Lent 2010

Lent is a 40-day time of prayer, fasting, self-denial, and almsgiving leading up to Easter. This year it begins Wednesday, February 17, 2010. (For Catholics, at least. Other Christians have other calendars.)

Lent is the most DIY Christian season–you have to pick a vice or luxury to “give up” for the season, and plan how to add more prayer and fasting to your life.

This is my tenth Lent as a vegan. Most Catholics abstain from eating mammals and birds on Fridays during Lent, but that’s my daily routine anyway, so once again I’ll have to devise some sort of food-related Friday absinence. Years ago Adam suggested vegans give up soy; I’ll try that again.

This is the first Lent in years that I had a good idea of what luxury to “give up” far in advance. Oh, it’s so obvious to me. (I’m not going to talk about it ahead of time.)

Two years ago I spent Lent working for an end to the Iraq War, and last year I lived in DC, working full-time to close the Guantanamo prison. This year I’m looking forward to a quieter observance.

What are your Lenten plans?

508 #100: Anniversary

508 is a show about Worcester. This week’s panelists are Tracy Novick, Brendan Melican, Mike Benedetti, Jeff Barnard, Drew Wilson, Nicole, Bruce Russell, Matt Feinstein, Paul Levitsky, Kevin Ksen, Jesse Pack, and Jacob Berendes.

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This week, we ride the #2 and #16 buses and record the 100th show.

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508 #99: Schools ‘n’ cheese

508 is a show about Worcester. This weeks panelists are Greg Opperman, Tracy Novick, Brendan Melican, and Mike Benedetti.

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Tracy, a School Committee Member, talks about fundraising efforts for the vandalized Belmont Street Community School. You can help. We spend most of the show talking about the upcoming city school budget, and why there always seems to be a funding crisis.

Greg is the cook behind the uncontested world-champion vegan macaroni and cheese recipe.

Mike has entered a charity beard competition. February 20, Dive Bar.

Scott Zoback et al have a Haiti fundraiser today. February 5, 5pm-1am, Lucky Dog.

MACNCHZ

508 #98: Cargo cults

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

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There was a big rally for (now-Senator) Brown at Mechanics Hall; the City’s considering banning plastic bags, though Mike has long advocated non-governmental action on this issue.

Vegetarian Renaissance: vegan mac’n’cheese cookoff coming up; veg fest coming up; creative Dunkin Donuts event. (Non-veg: Dr. Gonzo may have a roadkill barbeque.)

There are fancifully-dressed tax services advertisers on the sidewalks. Chain bar McFadden’s has closed.

Belmont Street Community School was massively vandalized. There was a Haiti fundraiser.

Mike talks about cargo cults. “Do different dumb things, Worcester. Do different dumb things.”

We’re planning something special for episode #100. Please share your ideas.

Reflecting on fasting and action to close Guantanamo

Yesterday was the 12th and final day of the fast. It was spent, by many, in jail. For the others, it was a day of cooking food, roaming the corridors of the courthouse, and tidying up outreach.

This morning, three of us went down to the Japanese Buddhist temple for drumming and chanting.

“If even monks become weary and sloppy in saluting with joined palms, then no one will perform raihai. One would no longer salute parents, children, wife and husband, neighbors or laborers with palms together.”
—Nichidatsu Fuji

Which suggests one value of Thursday’s actions. If Catholic Workers aren’t creating illegal memorial services for dead detainees in the Capitol dome, then who will perform them?

2 Guantanamo protests at US Capitol; 42 arrested

On the 11th day of our 12-day fast, and the eve of President Obama’s missed deadline to close the Guantanamo prison, Witness Against Torture held 2 coordinated protests at the U.S. Capitol.

On the steps outside, 28 people dressed in orange jumpsuits and black hoods, many wearing the names of current detainees cleared for release on their backs, held signs reading “Broken Promises, Broken Laws, Broken Lives.”

Inside, our Capitol tour group turned into a memorial service as 14 Witness Against Torture members placed the names of three detainees who died at Guantanamo in the spot in the Rotunda where presidents lay in state. (Revelations published by Harpers this week strengthen the suspicion that the detainees were tortured to death.)

We’ll be breaking the fast tomorrow evening, after everyone has been processed and is out of jail.

Guantanamo memorial in US Capitol Rotunda
Beth Brockman photo

Fast day 8: MLK

Today was free from public protest, though there was a “public presence” at one of the museums. The day ended solemnly with stories from torture survivors. It began with surprising joy as we chatted with Afghani youth and sang Civil Rights hymns to them. Pretty weird and pretty great.

Posted today at Harper’s, evidence from a soldier that three Guantanamo detainees said to have committed suicide may actually have been tortured to death:

. . . new evidence now emerging may entangle Obama’s young administration with crimes that occurred during the Bush presidency, evidence that suggests the current administration failed to investigate seriously—and may even have continued—a cover-up of the possible homicides of three prisoners at Guantánamo in 2006.