March 2016 - Anne Feeney's Fellow Travelers' Advisory - Volume 10, Number Eight

Happy Spring to all of you - my friends, family, folkies and fellow travelers!
This is by far the mildest winter I can ever remember.  It's supposed to be seventy degrees on Sunday! My bulbs are out.  I'm gearing up for the Ireland trip - just around the corner ... and I hope you have come through this winter as well as I have.  I got a rude surprise on St Patrick's Day with vestibular neuritis and "jumpy eyes" (nystagmus). It was very much like a cartoon, but I wasn't laughing. A few tests, IV meds and an overnight stay at Shadyside Hospital (thanks, 5th floor nurses!) and I was pronounced good to go. That collapsed my hopes for getting the newsletter out in time for St. Patrick's Day, though.

I have taken a lot of flak from Hillary supporters since I announced my support for Bernie Sanders. If the convention fairly nominates Hillary as the Democratic Candidate for president, I will vote for her. But why would anyone pass up the chance to cast a primary vote for a fellow who wants to break up the banks, tax wall streeters, deliver expanded medicare to all,end mass incarceration, get public financing for elections and end the $$$ that buys elections and candidates,  provide free public education through grade sixteen in all public schools, reinvest in our infrastructure??  My heart, my time and my very limited money are with Bernie - as long as he's in, I'm all in with Bernie.

March Wall of Fame 

I am forever grateful to those of you who responded to my plea for financial support. You kept me from defaulting on my obligations.  It's finally beginning to sink in that my career choice will no longer support me.  My health can no longer tolerate my constant touring.  The pension I receive from the Musicians' Union is $295/month. I receive $790 from Social Security. My mortgage is $700/month. My utilities average $600.  Even when my two rental properties are occupied and generating $1750/month, the taxes, insurance, repairs and maintenance eat up a huge portion of that income.  I've got a lot of good work coming up at the Tommy Douglas Center in Washington, DC in April. I've got the Ireland tour coming up.  I've got a very nice festival in Michigan in July... that is all that I've confirmed. My fundraising style is very similar to Bernie's -- lots of small donors.  There's a Paypal "DONATE" button on the right hand side of this page.  If you'd rather send a check, please send a most welcome check:

Anne Feeney

2240 Milligan Ave

Pittsburgh, PA  15218

This month's Twenty Wall of Famers: 

Dave H - UK; Janet A and Michael R - Oakland, CA; Nina F. - Piedmont, CA; Per Elis J. - Kopparberg, SV; Tom and Cookie D - Pittsburgh, PA; Ed D. - Seattle, WA; Pat H. and Sandy O;Virginia  F. - San Diego, CA; Janet, Judy and Carol W - San Diego, CA; Sue D. - Oakland, CA; John M and Deborah McK - Pittsburgh, PA; Bob and Barb I - Detroit, MI; Carol VH; Michael V, Janet T - Lexington, KY; Ruth F and Don W - Ontario; Dawn McD - Detroit,MI; Mary W- Seattle, WA; Ann F - Leverett, MA; Lee G - OKC, OK

I am so grateful for your help and support!

St Patrick's Day 
a video of "The Sick Note" 
re-enacted by Legos People

            https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iA5RGI3zn20

Thanks to Loretta Santejka for the link!

At this point I'm not completely sure, but I think my tour may be sold out.  If you still want to go with me this year, check with Vicki Belinoski vbelinoski@austin.rr.com vbelinoski@austin.rr.com and she'll do her best to accommodate you.

So Mick is on his way home and he passes by his friend Rory's farm.  Mick is horrified to see his old friend stark naked and wildly gesticulating - dancing and pumping his hips as he runs in circles around his tractor.

Mick leaps from his vehicle and runs toward his old friend.  "What are doing, Rory - have you lost your mind??"

Rory says, "Not at all, Mick. I'm doing as my doctor recommended. You see, my wife and I have been having troubles in the bedroom, and Dr. O'Hara suggested that I do something sexy to a tractor."  (Read it aloud if you don't get it.)

Oscars 2016

My son, Dan Berlin and his fabulous wife, Monique Murad took on the challenge to cook the 2016 Oscars dinner. I've been hosting these parties since 1999, and couldn't have been more delighted when my son  offered to carry on the tradition for the 88th annual Academy Awards.

The dinners began when my husband Julie slipped into the kitchen during the 70th Academy Awards and cooked a simple but elegant meal for me and my cousin Bill.  We shared it with him on the couch as we watched the Oscars. Over the years the event evolved into five course dinners for eight, then ten, then twelve - with each course keyed to one of the five best-picture nominees. The $1 admission fee collected from each guest went to whoever picked the most Oscar winners on the ballots handed out on arrival.

Eventually my husband created an amazing scoreboard with removable categories and contestants' names.When they expanded the category for best film for up to ten films I began assigning menu items to the many talented cooks among out attendees.. Some of  the dishes were very complex. For Michael Clayton, Briget Shields prepared a saganaki appetizer. This flaming Greek specialty was a tribute to the Volvo that exploded in the film.  Barbara Lebeau almost revolted when commissioned to make Richard Nixon out of pate for FROST.  The dinners became so popular and so overcrowded -- one year I served a ten course dinner to twenty six with our new electronic score board designed by Daniel McTiernan.

2009 Oscars Dinner Folks

Bill Feeney

Julie's re-usable scoreboard

Barbara Lebeau's 
Nixon pate for "FROST"

The 2016 Oscars Menu!!!

Appetizers:

THE REVENANT - Revenant Bear Liver Pate (well, it was really duck), but the pastry surrounding it made up for the absence of bear liver - SUPER YUMMY!

MAD MAX - THE FURY - Mad Max's Mother's Milk Baked Brie in puff pastry

Cocktail:

SPOTLIGHT - Mojitos served with flaming rum, creating the "Spotlight" (Benedicto's favorite)

BROOKLYN - Brooklyn brown bread

MARTIAN - Twice baked potatoes forced through a pastry bag, creating the canals which cover the red planet.

ROOM  - Mashed parsnips around the perimeter of a square serving dish filled with a variety of roasted mushROOMs.

THE BIG SHORT - our main event The Big Short Ribs.... mmm mmmm

STRAIGHT OUT OF COMPTON - Mac 'n Cheese  and Sauteed Greens.  requested by Sebastian and Nico.  Straight Out of Compton was one of my favorite films of 2015.

Dessert:

BRIDGE OF SPIES - Bridge of Pies - berry, banana cream, apple

So sorry, no pictures from our 2016 dinner -  our paparazzi fled to Ohio when they heard that Donald Trump might kick a dog .... I haven't seen any hard numbers, but it seems to me that 90% of the time when the media covers this campaign, (whether print, radio, video or online) the discussion focuses almost exclusively on Trump's latest antic.

October 2012 - Anne Feeney's Fellow Travelers' Advisory - VOLUME EIGHT, Number 4

IMMEDIATE DESTINATIONS:

CLEVELAND, OH

PITTSBURGH, PA

MERCER, PA

PITTSBURGH, PA

The Berrymans Return!  Don't Miss It!

I'm so pleased to be able to present Lou and Peter Berryman again.  Their shows are always so hilarious, inspiring and energizing.  Don't miss this chance to hear them in Pittsburgh.  This time they're traveling with our super talented pal Matt Watroba, who hosted the best folk show ever in Detroit for 22 years - "Folks Like Us" and now hosts a folk show online for Folk Alley.  He's a fabulously talented musician and he and I will both do some performing that evening.

Don't miss it! 

****************

Thursday, October 4th, 2012 7:30 PM

House Concert at Sue's!!

Sue's House

Cleveland Heights, OH

216-214-7673 

http://annefeeney.com/calendar.html

Price: $Suggested $15-25

Call or email Sue to make reservations and get directions.

suehanibal@gmail.com (wheelchair accessible)

***********************

Sunday, October 7th, 2012 7:30 PM

Thomas Merton Center Fundraiser with Mike Stout and the Human Union

Frick Fine Arts Auditorium

University Of Pittsburgh Campus

Pittsburgh, PA 15213

412-361-3022

http://mikestoutmusic.com/

I'll sing a couple songs at this show, too - support the Thomas Merton Center!

****************************

Saturday, October 13th, 2012 10:00 AM

WE ARE ONE Rally - Join Us to Stand Strong for Public Education and Unions!!

Mercer County Courthouse Lawn

Mercer, PA

724-748-4972

Price: free

call Judy Hines at the number above for more information.

*****************************

Saturday, October 20th, 2012 8:00 PM

Peter and Lou Berryman in Concert

Allegheny Unitarian Universalist Church

416 W North Ave

Pittsburgh, PA 15212

412.877-6480

*********************************

Thursday, November 8th, 2012 6:00 PM

Thomas Merton Center 40th Anniversary Party with Medea Benjamin!

Sherator Station Square

Pittsburgh, PA

http://thomasmertoncenter.org

Medea Benjamin founded Code Pink and will be a FABULOUS speaker.... don't miss this wonderful event! I'll be there and sing a few songs, too!

shows continuously updating at http://annefeeney.com/calendar.html

cds available for purchase or download at http://cdbaby.com/all/unionmaid

  

I had so much fun getting to sing for my pal Liana Kennedy's union - CUPE - (the Canadian Union of Public Employees) at the University of Victoria on my Canadian tour last month. And I spent a wonderful morning workshop with Vancouver's awesome Solidarity Notes choir!  And Michael Goodman and Sharon Sjerven hosted a lovely brunch for me.  Jim and Joey and Chris and Liana & Frances provided their usual fabulous hospitality, and all the presenters were great... thanks Tark, Karen, Ken & Carol. 

Congratulations to the Chicago Teachers!  Well done! I'm in Cleveland right now with the amazing president of ATU - Larry Hanley -  organizing a "Vote Transit" conference.  He's a fantastic true-blue trade unionist who truly knows which side he's on. (and he knows the value of labor culture!  hooray!)   I'm  predicting now that Republicans are NOT going to be able to vote for Romney.  They'll prefer a more moderate Republican like Barack Obama.  I'm hoping Obama maintains his lead in PA so that I can comfortably vote for Jill Stein without worrying that Romney would carry Pennsylvania.  (Pennsylvania is the state that James Carville described as 'a large state with a big city on each end and Alabama in the middle)  In 1972 Richard Nixon, then considered a right-wing Republican, supported a Guaranteed Annual Income for all Americans.  Can you imagine Obama doing that?  But still, I urge you all to vote. If voting didn't change anything they wouldn't have shoved so many Voter Suppression Acts through the legislatures.   Do it for the same reason you would pick up a piece of trash on the street.  It's not going to save the world, but it only takes a few minutes, and it's the right thing to do.  It certainly doesn't discharge your civic duties ... we must all continue to raise hell and work to build a better world.  

Two great Election Day videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypRW5qoraTw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceN-JBMZWOg (not for prudes...)

FRIENDS AND FAMILY - BIRTHDAYS AND SUCH

Casey Horne, Oct 5; my son Daniel Feeney Berlin, Oct 6; cousins Maureen Metcalfe and Jennifer Erin McCahill also Oct 6; Wonderful pal Jan Boyd, Oct 9; cousins Jill Merrill and Bill Feeney, Oct 16, never-to-be-forgotten dear friend Tim Sullivan, Oct 18; Shelley Belusar, Oct 20; cousin Steve Merrill, Oct 20; cousin Della Belmont McCahill, Oct 21; Mason Avery Gailiunas is 4 years old!, Oct 22; cousin Carolyn Weldon Mitchell, Oct 28; singer/songwriter Annie Dinerman, Oct 29.  Happy Birthday!

Monique (4th from left, looking right at the camera)  "Dancing Under the Stars" in Zimbabwe!

Karen Brandow is doing much better! Keep Jon Fromer and Jerry Tucker in your hearts, thoughts and prayers.  And add my wonderful activist friend Al Dale, from Bellingham, WA to your list.  He's really struggling to come back from a stroke.  Al's an amazing guy... among other things, he was the original faculty sponsor for the Black Panthers on campus at San Francisco state.  He and his wife of many years, Dotty, have been stalwart peace and justice activists for better than 6 decades.  You could send Al a get well card:

Al Dale

741 Chuckanut Dr

Bellingham, WA 98226

I was so saddened to hear of the passing of legendary Canadian feminist labor singer Arlene Mantle

http://lynnmantle.com/?section=bio

Hellraiser Arlene Mantle - 1939-2012

I'm going to be off for most of the rest of the year to help Amy any way that I can in planning her wedding.  It will be wonderful, too, to be in Pittsburgh with my husband and to work on some of the many domestic projects I have in mind.

Many many thanks to the generous friends who have stepped up to help me with my expenses. My bank account must have a sensor... as soon as anything accumulates in it, I have an economic meltdown commensurate with the amount...  last month I lost a tenant, had to paint the rental, replace the carpeting... just as my water heater and washer at home gave up the ghost.  always something.  I have a whole new round of doctor visits in October, but I'm expecting all good news!

If you're within 100 miles of Pittsburgh, you don't want to miss the Lou and Peter Berryman concert on October 20th..  See you there (I hope!)

Til next month,

Anne

December 2011 - Anne Feeney's Fellow Travelers' Advisory - VOLUME SEVEN, #8

27 December 2011
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE....

Hi there hellraisers

Hope you're finishing up the year with hope in your heart and surrounded by loving family and friends.  That's what I'm doing this year, but I sure had to do some power-traveling to make it happen.  I'm in Zimbabwe (!) where my son's wife has a job with USAID.  Monique, my son Dan, and my grandson Sebastian have only been here for four months, but it seems like an eternity to me.  

Sebastian was almost one year old when they left,  just learning to stand and take a few steps.  Now he's running, pitching, kicking soccer balls ... he knows about 40 signs in baby sign language, which makes it possible for him to communicate pretty effectively.  My son says speech is often delayed in households where children are learning several languages.  Sebastian is learning English, Spanish and Shona - besides his sign language skils.  

The Garden of Eden could have been fashioned after Zimbabwe. Everything is so lush and verdant.  We've only seen points of interest within a 45 minute drive of the house so far, and we're dazzled.  My sister Kate came with me, and my daughter Amy and her boyfriend, Mike Meadows, are en route to Harare as I write this. Once they get here, we're heading off to where the wild things are... Bulawayo, Hwange National Park and on to Victoria Falls for New Year's Eve ...

I'm afraid I didn't have a vivid enough imagination to dream about doing anything like this when I was a child, so I can't say it's a dream come true...  I guess it's proof that you never know where life might take you - so don't give up or give in - amazing, extraordinary things could be right around the corner.

For example, I'm thrilled that the 'Occupy' movement has achieved so much.  It's wonderful to hear people talking about the 1% and going after the big banks.  The dialog seems to have shifted somewhat in the US - and not a moment too soon.

Your generosity and kindness since cancer threw me out of work in August of 2010 have made this past year one of the most wonderful of my life. I'm really defying the odds for now.  Both of my dear friends Jack Hardy and Tim Henderson were diagnosed with small cell lung cancer after I was, and both are dead.  It would be easy to get depressed with odds like mine.

I cannot thank you enough for your support and love. You've enabled me to visit family and friends, to pay fairly substantial insurance premiums, copays and deductibles, to pursue holistic treatments that greatly enhanced my quality of life, and to continue living my life as much as possible as if I were still working - including leaving me able to continue supporting organizations (at a slightly lower level than before) that mean so much to me - Health Care NOW!,  Democracy NOW!,  SOAW, Labor Campaign for Single Payer, US Labor Against the War, NOW, the Fund for the Feminist Majority and many others.

Nothing would depress me more than being unable to support locked out and striking workers, and the organizations that do so much to promote social and economic justice.  If you're still holding on to any extra money, please think about sending some to any of those wonderful organizations, or to the locked out workers at American Crystal Sugar.

I hope you'll continue to buy my recordings at CDBaby http://cdbaby.com/all/unionmaid - It means so much to me.  And "The Corporate Welfare Song,"  "War on the Workers" and "Have You Been to Jail for Justice?"  are all great songs to take to your favorite OCCUPY site!

I will be at the Peoples Music Network Winter Gathering January 27-29th in Lawrence, MA.  We'll be celebrating the great working class victory in the Bread and Roses Strike of 1912.  Bev Grant, Evan Greer, Charlie King, Spirit Child, Rebel Voices, Jon Fromer and many other fabulous performers and agitators will be on hand for the weekend that starts with a terrific Friday night concert.  You don't have to be registered for the weekend to come to the Friday night concert, but you'll love the weekend if you stick around.  You don't have to be a performer to attend - just a music lover.  

The internet is so slow here in Harare that I don't dare try to upload photos or any extra links in this newsletter.  I hope you get it... and I look forward to hearing from you.

Let's hope that 2012 brings us great victories for the working class ... that we begin to look around and realize that WE are the leaders we've been waiting for. Let us cherish our friends and be grateful for all that they bring to our lives.  

Love and Happy New Year -

Anne

Monique Murad, Daniel Berlin, Sebastian Edward Berlin, and the Lion

Anne Feeney

http://annefeeney.com

http://cdbaby.com/all/unionmaid - Buy CDs!

412-877-6480 (cell)

"Anne Feeney is the greatest labor singer in North America." -- Utah Phillips

November 2011 - Anne Feeney's Fellow Travelers' Advisory - VOLUME SEVEN, #7

I love it when you write back.  Please understand that right now my energy level is so low that I may not respond... but I usually respond!
For the latest health news you can check out http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/annefeeney
To help me with my living expenses while I'm unable to work, you can donate via Paypal to getwellanne@annefeeney.com, or click on the "Donate" button in the middle of the front page of my website - http://annefeeney.com  or send a check to Anne Feeney, 2240 Milligan Ave, Pittsburgh,  PA  15218


IMMEDIATE DESTINATIONS:
Harare, Zimbabwe!
People's Music Network Winter Gathering - Lawrence, MA - Jan 27-29, 2010


IN THIS ISSUE:
Fellow Travelers' Holiday Shopping Advisory
Link of the Month
Family News
Jailed for Justice
Occupy America!




Hi Folks-


The last time I wrote to you was October 1st...  If I had let November slip away without writing to you, it would have been the first time I missed a month in 91 months!  But, I have never been so exhausted in my life.  I'm working with an endocrinologist to figure out how to wake up my sleeping adrenal system.  In the meantime, I'm a bald version of Sleeping Beauty.


I wanted to let you know that I'm thinking of you, that I'm incredibly grateful for your friendship, love and support, and I'm hoping that your year ends up well and is followed by a better year for us all...








Holiday Shopping Advisory


A lot of you will be out shopping, and ordering gifts online... so here are my holiday shopping tips -


Please, don't shop at Amazon this year.  You may have already seen some of the horror stories emanating from the Amazon warehouse in Breinigsville, PA.  It's not a very good place to work. For example, during summer heat waves, Amazon arranged to have paramedics parked in ambulances outside, ready to treat the many workers who dehydrated or suffered other forms of heat stress. Those who couldn’t quickly cool off and return to work were sent home or taken out in stretchers and wheelchairs and transported to area hospitals. And new applicants were ready to begin work at any time.

If you want to read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Amazon+warehouse+employees+Pennsylvania+hospitalized+heat/5432663/story.html#ixzz1f42vAZMI


So... If you're buying books this holiday season, let me enthusiastically recommend Powell's books in Portland. They have an inventory to rival Amazon's *and* the workers are happy members of the ILWU - a great union. Use this link http://www.ilwulocal5.com/shop-union/ to shop at the world's best union bookstore!  


And while I'm at it, let me recommend my pal Bill Adler's wonderful book "The Man Who Never Died: The Life, Times and Legacy of Joe Hill. (http://themanwhoneverdied.com/)


And if you're buying music, let me recommend http://cdbaby.com  -  They have a great collection of music and you can rest assured that you, the artists, and their employees will treated very well.  And my music makes a great gift for the activists in your life! - the direct link to my music there is http://cdbaby.com/all/unionmaid  - and Roy Zimmerman(http://royzimmerman.com) , Chris Chandler (http://chrischandler.org), Four Shillings Short (http://4shillingsshort.com), Lou and Peter Berryman (http://louandpeter.com)  and Evan Greer (http://evangreer.org) all have new releases. 


The amazing Bev Grant is working on a new CD.. http://bevgrant.com/  and there are sooooo many other great artists out there - Charlie King and Karen Brandow, Rebel Voices, David Rovics, Si Kahn, John McCutcheon, Kim and Reggie Harris, Magpie, Dan Bern, Anais Mitchell, Nick Annis, Brian QTN, Laura Love, Joey Only, Jan Hammarlund, Emma's Revolution, Len Wallace, Connie Cohen, Jim Page, Joe Jencks, Peggy Seeger, Tom Paxton, Utah Phillips and don't stop there!


And see how much of your spending you can keep in your own community - supporting local artisans, massage therapists, restaurants... why not give your friends gift certificates to local merchants, locally owned health clubs ... or make a contribution to a local charity.

Saoirse on his first picket line at American Crystal Sugar 

And I hope some of you will remember the locked out workers at American Crystal Sugar as you plan your holiday giving.  They've been without a paycheck since August 1st - and the hard-hit workers of North Dakota (a right-to-work state... that's the right to work without benefits...) are unable to collect unemployment benefits because North Dakota considers a lockout to be the equivalent of a strike.  I visited the picket line of these determined workers in October - They are very deserving of your support... They are members of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco and Grain Millers' union, Local 167G


BCTGM Relief Fund
c/o Local 167G
100 N 3rd Street - Suite 50
Grand Forks, ND 58203


Or do two good things at once by donating to a local charity, or the locked out workers at American Crystal Sugar, or School of the Americas Watch (http://soaw.org)  in honor of a friend...




Link of the Month


If you could use a belly laugh, enjoy Debbie Reynolds singing "If I Had a Hammer" - it's pretty surreal...  http://youtu.be/ng2Ls4OA2k4 


Family News


I spent a month in Sweden with my wonderful husband, although I slept through most of it because of this adrenal dysfunction I'm dealing with.  He was so thoughtful and wonderful - and we did squeeze in a visit with Julie's daughter Sara and new baby Levi!

My cousin Bill and I traveled from Pittsburgh to New Orleans for the wedding of my cousin Christina Mumphrey to Michael Schafer - It was totally grand with many many of my cousins from near and far in attendance.


Both of my kids have been spending time in Pittsburgh caring for their dad, Ron Berlin, who underwent a sextuple bypass just before Thanksgiving.  I'm pleased to report that he is at home and recovering well under Amy's loving care.

Halloween - with Monique as Amy Winehouse and Sebastian the Frog!

Daniel is back in Zimbabwe now, waiting for us to come and celebrate the holidays with him, Monique and, of course, Sebastian!  


I can't wait to see them again. My sister and I leave on November 30th...  and I won't be back in the US until January 20th. Amy and her very significant other, Mike Meadows, will be joining us in Zimbabwe too.  On New Year's Eve we plan to be in lodges in Hwange National Park and on to Victoria Falls!
What an adventure!


Jailed for Justice


“Do I refocus and put my energy into exposing the on-going crime of medical negligence in these jails? Do I begin a campaign to highlight the illegal starvation diet in the Blount County jail, for which no one has been arrested? Do I join the effort to condemn the practice of overcharging mostly dirt poor inmates for phone calls, and commissary, so that corporations and counties receive greater kickbacks? 


Should I add my voice to those in this courthouse who show up protesting unjust sentences for nonviolent conspiracy charges? Or should I spend all of my time researching how many prosecutors, judges, attorneys, court clerks and law enforcement personnel who hold stock in the private prison industry, commissary companies, phone providers or medical contractors in these human warehouses? I see so many literal and moral crimes, and I’m just one person. My final answer is none of the above. I will continue to resist the ultimate crime of nuclear weapons and their production  here and around the world.”  


This quote is from a good friend of ours, Bonnie Urfer, who works at NukeWatch in Luck WI. 
 She just received the maximum penalty of 8 months in prison for her nonviolent civil disobedience action of  “trespassing”  at the Oak Ridge TN nuclear weapons plant.  Those of us who have spent time in jail know of the hidden injustice that occurs each day to inmates, especially to the many who suffer from psychological illness. It is symptomatic of how our society deals  with people.  If you have unmet needs, it is your own fault.  If you fail to conform to the mandates of society you are condemned to physical and mental punishment since the belief in our society is that the way to change people’s behavior is to physically or mentally mistreat them. Then they will learn right from wrong.  This is a far cry from the belief of Christ, Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Dorothy Day and so many others who believe that only the power of love and kindness changes people to be better people. If you want a person to be loving and compassionate you must love and forgive that person the wrong he or she has done…..even when he or she has not apologized.  The Alma Center in Milwaukee attempts to do this by taking people just out of jail and giving them a place where they are treated with respect, dignity and love.  Most of the inmates have been born and bred in the midst of violence and poverty and, as a result, often go in and out of jail as a matter of course. They are merely responding to their unmet needs with the violence they were taught throughout their lives.  They were taught that violence gets you what you want.  The Casa Maria Catholic Worker community, the Alma Center and other 
communities are trying to teach that only nonviolence and the power of love will change people to be better.  To terrorize the terrorist is being a terrorist.. ------Don Timmerman


This moving piece starts with the words of Bonnie Urfer, whom Evan Greer and I met when we performed in Luck, WI.  Don Timmerman adds the rest of the commentary in the fabulous monthly newsletter that he and his wife, Roberta send out - THE SPARROW SINGS.  You can subscribe by emailing Don and Roberta at don2roberta@yahoo.com


OCCUPY AMERICA!


As I listened to all the media pundits declaring that the Occupy Movement is unfocused and has no demands ... I came across this manifesto - I think it's very inspiring - and i think, accurate too.  Something to wish for this holiday season. As the days get shorter, and the darkness appears to be taking over, it's my wish for all of us.

Can You Hear Us, America?

by Randall Amster

We find these views to be mutually relevant…

that all people, by virtue of their basic humanity, deserve the opportunity to live, work, and associate according to the dictates of their own consciences and capacities;

that the exercise of such freedoms is only tenable in conjunction with the ability of all people to do so, in the recognition that no one is free unless everyone is free;

that people situated in place know best how to manage the conditions of their lives, and that the political autonomy and economic self-sufficiency of local communities are the primary means of ensuring the freedom of the individuals in their midst;

that individuals and communities do not exist in isolation, but are interlinked through a global network of communications and cultural exchange that enables the realization of a shared future and a common interest in effectively preserving the continued existence of humankind;

that the integrity of the whole is based on the vitality of its parts, and that the stability and productivity of social relationships is contingent upon and reflective of our collective human interactions with the balance of life around us, upon which we depend for survival;

that the fruits of the earth belong to humankind collectively, and especially to the future generations from whom we merely borrow their blessings;

that no one ought to be bound into the indentured servitude of indebtedness, which coerces people to become complicit with an alienating economy and structures of their own oppression;

that education must be free, open to all, and not merely confined to classrooms and institutions;

that intergenerational justice works in both directions, with young and old alike being equivalent teachers and learners, bringing together the lessons of the past, the challenges of the present, and opportunities for the future into an evolving tapestry of mutual engagement;

that none should be compelled to labor for another except by the inherent desires of conscience and the reciprocal benefits of being served by others through the experience of community;

that collective decisions shall only be taken with the direct participation and informed consent of all those potentially affected by them;

that people, left to their own devices, are capable of self-organizing, self-regulating, and developing mutually beneficial structures of governance and the distribution of resources;

that we live in a world of abundance rather than scarcity, with the problems of inequality being ones of maldistribution and disenfranchisement rather than of quantitative lack;

that the shared spaces of society, including the material bases of existence, cannot be owned or controlled by private interests but must remain the collective responsibility of humankind entire;

that we already possess all of the tools and technologies necessary to create a just world, and that we require only the will to reorient the purposes to which we deploy them in order to realize it;

that what we do matters, that there is meaning to our existence, that we honor ourselves and each other through service and compassion, and that our lives are bound together in a seamless web of destiny;

that our rights and freedoms are equally balanced by our responsibilities and mutual obligations;

that we seek both independence and interdependence as the necessary conditions of social existence;

that there can be no peace without justice, no future without the past, no individuality without community, no opportunity without education, no liberty without equality, and no politics without participation;

that we strive to always create more than we destroy, to produce more than we consume, to give more than we take, to laugh more than we cry, to uplift more than we denigrate, to construct more than we critique, to share more than we acquire, and to love more than we hate;

that we seek a better world not merely for ourselves, our communities, and our allies, but for all of humankind, including those who have exercised their power unjustly and unwisely;

that we acknowledge the urgency of the moment while affirming our willingness and desire to remain engaged in long-term, perhaps even unending, struggles for human dignity and environmental sustainability;

that this task cannot be passed on to others, that we are the ones it has fallen upon, that it is our generational calling, that we have the power to alter the arc of society, and that we are the ones we have been waiting for to bring peace and prosperity to the world;

that the pursuit of material wealth represents a moral and spiritual void, and that the use of manipulation and force to maintain wealth disparity is a self-defeating enterprise based on the failure to recognize the binding principle of interconnectedness in every aspect of existence;

that we can, must, and will succeed in working collaboratively to turn crises into opportunities and to move from the brink of annihilation toward a world of appreciation;

that life is meant to be lived, that we are the creators of culture and not merely its consumers, that our actions and processes are ends in themselves, and that what we do at every moment is the revolution;

that the future depends upon us to occupy place and liberate space on its behalf, and our own;

that we have nothing to lose but our chains, and literally everything to gain;

that the person standing next to you is part of you, an extension of you, a reflection of you, an ally, a colleague, a relative, and a friend;

that the earth beneath our feet creates and sustains us, and that we must do the same for it in return;

that there is one unified race, the human race, and that our inherent diversity provides the strength that will see us through the changes and challenges at hand;

that there are no nations or borders, only peoples and places;

that we need everyone’s open hearts, willing hands, strong backs, and keen minds to avert calamity and ensure posterity;

that the sound of a child’s laugh casts out the monotonous drone of commercialism, that the wonder in a child’s eyes invokes beauty against blight, and that the hope in a child’s heart is more powerful than the downward spiral of despair;

that you are important, that your dreams are real, that your needs will be met, that your burdens are shared, that your wellbeing is paramount, and that you are loved.

Affirmed by deeds, to be enacted voluntarily by the people individually and in concert as a living declaration.

Thanks for reading!  See you next month!  Love, Anne
And hope to see you at the People's Music Network Winter Gathering in Lawrence, MA - January 27-29, 2012 - Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the "Bread and Roses" strike!!