Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Butterflies photographed by Mark Berger

Photographer Mark Berger, inspired by the yearly butterfly exhibit at the Columbus Conservatory, sent us the following three images. Enjoy!
-charlie




Green Vein Charaxes
Charaxes are among the fastest flying butterflies in the world, some reach speeds of nearly 40mph! They are nearly impossible to chase on the wing so catchers wait until they are at rest or sunning. Charaxes are highly desirable and they have extraordinary undersides richly designed and colorful.
Typically dwelling in medium and high altitude tropical African forests, members of the species prefer densely wooded areas and often fly high in the tree canopy. Such traits can make the species extremely difficult to catch unless one knows the secret to attracting the elusive butterflies.


Graphium agamemnon is a predominantly green and black tropical butterfly that belongs to the swallowtail family. The butterfly is also called Green Spotted Triangle, Tailed Green Jay or the Green Triangle. It is a common, non-threatened species native to India, Sri Lanka through Southeast Asia and into Australia.
Once found primarily close to wooded country where there is a fairly heavy rainfall, the Green Triangle is now very common at low elevations and regularly seen in gardens.
Strong and restless fliers, they are very active butterflies and flutter their wings constantly even when at flowers. They are seldom seen drinking from damp patches


Common Sargeant

Great Spangled Fritillary

Thursday, October 09, 2008

Because we fought for them…

Harvey Wasserman is a friend I've known since high school days. He is also a well versed and often published author and social activist who often comes up with one or two wonderful ideas. Here's something he just recently came up with. Read below and enjoy.
-charlie
Harvey Wasserman

Because we fought for them my daughters have cast paper ballots
October 6, 2008

My daughters and I have cast paper ballots in the opening days of the 2008 presidential election. It was their first time voting in a presidential election.

That they have only voted with an African-American atop the Democratic ticket makes this doubly historic for them. The issue of race remains a great unknown in how things will turn out.

But so does the question of whether everyone who wants to vote can, and whether those votes will be accurately counted (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHiCFe2GBjk).

Four years ago this county tried to deny me the right to cast an absentee ballot. After four phone calls and some serious politicking, I finally did get a paper ballot, which I hand delivered to the election board. But was it counted?

My twins are now 21. On Friday, October 3, 2008, we drove to Veterans Memorial in downtown Columbus to cast our ballots under unique circumstances. For a full week, Ohio voters have been able to register and vote at the same time.

It took the focused efforts of thousands of election protection activists---and a legal defense team---to make happen this and other things suitable to a democracy. Such victories will define whether we get fair participation and a reliable vote count in November, and thus who will be the next president.

Since the stolen election of 2000 the Democratic Party and corporate media have studiously ignored the fact that we have been afflicted with an unelected president. A media-based recount in Florida showed Al Gore was the clear winner there eight years ago.

In violation of federal law, 56 of Ohio's 88 counties have destroyed election-related materials, making a comprehensive 2004 recount impossible. No one has been prosecuted. But those of us who watched first-hand how the 2004 election was conducted here know all too well that it was stolen in a "do everything" campaign that the Democratic Party still doesn't comprehend, and does not seem to want to acknowledge.

Nonetheless, we may be entering the 2008 contest in somewhat better shape. Independent reporting on the internet and some talk radio organizing, plus a few major books and articles in places like Rolling Stone and Harpers, have inspired a new grassroots movement for election protection.

We have won important victories, such as removing Ohio's infamous Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell, the critical point man for Karl Rove's 2004 hijacking. We are pursuing Michael Connell, a shadowy Bush IT operative who has been accused by a Republican insider of working to rig this and other elections.

In Ohio, as many as a third of Ohio voters are casting their ballots early. By law a quarter of those coming to the polls will be able to get paper ballots (we are working to make them available to ALL who want them). As my cohort Bob Fitrakis puts it, the choice will be between paper or the plastic of voting machines.

But the specter of disenfranchisement and electronic theft still hangs over this election as a twin curse to endemic racism. Millions of Americans are being systematically eliminated from voter rolls in as many as 19 states. Most of these are inner city and other vulnerable voters known to be heavily Democratic. Among them are African-American soldiers stationed overseas.

Some 300,000 Ohioans were deleted from the registration rolls prior to the 2004 vote count. Had they all voted, John Kerry might have been in the White House these past four years. Another 170,000 were eliminated after 2004 in Franklin County (Columbus) alone.

Throughout the US, Republican operatives are working overtime to decimate the Democratic turnout. The Bush Administration has already fired nine federal prosecutors for refusing to conduct a bogus witch hunt against legitimate voters.

But other attacks are proceeding, and could make all the difference. You who claim concern about our electoral process might spend at least some of this next month monitoring election boards and guaranteeing that those who believe they are registered do not show up at the polls November 4 only to find they have been disenfranchised for the "crime" of leaning left.

We must also have zero tolerance for electronic voting machines. There may actually be thousands more of these election theft devices deployed throughout the US this year than ever before. As always, the big vendors are hiding their software from the public, claiming it is "proprietary."

But as registration activists, poll workers, judges, official observers and Video-the-Vote workers (see "Be a Poll Worker and Save American Democracy,"http://www.freepress.org/ departments/display/19/2008/3205) you may be in a position to exert critical leverage on access to decisions on software, hardware deployment and vote counting that could save thousands of legitimate ballots thoughout the US.

In our next article, Bob Fitrakis, Sheri Myers and I will write in detail about the history of electronic election theft and its long-time master of disenfranchisement, Karl Rove.

In the meantime, it's crucial to remember that favorable polling numbers will not guarantee a fair election. Carefully manipulated racism, plus mass disenfranchisement, rigging of electronic voting machines and additional Rovian dirty tricks are what brought us eight hellish years of George W. Bush. Without taking drastic grassroots action, they could be used again to tack on four more, from which it is not likely this nation would survive.

The good news is that we have won some victories. My daughters have voted in a safe, secure atmosphere, and there's a reasonable chance their ballots will be counted---along with millions more.

But to guarantee a full voter turnout, and a safe reliable, vote count, YOU must get involved. Visit The Free Press (http://freepress.org) and Poll Workers for Democracy (http://act.credoaction.com/pollworkers/index.html).

This year, there is no excuse. We know what has happened, and we know the consequences of inaction. See you in the army….of election protection workers.

--
Harvey Wasserman is co-author, with Bob Fitrakis, of four books on election protection which are available at www.freepress.org, where this article first appeared. His HARVEY WASSERMAN's HISTORY OF THE US is at www.harveywasserman.com along with SOLARTOPIA! OUR GREEN-POWERED EARTH, A.D. 2030.
=

Walk Now for Autism, October 12


This note came to me from my son's wife Christina. Aaron and Christina's daughter Cordy, who just turned 4 last month, is one of millions affected by autism, that mysterious and - s0 far incurable - developmental disorder. Cordy attends a special education program that has helped her tremendously. She is, of course, my beautiful, smart, sweet, kind and very polite grand-child, whom I adore. Research appears to be the best hope for combating this. (I think it's caused by millions of tons of pollutants we've dumped on this planet in the past 100 years!)
Cordy's parents are participating in a
Walk Now for Autism event on October 12. They are hoping to raise money to be used for research. Please help. Read below for details. -charlie


Charlie,

Aaron and I are participating in Walk Now for Autism on Oct. 12 for Cordy. As you may know, autism is the second most common developmental disorder in the United States affecting one in every 150 children born today. Despite some promising discoveries, the cause of autism is unknown and a cure does not exist. Research is crucial.

Cordy has already benefited from the research that has been done so far, but she has a long way to go still, and is depending on further advances in therapy and genetic research for her own success in life. We are committed to making sure she has the best chance at a "normal" childhood.

Walk Now for Autism is our chance to make a difference in the fight against autism by raising money for autism research and heightening public awareness. Please join me in my fight as I raise $ 250 to help fund essential research. I will be walking on Oct. 12 and would like you to support those affected by autism.

You can donate to Walk Now for Autism and join my team online through my webpage at http://www.walknowforautism.org/columbus/personal/cmc. Donations can also be mailed to Autism Speaks using the donation form located on my page or send me a check made out to Autism Speaks. My team name is Cordelia, Warrior Princess; please note this on your check and the donation form.

Please join me in my fight against autism. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of the more than 1 million Americans living with autism today, including Cordy.

Sincerely,
Christina

http://www.walknowforautism.org/columbus/personal/cmc
Donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
Autism Speaks 501 (C)(3) Tax Id #: 20-2329938

MATCHING GIFT PROGRAM Many companies provide their employees with matching gifts. Please consult your employer on its matching gift guidelines and attach matching gift forms accordingly.
Follow this link to visit the team page for Cordelia, Warrior Princess.
Follow this link to visit Christina McMenemy's page.

Christina McMenemy

****************************************************************************
If you cannot see or click the link(s) in this email, copy and paste the URL(s) into your browser's address field:
http://www.walknowforautism.org/columbus/team/cordelia?faf=1&elid=1944472444
http://www.walknowforautism.org/columbus/personal/cmc?faf=1&elid=1944472444
****************************************************************************

Friday, October 03, 2008

Bill Cohen 1960's Coffee House



1960’s Coffeehouse To Benefit Food Pantries

Civil rights sit-ins. Bell-bottoms. Anti-war marches. Student Power. Afros. Mini-skirts. Hippies. Riots. Space flights. The generation gap.

Those hallmarks of the turbulent 1960’s will be rekindled Friday November 14 at this year’s annual “Spirit of the ‘60’s Coffeehouse”:

Friday November 14 7:30 p.m.

King Avenue Methodist Church
299 W. King at Neil in Columbus
.

The show begins at 7:30 p.m. in the church basement, but get there early for a good seat.

Bill Cohen will lead a candlelit, musical, year-by-year journey through the era, with live folksongs, “news reports” of sixties happenings, displays of anti-war buttons and posters, and far-out sixties fashions.

Bill will also challenge the audience with sixties trivia questions, and he’ll award prizes (with a 1960’s theme) to those with the right answers.

Proceeds from the suggested $10 donations will go to the Mid-Ohio Food Bank. Refreshments will be available at no extra charge. Free parking is also available in the lots just South and West of the church.

The program is suitable for ADULTS and MATURE TEENS.

It’s the 23rd year of sixties coffeehouses for Bill. He’s performed the show more than a hundred times now at colleges, churches, synagogues, conferences, high schools, and middle schools across Ohio and beyond.

For more information, call Bill at (614) 263-3851.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Transit Arts exhibits Growing Our Dreams


The youth artists of TRANSIT ARTS invite you to a special exhibition and reception

GROWING OUR DREAMS

determination... seeds planted... germination...

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

5:30 - 7 pm

at

The Mid Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC)

111 Liberty Street, Suite 100

Columbus OH 43215


Special thanks to MORPC for hosting the works of TRANSIT ARTS throughout September and October.

For more information please contact TRANSIT ARTS at 614.252.3157 ext. 128, or visit www.transitarts.com or www.myspace.com/transitarts


OSU Faculty Club Exhibits Paintings by Suzanne Eberle Jack

“EXUBERANCE”
Pastels and Paintings by Suzanne Eberle Jack

October 29 through December 19, 2008

ALL EXHIBITIONS ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLLIC

Suzanne Eberle Jack is a national award winning artist whose works are part of major corporate collections. She graduated from The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Art Education and then earned a Master’s degree in Art Education from the University of Tennessee. Currently she is an art instructor at the Hardin Valley Academy in Knoxville, Tennessee.

The paintings and pastels of Suzanne Eberle Jack will be on display at The Ohio State University Faculty Club from October 29th through December 19, 2008.

Suzanne Eberle Jack’s return to OSU's campus -where she will attend an opening reception in her honor- will renew her memories of the 1969 football season as a cheerleader when Ohio State won the National Championship in the Rose Bowl.

Opening Reception
honoring Ms JacK
Friday, November 7
6:00 to 8:00PM
The Ohio State University Faculty Club
181 South Oval Mall

on the Columbus campus.
614-292-2262

More info?
email, barb@ohio-statefacultyclub.com
or the artist’s website: suzannejack.com.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Three poems by Steve Ben Israel - Actor, Social Commentator, Poet

Award winning actor, performer, social commentator, poet, raconteur, and all-around good guy Steve Ben Israel sent three vignettes below. Steve is often heard delivering wry, relevant commentary on NPR. In this photo, (taken by Fernando Leon) he accepted an Obie award.

I met Steve at an all-night diner in the lower east side of NY city, several years ago, introduced by my long-time friend Stan. We talked, dank coffee, schmoozed, listened to his fabulous tales and enjoyed it enough to consider the evning memorable.

Please enjoy three short poems below told with a bit of New York irony, followwed by two short Youtube videos showcases.
--------------------------
brooklyn

flunked out of high school
went back in the summer
and passed all 3 subjects
amazing, teachers must be
nicer in july and august
what now,18 years old now what
some friends out in k.u.
in kansas write me and say
come out here and I write
them back are you kidding
with my grades" they say
write them anyhow
and I do and they write
me back and say
are you kidding with your grades
but they give me a three month
trial period of three credits
in english

so I make my way to the land
of thank you and come back
and there in english I am asked
to write a paper on
henry david thoreau's walden pond
now reading and writing it down
was always tough for me
and still is, but I do it
and hand it in
a week later the papers
are marked and ready
the teacher is holding up
two papers in front of the class
he says this first paper shows
remarkable insight in to walden pond
but I am not quite sure what language
he wrote it in this other students paper
is grammatically perfect but I don¹t know
what he read,now the first paper was mine
a lot of red on yellow legal
and he hands it to me in front of
the entire class and I take the heat
hoping that the bell is going to ring
so I can go out and talk to a tree
who I know will tell me I am really ok
the bell rings so I make my way to
the door and the teacher says
steven can I see you for a momment
sure and I make my way to the front
of the class and the teacher says
steven ah are you a foreign student
and I say no I am from brooklyn

steve ben israel


not my real uncle

she invited me over to dinner for lisa bauer
at her uncles house in west berlin
she said he wasn't her real uncle
he a berlin police captain hid
seven jews in seven different houses
along with her mother and brother
for four years he provided food
medicine and security
they were hiding they were hidden
they were hidden they were hiding
the last day of the war
she emerged to the sunlight
and then raped by a drunken
russian liberator in the midst
of her joy and then stabbed
in her breast
later she became a pianist
and teacher and was a bright light
in a city with a wall around it
I went to her uncles house
for dinner along with the others
who called him uncle
every month he cooked dinner
when I met him he said" just call me uncle"
now that's an uncle

steve ben israel





star wars 1999


I won't be waiting on line and I don't need any tickets
because star wars is playing everywhere, especially on CNN
the military home shopping channel and every half hour,
James Earl Jones, the voice of Darth Vader, says,"this is CNN"
and I won't be picking up any action figures to this" new phanto menace"

because I remember April 29,1975 our sons first birthday,
and he's asleep and he doesn't know it when suddenly
he's awakened by another baby crying 6,000 miles away coming out
of the tv because I'm watching the NBC special "the evacuation of Saigon

the next picture was of the parents of the last American soldier
to die in that Vietnam war and they were both holding back their tears
as the father say's,"my son gave his life for his country"
I held our son even closer and realized how precious that moment was

a few years later a friend of mine says,"have you seen the
new star wars movie yet?" and I said "not me, pops, the last thing
I want to do is see a movie with the word war in it'

but that changed very quickly, when all of a sudden our son said
'daddy, daddy, we have to go see star wars, everybody I know
has seen star wars, we have to see star wars"
so we went to see star wars.
and I actually saw all three of those modern day swashbuckling
intergalactic sagas of good guys verses bad guys
and, actually the movies played for years on our son's floor
I was always avoiding stepping on luke Skywalker, princes laya,
Darth Vader,Han solo, Jaba the hut, chubacka the wookie,Yoda
r2d2 and cp30. I once spent an hour and a half on my knees
trying to find Yoda's cane and screamed out,"I found it, I found it,
I found Yoda's cane"

but know our son is twenty five and I think this time, together
we are going to skip this phantom menace
and go to the peace vigil out the 42nd street library
hoping that we are going to be joined by the liberals
and the conservatives the democrats and republicans
the left and the right because too many parents have cried
in this century for the children they have lost

steve ben israel 1999



Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Riverfront Art Festival is new name & location for former Goodale Park Art Fest

Columbus, OH— This weekend there will be almost no empty space between COSI and the west bank of the Scioto in Genoa Park. That’s because the Riverfront Art Festival will debut with nearly 150 local, regional, and national artists along with plenty of food and entertainment.


The Riverfront Art Festival is the new incarnation of the Goodale Park Art Festival, which had been one of Columbus’s fastest growing festivals. After outgrowing the parking at its former location, the festival looked to the Riverfront, where parking is plentiful and attendees will have the opportunity to savor the artwork’s surprises while taking in the city’s skyline and mingling with fellow art lovers.


Organized by Jay Snyder, the former producer of Columbus Winterfair, the Riverfront Art Festival will feature every imaginable kind of fine art & craft ranging from decorative oil paintings and sculptures, to functional ceramics and jewelry. “With all of these artists, you are sure to find something that expresses your own unique taste,” said Snyder, “and every artist has a story - when you take that work home with you, you take home the story along with it.”


With free admission, you will have a hard time finding an excuse to miss this incredible close to downtown’s festival season. On Saturday, the incomparable WaterFire will be conducting its final burn of 2008 as a part of the Riverfront Art Festival’s full entertainment schedule. The amphitheater will also feature local and regional musical acts throughout the weekend.


The Riverfront Art Festival will be open Friday, September 19, 2008 from 5 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.; Saturday, September 20, 2008 from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; and Sunday, September 21, 2008 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For more information log on to www.riverfrontartfestival.com or www.waterfirecolumbus.com.



###

Pot Luck at Arts Upstairs Gallery



This came from my friends Alan and Lynn Fliegel who live in Phoenecia in the Catskill Mountains of New York. They were in town with a booth at the Ho Times festival this past weekend.

The Arts Upstairs Gallery
, 60 Main St., Phoenicia, NY 12464, WWW.ArtsUpstairs.Com, 688-2142 Announces:

Art Opening for show theme entitled, "Pot Luck"
Opening, Saturday September 20, 6 to 9 + PM
Group Show including the works of assemblage artist Judith Singer in the Solo Room
contact person: Alan Fliegel, info@artsupstairs or 688-2142

Free Press Salon meets at new Location

The Free Press Salon has a NEW LOCATION: 1021 East Broad Street (parking in rear)

Come join us this Saturday, September 13 between 6:30pm and midnight
for the Free Press Second Saturday Salon with food, drink, and progressive friends.

truth@freepress.org
253-2571

Monday, September 08, 2008

German Village Legends Fred and Howard Honored in Public Tribute

This is an invitation to a tribute to "Fred and Howard" , longtime residents and honorary mayors of German Village, and well known as the grand-fatherly curmudgeon characters who presided over the Hausfrau Haven, an emporium of unclassifiable assorted goodies and local needs. Their influence reached in the arts, theatre, music and their contributions, enormous enthusiasm and efforts toward promoting the city's arts and their own, unique neighborhood was far reaching.

Fred is the surviving partner and will be honoredat this public reception. All friends, admirers and curious are invited, at 6 pm, Tuesday September 9, at the Franklin Park Conservatory's Garden Pavillion.

More info at

http://thelegacyfund.org/newsite/

Saturday, September 06, 2008

Hot Times Festival 2008 slides updated during festival.


Two Tone rocking the house, on Saturday afternoon at Hot times 08


See the slideshow!
Festival ended yesterday evening. We are tired, exhausted and thrilled. Met old friends, made new ones, grooved on wonderful music and good vibes.

I had a ball!
charlie einhorn

See the slideshow!

Sunday, August 03, 2008

Black Olive Restaurant, Reviewed by Ralph Rosenfield



Rlaph and Jan Rosenfield are two old friends of mine who enjoy eating out and occasionally tell us what they think about it. Here's their comments on a new eating adventure in Columbus. - charlie

I guess Jan and I belong to the "You never have enough
good restaurants" school. We always seem to enjoy trying new places and
having new experiences. Then of course we get to share these experiences
with you, our friends. The Black Olive is a place that you will want to try,
and you too will want to share that experience with your friends.

Our experience started when our friends here at the
Buggyworks, Rick & Merry, asked us if we would like to have dinner with
them. Duh! We agreed to meet at the Black Olive which had been open for
about a week. I had heard good things... but you never know.

Rick had arrived ahead of us and already had a table and a
drink. Jan and I started with water but quickly moved to a chilled white
wine. We discussed the menu, and ended up with Hummus & Tapenade Plate,
which I would never would have ordered on my own. But this dish was enough
for the four of us to share and get a sampling of house made Hummus which
was very tasty and the also house made olive tapenade which I could have
made a meal of if there were enough there.

We also ordered the Shrimp & Grits - an unusual marriage,
it would seem, but one that works perfectly. The grits, which have been made
with parmesan cheese, have just enough of that sort of nutty flavor that,
combined with the red pepper coulis, marries quite well with the lightly
grilled shrimp. You should try this for sure.

Our final appetizer was the Caprese Salad; the thickly
sliced tomatoes are layered with fresh Mozzarella, basil, and balsamic
vinaigrette. A home run. The only way it could even think about being better
would be with heirloom tomatoes. But that is a personal thing for me.

For our dinners, Merry and Rick had the Pan Seared
Peppered Scallops ($18). The scallops are peppered and heavily seared, but
not over done, in a brown butter sauce. Then they were served over a carrot,
corn, onion, and potato hash. They say it has a hint of provolone cheese but
I didn't get the hint. All in all, this is a great dish if you like scallops
(which I normally don't).

Jan and I shared the Crusted Red Snapper ($19). The potato
crust is light and flavorful and the dish is served with sautéed asparagus
and red skin potatoes. There is a hint of tarragon (and I got the hint this
time). The crust wasn't too thick and seemed more like a light breading, -
just right for the fish which was very flavorful and flakey.

We did not stay for desert; Jeni's is across the street.
So give this a try, I don't think you will be disappointed.
Black Olive p.298 8750 a. 731 N. High Street


Ralph Rosenfield Jr.