The Downtown Eastside is not skid row;
It is a vivacious neighbourhood! I can recall for the longest time being confused between the terms skid row and skid road. T he media invariably seemed to use the latter to refer to the Downtown Easts ide (DTES) as if its diminutive effect somehow mitigated any negative reflections on the OTES. Then !- be ing of innately s uspicious nature-began to ponder if this was a deliberate ploy ~y the news media to subtly pave the way for the gentnfication yet to come in the DTES. I looked up "skid road" in my extremely useful GAGE dictionary: def'n I. in lumbering, a road of greased skids over which logs were dragged by teams of mul~s, oxen, or horses. def'n 2. skid row. I looked up "skid row": a run-down district of cheap hotels and bars, used as a hangout by vagrants, petty crim inals, etc. Some of m y closest friends are associated with the DTES and they are not vagrants or petty criminals. This distortion of language I wrote about in my poem "RESISTANCE IS NOT FUTILE":
"Futi I ity" is one of a number of defeatist words seeded into language in order to make concepts li ke "resistance" more difficult to grasp.
For the very structure of language determines the pattern of thought which are allowed to proceed.
In my opinion, for a very long time, it was on the corporate news medias' agendas to obliterate lesserwell off neighbourhoods such as the DTES, in the interests of land developers and related big business, through well-used leveraging too ls such as gentrification. One mi ght even hazard a guess that the whole process got underway in 1972, the advent of neoliberalism- a stripped-down new breed of gimmeg imme pure greed-based capitalism. What chance does a tiny community have against a juggernaut like that? As my poem concludes, "Be no t afraid.
Resist!" By Rolf Auer
Workshop on
Heart Health , . . 3rd fl oor gallery LocatiOll. Carnegie Centre I) ate:
Saturday January28
11 am- 2 pm
Angel's mantra
as I sit in silence this still remains cherubs hold my hand and my suffering pain seems a Jot more bearable I'm sleek, sultry set up in a glamorous mantra of 'there's no place like home' thank you Creator for blessing me Nora Kay
Please join us to n1easure your blood pressure a:nd learn n1ore about heart health Hrotwhr to •yo u by• llHC :mtdent~ in: ·'=' \l cdicine Dietetic"
Pharmacy
:'\ttr~ ing
Phy~ ica1111crapy
tells the story of the Northwest Canoe from its zenith i~ pre-contact times, through its decline in the late nmeteenth century, to its revival in Lootaas (Wave Eater) which Bill Re id built for Expo '86, to its cu lmination w ith the Tribal Canoe Journeys of the 21st century and The S pirit of Haida Gwaii sculptures. Bill Reid expressed awe for the traditional Haida canoe and what it represents v isually, symbolically, and culturally. In his words, "Western art starts with the figure- West Coast Indian art starts with the canoe." Another book that looks like a lot of fun is What does the Earth Sound Like? 159 Astounding Science Quizzes by Eva Everything (500 E93wa) From the surprising science behind everyday life to the mysteries on the frontiers of scientific discovery, this quiz book for all ages explores anything and everything in a fun, user-friendly fo rmat. Topics include the Earth, the moon, and the stars; satellites and space travel; pets and other animals; nature and the environment; the brain and the body; and the psychology of food, behavior, success, and attraction. Whether used as an individual brain workout or as a fun game at social gatherings, What Does the Earth Sound Like? is smile induc ing and thought provoking. Other new books this week include: Old World Witchcraft by Raven Grimassi (133.4 G86o) Living With Weather along the British Columbia Coast by Owen S. Lange (55 1.69711 L27L) How to Get a Grip By Matthew Kimberly (I 58. I K49h) Stay Alive: Survival Skills You Need, by John D McCann (6 13.69ml2s)
3
We need your bottle tops!! HomeGround Creative Art Workshop Help us prepare for creative art wo rkshops that w iII happen during HomeGround at Oppenheimer Park, February 16- 19. We will need I 000 colourful bottle tops (from milk containers, frozen and bottled juice, pop ... ) to make signs for the Park. Please help us collect these ! Get ur fam i friends & co-workers involved too!
You can drop off vour bottle caps at:
Carnegie Centre
Oppenheimer Park
401 Main Street 488 Powell St Or call 604-253 -8830, leave message for Carrie to make arrangemen ts for pick up.
News frOM the LibrarY Beth Davies is the Manager of the East Area VPL branches unti l the end of March 2012 and I am fortunate to be acting fo r her at Carnegie during her time away. My name is Megan Langley and I am usually the Branch Head at the nearby Strathcona li brary. I' m really enj oying myself at Carnegie and look forward to assist ing you wi th any of your information needs or if you just want some ideas for a good book to read! A beautiful book just arrived at the branch. It is tit led Bill Reid and the Haida Canoe and it is edited by Bill Reid's w ife, Martine J. Reid (Aboriginal Collection 709.7 1101 R35re)Bil/ R eid and the Haida Canoe
Join us in the Library on Monday, January 23'd from 1-3pm, when a Library staff member will uncover the wonderful world of the Library's collection of downloadable eBooks and explai n the ins and outs of the various eReader devices such as the Sony Wifi, Kobo iPad and iPhone and several others. Vancouver Public Library's Library To Go eBook and audioBook collection includes over 12,500 downloadable fiction and non-fiction eBook titles available to Library users free of charge. eBooks are available for children, young adults and adults, including romance favourites, mysteries, biography and self- improvement books in both eBook & audio Book formats. You don't need to own an eReader to participate, come and play with one of the Library's! Megan, your librarian
BAH HUMBUG I went to the launching of the first production of
Bah Humbug in 20 I0. It was a work-in-progress, yet extremely well-presented and performed; the opening night audience and I were quite impressed indeed. The cast and crew both received a much-deserved standing ovation! When I attended the renovating of this annual event, I'd expected and guessed right that there would be some pivotal and necessary changes to the traditional script and cast- both adding new members, mus ic and storyline. The enti re cast was spot-on, hitting all their marks with precision, and having a commanding authority r~miniscent of both time and period - in other words, timeless and brilliant. Whether real or imagined, all think we al l know and can relate to most or all characters of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, written many years ago. It could be our Downtown Eastside neighbourhood or Shaughnessy Heights or anywhere in the entire area. The premise of want and need is most emotionally felt, yet abundantly satisfied, during this season with an aptly appropriate sparse set. It was well lit with more than adequate stage space, a musically mag ical atmosphere under the direction of Neil Weisenthal & Pepe Danza taki ng care of all the equipment and instruments pertaining to percussion; capturing the mood, time & place - profoundly provocative. Christmas is a special time, especially for the downtrodden and destitute. For the rich and well-to-do there is the aspect of fee ling somewhat guilt-ridden, so more giving/donating [doing the latter can generate tax-deductions] food and cash, funnelling it into the Downtown Eastside through the Salvation Anny and many other charitable organisations. Jay Brazeau played Mr. Scrooge who, as we know, is a mean-spirited, sad, forlorn & tragic figure(though never beyond redemption). Margo Kane is very real: authoritative & commanding as the narrator, among other tasks including bird calls. Up above, hidden away on the balcony, were the St. James Youth Choir singing (beautifully like nightingales) traditio nal carols of the season and harmon ising on others. They were perfect angels, through and through. I must say in closing that Jim Byrnes, a great new
addition to the cast, was especially strong as the ghost of Scrooge's former partner Jacob Marley .. scaring myself and many others in the aud ience half to death with a wailing, raging sc ream! Mike Rictor as Fred (Scrooge's nephew) embodied his effervescent hopefulness. Stephen Lytton portrayed the ghost of Christmas quite deftly, with charm and humanity. The entire cast was amazing realised, all in all. I was overwhelmed with emotion the entire evening, in a most delig htful way. Vancouver Moving Theatre does it so right once again, as they constantly do, and in a consistent' 路vinning way. By ROBIN LIVINGSTONE
I went to. the Aquarium one day. As I walked y the pool I not1ced that the whales were swimming very slow down deep, and few people were talking pictures. I walked around the pool and wandered into a place that had a seal swimming a circle in a small glassenclosed pool. He was swimming so slow and even. When I watched his fin that emerged from the water it was a little like a human hand. ' Suddenly I had a thought. It was like this seal who is swimming in a s low circle, is creating, in his 'brain, the experience of swimming the huge Pacific Ocean. Suddenly, the whales jumped out of the water and cr~a~ed havoc in their pool-jumping up highspdlmg water all over the tourists who grabbed their cameras and started taking pictures galore. It was ~ike a carnival of whales and was driving everyone msane. Suddenly it stopped, and I walked out of there thinking about the seal creating the ocean out of a circle he was swimming in, and another thing: the seal was freeing himself from the little pool he was enclosed in. By using his mind to guide his body out of the prison he was in and into the ocean, his natural h~m e-and another thing: my thought had actually st1 m~lated the whales-maybe added an intensity to the picture-whatever it was, I noticed it-and it felt good ! --Tora-- R. Pooley
DTES involved folks stepping out and about town- and in Torontowith Vancouver Moving Theatre
5
Savannah Walling, Luke Day, Mike Richter, Stephen Lytton and Kuei Ming-Lin are performing this January in the NeWorld Theatre/Vancouver Moving Theatre production of The Idiot at the PuSh Festival. The Idiot is written and directed by Jimmy Tait, who also directed and co-wrote the DTES Community Play (VMT/Carnegie p roduction) '
A contingent of DTES involved resident artists travelled with Vancouver Moving Theatre to Toronto t his last December to participate in the Jumblies Theatre production Like and Old Tale, and in the 7th Canadian Community Play Symposium. Delegates from the DTES included Terry Hunter itop.3''1•ttJ. Teresa Vandertuin ltop,middlel. Priscillia Tait (top,2"'rl. Rose Georgeson lmiddle lettJ. and Rosanne Gervais lbottom4"1ettJ
To Readers of the Carnegie Newsletter: The Community Relations committee, which oversees the newsletter, has met a few times over the last few months to talk about the controversial cover art of November I st (depicting bare bums) that offended some readers. We understand that that particular cover went a few steps beyond risque, and everyone involved in the newsletter's production takes seriously your concerns and wants the newsletter to represent the true spirit of Carnegie and the people who spend their time here. Although the committee is responsible for the newsletter, Paul is the editor and the decisions about what goes in are his. Changing this arrangement or imposing limits on what Paul can include in our outspoken little publication was out of the question; censoring the newsletter would compromise its role as the voice of the Carnegie Centre and a source of underground news for the DTES. Your feedback is essential, though, and in this case will remind all of us to be more considerate when submitting and choosing content for the news letter. It is meant to be your voice in a noisy world after all ! In the future, if you see something in the newsletter that troubles you, please approach Paul and discuss your concerns w ith him (he doesn't bite!) or slide a note under the office door. Gena Thompson, President Carnegie Community Centre Association
To those sorely offended I apologise. Paul
DTES MONTHLY DE-CLUTTER GROUP Last Wednesday of each month at 7pm in Carnegie It would be swell to see a larger turnout. A groundswell for each other, thereby supporting ourselves as well. Tell how you are progressing this month, and create hope for next month's progress. It takes some effort to hold meetings fo r the community, and when you attend them we know it is worth the effort. See you there! Much appreciatio n, Naomi, Patrick and Rika
First United Church Mission Refugee Kamp, Gulag, defending the idea the idea of harm reduction Because the sign sez so. One big happy concentration of Sistahs, brothas, muithas, big daddies an' kissin' kuzins All kines o' kids Love and respect and fuckin' big time Werds. Mothers an' daughters brown an' athawize Irish Catholics, native aboriginals Tag teams with the saints come march in' Some dark angels of mercy Some lost, confused, dazed Too much. Butter not melting in mouth be times Caramel, chocolate, lots of sweet stuff Sweet smoke too Blarney and exotic spirits Hail Mary . Princesses beaten down by the English law No Irish need apply Crippled in body and spirit Sparsely educated Twelve years is an old girl Already worn down and overused by men Twelve brings in cash and comfort To poor old Main her wheelchair Clever and spirited when the sun shines into the poor befuddled brain Caught up in gui,t, shame and some kind of need Just one big happy family up the street W ilhelmi na Miles
S"l~;V'Jt:j~ 7>,41;1 for a New Year By the time this will be read year 20 II will have been neatly tucked into its sequential be as over 7 billion faces smiling in one fashion or another shall greet this Nostradamously famous/infamous year #20 12. I feel 1 must remind you all that this is fiction, not some hocus-pocus foreign lollcry you've won after sending them a few hundred bucks very sad but back to this story that holds no secrets let alone lame predictions: we all have expiry dates you just have to reach the highest shelf, now what 1say doesn't count for much does this have any or everything to do with the St Minus touch but I'm the one who vowed to try and stop whining about this world our country this city or war As l speak another skyscraper grows next door this is the life we're given to lead like a dog on a leach now I'm the one wondering why I could be the only living thing who knows the meaning of the word DOUBT Imagine if you can a party-line now one for Suicide Prevention the other a Somalia Truck Dealership once they've made their accidental connection someone asks in an over-friendly tone Do You Drive .. this is not a joke this is your World and a scary one that never ever touches the brake, hey hey my year ain't done these are so cold still so much horror to behold such as murders and rape and this Government which will eventually all be on the take; my cup walketh over if 1 could just somehow find out this ALL has
,
I
.
INCHOfRING MINDS WANTS YOU!
,'v\UL .'•J I P~tA~.-\t·i : \ CHO I I•. I,,/~ LC~;.-.\: ~ YOU IU I·I'··I!J IH E ~ll.A:C:vc.;O:U~I~It','il h l'l ··~U/•.•. I) I IIC ,'t~ . PR..:,c IC.t ~~'~ ' l\{.N l -l~l) ~\
t·. ~: '1-YCLI NG r_:()N DJCTOI<. :!i
ST/,:ZTS THURSD;\Y JAN 19TH
7:30PM 800 EAST BROADVv'AY (MOliN I
1
~;..<,A'tl ,._. ~1( HIHll. tH:JOI> HOlJH )
1 3 SESSIOI"S FOR $.80 1',\0R[ INrO: EARL[
8 i •1 1 2 56
been an incredibly vicious cold and calculated to drive you insane if there beith a GOD whatever be thy name have mercy please just a little and let me shed this nightmare and let me really awake, now I know how much I put down this new wave of technology but l have Grade 9 minus Math so this was destined to come out the way it did that is who 1am and will be, one thing for sure when I screw up we' re talking humonguous mistakes to me progress is just a prettier shade of Hell once again I feel like an actor in 1927 that given time things could have worked out so well yet every day I'm running miles just to stay as close as I can to the present cuz as you know this New Clear Future is the genesis of all my fears, as the ending of our tale begins to fade forget yo ur troubles our piece of Earth really is one of the most beautiful creations ever made before the New Dawn fades may T bid you a Strange Day and a self-fulfilling, maybe even learning in this 'A brand new year- To no more fears. ' By ROBERT McGILLIVRAY "The m ost decisive actions of our life ... are most often unconsidered actions."- Andre Gide
The fi rst 8 years in Vancouver I volunteered at the Dugout almost every morning, putting two lumps of sugar and a stirstick in almost every cup of coffee for the free-cup line at 7:00. Around Xmas this year this ad at the counter was just right! JOE'S COFFEE CLUB- 59 Powell Street Buy ten large coffees and get two for free! 10 reasons to buy a coffee card: You get great coffee You get free coffee You will become a better person The police will stop investigating you Aliens will give you back your brain Your old girlfriend will come back Joe will not follow you home Your drug tests will come back negative We wiJI be your friend You may win a cute puppy Price for a card - $7.50 DUGOUT HOURS: Man-Saturday -7:15 soupline
Sun & holidays- Sam soupline Mon-Sat: 8:45-5:00 Sun & holidays: 9:45-5:00
Every day there is free bread, snacks; Coffee's for sale
SANCTIMONIOUS NEGLECTS There are those who remember the year for others it has and always will be the fear itineraries are available as you leave Paid Program awards and the like are as useful as an eleven-wheeled bike it's a ful l time job this to or not to believe could this be our last winter of Di scontent, like remembering all the wishes you've come to regret so many people weari~g WILL WORK 4 DEATH T-shirts these days, sometimes yo u get so sick and so tired of this dog-eat-dog world humanity is so overpriced be it gangs of boys or used up girls when the end of the world is in focus I want front row seats whatever it takes or how much I have to pay, is it surprising we have an unlimited suppl y of
whens, wheres, whose how and why please join in with our failures but never let them remain neglected. The girls spend half their days painting their faces the oys upnonomously declare themse lves the Master race for those of us born on the wrong s ide of right not a day goes by without a little feel ing of being part of the rejected, these 21 51 century Selfishist children who have been taught that everything is theirs cuz we' re the ones with faults- yes- poverty & misery are alllllll yours and mine; the vastness of neglects is so very far and wide, if only we could all be on the same page, now I wonder if we had all put Herculean Effort into helping instead of hurting there might not be such a thing as rage, the SatanGodlceCreamFamily would be more than happy to be our guide, like hitting a 90 par sinkhole in one the loss of your importance has already begun let us put those Masterpiece Theatre schemes to bed, like seeki ng out a Selfi shist's advice now there is something you'll never ever do twice this whole sanctimonious neglect does make a good argument for early retirement, please Canada why have you just bought more (foreignmade) guns which only brings death Guns aren't Fun Melt them into something useful instead. I think death is a selfishist's worst ever thing yet I could peacefully enter the Big Sleep they party by night those are the hours they keep while those of us who have experienced isolation and that vast neglect shall embrace our end not a minute too soon or a second too late; for those who have just tuned in it is now time to exchange being alive for eternal gratitude the soul inside my brain will let anger and compassion exist in any form- this is called Fate, always remember that silent letters become silent words quite often it's the quiet ones that thin out the herd those at the end of the line may collapse, they have wasted so much time with the Riot who gives a shite except the ambulance-chasing lawyers it's been 6 months and all is quiet when its over who will really have won let alone throwing in a few future victory laps. If the truth were to be told you'd probably be on eternal hold but you need both mind and heart pumping so as to be always morally right plus remember to always eat a healthy breakfast, the remainder of your days may and can go all your way just avoid that sanctimonious neglect. By ROB ERT McG ILLIVRAY ;,I've seen acts ofevery shade of terrible come Fom man-like creatures." - Andy Partridge
culture of extermination
in the summer I could step outside the back door and there were endless ripened com fields towering above me and I often ran as fast as I could between the rows until exhausted I'd drop into the fragrant earth and examine the thin blood streaks sharp green sheaves cut into my arms and I'd become transfixed by the green stalks the yellow ears of corn and the sun swirling green gold and yellow in the shimmering blue sky
he fled the soldiers on foot and gradually they surrounded him in a vast corn field and while the horseback soldiers moved in trampling and destroying the radiant com the lone warrior who could no longer walk dragged himself with one hand pressing his wound moved deeper into the corn field until he could finally go no further because the soldiers finally encircled him
I loved the feel of the soil where occas ionally I'd find a first nations arrowhead and examine the chipped surface and the edges sharper than a razor blade though I was too young to realize the arrowhead was a sacred relic and an object from a genocide
the commanding cavalry officer offered to spare the warrior's life if only he'd say : "I surrender" but those words were never spoken and the soldiers opened fire upon the warrior yet I'd never before (in my few years) fe lt such a deep identification with anyone as with this -
at night when my parents stopped poisoning the atm osphere in the house long enough to call me for supper or to go to bed I knew if I remained silent the com would conceal me for as long as I wanted then one afternoon I was watching a movie on television and when the film finished and my parents were curs ing and hitting each other I went into the corn and imagined replayi ng the movie in which a native warrior's tribe had been massacred by the u.s. cavalry and though he'd been badly wo unded in his side
(
we soon moved to a distant residential neighbourhood where not even a dandelion was allowed to grow
(
nor was my spirit
\
but still, I never surrendered despite being surrounded by a culture of extermination Bud Osborn
Police Department of Sastside ~or cri me by handing ou . never be able to afford to pay the or being involved in the sale anc hey are addicted and persecutin! . 'fail ur<! •0 apoear' for a court dr
U ~· :~~ ,• er'l
--
·····-~-: :-. ...,. .
-r~
~... ·~~ .;,_
~ -
.,..
._,
·•
Box of Rain
Hold That Mass Murder
"Look out of any window" I'm 56 still listenin to the Dead and I'm so proud got a bastard son who can recite Garcia's lyrics word for word even tho Daddy was long gone he knew who he was really now listening to the Dead on my new-fangled MP3 mysteriously he got it just right before we even did acid together before we shared a shot of morphine he knew who He was it takes me some time to figure out Who I am my long-lost bastard son Jesse got it right before he even met his father And that is miraculous ! AI I
This year is rolling over this month almost done end of the week be a brand new year, if only it truly was a brand new day Is this the year it all works out when we finally find out what this life is all about Is this the year we drop the gun and finally find peace with everyone forget and forgive let everyone live not to take but to give
My path this morning, differe nt no crackhead cockroaches on the corner, maybe start of a new trend god knew the last one had to end and I can stow the plans I'd made the ammonia blush combo bomb I had planned for the corner be a holy gas woodenit? was tranquil, no sleeping scum bags no bags of trash the world gave up on long ago
and we learn each in our own turn all the lessons meant to teach the bear-spray maybe heaven's not out there 1 I won't need t Look up, way up, far above 1 it's right in our reach the molotov cocktail maybe the funky street and all its so rrow r won't have to throw it the mess, the pain, the outright horror and we quit all the push and shove show your brother the kind of love maybe just maybe see the eagle fly that we need every day , lord knows I pray above all this bullshit that the whole year watch until this s ideshow disappears in our own way will be full of brand new days Is this the year we get it ri g ht every time l get angry AI at people different races different face start to live without this endless fight have to remind myself \ and finally work out what this life's supposed to be all about hey now Mark is my buddy wouldn't want him to hear Ed Lee my stupid curses and what's worse is I almost let slip what should never pass these lips torment of the fittest and old Bill, break his heart the biggest badiest to hear my bigoted anger the complete disarray mad at everyone of his shape and colour of wakeful contradction sometimes I forget my friends no longer in the darkest place sometimes I forget my brothers the light of the beautiful so here's to honour my friends beautiful wants different from me - better in a lot of ways are killing me softly forget my anger .. and all the stupid crap I may say Nora Kay AI
REALITY CHECK:
The technology of image creation & manipulation has advanced to the point where everything w1thin the image-frame can be synthetically produced. Watching what appears to be a large number of people located in a nation on the other side of the world, we may hear them make statements, observe thei r body language, clothing, ethnic mannerisms, facial expressions, interactions, etc ... this detailed tacsimile of 'reality' can be produced in a television studio. Every subtle nuance of the Six O'clock News can be created deleted altered ' ' & manipulated in an infinite variety ofways which the eye or even minute examination by , a technical expert cannot detect. We will soon be living in the age of mass ive disinformation. Fa lse rea litys are creeping into the image-bank of history, & because they are virtually undetectable, these care fully des igned media packages will become the only "reality" available to those who rely on image transmission for information. 路. When all the tnforrnation pumped through
.. fibre optics & wavelengthed into our receptive cellular tissue has become questionable, if not seriously unbelievable, will we then not have to re-group our belief systems around those simple, eternally trustworthy signals known as "basic reality." When we feel the w1nd or rain or sunshine on our faces, will this constitute the only beli evable weather report? When we see & feel money passing through our hands, will we be ab le to believe an economic transaction has taken place & we won' t have to pay the same bil l over & over again? Will the recognizable voice & facial configuration of a friend be the only source of external information that is unprocessed by professional enhancement? Will we tum off the tube , unplug the unite! , shoot down the satellite? Already they can create unreal realitys - soon
\ .'.4
-~~~
they will be able to place us inside them. The hook will be, as always, thrills, chills & sexua l stimulation. Can we turn around & touch home base? Will the trusted taste of an ordinary potato offer us sanity in a world dominated by synthetic leftovers? TORA
..i· ' · ·.
fi
·'.t
,._·.) ...
·~t
u~··
(
'
I
.
....,~ -;:
""-.:
® ~
9
ThQ Self-i!>.ba.ndo"<?.A
~S~~A.,J ••num~kul{•. Cf1~i~ ohl~vl'on fl'l
.!;\ f:(~\
@~..,; .... o-\ f"'rlty SeA'""\es ~
i"'
J'l\ "'"
'
dt:S(>€-rG\~
@ G-ot\to.;"e.d
,
ll"'l"le.l'SIOI\
c:\o." ~
--~\~+;.
\'
tlt~"t:onl).~ btlSe. 1"e COI'\5c.io ~
s" cas S~
.(~~~
iry,
'Tl.e. ~it1- ~Q~s;.o"~ ~~e.~
G.W4o.rq,l'\e.S.S
f"nq..,.,...Y of fh(. Stoie..
Tot~l
().~o.!'ef)e.SS of spirift.to.\ ~Y\er~.Y wit\u'\ f~e. boJy. Po.n,4.r : ~ts ~~~~c.h spi'"it c.o"'l~ t·,ll ~ov.. If
C.onte.flteJneSS o<.c.'4c-e.s k.ru.p
M~Pvin~ ,
dr~I'Jk lots of w"t~r , ~nci J,~ t r~n ~sle~r .
The A~th~nti<.~elf ''L"rfe. Sl.\ck~hen 'f0141" o. sprowf-." Swirrt w.p fhro14._3A. ft.te d~nne.( of "'All~ Teo.r-s (~o"" A-q ~c
Pi3e.S kl\lt~ IC B~~L41 c,) «flt.l Yo~{( reo,.c,h the S«t of ~e. S•'-'1. lO Jo 'f\is s;IW\ply l00~ (LWW\CI~st 1J (
1
~o"'rS'!.l\J«..S 'fi ll fo14.
ti"A H\e. . 41 f~-tief Dne. ~o.f S toto..Uy C,oo} Wll\~
dbs-oluteJy e.\le.ry~;llj , ~\>\~ "fo\ ow ~i~ ~f'l\e' r5o/"tio'l 1 Je..spo.lf" > lo~J;~.s, S1Ai£.i4e..
ShCl""O.t\j, fVlA.St~rb~fory
f)
1\ .,jf.! 'won~y ro<.k.,t-. ~;d., tJ;nJa.r.G.. ( ~ebn!d<e>tv\ cf G-o~ o.(I'WICISt wo<'ks. [oo b~ ih Q.. t"OIA.Oq '"'~f
.
E,to.j €.~1;~1'\~ (CTro.cl·do.~) S~k.st i~s.lol\ iA e:es~l~
~Q.!ity. tor il[I.\.Str-~ta41f\, J lt~ht
kr-e. . ..
:.~
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Meade 401 Main Street, Vancouver 604.665.2289
THIS NEWSLETTER IS A PUBLICATION OF THE CARNEGIE COMMUNITY CENTRE ASSOCIATION Articles represent the views of individual contributors and not of the Association;
WANTED
We acknowledge that the Carnegie Community Centre, and this Newsletter, are occurring on Coast Salish Territory.
Artwork for the Carnegie Newsletter *Small illustrations to accompany articles and poetry; *Cover art -Max.size: 17cm(6 Y.c")widex15cm(6")high; *Subject matter pertaining to issues relevant to the Downtown Eastside but all work considered; *Black &White printing only; *Size restrictions apply (i.e. If your piece is too large it will be reduced and/or cropped to fit; *All artists will receive credit for their work; *Originals will be returned to the artist after being copied for publication; *Remuneration: Carnegie Volunteer Tickets. Please make s~:~bmissions to Paul Taylor, Editor. GET CLEAN Shower Up at the Lord's Rain 327 Carrall St, just off Pigeon Park HOT SHOWERS. (towel, .soap, shampoo (the works) _& coffee) Monday, 7-10am, (ladies only!) lam Tuesday, Wednesday.& Saturday
FREE DENTAL HELP
~ext Iss~_e
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: MONDAY, JANUARY 30TH I
· 2011 DONATIONS: Ubby D.-$50, Margaret 0 .-$50. Rolf A.-$50, Briilll H.-$100, CEEOS -$100, Bany M.-;150, leslie S.-$50 . Savannah WTTerty H -$200, Jenny K.-$25, Barbara M.-$200 Vancouver lloving Theatre -$300,. The Edge -$200, X' -$52, Wilhelmina 11.-$25, Sheila B.-$100, Clvistopher R.-$175 Mich.el C.-$50, 0, Bonnie F.-$100, CUPE 15 -$1450, W2-$100 . Rhim~~~e_Cafe -l~.
carnnews@shaw.ca www.camnews.org http:l/cameg ie.vcn.bc.ca/newsletter http:1/harvesters.sfu .ca/chodarr Jenny Wai Ching Kwan MLA · WORKING FOR
Phone: 604~n.!=0790
455·E Hastings: Monday & Friday, 9:30-12:30
Call604-254-9900 for information. Cleaning only at VCC is $35; Info: 604-443-8499
FREE
LE~AL
ADVICE
USC - Law Students Legal Advice Program
All cases checkefi wfth lawyers; confidential Drop-in: Tuesdays, 7- 9pm (ends 11/22111) 3nl floor Art Gallery, Carnegie Ctr, 401 Main
You
1070-16.11 Corrrn~<rcial Dr. V5L3YJ
WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTON • • • • • •
AIDS POVERTY HOMELESSNESS VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN TOTALITARlAN CAPITALISM IGNORANCE and SUSTAINED FEAR
LISTEN HERE, LISTEN HERE Listen here, listen here And I'll tell you a story Of a tired old man Who said he was sorry Sorry Sorry Sorry Sorry
for for for for
all the hurt and the pain all the lies and the shame all the blood he had shed the life he had led
There was no excuse for what this man did And no reason for how this man lived Power & money is what this man craved But death & destruction is all this man gave There was only one thing this man knew to be true Sooner or later his debt would come due. Listen here, listen here And continue the story of a wretched old man who swore he was sorry The day finally came He met the love of his life Put a ring on her finger And made her his wife Worked longer and harder Than ever before Gave her everything she ever wanted, needed and more. She knew nothing Of all the evi I this man did He was ever so careful To keep it well hid For twenty-odd years He adored his loving mate Began to believe He may just cheat fate But then he woke late one night Shaking with dread For there someone stood At the foot of his bed Listen here, listen here And I'll finish the story of this foolish old man Forever cursed to be sorry
I'm innocent, I'm innocent The old man cried I'm innocent, I'm innocent The old man lied It was right then and there That I finally knew What he had meant By my debt coming due
You see it was I who was then.. On the cursed date I made the deal That sealed my fate I beg your forgiveness my love, For I never guessed, I never knew The Angel of Death Would come for you I fell to my knees and pleaded For her life For she was my soul-mate My lover, my wife
As it made no difference Whatever I said I just knelt down Beside our bed I held her hand As she slipped from my grasp She held my hand Till the very last If there was any justice Left in this life I should have died Instead of my wife. [unsigned]
·'I would liktr to hav«r I he pulpOI«Z "Do all t he good you ways you can, to all the people you can, in all the places you can, for as long as ever you can. " - ide at ion of spirituality. The power in this can conquer fear; it can make action and words bring positive, progressive social change. Hhen you decide to be honest with yourself, your conscience learns to discriminate. Actions & words agree .. are clear, strong and true. Language, spoken or not, communicates if your thinking is clear, but used badly ideas degenerate into so much crud . * (*crud is a synonym for the word used to describe the product of a hull' s bowel movement) = stat i c arguments; they make you want to scream. Witness Laila's sta teme nt that all humanity is to blame for the Nazi atrocities. She says, "We let it happen!" Classroom academiks, non- consciously, allow sacred logic & reasoning to say Native Peoples 'let ' the non-natives t ake their lands, kill them, rape forests, pollute the environment, distribute blankets saturated with snallpox ... The people of Canada l et the "Free" Trade scam come into effect- it's obviously our fault that jobs are being lost, that poverty is growing by leaps and bounds, that people are sleeping in the street s, that violence and crime and drugs are everywhere . It 's al l our fault .. it's always the victim' s fault for not being on the other sid e . Anyone on welfare is obviously there because they've chosen to be . . . To keep anger und er control is sometimes harder, especiall y with someone who has been in the Downtown Eastside for awhile, working with people he re and inte r Hcting wilh us soc ially .. Haybe yo u think all the (ights that
fltr«Z '' people have with welfare, all the agony of trying to find shelter (dare I say it - a home?) if you are single with a child, all the writing and meetings and events and demonstrations that are happening EVERY DAY in Carnegie •.• is all this just made up, just fiction?! You can bury yourself in the Ancient Greeks, in references to philosophers and books and you can stay blind to what's happening all around you. You can refer to Shamans as "those who are adept at entering auto- hypnotic trances" (such a cute scientific throwaway) and continue to believe that everything, all social issues like·racism, sexism, poverty, homelessness are subject to miraculous r esolution through the scientific method of debate. Tara advocates alienation as the means to getting a n objective overview and I agree. But here's the crux: all spiritual progress and social change is consequent upon a personal commitment . The aboriginal worldview makes the spiritual a nd social aspects of being inalienable. You cannot disregard Infinity , you can only assume that ignoring unive rsal law somehow excep t s you from its co nsequences. It's this that has given us the materialism, the injustice and the at tempted murder of Spiritualit y that is choking humanity . When was the last time you heard the word "scandal"? Struggle is the essence of life. You cannot claim to be alive and part of life by c losing yourself off f rom living.
By PAULR
TAYLOR
ANDY HUCLACK 1928- 2011 Did you know that: Ordinarily, Andy was a quiet kind of guy, but every once in a awhile he would Jet loose with a laugh that could shake the rafters. He was born in a tiny mining town of Kingsgate in southeastern BC near the US border and moved to Vancouver as a small child. Over the years, Andy worked in logging and construction, and eventually became supervisor of a tenmember crew that handled the floor-waxing at the main Post Office on Georgia Street. He retired from that job at the age of 65. Andy was a life-long bachelor, but it could have turned out differently. "I was about to get married but I got cold feet," he said. "I won't tell you how I got out of it, but I got out of it. That's alii' ll say about that."
During Andy's 29 years of volunteering, day in & day out, you could find him in the Lane Level of Carnegie, selling coffee to raise money for the Seniors' program and out-trips. Often he worked two shifts to keep the coffee flowing. "He was dependable, he was always there, he never missed a shift," said the Seniors president way back when. Andy: a true example of the Carnegie spirit. Andy was characteristically more modest about his activities: " I do a little bit of this and a little bit of that. That keeps me alive and in pretty good s hape. Ifi didn't keep doing stuff, I'd be six feet under the ground." Rest in peace Andy, and God speed.
Colleen Upon his retirement after 29 years of service, the Volunteer Program gave Andy a trophy:
Volunteer of the Century 29 years of Amazing Service "What can I tlo today to help?" Thank you Andy. Love from
the Carnegie Community
tfc.;. .,. ~~":; . . ' ' ,.,._..,. __ - - ~we .
}6¥€jfmi ou:fseN~s- ·. · ··. . >nU£we remember to tlianlt J:or a((you liave aone.for us? . ;j,jE.l)f, _aCCtfie times y~u. ~ere. by_out .. •
··: •
r~ s. •.:.t.,
: .
,.. M~"r.:~~ ........,.• ... . ~- ._
· 10-:ftti~1~Wt£sl'ftpon-:: ~-- ··~:~·'···. To ceCeBrate ou-r suec esses To uru:drstand: ~urp .ro6fi?.ms · ~:iu{acc'ept our aefeats? . . ::::~>:"Or for. teacfiinn us By your examp~ . _· · . 'IIie va(ue 0 f fr.ara work, good.fiuliJ~~rrt, CouraiJt(a:m:Cini:egf.ity? ....· .'We woiufei:if we_e'Ver tliank.ea y~u ·j or tfr.e sacrifices you macCe. . . To fi?.t us liave tlie very Best? ·,:. ·· ... )_. _. . .:Anafor tlie simpfe tfiinns L_ii.ii': · · · · and times we shared'? ..·. · ·· . Ifwe liave forgotte·n to sliowour (jratituae enounfr. for ali tfr.e tlii 'We're tfr.ank.inn you now. .Jt.iu:(we are liopiri(J you k112W a(( Jfow mucfi you mearrt to us. 11