Alice Waters
PBS aired a wonderful documentary about Alice Waters, world renown chef at Chez Panisse. She combines her politics and life, uplifting and inspiring many. Out of her passion for locally grown, organic, fresh vegetables, she creates sensuous food and started a food revolution. Her exquisite sense of taste has earned her accolades from prominent chefs and critics. She extended her visionary work to an educational project, the Edible Schoolyard. A former Montessori teacher, she works well with children as she conveys her passions. In addition, she possesses the ability to facilitate and draw out the best in the many cooks who plan and prepare the meals at Chez Panisse. She is not at all a bigger than-life personality. She has accomplished her goals through hard work, perseverance, and passion.
Tuesday, March 25, 2003
A New Journal
The Mind's Eye: An Online Transpersonal Psychology Journal explores myth, psychology, ecospirituality, ecology, and sexuality. With a beautiful layout, the articles appear in two sections. Growing Edges: Theory and Research presents scientific research and theoretical articles. Poetry and prose appear in a section called Optimal Flow: Creative Writing. The writing here is uneven. A tough, poignant poem, "Trade Secrets" by Bret Stephenson explores masculinity and poetry from the view point of a man raised to hunt, swear, and get laid. "Where I came from poetry didn't get you laid, two hours of begging did." The journal will accept submissions of previously unpublished manuscripts on topics related to transpersonal psychology.
The Mind's Eye: An Online Transpersonal Psychology Journal explores myth, psychology, ecospirituality, ecology, and sexuality. With a beautiful layout, the articles appear in two sections. Growing Edges: Theory and Research presents scientific research and theoretical articles. Poetry and prose appear in a section called Optimal Flow: Creative Writing. The writing here is uneven. A tough, poignant poem, "Trade Secrets" by Bret Stephenson explores masculinity and poetry from the view point of a man raised to hunt, swear, and get laid. "Where I came from poetry didn't get you laid, two hours of begging did." The journal will accept submissions of previously unpublished manuscripts on topics related to transpersonal psychology.
The Little Way
I want to write about inspirational artists. Art is important. I want to shout this from the rooftops. But the war weighs heavy on my mind. I can only write about peacekeepers who are using their creativity in positive ways to make a difference in the world. Each of their steps may be small, but like Dorothy Day, the Catholic who started the Catholic Worker movement along with Peter Moran, I must believe in "The Little Way." Do something, even if it is small. Even in this nuclear age, we can plant gardens, make art, and sing.
For a great life affirming story about a birthday party in Baghdad go to the Iraq Peace Team updates site. Courageous men and women are working as agents of peace by putting a name and face on the Iraqi citizens who become dehumanized in our culture's mass media. They spend time with Iraqi families, not to act as human shields, but to witness their lives and to be there in support. They return home to to speak to Americans about their experiences.
This weekend, I heard one recently returned peacemaker, Michele Naar-Obed, speak about the families that graciously shared their lives with her. Both families were living on rations from the oil for food program. Despite Saddam Hussein's many brutalities, the government was very efficient at running this program. All of the UN workers that Michele met testified to equality and efficiency of the program. Both families offered her food whenever she visited. Rice, rice wrapped in cabbage, rice, or rice. One family stayed in Baghdad. The other family managed to save money for the wife and children to take a cab to Syria. They only had enough money for the cab. No extra money for food or shelter once they arrived. They knew no one in Syria. She does not know how they are doing.
April Hurley reports firsthand on civilian casualties in Baghdad hospitals on the diary site. Be forewarned, the pictures are gruesome.
"Nada Adnan, 13 years old and a student at high school for girls, states "I wish that God would take Bush. Why did he do this to us? to me?". She has an open gash on her right cranium with underlying fracture and a large, deep shrapnel gauged cut into her upper left thigh. She has no narcotic relief and cries out as aides press guaze into her leg wound...Less than 100 meters from Alyermouk Hospital and a school, bombing crushed the foot of 28 year old man who was walking outside his home... A 70 year old man shopping for food for his family now has a compound fracture of his left upper arm, chest wound through his lung requiring a chest tube and making answers and complaints more dificult.
He has rage and opinions... How can I explain reasons to them? They know that Bush's Administration is interested in oil control and that they have no interest in democracy for these people. Why don't Americans know this? Why did we elect this man withouwithout human feelings, they ask.
It's not easy being an American in a Baghdad Emergency room seeing victims and their families. I wish that George Bush was here with his answers to their outrage."
I also worry for the US soldiers in harm's way. Michele talked about the depleted uranium used in the last gulf war. 320 tons of DU were dropped in the deserts around Basra. It is not all cleaned up. Low level chronic exposure to this known carcinogen continues. 22 of 1,000 children in southern Iraq are suffering from cancer. An Iraqi scientist has proven the relationship between this chemical and cancer. His research has not been published due to the embargo. Michele helped the scientist contact UN workers who are delivering the research results to the WHO. Our soldiers are stationed in the sand storms outside of Basra. Bush is asking for cuts in funding to veteran's hospitals.
I want to write about inspirational artists. Art is important. I want to shout this from the rooftops. But the war weighs heavy on my mind. I can only write about peacekeepers who are using their creativity in positive ways to make a difference in the world. Each of their steps may be small, but like Dorothy Day, the Catholic who started the Catholic Worker movement along with Peter Moran, I must believe in "The Little Way." Do something, even if it is small. Even in this nuclear age, we can plant gardens, make art, and sing.
For a great life affirming story about a birthday party in Baghdad go to the Iraq Peace Team updates site. Courageous men and women are working as agents of peace by putting a name and face on the Iraqi citizens who become dehumanized in our culture's mass media. They spend time with Iraqi families, not to act as human shields, but to witness their lives and to be there in support. They return home to to speak to Americans about their experiences.
This weekend, I heard one recently returned peacemaker, Michele Naar-Obed, speak about the families that graciously shared their lives with her. Both families were living on rations from the oil for food program. Despite Saddam Hussein's many brutalities, the government was very efficient at running this program. All of the UN workers that Michele met testified to equality and efficiency of the program. Both families offered her food whenever she visited. Rice, rice wrapped in cabbage, rice, or rice. One family stayed in Baghdad. The other family managed to save money for the wife and children to take a cab to Syria. They only had enough money for the cab. No extra money for food or shelter once they arrived. They knew no one in Syria. She does not know how they are doing.
April Hurley reports firsthand on civilian casualties in Baghdad hospitals on the diary site. Be forewarned, the pictures are gruesome.
"Nada Adnan, 13 years old and a student at high school for girls, states "I wish that God would take Bush. Why did he do this to us? to me?". She has an open gash on her right cranium with underlying fracture and a large, deep shrapnel gauged cut into her upper left thigh. She has no narcotic relief and cries out as aides press guaze into her leg wound...Less than 100 meters from Alyermouk Hospital and a school, bombing crushed the foot of 28 year old man who was walking outside his home... A 70 year old man shopping for food for his family now has a compound fracture of his left upper arm, chest wound through his lung requiring a chest tube and making answers and complaints more dificult.
He has rage and opinions... How can I explain reasons to them? They know that Bush's Administration is interested in oil control and that they have no interest in democracy for these people. Why don't Americans know this? Why did we elect this man withouwithout human feelings, they ask.
It's not easy being an American in a Baghdad Emergency room seeing victims and their families. I wish that George Bush was here with his answers to their outrage."
I also worry for the US soldiers in harm's way. Michele talked about the depleted uranium used in the last gulf war. 320 tons of DU were dropped in the deserts around Basra. It is not all cleaned up. Low level chronic exposure to this known carcinogen continues. 22 of 1,000 children in southern Iraq are suffering from cancer. An Iraqi scientist has proven the relationship between this chemical and cancer. His research has not been published due to the embargo. Michele helped the scientist contact UN workers who are delivering the research results to the WHO. Our soldiers are stationed in the sand storms outside of Basra. Bush is asking for cuts in funding to veteran's hospitals.
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