Thank You Ninja Nurse, Democommie And Patient Friends

I have been a deeply dormant blogger, but the encouragement of the NinjaNurse, and Democommie and the famous bloggers of Newport and Other Mysterious Settings is waking me from the slumber.

This past Saturday at a wonderful Halloween event in my neighborhood, I had the great fortune to see Alex Svoboda, my friend whose knee was so harmed by the authorities in Pawtucket and who works joyfully with the Wobblies. Incredibly there are still charges pending against her ( and one or two others ).

Grace Paley's Birthday is approaching.

Rhett Jones' spirit is, I'm sure, following this Obama Administration and football and theatre and Civil Rights.

Marsha Z. West is Dancing and somewhere laughing about silly people blogging in her Memory.

And Harold Rogovin? Somewhere making jokes in Yiddish and reflecting on Sacco and Vanzetti.

Support Alex Svoboda, Jason Friedmutter and Local Wobblies (IWW's)

I was horrified to see in today's Providence Journal that a "Special Prosecutor" has been selected to prosecute Alex...

Here's a link not to that article, but to a blog devoted to Alex...
http://supportalexsvoboda.blogspot.com/

Apologies, I didn't sleep well last night and am especially foggy technically...

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.

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/

Alex Svoboda is home! Yesterday there was a large rally in North Providence, RI.

I don't have the ability to post photo's, but my guess is they can be found at the www.iww.org site.

Ethan keeps asking me: What's a wobbly !? If anyone can send me any good links, I'll be grateful.

Grace Paley presente

With gratitude to Alfred Hayes (c. 1930) and Earl Robinson's music (1936?), I dedicate this blog to Grace Paley whose heart and spirit outlives breast cancer.

I hope Grace will forgive the clumsy technical abilities I offer. And I am not suggesting that her activism fits any one tradition. (One big union is wide...).

Alex Svoboda, my 22 year old neighbor, injured seriously by the North Providence (Rhode Island) police, is someone Grace would welcome into the fold.
Please visit: http://supportalexsvoboda.blogspot.com/ for more information.