July 2009

508 is a show about Worcester. This weeks panelists are Brenna Cussen and Brendan Melican. It’s been a rough week in the area. So we explore the public art exhibit in Elm Park, study invasive water plants, note the upcoming Christianity and Anarchism conference, and look forward to another Creative Laundry event.

Audio listeners are offered a classic IKEA item, and will enjoy Jonathan Coulton’s “Ikea“.

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508 is a show about Worcester. This week, Brendan Melican, Tracy Novick, and Kevin Ksen answer the hard questions. What is the secret plan to save the pools? Should the city ban plastic grocery bags? Does it matter who the mayor is?

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On the subject of bags: giving out canvas bags in Worcester, making a canvas bag, making a bag from other bags.
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From mass at the Mustard Seed Catholic Worker, Worcester.

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508 is a show about Worcester. This week, Mike and Brendan talk about dumpster diving in Worcester, and also the New Orleans, Buddha Hut, and Ice Cream fests last weekend.

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We don’t talk about David Rushford.

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508 is a show about Worcester. This week’s panel includes Brendan Melican.

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We mention the July 11 NOLA fest, and the Buddha Hut fundraising buffet for VegWorcester.

We consider the newer, smaller Worcester Magazine and its newer, smaller name: Worcester Mag.

Mike wrote an article for them about shopping locally. He didn’t get to reference the “visionary localism” that interests him so much, for example “The Switch to Local Manufacturing”.

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Worcester Magazine: “My week of living locally”

Pictured: the author in YouthGrow’s Oread Street community garden, Main South.

I tried a similar experiment in 2008.

Notes on “Home-grown economics”
The much-talked-about Andersonville Study. The same consultants did a larger 2008 study with similar results. (I focused on Andersonville because those numbers were most frequently used in framing the economic argument, at least my readings and interviews.)

Notes on “Not made in Worcester”
My list is here.

See also A ready reference hand book of Worcester made products (1914)

Thanks to Steve Jones-D’Agostino, Oley Carpp, Tim McGourthy, Brendan Melican, Tracey Novick, Professor John Brown, Brittany Durgin, Greg Opperman, Julius Jones, Dr. Gonzo, 4rilla, Drew Wilson, Adam Villani, and Destination Worcester.

Special thanks to Scott Zoback, Jim Keogh, and SA for their support.

You can leave comments below.

John Brown is Professor of Economics at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts.

He was good enough to answer some of my questions for a recent article on “living locally.” I only quoted his answers briefly, and since I’ve been fretting about misrepresenting his views, I’m publishing his e-mailed answers here verbatim. I also conducted two phone interviews with him for the piece, which clarified some of what is written here.
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River Sims
Thanks to River Sims and Mike the intern for a wonderful, unexpected tour of San Francisco last week.

If you’re interested in the Catholic Worker movement in 2009, you might want to read about River’s ministry, read his blog, or follow him on Twitter.

Michael Spencer on the death of Michael Jackson
From the Internet Monk podcast:

We should remember how many people came to Christ because they had concluded that the gods of the old world were empty and meaningless. Our task is to keep Jesus from being one of the gods of the old world.

Amen.

Bonus mp3 link: Stale Urine covers “Billie Jean”

Organizing a Janitor’s Union in Worcester: July 8, 7pm, 52 Mason St
A presentation at the SS. Francis & Therese Catholic Worker:

Chris Patterson, a community organizer with Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 615, will speak about the campaign to expand membership in Worcester’s union of janitors. Discussions and refreshments to follow. The event is free and open to the public. All are welcome. For more information, please call 508 753-3588.

“Pope Calls for New Economic Order”
Dave Griffith:

So, I know that the any headline that begins with “Pope” is going to be divisive–either you’re on the bus or off right away. But I think the new encyclical “Caritas in Veritate” ( “Charity in Truth”) should be of great interest to many, Catholic or not, because it calls for an end to capitalism as we know it.

Haven’t read this encyclical yet. Will revisit the topic when I do.