508 #68: WPI and PILOT

posted by Mike on May 15th, 2009

508 is a show about Worcester.

This week, I talk to Brendan Melican. Topics include inaccurate predictions, the Telegram & Gazette’s website troubles, and WPI making non-tax payments to the city.

If you’d like to leave a comment for next week’s show, the number is 508-471-3897.

Audio: mp3 link, other formats, feed

Video: other formats, feed

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I dreamed I saw Tom Lewis last night

posted by Mike on April 4th, 2009

Tom LewisAlive as he could be.
“Tom,” I said, “You’re one year dead.”
“I never died,” said he,
“I never died,” said he.

Tom said, “When people pray for peace
Or paint what’s good and fair,
Whenever people fill the jails,
Tom Lewis will be there.
Tom Lewis will be there.

“When people open up their homes
Or serve soup on the street,
Assuming that I don’t get lost,
Tom Lewis you will meet.
Tom Lewis you will meet.”

And standing there as short as life,
Two caps upon his head,
Tom hugged me and before I woke
He whispered, “I ain’t dead.”
He whispered, “I ain’t dead.”

Today’s the anniversary of Tom Lewis’s death. Matt Feinstein was singing “I Dreamed I Saw Tom Lewis Last Night” at a party late last year–seems fitting.

I haven’t dreamt about Tom in months, but I think about him every day.

Remebering Tom Lewis at the Peace Abbey, April 4

posted by Mike on March 18th, 2009

Via e-mail:

Remembering Tom Lewis

April 4th, 2009

5pm-6pm

It was a year ago on the anniversary of Dr. King’s assassination that Tom passed away. This year a portion of his cremation ashes will be buried on CO Hill at The Peace Abbey. He joins several other CO’s at this burial site, including Pat Farren, Chuck Matthei, Wally Nelson and Dave Dillenger.

Please join us with your presence and any story of Tom that reflects his life journey as a CO and peacemaker.

You are invited to bring light refreshments to share afterwards.

The Peace Abbey

2 N. Main Street

Sherborn, MA 01770

508-655-2143

Wish I could be there.

Communion with the People

posted by Kaihsu Tai on October 24th, 2008

So they scorn: “The Left has been predicting for decades the recession that never came.” Alas, now the recession has finally come, where is the Left? The Right will steal and fight (indeed, are already stealing and fighting) to keep the status quo. See earlier kairos (καιρός).

I have been reading Saint Paulo Freire’s classic Pedagogy of the Oppressed, and not before time! It is steeped in Gospel (though without annoying prooftexts) and in every turn corroborating with the insights of Herman Dooyeweerd. He articulated about “praxis” better than I did in my muddle about shopping as prayer. And it remains relevant: to start, it is a devastating predictive analysis of the British phenomenon called New Labour.

Are you in communion with this church? Iglesia Cristiana Reformada Paraíso, Barahona, República Dominica:
Iglesia Cristiana Reformada Paraíso, Barahona, República Dominica.

Verso published earlier this month a collection of Toussaint Louverture’s writings, introduced by Jean-Bertrand Aristide. That’s the next book on my reading list.

Kevin Ksen: sexiest of men

posted by Mike on August 11th, 2008

from Kevin Ksen Polka
(copyright 2008 Nat Needle)

Oh, lots of folks love soccer, they play it every day
But Kevin loves his soccer so, it carries him away
He butts his head, he kicks his legs, and if by chance he falls
The women rush the field so they can play with Kevin’s balls

CHORUS: Oh…
Kevin Ksen, he’s the sexiest of men
Kevin Ksen, he’s the sexiest of men
Kevin Ksen, he’s the sexiest of men
And if you don’t believe him, he will tell you once again
And if you don’t believe him, he will tell you once again

(Happy birthday, Kevin!)

Comings and goings

posted by Kaihsu Tai on July 15th, 2008

Íngrid Betancourt is free! She remains strong and has given interviews to many media, including the BBC and the Guardian. She is a modern saint who showed us how to be Green, how to be Christian, even how to be human. I hope when she recovers, she will become a great president of Colombia.

My friend Nándor Tánczos, one of the few rastafarian parliamentarians in the world, gave his last speech (text) in the New Zealand House of Representatives recently. He will not stand in the general election later this year, but I hope the Green Party of Aotearoa will have some new blood to take his place. Relatedly, that country re-nationalized its railway earlier this month and called it KiwiRail; it also has a state-owned retail bank, Kiwibank.

By the way, I ♥ the Most Reverend and Right Honourable Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, who is now presiding the Lambeth Conference.

Jägerstätter, now with better subtitles

posted by Mike on July 15th, 2008

The Center for Christian Nonviolence has released a new version of the Franz Jägerstätter movie The Refusal, with clearer English subtitles.

Every time I’ve screened this, people have complained about the subtitles, so this is a welcome improvement.
Read the rest of this entry »

Peter Maurin speaks

posted by Mike on July 10th, 2008

According to Tom Cornell, the only recording of Peter Maurin’s voice was taken from a wire recording made circa 1946-47. Several copies of this were pressed to 78rpm and sent to supporters of the Catholic Worker. He’s reading his easy essay “Makers of Europe,” or “When the Irish were Irish.” (The Catholic Worker archives lists this as c. 1939.)

Download the mp3 or see other formats.

Alice Swanson, RIP

posted by Mike on July 9th, 2008

Our friend Alice Swanson died yesterday. She was hit by a truck while biking in Washington, DC.

She will be missed.

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Commemorating the Oxfordshire martyrs of the Reformation

posted by Kaihsu Tai on June 24th, 2008

On 19 June, a plaque commemorating the Oxfordshire martyrs of the Reformation, both Catholic and Protestant, was unveiled in the University Church of St Mary the Virgin, Oxford, by the Chancellor of the University, Lord Patten of Barnes. The names were researched by Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch.

IMG_3893

That evening was the launch of the Oxford Council of Faiths. I did not attend, because it clashed with the monthly business meeting of the Oxfordshire Green Party.