3/8/08: AAUW bus trip to MoMA -- new exhibit added!

New Color Show at MoMA

From The New Yorker, 2/25/08

Beginning March 2

MOMA's upcoming show Color Chart: Reinventing Color, 1950 to Today identifies a broad shift in artists' approaches to their palettes, away from the spiritual (a la Kandinsky) and theoretical (a la Josef Albers), and toward ready-made sources and random systems. On view will be nearly a hundred works by dozens of artists, including Bas Jan Ader, Daniel Buren, Damien Hirst, Yves Klein, Sherrie Levine, Gerhard Richter, Frank Stella, and Andy Warhol.

Seats are still available! Member discount available. Send an e-mail to kaauw12401@gmail.com to reserve with Garnette.

For Study and Contemplation During Lent

From Marjorie Regan --

Lenten Contemplative Studies Series
Sr. Hilda Pleva
The next 3 Monday nights, 7 p.m.
The Redemptoristine Monastery

Monday, Feb. 25th- Contemplative Values for Everyday Living
Monday, March 3rd - The Art of Contemplative Prayer
Monday, March 10th- Contemplative Life in the 21st Century

Call to register for any or all sessions and for directions. 384-6533
The monastery is on the grounds of Mt. St. Alphonsus, 9W in Esopus.

Photo by Fort Photo

From Judith Karpova--

Dear Friends,

My very dear Iraqi friend Namaá Alward, who was in Baghdad with the Human Shields in February and March of 2003, is coming to the United States as a lead singer in a concert at the Cooper Union Great Hall on March 1st.

The concert commemorates the death of Rachel Corrie and the fifth anniversary of the invasion and occupation of her country.

Namaá is an actress and singer, born in 1953. At 18 years old, she won a national prize as the best actress in Iraq.

She was engaged in politics in the communist party.

"There were no other parties or method of expression." she told me. "Very few could maneuver to stay without any announced commitment, to be able to be neutral. And I was an actress, I had to be clear about which camp I was in, about which commitment I had, so being leftist, you are automatically called communist. So I was a member, but a naughty one, and I still am, until today, I just follow my intuition. I don't accept authority and I will never accept it, and any kind of authoritarianism provokes me — this is why I don't accept religion, because you have to follow a path written and decided beforehand for you. This makes me a puppet following the one who moves me. So this is why I was naughty also when I was a communist.

"So I exposed myself and people around me to danger, because it was not allowed to anything but Baathist and follow the god, Saddam Hussein."

She was forced to flee Iraq to escape the Saddam Hussein regime. She found sanctuary in Norway, where she works with political refugees and has won many prizes for her work in theater and film.

In February of 2003 she risked being apprehended by the regime and returned to support the Human Shield project and to see her family before the war.

Last year she came to the US to participate in a similar concert, and she is returning again this year. Her singing is intricate, emotional and pure. I urge everyone who has a chance, to go to Cooper Union and see her and the other world-class musicians and performers in this venue: The Rest is Silence.

Judith Karpova

Let's Grow the Woodstock Time Exchange!

Here's a great way for you, your club or church, your school, or your children to give service, help your neighbors, and gain ... well, whatever you need.

• Petsitting, housesitting, babysitting
• Shoveling, gardening, outdoor work
• Rides to the doctor, airport, shopping

You name it, offer it, or ask for it.

Kingston AAUW and some of our individual members have joined the Woodstock Time Exchange. (You don't have to live in Woodstock.)

You can read about the time exchange movement and/or watch the video, at the Timebank.org website.

You can read about why our AAUW branch joined on our official branch website.

You can join by going to the sign-up site. Then click on the 'find time banks' button and scroll down to Woodstock (at the bottom of the alphabetical list). Just click the various links for more info.

When asked how you heard about time banks, mention Garnette Arledge or the AAUW.

Bambino Baseball Start-Up -- Spread the Word

Looking for mentally and physically challenged children who live in Ulster or Orange County to participate in the All-American sport of baseball by being a part of the Bambino Buddy Ball Division of Marlboro’s Babe Ruth League!

The Bambino Buddy Ball Division offers mentally and physically challenged boys and girls, ages 5 through 21, the opportunity to participate in an organized game of baseball. This program helps children enjoy the full benefits of participating in an athletic environment structured to their abilities.

The Bambino Buddy Ball Division employs the use of "buddies". The buddies assist the players on the field and, whenever possible, encourage the players to bat and make plays themselves. A buddy can be any age.

For a Bambino Buddy Ball Division to exist, there must be 30 or more players.

The division will be based out of Marlboro and open to Ulster and Orange County residents. If you know someone who might be interested in this program, please have them contact Heather Troncillito by March 21, 2008 . With enough interest, she will hold an informational meeting about this wonderful program.

Let Them Play Ball!!!

Photo by B Tal

Six-Word Memoirs -- A Challenge

Fascinating! Engaging! All those superlative words you see in ads!

This morning, Visual Thesaurus (a site worth visiting if you haven't already) sent a link to this new site.

Not Quite What I Was Planning is a companion site to the book which has just been published.

Here are some examples of "six-word memoirs by writers famous & obscure."

Brush with Death;Comb with Life -- David H.
Married with children (and second thoughts). -- withheld
Sold the saxophone. Got a computer. -- Ken H.
Fifteen years of therapy for this?! -- Karen W.

Six-Word Memoirs at SMITH Magazine: "Six-Word Memoirs: The Legend

Legend has it that Hemingway was once challenged to write a story in only six words. His response? “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” Last year, SMITH Magazine re-ignited the recountre by asking our readers for their own six-word memoirs. They sent in short life stories in droves, from the bittersweet (“Cursed with cancer, blessed with friends”) and poignant (“I still make coffee for two”) to the inspirational (“Business school? Bah! Pop music? Hurrah”) and hilarious (“I like big butts, can’t lie”)."

Reading these could become addictive. Writing my own, obsessive. This is my introduction to Smith Magazine, too. Are you familiar with it?

SMITH Magazine is a home for storytelling, with a focus on personal narrative. Whether a professional or unpublished writer, we believe everyone has a story, and everyone should have a place to tell it.

Strong Women Stand Tall

A friend sent me a request to cast a vote for Nancy Kavaky, and I pass that request to vote along to you.

Nancy's husband wrote an essay nominating her for the Women's Day and National Osteoporosis Foundation 'Strong Women Stand Tall' award honoring women who live with osteoporosis and continue as a source of strength for their families, friends, and communities. She is now one of the three finalists.

Nancy lives in Rhinebeck, so clearly we feel a bit of local pride and hope you'll vote for her. But, read the three brief nominating essays yourself.

You'll find the essays and the opportunity to vote here.

Voting ends March 15, 2008, so please take the time to do it now! Nancy's friends, family, and fellow quilters at Cuddle Quilts (where they have made over 1,300 quilts for at-risk children) thank you.

Big Think - Thoughts on the Big Issues in Life

Big Think - We Are What You Think

Here's an intriguing site -- Big Think. The folks here have pulled together thousands of short video and audio clips from thinkers -- experts, professors, politicians, artists, etc. -- about a vast array of subjects. You can listen/watch them, respond, agree, disagree, and submit your own ideas.

photo by noamgalai

Celebrating New York City

Celebrating New York City

The Art of
Richard Pantell and Karen Whitman
etchings, block prints and paintings

FEB 10- MAR 2, 2008

Artists Reception: Sunday Feb 10, 1-5 PM
Hours Saturdays and Sundays 1-5PM
Free Admission

Artists Lecture: Saturday, Feb 16-2PM
280 Hisgh ST, Closter NJ
Located adjacent to the Closter Library
201-768-0286
www.belskiemuseum.com
Well known local Woodstock NY artists
and musicians.