AFTERNOON TEA WITH AN ENGLISH / HARRY POTTER
THEME AT DUCHESS HOME

Duchess is a member

of the Hufflepuff

House at Hogwarts

Deborah, Hedwig and Linda

grace my humble abode

Duchess in her

Renaissance gown

and Hedwig in her cap

[Duchess Note: The "afternoon tea" consisted of assorted sandwiches, two kinds of cookies, fairy cakes, fresh fruit parfait, trail mix, hummus, crackers, white wine and of course tea. The whole delicious repast was totally Vegan.]

PERSONAL NEWS #183
Wednesday, June 2nd, I attended the NYC LOST meetup at the Irish Rogue pub. We watched the last two episodes “What They Died For” and “The End” from season six. Not many of the regulars showed up at this meetup. Those I sat with in our usual spot were Greg, Shannon, Erin and Jax.

Thursday, June 3rd, jumped on the “World Can’t Wait” conference call as a “lurker” at 10pm. The topic was mostly on the Israeli attacks on the May 31st flotilla to the Palestinians in Gaza.

Friday, June 4th, I volunteered with City Harvest at Union Square’s farmers market.

Saturday afternoon, June 5th, I participated in “Stitch ‘n’ Pitch” at METS CitiField, along with 400+ other folk crocheting for the Guinness Book of World Records [2pm]. Afterwards I joined Deborah, Deanna, Jenna, Thom and Tanu at our seats for the Mets/Marlin game which started at 4pm.

Our seats were out in the left field section looking down at 3rd base. Despite the heat and humidity, I enjoyed the game and atmosphere at the stadium. It was a great game and the METS won 6-1. Hurray!

Sunday afternoon, June 6th, I joined Mary, Tim and Dennis in visiting our fellow Tolkien friend Kathy at Mt Sinai rehabilitation, were she is recovering from a mild stroke. Kathy really enjoyed the visit and we caught up on news. Afterwards Tim, Dennis and I had a lite repast at “One Fish Two Fish” on Madison Avenue near East 97th Street.

Tuesday, June 8th, I had a foot doctor appt for therapy on my left foot. My doctor tells me that the nerves in the foot take a good year to “recover” from the surgery. July 31st will mark the one year anniversary since my foot surgery. Afterwards, I headed back up to midtown for the “City Harvest Volunteer Appreciation Party” at HB Burger. Very nice turnout and mostly hung out with Joe, Daniel and Angela. Upon arriving at home I jumped on the monthly “Peace Alliance” conference call at 9pm. The guest speaker was Chic Dambach, and he mostly talked about “peace building”.

Wednesday, June 9th, I participated in the NYdoPeace CCR team conference call.

June 10-13, was ill with stomach and intestinal issues. Took sick days from work and had to cancel several commitments. I caught up on some reading, watching LOST and a few Harry Potter DVDs.

Early Monday evening, June 14th, I attended the John Granger lecture down in Greenwich Village on “Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows”. Many TGTSNBN members attended the event, and as with PotterPundits, John Granger really digs deeply into the “meaning” of Deathly Hallows. Check out http://www.hogwartsprofessor.com/ for more on the Harry Potter books and John Granger.

Tuesday, June 15th, I participated in the NydoPeace “creative” meeting. Our focus was on creating “Independence Day” cards that we’ll mail to NY City Council members. The focus is geared towards Dept of Peace [HR808], NYC Resolution 14 and working towards non-violent communication/action in our communities. Check out NydoPeace website at http://www.nyc-dop.com/ OR go to the national site at http://www.thepeacealliance.org/

CITY HARVEST AND ITS VOLUNTEERS ARE THE BEST!
www.cityharvest.org

Now serving NYC for more than 25 years, City Harvest is the world’s first food rescue organization, dedicated to feeding the city’s hungry men, women, and children. This year, City Harvest will collect more than 25 million pounds of excess food from all segments of the food industry, including restaurants, grocers, corporate cafeterias, manufacturers, and farms. This food is then delivered free of charge to nearly 600 community food programs throughout NYC using a fleet of trucks and bikes as well as volunteers on foot. Each week, City Harvest helps over 260,000 hungry New Yorkers find their next meal.

10 FACTS
1] City Harvest will rescue and deliver more than 25 million pounds of food this year.
2] City Harvest delivers food to nearly 600 community food programs that feed hungry New Yorkers.
3] More than one million New Yorkers rely on emergency food at some point during the year, including 350,000 children and more than 140,000 seniors
4] City Harvest operates a kosher initiative to support emergency feeding programs that provide food to those who observe Kashrut dietary laws.
5] City Harvest was founded in 1982, when ordinary people began to transport excess food from local restaurants to programs that served meals to hungry New Yorkers.
6] City Harvest rescues food using a fleet of 17 trucks, cargo bikes and volunteers on foot.
7] City Harvest delivers food nearly 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
8] Fresh produce makes up more than half of the food that City Harvest rescues.
9] City Harvest helps feed more than 260,000 hungry men, women and children each week.
10] Through the course of the year each of the City Harvest trucks will travel 14,000 miles. More than half the distance of the equator.

NOTE: I’ve been a volunteer with City Harvest since the autumn of 2006. Join me and others in helping to feed the hungry by giving a donation or become a volunteer. Thank you!

LIVE FROM NYC, IT’S THE NEWS

HELEN THOMAS WAS WRONG – BUT YOU’D THINK SHE’D KILLED 9 PEOPLE OR DESTROYED OUR COASTLINE
Laura Flanders, AlterNet
http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/06/08/helen-thomas-was-wrong-but-whos-right/

[Duchess Note: When the day comes that we don't have an opinion, we're dead. News Reporters who sit in a chair and take dictation are not News Reporters, they're secretaries to the most corrupt politicians in America, and they’re responsible for the deteriating condition of America, and for lying to the American people. I love and support Helen Thomas. She is my hero and absolutely right! Too bad that now there will be no one in the White House Press Corps to "speak truth to power”. A major loss for "we the people".]

A WARNING FROM NOAM CHOMSKY ON THE THREAT POSED BY ELITES
Fred Branfman, AlterNet
http://www.alternet.org/story/147144/a_warning_from_noam_chomsky_on_the_threat_posed_by_elites
As America’s economy and politics continue to unravel, it is clear that the elite mentality and the system it has created will produce more and more victims in the years to come.

CHANGE? OBAMA INNER CIRCLE FILLED WITH BILDERBERGERS
Victor Thorn, AmericanFreePress.net
http://www.americanfreepress.net/html/obama_bilderbergers_160.html

PERSONAL NEWS #182
Tuesday evening, May 18th, I attended the LOST meetup at the Irish Rogue pub. I got to hang out with Jax, Deborah, Elena, Shannon, Erik, Sarah and Jenni.

Friday morning, May 21st, Lisa and I hosted the BSC CPE Cross Training session at work. I wish I could say it went smoothly, but sadly it didn’t. I’m just glad it is over and done with, as doing “cross-training” can be stressful. That evening I joined other Losties at “The Philosophy of Lost” event at 49 Grove in Greenwich Village. This event was so much fun, interesting and informative. Many who attended I know from the NYC LOST meetup. Three sets of “panel discussions” on philosophy and its connection with regards to LOST. I really enjoyed this event, and a terrific way to round out a long, hectic work week.

Sunday evening, May 23rd, I attended the season finale of LOST at “Down the Hatch” in Greenwich Village. This was the unofficial final NYC LOST meetup and the turnout at the pub was quite large. Throughout the evening I mostly hung out with Deborah, Jax, Elena, Erin, Adam, Daniel, Kevin, Greg, Shannon and Erik. We had drinks, ate pub food, socialized, won LOST door prizes, digital cameras caught “candid” moments, and we watched our fav tv show. [I even won a door prize, plus a "Down the Hatch" t-shirt.] Many were in tears and feeling emotional during the season finale. Those at “Down the Hatch” had mixed feelings regarding the ending of LOST, but overall I was pleased with it. I had a feeling not all of our questions would be answered. Deborah and I hung out after the season finale to watch the Jimmy Kimmel Show, which featured several of the actors from LOST. I got home around 2am ... exhausted and with visions of LOST whirling around my noggin. Good thing I took that Monday off from work. I spent a portion of the day reading the blogs on LOST, chatting on FB and catching up on emails.

Tuesday evening, May 25th, I participated in the NYdoPeace CCR team conference call.

Friday morning, May 28th, I had an appointment with my eye doctor for specific tests to see if my lung meds are affecting the eyes. There seems to be a slight issue regarding my right eye. My doctor will be monitoring it over next month or so. After my appointment I headed uptown to the office for abit before meeting my friend Sheila at Port Authority. She was coming into the city from NJ for the day and I was taking her on a “walking tour” of Brooklyn Heights. While walking around we ran into an acquaintance of mine [Marjorie] and chatted for abit. Sheila and I also checked out Plymouth Church and received a personal tour from Lois. It was a very enjoyable tour, which usually takes place at 12pm on Sundays. Afterwards we had a delicious lunch at Siggy’s on Henry Street. Did more of the tour with a brief rest stop on the promenade, continued the tour and ended up on Montague Street to partake of dessert at Heights Cafe. Then a leisurely stroll back to the A/C subway to head back into Manhattan to take Sheila back to Port Authority. [Duchess Note – Stay tuned for photos from the “walking tour”.]

May 29th through June 1st ... visit my family in upstate NY for the long Memorial Day holiday weekend. Had a nice, relaxing weekend ... helped out around the yard, rode my bike, farmers market, tag sales, cable tv, hair salon, toast vegan marshmallows at the firepit, relax on the screened in porch, sleep late, Memorial Day parade, picnic, etc, etc.

Quote by Henry Ford
Coming together is a beginning
Keeping together is progress
Working together is success

HANGING OUT WITH
FRIENDS AT THE METS
GAME AGAINST MARLINS
ON JUNE 5TH AT CITIFIELD

Deborah, Tanu,

Thom and Jenna

after "Stitch 'n'

Pitch" at

CitiField

Deanna &

Deborah

with their

faithful

companions

Weather was

hot and humid

on June 5th -

trying to stay

cool

MEMORIAL DAY HOLIDAY
WEEKEND IN UPSTATE NY

Dad riding in a 1929 Ford

Model A during Memorial

Day parade in Cambridge, NY

Chillin by the

firepit over

the holiday

weekend

Duchess &

her Mom at

the Memorial

Day Parade

in downtown

Cambridge, NY

Views of my

parents gardens

Poster of the

2010 Cambridge

Valley Annual

Balloon Festival

June 4-6

Broomsticks up! NYC's Central Park Hosts Muggle Quidditch Games for College, High School Teams
New York, May 31st

In J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books, Quidditch is a game like soccer played by wizards and witches on flying broomsticks. The real-life version played by non-magical people known as Muggles stays earthbound, but the matches can be exciting nonetheless. The International Quidditch Association staged an exhibition on Sunday in New York's Central Park, with high school and college teams from around the Northeastern U.S. competing.

Youngsters then got to play, with coaching from Quidditch veterans. Nine-year-old Jivan Galper said he came to watch but thought it was pretty cool that he got to play Quidditch himself. Muggle Quidditch started in 2005 at Vermont's Middlebury College. The commissioner is Alex Benepe, the 23-year-old son of New York City Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe.

[Duchess Note - Many thanks to Josee in Canada who shared this article.]

The Learning Curve of Peace
Robert C. Koehler, Common Dreams
http://act.commondreams.org/go/710?akid=64.19616.ahXbYq&t=22

Hanging out with other Losties at the....

LOST Meetup

Irish Rogue Pub

May 18th

Elena's LOST

Button's for

Sale at

Meetup

PERSONAL NEWS #181

Thursday evening, May 13th, I participated on a NYdoPeace CCR team conference call. We were prepping for the “Brooklyn Peace Fair” on May 15th.

Friday evening, May 14th, after another crazy busy work week, I joined my friend Jackie for a movie and dinner out in Times Square area. We went to see the new Russell Crowe film called “Robin Hood”, which we both enjoyed, and then afterwards we caught up on news while enjoying a light repast at Dave & Buster’s.

On Saturday afternoon, May 15th, I joined a few NYdoPeace CCR team members [ie: KF, CA & HR] in tabling at the 7th Annual Brooklyn Peace Fair at Brooklyn College on a sunny spring day. It has been at least three years since we last tabled at the Peace Fair, and it was important that we be a visual presence and do some serious networking. We didn’t take in much in the way of donations, but we made sure we connected with many individuals and organizations, especially regarding NY City Council R14. We gave out many Dept of Peace brochures, postcards and even flyers on Resolution 14. To learn more about Dept of Peace HR808 go to http://www.thepeacealliance.org/ … to learn more about NydoPeace go to http://www.nyc-dop.com/ or drop me an email via my Duchess blog.

On Sunday afternoon, May 16th, my friend Margaret came out to Greenpoint for an afternoon visit. Her parents and grandparents used to live in Greenpoint YEARs ago, and she wanted to see parts of the ole hood. The weather was a nice spring day, so we did lots of walking around northern Williamsburg and parts of Greenpoint. We enjoyed a delicious brunch, with Mimosa’s, at Enid’s on Driggs Avenue. Afterwards we strolled around the hood, enjoyed fruit smoothies at Forest Natural and hung out at my apartment for awhile.

NYdoPeace at the 6th Annual
Brooklyn Peace Fair

Howard, Kevin, Chris and I of NYdoPeace at the Brooklyn Peace Fair on May 15, 2010

[Brooklyn For Peace, the borough's largest and most active peace and justice organization, held its sixth annual Brooklyn Peace Fair at Brooklyn College. It was co-sponsored by the Brooklyn College Art Lab (BCAL) and the Brooklyn College Student Center. Attracting hundreds of Brooklynites and others, the Fair is the largest event of its kind in New York City. Dozens of organizations set up tables in the Student Union Building to promote their activities and recruit members. Other vendors sold their wares from buttons to t-shirts to yoga classes.]

2010 “Peace Wants A Piece of the Pie” Report
The Peace Alliance

For the sixth straight year, we rallied together for a successful Mother's Day action, showing our government that "Peace Wants a Piece of the Pie." Across the nation volunteers visited Senate and Congressional offices in support of our peacebuilding legislation. In Washington D.C., staff and volunteers mirrored the field visits by delivering pies and packets to over 40 offices. There was a definite interest in our work in D.C. -- groups were invited to have full sit-down meetings when they showed up to the office with pies and no appointment! All of this, coupled with over 10,000 letters and calls made in support of our initiatives, will undoubtedly get the message to our leaders that the necessary work of peacebuilding is a strong priority for our growing constituency. It is your continued commitment to this work that will inspire our leadership to take action on important peacebuilding issues.

The other good news we continue to hear from our teams in D.C. and from supporters around the country who visited offices is that, more-so than ever before, congressional staffers shared great interest and openness to the conversation we are promoting. In particular, a number of new Senators and Representatives expressed strong interest in the Youth PROMISE Act (HR 1064/S 435) and are giving serious consideration to supporting the legislation. We hope to see new co-sponsors in the coming weeks for both of our current legislative initiatives.

The letters and calls so many of you made, including through the Change.org petition, will certainly make a difference. Special thanks as well to Yoko Ono for urging her network on Imaginepeace.com to write Congress in support of our campaign! There is still time to sign our petition if you have yet to do so, generating a letter to all your Members of Congress and the President. Congressional office visits are still happening all week in different parts of the country. Your support can still be a big help!

We will keep you posted on any further activity that occurs as a result of our campaign. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with our latest news.

With the deepest gratitude,
Matthew Albracht
Managing Director
The Peace Alliance

[Duchess Note: This year "New Yorkers for a Dept of Peace" created colorful cards with a Mother's Day theme, info on Resolution 14, and the original Mother's Day proclamation by Julia Ward Howe in 1870. These cards were sent to all 50+ New York City Council members. Urging them to become co-sponsors of R14 and push it towards a hearing. NYDoP's next "create a card" campaign will be for Independence Day in July.]

PERSONAL NEWS #180
Sunday, May 2nd, I participated with other members of the “Brooklyn for Peace” group in the Rally/March from Times Square to the UN. It was predominately about 1] abolish nuclear weapons worldwide, 2] peace and human needs, 3] end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. [Photos taken by M.Weinstein from the event were posted below on May 11th.]

Tuesday evening, May 4th, I viewed a new episode of LOST at the Irish Rogue pub with Deborah, Elena, Jenni, Sarah, Greg, Shannon and Erik.

Friday, May 7th, I volunteered with others from City Harvest at the Union Square farmers market.

Saturday afternoon, May 8th, I attended the “Abolition 2000” annual general meeting at Judson Memorial Church on Thompson Street in Greenwich Village. Learned about this event from Alice Slater, who worked with me during the 2007/2008 Kucinich for president campaign, and I also from PDA. Anyhow, “Abolition 2000” is a global network to eliminate nuclear weapons in our lifetime. Individuals from the US, England, Europe, Asia, Canada, Australia and Latin America came together, and it was a fascinating informative afternoon. To learn more, go to http://www.abolition2000.org/

Sunday, May 9th, was not only Mother’s Day, but also the 4th annual Mother’s Day peace stroll hosted by CodePink and Granny Peace Brigade. First of all the weather was vastly different from a week ago. Last week it was hot and humid, and today it was cold and windy. Where is spring?!? Throughout most of the stroll I was mostly chatting with Anna and her husband Ahmed about local and national politics. Even though I am not a mother, I’ve been participating in this “Peace Stroll” every year. We’re bringing peaceful awareness to New Yorkers. Start out at Columbus Circle, stroll up to Museum of Natural History, and across Central Park to Metropolitan Museum of Art.

[Mother’s Day was NOT invented by Hallmark, or by 1-800-FLOWERS or even See’s Candies. In fact, Julia Ward Howe, the woman credited with initiating Mother’s Day in 1870, would have been appalled by its crass commercialism. Were she alive today, Julia probably would have told her kids to dispense with the roses and chocolates, and instead join her in an anti-war rally. While best known for writing the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” and her stance against slavery, Julia was horrified by the carnage and suffering during the Civil War. She used her poetic gift to pen a proclamation against war, a proclamation that birthed Mother’s Day. Yes, Julia Ward Howe was a peacenik.]

Tuesday evening, May 11th, I viewed a new episode of LOST at the Irish Rogue pub with Jax, Deborah, Elena, Jenni, Sarah, Kelli, Greg, Shannon and Erik.

NO NUKES RALLY & MARCH

Sunday, May 2nd, from Times Square to the UN

[Photos by M.Weinstein]

I participated with other members of the “Brooklyn for Peace” group in the Rally/March from Times Square to the UN. It was predominately about 1] abolish nuclear weapons worldwide, 2] peace and human needs, 3] end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Led by a colorful and energetic contingent of 2000 peace activists from Japan, and joined by thousands of New Yorkers and folks from other states, a large and spirited peace parade made its way through the streets of Times Square and over to the United Nations. Their demand? Worldwide nuclear disarmament for peace and human needs now! Adding to the drama and urgency of that demand was the presence of some survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear bomb attacks by the U.S. on those cities at the end of World War II. To loud chants of "No nukes!”Peace Now!", "Health Care Not Warfare!", "Money for Jobs, Not for War", the marchers formed a human peace train that stretched for many, many blocks to the thrill, applause and sometime surprise of thousands of tourists and other onlookers crowding the sidewalks of midtown Manhattan.

NEWS OF THE DAY

Mother’s Day Manifesto: 2010
Eileen Fleming, TruthOut
http://www.truthout.org/mothers-day-manifesto-201059302

A Mother’s Day Wish for a Nontoxic World
Elizabeth Arndorfer, RH Reality Check
http://www.truthout.org/a-mother%E2%80%99s-day-wish-a-non-toxic-world59309

How China Holds the American Economy by the Balls
Scott Thill, AlterNet
http://www.alternet.org/story/146702/how_china_holds_the_american_economy_by_the_balls

Look Out, Obama Seems to be Planning for a lot More War
Jack A. Smith, Asia Times
http://www.alternet.org/story/146787/look_out%2C_obama_seems_to_be_planning_for_a_lot_more_war

[Duchess Note – The Nobel Peace prize, early this year, went to a war-monger. Obomba is no man of peace. This Manchurian candidate will never embrace peace.]

Bill Moyers TV Farewell with Hightower – The Fight of Our Lives: The Populist Battle with Corporate Power
http://www.alternet.org/story/146698/bill_moyers_tv_farewell_with_hightower_--_the_fight_of_our_lives%3A_the_populist_battle_with_corporate_power

Over 10,000 Thousand Rally in New York for Showdown with Wall Street
Alexander Zaitchik, AlterNet
http://www.alternet.org/story/146678/thousands_rally_in_new_york_for_showdown_with_wall_st.

Why the Enlightened Liberal Class is Complicit in the Country’s Downward Spiral
Chris Hedges, Truthdig
http://www.alternet.org/story/146711/why_the_enlightened_liberal_class_is_complicit_in_the_country_downward_spiral

Both Parties Deaf to This Call: 'Fix the Economy, Not Wall Street'
http://act.commondreams.org/go/410?akid=45.19616.eI-kca&t=11

5 Green Groups Declare Senate Climate Bill 'Unacceptable'
http://act.commondreams.org/go/411?akid=45.19616.eI-kca&t=13

Progressive Democrats of America (PDA): Citizens in 18 States Push for State-Level Single-Payer Healthcare
http://act.commondreams.org/go/420?akid=45.19616.eI-kca&t=32

Amy Goodman Boycotting Arizona’s Racism
http://act.commondreams.org/go/414?akid=45.19616.eI-kca&t=20

ACLU to Obama: ‘Entire World Is Not War Zone’
http://act.commondreams.org/go/388?akid=44.19616.5e--YA&t=2

Noam Chomsky A Middle East Peace That Could Happen (But Won’t)
http://act.commondreams.org/go/398?akid=44.19616.5e--YA&t=24

Mother's Day Peacebuilding Petition

Please click on link below and sign this peacebuilding petition. Share with other like minded individuals and honor Mother’s Day by telling our leaders to invest in Peacebuilding.
http://www.change.org/thepeacealliance/petitions/view/honor_mothers_day_by_telling_our_leaders_to_invest_in_peacebuilding

Targeting: The President of the United States, The U.S. Senate and The U.S. House

Started by: The Peace Alliance Early advocates of celebrating Mother's Day in the United States envisioned it as a day of peace, to honor and support mothers who had lost sons and husbands to the carnage of the Civil War.

In 1870 - nearly 40 years before it became an official U.S. holiday in 1914 - social justice pioneer Julia Ward Howe issued her famous Mother's Day Proclamation, which called upon mothers of all nationalities to band together to promote the "amicable settlement of international questions, the great and general interests of peace."

This May, at a time when our country is fighting two costly wars abroad and our own communities are torn apart by violence and over-incarceration, it's time for Mother's Day to return to its roots.

We must let our leaders know that "Peace Wants a Piece of the Pie!"

MORE IMAGES OF SPRINGTIME IN BROOKLYN

TOURING MY NEIGHBORHOOD

GRAFFITI IS ART IN LIC

FRESH CUT FLOWERS FROM
LOCAL FARMERS MKT

SPRINGTIME IN BROOKLYN

PERSONAL NEWS # 179
Tuesday evening, April 20th, at 6:30pm I participated in the NydoPeace “creative” meeting at Healthy Body location. The “creative” was regarding making “Mother’s Day” cards with Dept of Peace and Resolution 14 message on the inside. We’ll mail these to all the New York City Council members. Kevin, Marianne, Dawn, Chris and I wrapped up the meeting at 8pm, and from there I headed uptown to the Irish Rogue for the LOST meetup. I hung out with Deborah, Elena, Jax, Greg, Jenni, Sarah, Shannon and Erik at the pub.

Friday, April 23rd, I am once again volunteering with City Harvest at the Union Square farmers market. Afterwards I joined other ladies at the Friday Nite Knits in Kensington.

Tuesday evening, April 27th, I attended the screening of “Plunder: The Crime of our Time”, a documentary by Danny Schechter, at the All Souls Unitarian Church on Lexington Avenue. After the film I chatted briefly with Mary Geissman who is a member of the Peace Task Force at All Souls.

PLUNDER: THE CRIME OF OUR TIME
In 2006 filmmaker Danny Schechter was denounced by some reviewers as an "alarmist" for his film In Debt We Trust, which warned of the coming credit crisis. He was labeled a "doom and gloomer," until the economy melted down vindicating his warnings. His new film, Plunder: The Crime of Our Time, is a hard-hitting investigative film that shows how the financial crisis was built on a foundation of criminal activity.

To tell this story, Schechter speaks with bankers involved in these activities, respected economists, insider experts, top journalists such as Paul Krugman, and even a convicted white-collar criminal who blows the whistle on intentionally dishonest practices.

Plunder: The Crime of Our Time looks into how the crisis developed—from the mysterious collapse of Bear Stearns to the shadowy world of trillion dollar hedge funds. Insiders who work in the industry and know it well tell both of these stories. Plunder also shows how hastily arranged government bailouts did not revive the economy and may have lost billions.

Ultimately the film calls for a full investigation and structural reforms of financial institutions to insure accountability by the white-collar perpetrators who profited from the misery of their victims.

This is a preview showing of this soon-to-be released film. The filmmaker Danny Schechter, who was here one year ago talking about this subject, will host this event and take questions following the showing.

Danny Schechter is the founder and executive editor of Media Channel and founder and Vice President/Executive Producer of GlobalVision, Inc., an award-winning media company formed in 1986. A broadcast and print journalist and internationally recognized speaker and writer on media issues, Schechter has been honored with numerous awards, including the Emmy and George Polk Awards. He was the news director and principal newscaster for WBCN-FM, an on-air reporter for WBGH, and a news program producer and investigative reporter at CNN and ABC.

Wednesday evening, April 28th, I joined Kevin Fagan in having dinner, plus a meeting, with Doug Biviano at SIGGY’S in Brooklyn Heights. Doug ran for City Council in District 33 and I volunteered on his campaign, plus voted for him during the primary. We mostly discussed national/local politics, Dept of Peace, City Council and R14. After the meal, on the way to the subway, Kevin and I ran into an acquaintance of mine [Margorie] and we briefly discussed local politics.

Thursday evening, April 29th, I joined other NydoPeace CCR team members for a conference call and discussion on “next steps” regarding R14.

On Friday, April 30th, I volunteered with City Harvest down at Union Square’s farmers market.