TODAY IS DNA DAY!

James Watson and Francis Crick worked out the structure of the DNA double-helix at Cambridge University, announcing their much-celebrated discovery in a modest one-page letter to the journal Nature that was published 50 years ago today.

Scientists from around the globe (including Dr. Watson himself) will gather in Cambridge today for a one day conference to mark this milestone.


Find out more about their great accomplishments--here are a few good places to start:


Genetic Science Learning Center, University of Utah

Genome.gov

Google for "Dna day"

TONIGHT ONLY!

Judy  -or-  What Is It Like To Be A Robot?  Written  and Performed by  Tom Sgouros

In a rare Rhode Island performance, see my good friend Tom Sgouros's show about consciousness, artificial intelligence, and banjo-playing robots.
Thursday, April 24 at Salve Regina University, Newport, RI 7PM, Wakehurst Bldg ( It's Free!)

Click Here For Directions

Click Here for More Info

TRINITY REP/BROWN CONSORTIUM
SPRING FESTIVAL

Every year the students at the Trinity Rep Conservatory put on performances as part of their work. What started out as mostly shows for friends and family have turned into important showcases of new talented actors and directors and an amazing festival of free theatre. I've seen some great productions over the years, all with limited budgets but fabulous amounts of dedication, ingenuity, and talent. I expect no less this year.
(Hey, I'm a graduate! I put in my time! But back in my day, we had to walk 15 miles to rehearsals, often rehearsing with cows and other farm animals, and then we'd walk back both ways uphill! :o)

All of the performances are free, but reservations are recommended, especially for shows at the Henderson Studios and the White Box. They can be made at 401- 521-1100, ext 274

McCormack Family Theatre, 70 Brown Street
Thurs, 4/24	Strings by Emily O'Dell	8 pm
Fri, 4/25	The Museum Play by Jordan Harrison	8 pm
Sat, 4/26	The Museum Play by Jordan Harrison	2 pm
Sat, 4/26	Plutonics by Sally Oswald	8 pm
Sun 4/27	Strings by Emily O'Dell	2 pm
The Henderson Studios, 46 Aborn Street
Sat, 4/26	The Spirit of Man by Peter Barnes	8 pm
Sun, 4/27	The Spirit of Man by Peter Barnes	8 pm
Mon, 4/28	The Spirit of Man by Peter Barnes	8 pm
Fri, 5/2	Machinal by Sophie Treadwell	8 pm
Sat, 5/3	Machinal by Sophie Treadwell	8 pm
Sun, 5/4	Machinal by Sophie Treadwell	8 pm
Fri, 5/9	All's Well That Ends Well by Shakespeare	8 pm
Sat, 5/10	All's Well That Ends Well by Shakespeare	10am
Sun, 5/10	All's Well That Ends Well by Shakespeare	8 pm
Sun, 5/11	All's Well That Ends Well by Shakespeare	8 pm
The White Box Theatre at Trinity Rep
Sun, 4/27	In The Heart of America by Naomi Wallace	5 pm
Mon, 4/28	In The Heart of America by Naomi Wallace	5 pm
Tue, 4/29	In The Heart of America by Naomi Wallace	5 pm
Sat, 5/3	Iphigenia and Other Daughters by Ellen McLaughlin	5 pm
Mon, 5/5	Iphigenia and Other Daughters by Ellen McLaughlin	5 pm
Tue, 5/6	Iphigenia and Other Daughters by Ellen McLaughlin	5 pm

Two Dance Shows On Saturday!

Rambleshoe is a collaboration between the dancers of Rhythm in Shoes of Ohio and the bluegrass boys of the North Carolina-based Red Clay Ramblers. Together, they bring music and movement that blends country, rock, Dixieland, bluegrass, blues and gospel with tap and clogging. The result, according to the Village Voice, is "really smart stuff." Rambleshoe is at 8 p.m. in Roberts Hall Auditorium at Rhode Island College, 600 Mount Pleasant Ave., Providence. Tickets are $26. Phone: 401-456-8144 or Visit their website

KALFOU in JAZZZING THE CROSSROADS Jazzzing the Crossroads is a praise song of music, dance, and word, reconnecting siblings of the African Diaspora: Haiti, Brasil, Cuba, and the U.S. The rhythms of Haitian Voodoo, Brazilian Candomble, Cuban Santeria, and African American Jazz carry roots of contemporary family realities. Kalfou is Brown University's Afro-Latin Jazz Ensemble and features dance by Lynnette Freeman and Isabelle Kalubi, spoken word by Daveed Diggs and Jana Willinger and fuses these musical traditions, exploring spiritual struggles that prevent compassion and recognition; healing violent ruptures of dispersion, of Middle Passage, of familial loss, of continued daily assaults upon living African traditions in the New World. In a time of uncertainty and loss, Jazzzing the Crossroads envelopes the audience in a re/encounter of kinship and jubilation. At the Carriage House Theatre, 7 Duncan Ave Providence RI Saturday, April 26 at 8pm. Tickets are $10. For more info, call 401-831-9479 or Visit the website

Providence Festival of New Latin American Cinema

April 24-27 at the RISD Auditorium--Providence

The Providence Festival of New Latin American Cinema was founded in Providence, RI in 1993 as a non-profit organization to promote Latin-American culture in general, and more specifically to highlight contemporary feature-length Latino films. Each April, the Festival organizes an annual week-long film festival presenting the best feature-length films produced in Latin America and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean by Latin-American directors, and released in the eighteen months prior to the Festival.



This year, the festival runs from April 24-27 at the RISD Auditorium 17 River Walkway (4 South Water Street), Providence.
Admission is $3 per show; $15 for an all-film pass; and free with RISD ID.
Tickets are purchased at the door at the RISD Auditorium.

Group rates and discounts for non-profits can be arranged at 401 454.6591.

Here is the schedule of films (for more info about each film, check the website

SCHEDULE

Thursday, April 24 7:00 PM------- The Sapphires 8:00 PM------- Sunburn 8:30 PM------- Speaker Phone Friday, April 25 6:00 PM------- Yesterday Starts Tomorrow (short) 6:15 PM------- Crosswords (short) 6:30 PM------- Faces of the Moon 9:00 PM------- Red Ink

Saturday, April 26 12:00 PM------- The Island of Lost Children 2:00 PM------- The Photographer 4:00 PM------- Gypsies Without Tents 5:30 PM------- Accosted on Carnival Monday 7:30 PM------- Bolivar am I 9:30 PM------- Such is Life Sunday, April 27 1:30 PM------- Cursed Gold (short) 1:30 PM------- Loving each other in the shadows (short) 1:30 PM------- Whispers of Death (short) 4:00 PM------- MUSICAL CONCERT 7:15 PM------- Sunburn 7:30 PM------- Behind the Sun 9:30 PM------- Bola de nieve: The sad man that always sang happy

 
Conexiones a Través del Tiempo


Connections Across Time

the History and Everyday Life of Latinos in Rhode Island

From April 11-June 21, a gallery exhibit about the everyday life of Latinos in Rhode Island will be at the Rhode Island Foundation. From art masks to wedding dresses, Mexican dancers to Cinco de Mayo, you can explore the sights, sounds, artworks, and lives of Rhode Island Latinos

Gallery Hours are Monday - Friday, 9am-5:30pm and Saturdays from noon-4pm


Here are some images from the exhibit:

Netflix: Part 8: The Return of the DVD

One of the guys from the WELL (Whole Earth 'Lectronic LInk) wrote quite an amusing inquiry into the vagaries of Netflix. If you don't know what Netflix is, it's a dvd rental service made possible by the internet and the US Mail. You select and create a queue of movies you'd like to see, and they mail them to you. You can have them out as long as you like. Depending on your level of service, you can have 3-5 dvd's out at a time.


Anyhow, his investigation intoNetflix makes excellent reading. I haven't used the service myself, (my discretionary income level is just a little too small), but several of my friends use the service in Rhode Island.


Check it out!

R.I.P. Amanda Davis
We'll miss you NOW.

Amanda as Lucretia Brimstone, Bindlestiff Family Cirkus Tour 1999



Amanda Davis, a 32 year old writer that I knew, died approximately one month ago. Her parents were flying her to a book-reading in North Carolina, where she grew up, when their Cessna crashed into a mountain. (I just found out today.)


I toured with Amanda with the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus in 1999. It was the first time I'd been on tour with them, and the first time she'd been on tour with them, so we were both newcomers to the family. She ran the Autonomedia Bookmobile and sold the merch, while I did my flea circus. We weren't particularly close, but grew to respect and like one another.

One night, the way the accomodations worked out, we shared a hotel room in ...(Indiana?) (double beds, naturally) We spent hours talking late at night about publishing, books, bookstores (I had run a bookstore for three years), artistic aspirations, clowning, self-promotion, family, scrabble, the nature of art, cell phone reception, and about a dozen other things.

I left the tour in Chicago, and lost touch with Amanda, but never lost my thoughts of that night with her, and our conversation

I heard about her/from her again last year sometime, when I'd sent an email to a friend of mine who is a publicist at Morrow, and turned out that she was Amanda's publicist for the new novel, and she was in the office when she happened to get the email. Just a quick hello, but that was enough to bring her back in mind to me.

I got a copy of the galleys and read them, and admired her book (which draws on our Bindlestiff tour very much) The book, titled Wonder When You'll Miss Me is available at Amazon.com

My sister-in-law just told me about her death .... I was shocked and dismayed. Although we weren't particularly close, I feel it quite clearly; the world is a less fortuitous place without her. I'll miss her more now that she's gone.


You can read more remembrances of Amanda at McSweeney's



Read a story by Amanda titled: "Fat Ladies Floated in the Sky Like Balloons"

Read another story titled: "Louisiana Loses Its Cricket Hum"

Here is an audio version of "Faith, or Tips for the Successful Young Lady" hosted at Salon.com

Brewer's Heaven
Rhode Island's Only
Brew-On-Premises

If you are serious about your beer, you may want to check out Brewer's Heaven a place where you can brew it yourself.


It costs between $150-$200 to brew six cases of your own beer, including creating your own label if you want . (That makes each beer cost around $1.38 or so-- not bad at all!) They have over 100 different recipes, and they walk you through each step of the 2-3 hour process. Two to three weeks later you'll return to bottle your masterwork. The process is guaranteed (although I'm not sure what exactly is involved in your guarantee.) Drinking the beer is strictly on your own time.


For those of you who don't like beer, they also offer winemaking. And for those of you either too young or too allergic to all that alcohol stuff, you can brew your own Rootbeer!


They also sell Home Brewing supplies, and different varieties of grain, hops, etc.

Brewer's Heaven is located on Rt 2 (Bald Hill Road) in the Summit Square Plaza Give them a call atÊ(401)Ê828-4949 or visit their website


They have an online archive of labels that people have created--here's my favorite so far:

PASSOVER!

It's Passover, the Jewish Festival of Liberation. Passover commemorates the time in history that the Jews were slaves in Egypt and then were freed. Plagues, Parting of the Red Sea, Pharoah, Matzoh, singing Dayenu.... You did see the movie with Charlton Heston didn't you? :o)


The first days of Passover is celebrated by two ritual meals, or Seders. A Seder means "order" and there is a specific order in which you do things. There is a lot of symbolism in the Seder which relates to the Jewish history, heritage, modern day events and world.


Last night I went to a friend's Seder, and today my family is going to have one, which I will lead. I am making the charoset, a ritual dish of apples, walnuts, and other items that is meant to symbolize the bricks and mortar through which the Jews were held in bondage (and also that there is sweetness in everything, even that) Here are some charoset recipes, including a california version that includes avocado!


Find out more about Passover:

Passover.net, sponsored by Chabad.

Passovercentral.com

APRIL IS NATIONAL POETRY MONTH

In honor of National Poetry Month, I'd like to share one of my favorite poems of all time: (I got it from
Poets.org, a great compendium of poetry, and sponsors of National Poetry Month.

You can request a free poster from them


Visit the poets.org RI Poetry Page


And here is a great poem about enjoying poetry!:

Eating Poetry by Mark Strand

Ink runs from the corners of my mouth.
There is no happiness like mine.
I have been eating poetry.

The librarian does not believe what she sees.
Her eyes are sad
and she walks with her hands in her dress.

The poems are gone.
The light is dim.
The dogs are on the basement stairs and coming up.

Their eyeballs roll,
their blond legs bum like brush.
The poor librarian begins to stamp her feet and weep.

She does not understand.
When I get on my knees and lick her hand,
she screams.

I am a new man.
I snarl at her and bark.
I romp with joy in the bookish dark.

The Clock is Ticking! IT'S TAX DAY!!!

Today is tax day! If you are like me, you will be filing for extensions...That will give you some breathing room.

Remember, you must still make your payments even if you are filing for an extension! The main post office (Charles Street, Providence) is open until 12 midnight tonight!

Get a Map of the Main Post Office


PRINT SOME FORMS (you will need Adobe Acrobat to read these documents)


IRS-- FEDERAL FORM 4868 (Automatic extension form)

RI FORM 4868 (Automatic extension form)

RI Clown Teaches in New Hampshire

(and no, it's not another article about me!)

An article in the Portsmouth NH newspaper featured Gary Girouard, also known as Gary the Silent Clown, who has been working with a Portsmouth NH elementary school for the last 8 years. He teaches workshops in clowning and circus skills, and at the end of the workshop, they give a performance for friends and family. An interesting aspect to all this is that though Gary and I both trained at Ringling Clown College, we both work as clowns now, and we both live in Rhode Island, we have never met one another! Maybe featuring him in my blog will help? Find out more about Gary

One of the great things about Blogging (and web logs) is that you get different people's points of views. Points of view that you can't otherwise get to, and you might not otherwise seek out. It really brings you into another world, a world you would not have been able to access otherwise.


Searching for Rhode Island Blogs, I've found one that lets you into the view of being back in High School: The Clarinet Goddess


She's articulate, she's funny, and you get to read all about Coventry Band politics, adventures in Puppysitting, and the thrills and woes of being in high school. (I know, some of you might not want to relive it, but parts of it were really FUN!) Anyhow, I've enjoyed reading her blog, and now You can too!

TWO PLAYS THAT YOU SHOULD SEE

Two of Rhode Island's finest small theatre companies are putting on shows that you are probably going to want to see. The shows are quite different in scope and style, but hey, that's what makes theatre great!

Three One Acts by Aisha Rahman Set in today's urban landscape....  underscored by the ferocity and passion of the blues. april 12 - may 17 call 401.331.2695 x101 for tix With Free Previews on April 12 and 13 See the Website For More Info

Betty's Summer Vacation by Christopher Durang You may never rent a summer house again...Master satirist Chistopher Durang takes aim at reality TV and shock journalism. WARNING: This award-winning romp is not recommended for the faint of heart (or the small of mind). You may want to leave the kids at home for this one. April 4-May 4 call 401.247.4200 for tix See the Website For More Info

ATTENTION RHODE ISLAND MOTORISTS

Exit 1 on Interstate 195 , (the "Downtown Providence" exit as you head towards the 95 North/South Split) will be closing permanently as of Sunday April 13, 2003. This is part of the I-195 Relocation project.

The Department of Transportation (RIDOT) suggests that you should either take Exit 2 (the "South Main Street" exit) or continue on to 95 (Exits 20 and 21) to get to downtown Providence.


For further information, give the RI Dept.of Transportation Community Affairs Office a call at 401--222-1362 x4015 or read the full press release.

CLUSTER BOMBS ARE BAD FOR CHILDREN

On the WELL, my online home, somebody was talking about the Cluster Bombs. Our military drops cluster bombs over Iraq, but some of them don't explode. Then civilians (some of them children) get hurt when they collect them, (apparently some of the bomb fragments look similar to food packages that are sometimes dropped) Anyway, somebody wrote about "the children" just one too many times for me. And so this was my response (slightly edited for younger audiences and better understanding) :

I agree that the use of the shrapnel/cluster bombs should be re-thought, or at the very least, they should paint the bombs bright colors with death faces all over it so no one will pick it up.

Normally I would let this slide, but I'm feeling ornery..

Why is it that it's the children who are unique and beautiful and priceless and irreplaceable expressions of life, and the adults are so much cannon fodder?


I hate this argument, bringing up the children, as if someone is supposed to melt because they were under 18 when they did something stupid/dangerous/unlawful.

War is bad, and killing people is awful, and bombs shouldn't malfunction, and these cluster bombs are particularly nasty ways of doing business. But it's not because "children are dying" -- it's because a rich and powerful society (in this case the US) is deliberately wreaking havoc on a weaker society (in this case Iraq) for reasons which are not morally crystalline. (ie, we are not stopping immediate bloodshed, but the threat of it down the line.)

I am no fan of Saddam, but I am also no fan of George Bush, who is a corporate weasel who was not elected but selected by 9 Supreme Court Justices, at least 3 of whom owed his family political favors. I trust Bush not one iota, and if that makes me less of a Patriot than, well, so be it.

Just sayin'.

Read an article about the new "Civilian Friendly" cluster bombs

BARNUM IS STILL DEAD!

On this day, 112 years ago, P.T. Barnum's obituary was published. He had passed away the day before. Barnum had asked to view his obituary before he died, and the New York Evening Sun had obliged him on March 24. (I'm currently working on a P.T. Barnum show. To find out more about the show, visit my website ptbarnum.org)


Read PT Barnum's Obituary (New York Times)

You can't be everywhere at once.

Sadly, the laws of physics preclude it. Yesterday, I meant to go to see Henry Louis Gates Jr. speak at Brown. But I missed it. I visited my grandmother (102 years old and still going strong!) instead. I certainly don't regret it, but it seems like it would have been a great lecture...

Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

For those of you who don't know, Gates is the director of the Dubois Institute at Harvard University and is a well known African -American scholar and cultural critic. He recently released the Encyclopedia Africana, an Encyclopedia of all things African. It had been W.E.B. Dubois's dream to produce this encyclopedia, but he was never able to get enough funding. After 25 years of trying to get it published, Gates Jr. was able to finally publish and produce the encyclopedia with the help of Microsoft and Bill Gates (no relation).

Find out more about the Encyclopedia Africana Purchase Encyclopedia Africana at Amazon.com Read an article about Henry Louis Gates Jr. at Brown (Brown Daily Herald) Get Black News at Africana.com (Gateway to the Black World)

Remembering the Tragedy on Your Body

As part of a way to let the healing and memorialization process begin, Electric Ink Tattoo of Providence has been giving out discounts on tattoos that memorialized the station fire. I think it's a great and unique idea.


I'm not a tattoo man particularly myself (although plenty of friends of mine have got ink) but a major appeal of tattooing is to mark moments and rites of passage on your body in a permanent fashion. Considering the tragedy, the rock and roll aspect, and the need to somehow mark the passing, what could be more appropriate?


I should put the age appropriate warnings here-- if you are under 18, you shouldn't get tattooed. (It's illegal!) Tattoos are permanent, etc, and you should think long and hard before you mark your body in this way. That being said, if it's for you, you should do it!


I'm not sure if the discount still holds, but if this is something that you'd like to mark, it couldn't hurt to ask.


Read The Electric Ink FAQ to find out more about the studio, or give them a call at (401)435-3393. (you can also Visit their website

A Quarterly of Literature, Politics, Finance & More

Kmareka.com is a web quarterly based in Cranston, RI that features articles, literature, and cooking recipes. Owned and run by Kiersten Marek, a writer, editor, and social worker who lives in Cranston with her husband and daughter.

The quarterly is quite wide-ranging in subject matter--this month/quarter's issue features articles on Jewish Renewal, the meaning of Patriotism, the Women's Equity Mutual Fund, and a recipe for Asian Pecan Noodle Salad! There's also fiction, archives, and some other writings.


One of the best things on the website is the Editor's Blog, which goes into detail about Cranston Politics. Marek goes into detail about her opinions on new mayor Stephen Laffey and how he is going about rescuing Cranston from bankruptcy. She talks about the ethics of cutting Senior Services, and also about the hiring of Jerome Baron as Director of Finance. Baron was the Director of Finance for Bridgeport, and apparently a lot of corruption and problems are surfacing regarding what was going on when he held his position there. It's exactly what a blog should be-- local, thoughtful, opinionated, and fun to read.


To check out the Kmareka Quarterly, visit their website

SPONSORED BY THE RHODE ISLAND CENTER FOR THE BOOK

The Rhode Island Center for the Book was established in January 2003 as an affiliate of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. Its purpose is to "celebrate, honor and promote interest in books, reading and the book arts culture and heritage of the state of Rhode Island."
The Center is based at the Providence Public Library.

The first project of the Center has been Reading Across Rhode Island Basically the idea is for everyone in Rhode Island to read the same book at the same time. The book is David Baldacci's Wish You Well






The RI Center for the Book has plans for other projects as well, some upcoming plans include Telling America’s Stories, Letters About Literature , River of Words, and the Mother Goose Asks “Why?”


For more information about the Rhode Island Center for the Book at Providence Public Library, contact Providence Public Library Librarian Sarah Weed, at 401-455-8112 or email her


For more information about Reading Across Rhode Island, contact Louise Moulton at 401-455-8134 or email her.

Presented by Brown University's Program in Computer Music and Multimedia

7th Annual Festival of Art and Technology

Video, Technology and Performance

Friday through Saturday, April 4-5, 2003

ALL EVENTS ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
------------------------------------------------------------------------




Video, Technology and Performance is a festival focused on the creative use of video projection and emerging technology in theatrical performances. The event will bring to Brown University a multidisciplinary group of innovators in dance and theatre, projection specialists, video artists, directors, composers, engineers and inventors who are exploring new concepts and interactive technologies for live performance. The event will foster an exchange of ideas through performances, presentations and discussion sessions, with specialists discussing artistic concepts, set design, motion capture, computer animation, interactive sound, sensing systems, and live video processing.

The schedule includes a Festival Concert on April 4 (8 pm at the Stuart Theatre) and then presentations, lectures, and discussions the next day from 10 am to 5:30 pm.

ALL EVENTS ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

For further information: Visit their website or give them a call at (401) 863-3234.

Newport Artist's Ball

A highlight of the spring social season in Newport, the evening features desserts, dancing, and costumes, and is highlighted with a silent auction of art works by premiere local artists. The party gets better and livelier every year. This year the theme is Heroes and Villains.To accommodate the large number of party goers and the need for additional exhibition space for the artwork featured in the silent auction, the ball is held in both the Griswold House and the Cushing Building. Should you have any questions, please call Donna Maytum at the Museum 401-848-8200 or visit their website

SENIOR LIVING EXPO

Senior Expo +: Senior Living Expo at the Warwick Mall. It's Tomorrow, Wednesday, April 2. Over 60 interactive exhibits, free health screenings and information. Entertainment and prizes. Jon Land will be on hand signing his latest book, and there will be a whole lot of other events, and entertainment. If you are a senior, you should definitely check it out.


Call (401) 739-7500 or visit the Warwick Mall Website for a little bit of information. (Sadly there's not much info on the website!)

Witty Fools and Foolish Wits

As a special Fundraiser for the Friends of the Newport Public Library, Bob Colonna will present a solo show entitled Witty Fools and Foolish Wits - Humor from Shakespeare to Rodney Dangerfield

The show is April 1st at 7:30 pm, If you don't know Bob Colonna, he is a great actor, son of comic legend Jerry Colonna, and a very funny guy. I recently raved about his performance [on March 10] as Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman. I haven't seen this show, but I'm sure that it's going to be good. Tickets cost $15.00 and seating is limited - so reserve your space EARLY!


To reserve, give them a call at 401-847-8720

ISRAELI FILM SERIES

Sponsored by the JCC & the Bureau of Jewish Education.




Each film is absolutely free.
A facilitator will introduce each film in the series and lead a discussion following it.

The films will be shown at the JCC of Rhode Island
401 Elmgrove Avenue Providence, RI

For more information, call (401) 861-8800.

FEATURED FILMS:

8:00pm Saturday, March 29, 2003

Under The Domim Tree

Hebrew with English Subtitles -- Director: Eli Cohen -- 96 minutes


This award-winning film is based on the autobiography of Israel's first lady of stage and screen, Gila Almagor. It depicts 15 year old Aviya, who lives in a youth village for war orphans and troubled teenagers. By day, the youngsters play and study like other teenagers; by night, memories of unspeakable losses return. They find refuge under the domim (crabapple) tree. Discussion facilitated by Leonore Sones



3:00pm Sunday, March 30, 2003

Underdogs: A (Sports) War Movie

Hebrew with English subtitles -- Director: R.Tzror and D.Tsabari --85 minutes


When the Beit She'an soccer team was on the verge of losing its status as "the best," the entire town went into mourning. The deciding game was against the reigning champion, Haifa-- Beit She'an won! More than a film about soccer, this documentary is about the war between the "haves" and the "have-nots": the small town against the big city in today's Israel. Discussion facilitated by Doron Benita



8:00pm Saturday, April 5, 2003

Cup Final

Hebrew with English subtitles -- Director: Eran Riklis-- 107 minutes


Cohen, an Israeli soccer fanatic with tickets to attend the world cup in Spain, ends up in Lebanon during the 1982 war and is taken prisoner by a PLO unit. It turns out that his captor is also a soccer fan. This shared passion helps cut though the barriers of ideology, nationalism and bloody memories, creating an unlikely alliance between the men. Discussion facilitated by Liran Raz



4:00pm Sunday, April 6, 2003

Yana's Friends

Hebrew and Russian with English subtitles --Director: Arik Kaplun -- 90 minutes


A gentle, feel-good comedy, set in Israel during the Gulf War, this is the story of Yana, a Russian immigrant. As the Scud missiles land with a thud from Baghdad, so do the Jewish refugees from Moscow. The wide-eyed new arrival Yana and her husband move into a modest apartment shared with another couple. When Yana's husband pulls a scam and disappears from their new home, she has to fend for herself in a comically uptight Israeli neighborhood. Discussion facilitated by Samuel B. Katzovicz

Providence Circus School!

Spring 2003 Session Classes Eight Sunday afternoons April 6 - June 1, 2003 The Providence Circus School is offering juggling and balance classes this spring in a new space --The Met High School--Media Center Theater (325 Public Street Providence RI) The ceiling is high enough to juggle five clubs and there is plenty of room to zoom around on a unicycle. Classes are for ages 10-16, and really, where else are you going to learn this kind of stuff? I sometimes teach clowning for the PCS, and it's a very good place! For more information call Director Judith Plotz at 401-351-9211 or email her

Are you being served?

In this time of war and crisis, you may want to make contact with your elected officials to tell them how you feel. You may also want to complain about a pothole in your street, or pat them on the back and tell them what a great job you think they are doing.

The easiest way to find your official is to use The State's Find Your Official website (and you thought it was going to be difficult!)

Simply type in the first 6 letters of your street (no numbers), pick your city, and on the next page pick your address. It will then give you links to information about all of your public officials.


Of course, it probably helps if you've registered to vote...

Puccini's Tosca

At the Veteran's Memorial Auditorium April 4 & 5, 2003



The featured production of Opera Providence this spring is a sensational, multi-media staging of Puccini's dramatic & beloved masterpiece, produced in collaboration with the award winning  Boston Academy of Music.


Sung in Italian with English translations projected above the stage, their innovative interpretation will make this Tosca a delightful and unforgettable experience for both new opera fans and long time opera lovers.


Tosca is a story of overwhelming passion amidst the perils of war.  Set in Rome at the time of Napoleon’s advance on the city, the opera opens with the flight of Angelotti, an escaped political prisoner.  He seeks refuge in a church where he is protected by Cavaradossi, a local artist who is also the lover of the famous singer, Floria Tosca.  The young painter acts suspiciously while protecting his friend and Tosca thinks jealous thoughts, believing him unfaithful.  The chief of police, Baron Scarpia, plays upon her jealousy to locate the two men, who are soon captured. 

Angelotti takes his own life rather then be held prisoner and Tosca desperately begs Scarpia to spare Cavaradossi, offering her affections in exchange for his life.  After securing a note saving her lover from his death sentence, she stabs Scarpia and hurries off to be with Cavaradossi.  Tosca finds she has been tricked, however, and the artist dies at the hands of a firing squad.  Facing capture for her crime, she leaps to her death to join her lover in the afterlife. 

Puccini's melodious and melo-dramatic score of love, lust and murder plays against the panoramic politics of soon-to-be Napoleon's Rome.


The show is April 4 and 5 at 7:30 pm. Tickets range from $13.50 to $85.00.


To find out more (or to purchase tickets online) visit their website or give them a call at 401-331-6060

SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY IN WASHINGTON DC!

This article recently appeared in the Washington Post, by columnist Courtland Milloy, who is a black man who looks Middle Eastern. It's a pretty good indicator of our current state of police state/fear.


The sign above the highway leading into the nation's capital advised motorists to "Report Suspicious Activity" and gave an 800 number for the Office of Homeland Security. As a reporter, I figured this was right up my alley and set out yesterday to report on things that struck me as suspicious.

For instance, near the Jefferson Memorial, I saw a five-foot-tall metal box that was hooked up to an electrical outlet and equipped with a high-tech antenna and chrome-dome receptor. What was it?

I asked a couple of National Park Service workers and some Cherry Blossom Festival organizers whose tent was set up next to the thing if they knew. Little did I know that my inquiry would become a suspicious activity in itself.



For the rest of the article

Ringling Bros. Revealed

WHEN: Tuesday March 25 8:00 PM on the Travel Network

(Channel 33 on Cox in RI)

OTHER SHOWINGS:
Tuesday, March 25 TRAVEL 11:00 PM  
Saturday, March 29 TRAVEL 12:00 PM  





This trip behind-the-scenes at the circus provides an intimate glimpse of what it's like to work under the Big Top.

As ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson describes it, "Everybody becomes your family. You have elephant cousins and zebra uncles!” And what a family it is: 225 members of the cast and crew and 58 animals, all of which travel along with 480 tons of equipment on the world's largest privately owned train. Performers, clowns and animal trainers spill show-biz secrets in interviews and are observed rehearsing routines and dreaming up breathtaking new ones. Access is given to all areas except Clown Alley, which the comic entertainers are seen entering and later exiting in costume. (including an extensive interview with my Clown College Room mate (and current Boss Clown of the Red Unit) Jay Stewart.

MARCH MADNESS

Despite the vagaries of War, life goes on for college basketball players! That's right, the NCAA tournament is back!

One of the best stories with regard to the tournament so far is Arizona vs. Vermont. This is Vermont's first year in the tournament since 1900. The coach of Vermont makes $70,000 a year (lowest in the NCAA Division 1), while the coach of Arizona makes $970,000 ($635,000 base salary, plus a deal with Nike) In order to go to the NCAA's, Vermont held a $10 per plate spaghetti dinner, while Arizona held a $100 a plate gourmet luncheon (which had 485 people attend!) Vermont had a 24 hour delay in getting to the arena (a blizzard in Denver). they showed up at the arena 38 minutes before game time.


It would be an even better story if Vermont had won, but alas this isn't the movies--- Arizona crushed them by over 29 points. Still, good on Vermont for making it to the Dance at all.

I'm in a pool on the WELL(for no money, thank you very much, just for bragging and the all important pokeybucks (imaginary money!) With 16 of the 63 games played, I have been right on 14 of them so far! (And I'm in second place!)


See the standings for the Well Pool

See the NCAA official scoreboard (with recaps and stats)


Read the Arizona Republic article I got the Vermont vs. Arizona information from