text:
Loving Kindness for Unitarian Universalists
Submitted by kady on Mon, 05/13/2019 - 11:11
Both-And
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Ethics/Morality
A Metta Prayer for Activists
May I recognize happiness.
May I abet human rights for every single human being.
May I nurture sustainability for Mother Earth.
May I cultivate compassion for the suffering.
May I know enough.
May you recognize happiness.
May you abet human rights for every single human being.
May you nurture sustainability for Mother Earth.
May you cultivate compassion for the suffering.
May you know enough.
May they recognize happiness.
May they abet human rights for every single human being.
May they nurture sustainability for Mother Earth.
May they cultivate compassion for the suffering.
May they know enough.
kady's blog
Living in Non-White Whiteness or White Non-Whiteness or ...
Submitted by kady on Tue, 06/20/2017 - 13:20
Race & Class
"What do you like about being white?"
The anti-racism training facilitator chose me to go first. My view of myself as multicultural Latinx, with indigenous heritage and light skinned privilege, was discounted a room full of other participants. Every struggle of not being white enough, or Latina enough flew up to my throat into a knot. I could not get past the word "multicultural," because the facilitator, an African American man, kept interrupting, insisting I was white. I thought my story about my grandparents and great grandparents had explained who I was the day before. The Latina facilitator said in a stage whisper, "She's Latina." The white facilitator said in a stage whisper to the Latina, She's white!" Whispering ensued between them. The facilitator who asked the question more than once said, "Fine, let's move on. We'll get back to you." I sat in shock. The next white individual, somewhat understandably, did not want to claim he was white either.
When I had gone to a people of color retreat last summer, the speaker, Zenju Earthlin Manuel had brought up an example that made sense. In 2013, Black Girl Dangerous blogger, Janani, published, "What's wrong with the term 'person of color?'" In it, they wrote about an exercise about race in an anti-oppression youth camp in the South, in which they, along with two other Asian attendees, were put in the white group rather than the black group. Janani wrote,
I want to return to that moment of racial ambivalence, and why it happened. That moment was unsettling precisely because even if Black and Asian kids had a common experience of being racialized, we didn't have a common racialized experience.
It seems as if it should be obvious, but upon hearing it the first time, my heart opened with more compassion for we of whom are not of the dominant culture. In our workshop, every single person had been racialized as a consequence of living in the United States. Each one is racialized based on their geography in the country, in addition to the relationships to friends, relatives, loved ones, institutions and society. Not one person's early soul tenderness was battered by racism the same way. I have no claim to the experience of being black, but navigating La Frontera, the borderlands as explained by Gloria E. Anzaldúa, is its own experience. I grew up occupying that liminal space of in between, not pale enough to be white, but without the Spanish language, unable to navigate in the Latinx sphere either. How you were treated could turn on a dime. Especially, if your name changed from European to Hispanic or back. I was punished a whole school year for a surname change and return. My mother experienced it, and my sister, who has fairer skin than mine with dark hair and eyes, experienced it.
As the daughter of a Mexican American mother with the black hair and beautiful brown skin of her father, I was the first of sixteen grandchildren with the black hair and dark brown eyes that favored him. Unfortunately, he died before the year before. As the daughter of my Irish, Scandinavian, Northern European father, I'd never quite fit in. The McGregor family loved me anyway, often pointing out how smart I was, or tall I was, even though my build was more solid, and I tended to be chubby and darker. My heart and self-esteem suffered each time others were disparaged for gaining weight by the weight and look obsessed white women in the family, or how "Mexicans" or worse, "wetbacks" were disparaged by my new German stepfamily, most often by my stepmother.
If I had been asked a different question, the rest of the workshop might have gone differently. Instead, I became the female example of white denial. The trainer said to the group, "We people of color see you as white. You are not fooling us." My shutting down served as another sign of whiteness. In truth, I was in shock. Every misgiving about not being a person of color enough, was laid bare. I did not speak out about myself, nor with anyone else, the rest of the workshop. So, was he right? In a way, yes. And in a way, no.
I have much baggage: growing up in colonialized geography, feeling less than, being a widow of a small, dark, non-gender conforming, Filipina, a raw recent falling out with a relative, being enraged by my late beloved's treatment in the world, the traumatic death and aftermath, being an outcast accused of being unfeeling because I was white, and as such, had no culture, a coopted memorial. To say anything would have sounded like an excuse, or worse, as if I was trying to divert the discomfort, to make the conversation about my feelings, or separate myself from other whites by claiming I had suffered more, or that I had my own oppression, and therefore understood people of color's experience. Diversionary tactics are not new, and I've witnessed each one more than once.
For the evening and the next day, memories of scenes in the hospital, the funeral, and the aftermath haunted me. PTSD is real. When the other facilitator discussed what ends up lost to whites for opting to participate in whiteness the next day, I still could not trust myself to speak. When she blamed herself, her white privilege and ignorance, for the early loss of her own spouse, I just felt ill. I'd just managed to work past the survivor's guilt, stopped finding reasons to blame myself for my beloved's early death.
Going in to anti-racism work the decade before, I needed to be clear in my identity. I considered myself one of the mestizaje, on the border. After much discussion with my minister of color, I took on "person of color" identity as a political statement. That meant the battles are mine. Every single day, I choose not to walk away. My liberation is inextricably woven into the fabric of all people of color. Although there are days I hate the injustice too much to be healthy, I am committed. I'm committed to being open, learning, and to defer to the leadership of those people of color most affected by the intersecting issue at hand. I'm committed for all the multiracial children who do not quite fit into either family, and do not understand why race is such a big deal. I'm committed for gender nonconforming people of color, who are the most vulnerable, the most in danger, in our society. I'm committed for queer people of color, who are nearly as vulnerable. I am especially committed now for queer and gender nonconforming immigrants .
I'm grateful to have recently married, to a partner who works with me and learns with me. Still, I have married back into white privilege. So, what do I like about being white? I like that in passing, I can use the privilege I do have to speak out, protest, agitate, and put my body on the line for those who cannot. I like that in passing, I see and hear white people for who they are with each other. I like that in passing, my privilege can be used for the common good, rather than to get ahead in the capitalist white cultural narrative.
Submitted by e.shadowsong on Thu, 04/13/2017 - 08:37
Making Meaning
For those who don't know me as well as others: I talk about supernatural and spiritual things a lot, and I use my preferred language to do so. That does not mean I expect everyone to accept what I say, agree, or believe the same things. I am perfectly comfortable with multiple ways of looking with the world.
So if I do that, understand I'm just speaking about my experience as I choose to interpret it, and I don't mind if people translate that into "Erica has an active imagination and the psychological need to believe in the supernatural even though there's no proof whatsoever." I really don't. I hope that when I do it, it's not oppressive or comes off as if I'm expecting people to accept it. It's just that I get excited about stuff I'm into and I like to talk about it.
I tend to think many of us as human beings have common experiences, but choose to interpret them or describe them in different ways according to their world view. My brand of belief does not require belief by others, and it is flexible enough for me to always hold disbelief and skepticism at the same time, recognizing that I"m making a deliberate choice. :)
I also affirm other peoples' experiences in their preferred language. If someone tells me Jesus told them such and such today, my response will be, "Cool!" And while I am not quite adept at putting myself into athiest shoes, I have much admiration for people who do not need to believe in supernatural forces, in order to find beauty and inspiration in the world.
I find their world views balancing, and since people like me always have moments in life where our chosen beliefs can't seem to help us, it comes in very handy to know how to find inspiration without a cosmological mythology. Sometimes the most important spiritual experience is to be present in the world, as it is, with what you can see, touch, explain, and prove, to the exclusion of distracting meaning-making. There's nothing "less" spiritual about this.
I guess that kinda DOES make me a Unitarian Universalist, *tech*nically. But I prefer to identify spiritually as a neo-pagan who just happened to be adopted by the UU tribe. :)
e.shadowsong's blog
It Matters Where We Came From
Submitted by shaktinah on Sun, 10/30/2016 - 17:32
Reflections on the Jewel Net
Between my serving as worship associate on this Sunday and helping to create the accompanying communal altar for the congregation, I've been thinking about Day of the Dead and ancestors a lot these past few days. The other night while Dad was watching the Warrior game, a commercial for a beer came on - Modelo Especial. The commercial ended with "It doesn't matter where you came from; It matters what you're made of." And I thought to myself, "Wow, they're using a uniquely USAmerican perspective to sell a Mexican beer." Because Day of the Dead, or Dia de Muertos, is a recognition that it does matter where we came from, that what we're made of is in large part due to where we came from.
So... the Chinese traditionally do not celebrate Dia de Muertos. That holiday originated with the peoples of Mesoamerica. But we observe similar practices at other times of the year. Multiple times of the year. (Our ancestors are pretty demanding.) We too visit the graves of departed loved ones on special days, and we too invite our ancestors home for a visit and meal at the family altar.
In my family, the biggest ancestral observance is QingMing. On QingMing we visit the graves of loved ones and bring their favorite foods and drinks. When Mom died in 2009, QingMing became a lot more complicated, since she's in Colma and my paternal grandparents are in Walnut Creek.
Last year, in 2015, QingMing fell on a Sunday, so I was at church, prior to driving all over the Bay Area. Before I left UUSF, I worked up the courage to do something I'd wanted to do since I first joined the congregation. Sheepishly, furtively, I approached the sarcophagus of Thomas Starr King, who lies just outside our church. I awkwardly bowed (3 times), and poured a small libation of coffee for my spiritual ancestor. The embarrassment I felt came from what other people might think, who were passing by. Not because of any question in my mind that Thomas Starr King is my ancestor and deserves an offering.
Starr King may not have contributed to my genetic makeup, but he nevertheless contributed to the making of me. I am who I am because he was who he was. Just as Ralph Waldo Emerson's blood may not run thru my veins, but his ideas run thru my mind. And just as my forebears sacrificed and strived to make life better for their descendants, so too has my life, our lives, been bettered by the labors of Clara Barton and Frederick Douglas. I've learned from my aunts, and I've learned from Sophia Lyon Fahs and Marjorie Bowens-Wheatley. I am who I am because they were who they were.
To recognize our spiritual ancestors is to recognize the interdependent web, and the ongoing unfolding of life. It is to recognize that we don't just come from a lineage of blood and that we are even now, no matter what age, continually being created, and helping to create others by our actions.
On my altar at home, there's a picture of Mom, the names of my grandparents written in Chinese, a small pantheon of deities, AND representations of several spiritual ancestors. They can't all occupy the altar at once - there isn't enough space - but they make their appearances depending on whose counsel I most need at the time.
Now, it is easy to recognize someone as an ancestor - in other words, someone we have a connection with - when they are people whom we greatly admire. It might be harder to recognize people who are neither familially related nor did they necessarily say or do anything profound. In fact, I likely would never have known they existed had their lives not been cut short. Mario Woods, surrounded by five San Francisco police officers, crouching against the wall, obviously scared of what he likely knew was going to happen next. Josseline Jamileth Hernández Quinteros, a 14-yr old girl from El Salvador who died alone in the desert, while trying to reunite with her mother in Los Angeles. 14 year olds should not be anyone's ancestor.
Their likenesses and those of others who were killed by injustice share space on my altar with family relatives and bodhisattvas and luminaries. Because they too have something to teach me.
We honor our ancestors so that we know who we are.
shaktinah's blog
Losing Face
Back in 2010, some Unitarian Universalist congregations were already deeply involved in work on immigration, but most of our congregations weren't yet aware of the escalating anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies in several states. That changed in April of 2010 when Arizona passed SB1070, which was the most punitive law against undocumented immigrants at the time. Suddenly, everyone was paying attention to Arizona, and calls went up to boycott. The UUA had previously scheduled our 2012 General Assembly to be in Phoenix, so a heated debate ensued as to whether we should honor the boycott or go to Phoenix anyway but working with local immigration activists to protest.
No where was that question more hotly debated than among UUs of color and anti-racist white allies. For some of us, laws such as SB1070 posed a direct threat to self and/or loved ones. For others of us, this was a crucial moment in which our actions would demonstrate whether we UUs really lived the values we espouse. (Much like the Black Lives Matter movement is right now.) We all agreed on the importance of the moment but not the correct course of action. A decision was to be made in June, at General Assembly 2010 in Minneapolis, and during the weeks leading up to it, arguments flared in emails, on list-serves, and on social media.
I had my opinions but generally avoided the heat, until one day during such a debate, I was rebuked. By an elder UU of color. A minister and a long-time leader in our association. Someone whom I greatly admire and whose opinion of me mattered deeply to me. In the semi-public domain of Facebook, he sharply dismissed the points I was trying to make, and dismissed me as someone who "likes to argue." His words were actually really mild so far as internet arguments go, but hurt deeply coming from him. Someone I admired had questioned my motivations, my character. Moreover, given his stature within a community that I treasure, I feared others would turn against me too. Hot, angry tears streamed down my face as I weighed different possible responses. What would be the most effective way to make him and everyone else witnessing the exchange realize just how wrong he was?
Luckily, I put off my retort to talk first to a friend. She asked me, "Is this relationship important to you? Are you willing to lose it in the process of defending yourself, even if you feel you're in the right?" It had never occurred to me to not defend myself, to drop the argument altogether. The idea that people might be swayed by his words against me still gnawed. But with her encouragement, I set aside both pride and the bullet point arguments I'd compiled, and told him a broader, single-sentence truth - that he has always had and will always have my deepest respect. With my friend's help, I did this even though I still felt wronged, still felt shaken, and actually had little hope of reconciling any time soon.
The response was magical. His words back to me were warm and gentle. And when we met in Minneapolis, he greeted me with a big bear hug. All ill will melted away.
As I relate this story to you now, it seems kinda silly. An online disagreement. Happens every day. But relationships do end on such arguments.
To be dissed in public constitutes a loss of face. The Chinese actually have two different phrases that can be translated in English to losing face – diu lian and diu mianzi. Diu means to lose, and lian means your literal, physical face. Whereas mianzi refers to how one appears to others. For example, when we say in English that someone is "putting on a brave face", we are referring to mianzi. And just as lian and mianzi have related but different meanings, so too losing them respectively means related but different things. To suggest that I was causing trouble because I "like to argue" threatened my lian; it implied something about my moral character. Because it came from a respected elder in the community, it also threatened my mianzi, or social standing. Upon thinking about it later, I realized that even though I had not used harsh words, by openly questioning this elder's position, I too had inadvertently threatened his mianzi, which is probably what prompted his response. By re-iterating my respect for him, I gave back what I'd taken away – ge mianzi, giving face – and thus he was better able to do that too.
If we all hold on to the mistake, we can't see our own glory in the mirror because we have the mistake between our faces and the mirror; we can't see what we're capable of being. You can ask forgiveness of others, but in the end the real forgiveness is in one's own self. I think that young men and women are so caught by the way they see themselves. Now mind you: when a larger society sees them as unattractive, as threats, as too black or too white or too poor or too fat or too thin or too sexual or too asexual, that's rough. But you can overcome that. The real difficulty is to overcome how you think about yourself. If we don't have that we never grow, we never learn, and sure as hell we should never teach.
Ministering To and With Young Adults
Submitted by AHaider-Winnett on Fri, 05/30/2014 - 07:54
Alex Haider-Winnett
Interdependency
Sermon by Alex Haider-Winnett
Delivered at First Unitarian of Oakland May 25, 2014
Friends, it is so very good to be here with you today. It is always a pleasure to worship with you. As our dear Rev. Jacqueline would say, "There is a sweet, sweet spirit in this place" and it feeds my soul. Today's theme is on "Ministering To and With Young Adults". You have already heard from some of our congregation's young adults. The love and support you give this community helps grow strong leaders who are changing the world. Present in our group are peace activists, veterans, civil rights lawyers, teachers, seminarians and ministers, artists, tech professionals, non-profit administrators, social workers and entrepreneurs. But we also have people struggling to find work. People working hard to figure out how to make ends meet or looking to find work that is meaningful. And your love supports us all.
I am familiar with the topic both as a young adult and also because I served this community as the coordinator of the Young Adult Ministries for two years. I am grateful for the opportunities this position has given me, all the friends and connections I have made and the ways it has fed my soul.
Last weekend, we bridged six youth into young adulthood. It is one of my favorite parts of the church year. The bridgers--who are usually, but not always, high school graduates-- take a moment to express their feelings about bridging to the congregation. They often share a fond memory through a short reflection, singing a song or reading a poem. Then we extend a blessing to the bridgers as they move toward the chancel where the church's young adult community is waiting to welcome them into our circle. The bridge is an apt metaphor. Not only does it represent a transition from one stage in life to another, it also has another meaning. In recent studies, we see that churches in our faith community are doing a poor job at retaining our youth. As many as 90% of our youth will leave our churches somewhere in their late teens and twenties. Combine this with the fact that 1/3rd of people currently unaffiliated with a religious community are under the age of 35, it points to a growing population of young people whose needs are not being met by our congregations. This period of young adult non-affiliation is such a common occurrence, we have term for it: "The Gap". The theory of The Gap states that our youth leave when they are in their late teens and come back in their 30's, when they have some stability; when they have a job, are married or have kids. Hence the strange lifespan of UU Young Adult Ministries: 18-35 (Spanning 17 Years). And so, the Bridging Ceremony is one way that we have been working over the years to "Mind The Gap."
When we think of our Bridging Ceremony, we usually represent it with a large, sturdy bridge. One like the Golden Gate Bridge which has lasted for decades and has thousands of cars, trucks and buses go over it each day. One that needs repairs now and again but pretty much stands the test of time. In reality, our bridge is perilous. It is a rope bridge. It sways in the wind. Some of the strands are loose. And there are crumbling and missing boards. The Bridge is difficult to cross. It takes faith to believe that every step of the way will be supported. And not everyone makes it. Try as we might, there are times when young adults need to take a step back from trying to cross The Gap and move away from UU community for a while. It is common. And I bet that if you ask any young adult here, you would find stories where they took some prolonged time away from church.
I could tell you some of my stories. Stories of making difficult choices between work, school and church. Stories of being in rural Indiana, hours away from the nearest congregation. And stories of over-committing to the point of burnout. I could tell you the things I told myself that made it easier to walk away from church: That I needed some time away for self care; it was a compromise until I got a different job; or, that things would be different if I went somewhere else. And stories of working odd hours which made it impossible to attend church during program hours. Stories of feeling pushed out or underappreciated; of having my voice and experiences silenced and ignored.
I could tell you how since I turned 18, I have lived in 10 different houses in eight different cities. That I have worked at least a dozen jobs. I have attended services at numerous UU churches and also Quaker Meeting Houses, Catholic Parishes, Jewish Temples and a whole slew of other ad hoc, multi-faith communities. My twenties were a lot of things but spiritually-stable wasn't necessarily one of them.
And I would be happy to tell you those stories some day. But all of those stores pale in comparison to one thing: we have covenanted to be a multi-generational worship community. If we are truly to live up to that promise, that means creating authentic intergenerational relationships and being willing to be changed by the new experiences we share. Creating a multi-generational community does not merely mean taking a few minutes out of worship to have young people participate. Nor does it mean having a few token young people on committees. It means getting to know people all along the age spectrum and making honest, thoughtful and transformative relationships.
There are people out there desiring our community. There are people who are hungering for a community that is spiritual but not dogmatic. They want a community where their questions are honored and accepted. There are people who are looking for a place where they can explore new spiritual practices and find ways to commune with the divine. There are people wanting a community where we can do good works and strive for justice together. There are people who are wanting a community that will accept them for who they are; a community that will love them, cherish them and save their life. Because, if there is one thing I know about Unitarian Universalism--the one thing that helped me hang on when I was struggling with my faith--is that this church saves lives. I know that is what I want. And I think this is true for a lot of my peers my age. So, if we are going to uphold our covenantal desire to be a multi-generational community, how do we minister to young people?
There are a many ways we can do so. But it is going to take some work and new ways of how we we do church. I would like to first say, that our congregation does better than most. We have dozens of active young adults. And we are the fastest growing age demographic for the past two years. But there is still lots of room for improvement. And not everything is going to fit in the last few minutes of this sermon. So I want to look at three broad categories: Welcoming, Hospitality, and Mentoring.
First is Welcoming. In preparing for this sermon, I spoke with a lot of young adults both here and in the wider community. For young adults who tend not to go to church, they say that most congregations they have gone to were not welcoming enough. They went with the hope of finding a community that could be "their community" but in most cases, they found the welcome as well as their worship to be cold. As we know, our welcome and our worship at UU Oakland are anything but cold. But people will never experience the warmth of our community if they never come to the church in the first place. We need to have a visible and appealing welcome mat.
And in this day-in-age, that means a presence on the Internet.
Take for instance, our young adult page on facebook. Currently, we have 125 members (which is roughly half as many pledging members in this congregation) but according to a recent poll, only about 10-15% of members of the group attend church regularly. The others use it as a way to stay in touch with our larger community virtually. While virtual contact may not be the most ideal way of participating with a spiritual community, it is a valid one and, I believe, preferable to no contact at all. And while it is a start, there is much more we could be doing to be present on the Internet.
The next category is Hospitality: Churches usually seek out people who intend to be long-time members who will pledge. There is an expectation that people who come for a few months sign the membership book, pledge all they can and devote their time to the work of the church. I am an active, pledging, voting member. I am honored and pleased to be one. But this is also the first time in my adult life that I have been able to do so. As long as we continue to believe that membership means a long-term commitment, we are going to be convincing a lot of young adults that this is not a place for them. Due to fragile job and housing markets, young adults are reluctant to commit to any institution. We need to recognize that people who become members may only do so for a very short time before they have to move on. I am proud and grateful for any and all people who wish to hang their hats with us. But whenever I meet a visitor, my question is not "When can we get this person to sign the book and pledge?" it is "What does this person need and how can those needs be met?". By focusing on hospitality over membership, we can make space for people to feel welcome for however long they may be with us.
And this, I think, is the crux of the manner. If we are to say that "All are worthy and all are welcome", there should be no restrictions, caveats or parentheses. We don't say "You are worthy if you have a certain net worth" nor do we say "You are welcome as long as you intend to stay." And this is why I think young adult ministries are important, by working to make all feel safe to be vulnerable, intimate and authentic, we are working to build the Beloved Community. And young adults, who are coming with hopes of finding a supportive community will come as long as we continue to make room for them.
My third category is mentorship: When people join our congregation, we should foster a relationship of mentoring. People should be encouraged to join, learn and work for our common vision as best as each person can. New visitors and members should be able to explore and find which aspects of the church most serve their personal ministries. This may take a while. It could take months or even years. But the best way to help a young adult find their spot in the church is by building authentic interpersonal relationships by getting to know people, finding out what they are passionate about and how it overlaps with the work of the church. Doing so allows committees to pick new members based on their skills and talents rather than merely their age.
I have a story from about five years ago that I feel epitomizes how these three themes of Welcoming, Hospitality and Mentoring can either help or hinder a young adult fully participating in a church community. After the job market collapsed in 2009, I started waiting tables. It was what I was able to do to make ends meet. I would start work at 5 PM and not get off of work until 3AM. I would often be getting to bed when the sun was rising. I had been going to church down the street from my house but worship no longer fit into my schedule. I remember once running into a friend on the street. This friend said, "Alex. We miss you. Where have you been? Why haven't you been to church?" And I told this friend honestly, "Since I got my job, church is just too early for me." The friend said, "Too early? 11:30 is too early?" And I said, "Yup. 11:30 is too early for me. I don't usually get out of bed until 1pm." I told this friend, "You know what would be ideal for me? If church had a 4 AM worship service, I would be thrilled to go." There was some nervous laughter and some awkward silence and then we both went on our way. But you know what? I wasn't kidding. If I could have left work and gone to a 4 AM worship service, I would have gladly gone to it. But there was no late night worship. I never really expected there to be one. But it shows the way that Sunday morning programming just does not work for everyone.
I am thankful that here, our staff and clergy have created authentic relationships with young adults to understand that we desired an opportunity to worship in a different way and different time than we do on Sundays and have helped and empowered us to create worship on Tuesday evenings. It is quickly becoming an important worship space for people of all ages to come and be together in community. And we have found that people who do not come on Sundays have been coming to Tuesday evenings. By listening to the needs of our members and those who wish to join us, we have transformed the way we do worship in a way that makes it more accessible to people who had previously thought that the community was closed to them.
Our young adults are looking for a spiritual community. Despite national reports that young people are rejecting worship communities and studies that say UU youth will leave us to find another home for a while, we know otherwise. We know that our congregation can be a life-changing community for young adults. We have already seen it happen. By supporting things like Tuesday night vespers but also individuals like Kyle (note to reader: Kyle is a young adult member currently participating in humanitarian aid in Syria who skyped in during the service to give a testimonial) and our bridgers last week and every one on the chancel today, you are creating a transformative multi-generational community. But our congregations are not doing enough to help make a safe space for them to explore. We need to widen our welcome, strengthen our hospitality and deepen our mentoring relationships so that those who come through our doors know that there is a place for them no matter how new they are to our faith, how long they intend to stay, and however hurt they have been from previous experiences. By working on these things, we can create a culture where all of our young adults and all people are willing and able to fully participate to the best of their abilities and feel proud to be part of our community. And together, we will transform ourselves, each other and the world.
Submitted by Caryl Henry on Thu, 05/29/2014 - 18:47
By Caryl Henry Alexander
creative-currency.blogspot.com
Mom's Biscuits
Submitted by kady on Thu, 05/08/2014 - 15:00
Recently, my offering to a Sunday brunch pot-luck was a double batch of Mom's Sunday biscuits. I knew from my childhood that this recipe resulted from practicing over and over for my grandfather until it was just right. I asked my mom to tell the story again, because family recipe stories can be as revealing as other life stories. I was not disappointed.
My grandfather, Paul, decided that my young mother would be difficult to marry off, so she needed to learn a useful skill. A recurring theme in his relations with his four daughters, matrimony was a source of some anxiety in the immigrant family. Nevertheless, my grandfather decided to teach my mother to make biscuits in order to "attract a husband" when she was old enough. Paul qualified on that account, having served as a cowboy cook in his youth. The morning of a cattle drive in Northern Arizona in the early 1920's, the assigned cook quit over an unknown slight. Paul, a recent arrival from Mexico, volunteered for the position. Due to time constraints, restless cattle, and a lack of other volunteers, Paul took over the chuck wagon after the cook decamped. He learned on the job. Dutch oven biscuits, made in a campfire, became his specialty.
My mother recalled long Sunday drives after mass. As this was prior to Vatican II, no one was allowed to break their fast before church. Driving further and further into the desert north of Phoenix, they would take in the landscape. Appearing barren, the desert would reveal its colorful and often beautiful secrets. Still, everyone was hungry. An incorrigible tease, Paul would ask if a place looked good to stop. The other occupants in the car would say, "yes!" He would find something wrong with the site, and keep driving. This would go on a few times before he finally pulled over.
Once in an ideal spot, he would build a campfire. Paul would take the old cast iron dutch oven out of the car and place it in the fire. He quickly made biscuit dough and dropped spoonfuls into the oven. He covered the oven, and they would wait. My grandmother would have packed other picnic food, but those biscuits, slightly burnt from the oven, were my mothers favorite thing in her young life. The whole morning at mass, the interminable drive for what seemed like hours was worth it in the instant that hot quick bread melted in her mouth.
Carolyn was game for the biscuit making enterprise. He would whisper to her, "Isn't it about time you practiced those biscuits? Remember, only one cup of flour." The recipe would make just enough for four to six biscuits. Happily, she fell again and again for his ploy and eventually did perfect that recipe. It took some time, but she began to wonder exactly who was benefitting from all of this "practice."
As one who fell for both my parents' pranks and jokes again and again, it was good to hear that she, too, was a child once. My grandfather passed away after a long illness when my mother was twenty. Sweet memories of her childhood, when her dad was still healthy, were revealed in that recipe.
Submitted by Caryl Henry on Mon, 03/17/2014 - 18:50
The Kitchen God and Grace
Submitted by shaktinah on Mon, 02/03/2014 - 23:02
Taoism/Shintoism
Today is the fourth day of the first lunar month, the day that Zao Jun the Kitchen God returns from heaven. In Chinese tradition Zao Jun the Kitchen God hangs out in the kitchen of each home, because the kitchen is the heart of the home where all the juiciest gossip can be overheard. There he observes the family's good and bad doings throughout the year, with the faithful help of his wife who records them. Ten days ago, a week before the New Year, Zao Jun ascended to heaven to file his report with the Jade Emperor. Before his departure (via burning of his effigy) his lips were smeared with honey. Some say that the honey is a bribe. Some say that it sticks his mouth shut. Either way, the hope is that only sweet things about the family make it to the Jade Emperor's ears. Now, ten days later, Zao Jun returns. Each year I wonder, what about the ten days while he is gone? Are they a time when folks can do whatever they want? Or does the Kitchen God's wife keep an eye on things in his absence?
Funny story about how Zao Jun the Kitchen God got his job. He was not always a god. Once he was a human being named Zhang Lang. He was a handsome and wealthy man and rather full of himself. Zhang Lang was married to a devoted wife. In typical Chinese patriarchal fashion, even though people praise her for her virtue no one ever bothered to record her name. But she was dutiful, we know that. Nonetheless, Zhang Lang's roaming eyes landed on a pretty, younger woman from whom he left his dutiful wife. As punishment, the gods struck him blind, and the younger woman left him. Zhang Lang was reduced to begging door to door. One day he happened to knock on the door of his abandoned wife; only he didn't realize it was her because he was blind. She, on the other hand, recognized him immediately and saw his condition. Taking pity, she invited him in and fed him. Warmed by the roaring kitchen fire and with a belly full of food, Zhang Lang began to relate his story, tearfully regretting the poor choices that he had made. When his wife heard his remorse she said, "Zhang Lang, open your eyes. I am your wife whom you wronged, and I forgive you." At that moment, Zhang Lang opened his eyes and he could see again. He saw that it was his wife, whom he had abandoned, who was his benefactor. And he was overcome with shame. Unable to face her, he flung himself into the kitchen fire and perished.
As the story goes, the gods took pity on him and made him into the Kitchen God, with his (again unnamed) wife as his aid. Together again, forever. I'm not entirely sure that this was a mercy though... always having to listen to the petty foibles of families, year after year, being smeared with honey and then burned, only to return and do it all over again. And his poor wife – what did she do to deserve her fate? Secretary to the man who twice did her wrong due to his pride. Yes, I said twice. Once, when he left her for the younger woman. And once again, when he could not accept her forgiveness and instead punished himself, and her by extension. Zhang Lang felt shame. And shame comes from pride, not humility. Shame comes when you are caught not being as great as you think you are. If Zhang Lang had truly learned his lesson he would have gratefully accepted his wife's forgiveness.
But I am not writing this to condemn Zao Jun the Kitchen God. I'm writing this because I know how he feels. I too have felt shame for hurting others with my bad behavior. And I too have been unable to accept forgiveness. In fact, I remember once telling my minister that I knew that God loved me because I could feel that love, but I could not accept it. I did not feel worthy. That may on surface sound humble but talk about arrogance! It is arrogant to think that you are the one who can decide. Forgiveness, like love, isn't based on merit, and you can neither decide that you deserve it nor decide that you don't. Forgiveness is a gift, a blessing, grace. I know that, I do, and yet at times there is part of me just can't let go. So pity poor Zao Jun.
Maybe the Kitchen God is doing penance even now. Caught in a purgatory of sorts in which he'll stay, condemned to be burned again every year, until he learns true humility and accepts his wife's forgiveness. Maybe the Kitchen God's wife isn't his secretary, but rather just patiently waiting for that day to come.


Are you tired of snoring? Do you keep your spouse awake at night? Do you sleep in separate bedrooms? Are you tired of sleepiness during the day? Would you like to change these situations? Did you know that Dr. Zwier, as your East Grand Rapids Dentist, could help your marriage and your overall health, as well as your dental health? The obvious problems of snoring may also arise from a common sleep disorder called sleep apnea.
Do you have sleep apnea? Take our free survey below and send it to us to find out!
How do I fix Sleep Apnea in East Grand Rapids?
Sleep apnea is characterized by brief interruptions of breathing during sleep. Many in the East Grand Rapids area suffer from sleep apnea. The most common type of sleep apnea is called obstructive sleep apnea. It is caused by a blockage of the airway, usually when the soft tissue in the rear of the throat collapses and closes during sleep (see diagram below). It forces victims of sleep apnea to stop breathing repeatedly during sleep, as frequently as 100 times. It causes a decrease in the oxygen level in the bloodstream. Sleep apnea affects more than 12 million Americans, according to the National Institute of Health.
Are males more effected by Sleep Apnea than women?
Although the typical patients are overweight, male, and over the age of 40, sleep apnea affects both males and females of all ages and of ideal weight. In East Grand Rapids, both genders seek help for their sleep apnea disorders. Smoking and alcohol use increase the risk of sleep apnea. Because of the lack of awareness by the public and healthcare professionals, the vast majority remain undiagnosed and therefore untreated, despite the fact that this serious disorder can have significant consequences. Untreated, sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure and other cardiovascular diseases, memory problems, weight gain, impotency, and headaches. In addition, untreated sleep apnea may be responsible for job impairment and motor vehicle crashes.
Fortunately, sleep apnea can be diagnosed and treated. This is where Dr. Zwier can help. He makes a snoring appliance for you to wear at night, which positions your jaws to keep your airway open while you sleep. Call Dr. Zwier's East Grand Rapids office at 616-682-7271 to schedule an appointment to discuss how we can help you by making a snore guard appliance, which will eliminate or reduce your sleep apnea.


As I mentioned in the opening article on this 5-part series, we have some real treatment options that can help with pain. Those include over-the-counter (OTC) medications, prescription medications, natural alternatives, and even alternative therapies, such as yoga, acupuncture, and more.
It might take a mix of many of these options to find the right fit for a certain individual. But let's work through our options one category at a time.
I think everyone is pretty familiar with these options. These include the go-to pills and creams for headaches and pulled muscles.
Acetaminophen (Tylenol) is one of the standard OTC pain treatment options. It comes in pills containing anywhere from 325 mg to 650 mg. It can work relatively well for certain types of pain, and it's a great first-line option for certain forms of pain. Unfortunately, most GI pain will probably not respond very well to Tylenol. It doesn't target the types of mechanisms that seem to cause GI pain most often.
Also, be aware that it is not without its side effects. Taking large doses consistently every 4-6 hours for days or weeks can overwhelm the liver, causing some severe problems. Tylenol is also often found in other products (cough and cold products, sleeping aids, etc), so it is really easy to accidentally double your dosage. If about 650 mg every 6 hours isn't managing your pain, then it might be time to look at some other options.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) products are the next mainstay on the OTC pain aisle. These include ibuprofen (Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve). These medications are more likely to help with the types of mechanisms that cause GI-related pain because they help to reduce inflammation. Motrin needs to be taken every 4-6 hours in order to work, while Aleve only needs to be taken about every 12 hours. If the over-the counter-doses of NSAIDs aren't working for you, take a look at the section on prescription NSAIDs further down on this page!
NSAIDs might be a great first-line option to treat some mild GI pain. But make sure that you always take these medications with food. Otherwise, they can start to break down the lining of the stomach, which can cause GI bleeds and ulcers.
Aspirin is another standard product on the OTC shelves. It is technically classified as an NSAID. But in general, aspirin shouldn't be used to treat pain. The doses that are needed to manage pain can also increase the risk of bleeding, so it is safest to bypass this option.
Some of the other products on the shelf for pain include creams and ointments. Some of the most effective OTC pain treatments are the ones for injury-type pain, including temporary back pain, muscle strains, sprains, etc. You might even recognize these names, such as camphor, Bengay, and Capzasin. Unfortunately, these creams only work where they are placed (on the ankle, on the back, etc), so they are not helpful for GI pain.
And then there are the "stomach medicines". These include things like Pepto-Bismol, which are meant to soothe all kinds of stomach upset. Pepto-Bismol can help to reduce inflammation in the stomach and intestines and can also help to fight off certain types of bacteria. It is best used to treat stomach issues that are acute, not chronic. For instance, a bad case of traveler's diarrhea.
And finally, we have antacids – some of the most common OTC products for stomach upset. If you want to learn more about managing reflux, throat burning, or GERD, check out this sample chapter from my book. It goes into great detail about how to manage acid issues, including when (if ever) to take antacids.
By the time we get to a doctor's office, many of us are probably looking for a more powerful option to treat pain. That typically comes in the form of a prescription medication. There are actually quite a few different options that can be considered, so let's take a look.
Yep – this is the same class of medications that you can find over-the-counter. However, prescription NSAIDs are much stronger. There are also far more options. These include diclofenac (Voltaren), meloxicam (Mobic), Ketorolac (Toradol), and many more. Be aware – just as with OTC NSAIDs, these products can also hurt the stomach lining and should be taken with food.
A doctor may consider prescribing one of these medications to you if some of the OTC NSAIDs worked for you initially but aren't quite doing the trick anymore. So if you find that the recommended doses of OTC NSAIDs are not working for you, talk to your doctor before increasing your dose. These medications are not without side effects, and its best to have a conversation with your doctor or pharmacist and find out what other options you have before you increase your dose on your own.
There is a special class of medications that specifically help to "relax" the muscles in the GI tract. They are called anticholinergics, and they help to stop contractions of the muscles in the stomach and intestines. Two of the most common ones are dicyclomine (Bentyl) and hyoscyamine (Levsin). These can cause genuine relief for many people with pain coming from the intestines. And they can also cause relief for some people with pain coming from the stomach. They are a great option to try before moving on to some heavy-hitting drugs with more side effects. With dicyclomine, it typically takes a couple of weeks to know whether or not it is working for you. Unless, of course, you get it through an IV at the Emergency Room – then you can get very quick relief from a dose of this medication. Hyoscyamine, on the other hand, can be taken only when needed to treat intermittent pain.
But, as usual, no drug is without its downside. Anticholinergics might work well in the GI tract for some people, but they also act on the nervous system. Some side effects include dizziness, dry mouth, blurry vision, and even drowsiness in some people. But if the medications work well for your pain, then these side effects might be worth it.
There is a known connection between the brain and the gut, which means that treating mental health issues and addressing stress can genuinely improve GI health.
But in this section, I am going to discuss using antidepressants to treat the GI tract directly. It turns out that the chemicals in the brain that antidepressants target are also found in the gut. Too much or too little of these chemicals can cause an array of symptoms, including different types of pain.
At this point, most of the antidepressants on the market have been studied (at least a little bit!) for treating abdominal pain. But some types of antidepressants have much more evidence showing that they can help, and some seem to work better than others. In general, antidepressants need to be taken for a number of weeks before it becomes clear whether or not they are helping. Also, as always, no antidepressants are without their side effects. The more popular antidepressants (SSRIs, such as Prozac or Zoloft) can cause GI side effects in many people, including diarrhea and constipation. So it is always a delicate balance to find the right medication that works well with minimal side effects.
I have an entire chapter in my book about using antidepressants to treat GI conditions if you are interested in learning more.
Opioid is the name for a class of medications that bind the opioid receptors in the body. These medications all derive from a molecule that is naturally found in the poppy plant. The prescription versions of this molecule include hydrocodone (Vicodin), oxycodone (Oxycontin), morphine, hydromorphone (Dilaudid), fentanyl, and more. The illegal version of this molecule is known as heroin.
Opioids work very well for treating acute, short-term pain, such as that from a surgery or physical injury. However, research on using these medications in the long-term is lacking. And we know that long-term use of these products is associated with a very difficult obstacle to overcome: tolerance. If a person takes an opioid consistently, they will develop tolerance. This doesn't only happen in some people, sometimes. It happens in every person, every time. If a person takes the same dose of an opioid for an extended time frame, it will NOT continue to work as well. The dose must be increased, again and again.
As opioid doses get higher, the side effects increase, too. Too much of an opioid can cause a person to stop breathing. Not enough opioid can cause withdrawals, which can be severe.
Continued use of opioids also comes with some very negative GI side effects. For one, it slows gut motility. This is another one of those side effects that happens in every person, every time. There are opioid receptors in our GI tracts. So if someone takes an opioid, it binds to the GI tract receptors, and this slows motility. In the typical person, this causes constipation (which can be severe). In someone with chronic constipation, this is an obvious issue. For someone with gastroparesis, this can cause the GI tract to back up even further.
In addition, opioids can cause stomach upset, including nausea and vomiting, and are not well tolerated by many people. This is important to keep in mind if you are already having trouble keeping things down.
We also don't have any studies to show that opioids actually work well in treating GI pain. That's partly because we don't really have any studies that show that opioids work well in treating any form of chronic pain. Yes – you read that right! For how popular these medications are, the research on them is pretty much limited to short-term use for short-lived pain, only.
One study that we do have was published last year. It shows that Tylenol and NSAIDs work just as well as opioids in treating chronic pain over the course of a year. And have far fewer side effects. This can't necessarily be applied to chronic GI pain, but it is an interesting finding that is making many people question why we turn to opioids so quickly for every form of pain.
As you can see, opioids are not ideal treatment options for GI pain. However, some people with chronic GI pain are prescribed opioids anyways. For some, this may be the only option that works. But we don't have any reason to believe that they will work better than the other available options. And it is very important to be cautious about using them at all. They are absolutely addictive, guaranteed to require higher doses, and also guaranteed to worsen certain aspects of GI conditions.
These are not the only available options to help manage pain! While OTC and prescription medications may be the first options tried by many people, many people benefit most from trying multiple different 'treatments' together.


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Michael Nordine
Michael Nordine, a Los Angeles–based film critic, is a regular contributor for LA Weekly and the Village Voice.
Muted Golden Sunshine: David Lynch's Los Angeles
Contributor Michael Nordine analyzes David Lynch's relationship with Los Angeles through the films Mulholland Drive, Lost Highway, and Inland Empire....
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Turner Classic Movies has hosted its Classic Film Festival in Hollywood for half a decade now....
Dragonfire and Ruin, or King Under the Mountain
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Martha Enger, PhD; Dr Philos
Professor, Vice Dean for doctoral education
The Department of Biomedicine
Martha Enger Lab
E-mailMartha.Enger@uib.no
Phone+47 55 58 63 80
Jonas Lies vei 91
My research group, Brain Tumour Immunology and Therapy Group is an integral node of the larger, Kristian Gerhard Jebsen Brain Rumour Research Centre, focussed on biomedical research to study malignant brain tumours. My particular focus is to elucidate the role of natural killer cells in brain tumour and human cytomegalovirus immunesurveillance. During the last decade we have elucidated the function and clinical impact of the glial progenitor proteoglycan NG2/CSPG4 in glioblastoma (GBM) progression and response to therapy. We are developing novel therapeutic strategies combining NK cells with mAbs against NG2/CSPG4 and other salient targets that mediate treatment resistance and poor survival in GBM patients. We use multidisciplinary approaches such as annotated population and brain tumour biobanks, as well as physiologically relevant biopsy-based animal models. Diverse analytic tools include but not limited to proteomics, functional magnetic resonance imaging (employing physical properties of tissues to describe biological processes), flow cytometry, and standard molecular and cell biology methods. The long term vision of the group is to develop an immunotherapy trial for GBM patients based on NK cells applied in combination therapies, additional to the standard treatment.
Patients that are diagnosed with the most malignant brain tumour, glioblastoma (GBM), and that are strong enough to tolerate the aggressive standard treatment of surgery, concomitant radiotherapy and chemotherapy will survive on average only 14.6 months. Moreover, less than 10% are alive after 5 years. New effective treatments are urgently needed for this deadly disease. Our research is focussed on developing a novel immunotherapy involving infusion into the tumour of natural killer (NK) cell subsets that validated for cytotoxic potency . NK cells are white blood cells that are specialised to distinguish tumour or virus infected cells from healthy cells. Interactions (or lack thereof) of NK cells´ killer receptors with stress-induced ligands expressed by the unhealthy cells, transmit death signals that kill the target cells. Greater than 40% of GBM patients express cytomegalovirus (CMV) gene products in their tumour, yet NK cells in the microenvironment that are evolved to eliminate virus infected tumours, remain non-responsive. We investigate whether there is a particular receptor-ligand combination associated with CMV infected GBMs that may render NK cells poorly responsive and allow the tumour to propagate. We are also studying T cell responses generated in parallel to CMV infection,to understand how they contribute to immune contexture of GBMs. The goal is to characterise the tumour infiltrating NK and T cells within GBM biopsies to identify mechanisms of GBM tolerance and immunological escape. We will also investigate NK cell biomarkers that enable selection of patients/donors with the most effective cells against GBM in preclinical models. The focus will be to functionally validate the receptor-ligand interactions that may determine potent killing of GBM. Once the potent NK and GBM cell receptor-ligand interactions are determined, NK cells will be combined with humanised antibodies against tumour antigens such as NG2/CSPG4,EGFR, or combined with proteasome inhibitors to potentiate tumour killing. Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) expansion methods will be employed to obtain high yield of highly potent cells in preparation for clinical translation.
Show author(s) (2022). Bortezomib abrogates temozolomide-induced autophagic flux through an ATG5 dependent pathway. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology. 23 pages.
Show author(s) (2021). Meclofenamate causes loss of cellular tethering and decoupling of functional networks in glioblastoma. Neuro-Oncology. 1885-1897.
Show author(s) (2020). Sequential bortezomib and temozolomide treatment promotes immunological responses in glioblastoma patients with positive clinical outcomes: A phase 1B study. Immunity,Inflammation and Disease. 342-359.
Show author(s) (2019). Pretreatment of glioblastoma with bortezomib potentiates natural killer cell cytotoxicity through TRAIL/DR5 mediated apoptosis and prolongs animal survival. Cancers. 1-25.
Show author(s) (2019). Bortezomib administered prior to temozolomide depletes MGMT, chemosensitizes glioblastoma with unmethylated MGMT promoter and prolongs animal survival. British Journal of Cancer. 545-555.
Show author(s) (2018). Glioblastoma Stem-Like Cells Are More Susceptible Than Differentiated Cells to Natural Killer Cell Lysis Mediated Through Killer Immunoglobulin-Like Receptors-Human Leukocyte Antigen Ligand Mismatch and Activation Receptor-Ligand Interactions. Frontiers in Immunology.
Show author(s) (2017). Increased infiltration and tolerised antigen-specific CD8+ TEM cells in tumor but not peripheral blood have no impact on survival of HCMV+ glioblastoma patients. Oncoimmunology. 1-15.
Show author(s) (2016). Identification of a natural killer cell receptor allele that prolongs survival of cytomegalovirus-positive glioblastoma patients. Cancer Research. 5326-5336.
Show author(s) (2014). U-251 revisited: genetic drift and phenotypic consequences of long-term cultures of glioblastoma cells . Cancer Medicine. 812-824.
Show author(s) (2014). NK cells with KIR2DS2 immunogenotype have a functional activation advantage to efficiently kill glioblastoma and prolong animal survival. Journal of Immunology. 6192-6206.
Show author(s) (2014). Dynamic contrast enhanced MRI detects early response to adoptive NK cellular immunotherapy targeting the NG2 proteoglycan in a rat model of glioblastoma. PLOS ONE.
Show author(s) (2014). Dynamic Contrast Enhanced MRI Detects Early Response to Adoptive NK Cellular Immunotherapy Targeting the NG2 Proteoglycan in a Rat Model of Glioblastoma. PLOS ONE. 12 pages.
Show author(s) (2014). Combining NK cells and mAb9.2.27 to combat NG2-dependent and anti-inflammatory signals in glioblastoma. Oncoimmunology.
Show author(s) (2013). Targeting glioblastoma with NK cells and mAb against NG2/CSPG4 prolongs animal survival. OncoTarget. 1527-1546.
Show author(s) (2013). Gamma knife surgery as monotherapy with clinically relevant doses prolongs survival in a Human GBM Xenograft Model. Biomedical Research. 9 pages.
Show author(s) (2013). Elevated CD3(+) and CD8(+) tumor-infiltrating immune cells correlate with prolonged survival in glioblastoma patients despite integrated immunosuppressive mechanisms in the tumor microenvironment and at the systemic level. Journal of Neuroimmunology. 71-83.
Show author(s) (2012). Gene expression in tumor cells and stroma in dsRed 4T1 tumors in eGFP-expressing mice with and without enhanced oxygenation. BMC Cancer. 10 pages.
Show author(s) (2012). 3D image texture analysis of simulated and real-world vascular trees. Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine. 140-154.
Show author(s) (2011). Targeting the NG2/CSPG4 Proteoglycan Retards Tumour Growth and Angiogenesis in Preclinical Models of GBM and Melanoma. PLOS ONE. 14 pages.
Show author(s) (2011). Expression of the progenitor marker NG2/CSPG4 predicts poor survival and resistance to ionising radiation in glioblastoma. Acta Neuropathologica. 495-510.
Show author(s) (2010). Novel method for isolating untouched rat natural killer cells with higher purity compared with positive selection and fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Immunology. 386-394.
Show author(s) (2009). Hyperoxic treatment induces mesenchymal to epithelial transition in a rat adenocarcinoma model. PLOS ONE.
Show author(s) (2009). Angiogenesis inhibitor DC101 delays growth of intracerebral glioblastoma but induces morbidity when combined with irradiation. Cancer Letters. 39-45.
Show author(s) (2009). A reproducible brain tumour model established from human glioblastoma biopsies. BMC Cancer.
Show author(s) (2008). The progenitor cell marker NG2/MPG promotes chemoresistance by activation of integrin-dependent PI3K/Akt signaling. Oncogene. 5182-5194.
Show author(s) (2008). NG2, a novel proapoptotic receptor, opposes integrin alpha 4 to mediate anoikis through PKC alpha-dependent suppression of FAK phosphorylation. Cell Death and Differentiation. 899-907.
Show author(s) (2006). NG2 expression regulates vascular morphology and function in human brain tumours. NeuroImage. 965-976.
Show author(s) (2006). Angiogenesis-independent tumor growth mediated by stem-like cancer cells. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 16466-16471.
Show author(s) (2002). NG2 proteoglycan promotes angiogenesis-dependent tumor growth in the central nervous system by sequestering angiostatin. The FASEB Journal. 586-588.
Show author(s) (2022). Two distinct biomarkers and their role in glioblastoma biological behavior.
Show author(s) (2016). Treatment with Bortezomib Sensitizes Glioblastoma Cells to Temozolomide.
Show author(s) (2013). Activated NK cells are potent effectors against glioblastoma cells due to activating KIR2DS2 and KIR2DS4 - HLA ligand interactions – In vitro study.
Show author(s) (2019). Towards Natural Killer cellular Immunotherapy for glioblastoma. KIR-HLA ligand interaction and proteasome inhibitors to potentiate efficacy.
Show author(s) (2006). The NG2 proteoglycan: Functional and therapeutic implications for human brain tumors.
Show author(s) (2012). Early MRI findings of targeting the NG2 proteoglycan in GBM. The FASEB Journal. 1 pages.
Show author(s) (2010). THERAPEUTIC TARGETING OF THE NG2 PROTEOGLYCAN WITH MAB 9.2.27 AND ADOPTIVELY TRANSFERRED NK CELLS LYSES HUMAN GLIOBLASTOMA MULTIFORME IN VIVO. Neuro-Oncology. 9-9.
Show author(s) (2010). NG2 PROMOTES RESISTANCE TO IONIZING RADIATION BY ELEVATED PEROXIREDOXIN-1 AND DNA DAMAGE RESPONSE IN GLIOBLASTOMA MULTIFORME. Neuro-Oncology. 8-8.
Show author(s) (2009). PHENOTYPIC MODULATION OF EXPERIMENTAL GLIOMAS: PROGRESSION FROM GLIOMATOSIS CEREBRI-LIKE LESIONS TO GLIOBLASTOMA. Neuro-Oncology. 897-897.
Show author(s) (2004). Angiogenesis-independent growth by brain tumor cells exhibiting cancer stem cell properties. Neuro-Oncology. 309-309.
Show author(s) (2011). Therapeutic Targeting of NG2 Proteoglycan with MAb & Pre-Armed NK Cells in Human GMB Evaluated with Dynamic Enhanced & Diffusion Weighted MRI in Rats.
Show author(s) (2009). Hyperoxic Treatment induces Mesenchymal-to-Epithelial Transition in a Rat Adenocarcinoma Model.
Show author(s) (2003). Phenotyping by MRI: NG2 Receptor Status Modifies Human Glioblastoma Development.
Show author(s) (2003). NG2 receptor status modifies human glioblastoma development: Assessment by MRI.
Academic literature review
Show author(s) (2021). Challenges and Prospects for Designer T and NK Cells in Glioblastoma Immunotherapy. Cancers.
Show author(s) (2015). Therapeutic potential and challenges of natural killer cells in treatment of solid tumors. Frontiers in Immunology.
Show author(s) (2014). Natural killer cells in intracranial neoplasms: presence and therapeutic efficacy against brain tumours. Journal of Neuro-Oncology. 1-9.
Show author(s) (2013). NK cells in central nervous system disorders. Journal of Immunology. 5355-5362.
Show author(s) (2010). Survival signalling and apoptosis resistance in glioblastomas: opportunities for targeted therapeutics. Molecular Cancer. 135 .
Show author(s) (2007). Cancer stem cells as mediators of treatment resistance in brain tumors: Status and controversies. Neoplasia. 882-892.
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Pink pigeon found in New York City's Madison Square Park thought to be deliberately dyed
Home/Entertainment/An Amazonian tribe goes behind the camera with the film "The Territory"
An Amazonian tribe goes behind the camera with the film "The Territory"
thaipriusclubAugust 23, 2022
Although they appear in the film in traditional dress, the Uru-eu-wau-wau and their young chief Bitate – at the heart of the documentary – do not hesitate to seize modern technologies to fight back.
"When the Covid arrived, Bitate took the courageous decision to say: ok, there will be more journalists on our territory, more directors, more Alex, more documentary team, more nobody", says Alex Pritz.
"We had to have a conversation with him: have we finished the film? do we have everything we need?… are we starting to climb?", he continues.
"Bitate was very clear: we, we are not finished. We still have a lot of work. You didn't finish before, why would you finish now?", recalls the director.
And the tribal chief adds:
Just send us better cameras, send us audio and we'll shoot and produce the ending..
Result: a "co-production model" where a filmmaker Uru-eu-wau-wau is credited as director of photography and where the tribe participated more extensively in the productionwith a share of the profits and a say in business decisions in terms of distribution.
The decision to provide equipment to the Uru-eu-wau-wau and to train them allowed to bring a "straight point of viewon the activities of the tribeincluding patrols to arrest intruders.
"I had shot a few surveillance missions myself, none of which ended up in the final cut!"smiles Mr. Pritz."Not because we wanted to change realitystation, but because it was more visceral, more immediate".
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Baby Girl (Memory House Collection #4) by @BetteLeeCrosby ~ Contemporary #Fiction
Posted in Contemporary Fiction	by Cathy
Author: Bette Lee Crosby
Published: March 2016 by Bent Pine Publishing
Category: Contemporary Fiction
Baby Girl is a mother's story. It's about the greatest sacrifice a mother can make when she wants only the best for her child. It's about falling in and out of love, of losing and finding one's self. It's about the perilous journey from passionate young love to happy true love and understanding the differences between the two.
The day Ryan Carter and his mother moved into the old Ballinger place on Spruce Street was the day Cheryl Ann Ferguson's life began to change. She and Ryan became firm friends. Apart from the father who loved her dearly, he was her only ally. Her mother was a cold, unloving woman, who only seemed capable of negativity, complaining about anything and everything and putting people down. The year her father died changed everything for Cheryl Ann. She felt so alone and the final straw was her mother's refusal to let her go to college. She left home with Ryan after the graduation her mother failed to attend.
The story is told in the first person from Cheryl Ann's perspective. It's her journey from an immature teen to a woman who finally understands what love really means, the difference between youthful infatuation and grown up true love. And it's the story of a mother's love, when she is faced with an unthinkable ultimatum which forces her to make the hardest and most painful of decisions.
If I ever needed someone to love me, it was at that moment. I prayed Ryan would walk over, wrap his arms around me and say something. Anything. I would even have welcomed him saying that he was glad I didn't have an ulcer.
But he didn't. He leaned forward, dropped his face into his hands and sat there sorrowfully shaking his head from side to side. His silence was worse than a kick in the stomach.
Ophelia Browne, the only character from the Memory House series to appear in this story, offers wisdom, friendship, comfort and dandelion tea as Cheryl Ann struggles to come to terms with life altering decisions and their consequences. I love the way Bette Lee Crosby tells her stories with life lessons intertwined subtly in the narrative. This is about Cheryl Ann learning as she grows and matures, finding out that everything doesn't always work out the way she wants it to. But ultimately, the hard knocks and bad times pave the way for true happiness, good friends and a family of her own.
Note from the author (which gives the story that extra emotional punch)
This book is based on a true story…a story that is heartbreaking at times but will leave readers with a better understanding of what a woman will do to protect her child. When I first heard this birth mother's story I was touched by it, so much so that I needed to know more. When I knew more, I knew I needed to write my novel. The result is Baby Girl.
I received an ARC from the author in return for an honest review. This does not alter my opinion or the content of my review.
About Bette Lee Crosby
It is the wit and wisdom of that Southern Mama Crosby brings to her works of fiction; the result is a delightful blend of humor, mystery and romance along with a cast of quirky characters who will steal your heart away. Her work was first recognized in 2006 when she received The National League of American Pen Women Award for a then unpublished manuscript. She has since gone on to win twenty awards for her work; these include: The Royal Palm Literary Award, the FPA President's Book Award Gold Medal, Reader's Favorite Award Gold Medal, and the Reviewer's Choice Award.
Author links ~ Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
Adoption, Baby Girl, Bette Lee Crosby, Contemporary, Fiction, Memory House	5 Comments
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5 thoughts on "Baby Girl (Memory House Collection #4) by @BetteLeeCrosby ~ Contemporary #Fiction"
This sounds emotionally charged. My kind of read. Thanks for this review. 🙂
It really is…and you're welcome 🙂
Thank you, Cathy. 🙂
Fantastic review of a memorable story, Cathy. This author never disappoints. She is positively one of my favorites.
Yes, the characters are so well portrayed – they just draw you in.


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Hugh Siler has been making waves with his innovative restorations of homes in the Old Towne Historic District of Orange, California. Old Towne's historic vibe is unique in Orange County. Working with a variety of artists and artisans, Hugh infuses these small cottages and homes with an undeniable cool-factor, and rents them out to ecstatic tenants.
So, tell me what you've been up to in Orange?
Over the past seven years we've restored ten houses in Old Towne Orange, and a few dozen throughout Orange County. My take is probably different from just about everybody else. We don't just take the houses back to period correctness, but we are trying to create some of the coolest, most retro, historically accurate homes on the West Coast and making them available for people to rent. It's been incredible. There are still people out there who appreciate quality, especially when you're giving it to them at a fair price.
Hugh with his girlfriend and local business owner Christina Martinez, and their rescued Bull Terrier, T-Bone.
In 2016 we acquired block of five homes across two parcels, ranging in age from 1904 to 1920. We are about to have the fourth out of five completed by the end of next month. The rest of 2018 will be dedicated to the fifth and final home. These homes include two 1200- to 1400-square-foot hipped roof cottages, and three smaller cottages from 330 to 475 square feet. These last ones were the original tiny homes that are trending today.
I'm also in the process of working with an architectural firm with the goal of re-purposing a former 1920s Sunoco gas station attendant's office into a historical shed on the property. The idea came about as a way to pay respect to Lloyd Long, who along with his wife, Edith, owned three of the homes we have restored. Mr. Long also owned and operated the gas station in Old Towne, so I thought it only fitting to find an old attendant's office, which is a simple 10-by-16-foot structure, and see what the city and community thought about re-using this small structure as a non-permanent shed since none of the five homes on the block has a garage for storage.
What inspired you to add these personal touches, and really quirky artistic details?
It's all part of the process when you're working with these unique homes– it's all rooted in authenticity. With the smaller cottages you can add these whimsical touches and not take it too seriously, when you're living in 450 square feet and people appreciate this character and personality. I like to integrate the art into the walls that have been there 100, 110 years. It just naturally happens when you're working with like-minded artisans and craftsmen. Yesterday, for example, I brought a sign painter in from Reno, Nevada, to paint a piece of glass on the pantry door in the kitchen. After doing some research we found the oldest bakery in town was built in 1911 just 200 yards from the home. I got ahold of the family, and from early pictures we were able to replicate the logo from the early 1900s and it's now on the pantry door. The family was so excited. The 92-year-old matriarch of the family was ecstatic.
T-Bone featured in the backsplash of one of the homes.
Custom door art in the style of a vintage travel poster promoting "Historic Home Row" with T-Bone's stamp of approval at the bottom right corner.
What drew you to preservation and historic homes?
I would say growing up my dad always restored old motorcycles and cars, so I would watch him meticulously restore these old hot rods and motorcycles. I wasn't the type of guy who liked to get greasy, it wasn't really me. But you'll see a lot of mechanical history in these homes… lights out of commercial buildings and parts of 1880s trains... Back in the day trains were really elegant, and their fixtures were adapted for a small spaces, so they adapt perfectly for these little cottages. One light is from a former dentist office, one of the first dentist lights from about 1900.
Tenants Ryan and Bree cooking in their cottage.
Railroad elements incorporated into a cast iron gate.
Hugh atop the Sunoco attendants lodge he hopes to restore.
An interior view of one of the cottages.
How has the community received your work?
I truly believe Old Towne Orange for a number of years was what I would call an unpolished nugget. Over the last few years there's been this amazing comeback, and people are suddenly really invested in historic homes and local businesses and restaurants. Chapman College has also purchased a number of historic buildings and restored them.
The first project we did here won a Preservation Award for historical accuracy from the Old Towne Preservation Association. Fast forward to last May, the two cottages we finished won the association's "Sweet Sweet Orange Award" for historical accuracy and preservation. This was the first time rental homes won the award, and we were competing with grand Victorian homes. To me it's the ultimate compliment, that these houses that haven't been loved for the last 70 years are in some ways surpassing grand Victorian manor houses.
In November 2017, I was asked by the Old Towne Preservation Association to do home tours.
Typically five homes are selected every other year, and they selected three of our cottages. The tenants were super into it, and each chose to lead people through their homes for 1,500 people over two days. They gave the tours and told the histories of their own home.
How do you find the balance between livable, modern amenities and historical accuracy and character?
That is probably the most difficult challenge. People can find newer homes with dual-pane windows and granite counter tops, that's not hard to find here. In a historic home there are a lot of good things, but your windows are going to creak a little bit, and they may not close as tightly as you would like. There are 115-year-old Douglas Fir floors that if you wear high heels it'll leave dents.
I try to educate people on how these homes should be treated and lived in, and for the most part they really respect it and quickly get used to it. Most people who choose to live in a historic house want to live in and experience it respectfully.


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Hariq or Hariqi (1856-1909) (Kurdish:Herîq or Herîqî) is the pen name of Mala Saleh the classic Kurdish poet.

Life
He was born in Ziwyie(a village near Suleimanieh). He studied the Fiqh and Islamic Sciences in his home town, Penjwen and Mukriyan. Then became one of the disciples of Naqshbandi tariqa. He passed out and buried in Mahabad.

Hariq's poetry
Hariqi has written lyric and mystic poems in Kurdish and Persian. The bulk of his poems are in the form of ghazal. He is most influenced by Nalî, Mawlawi Tawagozi, among Kurdish poets.

References
E.J. Brill, Qasida Poetry in Islamic Asia and Africa: Classical Traditions and Modern Meanings,
Sajjadi Ala'edin, The history of Kurdish literature, Baghdad, 1951

Kurdish literature

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Scientists Explore How the Brain Integrates Sensory Information to Build Our View of the World
Date: February 26, 2018Author: breathwork-science 0 Comments
Original Story from SISSA
How are raw sensory signals transformed into a brain representation of the world that surrounds us? The question was first posed over 100 years ago, but new experimental strategies make the challenge more exciting than ever. SISSA investigators have now uncovered the contributions to perception of a brain region called posterior parietal cortex. In two separate papers published in Neuron and Nature, they show that posterior parietal cortex contributes to the merging of signals from different sensory modalities, as well the formation of memories about the history of recent stimuli.
For decades, researchers have been investigating how the nervous system make sense of the signals brought into the brain by the sensory organs. Some basic facts are well known: sensory receptor cells convert external events — for instance, light waves, skin vibration, or air pressure waves — into electrical messages that enter the brain. But neuronal activity does not lead to conscious experience until it can be further elaborated in the cerebral cortex. Ongoing streams of sensory signals are transformed from representations of basic elements, in primary sensory cortical areas, into more complex combinations of features in higher-order areas; sensory events become meaningful once compared to recent and distant memories as well as to expectations. Though the scheme outlined above is backed up by countless studies, the physiological mechanisms remain unresolved.
In a study published in the journal Neuron, researchers at the International School for Advanced Studies — SISSA investigated how the signals arriving through multiple senses are integrated. In daily life, once we are familiar with the combined sensory properties of an object, we can recognize that object (a banana, let us say) independently of the modality by which we receive the sensory signal — by sight, by texture and shape, by taste. Nader Nikbakht and co-authors looked for the mechanisms by which knowledge about an object is triggered independently of the sensory channel engaged. The investigators trained rats to explore a grating made of raised black and white bars. The grating's orientation was reset randomly on each test trial and rats learned to approach the object and respond differently for two categories of orientation: 0±45 degrees ('horizontal') and 90±45 degrees ('vertical'). The rat was allowed to encounter the object through vision, touch, or else vision and touch together.
By comparing accuracy under the three conditions, the investigators found that the performance achieved in the combined visual-tactile condition was better than that predicted by the sum of individual signals: the two sensory channels work together efficiently to generate a better representation of the object. As the rats explored the object, the investigators also measured neuronal activity in the posterior parietal cortex (PPC), a region positioned between the primary sensory cortical areas for touch, vision and audition. Then they implemented a mathematical model to interpret the information carried by large sets of neurons. The model succeeded in accurately predicting how the rat would classify the stimulus on each single trial. A final analysis was particularly revealing: while neurons varied widely in how they encoded object orientation or category, a given neuron's response was identical under the three modality conditions. "This means that the message of the neurons was the object itself, not the sensory modality through which the object was explored" notes Mathew Diamond, senior investigator in the research.
"Because sensory signals originate with real objects that have multiple physical attributes, it is reasonable to expect that sensory systems have evolved to function in some intermeshed manner," observes Nikbakht. "In the mammalian nervous system, dedicated circuits integrate multiple modalities thus, boosting the quality of the percept. Perceiving an object results from fusing the individual senses, not merely summating them." Diamond adds that "posterior parietal cortex carries out one step in the transformation done by the cortex as a whole, allowing real things in the world around us to be recognized independently of the sensory system we employ. 'Supramodal' perception reflects the construction of a much more abstract representation than that based on simple object features."
In another study, published in Nature, Athena Akrami and co-authors investigated how recent sensory memories are formed and maintained. Suppose you have misplaced your cell phone. Its ringtone, repeated once every two seconds, alerts you to an incoming call: it must be somewhere in the house but you are not sure where. As you search for it from room to room, you store in memory the last ring's amplitude to compare it to the next, in this way determining whether you have moved closer or farther. But how stable is the memory of the last ring? For many years, neuroscientists have realized that as sensations fade away, their memory shifts towards the 'prior,' that is, the statistical mean of many recent stimuli. The neuronal mechanisms generating the prior are unknown. Akrami and co-investigators trained rats to compare, on each trial, the amplitudes of two auditory stimuli separated by a delay of several seconds, a task that resembles tracking down the cell phone by comparing the current ringtone to the preceding one. Hundreds of such trials (each containing two stimuli) followed each other in a sequence. The behavioral data revealed that as the rat awaited the second stimulus of the trial, the memory of the first stimulus shifted towards the mean of preceding stimuli.
The experiment thus confirmed the sliding of memory towards the expected value, a phenomenon that earlier studies have termed 'contraction bias.' But how does the brain apply prior statistics to the stimulus stored in memory? Because the PPC has been argued to be a critical locus for memory, Akrami's study focused on this area — the same brain region examined by Nikbakht et al. Indeed, neuronal activity in PPC revealed a trace of the history of stimuli preceding the current trial. Akrami and colleagues then silenced activity in PPC during the task using optogenetics, a method that controls neuronal activity through light. Remarkably, suppressing PPC significantly improved the rats' performance. Why? The key is that memory of the first stimulus was not held in isolation, but instead was influenced by preceding trials. That is, the contraction bias reduced the fidelity of the stored sensory information, pulling the memory towards the prior. In many situations, contraction bias offers an enormous advantage: whenever available information is not exact, the prior is on average the best guess. However, when each sensory event is independent, like in Akrami's study, contraction bias reduces the accuracy of memories. Removing the influence of PPC by optogenetic silencing allowed the rats to remember each stimulus without the interference carried over from preceding trials. Neuroscientists now have, for the first time, a good indication of the cortical circuit that holds a record of previous sensory signals.
"In two separate studies, we were able to attribute two very different functions to the same cortical region, the posterior parietal cortex. And, in total, three sensory modalities were found to be integrated within PPC. This attests to the adaptability of cortical processing," says Diamond. "Primary sensory cortical regions receive signals from the sensory organs and carry a reliable message about the external world. But in all stages of cortical processing beyond this input level, the operations shift from moment to moment according to the behavioral task the whole organism needs to accomplish. Understanding how cortex identifies the current needs and adapts accordingly is an enormous challenge for the future."
Keywords: Brain research, optogenetic silencing, sensory signals
This article has been republished from materials provided by SISSA. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source.
Akrami, A., Kopec, C. D., Diamond, M. E., & Brody, C. D. (2018). Posterior parietal cortex represents sensory history and mediates its effects on behavior. Nature. doi:doi:10.1038/nature25510
Nikbakht, N., Tafreshiha, A., Zoccolan, D., & Diamond, M. E. (2018). Supralinear and Supramodal Integration of Visual and Tactile Signals in Rats: Psychophysics and Neuronal Mechanisms. Neuron.
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