Coverage of Human Dignity lecture (Gustavo Gutierrez at Univ. of Notre Dame, Indiana)

Synopsis published by http://www.ndsmcobserver.com/ . . . . . . . . . from Reporter's coverage (Catriona Shaughnessy) of Keynote address (Oct. 30, 2013): On Thursday evening in McKenna Hall, Fr. Gustavo Gutierrez presented the annual Human Dignity Lecture, as part of the University’s Human Dignity Project, in which he spoke about poverty and the Church’s teachings on the transcendent dignity of the human person. Gutierrez began his theological commentary by exposing our tendency to view poverty as an inexorable fact or a matter of fate. He said we are the actual source of poverty. “It is a condition, not a misfortune. In the majority of cases, it is an injustice. We have made poverty,” he said. Given that poverty is a product of human constructs, it is within our power to eradicate it, Gutierrez said. He reinforced this call to action by quoting a seemingly contradictory character, Dr. Jim Yong Kim, president of the World Bank. “The supposition that there will always be poor is an excuse for inaction,” Gutierrez said. Gutierrez also talked about our human propensity to generate mental categories, which contributes to our conceptualization of insignificant persons. He cited the notion of Western superiority and the dominance of the male gender as examples of this phenomenon. Gutierrez said the Bible stamps out such misconceptions. “In the Bible, the poor are unclean, ignorant of the law … widows, orphans, women, children. When Jesus calls the children to him, the lesson is that they are important persons,” he said. Gutierrez said poverty is not merely a social issue, but rather a fundamentally theological issue. “Poverty is more than social. It is human. It is the whole person,” he said. Gutierrez said poverty is a direct challenge to the Christian faith, a faith of life. “Poverty is contrary to creation,” he said. “Creation is the gift of life.” Gutierrez said poverty was a “failure” of creation, “God has always been the God of the poor because the poor are the visible proof of the failure of the work of creation. The condition of poverty is a failure,” he said. Gutierrez offered Scriptural support for his claims on poverty and human dignity. He paired Mark 14:7, (“You will always have the poor among you”), with Deuteronomy 15:7 (“If in any of your towns in the land which the Lord your God is giving you, there is a poor man, one of your countrymen, do not let your heart be hard or your hand shut to him”). The latter conditional in context of the definite reveals our call to action, he said. “Jesus speaks in context of the conditional … Open your heart and open your hands always,” Gutierrez said. Gutierrez also approached the subject of preferential option for the poor. He defined this as “a practical recognition of the human dignity of any person.” Gutierrez explained how the preferential treatment of the poor is not an invention or a new idea, but rather an implicit aspect of our faith in Jesus Christ. “It is not a strange or beautiful idea, but we have it in the heart of the evangelical message,” he said. We meet Jesus by meeting the poor and in our actions towards our neighbors, Gutierrez said. “We have no neighbors. We are making neighbors. You must approach to have neighbors,” he said. Gutierrez said individualism has failed and it is our challenge to overcome this ideology. “It is impossible to be Christian if other persons are irrelevant to us,” he said. http://www.ndsmcobserver.com/news/theologian-speaks-on-poverty-and-human-dignity-1.3110162

Daylight Saving Time ends (fall back one hour -- 2 a.m. Sunday Nov. 3)

The first weekend in November is the designated time to conclude the one hour adjustment from last March -- remember on Saturday night to adjust all clocks and "old" electronics for the Extra Hour of time from last Spring! You might end up a bit early otherwise on Sunday trips and appointments.

Happy Birthday (1735: one of the Founders), John Adams!

from Writer's Almanac (American Public Media, Garrison Keillor) October 30 is the birthday of the second president of the United States, John Adams, born in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1735. While he was young he kept a diary, filled with his observations of people and events, and he used this technique after he grew up and went to Harvard and became a lawyer —- he would make detailed notes on cases and then study them and reflect on them later. He was a good writer and philosopher, famous for the articles he wrote in opposition to the British Stamp Act, articles that linked that opposition to the ideals of the first Puritans. John Adams said, "Democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts and murders itself. There was never a democracy that did not commit suicide."

Opening Nov. 1, 2013: storyteller's epic on Defense of Earth (ENDER's GAME)

from local theatre's web home page: http://wonderlandcinema.mooretheatres.com/ Ender's Game OPENING: Friday, November 1 MPAA Rating: PG-13 Reason for Rating...(for some violence, sci-fi action and thematic material) Starring: Asa Butterfield, Ben Kingsley, Harrison Ford, Hailee Steinfeld, Abigail Breslin, Viola Davis, Nonso Anozie, Stevie Ray Dillmore, Andrea Powell, Moises Arias, Conor Carroll, Aramis Knight, Brandon Soo hoo, Jimmy Director: Gavin Hood Movie Studio: Summit Entertainment Genre: Action Other Genres: Adventure, Sci-Fi Run Time: 114 Minutes Release Date: 11/1/2013 Synopsis: In the near future, a hostile alien race called the Formics have attacked Earth. If not for the legendary heroics of International Fleet Commander Mazer Rackham (Ben Kingsley), all would have been lost. In preparation for the next attack, the highly esteemed Colonel Hyrum Graff (Harrison Ford) and the International Military are training only the best young minds to find the future Mazer. Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield), a shy but strategically brilliant boy, is recruited to join the elite....MORE Arriving at Battle School, Ender quickly and easily masters increasingly difficult challenges and simulations, distinguishing himself and winning respect amongst his peers. Ender is soon ordained by Graff as the militarys next great hope, resulting in his promotion to Command School. Once there, hes trained by Mazer Rackham himself to lead his fellow soldiers into an epic battle that will determine the future of Earth and save the human race.Based on the best-selling, award winning novel, Ender's Game is an epic adventure which stars Asa Butterfield, Hailee Steinfeld, Ben Kingsley, Viola Davis, with Abigail Breslin and Harrison Ford.

Since 1945 -- annual observance of United Nations founding -- Proclamation 2013

from Presidential Proclamations (whitehouse dot-gov) UNITED NATIONS DAY, 2013 - - - - - - - BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION In 1945, after two world wars that showed the horrific lethality of modern conflict, 51 member states came together to create the United Nations, a bold new organization that sought to build a lasting peace for the generations to follow. Today, 68 years after the adoption of the United Nations Charter, we mark United Nations Day by reaffirming our commitment to its purposes and principles. We celebrate the organization's challenging and often unheralded work of forging a world in which every man, woman, and child can live in freedom, dignity, and peace. With the aim of sparing their children and grandchildren from the ravages of war, the members of the United Nations committed "to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security." In the nearly seven decades since they adopted these words in the United Nations Charter, the global threats to international peace and security have changed, but the need for international cooperation has only increased. While the United Nations was founded after a period of cataclysmic war among states, today many of the principal challenges to international peace and security are rooted in the need to prevent or address unconscionable slaughter and violence within states. As the United States works to address challenges old and new, we will continue our close cooperation with partners across the globe, including at the United Nations. And recognizing that the path to conflict often begins with the denial of basic human dignity, we remain committed to realizing another fundamental principle set forth in the Charter -- that no one should be denied the fundamental freedoms that are their birthright. As we mark the founding of a body built to pursue peace in an imperfect world, let us reaffirm that the values set forth in its Charter guide us still. They remind us that leaders and citizens alike, in the United States and around the world, will be judged by whether we contributed to a world that is more peaceful, just, and free. Let us honor the men and women of the United Nations itself, who work in countries across the globe, often unseen and uncelebrated, to improve the lives of the world's most vulnerable people. May we stand firm in our resolve to give voice to the voiceless and to turn swords into plowshares. And may we never lose sight of the essential truth that we live in a world where our fates are bound together as a community of nations, strengthened by our differences and united by our shared hopes for the future. NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim October 24, 2013, as United Nations Day. I urge the Governors of the 50 States, and the officials of all other areas under the flag of the United States, to observe United Nations Day with appropriate ceremonies and activities. http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/10/23/presidential-proclamation-united-nations-day-2013

National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week (Oct. 2013): coverage at Notre Dame / St. Mary's

from the OBSERVER (ND & St. Mary's College online newspaper) -- www.ndsmcobserver.com/ The Office of Alcohol and Drug Education will celebrate National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week (NCAAW) on campus, health counselor Bridget Hoffmann said. Hoffmann said the office will sponsor a poster campaign and a tailgate with mocktails, games and snacks on South Quad on Wednesday from 5:30 to 7 p.m. “Really, we’re promoting the fact that you can go to tailgates and not have to drink, or that you can have other things at tailgates and still have fun,” Hoffmann said. “We’re giving students options.” Hoffmann said the week does not necessarily focus on telling students not to drink at all, but rather to make smart decisions if and when they do choose to drink. “What this week is promoting [is] making those smart choices, whether it’s drinking but not drinking to get drunk, or drinking to be social,” she said. Because Halloween falls during NCAAW, the office is encourages students to be mindful of their alcohol consumption and safety, Hoffmann said. “We’re giving students the idea that if they are going out to a costume party or a hall party, they are considering things like having just one drink, or making sure everyone gets back safely,” she said. Hoffmann said it is important for colleges to learn how to distinguish themselves from campus drinking culture. “In regards to Notre Dame, we have a culture that’s really surrounded by sports,” she said. “So with our mock tailgate, we’re giving students the opportunity to think that, come football Saturdays, when they may go to a family’s or friend’s tailgate, maybe they can step back and not have as much or not have any at all.” Hoffmann said NCAAW is part of a national campaign by the BACCHUS Network, an organization that promotes students’ health and safety on campuses. “They want to get students to use the [hashtag] ‘#makeSMARTchoices,’ so we’re really trying to get that out around campus,” she said. “It’s just about making students aware of the fact that you can still go out to be parties, but be smart about decisions that you are making when you are going out.” According to the BACCHUS Network, the National Collegiate Alcohol Awareness week began in 2008. “NCAAW has grown to become the largest single event in alcohol prevention at colleges and universities because students take ownership in designing and implementing this observance for their campus communities,” the BACCHUS Network’s 2012 press release for the event stated. “This week gives campuses the opportunity to showcase healthy lifestyles free from the abuse or illegal use of alcohol, and to combat the negative and inaccurate stereotypes of college drinking behavior.”

White House Garden (Fall Harvest) -- Michelle Obama to host public awareness event with Sesame Street Puppet-characters Elmo and Rosita

from online Google Blog -- http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/ . . . . . . . .Monday October 28, 2013. . . . . . . Making up for time lost during the sixteen-day government shutdown, First Lady Michelle Obama will host two back-to-back Let's Move! events at the White House on Wednesday, Oct. 30. After unveiling a new child food marketing initiative, Mrs. Obama will welcome elementary school students from three states and DC for a Fall harvest in her Kitchen Garden, her office announced today. Sesame Street characters Elmo and Rosita will help Mrs. Obama harvest, the East Wing said. The two will also join Mrs. Obama for her marketing announcement. It will be the first time Mrs. Obama has been joined by kids' TV characters during a crop-plucking party, rather than by her usual high-profile guests--celebrity chefs. The Kitchen Garden is entirely restored after falling into chaos during the government shutdown, and ready for harvesting. The veggie fest will follow Mrs. Obama's 2:40 PM announcement in the State Dining Room "about marketing healthier foods to children," the East Wing said. Mrs. Obama will also be joined by representatives from the Produce Marketing Association, a fruit and vegetable trade group with a global membership, and Partnership for a Healthier America, the foundation created to support the Let's Move! campaign. Mrs. Obama serves as honorary chair. The events come on the heels of Mrs. Obama's first-ever White House Convening on Food Marketing to Children, held in September. "Mrs. Obama called on stakeholders to leverage the power of marketing to promote healthy products and decrease the marketing of unhealthy products to kids," the East Wing said. Elmo and Sesame Street are beloved by Mrs. Obama and Let's Move!. The shaggy red character has previously appeared in a White House video promoting healthier school lunches, and Mrs. Obama made an appearance on Sesame Street in 2009 to promote healthy eating and gardening. Big Bird joined the First Lady in a White House video earlier this year. Rosita is the first bilingual Muppet introduced into the Sesame Street oeuvre, and looks like a blue version of Elmo. http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/2013/10/wednesday-first-lady-will-make-food.html

On Oct.28, 1886 - Dedication of Statue of Liberty by Pres. Grover Cleveland in N.Y. Harbor

from History Channel dot-com : The Statue of Liberty, a gift of friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States, is dedicated in New York Harbor by President Grover Cleveland. Originally known as "Liberty Enlightening the World," the statue was proposed by the French historian Edouard de Laboulaye to commemorate the Franco-American alliance during the American Revolution. Designed by French sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi, the 151-foot statue was the form of a woman with an uplifted arm holding a torch. Its framework of gigantic steel supports was designed by Eugene-Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc and Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, the latter famous for his design of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. In February 1877, Congress approved the use of a site on New York Bedloe's Island, which was suggested by Bartholdi. In May 1884, the statue was completed in France, and three months later the Americans laid the cornerstone for its pedestal in New York Harbor. In June 1885, the dismantled Statue of Liberty arrived in the New World, enclosed in more than 200 packing cases. Its copper sheets were reassembled, and the last rivet of the monument was fitted on October 28, 1886, during a dedication presided over by President Cleveland and attended by numerous French and American dignitaries. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/statue-of-liberty-dedicated

Personal Genetic Testing: online debate - discussion (Oct. 27, NPR) - mid-morning

details and link-up at www.drshow.org/ When the human genome was mapped a decade ago, the ability to uncover our genetic secrets became a reality. But for many years, the price of accessing genetic information for individuals was sky-high. Now, technology has rapidly advanced and numerous companies offer personal genetic testing for a few hundred dollars. A simple saliva test can reveal genetic links to certain diseases, health conditions and ancestry. And a California company was recently awarded a patent for a process that would allow parents to select traits like hair and eye color for unborn children. Diane Rehm and a panel of experts discuss the science and ethics of personal genetic testing. Guests Marcy Darnovsky executive director, Center for Genetics and Society; Jeffrey Kahn professor of bioethics and public policy, Johns Hopkins University Berman Institute of Bioethics; Kevin Noonan partner, McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff and founding author, Patent Docs blog.

62nd Anniversary of I LOVE LUCY (CBS comedy of 1950s) -- re-airing of Xmas Episode this December

Article from online South Bend Tribune (S. Bend, IN): By YVONNE VILLARREAL Los Angeles Times (MCT) SouthBendTribune.com | 0 comments LOS ANGELES -- There was never any doubt that I Love Lucy was full of color. But for those whose imaginations need some help, CBS will air in December a one-hour special featuring two newly colorized classic episodes of the 1950s series. The I Love Lucy Christmas Special will consist of the seldom seen “Christmas Episode” and the grape-stomping classic “Lucy’s Italian Movie,” airing at 8 p.m. Eastern Dec. 20, 2013 for CBS across the country. The show — which featured Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz as Lucy and Ricky Ricardo, and Vivian Vance and William Frawley as the Ricardos’ friends and landlords, Ethel and Fred Mertz — is celebrating its 62nd anniversary. The holiday episode, which has the Ricardos and Mertzes reminiscing while decorating a Christmas tree, was first broadcast in December 1956 and went into hiding. It was rediscovered in 1989, with select airings since then. “Lucy’s Italian Movie” was originally broadcast in March 1956 and became an instant classic in the art of talking with one’s hands and the finesse in slathering crushed grapes across a foe’s face. The episode finds the Ricardos and Mertzes in Rome, where Lucy is invited by a famous Italian film director to appear in his next picture, “Bitter Grapes.” There will be no interruption between episodes, with the main titles and end credits of the two episodes coming at the beginning and end of the hour. http://www.southbendtribune.com/entertainment/inthebend/article_9c41885a-3eee-11e3-b5c9-0019bb30f31a.html

Human Dignity Lecture (Gustavo Gutierrez: Oct. 30, 2013) - McKenna Hall,

from http://lifeinitiatives.nd.edu/ John Cardinal O'Hara Professor of Theology, Fr. Gustavo Gutierrez, O.P., will deliver the "2013 Annual Human Dignity Lecture." Father Gutierrez's lecture, entitled "Poverty and Human Dignity," promises to be an incisive and thoughtful consideration of the interscetions of Church's teaching on the "transcendent dignity of the human person" and poverty (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church 132). Human Dignity Lecture on Wednesday October 30, 2013, 7:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. McKenna Hall Auditorium Location: McKenna Hall Auditorium

CBS Drama - sci-fi series (PERSON OF INTEREST) -- how realistic on surveillance?

from Politico dot-com/ Somebody, somewhere is tracking our every move. And Americans’ reactions range from a mix of heightened interest to complete apathy. This fascinates Jonathan Nolan, an Academy-award nominee whose screenplays include The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises. He told POLITICO that the Edward Snowden story has been like a spy novel. “ The human interest appeal that finally heightened, the initial interviews in Hong Kong, and then — where would he go? — he winds up in Russia.” “It really points to the public’s apathy and the head-in-the-sand phenomenon,” he said, “until the story has become so big that someone has fled from the country, and you sort of force it into the national debate.” Nolan and Greg Plageman, a producer of Law & Order and NYPD Blue, are executive producers of the hit CBS show Person of Interest, a sci-fi series that features a former CIA officer, played by Jim Caviezel, and a billionaire, played by Michael Emerson, who use a surveillance machine to prevent violent crimes by detecting either the victim or the perpetrator. Nolan and Plagemen were in Washington to join Shane Harris, a senior writer for Foreign Policy, on a panel Friday evening for “Inventing the Surveillance Society,” a symposium at the Lemelson Center at the Smithsonian Museum of American History. (You can watch their panel discussion here.) Some found Person of Interest, now in its third season, just too hard to believe initially, Nolan said. Selling a show of a surveillance machine that helps fight crime? Give me a break. “But part of the song and dance” to sell the show in 2010, as Nolan described at the symposium, involved leaving his cell phone on a table. “At some point in the meeting I would point to the cell phone and say, ‘You know the NSA could be listening to my pitch right now.’” “That would draw a laugh or two and usually some expressions of surprise and shock,” Nolan added. “And then I would point out that The New York Times had carried a story about that exact fact in 2005.” A fascinating aspect, Harris noted, is some people just aren’t that concerned about surveillance. “There hasn’t been a great cry to dismantle these things,” he said. “I wonder if that’s because we’ve almost kind of expected that this is the way things are — starting [Person of Interest] under the assumption that the machine exists and it’s already real.” Plageman said “to a certain degree, we’re all guilty” over the lack of outrage. “I mean I got a new iPhone,” he said, “I put my thumbprint right on the phone, and it’s one more end-user license agreement we all opt into as a matter of convenience and, to a certain extent, you feel complicit.” There’s also a whole new dimension to surveillance in the U.S. that didn’t exist pre-9/11, Nolan noted. “There weren’t cameras everywhere, and you’ve seen in the last 10 years that sort of surveillance state has sprung up almost, unfortunately, overnight due to the events of 9/11,” Nolan said. “The New York chapter of the ACLU tried to count the number of cameras in New York last year and officially arrived at an uncountable number.” Yet Nolan and Plageman have also benefited from this high level of surveillance. “When we shot in New York City for the pilot, we were able to take some of that footage from the department of transportation because you could literally pull one of the hard drives and copy and take it to the edits and cut it in — and that’s actual surveillance,” Nolan said. “Some people said the show was sort of an apology for the surveillance, but the show isn’t political. We don’t think it’s our part to be didactic or tell people how they should feel on these issues,” Nolan said. “What we do with the show is assume the surveillance state exists. And the NSA was looking for a needle in the haystack, and that was our question — what about all the other data you’re digging out that isn’t relevant to national security but might be catastrophic for one person?” “Where the show is still science fiction is the idea that someone built the ability to make sense of all of that information,” Nolan said. “There is a far-fetched aspect of the show, I mean, is that ours actually works in as much as it actually shifts through this morass of data and retrieves usable information — that’s the thing that realistically is probably 15 years away.” www.politico.com/ October 27, 2013

Thanksgiving Day Run (Nov. 28, 2013): YMCA for walkers & runners

The Niles-Buchanan YMCA and Chemical Bank invite you to participate in our 32nd annual Thanksgiving Day Run on Thursday November 28th, 2013. We are now taking registration for you go-getters and we encourage you to save big by registering early - only $25 for an individual and $40 for a family. The cost will increase after November 7th. You, your family and friends are invited to participate in one of our four great races. Our 10K/5K races, 5K Walk, and 1 mile fun run/walk are open to you and the entire family. Add a whole infield of entertainment and you have a Thanksgiving tradition that appeals to every generation while raising money for a critical social service in our community. The races will be held on Thursday, November 28, 2013 beginning at 8:00 a.m. Download our Thanksgiving Day Run Registration Form http://nb-ymca.org/ or register online at signmeup.com. Established runners, we welcome you too! We encourage you to tell your non-running friends about this race and invite them to do something that may be life-changing.

One year since "Superstorm Sandy" (landfall on Oct. 29, 2012)

from Red Cross dot-org : The American Red Cross has released a one-year Superstorm Sandy report detailing its response and recovery work to help residents affected by this historic storm, which made landfall on October 29, 2012. http://www.redcross.org/images/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m23216738_Superstorm_Sandy_One-Year_Update.pdf “Donations to the Red Cross have helped countless families start over in a new place to live, clean out the mold from their water-logged homes, or get much-needed financial and emotional support to rebuild their homes and lives,” said Gail McGovern, president and CEO of the Red Cross. “The needs are still great, and there is more work to do. We are committed to continue working with the communities that were impacted by this devastating storm to provide services and support.” INSIDE THE REPORT The One-Year Superstorm Sandy Report details the extraordinary measures taken by the Red Cross to respond to Sandy, from volunteer deployment and relief efforts to temporary and permanent housing assistance to key partnerships with government and non-government entities, as well as the strong outpouring of support from donors.. The Red Cross met Sandy’s significant damage with its largest U.S. response in five years. More than 17,000 trained workers from all over the country – 90 percent of them volunteers, powered the massive emergency relief effort. This response included: •Serving more than 17.5 million meals and snacks in a huge feeding operation.•Handing out more than 7 million relief items such as cold weather items and clean-up supplies.•Providing nearly 113,000 health services and emotional support contacts for people who have been living in very tough conditions.•Providing 74,000 overall shelter stays for Sandy.

Kristallnacht anniversary - Holocaust Commemoration (Nov. 10, 2013) - Sout Bend, IN Synagogue

from publicity article in South Bend Tribune (October 2013): Jefrey Veidlinger, a professor of history and Judaic studies at the University of Michigan, will be the featured speaker at Kurt and Tessye Simon Holocaust Remembrance Fund's annual Holocaust Commemoration on Nov. 10. The Kristallnacht Commemoration will be at 3 p.m. that day at Temple Beth-El, 305 W. Madison St., South Bend, IN. It is open to the public. Professor Veidlinger will be talking about the impact of the Holocaust in Soviet Russia and Eastern Europe. Prior to becoming the Joseph Brodsky Collegiate Professor of History and Judaic Studies at Michigan, Veidlinger was the Alvin H. Rosenfeld Professor of History and Jewish Studies at Indiana University and director of the Borns Jewish Studies Program. He is the author of The Moscow State Yiddish Theater: Jewish Culture on the Soviet Stage," "Jewish Public Culture in the Late Russian Empire, and, most recently, In the Shadow of the Shtetl: Small-Town Jewish Life in Soviet Ukraine. He has received several awards for his books. He is also the co-director of the Archives of Historical and Ethnographic Yiddish Memories, and is working on a documentary film with PBS on Jewish life in Eastern Europe. In 2006, he was named a Top Young Historian.

Great Pumpkin Race - Sunday October 20, 2013

coverage by Niles (Michigan) Daily Star online article (www.nilesstar.com) : The Niles Noon Optimists Club is sponsoring the second edition of the Great Pumpkin Race Sunday. Registration is from 10 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. with the race heats starting at 2 p.m. The race will occur on the hill at Sycamore and Fourth streets in downtown Niles. “Last year was our first race, and it was a great learning year for us,” said Betty Arndt, one of the race committee members. “People told us what they did or didn’t like, and we have tried to put some of the ideas into play. Cost of a racer has been restructured, and we have added some other activities.” To build a pumpkin racer, just insert two independent axles through a pumpkin and attach wheels. Kits including everything needed to build a racer are available at the Bell Building on Sycamore. Participants are encouraged to paint their pumpkins and dress in a costume. Rules and more information are available at the website www.nilespumpkinrace.com, or on pamphlets available at the Niles-Buchanan YMCA and the Niles District Library. Many things will be offered in addition to the race itself. Attendees will have a chance to build a marshmallow shooter with the assistance of local Boy Scouts and have a photo taken with a pumpkin racecar. Niles Youth Robotics will show off their robots. There will also be blacksmithing, quilting and spinning. “Building a pumpkin race car is a hands on activity and I wanted people to have a chance to see some other hands on hobbies that people in our area do,” said Arndt. Food will be for sale on site.

National School Lunch Week (legislation since 1946 - Truman Administration)

a Presidential Proclamation (White House - dot-gov) In 1946, when American communities bore the weight of endemic malnutrition, and parents struggled to provide their children with decent meals for the long school day, President Harry Truman signed the National School Lunch Act. The law is based on a simple conviction -- that in the most powerful Nation on earth, no child should go hungry. And today, with more than 32 million children participating in the National School Lunch Program, strong nutrition at school remains as important as ever. During National School Lunch Week, we recommit to the basic promise that every American child should have a chance to succeed, and we recognize the role nutrition plays in giving our children the opportunity to reach for their dreams. My Administration is working to fulfill our essential commitment to America's sons and daughters. For too many of our children, food served at school may be their only regular meals, providing the sustenance they need to focus and excel. With the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, we expanded access to school meals while taking action to combat childhood obesity. Obesity now affects 17 percent of all children and adolescents in the United States -- triple the rate from just one generation ago -- and that means more of our children are at risk for preventable health problems including diabetes and heart disease. We updated nutritional standards for school meals, balancing calories and limiting fat and sodium while increasing servings of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative works with elected officials, parents, schools, and communities to help young people and their parents access healthy foods and make healthy choices, empowering students to be engaged in the classroom and active throughout their lives. As he signed the National School Lunch Act into law, President Truman reminded us that "In the long view, no nation is any healthier than its children." This week, as we look to a healthy future, we give our thanks to the food program administrators, educators, parents, and communities who are doing their part to get us there. The Congress, by joint resolution of October 9, 1962 (Public Law 87–780), as amended, has designated the week beginning on the second Sunday in October each year as "National School Lunch Week" and has requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of this week. NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim the week of October 13 through October 19, 2013, as National School Lunch Week. I call upon all Americans to join the dedicated individuals who administer the National School Lunch Program in appropriate activities that support the health and well-being of our Nation's children

Local Church Fundraiser: Chili (Recipe given), Corn Muffins, Desserts at local "Eagles"

from trinityepiscopalniles Google Blogger blogspot.com/ We’ll be having a Chili Supper at the Eagles Lodge in Niles, MI on Friday, October 18th from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. A $7.00 donation per diner will be accepted at the door. We need volunteers to prepare chili (see recipe below), corn muffins and desserts. This is one of our biggest fundraisers of the year 2013! The Eagles Lodge is located at 24 Sycamore Street, Niles, Michigan 49120 (near the amphitheater in Riverfront Park). There are posters at the back of the sanctuary; please take some and help us promote this event. We are asking everyone to use this recipe for the chili so we can put it all together for the big event! •Trinity Chili Recipe •2 pounds ground beef (brown and drain) •1 quart tomato juice •1 20 ounce can tomato puree •1 15 oz can kidney beans (drained) •1 and 1/2 cups chopped onion •1/2 cup diced celery •1/4 cup diced green pepper •1/4 cup chili powder •1 teaspoon cumin •1/2 teaspoon salt •1/2 teaspoon black pepper •1/2 teaspoon oregano •1/2 teaspoon sugar •1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper •Add all to 6 quart pot; simmer 1-1 and 1/2 hours; stir often.

Great American "Shake-out" -- Earthquake readiness to be observed at 10:17 a.m. on Oct. 17 (10/17/2013)

www.shakeout.org _____________________________________________________________________________ Earthquake Readiness at Local 10:17 a.m. -- Are you ready? -- Homes, businesses, institutions

Festival of Sacrifice (Arabic = Eid al-Adha) - definition (Oct. 15 and following, 2013)

from About dot-com dot-Islam (2013 posting): What is Eid al-Adha? At the end of the Hajj (annual pilgrimage to Mecca), Muslims throughout the world celebrate the holiday of Eid al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice). In 2013, Eid al-Adha will begin on or around October 15th, and will last for three days. What does Eid al-Adha commemorate? During the Hajj, Muslims remember and commemorate the trials and triumphs of the Prophet Abraham. The Qur'an describes Abraham as follows: "Surely Abraham was an example, obedient to Allah, by nature upright, and he was not of the polytheists. He was grateful for Our bounties. We chose him and guided him unto a right path. We gave him good in this world, and in the next he will most surely be among the righteous." (Qur'an 16:120-121) One of Abraham's main trials was to face the command of Allah to kill his only son. Upon hearing this command, he prepared to submit to Allah's will. When he was all prepared to do it, Allah revealed to him that his "sacrifice" had already been fulfilled. He had shown that his love for his Lord superceded all others, that he would lay down his own life or the lives of those dear to him in order to submit to God. Why do Muslims sacrifice an animal on this day? During the celebration of Eid al-Adha, Muslims commemorate and remember Abraham's trials, by themselves slaughtering an animal such as a sheep, camel, or goat. This action is very often misunderstood by those outside the faith. Allah has given us power over animals and allowed us to eat meat, but only if we pronounce His name at the solemn act of taking life. Muslims slaughter animals in the same way throughout the year. By saying the name of Allah at the time of slaughter, we are reminded that life is sacred. The meat from the sacrifice of Eid al-Adha is mostly given away to others. One-third is eaten by immediate family and relatives, one-third is given away to friends, and one-third is donated to the poor. The act symbolizes our willingness to give up things that are of benefit to us or close to our hearts, in order to follow Allah's commands. It also symbolizes our willingness to give up some of our own bounties, in order to strengthen ties of friendship and help those who are in need. We recognize that all blessings come from Allah, and we should open our hearts and share with others. It is very important to understand that the sacrifice itself, as practiced by Muslims, has nothing to do with atoning for our sins or using the blood to wash ourselves from sin. This is a misunderstanding by those of previous generations: "It is not their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah; it is your piety that reaches Him." (Qur'an 22:37) The symbolism is in the attitude - a willingness to make sacrifices in our lives in order to stay on the Straight Path. Each of us makes small sacrifices, giving up things that are fun or important to us. A true Muslim, one who submits his or herself completely to the Lord, is willing to follow Allah's commands completely and obediently. It is this strength of heart, purity in faith, and willing obedience that our Lord desires from us. What else do Muslims do to celebrate the holiday? On the first morning of Eid al-Adha, Muslims around the world attend morning prayers at their local mosques. Prayers are followed by visits with family and friends, and the exchange of greetings and gifts. At some point, members of the family will visit a local farm or otherwise will make arrangements for the slaughter of an animal. The meat is distributed during the days of the holiday or shortly thereafter.

Team USA (Winter Olympic athletes) at Mendoza Business College Auditorium (Oct. 15, 6 p.m.)

from News Briefs (South Bend Tribune dot-com): Steve Mesler, U.S. gold medalist in bobsled, and Rico Roman, U.S. Paralympic hopeful in sled hockey will speak at the University of Notre Dames' Mendoza College of Business auditorium at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, October 15, 2013. The Event is free and open to the public. The two will share their stories as part of the Team USA Road Show in advance of the 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Mesler, a three-time U.S. Olympian and 2010 gold medalist in four-man bobsled, is a motivational speaker and philanthropist. Roman lost his left leg in a roadside bombing in Iraq in 2007 while serving in the U.S. Army. He started to play sled hockey with the help of "Operation Comfort," a nonprofit group that helps wounded warriors/veterans with rehabilitation. www.southbendtribune.com/

Future of the Book & Libraries (2013 lecture at Notre Dame Hesburgh Library)

web invite posted at 50years.library.ND.edu/ Hesburgh Libraries Lecture Series: Can These Dry Bones Live?: Old Books, Modern Libraries, and The Digital Domain Thursday, October 17 4:00p – 5:00p Michael F. Suarez, S.J. Director, Rare Book School University of Virginia Hesburgh Library William J. Carey Auditorium Reception immediately to follow About the Presenter: Michael F. Suarez, S.J., is University Professor and Director of Rare Book School at the University of Virginia. The holder of research fellowships from The American Council of Learned Societies, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University, he is also Honorary Curator of the University of Virginia's special collections and Professor of English. His most recent book is The Oxford Companion to the Book (2010, co-edited with H. R. Woudhuysen), a million-word reference work on the history of books and manuscripts from the invention of writing to the present day. The Sunday Telegraph in London called it "colossal" and "a paradise for book lovers;" while The Wall Street Journal praised it as "a fount of knowledge where the Internet is but a slot machine." A Jesuit priest, Michael is currently co-General Editor of The Collected Works of Gerard Manley Hopkins, and Editor-in-Chief of Oxford Scholarly Editions Online (OSEO), one of the largest digital humanities projects extant today. His two forthcoming books (both from OUP, late 2013) are a scholarly edition of The Dublin Notebook of Gerard Manley Hopkins (co-edited with L. J. Higgins) and The Book: A Global History (co-edited with H. R. Woudhuysen). In 2014-15, he will hold the J. R. Lyell Readership in Bibliography at Oxford University.

Thanksgiving Side Dishes (L. Waverman -- Canadian food editor)

from the GLOBE & MAIL (Canadian online and print newspaper): POSTED online Oct. 8, 2013 If you are looking for a way to add some zing to your traditional Thanksgiving dinner this year, try adding these three spicy vegetable dishes to the menu. Each uses a different hot spice – from Spanish paprika to Korean hot sauce. I served all three dishes with a turkey breast and they complemented each other beautifully. You can tone each recipe down by using less spice than suggested. Alternatively, choose one dish to highlight your other vegetable choices or to take the edge off the spiciness. Thanksgiving side dishes •Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Romesco Sauce •Sweet and Hot Sweet Potatoes •Italian Cauliflower with Anchovies •Zucchini Salad http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/thanksgiving/spice-up-your-thanksgiving/article14735667/

Share Thanksgiving (Canada) -- New program to bring the Harvest holiday to immigrants

from Oct. 11, 2013 coverage by the GLOBE and MAIL -- (online newspaper/periodical) Share Thanksgiving was launched in Toronto in 2012 by Engineers Without Borders Canada co-founder Parker Mitchell. The impetus was simple: Mr. Mitchell had spent much of the previous year travelling and wanted to replicate the generosity he'd experienced in homes abroad. “The feeling of being welcomed in a country that's not our own, that was what inspired us to bring this to Canada,” says Robyn Chatwin-Davies, Canadian director of Share Thanksgiving and the muscle behind the organization's expansion to seven new cities from coast to coast. Where 100 families were joined in last year's pilot initiative, this year's Thanksgiving match-up is poised to reach 1,000. Its original target was 500. “We're getting 50 to 100 signups per day,” says Ms. Chatwin-Davies, who credits social media word-of-mouth for aiding the process. Toronto’s Dallas Bergen is one of this year's first-time Share Thanksgiving hosts. After learning about the program through Facebook last year, he “made it a priority” to get involved in 2013. While he doesn't know many specific details about the family he will be having over for dinner, he knows they're from Uzbekistan and have two toddlers. “Which will be great, because we’ve got a two-year-old daughter as well,” says Mr. Bergen. “So we’re looking forward to making a connection with that family.” Mr. Bergen sees Thanksgiving as an especially meaningful holiday in that it invites the opportunity to reflect on the year while also recognizing, and celebrating, the patterns of migration that have formed the Canadian fabric. His own wife is an immigrant from Israel. “Intercultural exchange is something that’s really important to me, and I think we can make a great difference in the life of a new Canadian family by giving them that connection,” he says. While it may seem a small gesture, being invited into the home of an established Canadian family can bear great meaning for new arrivals still sussing out their place in the Canadian cultural framework. An estimated 1.2 million people immigrated to Canada between 2006 and 2011, according to Statistics Canada. One in five people in the country are foreign born. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/thanksgiving-family-match-up-introduces-new-canadians-to-holiday-traditions/article14845423/

Depiction of Christopher Columbus at Main Building - Notre Dame, South Bend, IN

from a "Wikispaces" blog on the "Columbus Murals" -- http://columbusmurals.wikispaces.com Columbus had gained a mythic status in American culture, as the stories and fabrications regarding his life had grown exponentially since his death. This veneration for Columbus came from all sides. Most importantly for our investigation, the Catholic church saw him as not only an American hero, but a Catholic hero. Columbus was a devout Christian who took great means to spread his religious beliefs throughout the New World. Representations of Columbus from the 19th century, which can be seen in a litany of artistic projects, reflect this congratulatory mindset and, as many historians have shown, fueled the persistence of a misinformed public conception of who Columbus was. An all too flawed narrative of the events and peoples that shaped his life became the accepted standard. "Writers and artists, always hoping to create a Columbus worthy of discovering and founding a great nation, went beyond reality to further the reputation of the admiral" (Bushman 145). Thus, the University of Notre Dame posits that it is "not surprising" that the administration at that time would want to commemorate Columbus' life through some sort of aesthetic display. A much more modern portrayal of Columbus debunks this long-standing apotheosis: •He was not the first non-Native American to reach the Americas. •His tyrannical approach to leadership sparked dissent amongst his crew and eventually led to his removal from power in Hispaniola. •He played a pivotal role in implementing the encomienda system that exploited, enslaved, and exterminated the Taino and Carib people. Verbatim quotes from his journals like "they ought to be good servants" and "with 50 men, we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want" tarnish the idea that Columbus was a man of compassion, morals, and ethics.

Birthday anniversary for First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt

October 11 is the birthday of the longest-serving First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, born in New York City (1884) who said, "A woman is like a tea bag. You never know how strong she is until she gets into hot water." She began a secret courtship with her cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt. During World War I, she went off to Europe and visited wounded and shell-shocked soldiers in hospitals there. Later, during her husband's presidency, she campaigned hard on civil rights issues — not a universally popular thing in the 1930s and 1940s. After FDR died in 1945, she moved from the White House to Hyde Park, New York, and taught International Relations at Brandeis University. As anti-communist witch-hunting began to sweep the U.S., she stuck up for freedom of association in a way that few Americans were brave or bold enough to do. She chided Hollywood producers for being so "chicken-hearted about speaking up for the freedom of their industry." She said that the "American public is capable of doing its own censoring" and that "the judge who decides whether what [the film industry] does is good or bad is the man or woman who attends the movies." She said that the Un-American Activities Committee was creating the atmosphere of a police state in America, "where people close doors before they state what they think or look over their shoulders apprehensively before they express an opinion." In 1947, a couple years before the McCarthy Era had reached full swing, she announced, "The Un-American Activities Committee seems to me to be better for a police state than for the USA." She once said, "We have to face the fact that either all of us are going to die together or we are going to learn to live together and if we are to live together we have to talk." And, "You wouldn't worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do." [from THE WRITER's ALMANAC: American Public Media, Garrison Keillor]

Noted Writing instructor - William Zinsser - reached 91st Birthday

from Writer's Almanac (American Public Media, Garrison Keillor): October 7 is the birthday of journalist, nonfiction author, and writing teacher William Zinsser, born in New York City in 1922. He's written several books, including a couple of memoirs and books about travel, jazz, and baseball. His best-known work is On Writing Well (1976). In it he advocates a clean, spare style: "Clutter is the disease of American writing. We are a society strangling in unnecessary words, circular constructions, pompous frills, and meaningless jargon."