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Pondering patriarchy's seed at SCOTUS this week….
Pondering patriarchy's seed at SCOTUS this week….
Mayor Bloomberg is having some powerful blow back this week, though a guy with his track record is probably used to it. The media courting NYC mayor was outed in a Salon article about the vested interest of uber-wealthy entrepeneurs financing school reform (read here) and his own tech-stock interest in a particular California School Board race. Yesterday a New York state court judge also put a hold on his attempt to outlaw super-size coke in the city (read here). Now his latest campaign, a media blitz aimed at shaming "teen parents" is receiving loud reviews (note: The Root offers both pro and con responses).
Before I go any farther, I should point out that I am not now, nor was I ever, a teen mom. Having named that truth, my credibility in the conversation immediately plummets. Quite frankly, anyone attempting to pass themselves off as an expert in the field who has not walked in the shoes is a fraud and ought be ushered off center stage. We humans have an incredibly unhelpful instinct to feign empathy when we in fact we have none, and we fool only ourselves and those equally inexperienced. We add insult to injury aware of neither.
This flaw in our empathy instinct became real for me when after years of acting as an ally for my LGBT friends, I left my hetero-life, came out, and began to experience the world as a lesbian. The learning curve was (and is) steep, and I very quickly came to realize that I had been totally blind to an experience in which I had had both instinctive awareness, deep sympathy, and presumably much empathy. Still, you don't know what you don't know. And there was a ton I didn't know and could not have understood. As good an ally as I was, the blinders I wore were astounding. Allies are welcome and important, but when allies presume to mistake support for first hand knowledge, they cease to be allies.
With new found humility in this empathy gig, I find myself wondering how different our public discourse would be if we limited our platitudes to first hand knowledge. Rather than offering advice while blindfolded, what if we shared our experiences? My first child was born on the eve of my 30th birthday, but even so she was quite a surprise. Truth be told, I was neither financially nor emotionally prepared and two decades later I still feel like I'm trying to catch up. This is the experience that I know and that I can tell with integrity. My hunch is that if we get more honest about our own stories and the emotions that dance through them, we will have much that is worthy to share. In fact if I share mine with authenticity and invite you to do the same, we will likely find ties that bind no matter the age of our parenthood.
If I dare to be real about my own story and listen while you share yours, I will also begin to see the places where privilege has opened different doors. Gender, race, ethnicity, economics, academic ability, geography – these all open and close doors that for the most part we don't even see unless they have been shut before we got through them. The sobering fact of life in America is that some of us skated through innumerable open doors that we didn't even notice while others got knocked on their asses in the attempt. If I'm honest about my experience and listen openly and without judgement to yours, I begin to see the doors that open and close, the privileges that are not shared equitably and have very little to do with personal choices.
Sure, parenthood might be easier if we had strong happy two-parent marriages in communities that welcomed us, college careers to back us up, and bank accounts that allowed us to provide sustenance without worry. But this standard is an elusive myth not a realistic goal. The fact is that children come into our world most often at awkward times, steal our hearts, bleed our finances, and take every last ounce of energy we have. Given the world's overpopulation and the reality that at least most of us no longer need procreate for our species to survive, a truly rational approach would be to remain childless. Period.
Short of ditching the whole enterprise, I would suggest that we hold our stones and limit our advice giving.
Years ago I was at a liberal love-in, a gathering of eco-friendly religious folk, and one of the invited guests dropped a startling piece of self disclosure. In the context of a policy-related question, one of the good liberals assumed solidarity with the Native American speaker as he made an anti-Republican comment. The speaker said simply, "I'm a Republican." The room hushed and she continued. "A Nixon Republican." The silence was complete. "Liberals tend to think they know what's best for my people. But Nixon honored my people's independence, he respected us and our right to self determination." History aside, our stereotypes were set on edge where they ought stay.
I'm not the Mayor, I'm not uber-wealthy, and I'm not charged with directing legislative agendas. But having been hit by them, I do recognize stones. We have been all too liberal with the stones aimed at young parents. Let's drop them.
Last night I joined the millions of Americans who've experienced Spielberg's magnum opus, Schindler's List. It was the twentieth anniversary of this renowned movie and I confess that it took twenty years to find the courage to watch. While devoid of gratuitous violence, the story's context is hell's inferno. To witness the hope embodied by a soul's redemption is to face the fire from whence it emerges. I awoke this morning weary from the emotional assault.
The obligatory characters were present in the movie but it was not they who shook my soul. In addition to a self-absorbed socialite cunning to make a fortune on the war effort (Schindler), there was a sociopathic SS officer killing randomly to increase terror, and the silently brilliant (and cunning) Jewish accountant who is at once both powerless and in charge. These were towering characters embodying the edges of human capacities, but these primary characters are not the ones that took my breath. The characters that leveled my heart were the ordinary ones, the ones that would be me or you, the nameless ones in and out of uniform that simply allowed their bodies, their voices, their hands and feet, to be used to further the killing machines. The emotionless female guard as the train disembarked and the women that stood smiling beside the men who wore the uniforms, these were the ones who haunt me. They had no visible malice but likewise registered no awareness of the evil that filled their world. Silent. Complicit.
I suspect that the true danger of our humanity is our capacity to enter a place of denial and ride with the one that brought us to the dance. How else can we explain the millions of otherwise ordinary people who participated in such a heinous chapter of history? And (of course) lest we toss our stones, history is quick to offer similar chapters in every age and continent. There is nothing 20th century or European about evil's cunning ways. Most fearfully, if history teaches us anything it is that unlearned it is also our future.
The exhaustion I feel in the morning light is in part the imperative to learn quickly lest we repeat some ancient terror. The lesson to learn is not about Nazis or sociopathic wardens. The lesson relevant to us otherwise nice folk is the one about silent complicity. Eli Wiesel, himself a survivor of Auschwitz, says, "There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest." Nearly a thousand years earlier, Dante had warned of the neutral players protecting self-interest; President Kennedy, quoting Dante, said that "the hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in a period of moral crisis maintain their neutrality". More dangerous than the demented leaders are the silent followers.
If one dares to accept this truth, one quickly faces a more troubling corollary. Those that silently follow are rarely (if ever) consciously aware. Preposterous, but true. In the cold light of morning, the evil of slavery in America is inescapable. But just 140 years ago, ordinary white women, wives and mothers, throughout the southern states in this country silently helped their husbands perpetuate an unspeakable horror. These were, by and large, "good Christian women" who would have been very "nice", the very best of what we call "southern hospitality". The vast majority were not mean-spirited by nature or malicious in intent. How then did they manage to not hear the screams of those being tortured? How did they not notice the mothers separated from children? How did they make their peace with the obvious likeness of their spouse in the faces of young slaves? These are blind eyes that are cultivated. Occasionally the cultural conditioning fails, as it did for the South Carolina born abolitionist Angelina Emily Grimké, but her story was stunning in its departure from the norm. The even more stunning truth, if rarely faced, is that of our human capacity to blind ourselves to what is unpleasant. This ability to walk blindly is the untold story that must be faced.
A clue to our blinders is the role of greed in each of these stories. Some years ago I toured a plantation home near New Orleans in search of clues and began to hear the messages that might have filled the mistress' mind and closed her heart; messages about the futility of one voice, the inevitability of the economic machine, and an instinct to focus on the positive. Inasmuch as our American holocaust was accepted as an inevitable consequence of an otherwise lucrative economy, I wonder about greed as an essential ingredient in our complicity. The role of greed was a key thread in the story of the Holocaust and presented in Schindler's List as wealth was stolen from the Jewish community fueling the German war machine and lining the pockets of locals who scurried to gather the scraps. Surely greed is the common thread in our relentless human abuse of one another.
Rearview mirrors offer remarkable, if distorted, truth. What is more pressing is our need to use these mirrors to read our current context with more intention. What is it that our great-great grandchildren will see in our time which our eyes, blinded by greed and complicity, were simply not seeing? If I follow the money trail and notice where it intersects with grave injustice, I find myself facing the massive prison industrial complex. The term was coined before the new millennium but the incarceration rates, and those who profit from them, continue to rise (PIC in America: Big Business or New Slavery?). A new wave of industry is now supported by prison labor, which allows our American economy to compete with the prison labor in China. At best a distasteful topic and at worst a nightmare that our closet cannot contain, pleasant dinner table conversation steers clear of this topic. Nice white women like me simply don't talk about such distasteful topics over dinner. And so greed runs roughshod over conscience and innocents lie trampled. But it is nice white women who teach our children; in fact, two-thirds of our nation's public school teachers are white women and I'm guessing that most are nice. (Disclosure: I'm happily married to one and also applying to be one.) And, at least according to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), it's time for us to talk.
In this month's issue of Teaching Tolerance, the SPLC project takes on the "School to Prison Pipeline" addressing the connections between our public school policies and the prison industrial complex. This issue offers a new tool, a "Teacher's Guide to Rerouting the Pipeline", in an attempt to invite classroom teachers to be more conscious of the ways in which we all participate. In defense of teachers, already beleaguered from both left and right and sworn to serve the reigning god of test scores, we cannot lay the blame for our nation's tragedy on their already burdened backs. What the articles do suggest, though, is one small window into how ordinary nice folk participate unwittingly in a heinous crime. To suggest that an individual teacher's interaction with a student regarding sagging pants contributes to the unjust incarceration rates in this country would seem ridiculous, but the point that SPLC makes is that the path to the pipeline is paved with hundreds of seemingly innocuous choices made along the way. Lest we dismiss the challenge to quickly we would be wise to remember the millions of otherwise nice folk who were necessary to create and maintain the machinery that propagated the Holocaust. Evil cannot be carried by one or two sociopaths. Evil requires millions of good people choosing to ignore and a million or so choosing to play along on a seemingly innocuous level. In our time, what appears innocuous is to be "tough on crime" and have "zero tolerance" in our schools. In so doing, we unwittingly but unmistakably (at least according to Teaching Tolerance) become the evil we abhor. The remarkable shard of good news in their article is a practical guide to recognize unhelpful choices and an invitation to make different ones.
As my spirit nurses the necessary wound inflicted by Schindler's List, I am aware that the moral of the story is not in defining our contemporary evil but in something far more fundamental. The call is to face our own capacity to deny lest we unwittingly condone and (worse), participate. For only when we face the potential within ourselves will we find the strength to speak against it. This spiritual movement of facing ourselves is the heart of the ancient Christian discipline of Lent; with or without the ashes, it's time.
If this month's PBS lineup is any indication, American's are intrigued by the extremes of wealth and poverty, at least the historical ones.
Downton Abbey fans are in mourning at the end of Season 3, an indication of the degree to which we identify with the characters in this upstairs-downstairs style drama of English aristocracy (circa 1920). Meanwhile the American Experience series, set on the other side of the ocean, has offered powerful stories about first Henry Ford and then the Rockefeller dynasty. Both of these fine features take incisive looks into the pathos and greed of the subjects as well as their impacts for the rest of us.
As we soak up these historic images of a gilded age, we have an opportunity to move beyond the temptation to idolize the privilege, to recognize the tragic costs of these disparities, and begin to take stock of the world in which we find ourselves today. Still unknown, however, is whether our identification will seed a revolution or inspire a selfish reach for the brass ring.
Throughout my lifetime the disparity between wealth and poverty has shifted dramatically. As I child I read Dickens' novels in the shadow of the War on Poverty and had a mistaken sense of relief that we had evolved into a more compassionate people. As a young adult working with men, women and children who were living in Phoenix's Central Arizona Shelter System (CASS), I realized that the poor houses of yesteryear were making a resurgence. Right before my eyes, the number of children in poverty was growing as our nation actually increased its wealth. The purchasing power of a minimum wage salary stagnated and then fell.
During those misty-eyed years of Reaganomics, we determined to grow the fiscal pie and agreed to take a smaller slice, allowing the economically advantaged to take an even larger slice of a growing pie. For decades now, we have been in the business of producing billionaires and scorching poverty with shrinking middle ground.
As I consider the landscape today, I wonder if we know the names of the men whose stories will be told a hundred years from now. We know the names of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs as we enjoy daily use of the tools that they brought into our homes. But do we know that the names of those who own the banks and finance the elections? What do we know of the Koch brothers or the Walton family? But lest we become mired in human interest stories, a more pressing invitation beckons.
Our intrigue with history could well provide fodder for meaningful redirection of our national priorities. Certainly in his second inaugural speech, President Obama attempted to prepare both our hearts and minds for this kind of shift.
Together, we determined that a modern economy requires railroads and highways to speed travel and commerce; schools and colleges to train our workers.
Together, we discovered that a free market only thrives when there are rules to insure competition and fair play.
Together, we resolved that a great nation must care for the vulnerable, and protect its people from life's worst hazards and misfortune.
For we, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it.
Yet as I watched Downton Abbey wind through this third season, I am struck by the increasingly prominent role of Sybil's widower, Tom Branson, and his subsequent shift in aspirations. Once the Irish rebel schooled in the promise of Marx, he has become a (albeit lesser) Lord of the Manor complete with proper attire and manners. In the season's finale, a downstairs maid attempted to coax him into relationship and invite him to remember his roots; but cooler heads prevailed and he closed the season upstairs where he now belongs. The message hints at a promise of class mobility and the stage is set for the unfolding of the new era.
But in this promise we find our curse. In the promise that we can rise with the barons, we unwittingly accept the plight of the chamber maid. To be sure there are random success stories like Henry Ford's and Bill Gate's. But lest we paint history too cleanly, both of these successful entrepeneurs began their careers with some measure of privilege as educated white men in country where these demographics have purchasing power. Yet even if we limit our sights on the class mobility of white men, an honest appraisal notes that every Bill Gates there are millions of footmen. My mother warned that the lottery is a "tax on people with poor math skills", embracing unbridled capitalism in hopes of wealth is similarly misguided. Yet just as the lottery counters fill when the jackpot rises, we gather in anticipation at the feet of the uber-wealthy believing that just this once, it might be us (or our children).
Curious is the role of the church in these stories. In Downton Abbey (fiction) the church functions as the imprimatur of the status quo, presiding at the key transitions but pointedly absent in discussions of morality and conscience. For the first generations of Rockefellers, the church played a much more primary, if curious, role. The church was the motivator both to amass great wealth and subsequently to demonstrate great charity. Perhaps too the church in this story can be credited with moving those early Rockefeller's to a deeper understanding of the power of philanthropy, moving beyond hospitals to fund research and build schools. For Ford, the church had less influence save to provide the foundation for his unconscionable anti-Semitic writings. Far from being the agent of salvation, the church functions in these stories predominantly as mirror of the people who attend them; there is no ninth hour savior emanating from the institution.
Finally the choice about our future and our children's rests with each of us who gather in fascination at history's window. Our fascination may be the seed of revolution and thereby gold; but if we mistake the glitter for our own and reach, we'll find ourselves holding fool's gold.
Yesterday I drove past a neighborhood church sporting the sign, "Jesus paid the price… you can keep the change." Disconcerting was the dissonance between the progressive denomination (United Church of Christ) and the regressive theology invoked (sacrificial atonement). Having walked away from my life in ministry just weeks earlier, I am loathe to jump into a theological conversation and I initially pass on the bait. "To each their own," I reply when asked to comment.
Later in the day I received an email from a former colleague, expressing his concern with theological integrity and requesting conversation. Like me, he explains, he believes Jesus about God but does not believe the church about Jesus. With this truth, he asks, how can we stand before congregations uncritically parroting phrases that infer sacrificial atonement? What, he wonders, is the price for claiming that Jesus already paid it?
Before I reply to the theological question, I must confess a personal investment. Despite my dispensing of the church in all formal ways, I find myself showing up to pews on Sunday morning. I try to find places where the words won't make me cringe, at least not much. I seek places that don't look tolerantly surprised when I lean into my wife's open arms. I appreciate signs of multi-ethnic sensitivity and, better yet, presence. Yet I admit that I still unwittingly seek community in houses of worship. And perhaps therein lies an important clue to the relevance of engaging the conversation. As one still experiencing the need for gathered community, I find myself grateful for the conversation and hoping that we can find and create and cobble together some communities that embody the life and teachings of Jesus even as we step away from the trappings of the church.
And step away we must for the trappings are destroying our communities.
I know that once upon at a time it was different. Even as I came into ministry there were still remnants of the glory days, but the past two decades have been brutal on the institution. As institutions face such massive assaults and begin to implode, they are not generally practicing their most compassionate stances. And in all fairness, I don't know that Christianity ever truly experienced glory days if one is measuring by compassion's rule. A decade ago, American Christians were invited to two very different movies. The Passion of Christ was Mel Gibson's gory festival of macabre laud, dripping with almost as much insipid antisemitism as blood. Around the same time, James Carroll published Constantine's Sword, an important work which looked at the dark side of Christian history (Oren Jacoby later created a movie based on the work). Perhaps it was the collision of these messages that pushed me to a new way of seeing. Perhaps it was the lynching of James Byrd or Matthew Shepard tied in cruciform to the fence that opened my eyes to the cost of our theological constructs. Perhaps it was the company that I was keeping in those years or more like still simply it was my time to see. Regardless, once having seen the tragic cost of our bantying around trite theological platitudes, I saw it everywhere.
To hang a billboard that says, "Jesus paid the price" is to perpetuate a cavalier theology that is commonly known as substitutionary atonement. In a nutshell, it is the idea that humans are intrinsically corrupt, that the supreme deity demands a blood sacrifice, and that Jesus fulfilled that mission. Not only am I a Christian that disagrees with each of these suppositions, I am follower of Jesus who is offended them. But more important than my personal beliefs and even my indignation (however justifiable), these theological beliefs unwittingly shape our cultural norms in ways that lead us further from the compassion that we desperately seek. To repeat these phrases and however unconsciously perpetuate the beliefs is destructive. While it is no doubt comfortable to repeat the prayers and songs we learned as children, to seek a world of compassion while sing about "our Savior" is like subscribing to a new diet program while savoring a Snicker's bar.
And let's face it, we allowed original sin and the power of human evil a good long run. These doctrines have reigned in our community consciousness for centuries and given us horrors like the Crusades, the Holocaust. They have insipidly undergirded otherwise atrocious efforts of greed like colonialism, Apartheid and the American holocaust of slavery. Believing in human deficit models and an imposed need for conversion, repentance and salvation, we have built a prison industrial complex, created a tiered education system, and demonized the ones who stray. But all we have to show for it is an earth that is groaning and a people morally exhausted. Business as usual in the church is, I believe, not only counterproductive (ie: the church's decay) but also specifically destructive. What we need is a new paradigm.
The incredible good news is that such a paradigm is not beyond our reach. Like many people who believe Jesus about God, I seek a spiritual community that shares my belief that people are intrinsically good, that the sacred is immanent and known most fully in compassion, and that Jesus life and teachings embodied this compassion and invite us to do likewise. To share this community, however, we must together be willing to let go of the words, the traditions, the songs, and the trappings which pull us away from the simple goodness to which Jesus pointed.
To my brave colleague who asks the questions, I say simply "yes."
Once upon a time when I was a young math teacher in a small college town, I lived in the upstairs apartment of an old house and an interesting grad student lived downstairs. Don had a bumpersticker on his refrigerator that said "Save the Humans", he played Bruce Springstein full blast every morning, and he introduced me to Deloria's "God is Red". Don was very cool and a complement to my total geek. Don also had a friend named George, a fellow grad student that hung around a lot laughing. George's role in the circle was that of mirth, a sprit who lived for nature, simplicity, and a good party. In the spring of the year, when hearts come out of hiding, mine pinned it's sights on George and an ill-fated romance began.
I was finishing my teaching career to start seminary and a life of service in the church, and while he was also dedicated to service (studying to be a school counselor), George was a partying, atheist, vegetarian. He was the ying to my yang and my brief life with him opened windows I never new exisited. Together we canoed the Red Cedar River and the Boundary Waters, drank more beer than a normal might in a lifetime, and learned the fine art of dyfunctional relationship. With George, I was invited to behold the wonders of the Bald Eagle in the wild and a drunken fight on the front lawn. Intoxicated with libido and hops, I cashed in my full ride scholarship at the distant Presbyterian seminary and took out a student loan to attend the UCC seminary within communiting distance. The life lessons with George trumped any from a textbook. The relationship was filled with a full complement of firsts; first sleep over date, first AIDS test, first broken heart.
When I was working on my ninth step a few years ago, George and his wife (they married shortly after our breakup) were on my list. Revisiting the hurts, I had faced for perhaps the first time my own part in the dysfunction that was ours. Yet I had pushed this chapter so far back in the closet of my memory that even George's surname was a mystery. I had no current contact information and living amends seemed prudent. As I remember those heady days with George, I am reminded of the futile nature of my righteous anger, how it served no useful purpose during or after that defining relationship. Too I remember another character flaw that began to shine in those years, that of my ability to see, describe, and even believe a situation to be as I want it to be; to so fully immerse myself in the delusion that I miss the clues that would lead healthier spirits to the nearest exit. These are lessons that presented themselves long ago, lessons I was not yet ready to learn, lessons that even now I am just beginning to understand.
This morning I am remembering this coming of age chapter in my life because I learned yesterday that George died last summer. Fittingly he died at the close of summer, the season he loved for it's invitation to be in water. The circumstances of his death are a mystery ("at home and unexpected") and so too are many things about his life. Apparently he spent nearly two decades as a school counselor, laughing with children and offering support. Listed in the obituary are his "former wife", children, and "special friend", our Don. The obituary offered a picture of a man that looked exactly like the one that captured my heart 29 years ago, a vibrancy at dissonance with the words that surrounded it.
As I consider our frailty on this earth, I hear again Mary Oliver's poignant challenge: "Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" On this late winter morning the question rings with a new resonance. My answer no longer reflects once familiar tag lines. Away from professional identity and with the nest emptied, the answer looks now deeper to the habits of my heart. The chapter from so long ago seems strange and yet the young love story bears more relevance than I might expect. Orientation challenges aside (and unnamed in those days), George was the first one that stood at my heart's door with a hint of requited love.
It was in the spring of the year when I went to the river with George and my heart opened in a way I had not known possible. Tragically it opened to a place of breaking and for many years (years that became decades) it was tempting to remember that spring with regret and avoid all rivers. But twenty five years later, in the spring of the year, when the well guarded place opened once more, the possibilities were surprisingly both sustainable and exquisite.
As spring peeks around the corners of these lengthening days, my dear one promises to pull the kayaks out from behind the shed and take me to the river. I think I am ready now. Yes, I think I am ready.
The bane and blessing of aging is the growing collection of rearview mirrors. The mirrors are precious because they hold the sweet memories of our baby's touch and the first kiss of our beloved. The mirrors are also painful as they remind us of things we'd rather forget and distort events in macabre ways. And with each passing year of our lives, they accumulate. As I careen through the second half of life, their weight is unmistakable.
While one might expect their weight to be an anchor which slows this second half of life, these mirrors function more often as the weight that speeds the downhill run. I am aware at points that I am racing in a failed attempt to stay ahead of the mirrors. What I wish my heart knew is that no matter how fast or slow I go, the mirror remains anchored in my side view. Always.
What does change is my awareness of these mirrors and thereby their influence on my life. While I cannot change a single event of my past nor the unsettling truth that more of my life is behind than before, I do continually face choices about how I engage with that past. I can deny the past and be haunted by it or I can welcome the perspective and allow it to be information that guides my choices.
Five years ago this week I made the decision to stop drinking and my carefully constructed life began to unravel. Then I was a woman married to a man with two teenage children; now I am a woman married to a woman with an empty nest. The most recent loss is that of my professional identity as I retire from my "life's work" as a pastor. What is behind me seems clear, but what lies in front of me is not yet discernable. In seasons like this one, the invitation of the rearview mirrors is particularly seductive because the mirrors offer a clarity not available looking forward.
While living life in the rearview mirror is deadly, the mirrors themselves can offer invaluable lessons. As I consider the unraveling of my life, I can see the powerful promise that it is in the well tilled soil that the most beautiful new life emerges. It is in the places where I've loosed my grip most completely that the gains have swelled far beyond the losses. If I dare to face the mirrors with the deepest pain, I am aware that the seat in which I sit today bears witness to the trustworthiness of the road ahead. Neither running from nor living in the rearview mirrors, they provide context for the gratitude that is mine today.
A way watered with tears is the one lined with flowers. As I look today in the admittedly hefty pile of broken glass, I see bourgeoning bouquets in their reflection. And it is very good.
1. Swan Song
A swansong is the exquisite burst of music at the close of a silent life, at least according to ancient legends about the swan. So it is with amusement that after a lifetime of making words come together for worship, I come to you having just spent a month in silent worship with the Quakers, now re-entering worship words to share a "swansong". Words for a minister are perhaps like drinks for an alcoholic, one is too many and a thousand is not nearly enough.
2. Veneration of Knowledge
As I ponder the invitation to share a bit of parting wisdom, it seems oddly appropriate that the text and theme for the day, chosen before the significance was known is "knowledge".
The topic is appropriate for Peace UCC in Webster Groves MO because we are a community that lauds, perhaps even venerates, knowledge. We pride ourselves with our good public schools in WG, with the intellectual influences not only of Eden Seminary but Webster University and even the proximity with intellectual giants like Washington University and St. Louis University. Too we are proud that both in our zip code and even in our worshipping community we have an inordinate number of members with advanced degrees. We call ourselves an "educated congregation". And it is very good.
Yet as I sat with this familiar text and teaching this week, I've been struck by the difference between knowledge (noun) and knowing (verb) and with my own particular challenge: the more I 'know', the less knowledge I have. In my own life I have discovered a consistent and inverse relationship between the two. Most significantly, the more that I've come to "know" the sacred, the more certain I am that God is not an external diety to be described but an internal presence to be experienced.
Which, of course, has been an occupational hazard… but let me back up to the beginning.
3. Relevant Heresies
Once upon a time when I was a child in Sunday School, I was invited to share both "knowing" and knowledge. Our Sunday School books were filled with knowledge (wondrous bible stories of intrigue and scandal) and traditional "born again" theology. But our books also offered a rather peculiar teaching in a story about a dude named George Fox. Fox taught about something called the "inner light", that within each of us is a spark of the sacred, the very presence of God. Original sin or divine spark, which is at the core of our being?
The question was answered definitively when I went to a Christian college and learned about the Gnostic heretics who (we were taught) were an early but mortal threat to the very survival of Christianity, a heretical group who believed in a crazy idea that within all humans there is a … divine spark, the very presence of God.
Admittedly I was skeptical and was delighted in seminary to learn more about these heretics, connecting the dots with the Quakers, and being assured that heretics, though perhaps shunned in their day, were not always the bad guys. My history professor in seminary even encouraged us to study church history from the margins. As we read the theologians who've been labeled and set aside we discover that though an institutional religion has consistently affirmed sets of knowledge, there have always been spiritual teachers who've embraced a way of being, of knowing, that was outside of and/or at odds with the institution.
Charges of heresy aside, knowing the sacred trumps knowledge about God… every time.
4. Thomas 70
One of the parallel readings this morning was from Thomas' gospel, an important example of a book that had been labeled as heresy and subsequently lost for many years. The particular verse that we heard this morning has been incredibly shaping in my life for more than a decade and one that speaks to the power of knowing. Elaine Pagels translates the verse this way: "If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you."
What we need for this day, all that we need, is as close as our next breath. If we bring it forth, we will find what we need, our salvation or safe-keeping. This teaching, of course, brings me full circle to the inner light of my childhood and the legends of the heretics. It is Marianne Williamson's "who are you not to shine?" and the spiritual truth that we sing each January Sunday, "this little light of mine". Found but not contained in our Christian story, this truth dances across continents and generations with a range of expressions and religious names.
The text has some critics, mostly for the second half or the corollary. If we hid our light, it will destroy us. Although I'm pretty much over with the binary categories, the painful truth of life is that a dream deferred not only dies in our closet but sets decay at the very core of our being. Inasmuch as we are gifted with an inner light, that light must be fed; as the light seeks nourishment, if we keep it locked inside it will eat us from the inside out.
So here is the conundrum of life:
If we embrace the truth that is ours, we will soar to new heights.
If we deny our truth, we will be torn asunder.
5. A Bellwether Moment
I had a moment of truth some years ago now when I was working on a bulletin, typing the word "Christ" in a community prayer. As my fingers formed the familiar word a question emerged from within, unbidden. Is that the most helpful word to use in that spot? A silly question for "Christ" is of course a common word for divinity within a Christian community, so why the question? I stopped typing and began to reflect. At the time (and now) there were many hyphenated families in our community: Christian-Buddhist, Christian-Wiccan, Agnostic-Christian, Jewish-Christian. Then, as now, folk familiar and comfortable with religious tradition and language sat in pews beside others smarting from "Christian-eze" and still others unfamiliar with religious language. As I considered the necessity of a particular word in a particular prayer, the answer was "of course not". As I let go of my assumptions about the need to use the word "Christ" and tried more inclusive options like Spirit and Holy One, I realized that our doors of welcome opened wider.
And as the doors opened wider, we discovered that the windows opened too. As my own faith became increasingly light in words and deep in faith, you joined with me on the journey. Together we have wondered about the words we use at the table, what our ministers wear and where they stand, and more. The beauty is that as we become less attached to doctrine, creeds, and even liturgical traditions, we have (unintentionally but very clearly) become increasingly more inclusive. It has been an amazing and wondrous journey, filled with hope and promise.
But also at points an unsettling one. If not in the creeds and traditions and texts, then what can we trust? What is the solid rock? On what can we raise our Ebenezer?
When we pull on the dangling thread of the sweater, we fear we will soon find ourselves naked.
Admittedly I stand here pretty naked today. At some point I realized a painful inescapable truth: I absolutely believe Jesus about God, I simply don't believe the church about Jesus. In very real ways, I realize that I have prayed my way out of the church. I wonder if I am a "none" (one of the growing number of Americans who identify themselves as "spiritual but not religious") and as I step outside of the comfort of our community I won't pretend that the way hasn't been watered with tears.
I share this story because, directly and indirectly, the theology that we've shared has brought us to this fork in the road and presents important questions for you as a community moving forward. I share my experience because I continue to believe that there is a felt need to gather in communities like this one in which we've dared to practice a "spiritual but not religious" expression and the temptation will be to reach backward for familiar traditions. Please don't, at least not without prayerful consideration.
Since I was ordained, our denomination has shrunk by more than half. Churches all around us, even ones with good music and good preaching, are in decline and many are closing. This beloved community has been steady and at points truly brilliant in these same recent years – not in spite of but in fact because we've dared to flow with the current and lose our grip the trappings of "religion". Inasmuch as we have been willing to explore the edges of progressive religious expression, we have found new life, new relevance and new growth. This is a season to stretch the welcome, to be bold and daring, to paint with purple and bring in drums into worship.
The light shines from within. Embrace it and thrive, for we deny it to our own peril.
6. I Sit by the River
And with that I've come to the end of my words. Except, of course, there is always room for one more story:
As the teacher grew weary from pointing, she knew it was time to step away in order for the community to see what was right before them. "What is it we fail to see when you are with us?" they asked for they truly couldn't see.
She waited until perhaps the very last moment to speak her truth, for its simplicity was quite unbelievable.
With a twinkle in her eye and a heart filled with love she explained, "For years I have sat on the edge of the river, handing out water. Now it is time for me to wade in the water. And after I am gone, I trust that you will notice the river for yourselves." (based on an Anthony de Mello story)
Ready or not, we have come to the water's edge.
I'm ready to wade. And you?
A story is told of an old man who falls into a raging river just above the rapids. His friends frantically reach for him as the current carries him toward danger. Helpless they watch as his lifeless body is plunged into the whitewater. Racked with grief they race to the bottom to retrieve his body. At the bottom of the rapids, however, they watched stunned as the old man stands and walks towards them. "How?" pleads their question from disbelieving eyes. "Simple," says the old man, "become one with the river and it carries us safely through the difficult passages."
I believe this story and repeat it often, but I confess that in my own life I am most often found on the shore remarking in awe about the water's power. More dangerous still, when I am sucked into the currents of life, I make the mistake of holding on to branches or rocks or anything stationary to which I can cling.
The problem is that while I am clinging, the river is pulling. And with my energies rooted to the stationary, the current can be both painful and also incredibly destructive. Broken bones, mangled bodies. And I curse the current for it's brutal assault.
The real problem with the current is that I can't control it. I can't even pretend to control it or convince myself that I am controlling it. The current comes from a place beyond what can be seen and moves with a passion that is not ours to own. We are merely spectators along the way and our choices, should we enter the river, are whether we will be carried by the current or casualties in its wake.
In the rare moments when I am able to accept life on life's terms, to float in the water with my hands resting at my side, I confess that the current has been trustworthy. The bruises and scars that are mine from the river are, every one, a testimony not to the current itself but rather to my struggle against it.
And admittedly I have plenty of bruises bearing witness to too much clinging. Yet as I stand at the bottom I am almost surprised to realize that despite the bruises I have been safely carried to this new landing. As is most of life, learning to be at one with the current is about progress not perfection. I am grateful for a pause in the action and a new day in which to practice.
there is nothing so apparently lifeless as a milkweed pod in the autumn
nothing so apparently lifeless as a stone shrouded tomb
more will be revealed
there is nothing as pernicious as a milkweed seed in a farmer's field
there is nothing so pernicious as a voice for justice
where is our serenity?
there is nothing as sweet as a fresh green milkweed pod
there is nothing as sweet as the promise of freedom
where is our enough?
integral to the wider community as the milkweed leaf feeding the monarch larvae
integral as the life of shared in service to others
Jesus shared, healed, taught.
beautiful as the delicate blossoms in the spring
beautiful as the teachings that inspire compassion
Jesus was a wisdom teacher.
nothing as powerful as the seeds fluttering in the wind
powerful as the story of an empty tomb


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text: The Volcom Stacks Organic T-Shirt features large True To This print at chest. Volcom detailing throughout. Thin and light. A Modern Fit. Constructed of 100% organic cotton, making this tee an eco friendly pick. Seamless graphic tag at neck. Available in colorways as seen below. Men's sizes: SM (34-36), MD (38-40), LG (42-44), XL (46-48) unless otherwise noted. Skate Warehouse shows all colors that we have in stock. In rare cases the logo or the color pictured may be slightly different than what is shipped. Model wears a medium.


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Tag: SAD 32
Ashland School Grant
One school district is getting an early Christmas present this year. A program will provide third through eighth graders in the district after-school academic enrichment. Dick Palm has the details.
Portage Withdrawal Vote
Portage Lake residents voted a resounding "yes" when they went to the polls Tuesday to withdraw from SAD 32. The vote tally was 110 to 17 in favor of the withdrawal. Dick Palm has more details.
Portage Lake Withdrawal
Now that the Commissioner of Education has approved the withdrawal agreement submitted by Portage Lake, the first of two informational public meetings has been held to answer any questions or concerns. NewsSource 8's Dick Palm has reactions from that meeting


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Alex Poythress is up next in CoachCal.com's series of stories profiling John Calipari's latest bunch of gifted newcomers. Eric Lindsey writes about Poythress' on-court battles with his twin sister, Alexis, ones Alex lost more often than not before developing into one of the best forward prospects in the nation.
He's worked hard to get where he is and plans to continue doing so as he looks to help lead Kentucky to a third Final Four in as many seasons.
Link: Poythress lets his game do the roaring
He's worked hard to get where he is and plans to continue doing so as he looks to help lead Kentucky to a third Final Four in as many seasons.
Poythress weighs 235 pounds right now and is trying to get to 240 by the beginning of the season. Many think he could be the leading scorer on this year's team, but Poythress said there are only three numbers he cares about: his grade-point average (a 3.9 in high school with AP courses), the ones he could deal with as an aspiring accountant (if basketball doesn't pan out) and Kentucky's quest for its ninth national championship.
"If we come working hard from day one and we don't take any days off, just trying to work hard every day, condition every day, listening to what Coach has to say in practice and just taking what he has to say (to heart), I really do believe that we're going to have a chance to win a national championship," Poythress said.
Poythress intends to back up his belief by leading by example. Easily the most soft-spoken of Kentucky's heralded freshman class, he lives by a passage he recently discovered from author Mary Anne Radmacher that says, "Courage doesn't always roar."
That seems to contradict Poythress' on-court game that can be so powerful and so authoritative to the naked eye. That's not going away at Kentucky, but he wants to be defined by the other things that make a difference, similar to what Michael Kidd-Gilchrist did a year ago.
Link: Poythress lets his game do the roaring


text: Stop DWI Holiday Classic Championship Schedule 12/30/2013 06:22 PM 12/30/2013 06:23 PM Monday night is the Championship round at the Broome County Arena for the STOP DWI Holiday Classic. Copyright 2013 binghamtonhomepage.com Nexstar Broadcasting, All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Page: [[$index + 1]]


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Video:How to Make Crock Pot Baked Beanswith Gina Miller
Baked beans are a pretty basic dish to be able to make, and it's even easier to make using a crock pot. Here's a simple recipe for crock pot baked beans.See Transcript
Transcript:How to Make Crock Pot Baked BeansHi, I'm Gina Miller with About.com Food, and today, I'm making baked beans in a slow cooker. This is the type of dish that any cook, from a novice to a seasoned chef, will find delicious, and it's nearly foolproof.
Crock Pot Baked Beans IngredientsHere are the ingredients you will need to make baked beans in a slow cooker:
- 1 pound of dry navy beans, soaked and precooked
- 5 cups of water
- 1 cooked ham hock
- 1 cup of tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup of roughly chopped onion
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 cup of ketchup
- 1/2 cup of bottled BBQ sauce
- 1/4 cup of brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon of prepared mustard
- 1-1/2 teaspoons of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1 teaspoon of chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
Prepare the BeansOK, let's get started. First, soak the beans overnight in a large covered pot. After the beans have soaked overnight, drain off all of the water and return the beans to the large pot. Cover the beans with 5 cups of fresh water and simmer over medium-low heat on the stovetop until tender, about 1 hour. After the beans have cooked for an hour, reserve 2 cups of the water that can be used to keep the beans moist during the cooking process. Then drain the beans of the remaining liquid.
Bake Beans in Crock PotIn a slow cooker add the pre-cooked beans, the cooked ham hock, tomato sauce, the chopped onion, garlic, bay leaf, ketchup, BBQ sauce, brown sugar, mustard, salt, pepper, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. Stir well. Next, cover the crock pot and cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours, or until the beans are tender and flavorful.
Crock Pot Baked Beans TipsHere's a tip: Check the beans after about 4 hours of cooking, and add a little of the reserved liquid if needed. Do not allow the beans to become dry. Also, try making this dish the day before for a truly enhanced flavor. This recipe serves 8-10 people and, because it's cooked in a crock pot, it makes the dish easy to keep warm. You can serve directly from the crock pot, so you don't need an additional serving pan, and it's great for any outdoor BBQ or a pot luck dinner party.
Thank you for watching and for more information, visit us on the web at About.com.
About videos are made available on an "as is" basis, subject to the User Agreement.


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The Language of Flowers: A MiscellanyHardback
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- Publisher: MACMILLAN
- Format: Hardback | 192 pages
- Dimensions: 138mm x 192mm x 24mm | 399g
- Publication date: 7 October 2011
- Publication City/Country: London
- Illustrations note: Illustrations (some col.)
- Sales rank: 23,733
Product description
'A flower is not a flower alone; A thousand thoughts invest it' All over the world, flowers are an integral part of human culture whether it is the perfect table centre for a wedding, a beautiful bouquet for a birthday, a message of thanks, or to pay one's respect at a funeral. But, while everyone knows that red roses signify love, few may realise that an entire language of flowers exists with every bloom, folliage and plant having a particular emotion attached, be it hazel for reconcilliation, wisteria for welcome or ivy for fidelity. This unique language was created by the romantic early Victorians who carefully planned every bouquet and posy so as to deliver a desired message. Bringing the language to a new generation, this beautifully illustrated miscellany contains fifty profiled flowers, a dictionary searchable by emotion, and ideas for creating bouquets and arrangements for specific occasions. This gift book is a novel present that any flower lover will want to own.
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Mandy Kirkby is an editor and flower enthusiast. Vanessa Diffenbaugh is the writer of the internationally bestselling novel The Language of Flowers.


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Deans Council Meeting
November 10, 2010
Members Absent:
Guests: Dr. Lisa Rossbacher, David Stone
Item 1. Updates
Dr. Rossbacher visited the Council today to talk about the Board of Regents' decision to allow the University of Georgia and Georgia Southern to add engineering to their programs. Dr. Rossbacher spoke about how SPSU came to get evening engineering in collaboration with Georgia Tech and emphasized three major strategic points as our focus for the immediate future:
Dr. Rossbacher also talked about the critical need to bring our graduation rate up. The Board of Regents' focus on graduation rates is a continuing topic of discussion and was a deciding factor in SPSU not having been viewed as a viable way to meet the unmet engineering demand. Dr. Rossbacher will present any new data we have on our graduation rate at the Board meeting next spring. Dr. Rossbacher suggested that our focus needs to be on retention and graduation rates by working on advising, maintaining integrity within our programs, and increasing visibility in STEM, engineering and engineering technology.
It was suggested that efforts need to be increased at open houses and that departments need better materials and more organization at the open houses. Dr. Rossbacher suggested that the Deans should be orchestrating this and working with the departments on this.
Dr. Szafran suggested that our lack of history of capturing events on campus and publicizing these events on the website is a real problem.
It was also suggested that departments should be allowed to have uniqueness on their web pages and business cards, etc. Dr. Rossbacher reminded the Council that we must follow University standards and use the branding that has been established.
Dr. Szafran updated the Council on the following:
Item 2. Building Diversity into Faculty Searches
Szafran made the following announcements:
Szafran stated that search committees should make a list of required attributes such as Ph.D., etc. before reviewing applications and sort by attributes and make sure final candidates meet those attributes. He further stated that they should increase diversity in the applicant pool by using faculty and personal contacts, advertising in specialty publications, etc. He asked the deans and chairs to extend their best efforts to widen their pools to include diverse candidates and that those doing so will be given preference for discretionary hires. Mary Ellen McGee or Joyce Mills will identify minority institutions and share this list with the Council. Steve Hamrick will identify historically black universities with Ph.D. programs in STEM and will share that information also. He reiterated that the search committees set the bar where appropriate and hire the best candidate.
Item 3. Search for the Dean of Arts and Sciences
It was suggested that David Caudill (absent) chair the search committee for the Dean of Arts and Sciences and that the make-up of the committee include 1 staff, 4 faculty from Arts and Sciences, 4 representatives from the other schools/division, and 1 member of the Student Government Association. The representatives from Arts and Sciences should include two or fewer department chairs. The ATTIC and Library should be included in the interview process.
Item 4. New Business
Meeting adjourned at 4:00 P.M.


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Oil companies eyeing old Lone Star brewery
Developer wants to turn complex into multi-purpose facility
SAN ANTONIO - The first thing Mark Smith did was hire people to cut down the weeds that hid what the Lone Star Brewery used to be.
What slowly emerged was something Smith remembered: a 23-acre plot of land on San Antonio's near south side, that was once a destination.
"The Hall of Horns has talked about letting us bring some iconic stuff. We're going to re-do this mural (that has) some graffiti on it," Smith said.
As the president of Aqualand Development, he has completed projects across the state.
It's easy for Smith to see past the weeds and neglect.
In money and memories, he has a lot tied up in the Lone Star legacy.
"It was so iconic because Lone Star (was) the national beer of Texas, and my grandparents used to sit over there in the beer garden and they'd be drinking beer and having a good time and we'd be out here swimming, and then you'd go walk in the Hall of Horns," says Smith.
The Hall of Horns was an attraction at the brewery complex showcasing exotic animal mounts and horns.
Forty-four years ago, the Lone Star Brewery was part of Smith's childhood. To him, it was much more than just a place that brewed beer.
Now he's banking on a rebirth, something modern-day San Antonio will still want to see, from looking at the murals depicting the city's history to swimming in a spring-fed pool or living inside the old brewery itself.
Part of Smith's plan includes the shale drilling taking place in South Texas.
We'd love (for) an oil company (to) have their facilities here, where they're employing people, entertaining people, and housing people," says Smith.
It's not hard to figure out what would attract a developer to this area: the bones of the buildings are still in pretty good shape, but the first phase of this project won't have much to do with these buildings.
It's got more to do with people, and bringing them back to the brewery grounds.
"This and the beer garden will be the first things we'll get going," says Smith.
Like he did so many years ago, the Lone Star will be where he's diving in head-first.
He has a huge tract of land, history, and city support on his side.
"Look at it like another village in downtown. So if we had employment, housing and a grocery store and entertainment, we're kind of feeding the base of downtown," he said. "This is really going to be our main project for the next few years."
But this is not the first developer to try do something with the Lone Star.
Five years ago, KSAT walked through the site with another developer who had big plans. He was apparently derailed by the recession.
Smith said his company has the investors and the money to make it happen.
"We've had a lot of people that want to invest in the project, because of the iconic (nature) of Lone Star," says Smith.
The first of several public meetings on the future of the brewery is Monday at 6 p.m. at the Cliff Morton Development and Business Services Center, located at 1901 S. Alamo Street.
Copyright 2012 by KSAT.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Our sympathy to the family and friend of June Lincoln as she passed away this past week after a long illness; as her daughters do not live in the area, her service will be held at a later date. June truly was a great community volunteer and we have missed her warm smile and always offering her time. She truly loved her flowers and shared them many times within the community.
Happy Birthday to: Patty Aubin Feb. 8, Nancy Huestis Feb. 18, Krestin Hotaling Feb. 18, Jean Leonessa Feb. 18, Andy Aubin Feb. 19. Happy Anniversary to Walt & Linda Morgan Feb. 14, Sherry & Junior Mitchell Feb. 14.
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Personal information and data can be captured and aggregated in the most unlikely of ways. Take, for example, television viewing habits.
In the past, data aggregators such as A.C. Neilson have used a variety of techniques to measure television audiences' viewing habits in order to assemble ratings and assist networks and advertisers in identifying viewership and demographic rankings. It began with people compiling viewing information in journals. As technology progressed, Neilson and other data aggregators used "black boxes" attached to televisions to compile the all-important viewership and demographic information. Some people equated these activities to a form of "Big Brother" watching over us, but in virtually all cases, the "Neilson families" did so willingly and were compensated for their voluntary participation.
Just as everything else, we have now progressed well beyond the activities of yesteryear. The latest news on the viewership and demographic aggregation front comes from Google, which has announced that it is teaming up with TiVo, the digital video recording company, to assist advertisers in measuring how and when their ads are viewed by consumers. As most people know, TiVo and its progeny allow viewers to "fast forward" through commercials so that they can view only the content they elect to watch. While a boon to viewers who hate commercials, this capability frustrates advertisers who pay tens of thousands if not tens of millions of dollars to television and cable networks to promote their services and products. According to Google, this new service is an attempt to re-create its AdWords and AdSense models on the small screen.
The hitch is that most TiVo users typically catch the beginning or end of a commercial or other unwanted programming as they attempt to watch their selected shows. Only the most prolific of remote controllers can precisely fast forward their recorded programming to view only what they want and not what they don't want. Having now had TiVo for 7-1/2 years, I still suffer the fate of imperfect fast forwarding and consequent rewinding. I just can't totally avoid those pesky commercials, no matter how hard I try. And believe me, I try.
Google is of the view that even that momentary viewership of the undesirable commercials, while not a full ad impression, is meaningful to advertisers. Thus, it plans to use "anonymous second-by-second DVR viewing data" to track how viewers see ads placed through Google TV Ads and to assemble data on viewers' television habits.
So, what can we as TiVo users do about it? Google has not yet announced if viewers can "opt-out" of this service. If that option is not available, then the only options seem to be that we participate as willing or unwilling (and uncompensated) participants, or give up our TiVo. Needless to say, that latter option is not realistic. I love my TiVo. I won't give it up. But at what cost? The price of my privacy, it seems.


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Entries tagged with: Big Baby Gandhi
The Flat in Williamsburg hosting events (HEEMS, LE1F, Fat Tony, Kitty Pryde, Meyhem Lauren, Azar Swan & more)
Since opening in March, the Flat has been a haven for edgy music and affordable drinks. "It's amazing how many people we know live within blocks away," said Max Brennan, the owner. A decade ago, he founded Lit, a bar, gallery and performance space on Second Avenue in Manhattan. "It's sort of how Lit used to be before all the 'shirts' invaded the East Village," he said." - [NY Times]The Flat, owned by Lit's Max Brennan and The Deathset's Johnny Sierra, opened this spring at 308 Hooper St, just off the Hewes St stop on the J/M line. While it's mainly a bar they do hold the occasional show, like Azar Swan's live debut which happens Saturday night (11/10) and is the official afterparty to the Tamaryn show at Knitting Factory earlier that night (Tamaryn's tour meanwhile hits Mercury Lounge tonight).
On Wednesday (11/14) The Flat is hosting a show presented by Self-Titled, Mishka and Greedhead Music, with HEEMS, LE1F, Big Baby Gandhi, and Meyhem Lauren. It's early (7 - 9 PM) and is FREE. Flyer is below.
The day before that (Tuesday, 11/13) they've got the release party for Fat Tony's "BKNY" music video with DJ sets from the man himself, plus Tom Cruz, Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire, DJ Sicksentz, Kitty Pryde, Lakutis, Cities Aviv, and Dapwell from Das Racist. Also free, 9 PM start.
Continue reading "The Flat in Williamsburg hosting events (HEEMS, LE1F, Fat Tony, Kitty Pryde, Meyhem Lauren, Azar Swan & more)"
Das Racist at Bonnaroo 2012 (more by Dana (distortion) Yavin)
As mentioned, Das Racist are playing a free show in Red Hook Park TONIGHT (6/19) with Action Bronson, Trouble Andrew and Brenmar. Tonight's show starts at 7 PM. The flier is below.
In related news, you can catch Heems of Das Racist at the rescheduled date of Prodigy's "Queens Day" show which was supposed to happen at Irving Plaza tonight, but was cancelled (actually postponed and moved to a smaller venue). The show is now scheduled to take place on July 3 at Gramercy Theatre with The World Famous Beatnuts, DJ Rob Swift, World's Fair, Big Baby Gandhi, and Rek Stizzy. "All tickets purchased for the Irving Plaza concert will be honored at the Gramercy Theatre show on July 3rd or refunds are available at point of purchase." The flier for this show is below.
Continue reading "Das Racist's free show in Red Hook Park is tonight; Prodigy reschedules 'Queens Day' show"
Ghostface & Camp Lo celebrate 20 years of Lyricist Lounge; Prodigy & The Beatnuts celebrate Queens day
Ghostface at Rock The Bells 2011 (more by Dana (distortion) Yavin)
Lyricist Lounge will celebrate 20 years of events and releases with a free Celebrate Brooklyn show at Prospect Park on June 23rd. Ghostface Killah (who celebrated his birthday yesterday, May 9th!) will join the kings of "Luchini" Camp Lo, Astro, and more for this FREE event that kicks off at 7:30. Ghostdeini currently has no other US dates planned, but will go on the road for a string of Australian dates at the beginning of June. Details are below. Check out the full Celebrate Brooklyn schedule HERE.
In other classic hip hop news, Prodigy of Mobb Deep will team up with The Beatnuts, Heems of Das Racist, DJ Rob Swift, Big Baby Gandhi and more as part of an event called "Queens Day" on 6/19 at Irving Plaza. Tickets are still available. Prodigy recently completed recording of his new album HNIC3, which is due for release on July 3rd. Stream the recent track "Gangsta Love" featuring Esther below.
All Ghostface Killah dates, some video, and that Prodigy stream is below. Pay close attention to the tail end of that "Luchini" video and you'll see Butterfly of Digable Planets (aka Ishmael Butler) drop a verse from Camp Lo's "Swing". Butler's new project Shabazz Palaces play Williamsburg Park this summer.
Continue reading "Ghostface & Camp Lo celebrate 20 years of Lyricist Lounge; Prodigy & The Beatnuts celebrate Queens day"
To quote Pitchfork: "The Weeknd's follow-up to House of Balloons and Thursday is here. Grab the nine-track Echoes of Silence-- featuring a cover of Michael Jackson's "Dirty Diana" and production from Clams Casino-- for free over on the-weeknd.com or here,"
House of Balloons, the first mixtape, was #1 on a list of albums that Heems from Das Racist submitted to Pitchfork. Check out Heems' full list of 'Top Albums of 2011' below...
Continue reading "3rd Weeknd mixtape released; Heems likes the 1st one a lot"


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Soft face bumper for vehicles incorporating a resilient energy absorbing cellular matrix molded from a plastic material and having walls of longitudinally extending cells stepped in thickness to provide at least two serially arranged working zones to form a staged energy absorber.
1. A resilient multicelled matrix of plastic material for absorbing energy of an impact load applied thereto comprising a plurality of longitudinally extending cells disposed adjacent to one another, said cells being formed by a plurality of first and second wall means which intersect one another to form polygonal cell spaces therebetween, each cell extending from a back support surface to an outer impact surface so that all impact loads are transmitted to all walls of said cells simultaneously, each of said cells having a polygonal base section of predetermined thickness providing a secondary deflecting zone and comprising a first portion of said first and second wall means of a predetermined thickness extending longitudinally from one end of said matrix to predetermined points between the front and rear ends thereof, each of said cells further having an outer section polygonal in cross section and providing a primary deflecting zone and comprising a second portion of said first and second wall means integral with said first portion and extending directly outwardly from said predetermined points to the other end of said matrix, said wall means being stepped in thickness at said predetermined points forming a discrete plane so that said first portion is substantially thicker at said plane than said second portion to thereby separate said matrix into said primary and secondary working zones.
2. A resilient one piece matrix of plastic material for absorbing energy of an impact load applied thereto, said matrix having a plurality of longitudinally extending cells disposed adjacent to each other, each cell extending from a back support surface to an impact surface spaced outwardly from the back surface, said cells being formed by a plurality of first and second continuous wall means which intersect one another to form hollow polygonal cell spaces therebetween and which extend from the support surface to said impact surface, each of said wall means having a minimal thickness at one end of said matrix and a maximum thickness at the other end of said matrix, each of said wall means being stepped in thickness at predetermined points intermediate the ends thereof to form a plane dividing each of said cells into discrete first and second longitudinally extending deflection zones integrally connected in series with respect to each other, said wall means defining said first zone having at said plane a maximum thickness substantially less than the minimum thickness of said wall means defining said second zone, said first and second of said zones being both deflected in response to the application of a predetermined impact load applied thereto, and only said first zone being deflected in response to the application of an impact load thereto less than said predetermined impact load.
This invention relates to energy absorbers and more particularly to a resilient energy absorbing cellular matrix for vehicles having longitudinally extending cells formed from a latticework of intersecting walls which are stepped in thickness to provide staged working zones deflectable in series to absorb impact energy.
Prior to the present invention soft face energy absorbers for vehicle application such as for front and rear bumpers have been made from resilient plastic material and injection molded to have longitudinally extending cells. The cells of these energy absorbers in the installed position are generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle and twist and buckle on impact to absorb impact energy. The energy absorbers of this invention and the prior art have memory and, after removal of the impact load, will gradually recover toward their original configuration generally with no apparent damage. Generally the cells of the prior energy absorbers have walls with a draft angle which taper from a minimum thickness at one end of the cells to a maximum thickness at the other end to form a single working zone. In cross section, the walls of each cell have a wedge or triangle like formation which results from the draft of the mold cores to facilitate the ejection of the cellular matrix from the mold. While the tapered wall cellular construction is an effective energy absorber when deflected, it is difficult to tailor to meet specific energy absorption requirements and often calls for excessive quantities of material in the wall construction to fulfill its purposes.
In this invention the energy absorber is molded into a multicelled unit with a latticework of intersecting walls stepped in thickness to provide separate working zones, serially deflected in accordance with energy absorption requirements, to provide a more efficient and effective energy absorber. Accordingly, it is a feature, object and advantage of this invention to provide a new and improved energy absorbing cellular medium formed from a latticework of intersecting walls having primary and secondary working zones which are operative in series with one another to absorb impact energy. On predetermined high energy impact loads the energy of impact is absorbed by the corresponding sequenced deflection of the primary and secondary zones; on lower energy impacts only the primary zone will be deflected to provide for absorption of impact energy.
Another feature, object and advantage of this invention is to provide a new and improved multicelled energy absorbing media of plastic material having intersecting walls which are stepped in thickness at a point intermediate the inner and outer ends of the walls so that primary and secondary deflecting zones are formed and with the walls of the primary zone being of reduced thickness to provide savings in weight and material and tailored to deflect in response to low energy impact loads to thereby provide more efficient use of the material forming the media.
These and other features, objects and advantages of this invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description and drawing in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the front portion of a vehicle incorporating this invention.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1 and
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the energy absorber unit of this invention with parts broken away.
Turning now in greater detail to the drawing, there is shown in FIG. 1 an energy absorbing bumper assembly 10 that extends horizontally across the front of the body 12 of a vehicle 14. Bumper assembly 10 comprises an elongated steel bumper beam 16 disposed externally of the vehicle body 12 which is rigidly connected to the vehicle by a pair of mounting brackets 20 of which only one is shown. Each mounting bracket is generally L-shaped in formation and has a flange 22 that fits against the rear of the bumper beam 16 and is secured thereto by bolt and nut fasteners 24. The leg 25 of each bracket extends at right angles with respect to flange 22 and fits against an associated side rail 26 of the vehicle frame and is rigidly fastened thereto by threaded fasteners 28. A flexible energy absorber 30 forming part of the bumper assembly is secured to the outer face of the bumper beam 16 by any suitable means such as threaded fasteners 31 and preferably extends across the entire width of the vehicle. This energy absorber is covered by a thin walled and flexible plastic facia 32 contoured to fit the shaped outer face of the energy absorber. The facia may be color matched with the vehicle body work or suitably coated to simulate a conventional bright work bumper. This plastic facia protects the energy absorber assembly from foreign matter such as dirt and water and provides a finished appearance for the vehicle. The facia may be secured to the bumper beam by suitable fastener means such as by threaded fasteners 34. The facia is longitudinally channeled at 35 to retain a finishing strip 37 of plastic therein as illustrated in the figures.
The vehicle energy absorber 30 comprises a resilient energy absorbing matrix formed from a suitable thermoplastic material such as a blended olefin. The matrix has a plurality of longitudinally extending and generally parallel cells 42 open throughout their lengths which are formed by a latticework of intersecting horizontal and vertically extending walls 46 and 48.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 each of the cells 42 have a base section 50 formed by thickened portions of the horizontal and vertical walls 46 and 48 which extends from the backing beam 16 to a plane P between the front and rear ends of the matrix. The base portion of the cells provides a secondary deflection zone Z of the matrix and a yieldable backing for a forward section 52 formed by the thinned portions of the horizontal and vertical walls. As shown, this forward section provides a primary deflection zone Z1. Thus the horizontal and vertical walls are stepped in thickness at plane P to provide the primary and secondary deflection zones which are staged for effective absorption of impact energy. Accordingly, in the preferred embodiment the thin walled section forming the primary deflection zone Z1 will deflect in response to low speed vehicle impacts up to a predetermined load without any appreciable deflection of the substantially thicker wall section of the secondary zone Z. When this predetermined load is exceeded the secondary zone staged in series with the primary zone will deflect to provide additional energy absorption capacity.
As shown the horizontal and vertical walls of the base portion 50 and the forward section 52 are tapered as required by the cores of the injection mold used in forming the matrix. It will be appreciated that with the staged energy absorbing capability of this invention, the matrix can be tailored to provide protection to suit particular requirements. For example, the secondary zone Z can be increased in depth as needed for greater energy absorption capacity. Also with the stepped wall construction, the walls of the forward section of the matrix can be made thinner or thicker as required to meet low speed impact requirements. Thus the walls of the primary zone can be sized in thickness so more of the wall material will be distorted on predetermined impact for increased efficiency. With the thin wall section appropriately tailored to meet predetermined requirements and standards, an appreciable savings in material, weight and cost may be achieved.
While a preferred embodiment of this invention has been shown and described for purposes of illustrating this invention, other embodiments embodying the concepts of this invention may be adapted by those skilled in the art such as falls within the scope of the appended claims.
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Manning & Napier, Inc. Reports August 31, 2013 Assets Under Management Business Wire FAIRPORT, N.Y. -- September 12, 2013 Manning & Napier, Inc. (NYSE: MN), ("Manning & Napier" or "the Company") today reported preliminary assets under management (AUM) of $47.2 billion at August 31, 2013, compared with $46.3 billion at June 30, 2013 and $45.2 billion at December 31, 2012. AUM by investment vehicle and by portfolio are set forth in the table below. Assets Under Management (in millions) August 31, June 30, December 31, 2013 2013 2012 By investment vehicle: Separate accounts $ 25,104.5 $ 24,791.5 $ 24,683.6 Mutual funds and collective 22,070.3 21,526.2 20,525.3 investment trusts Total $ 47,174.8 $ 46,317.7 $ 45,208.9 By portfolio: Blended Asset $ 22,152.9 $ 21,723.4 $ 20,470.7 Equity 23,886.7 23,405.4 23,472.5 Fixed Income 1,135.2 1,188.9 1,265.7 Total $ 47,174.8 $ 46,317.7 $ 45,208.9 About Manning & Napier, Inc. Manning & Napier (NYSE: MN) provides a broad range of investment solutions through separately managed accounts, mutual funds, and collective investment trust funds, as well as a variety of consultative services that complement our investment process. Founded in 1970, we offer equity and fixed income portfolios as well as a range of blended asset portfolios, such as life cycle funds, that use a mix of stocks and bonds. We serve a diversified client base of high-net-worth individuals and institutions, including 401(k) plans, pension plans, Taft-Hartley plans, endowments and foundations. For many of these clients, our relationship goes beyond investment management and includes customized solutions that address key issues and solve client-specific problems. We are headquartered in Fairport, NY and had 515 employees as of June 30, 2013. Safe Harbor Statement This press release and other statements that the Company may make may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which reflect the Company's current views with respect to, among other things, its operations and financial performance. Words like "believes," "expects," "may," "estimates," "will," "should," "intends," "plans," or "anticipates" or the negative thereof or other variations thereon or comparable terminology, are used to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Although the Company believes that it is basing its expectations and beliefs on reasonable assumptions within the bounds of what it currently knows about its business and operations, there can be no assurance that its actual results will not differ materially from what the Company expects or believes. Some of the factors that could cause the Company's actual results to differ from its expectations or beliefs include, without limitation: changes in securities or financial markets or general economic conditions; a decline in the performance of the Company's products; client sales and redemption activity; changes of government policy or regulations; and other risks discussed from time to time in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Contact: Investor Relations Prosek Partners Brian Schaffer, 212-279-3115, ext. 229 email@example.com or Public Relations Manning & Napier, Inc. Nicole Kingsley Brunner, 585-325-6880 firstname.lastname@example.com
Manning & Napier, Inc. Reports August 31, 2013 Assets Under Management
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Recipe by omnipal
"Wonderful, sweet rum-based beverage with Blue Curacao and Midori Melon."
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1 fluid ounce
1 fluid ounce
blue curacao
1 fluid ounce
melon liqueur (such as Midori®)
1 1/2 fluid ounces
sweet and sour mix (such as Mr and Mrs T's®)
2 fluid ounces
apple juice
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Sweet Green Tea
Serving Size: 1/1 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 1
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 395
Calories from Fat: 2
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Country artist Carrie Underwood is way past her American Idol days and was looking gorgeous with her voluminous blonde waves at the 2010 Country Music Awards in Nashville.
Actress Gwenyth Paltrow looked stunning as always wearing her blonde locks straight and sleek while attending the Los Angeles premiere of Country Strong.
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Mommy-to- be Ivanka Trump showed off a blonde, highlighted, smooth and glossy look with a slight curl while attending the QVC "FFANY Shoes on Sale" benefit for breast cancer research and education held at Lincoln Center in New York City.
Friends star and actress Jennifer Aniston is most loved for her casual yet chic golden locks, as seen here at the world premiere for Love Happens at Mann's Village Theatre in Westwood, California.
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WILSON, N.C. – In response to President Barack Obama's challenge to all Americans to invest in education, Barton College has initiated a special opportunity for its full-time students' parents, guardians, or grandparents through "Weekend College at Barton." Two courses will be offered free of charge to a parent, guardian, or grandparent of all full-time Barton students enrolled during fall semester 2009. These course offerings will be made available during Barton's Weekend College fall and winter trimesters, one each trimester.
In President Obama's Feb. 24 address to the joint session of Congress, he shared, "It is our responsibility as lawmakers and educators to make this system work. But it is the responsibility of every citizen to participate in it. And so tonight, I ask every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training."
This new initiative by Barton, developed in light of our nation's ongoing economic crisis, provides an opportunity for these family members of Barton students to also have a chance to return to college. They can begin a new degree, work toward completing a degree, or advance their careers with additional study.
"In the midst of the nation's most serious economic downturn in many years, Barton College is aware of the impact this is having on students and their families," said Dr. Norval C. Kneten, president of Barton College. "We also know that this means sacrifices are being made to continue to invest in quality education. However, and, especially during a time when many investments are losing their value, investing in oneself remains a wise strategy. Barton College is committed to providing every possible avenue for our students and their families to make the most of their educational investment."
Barton College, an independent, coeducational, four-year college located in Wilson, N.C., blends academic disciplines in the liberal arts and professional programs with a focus on encouraging lifelong learning.
"Weekend College at Barton," offered through the College's Office of Lifelong Education and Extended Programs, provides an educational alternative to men and women 22 years of age or older who work or have other commitments and who are unable to attend academic courses that are offered at traditional times during the week. This format is a means by which these students may earn a baccalaureate degree, update or gain skills for professional advancement, prepare for career change, or pursue personal interests in one or more of the liberal arts and/or professional programs. Weekend College offers working adults an opportunity to study with other adults who have similar interests and lifestyles and who are equally motivated to pursue their education.
Convenience is an added advantage. Classes through Barton's Weekend College usually meet on alternating weekends on Friday evening, Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon, or Sunday afternoon. These courses are taught on campus, predominantly by Barton College faculty. And, unless otherwise indicated, all classes necessary for graduation are taught on the weekend. (Practicum courses and student teaching for elementary education majors and field placements for social work, criminal justice and criminology, and gerontology majors will eventually require weekday involvement).
Degrees and majors offered through the Weekend College at Barton program include
Bachelor of Science degrees in accounting, business management, management of human resources, birth-kindergarten education, elementary education (K-6), special education: general curriculum (K-12), criminal justice and criminology, and gerontology. Also offered is a Bachelor of Social Work degree and a special R.N. to B.S.N. degree program for licensed registered nurses.
Questions? Please contact Kathy Daughety, director of public relations, at 252-399-6529 or email: firstname.lastname@example.com.
Tagged with: Parents • President Obama • Weekend College at Barton • Weekend College for Parents
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