Progressive Calendar 01.24.12 /2
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)

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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.


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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


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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.


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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


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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.


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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


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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.


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BASE BASE

Republican or
Democrat: our loss, they both
work for the same base.

-William M Comisky

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