Zack Berger’s Yiddish translation of Curious George is out!
There is no better holiday gift, save perhaps his Yiddish translation of The Cat in the Hat.
Update: Don’t miss our interview with Zack Berger.
Author: Mike
Thoughts on Panhandling
On the one hand, a lot of guys panhandle to feed addictions.
On the other hand, asking for help is a basic social action. When I came into the world, the first thing I did was took a breath and cried for help.
When a city mounts an anti-panhandling media campaign, it can come across as saying: “Welcome to our town! Don’t even think of asking for help here!”
How should we relate to people who are asking for things we probably shouldn’t give them?
Items
Some new weekly items:
- The clash between the South Bend Catholic Worker group and some neighbors over zoning continues to get some press there, although there’s no news to speak of. Here’s an op-ed with some history of the house, and a South Bend Tribune article via Loaded Mouth.
- Film fans: here’s Victor Morton’s “Catholic Version” of the Aristocrats joke.
- Spotlight on Darfur 1 is a continuation of a project to highlight the diversity of blog posts on the Darfur crisis, a crisis that Eric Reeves calls “the first great episode of genocidal destruction of the 21st century.” Things continue to go badly there.
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You can read about national attitudes toward the war many places, but what about local opinion?
In Worcester in recent weeks, we’ve seen a surge of anti-war feeling. For example, in today’s daily paper, the Telegram & Gazette, there are three anti-war letters to the editor, and none supporting the war.
Continue reading “Items”
Coffee in Downtown Worcester
Last week, Bruce and I walked across town to visit the much-lauded Billy Goat Beanery coffeehouse. They were closed. (The Pulse thinks they’re out of business, but the woman in the bookstore below the coffeehouse told us they’re negotiating a new lease and will be back soon. Update: The old Billy Goat is now the Belfry Cafe. Check out Bruce’s review.)
We had a lukewarm cup of coffee at a nearby restaurant. Nothing to write home about.
But this gives us an excuse to post an interview we did with Bruce a few months ago about the coffee of downtown Worcester, Mass.
Continue reading “Coffee in Downtown Worcester”
Isaiah House, Santa Ana
According to the latest newsletter from Isaiah House, the Catholic Worker community in Orange County, California:
Our lawsuit against the City is still pending. However, settlement discussions with the City under the supervision of the court have progressed steadily. We remain hopeful that a negotiated settlement will be reached soon.
The Orange County Catholic Worker’s crime? Housing homeless kids and their families without a license.
Continue reading “Isaiah House, Santa Ana”
Darfur Fast in D.C.–Day 4
Today was the last day of our four-day fast and vigil at the Sudanese Embassy.
Everyone was in good spirits. It was hot and humid. I got a little dehydrated since I didn’t really feel like drinking water.
Tom Lewis tried to take a break in the lounge at the Hilton, and was approached by security. So Scott and Ken went down there. They buttered up the concierge, explained about our vigil, and relaxed in the lounge while a Hilton employee went upstairs to fill their shopping bag with ice.
Darfur Fast in DC–Day 3
Today we did some light yard work at the Embassy of Sudan.
Overnight, an Embassy staffer had tried to add a couple of timbers to the sharply-sloping front lawn to deal with erosion, but they didn’t go in well, and the sidewalk was littered with one timber and a lot of dirt. With the Embassy staffer and the Italian gardener leading the project, the demonstrators helped smash concrete, cut back vines, dig, level the ground, move timbers, pound rebar through them, and sweep up afterwards.
Demonstrator Scott Schaeffer-Duffy and Embassy staffer Mr. Bashara move a timber.
Darfur Fast in D.C.–Day 2
Well, the Embassy went ahead and welcomed visitors to sign a condolences book for late Vice President John Garang. Their consular offices remained closed.
We met a lot of interesting people. Visitors ranged from dignitaries in suits arriving in cars with diplomatic plates, to guys in street clothes arriving on foot.
The first visitor of the day was an older woman who showed up early and waited for the Embassy to open. She had been a college classmate of Garang (who went to Grinnell and Iowa State).
World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz came up to demonstrator Ken Hannaford-Ricardi and asked, “Is it OK if I go in there?” Ken said, “Of course.” Wolfowitz said, referring to the Darfur issue, “I’m with you on this one.” Ken said, “OK–but who are you?” Leave it to Ken.
Ken Hannaford-Ricardi, an opponent of America’s Iraq policy as part of Voices in the Wilderness, talks with Paul Wolfowitz, an architect of America’s Iraq policy as part of the Department of Defense.
Darfur Fast in D.C.–Day 1
The Sudanese Embassy said they would call off plans for a commemorative event for late Vice President John Garang, and closed their consular office for two days, after our group refused to interrupt our 4-day fast and vigil for an end to genocide in Darfur.
Embassy staffer lowers flag to half-mast.
Continue reading “Darfur Fast in D.C.–Day 1”
Ken Wilber explains it all
Via Worldchanging we learn that the Catholic Church in the Philipines has built a system whereby impoverished families with low-cost cell phones can use text messaging to haggle for food and goods–and for these folks, even a slightly cheaper price on the essentials makes a big difference.
The subtext of many items on Pie and Coffee is an “integral” philosophy, and this is a great example of that: the faith community has the infrastructure to build the trading system, and that system strengthens both individuals and the faith community.
Tying systems or ideas together makes them stronger and more effective.
Which brings us to Ken Wilber.
Continue reading “Ken Wilber explains it all”