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In place of the Las Vegas Sands proposal to erect a casino at the Nassau Hub, here are 7 outstanding alternative ideas suggested by Harvey Miller of the Long Island Sierra Club :   “We shouldn't just be there to oppose bad ideas but, to work to eliminate other bad proposed ideas, this may be an opportunity to suggest, hopefully in detail, ideas that would benefit the area in ways that most people would totally support." Some ideas:   1. Advanced Medical and Research Campus Expand on the presence of the nearby cancer center  and Hofstra’s medical program. Attract partnerships with Northwell Health, NYU Langone, or Memorial Sloan Kettering for an advanced treatment and research hub. Benefits : High-skilled jobs Raises tax base Low traffic impact relative to peak venue use Bolsters Hofstra collaboration Enhances public perception and property values   2. Innovation & Education District Create a “Nassau Innovation Village” anchored by: A STEM-focused satellite campus ( Hofstra, Cornell Tech, SUNY ) Tech incubators and biotech startups Small business labs or co-working space Benefits: Clean economic growth Partnership-ready Attracts young talent Politically attractive as future-focused   3. Mixed-Use Civic and Cultural Center Repurpose part of the land into: An outdoor performance space Public parkland and green space A community recreation center  (ice rink, pools, youth spaces) Benefits: Enhances quality of life Draws families and culture seekers Low environmental impact Minimal traffic stress Works well with weekend events   4. Clean Tech and Green Energy Hub Partner with NY State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA)  or federal climate initiatives to build: A solar research and deployment center Battery storage innovation space EV research and charging infrastructure lab Benefits: Politically high-value (green jobs, climate funding) Big state and federal grants available Doesn’t burden local services   5. Sports and Health Wellness Complex A high-end multi-sport training complex , combining: Physical therapy Performance science Community fitness access Could be marketed to both public and private athletic programs, plus Hofstra’s kinesiology department Benefits: Year-round use Revenue from clinics, events, and research Family-friendly, traffic-controlled   6. Digital Media and Film Production Studio Given Long Island’s proximity to NYC but lack of large-scale studio space: Convert the Coliseum into a sound stage and post-production campus Incentivize production companies to move operations here Benefits: High-income, low-disruption industry Adds to cultural prestige Easily regulated in terms of traffic and land use   7. Senior Living + Workforce Housing Hybrid Develop thoughtfully zoned housing for seniors and essential workers  with walkable amenities and medical access Could include community gardens, wellness centers, and green corridors to Hofstra Benefits: Politically appealing (addresses housing + aging population) Predictable, non-peak traffic Increases stable tax base” Previous Nassau Hub Development Plans The above image serves as this post's thumbnail and was part of the following 2019 development plan for the Nassau Hub: Nassau Hub - Quarter 1 Development Report - April 30, 2019 Nassau Hub - Quarter 2 Development Report - July 31, 2019 Nassau Hub - Quarter 3 Development Report - October 31, 2019 Nassau Hub - Quarter 4 Development Report - January 31, 2020 RELATED POSTS Nassau Hub Development: Pros & "Cons" Nassau County Casino Plan Close to Death...BUT, Keep applying pressure on our officials so they DO what WE want... Town of Hempstead: casiNO!!! We won't get fooled again... Keep saying "NO" to a Casino at the Nassau Hub #NassauHub #LISierraClub #HarveyMiller #casino #NassauCountyNY

Hi! Quickly pressed post lettin' you know about a last minute fun musical event at 6 PM tonight at the East Woods School in Oyster Bay, NY 31 Yellow Cote Road Oyster Bay, NY 11771. Our son John - on keyboard - will be accompanying the Yellow Cote Players . So, if ya got no particular place to go tonight, c'mon over... Chuck Berry 'No Particular Place To Go' live 1965 (02:42) Back to Tonight's Gig... Our son John will be accompanying the Players...who are made up of teachers and parents of students. They don't have much of an online presence, but I did locate this 2016 clip from a performance that included this selection from Les Mis . One Day More Life is a Caberet "So don't sit in your room alone...come hear the music play:... TONIGHT! The Yellow Cote Players will be showcasing songs from a variety of musicals and this number will be included: Robert Goulet - Julie Andrews - Joel Grey "Life Is A Cabaret" (02:09) Rumor has it (Reba?)...a Monty Python number might be included... Life is a Cabernet ... And here's our host...and sommelier... Rich Klender ...Absolutely a fun song!!! Klender - Life is a Cabernet (Official Music Video) (05:21) "There a Grateful Dead Song... Wine ...for Every Occasion" Regular readers are familiar with this feature. It originated with my friend Steve ...a surfing buddy, fellow Deadhead , Steve also introduced me to the art of Volkswagen repair (his Beetle , my Bus )... "Playing with cars" as he called it became my CAReer with Avis ... As a NYC middle school teacher, he got relaxation on weekends playing with tools. He advanced and built his own home in East Hampton . Pretty "GRATE!" Grateful Dead’s ‘Pride of Cucamonga’ was inspired by Filippi wine - Inland Valley Daily Bulletin "Pride Of Cucamonga" by Mike & Tessa Gordon (02:16) --nice finishing "hand work" on all counts Without wine...Life would be Tres Miserables ... Les Miserables - Drink With Me - High School Edition - Part 23 (03:26) The Ripple Effect LOOK what she pulls out of Redd's jacket... Redd Foxx - What is Ripple? (00:59) Another Redd Foxx joke went something like this: "Whayda get when you mix cream soda and Ripple? CRIPPLE!!! WARNING: Drinking Ripple will stunt your growth...or worse, leave you DEAD... The Grateful Dead's 'Ripple' by The Barton Hills Choir - #DeadCoversProject (04:00) Another classic from our early years of imbibing... From the next drink...Uhh...article: This joke is a reference to a famous ad campaign for notoriously noxious “ bum wine ” Thunderbird , which is known as “The American Classic.” In the famous radio jingle, played in the inner city and targeted toward low-income African American  neighborhoods, the lyrics go “What’s the word? Thunderbird. How’s it sold? Good and cold. What’s the jive? Bird’s alive. What’s the price? Thirty twice.” Thunderbird: What's the price...??? 14. “What’s the word? Thunderbird! What’s the price? Forty twice!” --(inflation: $.30 to $.40) Article included this classic tune about The Bird...or, from Glory to Gutter... What's The Word Thunderbird by The Casual-Aires (02:35) #music #humor #comedy #YellowCotePlayers #EastWoodsSchool #OysterBay #JohnTittmann #ChuckBerry #RobertGoulet #JoelGrey #JulieAndrews #Cabaret #cabernet #LesMis #RichKlender #KlenderNothing2Lose #SteveBermont #Volkswagen #Beetle #VWBus #MontyPython #GratefulDead #GnarlyHead #Cucamonga #ReddFoxx #Ripple #BartonHillsChoir #Thunderbird #TheCasualAires

"We are stardust, we are golden We are caught in the devil's bargain And we've got to get ourselves Back to the garden" Viewer digestion advised: These musings began last evening and continued as I awoke. They contain pro life imagery. While initially addressed to folks I know as musicians, they are also intended for all of us...provided we... "Trouble with you is the trouble with me, Got two good eyes but we still don't see." -"Casey Jones" - Grateful Dead And from a favorite Psalm... Youtube Pray/Playlist (13 videos) Music Makers, Hello! I’m offering you an opportunity to compose…way better than decomposing… …to create a new song to support the pro-life movement…I’m attaching some threads to assist your tune weaving… As I typed “tune weaving”, I seemed to remember a band with that name. Yup! Their #1 hit was called “Happy Happy Birthday, Baby”…The lyrics weren’t appropriate to our conversation…BUT, it did lead to another song about abortion after I searched for: “happy birthday song to an aborted baby” The following appeared at the top of my search results: “ There is a rap song by Flipsyde that uses the melody of "Happy Birthday" to address abortion. The lyrics apologize for involvement in an abortion and imagine a child being born1 ” Flipsyde ft. Piper - Happy Birthday (Official Video) (03:18) --Lyrics are near the end of the post The empty swings reminded me of a scene in Les Mis . Eileen and I just shared this favorite film with a young friend. We were introduced to it at the home of Jim and Marylou Jeffries , who with their children, entertained us as they sang parts of the movie’s songs.   Les Misérables (2012) - Empty Chairs at Empty Tables Scene (9/10) | Movieclips (03:15) BACKSTORY TO POST This tale/ tail (you’ll see why "tail"…) began last evening when I searched to see if I could find any Grateful Dead pro-life songs. Nada. Undaunted, I was inspired to send an email to some music makers I know asking them to write a new pro-life song. To aid and abet their labors, I included a few pro-life tunes. Here's my first email: I came upon a child of God - Part 1… Good evening! While looking for particular pro-life articles, I came upon this “child of God…” link and am sharing it with you. It was a message I penned in the Fall of 2008. CEC for Life Link I’m an active member of the West Hempstead Community Support Association , so let me know if there’s an interest in hosting another pro life table…   FYI - I’ve recently enjoyed reconnecting with some folks from our Cathedral Church of the Intercessor days. Got to enjoy Kelly Tanza’s all-girl band Pandora’s Vox a few weeks ago at the Double L in Hicksville .  Here's their Facebook page.   Fr Joe and Melanie drove me to see Paul Ammendola, Mark Phillips, Mike and Victoria, and others in Broken Arrow and Red Words at the Boulton Center. Red Words Facebook page Broken Arrow Facebook page "I came upon a child of God..." Woodstock - Joni Mitchell 1969 (04:04) --Lyrics are near the end of this post I came upon this next song and 4 more in an article on pro life rock songs . The lyrics are explicit - like an abortion.  TAKE 5 for LIFE Lyrics for these 5 are at the end of the post... The Sex Pistols - Bodies - 1/14/1978 - Winterland (Official) (04:53) Four more from that article…  Ben Folds Five - Brick (04:30) Graham Parker "You Can't Be Too Strong" Live in HD (03:59) Kid Rock - Abortion (04:30) The Cranberries The Icicle Melts Live in Paris (1999) #05 (02:58)  Take 5: The Forest Awakens - Guided Imagery for Stress Relief (verbal, music & nature sounds) (05:43) I came upon a child of God  - Part 2… As I was waking up this morning after I sent my first email to you last night, the following began flowing… Consider it grist for the mill… Robert Plant Led Zeppelin - If I Were A Carpenter (Live May 1993) (02:19) "If I were a carpenter And you were a lady Would you marry me anyway? Would you have my baby? If I were a miller, at a mill wheel grinding Would you miss your colour box Soft shoes shining" --Tim Hardin TUNE WEAVERS, "Hear" are some starter threads... ... roses ... garlands ... ribbons ... scarlet colors ... babies ... SAINT STEPHEN... Lyrics By: Robert Hunter Music By:Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh Saint Stephen with a rose In and out of the garden he goes Country garland in the wind and the rain (note 1) Wherever he goes the people all complain Stephen prosper in his time Well he may, and he may decline Did it matter, does it now? Stephen would answer if he only knew how Wishing well with a golden bell Bucket hanging clear to hell Hell half way twixt now and then Stephen fill it up and lower down, and lower down again Lady finger, dipped in moonlight Writing "What for?" across the morning sky Sunlight splatters dawn with answers Darkness shrugs and bids the day goodbye Speeding arrow, sharp and narrow What a lot of fleeting matters you have spurned Several seasons with their treasons Wrap the babe in scarlet colors , call it your own Did he doubt or did he try? Answers a-plenty in the by and by Talk about your plenty, talk about your ills One man gathers what another man spills (note 2) Saint Stephen will remain All he's lost he shall regain Seashore washed by the suds and the foam Been here so long he's got to calling it home Fortune comes a-crawling, Calliope woman Spinning that curious sense of your own Can you answer? Yes I can But what would be the answer to the answer man? -----(William Tell Bridge to "The Eleven")----- High green chilly winds and windy vines in loops (note 3) Around the twined shafts of lavender They're crawling to the sun Underfoot the ground is patched With climbing arms of ivy wrapped Around the manzanita stark and shiny in the breeze Wonder who will water all the children of the garden When they sigh about the barren lack Of rain and droop so hungry 'neath the sky William Tell has stretched his bow Till it won't stretch no furthermore And/or it will require a change that hasn't come before (Note 4)   SOURCE for footnotes and more Here's a nice blend of genders... Grateful Dead - St. Stephen (Winterland 12/31/78) (Official Live Video (07:55) More Stephen... GD & G-d: Grateful Dead & Bible - Chapter 1: St. Stephen (feast day Dec. 26) The above post included this letter to David Dodd who has a 'grate" website for fans. The Annotated "St. Stephen" ( ucsc.edu ) --as with all annotated songs on this site, words are hyperlinked for your Deadification. Here's one example in which David Dodd posted these reader comments on the word "garland." (my added emphasis) garland This note from a reader: Date: Mon, 06 Mar 2006 From: Damian G Stephen Subject: St. Stephen hints David, I love your Dead annotation website. I was born a little too late and kept in the dark too long to be a full-blown Dead fan right now. Am working on that... In the meantime, I love what you're doing with the lyrics. It's a great project. I wish I knew more about the Dead, but I enjoy your pages regardless. I learn something new with every browse. In the meantime, I came across the song "St. Stephen" this weekend. As you might be able to guess from my last name, I have an interest in things Stephen. What jumped out at me was the word "garland." The Greek word for "garland" is "stefanos" --if I had Greek fonts, I'd give you the actual spelling--essentially the name of that first martyr. That brings me to point #2 : "martyr" is Greek for "witness," an individual who is asked to answer truthfully. Why Stephen wouldn't know how to answer, I'm not sure about that one. Keep up the awesome work, Damian “It must have been the roses…” – Grateful Dead The Meaning of the Grateful Dead’s “It Must Have Been the Roses” - Extra Chill "Annie laid her head down in the roses She had ribbons, ribbons, ribbons In her long brown hair I don’t know, it must have been the roses All I know is I could not leave her there" Let's hear it from a woman... Norah Jones - It Must Have Been The Roses @ Luna Park,Buenos Aires (09.12.12) (05:00) MORE ROSES: Our Lady of Guadalupe Mexico... --you can read about her online... SAINT GEORGE... Toto - St. George and the Dragon (04:47) “I can tell by the look in your eye that you’ve never met a man with nothing to say” Similar to these from the Grateful Dead’s St. Stephen : “ Stephen would answer if he only knew how…” St. George and the Dragon - Toto "I can tell by the look in your eye You've never seen the man with nothing to say I can tell by the look in your eye You'd better watch yourself, St. George is on his way Can you tell me where I might find the Hydra? Is he wearing a familiar face? Does he still live below Seventh Avenue In the slums of Satan's grace?" The Hydra  is an immortal, many-headed snake in Greek mythology. It haunted the swamps around Lake Lerna and is most famous for its battle with the hero Heracles. The Hydra is depicted as a serpentine monster with the ability to regrow two heads for every one that is severed . It is believed to be the offspring of the monstrous Typhon and Echidna. SOURCE   If you've read this far, you get a cartoon... Our story has a happy ending... Stan Freberg - "St George And The Dragonet" - with animation! (03:14) As the turn tables… 78 RPM - Stan Freberg - (Comedian) St. George And The Dragonet (1954) (03:51)   Saint George and the Dragon - Wikipedia --lots of applicable references in the article: tree of life in garden, a dragon exacting human sacrifice, conflict between light and darkness, the serpent entwined around the tree , “Tiamat, the scaly, winged, foul dragon, and Apepi the powerful enemy of the glorious Sungod, were both destroyed and made to perish in the fire which he sent against them and their fiends: and Dadianus, also called the 'dragon' , with his friends the sixty-nine governors, was also destroyed by fire called down from heaven by the prayer of Saint George . See next song reference. Fire On the Mountain --Song by Grateful Dead and often performed with "Scarlet Begonias" (follows below "Fire") "Long distance runner, what you standin' there for? Get up, get out, get out of the door You're playin' cold music on the barroom floor Drowned in your laughter and dead to the core There's a dragon with matches that's loose on the town Takes a whole pail of water just to cool him down Fire! Fire on the mountain Fire! Fire on the mountain Fire! Fire on the mountain Fire! Fire on the mountain Almost ablaze, still you don't feel the heat It takes all you got just to stay on the beat You say it's a livin', we all gotta eat But you're here alone, there's no one to compete If Mercy's a business, I wish it for you More than just ashes when your dreams come true Fire! Fire on the mountain Fire! Fire on the mountain Fire! Fire on the mountain Fire! Fire on the mountain Long distance runner, what you holdin' out for? Caught in slow motion in a dash for the door The flame from your stage has now spread to the floor You gave all you had, why you wanna give more? The more that you give, the more it will take To the thin line beyond, which you really can't fake Fire! Fire on the mountain Fire! Fire on the mountain Fire! Fire on the mountain Fire! Fire on the mountain" LOOK when it was recorded: Saint Stephen's Day in 1982... Grateful Dead • Fire On The Mountain (10:58) --singing starts around 2:22...first... had to get the fire goin'... On June 12, 1980 the Grateful Dead  performed at Portland Memorial Coliseum in Oregon just weeks after nearby Mount St. Helens erupted leading to the most deadly and economically destructive volcanic eruption in the history of the United States. According to legend, just as the Dead lit into “Fire On The Mountain” in Portland, Mount St. Helens exploded once again. Basketball legend Bill Walton   told the story of that night from his perspective during a Reddit Ask Me Anything session . Bill Walton Shares Volcano Fire On The Mountain Story - JamBase Grateful Dead Sunday School & Youth Group FYI- For much of my grown up life I've been playing & praying with kids of all ages both abled and disabled... Here's a favorite choir of youngun's from deep in the HEART of Texas...Cool part is they're already DEAD ... Grateful Dead's 'Scarlet Begonias' by the Barton Hills Choir and DeadEye (04:00) Words Don't Get in the Way...They Make a Way... WOODSTOCK - Joni Mitchell "I came upon a child of God He was walking along the road And I asked him where are you going And this he told me I'm going on down to Yasgur's farm * I'm going to join in a rock 'n' roll band I'm going to camp out on the land I'm going to try an' get my soul free  We are stardust We are golden And we've got to get ourselves Back to the garden Then can I walk beside you I have come here to lose the smog And I feel to be a cog in something turning Well maybe it is just the time of year Or maybe it's the time of man I don't know who I am But you know life is for learning We are stardust We are golden And we've got to get ourselves Back to the garden By the time we got to Woodstock We were half a million strong And everywhere there was song and celebration And I dreamed I saw the bombers Riding shotgun in the sky And they were turning into butterflies Above our nation We are stardust Billion year old carbon We are golden Caught in the devil's bargain And we've got to get ourselves back to the garden" HAPPY BIRTHDAY - Flipsyde "Happy Birthday...so make a wish [Verse 1:] Please accept my apologies, wonder what would have been Would you've been a little angel or an angel of sin? Tom-boy running around, hanging with all the guys. Or a little tough boy with beautiful brown eyes? I payed for the murder before they determined the sex Choosing our life over your life meant your death And you never got a chance to even open your eyes Sometimes I wonder as a fetus if you fought for your life? Would you have been a little genius in love with math? Would you have played in your school clothes and made me mad? Would you have been a little rapper like your papa da Piper? Would you have made me quit smokin' by finding one of my lighters? I wonder about your skintone and shape of your nose? And the way you would have laughed and talked fast or slow? Think about it every year, so I picked up a pen Happy birthday, love you whoever you woulda been Happy birthday... [Chorus:] All I thought was a dream (make a wish) Was as real as it seemed (happy birthday) All I thought was a dream (make a wish) Was as real as it seemed I made a mistake! [Verse 2:] I've got a million excuses to why you died Bet the people got their own reasons for homicide Who's to say it woulda worked, and who's to say it wouldn't have? I was young and strugglin' but old enough to be your dad The fear of being a father has never disappeared Pondering frequently while I'm zippin' on my beer My vision of a family was artificial and fake So when it came time to create I made a mistake Now you've got a little brother maybe he's really you? Maybe you really forgave us knowin' we was confused? Maybe everytime that he smiles it's you proudly knowin' that your father's doin' the right thing now? I never tell a woman what to do with her body But if she don't love children then we can't party Think about it every year, so I picked up a pen Happy birthday, love you whoever you woulda been Happy birthday... [Chorus:] All I thought was a dream (make a wish) Was as real as it seemed (happy birthday) All I thought was a dream (yeah, make a wish) Was as real as it seemed I made a mistake! And from the heavens to the womb to the heavens again From the endin' to the endin', never got to begin Maybe one day we could meet face to face? In a place without time and space Happy birthday... From the heavens to the womb to the heavens again From the endin' to the endin', never got to begin Maybe one day we could meet face to face? In a place without time and space Happy birthday... [Chorus:] All I thought was a dream (make a wish) Was as real as it seemed (happy birthday) All I thought was a dream (make a wish) Was as real as it seemed I made a mistake...!" Take 5 for Life... BODIES The Sex Pistols Lyrics are explicit just like an abortion. Click here to view the bodies. BRICK Ben Folds Five "6 a.m., day after Christmas I throw some clothes on in the dark The smell of cold, car seat is freezing The world is sleepin', I am numb Up the stairs to her apartment She is balled up on the couch Her mom and dad went down to Charlotte They're not home to find us out And we drive Now that I have found someone I'm feelin' more alone Than I ever have before She's a brick and I'm drownin' slowly Off the coast and I'm headed nowhere She's a brick and I'm drownin' slowly They call her name at 7:30 I pace around the parkin' lot And I walk down to buy her flowers And sell some gifts that I got Can't you see It's not me you're dyin' for? Now she's feelin' more alone Than she ever has before She's a brick and I'm drownin' slowly Off the coast and I'm headed nowhere She's a brick and I'm drownin' slowly As weeks went by, it showed that she was not fine They told me, "Son, it's time to tell the truth," and She broke down, and I broke down 'cause I was Tired of lyin' Drivin' back to her apartment For the moment, we're alone Yeah, she's alone and I'm alone Now I know it She's a brick and I'm drownin' slowly Off the coast and I'm headed nowhere She's a brick and I'm drownin' slowly" YOU CAN'T BE TOO STRONG - Graham Parker "One, two, three, four Did they tear it out with talons of steel And give you a shot, so that you wouldn't feel? And washed it away as if it wasn't real? It's just a mistake I won't have to face Don't give it a name, don't give it a place Don't give it a chance, it's lucky in a way It must have felt strange to find me inside you I hadn't intended to stay If you want to keep it right, put it to sleep at night Squeeze it until it could say You can't be too strong You can't be too strong You can't be too strong Can't be too strong You decide what's wrong Well I ain't gonna cry, I'm gonna rejoice And shout myself dry and go see the boys They'll laugh when I say I left it overseas Yeah babe, I know it gets dark, down by Luna Park But everybody else is squeezing out a spark That happened in the heat, somewhere in the dark, in the dark The doctor gets nervous completing the service He's all rubber gloves and no head Yes, he fumbles the light switch, it's just another minor hitch Wishes to God he was dead But you can't be too strong You can't be too strong You can't be too strong Can't be too strong You decide what's wrong Can't be too hard Too tough, too rough Too right, too wrong And you can't be too strong Baby can't be too right" ABORTION - Kid Rock "My veins are popping from this love inside I just can't let it out This pipe and these needles are my only guide They've got me on the wrong route What is my life about Living in the shadows of a man I've never seen Dreamin' like a lonely child I know your brothers and your sister and your mother too Man I wish you could see them too Oh Lord Oh Lord Man I wish that you could see them too Man I wish that you could see them too So can I come to see you sometime 'Cause I been missing you I've never heard you cry I've never seen you whine I'm feeling oh so young But still I must die to get to you And if I do I wonder how just you will see me And implicate the things I've done I'm dying in the shadows of this man I've never seen I'll see you soon Now where's my gun Oh Lord Oh Lord Oh Lord Where's my gun Oh where's my gun Oh Lord Where's my gun Oh Lord My gun Let me open your eyes Let me see who you are I am you, you are me We are a part of The second coming of Christ It's God himself in a jar Yeah...yeah Yeah...yeah Let me open your eyes Let me see who you are I am you, you are me We are a part of The second coming of Christ It's God himself in a jar Yeah Hey You got me, sad and lonely When I'm me...me You know you make me so lonely I am so alone And I will pray and then I'll cry And I will pray and then I'll cry And I will pray and then I'll cry And I will pray and then I'll cry" THE ICICLE MELTS - The Cranberries "When, when will the icicle melt, The icicle, icicle? And when, when will the picture show end, The picture show, picture show? I should not have read the paper today, 'Cause a child, child, child, child he was taken away. There's a place for the baby that died, And there's time for the mother who cried. And she will hold him in her arms sometime, 'Cause nine months is too long, too long, too long... How, how could you hurt the child, How could you hurt the child? Now, does this make you satisfied, Satisfied, satisfied? I don't know what's happening to people today, When a child, child, child, child, he was taken away. There's a place for the baby that died, And there's time for the mother who cried. And she will hold him in her arms sometime, 'Cause nine months is too long, too long, too long... There's a place for the baby that died, And there's time for the mother who cried. And you will hold him in your arms sometime, 'Cause nine months is too long, too long, too long, Too long." It's a GRATE Friday as this DEADHEAD for LIFE votes with his feet...4/18/25 #music #humor #prolife #JoniMitchell #RobertHunter #GratefulDead #Psalms #abortion #LesMis #Jeffries #Flipsyde #RobertPlant #LedZeppelin #carpenter #roses #garlands #ribbons #ScarletColors #babies #DavidDodd #BartonHillsChoir #DeadEye #BillWalton #MountStHelens #volcano #fire #SundaySchool #YouthGroup #dragon #Hydra #StanFreberg #Dragnet #Toto #Eileen #WestHempsteadCommunitySupportAssociation #Intercessor #KellyTanza #PandorasVox #Hicksville #PaulAmmendola #MarkPhillips #MikePerrone #VictoriaPerrone #BrokenArrow #RedWords #BoultonCenter #SaintStephen #OurLadyOfGuadalupe

Residents: Come to Hempstead Town Hall today May 27 (2p & 7p) and tell your elected officials, "HELL NO casiNO!!!" Send an email to our elected officials - link is in the "Say NO to the Casino Open Letter" section below. T own’s Shady Casino Game - The Garden City News (May 26, 2025) [full article reprinted below with my added emphases and footnotes] May 22, 2025 To the Editor: The Town of Hempstead will host two hearings on the day after Memorial Day in order to consider changes in zoning law for the Hub that will “encourage comprehensively planned gaming facilities and associated uses”.  In other words, the Town would like to rezone the 72 acre parcel of taxpayer owned land called “The Hub” for Gaming (aka Gambling).  An as-yet-unnamed gaming operator is expected to present at these meetings. The hearings will be held on Tuesday, May 27th at 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM at Hempstead Town Hall, One Washington Street, Hempstead .  A notice was posted on the Town’s website home page on Wednesday  afternoon, May 21st. The Say No to the Casino Group encourages all citizens of Nassau County to attend.  We are outraged at the lack of public outreach from a Town Government that regularly sends costly mailers about mundane items.  It’s very possible that the Town of Hempstead has violated Open Meeting Laws (my add: NYS Law explained below).   They certainly have violated the spirit and intention of these laws, in order to advance a gaming facility that has been resoundingly rejected by residents.  Plan to attend one of these meetings and Say No! Monica Kiely Steve Ripp Steve Rolston Mary Flanagan Richard Williams Lynn Krug George Krug Say No to the Casino [End of Garden City News article] Open Meeting Laws - NYS [refer to link below for complete details] §100. Legislative declaration. It is essential to the maintenance of a democratic society that the public business be performed in an open and public manner and that the citizens of this state be fully aware of and able to observe the performance of public officials and attend and listen to the deliberations and decisions that go into the making of public policy. The people must be able to remain informed if they are to retain control over those who are their public servants. It is the only climate under which the commonweal will prosper and enable the governmental process to operate for the benefit of those who created it. SOURCE Garden City Leaders, Residents Attend Casino Hearing (May 23, 2025) Yours truly with that meeting's presentation board. Mayor Ed Finnerman i s to my right. Garden City Leaders, Residents Attend Casino Hearing - Village of Garden City (05/23/25) Say NO to the Casino Open Letter to our Elected Officials Here are the reasons why a casino is not good for our area. If you agree, please add your voice by clicking this link and letting our elected officials know. I urge you to vote against any rezoning that would allow the building of the proposed massive casino at the Nassau Hub. There is absolutely no reason for the Town of Hempstead to be voting to rezone the Nassau Hub for a casino project that has no owner and has no genuine grassroots support.  If you pass this resolution, it will also open the door for other casino facilities at the Hub for many years to come. These are the following reasons why you should reject any rezoning of the Nassau Hub for casino gambling: Placing a massive casino in the heart of the Town of Hempstead is completely inconsistent with the character of our suburban community. The casino will average 7 to 10 million annual visitors or up to 27,000 per day. Along with the estimated 4,900 employees and the lack of mass transportation, this enormous increase in traffic volume will negatively impact residents throughout the Town of Hempstead. The resulting traffic and air pollution levels cannot be mitigated.  Several disadvantaged communities surrounding the Nassau Hub have been designated by the NYS DEC as already overburdened from the impacts of air pollution. Studies have shown an increase in crime in counties that host casinos. In one study, 8.6% of property crime and 12.6% of violent crime in counties with casinos was due to the presence of the casino. This increase in crime rate translates into substantial increases in financial costs for Town of Hempstead and its residents. Our sole source aquifer is contaminated, and our supply of safe drinking water is limited.  In addition, we cannot risk spreading plumes of contaminants in our aquifer through excessive pumping. Our aquifer is already under significant stress from drought, over-pumping, saltwater intrusion, and pollution. We have a growing gambling addiction problem in our country due to existing casinos, lotteries and most recently, the explosion of online betting.  Casinos are directly linked to an increase in problem gambling, which can lead to severe financial distress, mental health issues (including higher suicide rates), and breakdown of families. Placing a massive casino in the heart of a congested suburb, next to two colleges and a Catholic high school will inevitably lead to more lives lost to drunk and impaired driving. It could be deemed gross negligence by the courts and could open the Town and to its council members personally to endless litigation each and every time a life is lost in a traffic accident caused by one of the millions of annual casino visitors. The casino project as proposed will put the survival of adjacent last remains of the historic Hempstead Plains in grave risk - this will be a tremendous loss to our community and our history. The Plains are a unique ecosystem, vital to many species of birds, plants and animals. The emergencies from this massive complex and its tens of thousands of daily visitors will overwhelm our all-volunteer fire departments that are already challenged with meeting current community needs. While casinos promise economic benefits, they will cannibalize local businesses (e.g. locally owned restaurants and downtown shops) as discretionary spending shifts to the massive casino.  A significant portion of casino revenue can come from local residents, effectively siphoning money out of the community and into the pockets of the casino operator. I await your response and thanks in advance for getting back to me as soon as possible. Dealing with the Town's Sleight-of-Hand Tactics At today's 7 pm Town of Hempstead public hearing, I'll present some version of this 3-minute skit. “ Mr Clavin and other elected officials…We’re sick and tired and even “BORED” of your sleight of hand board game maneuvers like changing the casino rules in mid-game and without any notification. How about playing according to Hoyle ? Our town isn’t like a MONOPOLY game. We the people also have a say.  SO, as Grace Slick sings in "White Rabbit" …consider us the men & women on the chessboard and we’re telling you where to go with your plans to rezone the property known as the Hub . Okay, back to the gaming tables… Years ago a master card player named Cuthbert J Twillie (a.k.a., W C Fields ) delivered a famous line that applies here. In "My Little Chickadee" he’s seated at the card table... ...and asked by the other gambler, “Is this a game of chance?” He dryly responds, “NO! Not the way I play it.” Say No to the Casino and all our allies say it like this: When you ask us, “Is this a game of chance?” We’ll reply: “NO! Not the way WE play it!” Townspeople, let's vote with our feet! And stand up for our rights! C'mon out today and to any future public hearings and tell our officials how we feel about their games: We're sick and tired of your ism and schism game  Die and go to heaven in Jesus' name, Lord  We know and we understand  Almighty God is a living man  You can fool some people sometimes  But you can't fool all the people all the time  So now we see the light  (What you gonna do?)  We going to stand up for our right  (Yeah, yeah, yeah) Look who's standing up in solidarity... Get Up Stand Up | Playing For Change | Song Around The World (04:39) TOH Pols, it's you WHO we are addressing when we say... We don't get fooled again Don't get fooled again No, no Yeah Meet the new boss Same as the old boss The Who - Won't Get Fooled Again (Shepperton Studios / 1978) (09:09) Let's go chasing rabbits... OLD Rabbit   Jefferson Airplane - White Rabbit (Woodstock live, 1969) (02:41) NEW Rabbit Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway - White Rabbit (Live) (05:19) Let's Protect our Young from the Fat Cat $ ... Hofstra University Opposes the Casino [from their open letter - continue reading at the link] We, Trustees of Hofstra University , oppose Las Vegas Sands Corporation’s proposal to build a casino in the area surrounding the Nassau Coliseum on Hempstead Turnpike in Nassau County, Long Island. This area is known as the Nassau Hub . This next article cities the same issue that the Village of Garden City is raising about the Town's failure to comply with the Open Meetings Laws requirements The lawsuit is claiming that county officials held discussions for the proposed $4 billion integrated casino resort in violation with the state's open meetings law. Hofstra files lawsuit against Nassau County for developing casino near campus (4/19/23) ABC 7 (00:56) "There's a Grateful Dead Song for Every Occasion..." ...so says Steve -  "a friend of Jerry", we surfed together, and he taught me as he called it "to play with cars" (VW's) - which became my CAReer path... And Now, The Definitive EV Ranking Of Gambling Songs By The Grateful Dead Playlist of all 15 songs + 1 I added at the end - SHUFFLE them anyway you like... One of the reasons for the truth of Steve's observations is that the band frequently sang about ordinary people just trying to manage their daily lives. They also gave us songs about people living on the edges...fringes of society... Click flash blade in ghetto night Rudy's looking for a fight Rat cat alley, roll them bones Need that cash to feed that Jones And the politicians throwing stones Singing ashes, ashes, all fall down Ashes, ashes, all fall down Commissars and pinstripe bosses roll the dice Anyway they fall, guess who gets to pay the price? (note 3) Money green, or proletarian gray (note 4) Selling guns instead of food today (note 5) So the kids they dance and shake their bones And the politicians throwing stones Singing ashes, ashes, all fall down Ashes, ashes, all fall down SOURCE Grateful Dead - Throwing Stones (Official Music Video) (04:38) Previous casiNO Posts Keep saying "NO" to a Casino at the Nassau Hub (5/19/25) Casinos: Short-term gain...Long-term pain (June 28, 2024) casiNO!: Time to revolt against Les Miserables "Masters of the House" (June 28, 2024 NO Casino Rally: Nassau County Legislators are Gambling with our Lives, including our Youth's (Mar. 19, 2023) #music #humor #TownOfHempstead #casino #SayNoToTheCasino #SteveRolston #GardenCity #rezoning #TheHub #gambling #WCFields #DonClavin #Hoyle #Monopoly #cards #GraceSlick #WhiteRabbit #JeffersonAirplane #MollyTuttle #GoldenHighway #children #Hofstra #GratefulDead

Part 1: Casino Gambling: For every $1 in gambling revenue, the state must spend $3 in social costs Next video clearly explains the math. This statistic is also in other articles I read. I located the video on this site. Increased social costs: Coming soon to a neighborhood near you...IF, you don't act NOW! Write to your local political officials. What Casinos Don't Want You to Know - Nebraska Family Alliance (05:00) Here's an example of how the big money gambling institutioins are infiltrating. This commercial starts playing before you can view the one about the harm that casino gambling causes. Part 2: JOBS Labor unions pressure their membership and local politicians that casinos will bring with them jobs, tax revenues...Many feel it's time to become more creative and look for other ways to generate jobs... How Nevada Is Pushing to Generate Jobs Beyond the Casinos - NY Times Chastened by a series of economic downturns that punished the hospitality industry, state leaders are working to broaden the economy. Read more at the above link to see how an economy that previously focused only on the entertainment industry is diversifying and moving into other businesses. Part 3: Shifty SANDS: Playing Sleight-of-Hand with the Public & our Officials A local friend who's been very involved with the NO CASINO front sent me this recap on the most recent June public hearing at Hempstead Town Hall. ME: Please read it to see their deceptive tactics: If I may offer a re-cap, interesting approach by Nassau County. They attempted to present this as a simple request by Las Vegas Sands to be awarded the lease to run Nassau Coliseum. Seems innocent enough, but there is no reason for Sands to want an underutilized entertainment space. So, Sands had people there to speak about how they need the 400 jobs at the Coliseum, 'so please award Sands the lease'. Several even attacked us as anti-jobs who do not care about families' survival in Nassau County. Such talk seemed to make us more resolute. Every one of us was well-focused, and as Karen commented by text, we were armed with better information than we had when we met in March and April 2023.  I think we had fifteen speakers, including the Mayor of Garden City.   The elephant is the room was 'Sands just wants an entry point'; a seemingly innocent first step. Monica Kiely effectively called them out, asking the Planning Commission, 'why are they being awarded a 42-year lease which gives Sands sole and total control to sub-lease the coliseum, as they wish, in just three years? Sands need not ask anyone; they can sub-let it to anyone. Monica asked, 'what kind of lease is that'? More importantly, 'why is the rent for the coliseum $10,000,000 per year'?!?  It was telling that the Planning Commission allowed us to go after Sands and their reason for being here, the Casino. They don't care about Nassau Coliseum. Someone thought we would be duped into accepting that as innocent. We did not. We all had to adjust our speeches when we discovered, at the meeting, that they may want us to stick to the lease as the focus and not the casino. As noted above, the PC gave us a pass, allowing us to go after the casino for what it is: a socially, economically, and environmentally irresponsible plan. My three-minute speech is attached. Each of us brought fresh perspective as to why a Casino in the Hub is simply an awful idea. If you have thoughts against awarding a lease to Sands, you have until June 28 to send your comments to NCPC@nassaucountyny.gov  Please write if you can.  All the best,(friend's name removed) Part 4: CASINO GAMBLING DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTS THE POOR The Impact of Casinos on Urban Communities - NYS Sen. Liz Kreuger & Guest Speakers (2024) Includes links to Powerpoints and other resources, including this 2-hours video: The Impact of Casinos on Urban Communities (2:00:00) On February 22, 2024, Ms. Lucy Dadayan, of the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, presented a report noting casinos create $3 in social costs for every $1 they bring in. Part 5: GAMBLING PAIN: ADDICTION - EVEN AMONG CHILDREN Are these games of chance? NOT the way THEY design 'em! "Deception is Deceiving" Designed to deceive: How gambling distorts reality and hooks your brain - The Conversation [from the article which includes links] As an addiction researcher for the past 15 years, I look to the brain to understand the hooks that make gambling so compelling. I’ve found that many are intentionally hidden in how the games are designed. And these hooks work on casual casino-goers just as well as they do on problem gamblers. Studies have shown that the release of dopamine during gambling occurs in brain areas similar to those activated by taking drugs of abuse. In fact, similar to drugs, repeated exposure to gambling and uncertainty produces lasting changes in the human brain. These reward pathways, similar to those seen in individuals suffering from drug addiction, become hypersensitive. Animal studies suggest that these brain changes due to uncertainty can even enhance gamblers’ cravings and desire for addictive drugs. Betting on the future: why the gambling industry is targeting our kids - The Conversation [from the above article which includes link] The gambling industry is responsible for: profiting from the poorest and most vulnerable in the community, increasing crime rates, breaking up thousands of families each year, and causing 12,000 Victorians to consider suicide each year. How gambling affects the brain and who is most vulnerable to addiction - American Psychological Association [from the above link] Once confined mostly to casinos concentrated in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, access to gambling has expanded dramatically, including among children People in their early 20s are the fastest-growing group of gamblers, according to recent research. And many kids are starting younger than that...Starting young carries a relatively high burden of psychological distress and increased chances of developing problems. Like addictions to alcohol and drugs, gambling addictions are characterized by an increasing tolerance that requires more gambling as time goes on to feel satisfied. After years of studying the psychological effects of video game violence, psychologist James Sauer, PhD, a senior lecturer at the University of Tasmania in Australia, took notice when Belgium became the first country to ban a feature called loot boxes in video games in 2018. Loot boxes are digital containers that players can buy for a small amount of money. Once purchased, the box might reveal a special skin or weapon that enhances a character’s looks or gives a player a competitive advantage. Or it might be worthless. Loot boxes are not the only avenue to gambling for kids. Online games that simulate gambling without financial risk are often available to very young children, said Derevensky, who once watched a young girl play a slot machine game on a tablet installed in an airport waiting area. She was earning points, not real money, and loving it. “She’s winning, and she’s saying to her dad, ‘I can’t wait until I play it for real,’” he said. “She must’ve been no more than 6 years old.” The Casino Boom: Bad Luck for the Poor [from the above link] Government can’t succeed in eliminating poverty but it can certainly contribute to poverty’s perpetuation. Authorizing commercial casinos throughout the country disproportionately damages poor people through the encouragement of bad habits. Barbara Dafoe Whitehead of the Institute for American Values notes that in the Northeast alone, 23 new commercial casinos have opened since 2004, with 12 more under-development. These establishments make most of their money on slot machines which Dafoe Whitehead describes as “sophisticated computerized devices engineered to produce continuous and repeat betting.” Numerous studies show the poor as chief victims of gambling addiction with its distortion of core American values- exalting success as a product of luck, rather than hard work and self-discipline. To pay for expensive social programs to help the poor, officials actually hurt the poor by taking their money to get tax revenue from gambling. PART 6: LOCAL UNIVERSITY OPPOSES CASINO An Open Letter Concerning the Proposal for a Casino in the Nassau Hub - Hofstra University The Economic Unsuitability of a Casino at the Nassau County “Hub” The National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University PART 7: ADDITIONAL PERSPECTIVES Here are additional perspectives from my friend: The words from Lucy Dadayan really hit home. Casinos are a relic from the days of Dean Martin.  I’m glad an economist like Ms. Dadayan was able to put it into words and graphs. Her observations are from a Town Hall zoom hosted by NYS Senator Liz Krueger. {Me: See link in Part 3 above} She is fighting hard against any casinos coming into Manhattan. In fact, I believe she agree with my view that no new licenses should be awarded downstate. I hope, if they must, they only upgrade Yonkers Raceway and Resorts World (Aqueduct Raceway) to full fledged casinos.  Unfortunately, Hochul is as short—sighted as Cuomo. She plans for her three new casinos to fund the ailing MTA. She is lost in the weeds with this one.  Casinos are a dying business, as we learn from better information than we had one year ago. Sands does not belong here. Gambling was prohibited in NY State until 2013 when Andrew Cuomo quietly changed the wording of the casino ballot measure to read like an ad, promising job growth, increased aid to schools, and lower property taxes through revenues generated.” [1] [1] Stacked Deck – Inside the Politics of New York’s Dishonest Casino Plan. An investigative Report by Paul Davies. Institute for American Values 2013. Cuomo made these changes with no evidence to prove casinos may be good for the economy. A July 13, 2014 NY Times editorial warned us “just when New York is proposing to ramp up its gambling business, the financial community (Moody’s Investment Services) is souring on the idea that casinos are an easy answer to state and local financial problems.” In 2021, The University of Illinois published a report titled: “Bans on Sports Gambling and Lotteries would pump-prime the U.S. Economic System in the new age of Covid” [2], quoting Jesse Jackson, who predicted many serious socio-economic costs when he labeled legalized gambling activities as “the new chains of slavery.” [2] University of Illinois Law Review Volume 2021, Number 5 In May 2023, Hofstra University published a paper titled: “The Economic Unsuitability of a Casino at the Nassau County Hub’.[3] {ME: See link in Part 5.} They proposed alternate projects similar to those which the Legislature has welcomed. For example, the announcement by NYU/Langone and Nassau Community College to coordinate on the establishment of a medical center at the Hub. LV Sands wants to erect the nation’s second largest casino in a year which will be the hottest on record while drawing so much water that they have to request re-zoning, build a new well AND figure out where to move all the waste. On February 22, 2024, Ms. Lucy Dadayan, of the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, presented a report noting casinos create $3 in social costs for every $1 they bring in. She adds: - “gambling revenue decline is everywhere, even in Nevada. -In Philadelphia, Boston, and Chicago, all are falling short of income forecasts. New York has seen a revenue decline of 10-25% since 2019”. -Revenues are volatile and decrease over time, and won’t fund critical services. -FBI statistics show non-violent crime increases, and Nevada is the capital of human sex trafficking -casino revenues are ALWAYS over-estimated”, and “offer low-skilled jobs which hinder economic growth.” With on-line gambling also on the rise, gambling in brick-and-mortar casinos will not survive. Reject Sands this second time around. The age of casinos has passed. They are a dying business we cannot afford to support. RELATED POSTS NO Casino Rally: Nassau County Legislators are Gambling with our Lives, including our Youth's (2023) #casino #humor #NassauCounty #BruceBlakeman #NYSSenLizKreuger #GamblingAddiction #poor #children #SocialCosts #NebraskeFamilyAlliance

In this performance, the role of Thenardier will be played by a trio of misfits: Bruce Blakeman - Nassau County Executive Kathy Hochul - NYS Governor Rob Goldstein - Sands CEO "Master of the house, keeper of the zoo Ready to relieve 'em of a sou or two Watering the wine, making up the weight Pickin' up their knick-knacks when they can't see straight Everybody loves a landlord Everybody's bosom friend I do whatever pleases Jesus! Won't I bleed 'em in the end!" Source Picking even Santa's purse while the jolly guy is indisposed...and by an employee of the house... Les Misérables (2012) - Master of the House Scene (3/10) | Movieclips (04:01) Related Posts Link Link After Hours... Thank you, {I deleted friend's name]. The words from Lucy Dadayan really hit home. Casinos are a relic from the days of Dean Martin.  I’m glad an economist like Ms. Dadayan was able to put it into words and graphs. Her observations are from a Town Hall zoom hosted by NYS Senator Liz Krueger. She is fighting hard against any casinos coming into Manhattan. In fact, I believe she agree with my view that no new licenses should be awarded downstate. I hope, if they must, they only upgrade Yonkers Raceway and Resorts World (Aqueduct Raceway) to full fledged casinos.  Unfortunately, Hochul is as short—sighted as Cuomo. She plans for her three new casinos to fund the ailing MTA. She is lost in the weeds with this one.  [Friend's name] [Friend's name] June 20, 2024 Casinos are a dying business, as we learn from better information than we had one year ago. Sands does not belong here. Gambling was prohibited in NY State until 2013 when Andrew Cuomo quietly changed the wording of the casino ballot measure to read like an ad, promising job growth, increased aid to schools, and lower property taxes through revenues generated.” [1] Cuomo made these changes with no evidence to prove casinos may be good for the economy. A July 13, 2014 NY Times editorial warned us “just when New York is proposing to ramp up its gambling business, the financial community (Moody’s Investment Services) is souring on the idea that casinos are an easy answer to state and local financial problems.” In 2021, The University of Illinois published a report titled: “Bans on Sports Gambling and Lotteries would pump-prime the U.S. Economic System in the new age of Covid” [2], quoting Jesse Jackson, who predicted many serious socio-economic costs when he labeled legalized gambling activities as “the new chains of slavery.” In May 2023, Hofstra University published a paper titled: “The Economic Unsuitability of a Casino at the Nassau County Hub’.[3] They proposed alternate projects similar to those which the Legislature has welcomed. For example, the announcement by NYU/Langone and Nassau Community College to coordinate on the establishment of a medical center at the Hub. LV Sands wants to erect the nation’s second largest casino in a year which will be the hottest on record while drawing so much water that they have to request re-zoning, build a new well AND figure out where to move all the waste. On February 22, 2024, Ms. Lucy Dadayan, of the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, presented a report noting casinos create $3 in social costs for every $1 they bring in. She adds: - “gambling revenue decline is everywhere, even in Nevada. -In Philadelphia, Boston, and Chicago, all are falling short of income forecasts. New York has seen a revenue decline of 10-25% since 2019”. -Revenues are volatile and decrease over time, and won’t fund critical services. -FBI statistics show non-violent crime increases, and Nevada is the capital of human sex trafficking -casino revenues are ALWAYS over-estimated”, and “offer low-skilled jobs which hinder economic growth.” With on-line gambling also on the rise, gambling in brick-and-mortar casinos will not survive. Reject Sands this second time around. The age of casinos has passed. They are a dying business we cannot afford to support. [1] Stacked Deck – Inside the Politics of New York’s Dishonest Casino Plan. An investigative Report by Paul Davies. Institute for American Values 2013. [2] University of Illinois Law Review Volume 2021, Number 5 [3] The Economic Unsuitability of a Casino at the Nassau County ”Hub”. The National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University.  [4] “The Impact of Casinos on Urban Communities”, February 22, 2024 Town Hall zoom meeting. Hosted by NYS Senator Liz Krueger. Gambling only a short-term fix for cash-starved states: study Double your gambling "pleasure" 3 Gambling Stocks to Buy for the iGaming Megatrend Continue playing and learning... Is this a game of chance? Not the way THEY design/play it... WC Fields Mississippi Poker Game (04:24) #music #humor #casino #NassauCounty #BruceBlakeman #KathyHochul #RobGoldstein #LesMis #LesMiserables #WCFields

GEORGE FLOYD: “I can’t BREATHE…I can’t BREATHE…”   PINK FLOYD: “BREATHE in the air…”   [from the link below] --Before George Floyd became a movement, he was a heart-led human being who brought joy to many, according to his girlfriend and uncle. For Courteney Ross , there’s a distinction between the man she still loves and the movement that bears his name.  “I kind of have to separate Floyd from George Floyd,” said Ross.  Ross met Floyd, who she called by his last name – “unless I was getting mad at him and call(ing) him George Perry Floyd” – in 2017. Floyd was working security at the Salvation Army’s Harbor Light Center , where Ross was waiting to visit someone. Floyd noticed that Ross was becoming upset and offered to pray with her.  “I just was so kind of taken back by how kind he was,” said Ross of their chance encounter. This was the first time she learned who he was – someone who would support people when he saw that they needed help. “He had these big long arms that he would just kind of wrap around people and give them all types of support and love. And he was doing that for me that night.” [click the link to continue reading] To those closest to him, he was Perry or Floyd 5/22/25 - MINNPost H.E.R. - I Can't Breathe (Official Video) (04:46) I can't breathe - Wikipedia PINK FLOYD ■BREATHE /IN THE AIR/■ (02:50) Pink Floyd - Breathe (1972) (02:52) POSTSCRIPT: The MOURNING After... At 11:30 last night, as I was beginning to draft the post, I decided to try something new - a feature in Word called "Copilot." Following the onscreen prompts I typed "compare George Floyd's 'I can't breathe' with Pink Floyd's 'breathe'"...Copilot was unable to generate anything. When I did the same query now - 8 hours later - Copilot offered these reflections: Comparing "I Can't Breathe" by George Floyd and "Breathe" by Pink Floyd A Reflection on Expression, Context, and Meaning The phrase "I can't breathe" uttered by George Floyd during his tragic death in 2020 became a rallying cry for the Black Lives Matter movement and a symbol of systemic injustice. On the other hand, "Breathe," a song by the legendary rock band Pink Floyd from their 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon , explores existential themes of human life and the passage of time. While these two phrases originate from vastly different contexts and purposes, their juxtaposition highlights the power of language in conveying profound emotional and societal truths. Historical and Cultural Context George Floyd's "I can't breathe" emerged in a harrowing moment of personal agony. His words, repeated multiple times while restrained by law enforcement, transcended the immediate incident to symbolize the oppression and systemic racism faced by Black communities worldwide. The phrase became a global call to action, resonating deeply in protests, art, and literature as a collective demand for justice and equality. In contrast, Pink Floyd's "Breathe" was created in a different cultural milieu. As part of an album exploring universal themes like time, mortality, and the pressures of modern life, the song reflects a more introspective and philosophical exploration. Its lyrics invite the listener to contemplate their place in the world and the inevitability of human experiences. Tone and Emotional Impact "I can't breathe" is raw, immediate, and visceral. It evokes a sense of urgency, desperation, and collective outrage. The power of these three words lies in their simplicity and directness, which makes them unforgettable and haunting. They encapsulate a lived experience of suffering and the broader societal struggle against systemic oppression. On the other hand, Pink Floyd's "Breathe" adopts a more contemplative and meditative tone. Its lyrics, paired with a soothing musical backdrop, create space for reflection rather than action. The song's existential musings encourage listeners to slow down, take in the world, and ponder the transient nature of life. Symbolism and Legacy George Floyd's "I can't breathe" is a symbol of resistance and a plea for acknowledgment of systemic inequalities. It has fueled movements, inspired change, and brought global attention to issues of police brutality and racial injustice. Its legacy lies in its ability to unify and mobilize people toward a common cause. Conversely, Pink Floyd's "Breathe" symbolizes the timeless human quest for meaning and balance. Its legacy is artistic and introspective, continuing to inspire listeners to find solace in the complexities of life. The song remains an enduring piece of rock history, celebrated for its lyrical depth and musical innovation. Conclusion Though "I can't breathe" and "Breathe" stem from entirely different origins, their resonance lies in their ability to communicate complex emotions and ideas through brevity and simplicity. George Floyd's words became a powerful cry for justice and human dignity, while Pink Floyd's song remains a poignant reminder of life's fragility and interconnectedness. Together, they exemplify the profound ways in which language and art can illuminate the human condition, even in vastly different contexts. ************************************************************************ 12 Noon 5-Year Remembrance at Nassau County HQ In a few hours, I'll join others in remembering these events as we'll gather at the Nassau County Court at 262 Old Country Road in Mineola. --Sponsored by the Long Island Progressive Coalition. RELATED...In the Same Neighborhood... https://www.asoulinwonder.com/post/skin-deep https://www.asoulinwonder.com/post/the-emperor-s-nude-clothes-but-even-the-president-of-the-united-states-sometimes-must-have-to-sta #music #GeorgeFloyd #murder #racism #RacialInjustice #PoliceBrutality #CourteneyRoss #PinkFloyd #HER #Copilot #LongIslandProgressiveCoalition

READERS: I receive emails from a Long Island organization known as South Country Peace Group. I'm using the upcoming Memorial Day remembrance to introduce you to their efforts to bring about a world free from the violence associated with war...For our children... Here are my questions and replies to their 5/21/25 email - part of which is included near the end of the post: Hello! South Country Peace Group! Thanks for your efforts to teach and practice PEACE… QUESTIONS... 1. Are there any peace groups marching in Nassau County on Memorial Day ?  —I live in West Hempstead and plan to march in our local parade on Monday. Following the tips in your email, I’ll wear black.  2. Where is the assembly point for this rally? —George Floyd March,  May 25th at 12 pm in Mineola at the Nassau County Legislative Building REPLIES to other content in your email... GAZA: I scream...Ice cream...for peace... --A few days ago, Ben Cohen , the Jewish co-founder of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream , disrupted a Senate hearing to protest US support (providing bombs) for Israel's destruction in Gaza of women and children and their housing and food supplies.  “Let the Kids Eat!” – Ben Cohen Dragged Out of Senate in Shocking Protest (02:14) Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry’s blames US bombs for ‘genocide’ in Gaza - MSN [from the article] Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen blamed United States -supplied bombs for contributing to “genocide” in Gaza amid Israel’s war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas .       “What’s going on in Israel right now is genocide with our bombs,” said Cohen, adding that “the American people have become complicit in the genocide that Israel is engaging in, and if it weren’t for us providing the bombs, they wouldn’t be able to do it.” Cohen stood up in the seating area and screamed, “Congress pays for bombs.” He was then taken away by Capitol Police officers.      The ice cream giant’s co-founder said his protest had nothing to do with Kennedy, but with U.S. military support for Israel.       “What it had to do with is that Congress has been cutting money for Medicaid, health care for poor kids. And they’re using the money they save doing that to bomb other poor kids in Gaza. And, and now … they’re halting all the food aid that’s going in, so they’re starving the people of Gaza,” Cohen told host Chris Cuomo.  Ben & Jerry's product line includes "Cherry Garcia" . ..Here are troubling lyrics from the Grateful Dead's "Standing on the Moon" that apply to this and all war-torn areas of our shared world: "I hear the cries of children And the other songs of war" Song seemed to call for a woman's voice...since they stand on the sidelines and watch as the lives they bring into this world... are snuffed out by war... Molly Tuttle - Standing On The Moon (Grateful Dead) - 12/2/2020 - Paste Studio NVL - Nashville TN (04:31) Cohen repeatedly uses the word "GENOCIDE" to describe Israel's actions. This is the "cide" they are on. May 24 Jones Beach Air Show From:  Margaret Melkonian < longislandpeace@gmail.com > Sent:  Wednesday, May 21, 2025 11:28 AM To:  Margaret Melkonian < longislandpeace@gmail.com > Subject: May 24 air show at Jones Beach REMEMBER ALL THOSE WHO HAVE DIED   AIR SHOW: This Saturday, May 24, the annual Memorial Day weekend air show will be happening at Jones Beach, sponsored by FourLeaf Federal Credit Union (formerly Bethpage Federal Credit Union). As we do every year, Pax Christi Long Island and friends will be there for a peaceful vigil. Here's why: We believe that Memorial Day should be about remembering those who died in previous wars, not about recruiting young people for future wars—or glorifying weapons of war, such as fighter jets. Remember: Recruiting is the reason for the show. The Navy Blue Angels and Air Force Thunderbirds say it clearly in the contracts with local sponsors: A recruiting station must be in a key location on the beach. No recruiters, no planes. If you'd like to join us, please try to arrive at 7:30 AM. The parking fee is $10 a car. Park in Lot 4, walk through the tunnel at the east end of the lot, and look for us near the bicycle racks on the central mall. We will leaflet in that general area, alongside those in line to have their beach gear checked. As to the weather, there is no rain date. If it is pouring and will continue through the day and the air show is cancelled, our vigil is cancelled, too. If the weather is cloudy but the air show is still on, so is our vigil.   Margaret Melkonian, Executive Director Andrea Libresco, Board President L.I. Alliance for Peaceful AlternativesP.O. Box 301, Garden City NY 11530 longislandpeace@gmail.com www.longislandpeace.org http://www.facebook.com/LIAllianceforPeacefulAlternatives Peacemaking on Long Island since 1985 FLY KITES NOT DRONES... Fly Kites Not Drones Introduction - What is an armed drone? (02:51) [from the video's description - see description for links] 4,046 views  Sep 11, 2015 This animation from http://www.flykitesnotdrones.org introduces the idea of armed drones and how they effect people in Afghanistan and around the world, to be used in combination with the education pack from Afghan Peace Volunteers, Voices for CReative Non-Violence, Quaker Peace & Social Witness, The Drone Campaign Network and Pax Christi UK The USA's Council on Foreign Relations tally assesses that 500 drone strikes outside of Iraq and Afghanistan have killed 3,674 people | See Britain has 10 armed Reaper drones | See http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/20... dronewars.net/category/british-reapers/ Information about Armed Reaper Drones | See http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/world... (Though the Telegraph has confused footage of the USA's Predator drones with that of the larger Reapers). Workshop 4 | All Ages | Fly a kite for peace [from the article which includes instructions for making a kite] --In Afghanistan, where flying kites has great cultural significance, the perfect kite-flying weather also provides perfect conditions for the drones, whose bombs have left children fearful when they play. Afghan Peace Volunteers began Fly Kites Not Drones as a nonviolent way to call for peace. In 2011 in Gaza, where war, violence and conflict are never far away, 13,000 children taking part in a summer camp broke the world record for the number of people flying kites at the same time.The flying of kites is a statement of hope in the face of violence and fear; it is a sign of peace. So make your own kite and send your message of hope for peace into the skies… MAY 21 EMAIL FROM COMBINED PEACE ADVOCACY GROUPS Stop the Arms Trade                                    Cut the Arms Budget Money for Environmental and Human Needs Dear SCPG Members and Friends: Please see info and reminders below about several special events happening soon! Apologies for late notice, but I have been encountering some technological challenges. This Memorial Day marks the 41st year that SCPG will participate in the Bellport Village Memorial Day Parade, seeking to provide a presence for Peace on this holiday created in memory of the tragedy of war and the lives lost. Why a Peace Group in a Memorial Day Parade? Memorial Day developed from the mourning custom of Confederate women who brought flowers to the graves of their loved ones lost in the Civil War. Subsequently, Union General John Logan declared May 30 as a date to honor all the war dead ; Memorial Day came to be a time to remember the sadness and waste of all wars (including “just” wars) which cause suffering on all sides. Thus, having a Peace Group participate in the parade could not be more appropriate. War means loss— loss of precious lives and resources, loss of opportunities to cultivate common ground and resolve conflicts without mass destruction. We believe it honors the war dead to be working towards a world with less war and bloodshed. We hope you can join us; details are provided below! “Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding.”   — Albert Einstein   PROTECT DEMOCRACY with Liberty and Justice for ALL!   With sincere thanks for all your actions for Peace and Environmental Justice! on behalf of the SCPG Board Michelle Santantonio, Mary Ellen Pantaleo, Nancy Marr, Bill Kokell, Anne Dooling and Rich Morgan Contact: southcountrypeace@outlook.com   This next section was also included in the 5/21 email. Please take time to view the video. Video link follows these next 5 images. Mother's Day March to protest the genocide in Gaza (07:17) PEACE THROUGH MUSIC PLAYLIST Peace All Over The World | 20th Anniversary | Playing For Change | Live Outside (remastered) (03:01) "Peace Train" featuring Yusuf / Cat Stevens | Playing For Change | Song Around The World (04:09) United | Playing For Change | Song Around the World (04:50) Next, Protestant and Catholic kids come together thru music at the site of an horrendous car bombing in Northern Ireland... Peace Through Music Film Clip: Playing For Change (10:41) #music #peace #MemorialDay #SouthCountryPeaceGroup #genocide #LIAllianceForPeacefulAlternatives #PlayingForChange #NassauCounty #BenCohen #BenAndJerrys #Gaza #Israel #PeteSeeger #GeorgeFloyd #CherryGarcia #JerryGarcia #GratefulDead #JonesBeachAirShow #drones #kites #PaxChristiLongIsland #Bellpost #CatStevens #MollyTuttle #NorthCountryPeaceGroup #MothersDay

Today in West Hempstead we are going to the POLES to elect school board members and vote on the new school budget. As I'm penning this, our children are arriving at the George Washington Elementary School directly across from our house... ... it's a very, very, very fine house...with two cats in the yard... UK Version #music appears in nearly all my posts...and that's what's inspiring these musings...Hmm, let's see some lines I remember about school DAZE... "We don't need no education..." "Good morning, little school girl..." "School's out for summer..." "School of rock..." "We don't need no education..." Preparing for a lifetime in an office cubicle... Pink Floyd we don't need no education (06:02) "Good morning, little school girl..." Music History Class 1937... Sonny Boy Williamson I - Good Morning Little School Girl (03:12) 1964... Muddy Waters - Good Morning Little School Girl (03:17) Sonny Boy's Song - Original & Covers: Chronological Bibliography: 1937-2023 1967... Here's where the band was playing: Grateful Dead - Good Morning Little Schoolgirl (Studio Version) (06:36) We miss you, Pigpen...and all the other members of the 27 Club.. "School of rock..." ...OR, BLACK to the future... School of Rock: The big show (04:51) "School's out for summer..." Looks like the school's "metal" detector was tampered with... Sending this out to Pedro and other metal lovers... Alice Cooper - School's Out (from Alice Cooper: Trashes The World) (04:33) enCORPS-1...*** This scene of Jack crowd surfing... ...reminds me of a new Choir Choir Choir experience I'm looking forward to in September (see next image). I learned of them when I went recently to the Double L bar in Hicksville to see Kelly and her all-girl band Pandora's Vox . When I got home and checked them out, I got tickets for their 9/13/25 gig at the Jeanne Rimsky Theater in Port Washington. Choir Choir Choir “Why see a show when you can BE the show!” Choir! Choir! Choir!  is the fully interactive, participatory show that turns audience into performer! So get ready to laugh, dance and SING!  your hearts out with hundreds of other music-lovers just like you. It’s like a big birthday party for the greatest songs of all time and you’re invited! So grab a friend (or ten), and come out ready to GIVE IT ALL YOU’VE GOT! - all voices welcome, no experience necessary. We Teach, You Sing! Everyone Wins! Since 2011, Choir! Choir! Choir!  directors Daveed Goldman  + Nobu Adilman  have blurred the lines between performer and audience, traveling the world to create harmony with strangers and friends alike. They’ve collaborated with renowned artists like Patti Smith, David Byrne, Brandi Carlile, Rick Astley, Rufus Wainwright, and even Kermit The Frog at New York’s Lincoln Center , creating memorable videos that have garnered views in the millions. Now it’s your turn to SING!, so grab your friends, get your tickets and we’ll C! you there! #NeverStopSinging Choir Choir Choir - About Choir Choir Choir Home page enCORPS-2...*** Seeing all that eyeliner on Alice reminded me of a cosmetic company that just so happens to share their name with a Rock & Roll legend... Chuck Berry - Maybelline (1955) (Stereo Remastered) (02:14) enCORPS-3...REBUTTAL...EQUAL TIME...OFF*** For more help and hilarity... https://www.boredteachers.com/ *** Playing with words...ENCORE..."corps" is from the Latin for "body". I studied Latin for 4 years at Power Memorial Academy in NYC and then 2 more at our "graduate" school Iona in New Rochelle . #music #humor #school #education #JackBlack #GratefulDead #Pigpen #AliceCooper #WestHempstead #GeorgeWashingtonElementarySchool #PinkFloyd #SonnyBoyWilliamson #MuddyWaters #ChoirChoirChoir #DoubleLBar #Kelly #PandorasVox #ChuckBerry #BoredTeachers #PowerMemorialAcademy #IonaCollege

Tomorrow May 19 the Nassau County legislature will be hearing public feedback about a proposed gambling casino at the Nassau Hub . There's concern that despite Las Vegas Sands decision NOT to pursue a casino on this site, the County might still be entertaining offers from other suitors... I've offered to speak for 3 minutes on why I'm supporting those who are saying "NO" to a casino. The heart of my 3 minutes will be my personal experience where I'll relate how my sister’s former husband’s gambling problem caused their marriage to fail and played havoc with the family’s finances. In addition, in the absence of a good father model, their son got into trouble and spent time in prison.  ADD YOUR VOICE “Say No To The Casino Needs Your Help! Our elected officials are still pushing a casino no one wants! Please fill out the form at the next link to urge our legislators to vote NO on Monday, May 19 and scrap this Failed Project!  (Note: Do Not donate any $$$, Say No does Not receive any contributions)... Fill it out even if it's after the May 19 vote. PLEASE SHARE THIS w/ with all your friends & family in Nassau County. Thank You! https://win.newmode.net/saynotothecasinocivicassociation/votenoonlasvegassandsfeis LATEST NEWS County Hearing To Resurrect Casino Talk For Nassau - Patch (May 14, 2025) --"I am asking all residents, who are able, to attend the session.. and join us in opposing its passage," Garden City Mayor Edward Finneran. The mayor joins groups, such as the Say No to the Casino , in opposition to the hotel property with gambling. A rise in crime and lowering in property values are among the concerns that could negatively impact the quality of life in neighboring Garden City. As Las Vegas Sands drops Nassau County casino bid, grassroots group claims victory - CBS News (April 24, 2025) --The competition for a Downstate New York casino license is getting thinner after Las Vegas Sands unexpectedly pulled the plug on a $6 billion plan for Long Island's Nassau Coliseum.  While some say the end of the casino deal is a win, the Nassau County executive said there's interest from other bidders.  Las Vegas Sands ends Long Island casino bid After years of legal battles, noisy public hearings and environmental reviews,  Las Vegas Sands suddenly dropping its casino bid took many by surprise.    "This is a good day. This is a positive change. We are not taking our foot off the gas though, until those licenses have been awarded elsewhere," George Krug , with the grassroots movement "Say No to the Casino" said.  Krug and his wife, Lynn , along with their civic association, the Village of Garden City and Hofstra University , led the fight against a casino on Nassau Coliseum property.  Las Vegas Sands no longer pursuing development of casino at Nassau Coliseum - ABC News (April 24, 2025) --"We are in the process of attempting to secure an agreement with a third party to whom we can transact the opportunity to bid for a casino license on the Nassau Coliseum site," Las Vegas Sands said in a statement. "This would include those that may be able to address both land-based and digital markets in New York." The Economic Unsuitability of a Casino at the Nassau County “Hub” The National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University Public Policy Paper (March 2023) --The proposal to develop a casino at the Nassau County Hub is completely at odds with the stated regional economic development priorities that government, business, labor, human service, and other stakeholders agree are critical to the long-term economic health of Long Island. The Hub is the largest re-developable tract of land in Nassau County, and siting a casino on it would squander a critical opportunity for local and regional economic development on a project whose benefits may never materialize, and whose harms are almost assured. The proposed casino is particularly disconnected from the economic imperatives of the Long Island Regional Economic Development Council and its work to promote bio-tech as a key regional cluster that would drive economic prosperity on Long Island. In the dozen years of its existence, including a decade under the leadership of then- Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochu l, the LIREDC’s research and outreach has brought the region nearly a billion dollars in state support, and leveraged far more in private investment for more than a thousand projects. https://regionalcouncils.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2022-08/2022_Long_Island_Progress_Report.pdf HELP... While I'm leaving to others the presentation of additional statistical evidence that gambling hurts not only the gambler but all those in their circles, I am including the following resources from experts in the field of recovery. Gamblers Anonymous How gambling affects the brain and who is most vulnerable to addiction - American Psychological Association (July 1, 2023) --As access to gambling has expanded, psychologists and other experts have become concerned not just that more people will give it a try, but that more will develop gambling problems. And while it is still too soon to know what the long-term effects will be, evidence is growing to suggest that young people, especially boys and men, are among those particularly vulnerable to gambling addiction —the same demographic most often participating in the newest forms of gambling: sports betting and video game-based gambling. 5 Yoga Teachers Who Overcame Addiction (Nov. 8, 2024) --Yoga teachers Tommy Rosen, Kia Miller, Nikki Myers, Rolf Gates, and Vinnie Marino talk about their addictions and how coming to the mat helped their recovery and renewal. Father Richard Rohr discusses Addiction w Tommy Rosen | Recovery 2.0 (59:03) Tommy Rosen interviews Father Richard Rohr on the topic of addiction in one of the most popular interviews from the Recovery 2.0 Conference Series . Father Rohr is a globally recognized ecumenical teacher. He is a Franciscan priest of the New Mexico Province and founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC) in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Fr. Richard is the author of numerous books including Breathing Under Water (about Addiction) to his latest, The Universal Christ . He is the Academic Dean of the Living School for Action and Contemplation . The school's mission is to produce compassionate and powerfully learned individuals who will work for positive change in the world based on awareness of our common union with God and all beings. 10 Gambling Addiction Stories: Tales of Struggles & Recovery - Birches Health (June 27, 2024) --Gambling addiction can have devastating impacts on individuals and their families, but hearing personal stories of struggle and recovery can offer hope and insight. In this article, we share a collection of stories from diverse perspectives, including professional athletes, celebrities, social media influencers, and everyday people (including one anonymous bettor on Reddit), highlighting the battles and triumphs of those who have faced gambling addiction. PARENTAL WARNING: VIDEO GAME "LOOT BOXES" - "GATEWAY DRUGS" TO ADULT GAMBLING ADDICTIONS The link between loot box games and problem gambling (Feb. 27, 2025) --The video game industry has exploded in recent decades. The popularity of video games has raised concerns about excessive screen time, the effect of gaming on young brain development, and the increase in game violence. More recently, researchers have started looking into another question: Do video games put young people more at risk of developing a gambling disorder? PREVIOUS casiNO POSTS Casinos: Short-term gain...Long-term pain (June 28, 2024) casiNO!: Time to revolt against Les Miserables "Masters of the House" (June 28, 2024 NO Casino Rally: Nassau County Legislators are Gambling with our Lives, including our Youth's (Mar. 19, 2023) #gambling #casino #LasVegasSands #NassauHub #NassauCounty #BruceBlakeman #CBSNews #ABCNews #GamblersAnonymous #TommyRosen #Recovery20 #KiaMiller, #NikkiMyers #RolfGates #VinnieMarino #RichardRohr #CenterForActionAndContemplation

Hi! A while ago after a soul friend sent me the Saint Augustine quote below, I put it in my daily calendar. Most days, I just glance at the quote. Other "DAZE" ...I dig a little deeper for some much-needed medicine...AND PRACTICE... Here's my friend's text: Really loved this quote and thought you'd appreciate it too. ❤️❤️ St. Augustine's words: “Love G-d and do as you will.” Don't worry about what you ought to do. Worry about loving. Don't interrogate heaven repeatedly and uselessly saying, “What course of action should I pursue?” Concentrate on loving instead. And by loving you will find out what is for you. Loving, you will listen to the Voice. Loving, you will find peace" I will be presenting some thoughts on this tomorrow at our monthly Men2Men circle on the sacred grounds of the Sisters of Saint Joseph in Brentwood . I've frequently posted about them. Briefly, our group is a result of Franciscan Father Richard Rohr's early men's work. We are dotted-line connected to a global group known as Illuman . This next section of the post is the HEART of tomorrow's presentation to the other guys in our circle. The remaining sections provide me some extra space to reflect...and, of course to include music... CIRCLE TIME I'll set the table tomorrow for my traveling companions by relating the how these words of Saint Augustine came to me... ...Then pose some questions and ask the men to consider each for a few moments....... BOTH in our circle time and, more importantly, in the days ahead... THAT'S THE PLAN...AT LEAST AS I SEE IT NOW... ??? HOW can I practice loving G-d whom I can’t see...? ??? Can I see G-d? How? Where? Those who have and are still helping me SEE beyond the limitations of my mind and my two eyes...have led me to try to practice SEEING G-d in my everyday life. I found this creative depiction of this newer awareness in the article under the image. Finding God in All Things Ignatian Spirituality: Explain! - Spiritual File ??? Do I see G-d as ONLY "out there"...OR, is G-d also within me? END of Circle Time... #################################################################### For further consideration...As we go out into the world... Preparing for our "finals"... IF there is an entrance exam, the Grateful Dead have already given us the final test question in their "Uncle John's Band" tale... CAUTION!!! Four British evangelists sing the same tune...and in any language... "G-d comes to us...disguised as our life" It was Paula D’Arcy who wrote, ‘God comes to us disguised as our life’. Paula D’Arcy wrote those words after a drunk driver killed her husband and one-year-old child, when Paula was just 27, and three months pregnant. SOURCE Read on to see how Paula and others chose a different response than the members of the 27 Club . God Is Revealed in Our Lives - Center for Action and Contemplation [from the article/my added emphases] Father Richard points out how the Bible is filled with stories of people encountering God—regardless of whether they got everything right or everything wrong!    Let’s state it clearly: One foundational and yet revolutionary idea of the Bible is that God is manifest in the ordinary, in the actual, in the daily, in the now, in history, in the concrete incarnations of life. God does not hold out for the pure, the spiritual, the right idea, or the ideal anything.  Apparently, the biblical God would much rather be in relationship than merely be right in solitude! God … Disguised as our Life - Marist Messenger Click the above link and listen to this travelers story... “God comes to us disguised as our life” - Medium [from the article/my added emphases] The quote that forms the title of this post is from Paula D’Arcy . I read it in Everything Belongs  by Richard Rohr which I’m reading at the moment. It is one of those quotes that forces you to slow down and ponder the depth of wisdom contained within it. You can read it a thousand times and still find yourself drawn deeper into its truth and insight. Right now, however, the message in that quote is not what I want to hear. I like the idea of finding God in the wonder of creation, the eloquence of a poem, or the beauty of a song. It’s also easy for me to picture myself finding God through reading the Bible or in an inspirational book. In essence, I like the idea of finding God out there  or away from me and my life. But what if God is far closer to home? What if God is most powerfully and clearly to be found in the midst of my messy, broken, exhausting, hurting, sinful life? Right now, life is hard.... [Article continues in the link.] Be the Change... In one of Richard Rohr’s Daily Meditations ("medications") on second half of life, he invites us to live more from the 8 Beatitudes than the 10 Commandments . Check out this cool short video that presents Gandhi's words about change in a creative way...It was part of a Brian McLaren article that's below under the VW Bus ... Plan Be : be the change you want to see (01:08) It also contained this image...similar to my Truckin' and surfin' 1965 Bus that carried me around this ol' USofA...FYI - When I post, finding images like this and amazing stories...are a sign that I'm "on the right track and heading for YOU..." In the next article, Brian offers these insights from Richard Rohr - one of his traveling companion on the roads of life...and part of the core faculty of the Center for Action and Contemplation. [from the article with my added emphases] Here are some readings from Richard Rohr … The Eight Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3 – 12) offer us a more spacious world , a world where I do not have to explain everything, fix everything, or control anything beyond myself, a world where we can allow a Larger Mystery to work itself out through us and in us. These things are done to us more than anything we can do. The Beatitudes are about changing me, not changing other people. Wonderfully, it is not about being right anymore. Who can fully do the Beatitudes “right”? It is about being in right relationship, which is a very different agenda. We live, of course, in the tension between two worlds: the world where I need to prove that I am right and the world of daily right relationship with myself and others. One demands dominative power and concern with changing other people; the other is a self-renewing call to right relationship, and is primarily about changing me. Adapted from Jesus’ Plan for the New World, p.174 On the beatitudes …Brian McLaren Take daily time out's to still and quiet our souls... "Take the simple and the ordinary...turn it into the happy and wonderful..." BLIND FAITH Conflicting messages in these next 2 songs? For me it mirrors the ups and downs...wins and losses...of our ordinary lives... Do What You Like Song by Blind Faith Do right, use your head, everybody must be fed Get together, break your bread, yes, together, that's what I said Do what you like Don't fight Don't fight, use your head, it's all right every night Do what you like, that's what I said Everybody must be fed, do what you like Open your eyes, realize you're not dead Take a look at an open book Do what you like, that's what I said, do what you like Do right, use your head, everybody must be fed Get together, break some bread, yes together, that's what I said Do what you like Open your eyes, use your head, realize that you're not dead Take a look at an open book, let it cook That's what I said, do what you like Scene reminds me of a modern day "Sermon on the Mount" Blind Faith - Can't Find My Way Home - London Hyde Park 1969 (06:08) Can't Find My Way Home Song by Blind Faith Come down off your throne And leave your body alone Somebody must change You are the reason I've been waiting so long Somebody holds the key Well, I'm near the end And just ain't got the time And I'm wasted and I can't find my way home Come down on your own And leave your body alone Somebody must change You are the reason I've been waiting all these years Somebody holds the key Well, I'm near the end And just ain't got the time Oh-oh, and I'm wasted And I can't find my way home But I can't find my way home But I can't find my way home But I can't find my way home But I can't find my way home Still I can't find my home And I ain't done nothing wrong But I can't find my way home Blind Faith - Do What You Like (05:18) THIS ORGAN BELONGS IN THE CHURCH BAND... We dance by faith...BLIND FAITH...SO, LET'S PULL OUT ALL THE STOPS! SO DOES THE HARMONICA BELONG IN THE CHURCH BAND A reading from Prophet Robert... Bob Dylan - I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine (Official Audio) (03:54) MAY THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN... FOR MEN: Info about our monthly Men2Men circles. BAIT: "If you feed me, I will come!" Our morning begins with a full cafeteria breakfast... 2nd Saturday...8-9:30 AM 1725 Brentwood Road Brentwood, NY 11717 So they can plan food, we're asked to call or email the office when we plan to go. Please call my cell for their contact info: 516-850-2493 Here's a post to introduce you to Men2Men, Illuman and other helpful road guides: Men, Join me for Road Trippin' with some helpful companions... Includes some of my times of "escapin' thru the lily fields... MOTHER'S DAY Thanks, Mom & Dad !!! FOR ANYONE WHO WAS CARRIED INTO THIS WORLD BY A MOTHER... Johnny Cash - Will The Circle Be Unbroken (04:35) #music #humor #love #faith #SaintAugustine #RichardRohr #Illuman #CenterForActionAndContemplation #Men2Men #circle #SistersOfSaintJoseph #Brentwood #JamesThurber #questions #answers #IgnationSpirituality #GratefulDead #kindness #DalaiLama #Beatles #BrianMcLaren #Gandhi #change #BlindFaith #EightBeatitudes #8Beatitudes #BobDylan #harmonica #Mom# #Dad #MothersDay #JohnnyCash #Bill #Margie

CREDITS: Yes, Steve, yet another example of your time-honored wisdom: “there’s a Grateful Dead song for every occasion”… IT IS NOW POST TIME... FIRST, A History Lesson "Bullets" Celebrates their May 5, 1862 victory over the French invaders It's different from Mexican Independence Day - September 16 - which celebrates Mexico's Sept. 16, 1810 victory over their Spanish colonizers. [Excerpts from the article at the next link] While Cinco de Mayo honors Mexico's resilience and bravery in the face of strife, the holiday has also become, for some, an excuse to party. Another issue is that not enough American schools teach the importance of Chicanx history and its peoples' contributions to the U.S. Meanwhile, in the U.S, it's become an annual celebration of Mexican American culture. It began as a form of resistance to the effects of the Mexican-American War in the late 19th century. The holiday gained popularity during the  Chicano Movement  of the 1960s and 1970s. "It becomes a Chicano holiday, in many ways, linked to the Chicano movement, because we discover Mexicans resisting a foreign invader," García said. "They link the struggle of the Chicano movement to Cinco de Mayo." "When you study the history of Chicanos and Latinos, of course, they've been history makers," García said. "They've been involved in all aspects of American history, not to mention the wars ... In World War II alone, almost half a million Latinos – mostly Mexican Americans – fought in the war. And they won a disproportionate number of Congressional Medals of Honor ." The victory also helped prevent the French from settling in and helping the American Confederacy in the Civil War, according to  History.com. What is Cinco de Mayo? What to know about Mexican holiday commemorating famous battle - USA Today Opening Song Now watch as the ball revolves and the night-time falls And again the hunt begins and again the blood wind calls By and by, again, the morning sun will rise But the darkness never goes from some men's eyes (Well I know) It strolls the sidewalk and it rolls the streets Staking turf, dividing up meat (full lyrics near end of the post) Grateful Dead - Throwing Stones (Official Music Video) (04:38) CINCO DE DEAD-O [Excerpts from the article link at the end of this section - with my added emphases] The expansive legacy of Cinco de Mayo in Deadology   began on May 5, 1961. Jerry Garcia and his new friend, Robert Hunter , played their first gig together at Arroyo’s Lounge . Their compensation from the bar was five dollars. "Make good money, five dollars a day. If I made any more I might move away ."             The Warlocks second live performance was at Magoo’s Pizza Parlor on May 5, 1965. The set list is unknown, but the band would play Magoo’s a few more times. Two weeks later at Magoo’s, Phil Lesh first saw the band, and on that night, Garcia asked Phil to be The Warlocks’ bassist. By the time the year was over, the Warlocks would change their name to the Grateful Dead and would embark on a musical odyssey like no other.            The Grateful Dead played eight times on Cinco de Mayo , and Garcia and Kahn played a landmark acoustic gig in Oregon State Prison on 5-5-82, although the actual date of that gig is questionable. I go into all this in more detail in Deadology, but here are thoughts on some of the extraordinary May 5 performances. As most of you know, this is a spectacular performance start to finish. The singing and acoustic picking on “Friend of the Devil” is sublime. In a somber tone Garcia croons, “The sheriff’s on my trail. And if he catches up with me I’ll spend my life in jail.” Imagine the thoughts of the prisoners as they wistfully look back on their final days of freedom. It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry > Run for the Roses sparkles—best-ever versions. And the “Rueben and Cerise” encore is acoustic perfection. Cinco de Mayo in Deadology - Howard F Weiner Next 3 (2 singles & the full set) by Jerry Garcia and John Kahn. Performed at Oregon State Prison on May 5, 1982...A maximum security facility... Jerry Garcia and John Kahn - Babe, It Ain't No Lie (5-5-82) (06:30) Jerry Garcia and John Kahn - Reuben and Cherise (5-5-82) (05:33) Jerry Garcia - Oregon State Penitentiary Complete (Acoustic) - (5-5-82) (52:58) IMMIGRATION: WE'RE ALL STRANGERS IN A STRANGE LAND... A few weeks ago, a friend sent me this haunting video...I've used it in another post and it called out for a place in this post... Mojado - Ricardo Arjona e Intocable (Lyrics in English) (04:35) CHICANO MOVEMENT CHAMPIONED MEXICAN-AMERICAN IDENTITY AND FOUGHT FOR CHANGE [Excerpts from the article link below with my added emphases. The article was cited in the USA Today article on Cinco de Mayo at the beginning of this post] Meanwhile, in the U.S, it's become an annual celebration of Mexican American culture. It began as a form of resistance to the effects of the Mexican-American War i n the late 19th century. The holiday gained popularity during the  Chicano Movement  of the 1960s and 1970s. "It becomes a Chicano holiday, in many ways, linked to the Chicano movement, because we discover Mexicans resisting a foreign invader," García said. "They link the struggle of the Chicano movement to Cinco de Mayo." Leaders in the movement pushed for change in multiple parts of American society, from labor rights to education reform to land reclamation. As University of Minnesota Chicano & Latino Studies professor Jimmy C. Patino Jr. says, the Chicano Movement became known as “a movement of movements.” “There were lots of different issues,” he says, “and the farmworker issue probably was the beginning.” Ultimately, the Chicano Movement won many reforms: The creation of bilingual and bicultural programs in the southwest, improved conditions for migrant workers, the hiring of Chicano teachers, and more Mexican-Americans serving as elected officials. “A key term in Chicano Movement activism was self-determination,” says Patino, “the idea that Chicanos were a nation within a nation that had the right to self-determine their own future and really their own decisions in their own neighborhood, in their own barrios.” How the Chicano Movement Championed Mexican-American Identity and Fought for Change - History.com TONIGHT AT THE MOVIES... Without knowing I was posting about Cinco de Mayo , Eileen selected this food-themed movie set in Oakland California: “East Side Sushi”…  Themes include: Juana - a single Latino Mom's struggles to make her way in a man's world her relationship with her traditional Mexican father modelling womanhood for her middle-school aged daughter Lydia speaking truth to the misogynistic powers as she strives to fulfill her dreams "I want to be a Sushi chef...not a sous chef" Her father wants her to use her cooking skills in a traditional way: But Juana has a different dream for herself that calls for learning new things: [from the trailer] Years of working in the food industry have made Juana's hands fast—very fast. She can slice and dice anything you throw at her with great speed and precision. When Juana gives up her fruit-vending cart in order to find a more secure job, she lands a position as a kitchen assistant at a local Japanese restaurant. It is here she discovers a whole new world of cuisine and culture, far-removed from everything she has ever known. While working in the restaurant, Juana secretly observes the sushi chefs and eventually teaches herself to make a multitude of sushi. With her creativity sparked, Juana's re-ignited passion for food drives her to want more from her job and her life. Juana eventually attempts to become a sushi chef, but is unable to because she is deemed the "wrong" race and gender. Against all odds, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery, determined to not let anyone stop her from achieving her dream. East Side Sushi Official Trailer 1 (2015) - Anthony Lucero Drama HD (01:56) E X T R A S E T S As a fan of street art and artists (see my blog posts), this version has a place on the menu: HBO LATINO PRESENTA: EAST SIDE SUSHI TRAILER (SUBTITULOS EN INGLES) (01:00) THROWING STONES FULL LYRICS Throwing Stones Lyrics By: John Barlow Music By: Bob Weir Picture a bright blue ball just spinning, spinning free Dizzy with eternity Paint it with a skin of sky, brush in some clouds and sea Call it home for you and me A peaceful place, or so it looks from space A closer look reveals the human race Full of hope, full of grace, is the human face But afraid we may lay our home to waste There's a fear down here we can't forget Hasn't got a name just yet Always awake, always around Singing ashes, ashes, all fall down Ashes, ashes, all fall down Now watch as the ball revolves and the night-time falls (note 1) And again the hunt begins and again the blood wind calls (note 2) By and by, again, the morning sun will rise But the darkness never goes from some men's eyes (Well I know) It strolls the sidewalk and it rolls the streets Staking turf, dividing up meat Nightmare spook, piece of heat It's you and me, you and me Click flash blade in ghetto night Rudy's looking for a fight Rat cat alley, roll them bones Need that cash to feed that Jones And the politicians throwing stones Singing ashes, ashes, all fall down Ashes, ashes, all fall down Commissars and pinstripe bosses roll the dice Anyway they fall, guess who gets to pay the price? (note 3) Money green, or proletarian gray (note 4) Selling guns instead of food today (note 5) So the kids they dance and shake their bones And the politicians throwing stones Singing ashes, ashes, all fall down Ashes, ashes, all fall down Heartless powers try to tell us what to think If the spirit's sleeping then the flesh is ink History's page will be neatly carved in stone The future's here, we are it, we are on our own On our own, on our own, we are on our own If the game is lost, then we're all the same No one left to place or take the blame We will leave this place an empty stone Or that shining ball of blue we call our home So the kids, they dance, they shake their bones And the politicians throwing stones Singing ashes, ashes, all fall down Ashes, ashes, all fall down Shipping powders back and forth Singing black goes south and white comes north (note 6) And the whole world full of petty wars Singing I got mine and you got yours While the current fashions set the pace Lose your step, fall out of grace The radical, he rant and rage Singing someone got to turn the page And the rich man in his summer home Singing just leave well enough alone But his pants are down, his cover's blown And the politicians throwing stones So the kids, they dance, they shake their bones 'Cause it's all too clear we're on our own Singing ashes, ashes, all fall down Ashes, ashes, all fall down Picture a bright blue ball just spinning, spinning free It's dizzying, the possibilities Ashes, ashes, all fall down [Ashes, ashes, all fall down] Ashes, ashes, all fall down [Ashes, ashes, all fall down ]Ashes, ashes, all fall down [Ashes, ashes, all fall down] Ashes, ashes, all fall down [Ashes, ashes, all fall down] (1) Bob Weir sometimes sang "... as the sphere revolves." (2) Bob Weir seems to have sung some variations on this line. These include "The light goes on and off and the nightbird calls" and "Come close to the stars, celestial balls" (thanks to Dave Ellis for this). (3) Bob Weir has sung variants on these two lines: eg "Any more the pinstripe bosses own the dice, Anyway they roll guess who gets to pay the price?" (thanks to Brian and Bill for this) (4) Bob Weir sang this line as "Money green is the only way" on at least two occasions on The Dead's 2003 summer tour (thanks to Carrie for this) (5) Bob Weir has sung this line as "Blood for oil, dropping bombs today," "Drop them bombs, grab that oil today" and "Sell them guns, rape the earth today" (thanks to Bill, Chuck and Brian for noting these). (6) Bob Weir sometimes sang "... while white goes north" - which are the lyrics in the "In The Dark" songbook. RELATED POSTS: A MIX OF COLONIZERS & INVITED GUESTS INVITED Like this Sushi post, this 2024 post featured food... Cinco de Mayo is DEAD…and WEIR Grateful!!! COLONIZERS Cinco de Mayo & Mexican Independence Day: 2 steps to ousting the French & Spanish COLONIZERS With G-d on our Side: The Doctrine of Discovery, unHoly Roman Empire & other matters... #music #humor #CincoDeMayo #SteveBermont #GratefulDead #Mexico #Spain #colonizers #France #JerryGarcia #RobertHunter #JohnKahn #immigration #Mojado #sushi #misogony #Japanese #JohnBarlow #BobWeir #DoctrineOfDiscovery #ChicanoMovement #racism #prejudice #Amys