July 2014 - OE - lists.wedgeblade.net

Memorial for Charles Moore
by George Holcombe via OE 07 Jul '14

07 Jul '14

The Memorial Service for Charles Moore will be held Saturday, July 12 at the Faith Presbyterian Church, 1314 E Oltorf St, Austin, TX 78704 (512) 444-1314 George Holcombe 14900 Yellowleaf Tr. Austin, TX 78728 Mobile 512/252-2756 geowanda1(a)me.com "Whatever the problem, community is the answer. There is no power greater than a community discovering what it cares about." Margaret Wheatley

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Jaime for Thursday ST
by via OE 07 Jul '14

07 Jul '14

Ni hao, y’all It was not unexpected but it stillcame to me as a surprise. Several southernStates in North America reportedly poised their economies to attractinvestments from China. The son of a moneyed Vancouvermagnate spent a bundle to get his son wedded to a model, complete with privatefireworks that required a public permit and cost a fortune. Of course, we knew as was anticipated that HKwealth ran into Vancouver and Toronto after the 1997 turnover of the territoryto China by England. In my lifetime, I was acquaintedwith three civilizational dreams. Thefirst was a royally militant one, asserting an Aryan sense of regal superiorityacross the planet when the upper lip in the observance of afternoon teafollowed the declaration that the “sun never sets on the British Empire.” This represented the European dream started byMacedonian Alexander when we led his troops to dip lances on the Indus waters,and the Caesars constructed their viaducts into the piazzas of Rome. The second came with GI Joe afterWWII; in the Pea Eye, it came with Thomasite at the turn of the 20thcentury, teachers who did not mind being an arm of an imperial design alongwith the evangelical Midwest Protestant missionaries. “The light upon the hill” was acharacterization from Boston, later called American exceptionalism, and a deepsense of “manifest destiny” on bringing liberation to the oppressed, relief tothe destitute and freedom to the downtrodden. At first, that is. Later, we forgot the oppressed andthe double-d. After General Dwight asPresident Ike on his way out of office warned of the close affinity of corporatemanagement to military might, Uncle Sam’s grunts and State’s policy wonks surreptitiouslybecame the brawn and brain of the country’s oil exploration and drillingconcerns. The American Dream becameAl-Jazeera’s favored punching bag. Individual drive for wealth got stymied as the 15/85 percent dividebecame a 1/99 gross inequality. Current President Xi Jinping usedthe phrase “China Dream” in his speech after he was elected into office, andjoined six others including the country’s Prime Minister in the StandingCommittee of the Politburo. Hisadministration vowed to pursue and engage the nation to a China Dream. As a foreigner residing in the country, I amoften asked why I chose to be in China after my contract was already completed. I answer through the three points Iunderstand to be constituent of the China Dream. One, the dream involves more thanthe 85 million members of the Communist Party of China, critical as they aresince their sense of responsibility includes the proper governance of the land,rather, it involves the 1.39 billion Chinese in country as well as thosedispersed across the planet. Retiredcolleague and literacy acceleration guru Lucille Chagnon, in the reading andwriting anthology she uses for her “each one, teach two” courses, quotes an oldChinese proverb: Tell me, I forget. Show me, I remember. Involve me, I understand. Similarly, the CPC aims to involveeveryone in the dreaming. Two, the dream diffuses thetension brought by the Huquo individualregistration (huji system ofhousehold registration) that pits the formerly dominant countryside against thenew urban dwellers. It was nothistorically intended to pit one internal group against another as it was toidentify and designate one’s provenance and place of official residence, aswell as record immigration and movement of the increasing mobile workforce. A similar practice was followed in Japan,North Vietnam, the Koreas, and Russia (South Korea stopped the practice in2008, and earlier, the propiska ofthe USSR). While the intention was notcontradictional, the system spawned an informal but actual caste system thatfavors urban registrants. The dreamvisualizes a leveled playing field. Third, the dream requires that alltrade and commerce with people outside the sovereign territory be on a win-winarrangement. It does not serve China’sinterest anywhere in the world if their investment flourishes at the expense ofthe host economy. If China advances, somust also be the case of the countries in commercial and trade relationshipswith China. In the free-market realm,China reads the financial report bottom line, gleans for lessons from the localpolitical process, but does not interfere with it one way or the other. After the Tiananmen Squareincident of 1989, Party stalwart Deng Xiaoping made it clear to reformers that“some folks will get richer before others” as he opened the floodgates of themarket to private investments. Hereportedly told his audience that they could make as much money as they wantbut to leave the politics alone to the pros. The China Dream began at his instigation. The Party had not been idle. Prosecution of high profile charges oncorruption were made. Tremors accompanyChina’s vision of the future but its journey begins at the center. “Zhong” is the fifth cardinal point, thecenter, the same word that identifies the people. In the dream, we are on to a Journey to, of,and for the Center, y’all! j'aime la vie pinoypanda2031(a)aol.com yesterday, appreciate; tomorrow, anticipate; today. participate. In all, celebrate!

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Thanks, Charles
by Phyllis Hockley via OE 07 Jul '14

07 Jul '14

I was quite happy with my life, just the way it was. Had a great teaching job in Milwaukee and was registered at Univ. of Wisconsin for summer school to take the last couple courses needed to get my masters in education. The time had come to do just that. Then there was a knock on the door. It was Charles Moore. He was there to set me straight. I didn't need to get my masters that summer. Instead, the time had come to go to Chicago and get ready to be part of the Milwaukee Local Church Experiment starting in the fall. He must have been quite convincing, because I didn't go get my masters, I went to Chicago and became part of our Local Church Experiment. And that meant I had to switch to Bill and Patty's church, become Sunday School Superintendent in this new church, and meet some incredible people who were all part of this local church experiment. And this one knock on the door and encounter with Charles Moore was quite life changing indeed. In a few years I moved into the Milwaukee Religious House, then was off to Seoul, Korea, then to the Student House, then Bontoa, then back to Korea, then New York City with all the glories of Training, Inc. That Charles Moore sure set my life spinning around. Thanks, Charles, for a great spin!!

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Salmon:Rhapsody for Charles
by William Salmon via OE 07 Jul '14

07 Jul '14

A Rhapsody for Charles Moore MORE Longer than always is a long, long time. But far beyond forever you'll be mine. I know I never lived before and my heart is very sure No one else could love you more. There is more than just a bit of irony in these words; yet they well-up from the deeps of my being. Rest in Peace. Bill Salmon

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Fwd: GMC July 4
by David Zahrt via OE 07 Jul '14

07 Jul '14

*FRI July 4th* It was a lazy day. I got up by 7:30 and heard that the Culbertson Fire Dept was serving a biscuit and gravy breakfast with orange juice and cinnamon roll. The pastor’s wife volunteered to do laundry for us. So first thing in the morning I put my laundry in a bag on her back porch. Then I went down to the fire station and had breakfast. When I got back to the church I discovered that the Marchers that didn’t want the Fire Dept’s breakfast were cooking scrambled eggs and fried potatoes. I added some scrambled eggs to my breakfast. We identified our place in the town’s 4th of July parade, lined up and waited for the parade to start. There were 2 guitarists and we sang Izzy’s repertoire of songs: one of them was *This Land Is Your Land.* We also handed out NE Interfaith Power and Light flyers that emphasized our stand against Keystone Pipeline. A woman who was at least my age, stopped me. She said, “China is the biggest polluter. We won’t be able to stop climate change if China continues polluting.” I discovered that I didn’t have a response. I agreed and moved on in the parade. Later I reflected: 1. We’ve set the example and China has adopted/copied our Consume-and-Throw-Away-Lifestyle. 2. The US—Walmart as an example—imports a massive amount of goods manufactured in China, because of low prices. 3. So first of all the US must change our lifestyle in order to give China a new lifestyle to copy. 4. And then the US must put a tariff on things manufactured in China and begin building our own economy with new jobs. Izzy is strong on Buddhism. He’s spent a lot of time at Omega Institute. He's invited me to bring Lin and visit the Omega Institute in NY. When we got back from the parade, I asked him if he was aware of the times when he practiced “compassion” and aware of the times when he was without compassion. He indicated that he was aware of some times when he practiced compassion. I told him that I wondered about compassion when he sang *This Land Is Your Land.* And that I found myself refusing to sing that song after I spent some time with Native Aborigines in Australia, and Kikuyu tribesmen in Kenya. And when I returned to W. IA, I realized that we had stolen *This Land* from the Native Americans living near us. After the parade we had an impromptu lunch at the church then I checked with the pastor’s wife about my laundry. She indicated that she had seen the bag and then it disappeared before she got it inside. I checked the campsite and discovered that someone had moved it from the porch to the campsite. I got it back to her and she got it done by mid-afternoon. I hung my laundry on the line and it dried by late afternoon. The rest of the day was a Rest Day. We had a lovely evening meal and got ready for the next day’s March. Those sleeping outside had to deal with a sudden thundershower. I don’t know how long it lasted but they got wet. -- Peace, David

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Marge Philbrook broke her right hip in Oakland, CA and needs a rehab center or nursing home.
by Evelyn Philbrook via OE 07 Jul '14

07 Jul '14

Dear California Family, and Friends, My mother-inlaw, Marge Philbrook, now 85 went to the Philbrook family reunion being hosted by Phil's sister. She was staying with her married granddaughter Rebekah Philbrook Otto and Raphi Gottsmann in Oakland, CA and fell. She broke her right hip. She is out of surgery and will asked to leave on Tuesday, July 8th. She is at the Alta Bates Summit Hospital, Oakland, CA. She has Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance suppliment with Medicare and was the wife of a United Methodist Minister for many years in Texas and currently works in the archives of ICA USA. She needs a place to do rehab until she can fly back to Chicago. I am reaching out to any family members and friends who can help us get her in a rehab center while she recuperates. If you have contacts which can help us, please contact Marge's daughter, Paula Philbrook cell: 773-771-2505 or email paula.philbrook(a)gmail.com. and include Evelyn. Bekah and Raphi are leaving for Italy on Friday next week. Thanks inadvance and God Bless you All, Love, Evelyn Kurihara Philbrook Institute of Cultural Affairs: Taiwan -- Facilitator and Social Artist 3Fl, #12, Lane 5, Tien Mu West Road Taipei, Taiwan 11156 Tel:8862-2871-3150 email:joyful52@gmail.com orjoyful(a)icatw.com skype: joyfuleakp Cell: 886926682821

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Remembering Peoria
by Bill Schlesinger via OE 07 Jul '14

07 Jul '14

Jan - Carol and I have memories of you and John in Peoria - we hope you're doing well. We remember Charles - and his passion. Bill Schlesinger Project Vida 3607 Rivera Avenue El Paso, TX 79905 (915) 533-7057 x 207 (915) 503-1014 FAX <mailto:pvida@whc.net> pvida(a)whc.net www.projectvidaelpaso.org

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Fwd: GMCA July 2-3
by David Zahrt via OE 07 Jul '14

07 Jul '14

*WED Jul 02* About 3:30 AM there was a 5-minute downpour. Everyone sleeping outside on the ground got wet. I was in the tent. Today the March was from Max, NE to Macklin Bay campground. It was not clear how to take a swim in the lake because it was a reservoir. But I was delighted that there were showers at the new campground. I’ve felt some discomfort on my bottom since I’ve been biking every day. While showering I discovered that my bike seat gave me a blood blister on the bottom of my backbone. So I had the first aid staff attend to it. We choose a large room in the commode and they recommended that I not ride my bike tomorrow. I haven’t been Marching for a month or more so I arranged with Izzy to help him load up and be a passenger in the Food truck. Today we crossed out of the Mountain Time zone into Central Time and lost an hour. After dinner another step in the March planning, that Chris was facilitating, was scheduled. The next step was *Visualizing What Could Be*. There were only 10-12 of us at the meeting. I expected it to be a workshop that the whole camp should participate in. We reviewed the data we had collected at the first meeting. There was nothing printed out for us to review. There was a statement on the white board and then Chris moved on to the next step. Once again it took longer than expected and people found they had to leave. It did not seem to me to be a productive meeting so I left, prepared the solar trailer for the morning, and went to bed. *THU Jul 03* Today we set off from Macklin Bay Park to Trinity Methodist Church in Culbertson. This evening there is a Potluck dinner at the church, and tomorrow we participate in the 4th of July Parade. I couldn’t get my computer to connect to the WiFi at the church. I went to the Café on Hwy 34, next to the park, and it connected immediately without a password. I spent some time sending my journaling and ‘cleaning up’ my email. When I got back to the church there was a meeting going on. It was an attempt to share the discussion that John A and Jeffrey had with Ed. I was not able to discern what the end result was. After the meeting I asked Jerry, a member of the March city council, what the conclusion was and he said he didn’t know! I wonder if the original estimate on the amount of money each participant should raise, $5,000, was inaccurate? The best information we can get from our bookkeeper is that the March will run out of funds by the time we reach the demonstration against the Keystone Pipeline, July 19, in NE. The supper was a potluck in the church. We did a lot of cooking in the church kitchen. The pastor’s wife brought meatballs and slices of steak. The pastor and his wife plus a local newspaper reporter were the only guests at the meal. Anna, the NE coordinator, led the mealtime conversation. She led us through a series of questions on how we can promote interfaith awareness of the need for changing the way we’re using up the climate. Once again only 12 of the Marchers remained for the conversation. Her last question was meant for church members who were marchers: What can you do in the next 3 months in your church/community? If I’ll be on the March I don’t have any way to answer that. I’ve referred my local congregation in Carson City to Interfaith Power and Light and Lenten practices. Nothing happened. Maybe they’re waiting for me to start the program. -- Peace, David

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Global Buzz July 2014 Edition
by ICA International via OE 06 Jul '14

06 Jul '14

Enjoy catching up with what is happening in ICAs across the globe.....If you wish to SEND a report...send to your ICA contact person OR...go to the members section on the ICA International website Please click the link below for the July issue of the Global Buzz Global Buzz Report: July 2014 or copy and paste this URL into your browser's address bar http://ica-international.org/buzz/7dayreport-14/2014-07-01.php ICAI Communications

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Fwd: GMCA July 1
by David Zahrt via OE 06 Jul '14

06 Jul '14

*TUE Jul 01* We woke up and started to prepare for the day in the dark. It was Jay’s birthday. Late yesterday afternoon Brian, a Marcher that is making a documentary of the March by interviewing the Marchers, had me add to his documentary. One of his questions was about the entry to NE because we walked out of CO into NE through a canopy and make a comment about the meaning of the March for us. I told him that I was marching for our son, Jay, and our grandchildren, Sonam and Kinley. He asked about Jay’s commitment and involvement in conservation and/or climate change. I found it hard to answer. Jay was the only white student in his first grade class on the West side of Chicago. So he learned at an early age to be inter-racial. He grew up learning and practicing ways to be a conservationist. He always seemed to be able to construct something from nothing. He demonstrated against nuclear energy. He helped us restore the prairie on Reese Homestead in western Iowa. I’m at a loss to know how to celebrate and commemorate his birthday. I need to create a new mantra. At the moment I continue to be reminded, “I’m a Son-less Father”. Lin and I have been commemorating Jay’s life by hiking on his birthday over the west slope in Washoe Valley behind the Ranch, where he and Trish lived for awhile after they were first married. This year I’m on the Climate March and it will be dangerous for Lin to make the climb alone because of fire danger and high temperature. She’ll wait for safer conditions and reschedule the walk with a partner. I phoned both Heidi and Trish and commemorated his birthday. When I shared my mantra with Trish she reminded me that it was inaccurate: I have a son, Jay! Our route from the State Park was to Max, NE. The Park was on a gravel road and the first 5 miles were washboard gravel so I got on Hwy 34 as soon as I could. The bike-lanes/shoulders have been excellent. I got to the Max park in time to eat lunch. Then I journaled and set up the big tent. At dinner Faith, a 19-year-old Marcher, told her life story. She took 45 minutes. After dinner the local residents who joined us for dinner opened the church. It probably holds 30-40 people. Izzy promoted a music gathering in the church so I got out my bass. Ed played the piano and we sang some old familiar tunes: Swing Low Sweet Chariot, I’ll Fly Away, etc. and ended with Amazing Grace. It was dusk when we finished and I packed my bass and amp in the Gear truck and went to bed. Peace, David -- Peace, David

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