MsNomir's Bubbe (Tillie) and Son. [photo by Esther]

relive childhood fears --no, have fun & Love Libraries

Not About The Buildings

http://www.notaboutthebuildings.com/

This event is promising. I am a very good speller. I can spell words I've only seen once and which I certainly cannot define or use correctly. This is one of the benefits of studying Latin for six years.

Richard Walton's birthday celebration/fundraiser for Amos House and the Providence-Niquinohomo Sister Cities Project is this coming Sunday afternoon. It is a potluck, but don't let that stop you from showing up. And there is no set amount of donation expected. Usually there are dogs and babies, sometimes baby dogs and one year baby bunnies.

There is always music. Music from some of those present. And ice cream.

The social justice night at AS220 two nights ago was amazing. I had to leave when it was barely half over, but was able to sign a few petitions, see many unfamiliar faces, see dear Alex Svoboda, and several Library Reformers, long-haired men, short-haired women, people with only facial hair or with none! Hearing about different groups working in parallel ways for justice and health care and civil rights...was inspiring. Many of the groups I link to below ( "missing links") were represented. Some folks don't use the internet. Imagine!

Thank you, friends, for that evening and all the labor that went into it...La Lucha Continua.

From Victoria Huang: China Earthquake Relief Cmte. of RI

> VICTORIA HUANG <admin@riforchinaquakerelief.org> 5/29/2008 9:20:51 AM >>>

Dear Mr. Vincent,

Good morning.

My name is Victoria Huang. I am contacting you on behalf of China Earthquake Relief Committee of Rhode Island.

This committee was established on May 18th in response to the devastating 8.0 magnitude earthquake that happened on May 12th in Southwest of China. Our goal is o raise as much as possible to help the victims. So far we have raised more than $120,000 with huge support from government officals, local Chinese community and RI public. We have a website:

www.RIforChinaQuakeRelief.org reporting our progress and news briefing about

the situation in China.

One of our donors told us that you have access to a large number of people and you have a name in helping non-profit organizations. This is exactly what we need now in order to reach our goal. Could you please take a look at our website and advise if you can help ?

I can be reached at 401 965 1140 any time.

Thanks for your time and attention.

Victoria Huang

Folk singer, Storyteller, Railroad Tramp Utah Phillips Dead at 73

http://www.utahphillips.org/

Duncan's Blog: http://utahphillips.blogspot.com/

I am grateful to have heard him sing and tell stories.

A Loyal Jewish Soldier in General J.C. Christian's Army

I am. (see title above).

Jesus' General has some mighty fine links, all firmly Heterosexual and Manly.
http://patriotboy.blogspot.com/

Read the comments for detailed analysis, footnotery, et cetera.

Better Late Than Never?

Now that National Poetry Month has been over for 4 solid weeks, I think it is high time that I acknowledge the Block Island Poetry Project.

I suspect there will be future workshops and readings. Someday I will meet Lisa Starr and Champ and maybe even the kids.

Here's the link:
http://www.bipoetryproject.com/

It took me 25 years to set foot on Block Island (B.I.) and I sure plan on returning as soon as I can. Said my son, let's spend a week or two there this summer...ah would that it were possible...but the drive to the ferry from Providence is shorter than the drive to New Haven...even the ferry ride was lovely. I don't even think there are mosquitoes on Block Island. The library was extraordinarily friendly. The place is teeming with amicable dogs and moped drivers whose bark was not all that bad. I always preferred lakes to salt water, but then I never appreciated dogs until recently either. Block Island is divine.

Vogon Poem Generator: On Lilacs

I (Bugzita) generated the following poem on BBC's Vogon Poem Generator:

See, see the accomplished sky
Marvel at its big white depths.
Tell me, Nomi do you
Wonder why the pug ignores you?
Why its foobly stare
makes you feel sugary.
I can tell you, it is
Worried by your floomer facial growth
That looks like
A cookie dough.
What's more, it knows
Your lexiconist potting shed
Smells of caterpillar.
Everything under the big accomplished sky
Asks why, why do you even bother?
You only charm lilacs.
_________________________________

I used the following keywords: accomplished, white, lilacs, Nomi, sugary, caterpillar, floomer, lexiconist, cookie dough, and pug.

What do you think of computer-generated poetry as art?

Soldier once warned family: Investigate if I die

Ciara Durkin warned her family before returning to Afghanistan, "If anything happens to me, you guys make sure it gets investigated."What seemed a joke at the time could have been eerily prescient as Durkin, a National Guard specialist, was found dead, shot once in the head, within the fortified walls of Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan.

I wish that I'd met Ciara Durkin--I've read many detailed accounts about her life. How her family, her teachers, friends and co-workers all adored her...

I imagine talking about the Red Sox and the Mets. We could have gone to a PawSox game ( the triple-A affiliate for the Boston Red Sox is in Providence, Rhode Island).

Ciara's love for others, and her sense of joy inspire me.

I check her family's website, http://www.ciaraweerabrat.com/index.html regularly for updates and am now on the mailing list for news. We all deserve to know who killed her and why.

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? ? Salvia ? in Providence, RI

Lost Parrot Tells Veterinarian(but not the police) his address

When Yosuke the parrot flew out of his cage and got lost, he did exactly what he had been taught — recite his name and address to a stranger willing to help.

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The African Alliance of Rhode Island

Invites you to join us for an important workshop and discussion:

Immigration &

the African Community

Come learn and share about:

• Myths and Facts about Immigration

• Local legislation impacting immigrant rights, and the Governor’s Executive Order

• National context of immigration

• Research on anti-immigrant movements

• S

  On Friday, 29th June, 2007, there was a worldwide day of protest about the injustices faced by African immigrants.

  tories of people impacted by anti-immigrant actions

PLUS find out what we can do together to stand up for immigrant rights!

Thursday, May 29

6:30-8:30pm

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church

445 Elmwood Avenue, Providence

Refreshments will be provided.

Please call Sara at 351-6960 or Danlette at 374-2391 for more information, or to request childcare.

Social Justice Night: May 28 @AS220 in Providence, RI

This looks like an entirely promising important event.
I tried to post the webpage and the email about this. I tried 4 times. The results were 4 sets of empty pages.

Here's the link, I hope. My guess is that this site will be updated between today and May 28...more folks coming on board.

http://socialjusticenight.blogspot.com/

My trouble with posting successfully is somehow related to my lack of owning a computer currently.

Thank you dear patient readers and anonymous commenters.

Update on Alex Svoboda, Wobbly Injured by North Providence Police

I was shocked to learn recently that the North Providence (RI) Police are still pressing charges against Alex Svoboda and another Wobbly. She is gamely limping around with a cane and a no-jokes knee brace.

Her spirits, I am happy to say, were quite Strong and unbending. I am blessed to live near a houseful of Wobblies. One of the two dogs in the household (as well as two people) have recently moved west. Emma, the greyhound, still resides there.

The Support Alex Svoboda Blog is up to date. Here's the link: http://supportalexsvoboda.blogspot.com/

(WAY Off Topic: WARNING: From the I.R.S.--NOT!!!

On Sunday, I (Bugzita) received the following piece of email purporting to be from the I.R.S.:



Over 130 million Americans will receive refunds as part of President Bush program to jumpstart the economy.

Our records indicate that you are qualified to receive the 2008 Economic Stimulus Refund.

The fastest and easiest way to receive your refund is by direct deposit to your checking/savings account.

Please click on the link and fill out the form and submit before May 19th, 2008 to ensure that your refund will be processed as soon as possible.

Submitting your form on May 19th, 2008 or later means that your refund will be delayed due to the volume of requests we anticipate for the Economic Stimulus Refund.

To access Economic Stimulus Refund, please click here.

[Link removed--should you click on this link, you would be directed to this site: www.smfarms.com/catalog/images/hewlett_packard/.refund.php--definitely not the I.R.S.

Gmail also removed the URL from "click here."]

© Copyright 2008, Internal Revenue Service U.S.A. All rights reserved.
__________________________________________

Despite some of the grammatical errors, this email is very convincing because the sent info specified "service@irs.gov" as the actual sender. To give gmail its just due, the message contained the following warning (Highlighted in bold red):

Warning: This message may not be from whom it claims to be. Beware of following any links in it or of providing the sender with any personal information. Learn more. [This link shows how you can check your gmails for validity.]

Here is the code I found when I clicked on to "Show original":

Delivered-To: [Deleted]
Received: by [Deleted] with SMTP id u1cs271976wfu;
Sun, 18 May 2008 10:23:31 -0700 (PDT)
Received: by [Deleted] with SMTP id [deleted];
Sun, 18 May 2008 10:23:30 -0700 (PDT)
Return-Path:
Received: from dollman-enterprises.com (mail.dollman-enterprises.com [68.105.207.240])
by mx.google.com with ESMTP id h8si9853846wxd.26.2008.05.18.10.23.29;
Sun, 18 May 2008 10:23:30 -0700 (PDT)
Received-SPF: fail (google.com: domain of service@irs.gov does not designate 68.105.207.240 as permitted sender) client-ip=68.105.207.240;
Authentication-Results: mx.google.com; spf=hardfail (google.com: domain of service@irs.gov does not designate 68.105.207.240 as permitted sender) smtp.mail=service@irs.gov
Received: from User ([76.202.29.82]) by dollman-enterprises.com with Microsoft SMTPSVC(6.0.3790.211);
Sun, 18 May 2008 13:23:28 -0400
From: "service@irs.gov"
Subject: 2008 Economic Stimulus Refund ( $1800 )
Date: Sun, 18 May 2008 12:24:23 -0500
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/html;
charset="Windows-1251"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
X-Priority: 3
X-MSMail-Priority: Normal
X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2600.0000
X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2600.0000
Bcc:
Return-Path: service@irs.gov
Message-ID:
X-OriginalArrivalTime: 18 May 2008 17:23:28.0887 (UTC) FILETIME=[E3464070:01C8B90B]
_______________________________

But I must admit, this particular scam message caught my eye, although I did NOT fall for it; the I.R.S. has offered plenty of warnings about not using emails with links for official business.

Just remember: you need only to file your U.S. Federal tax return to receive your economic stimulus check.

[Disclaimer: Bugzita has posted this message on at least three of her sites. You are welcome to copy it on your site.]

Grace Paley Documentary Needs Funds!

I'm sending this short note to pretty much all my lists. For those of you getting this, I was able to

watch an 18 minute beginning to a film about Grace Paley, to be called: Grace Paley: Collected Shorts.

For those who don't know who Grace Paley was (she died last August), visit your

bookstore. Grace's voice was unique - as was her life. Many of us in the peace

movement and the women's movement count it as a privilege to say we were

arrested with her.

Lilly Rivlin needs to raise more than a half million dollars to get the film finished. I'm sure she will

do that - provided she has help. This is not a fund appeal letter - it is an appeal for anyone who

knew Grace and her work to think of people who do have funds. People in the literary world, in the

world of film, of art. And of course, if you want to help directly with a check you can send it to

Lilly Rivlin made out to "Women Make Movies", % Lilly Rivlin, 463 West St., Apt. 510 A, NYC 10014.

You can also visit the website: www.LillyRivlin.com.

So put your thinking caps on. The remarkable Grace, who meant so much to so many of us

(there must already have been six different memorials). Grace was a whole and complete human

being who saw no way to draw a clear line between art and protest. So, if you have any idea on

sources that can help with funding, get them to check in with Lilly Rivlin. Meanwhile, judging from

the 18 minute segment I saw, all of us will have a great film to look forward to, and a means to

introduce a whole new generation to the life and work of one of America's greats.

David McReynolds

I received this from David today (less than 2 hours ago!). I don't know Ms. Rivlin, but the address above is the same one Suzanne and Peter Ruta live in, so I could have passed her in a corridor.

Grace Paley and Marsha Z. West are surely celebrating the Marriage Victory in California with Ancestors. Harold Rogovin might be chuckling.

Grace Paley Would Understand

I arrived at the Smith Hill Branch of the Providence Public Library today at a few minutes before 10:00 a.m. On Thursday's it is supposed to open at 9:00 a.m. There was a sign on the door explaining that because of lack of staff, the branch would open at 10:00. Already there were two other people waiting. Fifteen minutes after ten, the door was not unlocked. We soon learned that the branch would open at an "indeterminate" time.

The Library Reform Group of Providence (Rhode Island) has been struggling, on behalf of all patrons, to defend the "Public" elements of the system. The smaller branches have lost funding and experienced decreases in hours. One branch literally experienced the loss of its roof. (Washington Park Branch). Please check out the link below for detailed history and analysis.

I am the daughter and granddaughter of library workers.

Because I have encountered the unexpected temporary closings of many of the branches, I decided to make a few phone calls. I phoned the "Central" Branch downtown, but the recording reminded me that they were closed. I succeeded in speaking with Derek Puerta who works for Senator Whitehouse ( Mazel Tov, Derek, on your recent graduation!) and with Serena Conley, who works for Providence's Mayor, David Cicilline. By sheer luck, I reached Ed Fitzpatrick from the Providence Journal. I told him the numbers outside the door were growing--a mother with a young child, an elder or two...He told me he'd speak to an editor. I left a message for John Lombardi, my city councilman.

Andy Dickerman, writer and photographer, arrived. He took pictures, got my name and that of another person waiting...

Just as John called me back, a lovely woman arrived with a key. She had received an email from KathyEllen Bullard, who oversees all of the branches. Kathyellen's direct # is (401) 455-8022.
Her email address is kbullard@provlib.org.

My issue is not with the librarian on vacation or the worker with a sick child. My issue is with a Board of Trustees who would rather fight with City Hall than support needs of the "outlying" communities.

I type this from inside the Smith Hill Branch which will alas close in 8 minutes for lunch; with one more staff person present, it could remain open. Thanks for reading this!

Friends of the Cranston [Rhode Island] Public Library Present:

End of the Year Celebration

Guest speaker Senator Lincoln Chafee
author of Against The Tide
Wednesday, May 14 ---7:00 p.m.
Cranston Public Library
140 Sockanosset Cross Road

" Senator Lincoln Chafee assesses the first six years of the Bush administration and traces his own rise from small-town mayor to one of his party's most liberal members and makes predictions about the future direction of both political sides. "

This program is free and open to the public.

Copies of the book will be available yada yada yada...
If Lincoln Chafee had left the R. party sooner, he would still be a U.S. Senator. If his father had not been senator, how likely is it, that he would have become senator!?
Sometimes Linc attends Richard Walton's birthday party, and I must say, he is affable and patient.

Irene Sendlerowa, Polish social worker, who saved Jewish children from Nazis

Sendler's list - a story of a Catholic who saved 2,500 Jewish children

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eat, drink , stop the war: 6/1/08 in historic Pawtuxet...

Richard Walton's Annual Birthday Celebration!

The following is the text of the invite in "Peace Talks" vol.13. #2 May/June 2008, R.I. Peace & Justice Education Fund:

Richard Walton's 80th Birthday Party, Part I, Sunday June 1. As usual, about 2 o'clock at 1 & 5 Grenore Street, off Narragansett Parkway, just south of the Cranston city line in the historic Pawtuxet section of Warwick. And as usual it's a potluck benefit for Amos House and the Providence-Niquinohomo Sister City Project.

Usually as lot of of the most interesting people in Rhode Island are there so it's usually a pretty good party.

Please come. Questions? richard@richardjwalton.org or 781-7504.

In addition: The area code is (401). People from Massachusetts and Connecticut and many other places have been known to attend. The wikipedia entry for Richard is woefully lacking. Richard is like the older brother I always wanted. Oddly, he knew my grandfather when they both worked for the World Telegram & Sun in New York City about 6 decades ago ( maybe 5).

Ada's Books' Reading Tonight!

Please see their blog linked below.

Rites & Reason Theatre

I've loved this theatre and everything about it since 1982.

http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Africana_Studies/rites_reason/

Grace Paley may or may not have visited, but she would have loved this place and its people. This is true for Harold Rogovin (less likely that he visited). Marsha's spirit is here forever.

Thank you, George Houston Bass.

Thank you, Rhett Jones.

Thank you.

Memo to the Providence Journal: Argentina & The Dominican Republic Are Different Countries

In Section D of today's Providence Journal, there is an article: "City registrar charged with domestic assault".

The two people involved are described as, "...prominent members of the Dominican community..."

Delia Rodriguez-Masjoan was, "raised in Cordoba, Argentina," according to many sources, including (!) The Providence Journal.

RI -- An Economic Crisis, Not One Of Immigration

I came to Rhode Island in 1982 from New York.

I am the daughter and granddaughter and great granddaughter of refugees. My father was born in Germany in 1931, and his father was born in Latvia; his mother in Poland. My grandfather was an ophthalmologist and decided that he would not stay in Germany after Hitler rose to power and laws were constructed that would only allow him to treat Jews, but not non-Jews. They had the resources to make it to Palestine in 1933. This is what I was always told as a child. The reason my Opa left the shtetl in Latvia for Berlin was to go to medical school.

My mother's family arrived in the U.S. long before my father, but they were immigrants too. They came from Germany and Russia. Some of them changed their names and "passed" as gentiles or at least managed to be "less Jewish". One of my relatives in New York last century wrote and published poems in Yiddish.

I love Rhode Island. Here I have found many educations, many families, many workplaces. Here I have studied American Sign Language and Spanish and Cape Verdean Creole. My son was born at Women & Infants Hospital. He has a mixed RhodeIsland/New York accent. His friends and he are teaching me new colloquialisms, even if I am a slow learner.

A few days ago, the neighboring house that is slowly turning into a Condominium was broken into. People tried to steal the copper from the plumbing. We have had bread lines at community centers since the 1980's if not before. I hear that some in Newport have not recovered from the exit of the Navy. In Woonsocket, there are many people waiting and praying for the mills to reopen.

I do not own a house, but I understand what property values and taxes are. I was involved in the public schools long before my child was born. There are thousands of Rhode Islanders, born at the old "Lying-In" Hospital whose reading levels limit their work options.

"I've been barefoot -- pregnant or not" is a line from a song by Fred Small. (" Letter From May Alice Jeffers").

Poverty and opportunity are reasons for migration, yes, but the immigrants bring Wisdom, Energy, Faith and much more. The statistics are available in other places.

Thank God for the Immigrants.

I pray for the Governors and Executives to return to their deepest knowledge and act accordingly.

Anti- Love Poem by Grace Paley

Grace's Anti-Love Poem

The link above leads to a poem by Grace Paley.

I had posted without permission the Anti--Love Poem, which thankfully is one of the three. Poetry Daily received permission...

Blossom Kirschenbaum wisely counseled me to get my act together!

May Day 2008 (belated)

Gratitude for Gary Snyder

This is one of the original "Beat" poets, who lives in the northwest , and has lived in Japan and other places. He is very deserving and not a part of the Po-Biz.

His birthday is May 8, 1945 ( I believe).

In 1982, I was blessed in attending a reading of anthropologist/poets [poet/anthropologists?] at The New School for Social Research. Gary Snyder, Jerome Rothenberg and 3 or 4 others read. I sat near the front of the auditorium, next to Fred Martin, then an editor at New Directions. Fred was editor for Gary, and Denise Levertov and many brilliant poets.

He shared that he, himself was a "C- poet," who had "to deal in A+ to survive."

I was barely 18 years old at the time and overjoyed to receive written notes throughout the reading from Fred. He graded all the poets that evening. I wrote about Fred Martin on foetrydotcom, and later heard from his daughter-in-law, Susan.

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