Sherlockian
Event & Fundraiser
at
The Way Station
Margaret & I
Chillin at
The Way Station
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Monday, July 01, 2013
PERSONAL NEWS No.221
June 2nd, I attended my second Qigong class at Greenpoint Yoga.
June 6th,
I attended the monthly BFP board meeting at The Commons.
June 7th,
I had my weekly private yoga class with Fabrice at Greenpoint Yoga.
June 8th
and 9th, I attended the annual Left Forum at Pace University. The highlight for me was seeing and hearing
Noam Chomsky speak on many important topics.
Also ran into acquaintances and attended several workshops.
June 9th,
did a mini photo adventure in Brooklyn Heights, had dinner at Heights Café and
then waited 1.5 hours for the East River ferry to take me home. Good thing it was a nice, sunny, warm day.
June 10th,
I attended an urgent BFP A&C conference call regarding the panel event we
are hosting on the 13th.
Productive call and much resolved.
June 11th,
I volunteered at the WCW national office to assist with computer work.
June 12th,
I attended the monthly BFP Fundraising/PF meeting. The discussion centered on planning and
organizing for the October event.
June 13th,
as part of the BFP A&C committee, we proudly hosted a panel discussion at
The Common’s called “Arts and Activism”.
Despite the weather the turnout was roughly 25+ attendees. Lots of great dialogue, networking, hip-hop
music, etc.
June 14th,
I had my weekly private yoga class with Fabrice at Greenpoint Yoga.
June 15th,
after Dana cleaned my apt, I went to get a much needed manicure and then jumped
on the East River Ferry to Governors Island.
Lots going on at Governors Island this weekend … start off with the
1920s themed “Jazz Age Lawn Party” … which was cool to observe. Many were dressed in period attire and the
music was cool. I checked out Figment
event, which was okay, and then a compost/chicken farm. Headed back to my hood on the ferry boat and
then went to get a much needed pedicure J
June 16th,
I volunteered to assist with BFP tabling at the annual Seventh Heaven Street Fair in Park Slope from 12-6pm. The weather held up nicely so that Eric,
Jane, Melissa, Veronica, Vicky, Eleanor and I could connect with those
attending the fair. I also ran into Josh
Skaller, who ran for New York City Council back in 2009. I did volunteer work on that campaign and
know Josh through CBID.
June 18th,
I attended the monthly BFP A&C committee meeting. Afterwards, I thought I was
taking the G subway home. Instead, it got halfway there and stopped at
Bedford/Nordstrom stop. We had to leave the subway station, as no trains were
running due to someone at another stop committing suicide. Sigh! I travel by car service to northern Brooklyn
with another nice subway passenger.
Once home I relaxed with my new book, "Inferno" by Dan Brown,
and read until 1am.
June 19th, I attended the opening evening
reception at my office for the “Beyond Our Work Life – 4th Annual
Art Exhibit”. I am one of forty
“artists” whose work was on display at the reception, and it’ll also be on
exhibit throughout June 20th and 21st.
June 20th,
I had an appt with Dr Tan for acupuncture treatment and herbs. Apparently I have a very mild case of Strep
throat. No wonder my voice sounded
terrible for a week and coughing up my lungs.
Sigh!
June 21st,
I met up with my friend Dennis after work and we had sushi for dinner down in
the East Village.
June 23rd,
I headed upstate on MetroNorth to visit with my good friend Katherine, take her
out for a belated birthday lunch, catch up on news and just hang out.
June 24th,
I had my weekly private yoga class with Fabrice at the yoga center.
June 27th,
I had a lunch meeting with Bob Baskin [Peace Alliance] and Liz Gannon Graydon
to discuss the peace movement, NYdoPeace, etc.
After work, I attended the monthly CBID [Central Brooklyn Independent
Democrats] meeting in Park Slope, and we heard several NYC candidates [ie: Jim
Brennan and Carlos Menchaca] speak. [NYS Democrat primary is Sept 15.]
June 28th,
was a crazy work day with end of EY13 fiscal year work to be completed, and
then handing in laptop for a serious upgrade.
Afterwards, I went out for a delightful, leisurely dinner [ie: Jack’s] with
my friend Liz Gannon Graydon to catch up on a lot of news.
June 29th,
started off with abit of a rough start, health wise, and then things improved
enough so I could enjoy spending time with my friend Sam. We did a mini photography adventure around my
hood, and then had a tasty dinner at Sakura.
June 30th,
I had my weekly private yoga class with Fabrice at the yoga center; afterwards
I headed into Manhattan for some appts.
One of which was seeing Dr Tan for more herbs.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
IN
THE NEWS
Protests
around the World are keeping the Spirit of Occupy Alive
John
Harris, The Guardian
Documents
Show IRS Also Screened Liberal Groups
Alan
Fram, The Big Story
5
Ways the U.S. Government Has Built ‘An Architecture of Oppression’
Tom
Hintze, AlterNet
Obama
Uses Major Climate Speech to Cheerland for Natural Gas Industry; Keystone XL
Fate Still Undecided
Tara
Lohan, AlterNet
Hours
Before Death, Hastings Claimed the FBI was on His Tail
Critics: Obama's Plan
Fails Urgency Climate Crisis Demands
Supreme Court Puts 'Dagger in the
Heart' of Voting Rights Act
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/06/25-2
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/06/25-2
Study: Drinking
Water Contamination Linked to Fracking, Horizontal Drilling
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/06/25-4
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/06/25-4
Jeremy Scahill: Is Journalism Being Criminalized?
http://www.commondreams.org/video/2013/06/25-1
http://www.commondreams.org/video/2013/06/25-1
Elizabeth
Warren on Trans-Pacific Partnership: If
People Knew What was Going on, They Would Stop It
Eric
Dolan, The Raw Story
How
Giving Spying Power to Giant Corporations is Dangerous to Your Future
Joshua
Holland, AlterNet
How
the Transition Movement is Spreading to Towns Across America
Jessica
Stites, In These Times
Thursday, June 13, 2013
IN
THE NEWS
The
Absurdity of Calling Edward Snowden a Traitor
Ed
Kilgore, Washington Monthly Political Animal
The
Shocking Amount of Wealth and Power Held by 0.001% of the World Population
Andrew
Gavin Marshall, Occupy.com’s Global Power Project
“You’re
Being Watched” – Edward Snowden Emerges as Source Behind Explosive Revelations
of NSA Spying
Democracy
Now!
The
trouble with Bread – What I Discovered When I tried to Get to the Bottom of My
Gluten Intolerance
Maggie
Beidelman, AlterNet
American
break is processed in a way that may be making us sick.
http://www.alternet.org/food/gluten-intolerance?akid=10533.9992.bhCT7L&rd=1&src=newsletter851605&t=5
Ronald
Reagan’s Secret, Genocidal Wars
Noam
Chomsky, AlterNet
Reagan
waged a murderous assault on Central America.
Naomi Klein: 'Anti-Shock Doctrines' Show the Way to Resist
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/06/06-4
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/06/06-4
Scientists Find Holes in Monsanto GM Wheat Denial
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/06/06-1
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/06/06-1
'Justice Not Done': Afghans Decry Sentencing for Murderous US
Soldier
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/06/06-0
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/06/06-0
Surveillance
Program Got You Yawning? Here’s Why You
Should Worry
Josh
Dzieza, The Daily Beast
It’s
High Time We Abolished the Department of Homeland Security
Thom
Hartmann, AlterNet
7
Ways Obamacare’s Surrender to Hospital and Big Pharma Profits May End Up Coming
Out of Our Wallets
Karen
Higgins, AlterNet
Cop
Shot Litter of Kittens in Front of Screaming Children
Kristen
Gwynne, AlterNet
Sick:
Rhode Island Vocational School Pushed Disabled Students into Sweatshop Labor
Kristen
Gwynne, AlterNet
Wednesday, June 05, 2013
IN THE NEWS
Are We on the
Verge of Total Self-Destruction?
Noam Chomsky,
TomDispatch
For the first time
in the history of the human species, we have clearly developed the capacity to
destroy ourselves.
Monsanto Mystery
Wheat Appears in Oregon, No One Knows Why
Alex Kane,
AlterNet
Former Pro-GMO
Scientist Speaks Out on the Real Dangers of Genetically Engineered Food
Fritz Kreiss,
Occupy Monsanto
Obama’s Arctic
Strategy Sets Off a Climate Time Bomb
Nafeez Ahmed,
EarthInsight, The Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/earth-insight/2013/may/17/obama-arctic-energy-security-climate
Wall Street’s
Climate Finance Bonanza
Janet Redman and Antonio Tricarico
Has There Been a
Great Progressive Reversal? How the Left
Abandoned Cheap Electricity
Michael
Shellenberger and Ted Nordhaus, AlterNet
Monday, June 03, 2013
PERSONAL NEWS #220
May 2nd, I attended the open community meeting regarding “New/Old Faces
of War and Crises at Home”. Topics of
discussion were … Can we effectively integrate our
work on the continuing wars, militarized foreign and domestic policy, climate
change, and the economic crisis here at home?
**Budget cuts? Sequester? Drones? Fracking? Pipelines? Occupied
Territories? War in Afghanistan? Gun violence?
Can organizing around these multiple issues help us build a peace and
justice movement? This event was held at
The Commons and hosted by BFP in place of the usual monthly board meeting.
On May 4th, my friend Sheila came into Manhattan
from NJ for a visit, and we hung out down in the Greenwich Village area. Nice, sunny day though abit breezy. After Sheila headed home, I went to visit
Wendy at the theater for a “fitting” of latest ensemble.
On May 5th, I had the weekly private yoga class
with Fabrice, and then it was off to Manhattan for appt with Dr Tan. Afterwards, I visited Wendy for fittings of
latest ensemble.
On May 6th, I visited Wendy at the costume shop
for final fitting of the fancy robes I will be wearing during the fashion
showcase at Misti-con. After work I had
a much needed appt with my chiropractor.
May 7th, I picked up the fancy robes from Wendy at
costume shop. Robes are abit heavy, lots
of moiré fabric and they drape, swirl real nice.
May 9th thru 13th, I attended my first
ever Harry Potter convention in Laconia, NH.
It was called Misti-Con and it was a lot of fun. I attended many workshops, chill with friends;
participate in the Fashion Showcase, masquerade ball, Gala Opening Ceremony and
so much more. Upon returning home I was
ill with sinus/lung infections from the crazy hours, not always eating healthy
and weather conditions.
May 15th, I stopped by to see Deanna after work
and paid her back money I borrowed during Misti-Con weekend. An ex-TGTSNBN member [Wendy] was visiting
her.
May 17th, I left work abit early, so I could see
Dr Tan about my health issues. No
acupuncture treatment, but was given herbs and told to take them twice a day
and come back for treatment on Monday.
He said not only do I have allergy issues, due to high pollen count, but
also sinus / lung infection.
May 19th, I had the weekly private yoga class with
Fabrice and we took slowly due to my health concerns.
May 20th, I had a follow up appt with Dr Tan after
work for treatment and more herbs.
May 25th to 28th, visit with the
parents in upstate NY for the Memorial Day holiday weekend.
May 30th, I attended the monthly BFP A&C
committee meeting and it was very productive.
Plus, we welcomed two new people [ie: Judith and Susan] to the team.
May 31st, I had an appt with Dr Tan, and
afterwards my weekly private yoga class with Fabrice.
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Thursday, May 16, 2013
NY Times Guantanamo Ad / World Can't Wait
Since February, prisoners at Guantanamo have been on hunger strike. World Can't Wait has been pondering hard on what more we can do to create a political situation where Obama has to back down, release at least a few of the men at Guantanamo, and be forced into closing the prison. All of our frequent protests, petitions, call-ins, editorials and op-eds are part of what's needed.
The major missing ingredient in this moment, though, is the collective voices of artists, intellectuals, politicians, religious and cultural figures who are respected and beloved for being voices of conscience, speaking as one to demand that the torture of Guantanamo be ended. *It's time and past time, as we reach 100 days of the prisoners' hunger strike*, that we provide a way for them to speak out together, and for that message to be seen.
Dennis Loo of Cal Poly Pomona has drafted a message planned as a full page ad in /The New York Times/ http://www.worldcantwait.net/index.php/calls-to-action/8236-world-can-t-wait-to-place-new-ad-against-guantanamo-in-the-new-york-times which could serve as such a vehicle.
It has been signed by over 900 people in the past week, including John Cusack, Wallace Shawn, Junot Diaz, Noam Chomsky, Daniel Ellsberg, Eve Ensler, Dave Eggers, Glenn Greenwald, Paul Haggis, Bianca Jagger, Ariel Dorfman, Erica Jong, Michael Moore, Ron Kovic, Tom Morello, Mark Ruffalo, Nancy Kricorian, James Schamus, Joyce & Max Kozloff, Carl Dix, Oliver Stone, Cindy Sheehan, and Cornel West, joined by attorneys for the Guantanamo prisoners, law professors, clergy and academics.
Because we can only afford an "advocacy" rate at /The Times/, at $52,030, which runs on a stand-by basis, it's urgent that we submit the ad as soon as possible. The prisoners' hunger strike is the dynamic factor making any change possible in the administration's action to release them.
The message powerfully challenges us to look at Guantanamo as "part of larger, alarming developments" including the NDAA, targeted killing by executive order, and the prosecution of whistleblowers, "most flagrantly in the torture, slander and draconian legal charges against Bradley Manning."
It says, "It is up to people to stand up for principle and morality when their institutions and public officials refuse to do so. The fates of those who are maimed or killed by our government's policies are inextricably intertwined with our own: we must listen and respond to their cry for justice. We must demand their release now, before they lose their lives as well."
We hope you will sign on, and help fund this project so that we can go to print very quickly.
SIGN http://org.salsalabs.com/o/1170/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=13340
DONATE https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1170/p/salsa/donation/common/public/?donate_page_KEY=5872
Since February, prisoners at Guantanamo have been on hunger strike. World Can't Wait has been pondering hard on what more we can do to create a political situation where Obama has to back down, release at least a few of the men at Guantanamo, and be forced into closing the prison. All of our frequent protests, petitions, call-ins, editorials and op-eds are part of what's needed.
The major missing ingredient in this moment, though, is the collective voices of artists, intellectuals, politicians, religious and cultural figures who are respected and beloved for being voices of conscience, speaking as one to demand that the torture of Guantanamo be ended. *It's time and past time, as we reach 100 days of the prisoners' hunger strike*, that we provide a way for them to speak out together, and for that message to be seen.
Dennis Loo of Cal Poly Pomona has drafted a message planned as a full page ad in /The New York Times/ http://www.worldcantwait.net/index.php/calls-to-action/8236-world-can-t-wait-to-place-new-ad-against-guantanamo-in-the-new-york-times which could serve as such a vehicle.
It has been signed by over 900 people in the past week, including John Cusack, Wallace Shawn, Junot Diaz, Noam Chomsky, Daniel Ellsberg, Eve Ensler, Dave Eggers, Glenn Greenwald, Paul Haggis, Bianca Jagger, Ariel Dorfman, Erica Jong, Michael Moore, Ron Kovic, Tom Morello, Mark Ruffalo, Nancy Kricorian, James Schamus, Joyce & Max Kozloff, Carl Dix, Oliver Stone, Cindy Sheehan, and Cornel West, joined by attorneys for the Guantanamo prisoners, law professors, clergy and academics.
Because we can only afford an "advocacy" rate at /The Times/, at $52,030, which runs on a stand-by basis, it's urgent that we submit the ad as soon as possible. The prisoners' hunger strike is the dynamic factor making any change possible in the administration's action to release them.
The message powerfully challenges us to look at Guantanamo as "part of larger, alarming developments" including the NDAA, targeted killing by executive order, and the prosecution of whistleblowers, "most flagrantly in the torture, slander and draconian legal charges against Bradley Manning."
It says, "It is up to people to stand up for principle and morality when their institutions and public officials refuse to do so. The fates of those who are maimed or killed by our government's policies are inextricably intertwined with our own: we must listen and respond to their cry for justice. We must demand their release now, before they lose their lives as well."
We hope you will sign on, and help fund this project so that we can go to print very quickly.
SIGN http://org.salsalabs.com/o/1170/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=13340
DONATE https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1170/p/salsa/donation/common/public/?donate_page_KEY=5872
Monday, May 06, 2013
CATCHING UP ON SOME NEWS
The 1% Bug-Out
Plan: Why Third-World Billionaires are
Buying Fortresses in London, New York and Miami
Lynn Stuart
Parramore, AlterNet
Citywide Water
Monitoring System is Suspended After Agency Cuts Funding
Patrick Wall,
DNAinfo New York
The Fascinating
Ways Meditation Transforms Your Brain and Why it Makes You Feel Better
George Dvorsky
7 Chilling Facts
About Retirement in America that Should Make Obama Tremble Before Cutting
Social Security and Medicare
Lynn Stuart
Parramore, AlterNet
The Corporate
Betrayal of America – Ripping off the Public, Running off with the Profits to
Avoid Taxes
Paul Buchheit,
AlterNet
The huge
multinationals have made it clear; they don’t feel obliged to give anything
back to the people who made it all possible.
America’s Hired
Death Squads and Torture Teams are still Operating in Iraq
William Boardman,
Reader Supported News
A 15-month
investigation exploring war crimes long denied by the Pentagon lays out the
tragic truth.
Pennsylvania Court
Deals Blow to Secrecy-Obsessed Fracking Industry – Corporations Not the Same as
Persons with Privacy Rights
Steven Rosenfeld,
AlterNet
Give the People
What They Want! Taxes that Pay for Jobs,
Education, Healthcare and Science
Mattea Kramer, Tom
Dispatch
