man said softly. "He will be busy all day," the secretary snapped. "We will wait," the lady replied.

     For hours the secretary ignored them, hoping that the couple would finally become discouraged and go away. They didn't, and the secretary grew frustrated and finally decided to disturb the president, even though it was a chore she always regretted.

"Maybe if you see them for a few minutes, they'll leave," she said to him! He sighed in exasperation and nodded. Someone of his importance obviously didn't have the time to spend with them, and he detested gingham dresses and homespun suits cluttering up his outer office.

The president, stern faced and with dignity, strutted toward the couple. The lady told him, "We had a son who attended Harvard for one year. He loved Harvard. He was happy here. But about a year ago, he was accidentally killed. My husband and I would like to erect a memorial to him, somewhere on campus." The president wasn't touched. He was shocked.

"Madam," he said, gruffly, "we can't put up a statue for every person who attended Harvard and died. If we did, this place would look like a cemetery." "Oh, no," the lady explained quickly. "We don't want to erect a statue. We thought we would like to give a building to Harvard."

The president rolled his eyes. He glanced at the gingham dress and homespun suit, then exclaimed, "A building! Do you have any earthly idea how much a building costs? We have over seven and a half million dollars in the physical buildings here at Harvard."   For a moment the lady was silent.

  The president was pleased. Maybe he could get rid of them now. The lady turned to her husband and said quietly, "Is that all it cost to start a university? Why don't we just start our own?" Her husband nodded. The president's face wilted in confusion and bewilderment.

  Mr. and Mrs. Leland Stanford got up and walked away, traveling to Palo Alto, California where they established the university that bears their name, Stanford University, a memorial to a son that Harvard no longer cared about.

  You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat those who they think can do nothing for them.

A TRUE STORY By Malcolm Forbes

--
Dr. Vlasta Molak, President & CEO
GAIA Foundation Inc.
8987 Cotillion Drive
Cincinnati, Ohio 45231
USA
Telephone 513/252-9702
Email: drmolak@gmail.com
Website: http://www.gaiafoundation.net and www.ccas.ru/cito/gaia

REVIEWS: BOOKS, MUSIC, CONCERTS, RESTAURANTS, WEBSITES ...

Please send me your tips...love to hear what you are reading etc. ellen
......................................

Tri-State Treasures
(not received again this week.)
Special Tri-State Treasures

"It's a Secret"
An Adventure

Approaching their first anniversary, Sandy Kesner and Sasha Hart have been secretly creating evenings of sumptuous food and stimulating conversation for small dinner parties to entertain 6-8 guests of diverse backgrounds. They have created an underground restaurant called It's A Secret.

<Sandy & Sasha tst.jpg>As a general rule, underground restaurants are informal, unlicensed eating establishments operating out of private homes. Adventures in fine dining are offered at a modest cost amidst food lovers. Underground restaurants are beginning to appear around the world.

Sasha and Sandy are interested in the farm-to-table movement, and the interaction and creativity between each other as chefs. They strive to create a unique dining experience for their guests and also bring different people together for the first time. This combination is a great recipe for a very special evening. The evening begins at 7 pm, leisurely progressing with a cocktail, then making its way to the table at 8 pm. The dinner opens with an amuse-bouche to tantalize the eye and palate before proceeding with the next three courses, all paired with exceptional wines.

The location alternates between Sasha's and Sandy's homes. They serve dinners quarterly, and the season dictates their menu selections. Their next dinner is July 11th, 2010, followed by dinners in October 2010 and January 2011. They accept a $45 donation per person for the evening. To learn more about It's A Secret or to make reservations, contact Sandy @ 513.533.0637 &skesner@nuvox.net or Sasha @ 513.861.0666 & sashahartdance@aol.com.