Progressive Calendar 01.24.12 /2 | <– Date –> <– Thread –> |
From: David Shove (shove001umn.edu) | |
Date: Tue, 24 Jan 2012 05:05:14 -0800 (PST) |
*P R O G R E S S I V E C A L E N D A R 01.24.12* 1. Occupy/Capitol 1.24 12noon 2. Nygaard/economics 1.24 5pm 3. Kumin poetry 1.24 6:30pm 4. Money series 1.24 7pm Tues & Wed 5. Mizna - Arabic language classes 2.01+ 6. Bill Quigley - Ten steps for radical revolution in the US 7. Robert Sward - Uncle Dog: The Poet at 9 8. William Comisky - Base base (haiku) --------1 of 8-------- From: WAMM Occupy/Capitol 1.24 12noon Occupy the Capitol Rally: Stop the Attacks on Poor and Working People! Tuesday, January 24, Noon to 1:00 p.m. Minnesota State Capitol, 75 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Boulevard, St. Paul. Join others at the capitol on the first day of the 2012 Legislative Session to unite and fight against any attacks or cuts on poor and working people that the politicians want to bring forward. Last year the politicians made big cuts to education, health care and Emergency Assistance. Worst of all was the huge attacks on people with disabilities. This year, the politicians tell us that there is a surplus. While politicians have helped the rich to amass more and more wealth, they've consistently taken away from the poor, including people of color, single mothers, people with disabilities, public school students, immigrants and many others. Join others to say, “give back the surplus you took from poor and working people! Tax the rich! Stop the Cuts! Give us the living wage jobs or income we need to care for our loved ones!” Organized by: the Minnesota Coalition for a People’s Bailout (MCPB) and the Welfare Rights Committee (WRC). FFI: Call 612-822-8020. --------2 of 8-------- From: Eric Angell Nygaard/economics 1.24 5pm "Making Sense of Economics in the News" how well can you interpret economic information? local media analyst Jeff Nygaard of Nygaard Notes shares how professional journalism, partly due to the general crisis in journalism, is failing to educate the public on matters of economic news. Nygaard pays close attention to how journalists treat political candidates' claims about economics, and, about the need for relevant and accurate fact-checking. hosted by "People's Economist" Karen Redleaf. SPNN 15 viewers: "Our World In Depth" cablecasts on St. Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN) Channel 15 on Tuesdays at 5pm, midnight and Wednesday mornings at 10am, after DemocracyNow! Households with basic cable may watch. ** TODAY, Tues, 1/24, @ 5pm & midnight + Wed, 1/25, 10am --------3 of 8-------- From: patty pattypax [at] earthlink.net via justcomm.org Kumin poetry 1.24 6:30pm This Tuesday, Jan. 24, we will be reading the poetry of Maxine Kumin. If you don't have a book, just look up some of her poetry on this. I heard her interviewed by Garrison Kiellor on New Year's Eve of this year as one of the people he has had on his past shows. I liked her very much so decided to learn more about her by reading her poetry. Next Tuesday, Jan.31, is our Little Book of the Odd Month Club and we are reading a book by poet and writer, Mark Dody, called Heaven's Coast. Pax Salons ( http://justcomm.org/pax-salon )are held (unless otherwise noted in advance): Tuesdays, 6:30 to 8:30 pm. Mad Hatter's Tea House, 943 W 7th, St Paul, MN Salons are free but donations encouraged for program and treats. Call 651-227-3228 or 651-227-2511 for information. --------4 of 8-------- From: Richard Kotlarz Money series 1.24 7pm Tues & Wed Announcing: Conversational and Class Offerings on “MONEY” - Winter/Spring of 2012 Location: Macalester College, Saint Paul, MN • What is the real story behind all the bad economic news? • Why are we not richer by our burgeoning tangible wealth, instead of poorer by a snowballing financial “debt”? • How could it be that an innocent child born in the U.S. today is already, according to the “experts,” a quarter-million dollars in “debt”? When did newborn babies borrow this money? How are they supposed to “repay” it? Is their future mortgaged before it starts? Has “original debt” replaced “original sin”? • If every dollar in circulation is “borrowed” into existence through “loans” from private banks, where does the money to pay the “interest” come from? • After a century of explosive growth in real economic activity, why have we not grown out of our “debt”? Is there a perverse logic built into the system that is causing us to grow into it our “debt”? • Why in the last century have family farmers been forced off the land by financial foreclosure, or threat of foreclosure, until now those living on the farm comprise less that two-percent of the population? • What is this “debt” burden doing in real terms to our civilization, our earth, ourselves? What is “debt” anyway? What is its effect on the psyche of generations growing up in saturation of its financial demands, ecological devastation and social disintegration? • If I am well-educated, working hard and “playing by the rules” in the “richest country on earth,” why can I not pay my bills and/or why am I perpetually in debt? • Has fear of financial destitution replaced fear of dying as the most dreaded eventuality in people’s lives? • Is there hope? These and many other monetary riddles haunt our post-modern world. Indeed, they are increasingly experienced as threatening the viability of our personal lives, the existence of civilization, and even the continuation of life on earth itself. Can we get a perspective on this? Can we turn a corner? Is there a vision on the other side? These questions and more will be explored in two separate series of two-hour evening sessions that will meet every week on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. Tuesday session: Money, Society and the Spirit This is conceived of as a discussion that will introduce the attendee to the way money originates and how, generally, the financial order, political life and civilized culture arises from that process. From there we will explore money and economy along whatever avenues of inquiry are of interest to those attending. All are welcome, whether having attended a previous session or not. The tenor of Tuesday’s conversation session will be informal. It will start at 7 pm (promptness is helpful), and end at 9 pm, or however long people want to stay and talk. Wednesday session: Deconstructing & Renewing the Economic Order For those interested in a more structured, rigorous and substantive learning experience, each Wednesday evening there will be a class that will offer specific content much in the manner of a college course, but without right answers, grades or accreditation. Nevertheless, there will be an emphasis on intellectual rigor and conversational discipline. In particular each attendee will be asked to set aside his or her previously acquired “financial sophistication,” and be ready to approach the subject with a clean slate. Holding forth on one’s opinions, ideologies or expertise about the financial order and will be strongly discouraged. This will be a serious exploration of “Money,” a topic that has so far bedeviled human experience, along new paths of inquiry. The first hour will be devoted to a lecture-presentation, and the second opened up to discussion based on what had been presented. Each class will have an announced topic or theme, and, as required, hand out material. The tenor of the Wednesday’s class session will more formal, and the importance of starting promptly (7 pm), and ending on time (9 pm), is emphasized. Regular attendance is strongly recommended, and any content missed can be covered in one-on-one or small-group discussions with the facilitators outside the class session. Those who wish to join in after the class sessions have started are welcome, but are encouraged to meet with a facilitator outside of class in preparation. We will be embarked upon a serious course of study, analysis and exploration, and it is crucial that a rigor of thought and discipline of discourse be observed. The rewards, we believe will be great. The Tuesday and Wednesday sessions are separate offerings, and it is not necessary to attend both. The facilitators are available outside of scheduled sessions for special consultation. Both classes are free, but there are costs, so donations will be gratefully accepted. We ask that those who attend and find the benefits of the sessions to be real seriously consider the gesture of making an offering at whatever level seems good. At the root of our work is a pay-it-forward spirit, and the ideal that we all benefit if we look to the needs of others, as we would appreciate others considering ours. Economically speaking, that is how we become visible to each other in an actual way that reaches beyond the merely theoretical or rhetorical. Monies or other resources received will be used with an eye toward ensuring that the unfolding public conversation and consciousness about “money” will continue. Experience suggests that we will have a wonderfully fruitful time. Location: Macalester College (Old Main, Room 009) 1600 Grand Avenue, Saint Paul, MN Dates & Times (Repeats every Tuesday/Wednesday, from January 24/25 through May 22/23, 2012): All sessions will convene from 7:00 to 9:00 pm: Money, Society & the Spirit Deconstructing & Renewing the Economic Order January 24, 31 January 25 February 7, 14, 21, 28 February 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 March 6, 13, 20, 27 March 7, 14, 21, 28 April 3, 10, 17, 24 April 4, 11, 18, 25 May 1, 8, 15, 22 May 2, 9, 16, 23 Facilitators: Richard Kotlarz: Richard is a seeker after the truth about money and the economic life, who has engaged in literally thousands of discussions on money-related topics with people from all walks of life, across the U.S., and in Canada and Europe. He is currently in the process of founding a monetary institute centered in the Twin Cities. Steven Gorg: Steven is a professional environmental engineer who has come to see that becoming truly conscious about money is the portal through which a meaningful and effective ecological and social transformation can be achieved. Richard and Steven have discovered that, concerning money, there is a story to be told and a vision to behold of which We the People are getting hardly even an inkling through conventional media, academic orthodoxy, or popular culture. Facilitator Contact Information: Richard Kotlarz – richkotlarz [at] gmail.com, 218-828-1366 Steve Gorg – stevegorg [at] stevegorg.com Offered under auspices of Experimental Community Education of the Twin Cities “The money system is society’s greatest dispenser of justice or injustice.” Alexander Del Mar, monetary historian --------5 of 8-------- From: Mizna Arabic language classes 2.01+ SIGN UP NOW FOR ARABIC LANGUAGE CLASSES Mizna's Arabic Language classes are just around the corner! Don't miss out on the chance to learn Arabic from two wonderful instructors, Sondes Douzi Wooldridge and Antoine Mefleh! Here's what a former student had to say: "I found the class incredibly helpful and well taught. At the least, the class was on par with a university. Of course, Sondes's teaching was marvelous!" --Jordan Falk Beginning February 1, Mizna will be offering three levels of spoken and written Arabic: Arabic I, II, and III. Our term has been lengthened to 12 weeks in order to allow time for mastery at each level. The classes will take place in the Mizna office in Northeast Minneapolis. Class size is limited to 12 students! Register now to secure your spot! Arabic Language I Instructor, Antoine Mefleh Wednesdays, February 1 through April 25, 2012 (12 weeks) 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Arabic Language II Instructor, Sondes Douzi Wooldridge Thursdays, February 2 through April 26, 2012 (12 weeks) 5:15 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. Arabic Language III Instructor, Sondes Douzi Wooldridge Thursdays, February 2 to April 26, 2012 (12 weeks) 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. --------6 of 8-------- Ten Steps for Radical Revolution in the US by Bill Quigley Published on Monday, January 23, 2012 by Common Dreams “I am convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values.” --Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 1967 One. Human rights must be taken absolutely seriously. Every single person is entitled to dignity and human rights. No application needed. No exclusions at all. This is our highest priority. Two. We must radically reinvent contemporary democracy. Current systems are deeply corrupt and not responsive to the needs of people. Representatives chosen by money and influence govern by money and influence. This is unacceptable. Direct democracy by the people is now technologically possible and should be the rule. Communities must be protected whenever they advocate for self-determination, self-development and human rights. Dissent is essential to democracy; we pledge to help it flourish. Three. Corporations are not people and are not entitled to human rights. Amend the US Constitution so it is clear corporations do not have constitutional or human rights. We the people must cut them down to size and so democracy can regulate their size, scope and actions. Four. Leave the rest of the world alone. Cut US military spending by 75 percent and bring all troops outside the US home now. Defense of the US is a human right. Global offense and global police force by US military are not. Eliminate all nuclear and chemical and biological weapons. Stop allowing scare tactics to build up the national security forces at home. Stop the myth that the US is somehow special or exceptional and is entitled to act differently than all other nations. The US must re-join the global family of nations as a respectful partner. USA is one of many nations in the world. We must start acting like it. Five. Property rights, privilege, and money-making are not as important as human rights. When current property and privilege arrangements are not just they must yield to the demands of human rights. Money-making can only be allowed when human rights are respected. Exploitation is unacceptable. There are national and global poverty lines. We must establish national and global excess lines so that people and businesses with extra houses, cars, luxuries, and incomes share much more to help everyone else be able to exercise their basic human rights to shelter, food, education and healthcare. If that disrupts current property, privilege and money-making, so be it. Six. Defend our earth. Stop pollution, stop pipelines, stop new interstates, and stop destroying the land, sea, and air by extracting resources from them. Rebuild what we have destroyed. If corporations will not stop voluntarily, people must stop them. The very existence of life is at stake. We respect the human rights and human dignity of others and work for a world where love and wisdom and solidarity and respect prevail. Seven. Dramatically expand public spaces and reverse the privatization of public services. Quality public education, health and safety for all must be provided by transparent accountable public systems. Starving the state is a recipe for destroying social and economic human rights for everyone but the rich. Eight. Pull the criminal legal prison system up and out by its roots and start over. Cease the criminalization of drugs, immigrants, poor people and people of color. We are all entitled to be safe but the current system makes us less so and ruins millions of lives. Start over. Nine. The US was created based on two original crimes that must be confessed and made right. Reparations are owed to Native Americans because their land was stolen and they were uprooted and slaughtered. Reparations are owed to African Americans because they were kidnapped, enslaved and abused. The US has profited widely from these injustices and must make amends. Ten. Everyone who wants to work should have the right to work and earn a living wage. Any workers who want to organize and advocate for change in solidarity with others must be absolutely protected from recriminations from their employer and from their government. Finally, if those in government and those in power do not help the people do what is right, people seeking change must together exercise our human rights and bring about these changes directly. Dr. King and millions of others lived and worked for a radical revolution of values. We will as well. We respect the human rights and human dignity of others and work for a world where love and wisdom and solidarity and respect prevail. We expect those for whom the current unjust system works just fine will object and oppose and accuse people seeking dramatic change of being divisive and worse. That is to be expected because that is what happens to all groups which work for serious social change. Despite that, people will continue to go forward with determination and purpose to bring about a radical revolution of values in the USA. Bill Quigley is Associate Director of the Center for Constitutional Rights and a law professor at Loyola University New Orleans. He is a Katrina survivor and has been active in human rights in Haiti for years. He volunteers with the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti (IJDH) and the Bureau de Avocats Internationaux (BAI) in Port au Prince. Contact Bill at quigley77 [at] gmail.com --------7 of 8-------- Robert Sward UNCLE DOG: THE POET AT 9 I did not want to be old Mr. Garbage man, but uncle dog who rode sitting beside him. Uncle dog had always looked to me to be truck-strong wise-eyed, a cur-like Ford Of a dog. I did not want to be Mr. Garbage man because all he had was cans to do. Uncle dog sat there me-beside-him emptying nothing. Barely even looking from garbage side to side: Like rich people in the backseats of chauffeur-cars, only shaggy in an unwagging tall-scrawny way. Uncle dog belonged any just where he sat, but old Mr. Garbage man had to stop at every single can. I thought. I did not want to be Mr. Everybody calls them that first. A dog is said, Dog! Or by name. I would rather be called Rover than Mr. And sit like a tough smart mongrel beside a garbage man. Uncle dog always went to places unconcerned, without no hurry. Independent like some leashless Toot. Honorable among scavenger can-picking dogs. And with a bitch at every other can. And meat: His for the barking. Oh, I wanted to be uncle dog—sharp, high fox- eared, cur-Ford truck-faced With his pick of the bones. A doing, truckman’s dog and not a simple child-dog Nor friend to man, but an uncle traveling, and to himself— and a bitch at every second can. --------8 of 8-------- BASE BASE Republican or Democrat: our loss, they both work for the same base. -William M Comisky ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shove Trove
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