Whistleblowers & Surveillance
Forum
at The Commons
Washington Square Park
April 26th
Full Disclosure Event
at
Judson Memorial Church
Prospect Park
April 27th
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
PERSONAL NEWS
#231
April 1st, I enjoyed a delightful dinner at
Pongsri Thai restaurant with Debbie S and Deanna.
April 2nd and 3rd, I had to work OT
at the office with an Associate Director on a deadline Excel project, plus an
InterAction assignment.
Apri 4th, I joined friends of mine out at
Citifield to see the NY Mets play against the Cincinnati Reds. Weather was chilly, misty, foggy and
windy. Those that attended persevere and
the Mets won 4 to 3. I left around 7th
inning with Deanna, as we were cold, even with 4 layers of tops, scarves,
etc. Despite the inclement weather, we
had a good time.
April 5th, I joined other BFP members to hand
out flyers for the April 12th Peace Rally and March at Grand Army
Plaza. Afterwards went into the office
to do some work and then home to relax.
April 6th, I had a much needed appt / therapy
with Dr Tan in Chinatown. Afterwards I
headed back home to do chores around the apt.
Then back into Manhattan to do photography around Bryant Park before
going to a friend’s birthday dinner party at Sammy’s on 6th Avenue.
April 7th, I had a private yoga class with
Fabrice and Shiva.
April 8th, I attended the monthly BFP Fund/PF
committee meeting at Ken’s home. It was
productive and detailed.
On April 10th, at work, I learned that I
passed the final exam of the five with flying colors.
April 11th, I had a private yoga class with
Fabrice and Shiva.
April 12th, after doing errands and Dana
cleaning my apt, I headed down to Grand Army Plaza for the BFP Peace Rally
& March. It was a beautiful, sunny,
warm spring day for this event.
Afterwards, I headed over to Brooklyn Heights for a leisurely lunch,
stroll along the Promenade, and taking photos around this wonderful
neighborhood.
April 13th, I had to work 4 to 5 hours at the
office, as it’s near the tail end of “tax season”.
April 15th, I attended the monthly BFP A&C
committee meeting. Two new people [ie:
Terri and John] joined our committee, which is great, and learned that a BFP
board member [Tom M] also wants to join.
Awesome news!
April 17th, I had a private yoga class with
Fabrice and Shiva.
April 18th to 21st – I visited with
the parents, brother and sister-in-law in upstate NY. I watched the following movies on the parent’s
cable TV … Speed, Doctor Zhivago, and Easter Parade. I helped with yard work, hair salon visit,
shopping, photography, etc. On Easter
Sunday I drove over to VT in the afternoon to visit Manchester, Arlington and
the West Mountain Inn.
April 21st, upon arriving back into NYC, I
went home first to take care of chores before heading off to the “ICU: Snowden
Surveillance You Me” forum at The Commons.
This forum was hosted by BFP and WCW.
The forum was a success with a turnout of 35 to 40 people. The excellent panel of speakers at the forum
comprised of Debra Sweet [WCW], Carl Dix [Stop Mass Incarceration Network] and
Faiza Ali [Arab American Assoc of NY].
April 25th, I had a private yoga class with
Fabrice and Shiva. Also, my friend
Cielito is visiting NYC from Seattle, and spent the night. My sofa bed in the living room comes in handy
when friends visit me.
April 26th, after a much need treatment at my
acupuncturist office, I headed up to Judson Memorial Church at Washington
Square Park for the “Full Disclosure” event.
This event was mainly hosted by “Veterans for Peace” and regarding
honest commemoration of the American War5 in Vietnam. I was assisting BFP with tabling at this
fascinating event.
April 27th, I spent the afternoon strolling
through Prospect Park and taking lots of photos. Afterwards, I headed into Park Slope to have
vegan dessert and tea at The Cocoa Bar.
April 28th, I had a private yoga class with
Fabrice and Shiva.
Friday, April 25, 2014
LATEST
IN THE NEWS
Sexual
Advances That Aren’t Welcome are Harassment, Not ‘Sexual Liberation’
Alyssa
Figueroa, AlterNet
The
Rot of Wall Street Stints All the Way to the Bank
Jim
Hightower, AlterNet
How
the World’s Only Superpower is Vulnerable to Catastrophe
Emanuel
Pastreich and John Feffer, The Nation
Paying
for America’s War Machine is a Terrible Waste of Tax Money
Lisa
Savage, AlterNet
It’s
time to redirect our resources to meet human needs. It’s time to bring the war dollars home.
What
Made the Chicago Teachers’ Strike a Success?
Their Commitment to the Community
Emily
Wilson, AlterNet
Yet
Another Reason to Hate SCOTUS: It’s Made It Easier for Payday Lenders to Prey
on the Poor
Kathleen
Geier, Washington Monthly
How
the Obscenely Wealthy are Strangling Our Democracy
Steven
Rosenfeld, AlterNet
http://www.alternet.org/economy/how-obscenely-wealthy-are-strangling-our-democracy?akid=11740.9992.KYjnnu&rd=1&src=newsletter984467&t=15
Thursday, April 24, 2014
IN
THE NEWS
Why
the United States is Destroying its Education System
Chris
Hedges, Truthdig.com
A nation that destroys its systems of
education, degrades its public information, guts its public libraries and turns
its airwaves into vehicles for cheap, mindless amusement becomes deaf, dumb and
blind. It prizes test scores above critical thinking and literacy. It
celebrates rote vocational training and the singular, amoral skill of making
money. It churns out stunted human products, lacking the capacity and
vocabulary to challenge the assumptions and structures of the corporate state.
It funnels them into a caste system of drones and systems managers. It
transforms a democratic state into a feudal system of corporate masters and
serfs.
Its
Not Russia that is Destabilizing Ukraine
Sergei
Lavrov, The Guardian
NYC
Parents vs. Wall Street-Backed Charter Schools
Lauren
McCauley, Common Dreams staff writer
Governor
Cuomo and charter lobby ‘strong-arming’ bid to evict special needs students in
favor of charter expansion.
Eliminate
All Nuclear Weapons
Noam
Chomsky – Peace Action Blog
Naomi Klein: Why US
Fracking Companies Are Licking Their Lips Over Ukraine
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2014/04/10-7
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2014/04/10-7
US Has Littered Afghanistan With War's
Deadly Garbage
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2014/04/10-0
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2014/04/10-0
Senator King
Joins Republicans to Block Equal Pay Act
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2014/04/10-3
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2014/04/10-3
Leaked Report: CIA Lied, Lied, Lied to
Conceal 'Brutal' Torture
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2014/04/11-3
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2014/04/11-3
War on Terror's
Trickle Down Effect: The FBI's Military Evolution Exposed
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2014/04/11-4
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2014/04/11-4
Findings That Fracking
Causing Quaking Leads to Drilling Shutdown in Ohio
Wednesday, April 09, 2014
Thursday, April 03, 2014
IN
THE NEWS
Neil
deGrasse Tyson Under Attack from Christians Who Want More Biblical Creationism
on His Show
Amanda
Marcotte, AlterNet
http://www.alternet.org/belief/neil-degrasse-tyson-under-attack-christians-who-want-more-biblical-creationism-his-show?akid=11670.9992.ADy7vF&rd=1&src=newsletter978066&t=4
5
Things Conservatives Lie Shamelessly About
Amanda
Marcotte, AlterNet
Conservatives
have figured out a neat little rhetorical trick: tell lies so fast your
opponents can’t keep up.
The
Supreme Court Just Destroyed Our Democracy in Favor of the Plutocrats
Calvin
F. Exoo, Christian Exoo
John Nichols: With
McCutcheon Ruling, An Activist Court Opts for Full-On Plutocracy
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2014/04/02-7
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2014/04/02-7
6
Ways America is in Desperate need of a Big Fix
Jim
Hightower, AlterNet
In 'Blow to
Democracy,' SCOTUS Strikes Down Campaign Contribution Limits
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2014/04/02-0
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2014/04/02-0
Michelle Chen: $2.13
an Hour? Why The Tipped Minimum Wage Has to Go
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2014/04/02-1
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2014/04/02-1
Senator Bernie
Sanders: Supreme Court Voids Campaign Spending Limits
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2014/04/02-4
http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2014/04/02-4
Tuesday, April 01, 2014
PERSONAL NEWS
#230
On March 1st, I hosted the first annual
retreat for BFP A&C committee at my humble abode. It was a productive retreat with much
accomplished. That evening I went to see
“Hobo Grunt Cycle” again, and stayed afterwards to hear the speaker panel. This panel consisted of three speakers from
“Veterans for Peace” organization, plus a terrific Q&A. Got a ride home afterwards from Charlotte and
Oliver.
March 2nd, I had a much needed acupuncture
treatment appt with Dr Tan.
March 3rd, I had a private yoga session with
Fabrice and Shiva.
March 4th, I participated in an urgent BFP
board member conf call regarding the Ukraine crisis.
March 5th, I had a much needed chiropractor
treatment appt.
March 6th, I attended the monthly BFP board
members meeting at The Commons. I also
finished reading a terrific book by Juliet Nicolson called “The Great
Silence”. The book is about England
after the shadow of the First World War to the dawn of the Jazz Age. I highly recommend it.
March 8th, after a productive morning of
errands and chores, I went to get a much needed manicure / pedicure. That evening I went to Dixon Place [lower
Eastside] to hear Capt Paul Chappell speak after the “Hobo Grunt Cycle”
performance. His talk was regarding
racism, peace, women’s movement, war and his thoughts on the evening’s performance. Before and after Capt Paul’s “talk” I was
able to chat with him on a few topics.
He remembered me from BFPs Peace Fair in 2012 and my fascination with
WW1. Afterwards, Veronica and I hung out
at the Dixon Place bar to chat with a few people who’d seen the show / talk.
March 9th, I had a private yoga session with
Fabrice and Shiva.
March 10th, I had a private yoga session with
Fabrice and Shiva.
March 11th, I attended the productive monthly
BFP Fund / PF committee meeting at Ken’s home.
March 13th, I attended the lecture … Why Peace is Possible: Exploring the Anatomy of Violence and
War by Paul K. Chappell [Peace Leadership
Director, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation] at Soka Gakkai Buddhist temple down in
Union Square.
On March 14th, after
work, I went to Dixon Place on lower Eastside to hear a Buddhist monk [Claude
AnShin Thomas] speak with honesty from his experiences about how to live a life
of peace after the Hobo Grunt Cycle show
On March 15th, after
Dana did cleaning of my apt in the morning, I took car service down to Crown
Heights in Brooklyn to visit with a friend.
Jackie was showing me how to utilize PowerPoint 2010, plus we had lunch
and caught up on news.
On March 16th, after
doing laundry, I headed into Manhattan and the office to meet up with an
acquaintance that helped me with more PowerPoint training. All this training is for an exam on March 28th,
which I have to pass to keep my job. In
the evening, I had a private yoga class with Fabrice and Shiva.
On March 17th, I had an appt with my lung
doctor, and the wait was 2 hours. I
didn’t get out of there until after 8pm.
UGH!!
March 18th, I participated in a productive,
informative BFP A&C committee conference call.
March 21st, I had a private yoga class with
Fabrice and Shiva.
March 23rd, at 5am, I was at NY Methodist
hospital ER regarding my lung and bronchial tube situation, which started on
Saturday. At least my lung condition has
been stable for 2.3 years, which is a huge relief, but the bronchial tubes are
an issue. On meds and took it easy all
weekend, which meant I had to miss participating in TRD L
March 24th, I took a sick day from work, and
had an appt with my lung specialist. We
had a lengthy discussion regarding my lungs and bronchial tubes. Situation may arise were I’ll need surgery on
the Bronchial Tubes to address the rupturing of blood. Will also discuss with my acupuncturist, and
get a second opinion from another lung specialist.
March 28th, I had to retake the PPT exam at
work. That evening I had a private yoga
class with Fabrice and Shiva.
March 29th, I traveled via MetroNorth up to
Brewster with Carol and Kevin to attend the NydoPeace reunion at Karen’s home. Those in attendance were Karen, Liz, Joe,
Kevin, Carol, me and Marianne joined us via Skype [photo below]. It was a delightful afternoon J
On March 30th, I hung out with my friend
Margaret, and went to see the film “The Grand Budapest Hotel”. It was a fun, entertaining film by Wes
Anderson. Afterwards, I had a private
yoga class with Fabrice and Shiva.
March 31st, I attended a forum in Ft Greene area of Brooklyn on
"What's at Stake in the Middle East". The speakers were Zachary
Lockman, Maya Mikdashi and David Wildman. The discussion centered on women's
rights, religious tolerance, refugees, politics, history, human rights and
threats of nuclear war.