[UC] Thank you President Obama
As one of his first acts as President, Mr. Obama, chose an inspiring path! He sent the message that government under his watch would be committed to transparency. This is perhaps the most vital principle to return America to a representative democracy. Boldly asserting this direction, as one of his first presidential acts, ranks as one of the most inspiring presidential acts in my lifetime! Mr. Nutter take notice! Here is an inspiring reminder that we have citizens in our midst. Ms. Clark is a believer in free public libraries. http://www.philly.com/dailynews/features/20090121_Inspired_to_aim_higher__3_Philadelphians_tell_of_how_they_were_influenced_by_Obama.html You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
[UC] Walkable libraries in City Paper
This example shows the serious negative effect on neighborhoods scheduled for library closings. Schools and libraries rank high on the list of neighborhood positives for parents. This makes a lot of sense. Plotting on maps is a good way to present this type of data. This is much better than the smoke and mirrors the mayor offered to justify his closures. http://www.citypaper.net/articles/2009/01/22/walkable-libraries-biggest-losers Glenn You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
[UC] FW: The Bush Sendoff
You read it here first, folks! This is an editorial letter I wrote to the Daily News, which they will hopefully print. In case you don't already know, some members of the Inauguration crowd on the Washington Mall sang Na-na-na, hey-hey-hey, goodbye to Bush as his helicopter flew overhead to take him to Andrews Airforce Base. From: kallena...@msn.comto: vi...@phillynews.comsubject: The Bush SendoffDate: Thu, 22 Jan 2009 12:41:36 -0500 To the Editors Philadelphia Daily News I must disagree with John Baer and other media pundits who claimed that the Inauguration was “marred” by those spectators who gave George W. Bush the “Na-na-na” serenade. I, for one, was very proud of my fellow Americans for giving Bush that sendoff, because that simple gesture was in fact a succinct, but eloquent communication of the relief that those average citizens felt that the last eight years are finally over. They- we- are American citizens, and we have the right to make our opinions known without the pretenses of fake smiles or polite silence. That crowd DID respect the office of the Presidency, or else they would not have stood by the hundreds of thousands in sub-freezing temperatures for hours on end. Respect is earned. The President who brought us Iraq, Katrina, Guantanamo and domestic spying, and who lowered the esteem of the United States of America in the eyes of the world, was shown the respect he deserved. Proud to be an American Again, Karen Allen
[UC] Vigil for Gaza at college green
At 4:30, a candle light vigil is scheduled for the victims in Gaza. Location: college green. Sorry for the late notice. Glenn You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
[UC] Excellent synopsis of library issue
Joe got me thinking about the general public's understanding of the library closure issue and its relationship to the budget cuts. Then, I found this excellent synopsis for those on the outer edges of the issue. Some of the most important information is near the end: http://www.defenestrator.org/philly_thrown_out After reading: It's important to consider that these libraries are indeed part of local schools. Like with the non-existant learning center plans, the plans to solve these real challenges of ending longstanding relationships with schools did not exist for the branches targeted for closure. These were smoke screens, which quickly collapse when examined. The real contradictions with the Nutter gambit have not been exposed in the media. This synopsis provides a good starting point for those citizens interested. Mayor Nutter has no chance of winning his legal appeal against public hearings. It is so important that people recognize that the mayor is attempting to use 5 year projections to claim the need for an immediate emergency response. Protestants are not ignoring the budget issues, as is being asserted. A fictional crisis response does not justify the emergency powers demanded. The 40 million dollar surplus projected for the end of the fiscal year is not a great deal for the total city budget. But the mayors arguments have not been honest. People are being frightened with the misperception that the city will go bust tomorrow, so that a reconsideration of welfare for the wealthiest is totally out of the question! The mayor can not duck public hearings and a need for transparency. He can not break the city law. The people's court citation for contempt of court was not just a stunt. While the plaintiffs in the court action have not chosen to push the issue, the mayors retaliation against the library system is most certainly close to an actionable filing. I'm not a lawyer, but he engaged in retaliation with total disregard for the court order to allow public hearings! Glenn PS. It's refreshing to read the work of an honest journalist. I found no mistakes! You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
[UC] From Penn and the mayor
The word workshops suggests the nature of these. I hope these occurences are constructive! What d'ya think? Announcement: MAYOR'S OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS Thursday, January 22, 2009 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA PROJECT FOR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCES DATES FOR BUDGET WORKSHOPS The City Budget: Tight Times, Tough Choices Philadelphia, January 22 – The Universsity of Pennsylvania Project for Civic Engagement has announced the dates and locations of four community workshops to gather citizen input for the City of Philadelphia’s 2010 budget process. Mayor Nutter announced at a press conference last week that city officials will participate in these workshops to examine with citizens the real budget alternatives that will be generated by city departments. All workshops begin with registration at 6:00 pm. Registration is vital to the process of dividing participants into evenly sized, diverse working groups. The program will run from 7:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Here are the dates and sites: Thursday, Feb. 12th - St. Dominic’s School, 8510 Frankford Ave. (Northeast) Wednesday, Feb. 18th - Mastery Charter School, Pickett Campus, 5700 Wayne Ave (Germantown) Thursday, Feb 19th - St. Monica’s Catholic School, 16th and Porter Streets. (South Philadelphia) Monday, Feb. 23rd - Pinn Memorial Baptist Church, 2251 N. 54 TH Street (West Philadelphia) On Thursday, January 15, Mayor Nutter announced that the City of Philadelphia is facing a second budget deficit of $1 billion and that further painful choices will be required to ensure the fiscal integrity of the city. Mayor Nutter also announced that there will be unprecedented level of public engagement in the budget process as options to close the budget deficit are examined. These budget workshops are one piece of this public engagement which will ensure that citizens are involved early on in the budget process, like never before. The aim is to examine different budget options, discuss choices that need to be made, and gather input from people across the city on their concerns and priorities. Further information on the budget workshops can be found at: www.gse.upenn.edu/ppce ENDS You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
Re: [UC] Libraries and tactics that are doomed to failure
Joe Clarke wrote: Are we not in a crisis? Cutting the libraries without consulting the community (or the City Council) may have been hasty but where is the money going to come from to cover the deficit? Is there any area of the budget -- fire stations -- that somebody, including the city employees, doesn't find unacceptable, draconian, etc...? I don't think the libraries were selected by the administration for any sinister reason. That's your take on it. I think the libraries are an important part of a free society and are an asset to communities that rely on them for information and activities. But it's not like the fascists who go after the intellectuals first in order to crush their dissent. You putting Nutter on that level makes me think that his decisions and administration are just fodder for your conspiracy theories. Is Obama next? I think glenn's been trying to articulate principles here, and using examples that maybe get us confounded because they're on different scales (size-wise, time-wise). me, I tend to habitually think about these things (principles) as applicable on the entire local-global continuum... so, for example, when I hear local questions about how a city's budget CRISIS relates to the actions of an elected mayor and the expectations of his municipal voters, I can hear possible answers in what our national leader just said the other day in his address to the world: As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint. We are the keepers of this legacy. .. UNIVERSITY*CITOYEN You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
[UC] Obama's Executive Order to Close Secret Prisons
From the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/us/politics/23GITMOCND.html?_r=18auemc=au
[UC-Announce] Wed 1/27: Bensusan, Verdery, Zabala Gore - International Guitar Night concert workshop
INTERNATIONAL GUITAR NIGHT Pierre Bensusan (France) Benjamin Verdery (New York) Cecilia Zabala (Argentina) Brian Gore (California) Concert Wednesday, January 28 at 7:30 pm Calvary Church, 48th St. and Baltimore Ave. in West Philadelphia Pierre Bensusan, Cecilia Zabala, and Brian Gore will teach a workshop, also at Calvary, on Tuesday, January 27. Space is limited - please buy tickets in advance or reply to this email to register. http://www.crossroadsconcerts.org or 215-729-1028 INTERNATIONAL GUITAR NIGHT, North America’s premier mobile guitar festival, has featured the best performing guitar composers from around the world since 1995. Each tour, IGN founder Brian Gore invites a new cast of guitar luminaries to join him for special evenings of solos, duets and quartets that highlight the virtuosity and diversity within the world of acoustic guitar. Since the beginning, audiences have cherished the friendly informal ambiance of the performances. Participants have relished the chance IGN affords to express reverence for one another, and to collaborate rather than compete.For the January/February 2009 U.S. tour, Brian welcomes French steel string master Pierre Bensusan and renowned classical guitarist/composer Benjamin Verdery from New York and guitarist/singer Cecilia Zabala from Argentina. PIERRE BENSUSAN was born in Oran, Algeria and moved to Paris with his family when the country became independent in 1962. He taught himself guitar at 11. Influenced by the folk revival blooming in Britain, France and North America, Bensusan began first to explore his own diverse musical heritage and then moved to the horizons beyond. At 17 he signed his first recording contract, and one year later his first album Pres de Paris won the Grand Prix du Disque upon his debut at the Montreux Festival in Switzerland. Bensusan’s technique is clearly part of the fingerstyle acoustic tradition developed during the 1960s folk revival, but his dynamic and tone control is more characteristic of classical solo guitar and his counterpoint arrangements often include sophisticated, highly syncopated bass lines that set him apart from other fingerstyle players. Bensusan’s compositions often start with melodies inspired by various folk traditions, but he develops these ideas into compositions of astonishing complexity, creating beautiful and sensuous sounds with a sense of orchestration that goes far beyond what is generally thought of as guitar music. BENJAMIN VERDERY has enjoyed an innovative and eclectic musical career and has been described as one of the classical guitar world’s most foremost personalities, by Classical Guitar Magazine, an American original, an American master, by Guitar Review Magazine, and iconoclastic and inventive by The New York Times. Since his 1980 New York debut, Benjamin has performed at festivals in North and South America, Europe and Asia. He has recorded and performed with many leading artists, and had music composed for him by several composers. He has released over 15 albums and his most recent, Start Now won the 2005 Classical Recording Foundation Award. Since 1985, he has been chair of the guitar department at the Yale University School of Music. He is also a prolific composer whose works have been extensively broadcast and performed at festivals and universities in the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Europe. In addition to his solo tours, recording and teaching Benjamin performs with guitarist Bill Coulter (Bill and Ben), his ensemble Ufonia and with flutist Rie Schmidt (Schmidt/Verdery Duo). Buenos Aires guitarist and singer CECILIA ZABALA composes and performs music with a mixture of sensitivity, expression, technique and intuition. She combines styles as different as Argentinian folk, the contemporary language of SXX, jazz, tango and Brazilian music. She has released two self-produced albums, Halo of Light, consisting of original songs, and Milonga Without Words, dedicated to the music of the great tango composer and bandleader Astor Piezzolla. In 2008, she released her first solo album, Aguaribay, featuring originals and interpretations of Argentine songs and instrumentals, with guest artists Juan Falú, Quique Sinesi and Silvia Iriondo. She toured Europe in 2007 and Canada in 2008 and makes her US debut with the 2009 International Guitar Night. San Francisco guitar poet BRIAN GORE is gaining a reputation as one of the most interesting and influential performers of the next generation in fingerstyle guitar. A musical romantic, his compositions draw inspiration from myth and modern literature. Hailed as having …one of the most unique new acoustic guitar styles on the scene today (News and Review), his lyrical, understated compositions integrate classical and percussive techniques that display what the Los Angeles Times calls a characterful bounce and
[UC] laptop docking station TAKEN
The laptop docking station has found a new home. Amy I have a docking station for an Inspiron Dell laptop computer to give away, if anyone is interested. Amy You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html. -- Amy B. Birnbaum You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
Re: [UC] Libraries and tactics that are doomed to failure
I'm totally supportive of your rhetoric ... but baffled by your proposed legislative and administrative solutions, Ray. What are they, in this particular case? How do you think the articulation of principles, the rule of law, the rights of man, the facing down of fascism and communism, and the keeping of the legacy urge us to scrap certain of the Mayor's efforts to balance the budget, and adopt certain other budget-balancing measures in their place? If lofty rhetoric and principles cannot generate policy initiatives, they don't serve any purpose. Please (everybody else as well) come up with some alternative policy initiatives now. Now's when the city needs them! -- Tony West Joe Clarke wrote: Are we not in a crisis? Cutting the libraries without consulting the community (or the City Council) may have been hasty but where is the money going to come from to cover the deficit? Is there any area of the budget -- fire stations -- that somebody, including the city employees, doesn't find unacceptable, draconian, etc...? I don't think the libraries were selected by the administration for any sinister reason. That's your take on it. I think the libraries are an important part of a free society and are an asset to communities that rely on them for information and activities. But it's not like the fascists who go after the intellectuals first in order to crush their dissent. You putting Nutter on that level makes me think that his decisions and administration are just fodder for your conspiracy theories. Is Obama next? I think glenn's been trying to articulate principles here, and using examples that maybe get us confounded because they're on different scales (size-wise, time-wise). me, I tend to habitually think about these things (principles) as applicable on the entire local-global continuum... so, for example, when I hear local questions about how a city's budget CRISIS relates to the actions of an elected mayor and the expectations of his municipal voters, I can hear possible answers in what our national leader just said the other day in his address to the world: As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint. We are the keepers of this legacy. You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named UnivCity. To unsubscribe or for archive information, see http://www.purple.com/list.html.
