The Contributor April 24, 2024

History Corner

Vendor Writing 13

HOW TO PAY A VENDOR WITH VENMO

Any vendor of The Contributor can accept VENMO as payment. Technology is a barrier to those experiencing homelessness. Many of our vendors don’t have phones or bank accounts, or use online commerce. Thus we simplified the VENMO process by using one account for all vendors. This means YOU MUST IDENTIFY YOUR VENDOR when using VENMO. Here is the skinny on how to do it right.

#1 You must have a VENMO account. Sign up at www.venmo.com if you haven’t already.

#2 SCAN THE SQUARE QR CODE in the top left corner of the cover of this paper using your phone or tablet camera. Then press the button that appears once it has been recognized.

#3 CLICK the blue “Pay or Request” button on the screen with The Contributor yellow and black logo.

#4 TYPE in the amount you wish to pay. The paper costs $2. Tips are welcomed. Vendors get all the money you send and can pick it up the next business day at our office.

#5 Most importantly, TYPE YOUR VENDOR’S NAME AND BADGE # in the “What’s this for?” box. Then hit the PAY button. Their name and 4 digit badge # should be written on the front cover of the paper below the QR code. You must

identify them to insure they will get the money. First name, last initial and 4 digit badge # will ensure that a vendor with a similar name doesn’t get confused for your vendor. You can also leave feedback in this field. But always identify the vendor. If they didn’t write their name or badge # on the cover of this paper, please describe where they were and what they looked like. This usually can identify them.

#6 HIT THE PAY BUTTON.

#7 The FIRST TIME you pay anyone using VENMO you will be asked to enter the last 4 digits of their phone number. Type 6829 in this field. Our phone number is (615) 829-6829. Or, you can scroll down and skip this step. (VENMO wants to protect you from sending money to the wrong person with a similar name. The next time you pay a vendor using our account, you won’t be asked to verify again.)

#8 ALWAYS TAKE THE PAPER HOME WITH YOU. When vendors sell out, the satisfaction of having a business that sells out its products begins to sink in! Vendors who sell out, come back to our office to buy more. This helps our vendors meet their sales goals. And, it is there that we can meet with them, give them their VENMO payments or mail and work on solving their barriers to housing and life’s goals.

#9 Friend us on VENMO and leave feedback. Open the app and click on “Me” at the bottom. Then select “Transactions” to see your payments. Click on the payment to The Contributor in your transaction list and then click on our icon at the top of the screen to see all of those transactions between us. On this page you can “Friend” us and click on the speech bubble icons of all your payments to leave feedback on your experience. Constructive feedback and praise help encourage our vendors to do their best.

Open Table Nashville raises over $20,000 in one-mile walk fundraiser

To be homeless is to constantly travel. Seeking out and engaging with community supports, finding a bite to eat and getting somewhere safe to sleep all demand an inordinate amount of walking from place to place. The magnitude of that travel over time — and the toll it takes on our homeless community — is exactly what Open Table Nashville hoped to convey this March.

“Throughout March, we asked our supporters to walk 15 miles throughout the month, and while they were doing that, talk to their communities, their friends and families, about Open Table Nashville,” said Cal Gurley, OTN’s digital communications coordinator. “We had a website where people could sign up and they got their own individual fundraising page they could share with their friends.”

The event was in anticipation of a onemile walk fundraiser April 6, where OTN raised $20,887 for its street outreach and advocacy programs. Gurley said the events were as much about spreading awareness as they were about raising money.

“The idea behind this specific fundraiser came from the fact that many unhoused folks walk 10 to 15 miles in a given day, on average. The amount of walking that our friends on the street have to do in this city can take a huge toll on the body,” they said. “How much effort and energy is put into transportation every

single day is not lost on us, and we wanted this fundraiser to be an education opportunity, and a chance to connect to the experiences of the folks we work with.”

In supporting its street outreach and advocacy programs, OTN plans to use the money to aid and house Nashville’s homeless community, as well as speak out against policies which punish and discriminate against the unhoused.

“Our outreach team really works to meet people where they are, emotionally and physically, they go all around the city working

with folks to get their immediate needs met. You know, shoes, clothes, food, et cetera, as well as overcoming barriers to housing.”

“Things like getting an ID, getting a birth certificate, all the things they would need to apply for housing, as well as actually going through the voucher system … a lot of that takes money,” Gurley said.

“Tennessee is the only state in which it’s a felony to camp outside on public land, and that’s something we’ve actively been fighting. In fact, our advocacy team is heading to

DC [April 22] for the hearing of Johnson v. Grants Pass, which is going to be a huge case in terms of the policing we can do for folks sleeping outside with a blanket or pillow,” they said. “That is nonstop work, advocating for our friends on the streets to have rights within our legislation.”

Gurley said that once people could quantify that travel with the 15-mile goal, they were surprised by how difficult it was to fit into their daily routines over a month.

“Some people were like, ‘wow, 15 miles is a big ask,’ and to imagine some of our friends doing that every day; I mean, we have one friend who has to walk five miles to the bus stop to get to work and then back. So it’s a lot of walking,” Gurley said. “Even for me, I was like, I thought I was going to get to 15 miles so quickly, but it takes a lot of effort.”

Once the April 6 walkathon finally arrived, OTN surpassed its fundraising goal before the morning was over. With a turnout of around 30 people, Gurley said the event was a jubilant break from it all.

“It was really exciting, we all got to celebrate together and just kind of be in community,” Gurley said. “These were all folks who had been part of the fundraiser throughout March, so it was great to thank them for their hard work and for their donations and for their time. It was a lovely time of community.”

NASHVILLE’s LARGEST URBAN BIKE RIDE FOR 20 YEARS!

SATURDAY, MAY 18, 2024

7AM to 2PM

51st Avenue, The Nations

BIKE ROUTE OPTIONS FOR ALL AGES & ABILITIES

1 mi Kids Tour • 9 mi Family Tour

25 mi Local Tour • 45 mi Grand Tour

NEW! 5K WALK/RUN + 1/2-MILE OPEN STREETS

[SPONSORS]

Scan the code for details or visit

WALKBIKENASHVILLE.ORG/TOURDENASH

NEW THIS YEAR: Experience Open Streets on 51st from Georgia to Louisiana Ave! Enjoy exploring the center of the Nations neighborhood without cars and discover how this creative use of the streetscape can influence community, safety, and transit in the city. Free & open to the public, registration not required.

THANK YOU SPONSORS!

Barnard's Flying Machine

BY RIDLEY WILLS II

In 1897, Arthur W. Barnard was director of physical training at the Nashville YMCA. In his time off, he was an ambitious inventor. For 10 years he had been mulling the idea of building a flying machine.

Finally, on May 9, 1897, during the Tennessee Centennial Celebration, he hauled his 46-foot-long flying machine to the top of the hill on the west side of the Centennial grounds. As Major E.C. Lewis and a handful of other Centennial officials watched, Barnard began pumping hydrogen into the balloon, which was constructed of cotton and silk held in place by wires. Suspended from the balloon, 18 feet wide at its widest part, was a bicycle, which, when the craft was inflated, Professor Barnard intended to ride.

The dirigible also had a front-end propeller that Barnard would control from his bicycle seat. The Nashville American described the propeller as “a kind of screw that bores into the air and pulls the machine.” Barnard would guide the craft with two rudders which he called “aeroplanes.” To the astonishment of Major Lewis, the other Centennial officials,

who paid for the balloon materials, and the reporter from the American, the craft rose into the air. Professor Barnard later said that he crossed the Cumberland River at least six times and traveled between 30 and 40 miles.

Getting a little higher than he liked, Barnard, feeling the cold air, pulled up the collar of his coat and began releasing hydrogen to lower his altitude. He also began looking for a place to land after being airborne for 30 minutes. Spotting an open field near the old William Watkins place on Charlotte Pike, he descended toward it. When about 50 feet above the field a current of air pushed his flying machine over a fence and into a grove of willow trees. He landed unhurt and said that he never completely lost control of his craft. A young man named E.G. Blackman, who had been on Centennial Hill when Barnard took off, happened to be riding his horse near the willow grove when Barnard landed.

Seeing Barnard lift off and land was one of the most exciting things he ever saw. A farmer hauled the flying machine back to town.

Learn More About the Criminalization of Homelessness

BY JUDITH TACKETT

Oral arguments for the City of Grants Pass v. Johnson lawsuit were on the calendar to begin in the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) on Monday, April 22. SCOTUS has time to rule before they adjourn on June 30.

While we have already written about this lawsuit, the impact on how cities will be able to deal with homelessness is so profound — especially since the criminalization of homelessness has been such a prevalent issue in Tennessee.

Let’s recap the big ways that Tennessee has been criminalizing homelessness. On July 1 of 2022, Tennessee became the first state to pass a law that made it a felony to camp on public land, which carries a potential punishment of up to six years in prison, a $3,000 fine and the loss of voting rights. Thus, it basically outlawed homelessness in public statewide. Tennessee lawmakers adopted portions of a cookie-cutter template provided by the Cicero Institute to state legislatures with a Republican majority, and the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination highlighted Tennessee for criminalizing homelessness in a report issued in August of 2022.

Criminalizing homelessness is nothing new. Actually, a majority of unhoused people I met over the years, especially when they have lived outdoors, have been arrested for minor issues. At a recent input session for an amicus brief, I learned that between Jan. 1 and March 8 of this year, Nashville has prosecuted more than 300 people for trespassing. Last year, the total was almost 1,600 trespassing arrests. While it was not clear how many of them were unhoused, attorneys and advocates believe it was most likely a majority of them.

Several years ago, I glanced through the Nashville arrest records of people who were identified as experiencing homelessness because they provided a local shelter or day center as their street address. All I remember is that I estimated that their arrests cost the city at least $1.4 million in one year. These arrests were for trespassing, public intoxication or obstruction of a passageway. None of them were held for a lengthy period of time, many just

for one or two nights. By the way, those are all behaviors frequently exhibited by tourists in Downtown Nashville.

All this to say, arresting people who do not inflict harm on others, but merely try to survive with no place to go, is not solving homelessness. On the contrary, the additional charges create barriers for them to be able to access housing, even when it becomes available.

Several Tennessee cities have laws on the book that make it hard for people experiencing homelessness to exist. I did a little digging and looked up Tennessee municipalities that were mentioned in an amicus brief filed recently in relation to the City of Grants Pass v. Johnson case. One municipal code included the prohibition to obstruct “a highway, street, sidewalk, railway, waterway, elevator, aisle or hallway to which the public, or a substantial portion of the public, has access; or any other place used for the passage of persons, vehicles or conveyances, whether the obstruction arises from the person’s acts alone or from the person’s acts and the acts of others.” I lifted this quote from the Code of Ordinances of the City of Germantown, Tenn., which defines “obstruct” as to “render impassable or to render passage unreasonably inconvenient or potentially injurious to persons or property.” However, I could not find a clear definition of what constitutes inconvenience.

There were a few municipalities listed from Middle Tennessee with laws that prohibited loitering in the public square at certain times (overnight), trespassing, and loitering in a parking lot. The commonality is that there is still a great deal of officer discretion in all of these places.

Recently, I heard one vendor recall a story of what happened after she started selling papers in another part of town. When she ran into a police officer from the old neighborhood spot, he inquired where she had been because “her corner went to shit” while she was gone, with trash piling up at the site. She used to pick up any trash motorists would throw out their cars along the intersection where she sold the paper. This brings up another good point, many officers are not interested in arresting people

for being homeless. But strict and expanded laws will require them to do so more frequently.

One of the many amicus briefs filed in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson was submitted by 57 scientists, researchers and professors. They clearly list evidence that shows that criminalizing homelessness actually is counter-productive to solving homelessness. They also point out that the cities in support of the City of Grants Pass lack a show of evidence to make their case, even though sufficient research exists that proves that access to housing and services solves homelessness whereas arresting people and displacing them perpetuates homelessness.

So, here is the actual question that SCOTUS is considering in this case: “Does the enforcement of generally applicable laws regulating camping on public property constitute ‘cruel and unusual punishment’ prohibited by the Eighth Amendment?”

This is based on the fact that the City of Grants Pass began aggressively enforcing an ordinance that made it unlawful to sleep on public property with any accessory such as a blanket or cardboard, even when shelter was unavailable. Can you imagine sleeping in your own bed without a blanket when it’s cold? Now imagine doing that outdoors when you have no place to go.

Debra Blake (she has since passed away and Gloria Johnson and John Logan have been named as the main plaintiffs) representing the unhoused population sued the city and won. The city appealed, and eventually, the Ninth Circuit Court upheld a lower court’s ruling that prohibited the City of Grants Pass from continuing this type of enforcement. Consequently, the City of Grants Pass petitioned SCOTUS, and to the surprise of every homeless advocate nationwide, SCOTUS agreed to hear the case.

The reason everyone was surprised was because in 2019, SCOTUS declined to hear a case called Martin v. Boise, which held that cities cannot enforce anti-camping laws if there are not enough shelter beds available in the community. That decision, like with City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, was also based on the

Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. Both cases came out of the Ninth Circuit Court, which covers the states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.

Martin v. Boise had far-reaching consequences, and I believe it helped protect people from widespread implementation of criminalization laws. In fact, a local public defender shared with me recently that only one person has been charged with felony camping in Middle Tennessee since 2022, and that case was dismissed. I recall conversations within Metro when we discussed our encampment protocols and the impact of the Martin v. Boise judgment as it came down in 2018 from the Ninth Circuit Court.

The consequences of this ruling will be nationwide. If SCOTUS upholds the current decision, then jurisdictions will no longer be able to criminalize people for simply existing when there is nowhere for them to go and their only option is to sleep in public.

Regardless of what happens, in practice, SCOTUS’ ruling will not really prevent all people experiencing homelessness from still getting harassed, moved along, or arrested. Officers have a lot of discretion in how they treat people. But ruling in favor of Johnson et al. will definitely help prevent states and cities from outlawing the mere existence of people who have no safe place to go. Hopefully, it would also mean that states and cities would increasingly focus on investing more in low-income housing and services — proven strategies — to actually reduce homelessness.

On the other hand, if SCOTUS rules in favor of the City of Grants Pass, cities and states will have permission to essentially punish people with no places to go for their mere existence. We would make it official that the United States is a nation that allows the government to decide who is desirable and undesirable in our public spaces.

For more detailed information about the content of the City of Grants Pass v. Johnson case read our cover story from April 10, 2024 (Volume 18, Number 8) at www.thecontributor.org.

A Few Questions with Jordan Huffman

Metro Councilmember Jordan Huffman was elected in fall of 2023 and represents District 14, which encompasses the east side of Donelson, from Stewarts Ferry Pike to Central Pike on Lebanon Road as well as the majority of Hermitage. Huffman describes the people as being pretty progressive, tolerant and diverse.

“It definitely feels like a smaller community out here,” he said. “We also have a lot of green space. The new Ravenwood Park is a treat.”

What are your main focus areas and goals for this term?

I really have three focus areas. When you get on the Metro Council, you typically have goals at the beginning that you want to tackle, and then you’ll get other stuff that get tagged on.

One focus area has been homelessness — I’m on the Homelessness Planning Council and I’m on the Public Health and Safety Committee — and it is definitely a passion of mine.

Also, beautification is a passion of mine. A couple of meetings ago, we passed a resolution that I sponsored to officially enact a Wildflower Program here in Davidson County. It’s small for now, but essentially it asks NDOT (Nashville Department of Transportation) and Metro Parks to look into establishing an Indigenous Wildflower Seed Program. This year, it’s going to start out with about a dozen beautification commissioners throughout Metro Nashville. The commissioners will plant wildflower seeds on a couple of plots within their Council districts. Then next year will be the year it really takes off. That’s when NDOT will plant wildflower seeds in areas that are hard to mow or maintain. The point of it is to not only increase pollinators, increase overall vibrance, and prevent stormwater issues but also save operating expenses because it cuts down on mowing costs if we implement this right. It’s a win-win for everybody.

And the extra priority item that I didn’t know I was going to be needed for is related to the skills I bring from my day job. I work in healthcare IT. And before Thanksgiving, I pulled a bill off third reading. It was about an IT contract where I had a lot of questions. It put me into a good position to do something about the Metro website, which I’m pretty stoked about. We now officially have a Metro UX UI (user experience user interface) Committee comprised of myself, Dave Rosenberg from the Mayor’s Office, and a representative from the Metro ITS (Information Technology Services). We’re going to revamp Nashville.gov.

In your day job you are the Director of Product Management for i2i, population health. which is “the nation’s largest population health technology company serving the underserved, safety net market, through community health centers (FQHCs), critical access and community hospitals, primary care associations, and managed care organizations.” How does your job translate to your work on Metro Council and with the city?

We work directly with FQHCs, Federally Qualified Health Centers. That has given me a very close and personal look into the overall process with Medicaid right now in America. We’ve got clients in Nashville [and across the

BY JUDITH TACKETT

country]. We deal a lot with health disparities, especially around social determinants of health.* Those are really important in ensuring that we are improving patient outcomes.

Our company essentially takes the data from health records, and we aggregate that into a manner that helps providers and FQHCs to make decisions in regard to the overall health and well-being of their patients.

This work ties in with my committees, specifically the Public Health and Safety Committee, which deals with the public health and well-being of the people in Nashville. It’s been really interesting to compare the disparities like access to grocery stores [in different areas]. We’re setting up people for failure in this country. It’s disgusting. I believe in a better way, and I know a lot of other people do, too. And that’s what I’m going to continue to fight for.

Besides the Public Health and Safety Committee, you also serve on the Homelessness Planning Council (HPC). What are achievable goals you think Metro should look into over the next couple of years to improve outcomes for Nashvillians who live on the margin of our community?

Number one I think is that we have to increase our initial housing options for our unhoused friends. We are not expanding at the rate at which we need to right now. And we also [need to set] realistic goals. We’re having success with OHS (Office of Homeless Services) in regard to getting folks into transitional housing. So, the process, I mean it’s not perfect right now, but at least it shows some promise. Especially from the HPC side it’s really good to see the process working and see good outcomes with this.

But I definitely think that building more housing and also securing more funding for mental health and substance abuse services [are crucial]. I think the mental health piece is going to be at the state level. But I believe there is an appetite for that. It’s not just for Nashville, and it’s not just to address our homelessness issue, but it’s in regard to [the fact that] we need to expand our mental health care in the state of Tennessee because it’s needed.

Also, I think in the next four years, this [Metro] Council needs to figure out and get behind a solid plan to fund and get Nashville General Hospital moved and opened. That seems to be a very attainable goal, and I look forward to that conversation. I was just over there a couple of weeks ago, and it’s embarrassing that that’s our city hospital, and that we let it get to that condition. In regard to your question and what we are going to do for the marginalized, that right there, ensuring that there is a hospital for you when you get sick that is clean and that looks nice. We have to do that.

In regard to the overall mental health, I think some low-hanging fruit I’m going to look at is to continue to partner with our Parks Department and expanding things that they do through their Greenways and Bikeways programs. It’s always good for mental health if you stretch your legs a little bit.

Finally, the biggest and most obvious thing we can support overall is expanding transit. I had a conversation with one of the union apprenticeship schools about an idea [to offer] quick entry into the construction trade for the unhoused people in Nashville. The biggest impediment was the lack of [access to] transit. That’s unacceptable in a city like ours. So, It’s going to be very important that we support

Metro Council Committees

• Budget and Finance

• Public Health and Safety

the transit referendum. When it comes up in Council, I can assure you, I’m going to vote for it. And if it passes, then it will go on to the voters of Davidson County.

The nation is in an affordable housing crisis that affects those with low incomes the most. What are some measures you would like to support to address the affordable housing crisis in Nashville?

We have to at least bring 30,000 units [for low-income people] online by 2030 just to keep up with the need. The number one thing we need to do is build right now with [developers] that realize that this is a serious, serious issue and that something has to be done. And they’re out there. I know because I’ve talked to them.

Right now, nothing is getting built fast enough. The people who are homeless in Hermitage and the people that OHS will see, they’re brand new. Where do they come from?

And the answer, I’m convinced, is that the overall rent is just absolutely ridiculous. People are losing their homes.

Doing nothing is not an option. But there are also some things our hands are tied on due to the state of Tennessee. Hopefully, they can help us. They have done some things this session that show that they could be open to conversations. I’m definitely looking forward to those [conversations] when they take place.

You collect political memorabilia, what is one of the most interesting pieces you have and why does it stand out to you?

I’ve got a lot of cool stuff. I’m a nerd. My office is wall-to-wall political memorabilia. It’s a little museum.

I collect primarily LBJ, FDR and Teddy Rosevelt. Those are my three specialties. I’ve got other stuff that are older, unique things. One item is a delegate metal from one of the nominating conventions from Tammany Hall, from around 1904, I think. And I have a couple of different pins from the SNCC, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee from the Civil Rights era.

Anything else that you would like to add?

The most important thing I have not talked about is my family. My wife Lesley, who is definitely the rock of our family, and our son Will, who just turned 2. We live off Chapel Road in Hermitage and we’re glad to always see The Contributor folks out there selling papers. They’re part of the community. We really appreciate what you all do.

*The federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC) defines social determinants of health as “the nonmedical factors that influence health outcomes. They are the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life.”

Have You Ever Considered Donating Your Hair?

For me, donating my hair is something I’ve ALWAYS done, for over 30 years.

A while back, I met a young man on my corner who had extremely long hair — it was gorgeous — far more beautiful than mine. (And that’s hard to admit!) I encouraged him to donate it, and much to my surprise, HE DID!

Recently he returned to show off his new look-he said he had donated over 20 inches! That motivated me to do the same, although I only had just over 12 inches to donate this time. I hope he returns soon to see my new look!

I know upon reading the title of this article, the first thought that comes to mind is probably Locks of Love. Many, including myself, have donated to that organization, and IT IS a worthy cause. However, I became disillusioned with them when I found out that to apply for a wig or hairpiece, they had to know every detail about your finances. By that, I mean they had to know about your bank accounts, savings, 401(k) etc.

Don’t get me wrong, I can understand that they may need to know some of that information, but are the financials what’s really important? I mean, let’s face it, if you receive

a cancer diagnosis, even if you have money on hand, cancer treatments can be VERY expensive and you can run through A LOT of money in a short amount of time. Anyone who’s ever had cancer can attest to that fact! Shouldn’t the emphasis be on helping as many people as possible with your program? Just something to consider before you donate, but enough about that....

There are other worthy hair donation programs out there that you may not be aware of each with their own requirements. Why not check them out?

My personal favorite is Children With Hair Loss. Why? They accept hair eight inches or more (of course, the more the better.) Though they do prefer non-color treated hair, they DO accept color treated hair, and they even accept gray hair! And perhaps the best part for me is that they give wigs/hairpieces free of charge to children and young adults with ANY medically diagnosed reason for hair loss. Their motto is, “Covering Young Heads to Heal Young Hearts.” Please check them out at: childrenwithhairloss. org. There you can find all the information you need on how to donate your hair, make a monetary donation, or even apply for hair. If for some reason this program does not

Love

BY JOHN H., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

I know America wasn’t built on love, but God said we must love him and our neighbor to get into his kingdom when we are. Many times I shed tears of joy just thinking about the love my parents taught me as a child. It first had to start at home then spread abroad. Out of all the commandments God commanded, Love was the most important. Ya see, God put me on this corner for a purpose. Love don’t change. Many pass to and fro and many times love is not shown. Per say: If I pass you and say hello many would like a hello in return. What really puzzles me is when

my Christian brothers and sisters going and coming from church have such hateful attitudes. God said a love that’s not shown is worthless. Many think they’re much better than you. I've read the Bible all my life and as I recall, we all have the same qualifications to get into God’s Kingdom, and when we get there, there is no such thing as I’m better than you.

If you gave me a million dollars right now, I’ll still come to this corner and sell The Contributor because I love you and love writing and sharing God’s word with you. I’ve got six sisters and one brother in my family and this is some-

appeal to you, there are others out there. Here are a few additional options along with their websites where you can find additional information about their programs:

• Wigs for Kids: wigs4kids.org

• Maggie’s Wigs for Kids of Michigan Inc. (Different than the organization listed above): sharedetroit.org

• Hair We Share: hairweshare.org

• Wigs and Wishes: wigsandwishes.org

• Pink Heart Funds: PinkHeartFunds.org. They also help provide breast prosthetics/ bras for breast cancer survivors

• Matter of Trust: Matteroftrust.org. For the environmentally conscious consider Matter of Trust as they accept hair, fur and fiber as a part of a clean wave program.

• Dreadlocks 2 Love: Dreadlocs2love.org

My advice: just don’t settle for the one everyone’s heard of (Locks of Love). Do some research, and choose the one that’s right for you. There is no wrong decision here. EVERYONE's a winner both donors and recipients!

Just make sure of their requirements BEFORE cutting your hair!

If you want to donate your hair but think you

thing we all do, share God’s word. We were raised that way. It’s natural. On the other hand, we have a life too, but we season our life with God and our neighbor. Maybe you should try it. You might like it.

I was talking to a guy and he told me, “John, there’s something about you. I’m up and down these streets everyday and you’re not like many. Seems as if you have a spirit of love that surrounds you all the time. I see it in your walk. I like that. I wanna hang with you more often.”

It stung me. You’d be surprised who’s watching. I love y’all!

can’t afford a professional cut, consider going to a beauty school and getting it done. That’s what I did, and it’s much more cost effective than a traditional salon.

Also, be sure to check and see if the salon/ cosmetology school you choose offers discounts to customers who donate their hair. Some of them will even mail it off for you so all you have to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy your new look!

Final thoughts: to those who approve of my decision to donate my hair and show it by their actions, like the young man mentioned at the outset of this story, I would like to say a heartfelt thank you!

To those who condemn my actions saying things like cutting my hair short is an, “abomination unto the Lord,” I must say I’ve NEVER read that verse in my Bible. Similarly, to those who say that by cutting my hair I’ve, “lost my crown of beauty,” I say to you that Proverbs 16:31 says, “Gray/silver hair is a crown of beauty or splendor,” (depending on the translation you use), and I assure you I have PLENTY of that so my “crown” is STILL intact!

I can’t help but wonder if you’d feel that way if someone you loved needed a hairpiece or a wig. It’s definitely something to think about.

Report says babies and young children most affected by microplastics

BY AMANDA HAGGARD

Babies and children are the most vulnerable to microplastics in the environment, according to a report from EARTHDAY.ORG, formerly known as the Earth Day Network.

Babies and infants are particularly vulnerable to the health risks associated with microplastic exposure due to various factors, including their developmental stages and behaviors like crawling, teething, and tasting objects. The exposure tied to age-related behaviors is largely because of their proximity to plastic toys, clothes, furniture, indoor air pollution and breast milk. Studies indicate that babies ingest and inhale

higher levels of microplastics compared to adults.

“High concentrations of microplastics in the feces of one-year-old infants can be attributed to extensive use of plastic products/articles such as baby feeding bottles, sippy cups, utensils such as spoons and bowls, plastic teethers, and toys, among others, during that growth stage,” said Kurunthachalam Kannan, PhD, Department of Pediatrics at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine.

Babies and young children spend more time indoors than most other humans, 90 percent of their time, according to the report — and the average American home now has very high levels

of microplastics throughout. The report points to a 2022 study published by Environmental Pollution, which collected dust samples from 108 homes across 29 countries. The samples recorded the following percentages of synthetic polymer fibers:

• Polyester 9.1%, typically used in clothing

• Polyamide 7.7%, typically used in textiles

• Polyvinyls 5.8%, typically used in floor varnishes

• Polyurethane 4.4%, typically used in coatings on furniture

• Polyethylene 3.6%, typically used

in food containers/reusable bags

At these levels, a person would be inhaling an average 26-130 airborne microplastics per day. Other research out of Denmark showed that four percent of the particles in the air were made up of microplastics.

“People who breathe more through their mouth are likely to have more particles reach the lungs. Inhaled particles may activate T-cells, be phagocytized by macrophages, and be transported to the lymph nodes,” the report reads. “Large particles may be deposited in the tracheobronchial region and, if soluble, enter the body.”

Global plastic production and accumulation

1,000 million tons

5,300 million tons Discarded

Yearly production

Resin and fibers

UNEP (2021). From Pollution to Solution: A global assessment of marine litter and plastic pollution. Nairobi.

This report utilizes the most recent research and scientific papers and studies on microplastics and their role in the world, as they relate to the risks associated with plastics, their associated chemical additives, and microplastics. The term microplastics describes the billions of bits of plastic that come from the breakdown of large pieces of plastic or which have been deliberately manufactured for use in commercial products. They can also come from microbeads used in beauty and healthcare products like skin exfoliants and toothpastes. Secondary microplastics are made from the fragmentation and weathering of larger plastic objects, which most people have seen frequently in their own communities: Over time, a large bag might split itself into several smaller pieces and end up all over your neighborhood after someone cuts their grass. They can found almost anywhere in nature.

The entirety of health risks associated with microplastics aren’t fully known in children or adults, according to the report, but a slew of evidence suggests that microplastics can bio -

accumulate in major organs, breach the blood-brain barrier and have been found in the human placenta. In some cases, microplastics and their additives have been linked to higher rates of miscarriage, male infertility and childhood cancer in some communities.

“Research suggests the health implications presented by microplastics extend to children both before and after birth,” the report says. “There’s evidence microplastics can interrupt maternal-fetal communication and potentially damage DNA. Some studies even report finding links between microplastic ingestion and attention deficit disorder. (ADHD). Reports have linked them to autism, behavioral & developmental issues, endocrine disruption (which can manifest as early onset puberty), and some cancers, including in the prostate gland of fetuses, and much more.”

Microplastic ingestion, inhalation and bioaccumulation have been associated with a range of health issues in children, including attention deficit disorder (ADHD), autism, behavioral and developmental issues, endocrine

disruption and certain cancers, according to the report. The report also cites a study in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, which claims humans could be eating between 39,000 to 52,000 microplastic particles per year through our meals.

Given the ubiquity of plastics and the potential health risks associated with microplastics, the report emphasizes the importance of adopting a precautionary approach to mitigate exposure and conduct further research on the health implications.

“There are more plastics now than there have ever been and production is increasing,” the report says. “In 2021, over 390 million tons of plastic were produced with a market value of $593 billion. Plastic production already accounts for 3.4% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions51, a percentage that will increase as the petrochemical industry pivots to plastic production, partially to counter a consumer market shifting away from petroleum-based fuel sources. And those figures don’t include the additional GHG contribu-

tions from incineration, landfilling, and other waste management practices.”

The group comes to the conclusion that unless something is done, current rates of plastic production would potentially double by 2040.

They call on using a precautionary principle that in the future a new product whose effects are untested or too unknown should be resisted to enable decision-makers to “adopt precautionary measures when scientific evidence about an environmental or human health hazard is uncertain and the stakes are high.”

In short, there are too many unknowns and negative consequences to continue on the current path.

“Our reliance on plastics could be the biggest gamble in the story of human health, in history,” said Kathleen Rogers, the president of EARTHDAY. ORG. “We are all ingesting and inhaling microplastics. They are everywhere. Are we just hoping they are safe, or is even the remotest possibility they might be toxic so terrifying that we can’t contemplate it?”

LA NOTICIA

“The Contributor” está trabajando con uno de los principales periódicos en español La Noticia para llevar contenido a más lectores en Middle Tennessee. Nuestros vendedores de periódicos han pedido durante mucho tiempo que nuestra publicación incluya contenido que apele al interés de residentes de habla hispana en nuestra comunidad.

“The Contributor” is working with one of the leading Spanish-language newspapers La Noticia to bring content to more readers in Middle Tennessee. Our newspaper vendors have long requested that our publication include content that appeals to the interest of Spanish-speaking residents in our community.

L a a N N ticia ticia

¿Cuántas veces nos hemos preguntado al contemplar el curso de nuestras vidas

Por Yuri Cunza Editor-In-Chief @yuricunza

"¿que hubiese ocurrido si hubiéramos tomado una decisión diferente, o si un evento inesperado no hubiera ocurrido?" La fascinante Teoría del Caos y su metáfora del Efecto Mariposa nos ofrecen una perspectiva intrigante sobre estas interrogantes.

En el cosmos de la ciencia moderna, la Teoría del Caos emerge como una fascinante exploración del orden y el caos que rigen nuestro universo. A diferencia de la visión determinista del pasado, donde cada evento era considerado el resultado inevitable de una cadena predecible de causas, la Teoría del Caos nos revela un universo donde pequeños cambios pueden desencadenar consecuencias descomunales.

Esta sensibilidad a las condiciones iniciales se resume en la famosa metáfora del Efecto Mariposa, popularizada por el meteorólogo Edward Lorenz. La idea central es que el aleteo de una mariposa en Brasil podría, en teoría, provocar un tornado en Texas.

La teoría del caos, también conocida como teoría de los sistemas dinámicos complejos, describe el comportamiento de sistemas dinámicos sensibles a las condiciones iniciales. En otras palabras, pequeños cambios en las condiciones iniciales pueden llevar a grandes e impredecibles cambios en el futuro.

El efecto mariposa no se refiere a que un evento trivial cause un desastre de manera directa, sino a la compleja red de interacciones que amplifican

pequeñas variaciones a lo largo del tiempo. Imaginemos un péndulo oscilando: un pequeño empujón al principio puede alterar su trayectoria de manera significativa después de varias oscilaciones.

La teoría del caos tiene aplicaciones en diversos campos, desde la meteorología hasta la economía. En meteorología, por ejemplo, el caos explica por qué es tan difícil predecir el clima a largo plazo. Pequeñas variaciones en la temperatura o la presión atmosférica pueden generar grandes cambios en los patrones climáticos.

En economía, la teoría del caos se utiliza para analizar los mercados financieros, donde pequeños cambios en el comportamiento de los inversores pueden provocar grandes fluctuaciones en los precios de las acciones.

Conoce tus derechos:

¿Que hacer en caso de una redada?

1. Mantenerse callado

2. Sólo dar nombre y apellido

3. No mentir

4. Nunca acepte/lleve documentos falsos

5. No revelar su situación migratoria

6. No llevar documentación de otro país

7. En caso de ser arrestado, mostrarla Tarjeta Miranda (llámenos si necesita una)

Basados en la Quinta Enmienda de la Constitución, los derechos de guardar silencio y contar con un abogado fueron denominados Derechos Miranda luego de la decisión de la Suprema Corte de Justicia de Estados Unidos en el caso Miranda vs. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, de 1966.

Aunque la teoría del caos puede parecer determinista, también tiene un componente aleatorio. Esto significa que, incluso conociendo todas las condiciones iniciales de un sistema, es imposible predecir su comportamiento con absoluta precisión.

La teoría del caos nos enseña que el universo es un lugar complejo e impredecible, donde pequeños eventos pueden tener grandes consecuencias. Esta idea puede parecer desalentadora, pero también nos recuerda la importancia de la acción individual y la fragilidad de los sistemas que nos rodean.

En resumen:

• La teoría del caos describe cómo pequeños cambios en las condiciones iniciales pueden llevar a grandes e impredecibles cambios en el futuro.

• El efecto mariposa es una metáfora que ilustra la sensibilidad a las condiciones iniciales.

• La teoría del caos tiene aplicaciones en diversos campos, desde la meteorología hasta la economía.

• El universo es un lugar complejo e impredecible, donde pequeños eventos pueden tener grandes consecuencias.

Envíenos sus sugerencias por e-mail: news@hispanicpaper.com ó 615-567-3569

The Butterfly Effect: Chaos Theory Demonstrates How Small Changes Can Lead to Catastrophic Events

A Life-Changing Decision: What Would You Do If It Was Up To You?

BY NORMA B., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

Eyes once clear and bright looking forward to what the future held

Now filled with tears hazy and obscure

Full of fear and anxiety

Unsure of what lies ahead

Ears that hear what I wish I hadn’t heard

I’d love to change it if only I could

I have a mouth and the ability to speak

That’s NEVER been a problem for me

But who would I talk to, what would I say?

So many thoughts racing in my mind today

How do I possibly explain what I don’t even understand

It strikes with no regard to gender age or race

Men, women, and children

It DOES NOT discriminate

Often there are no signs and symptoms until it’s too late

No words to express the gravity of what’s in store

I find myself speechless

Shaken to the core

For the victims of this relentless scourge

Limbs once strong steady as a rock

Now rendered weak barely able to walk

Numb at the thought of what’s in store

More tests and experimental medicine

of that I can be sure

All in hopes of a miraculous cure

There are no guarantees

Some side effects may be worse than the disease or so I’ve been told

How do you decide what to do when faced with such a choice?

Those you love are shocked to hear the news

Each one has an opinion of course

what they think you should do

To you it ALL just sounds like noise

Still it’s a decision you can’t avoid

It has to be made, no time to waste

What would you do if the choice was yours to make?

There’s no way to know with certainty what you would say or do unless or until it happens to you.

I pray it NEVER does!

Community Changes

BY DANIEL H., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

We are feeling a loss in our community. Recently I have written about Second Story Cards. Annie Greene, a member of the company, has recently left and will be missed. She worked with Reed Sandridge to assist in creating the cards and stickers which are asked by the artist to contribute to its making. Please remember that they are dependent upon the support of the community, and sold in 30-plus states. Thank you Annie for being part of our family. Also, I am a part of Daybreak Arts.

We have been informed that Emily Wertheim will be leaving after seven years of working side by side with artists and the community. She has been an invaluable member who has contacted businesses for displaying art for sale, cataloged and photographed art for artists, and showed her love and support by contacting individual artists on a personal level. She worked with the Frist Art Museum, and sold her art in shows throughout the United States. She is going to be taking an opportunity

to move up to building a new way of creating works of art. From family members of the artist community who have grown to know you, we wish you happiness and success. Please remember that 80 percent of proceeds from sale of art goes to the artists at Daybreak Arts. Artists at Second Story Cards receive the benefit of purchases of cards and stickers. Thank you to our community family, and the Contributor Newspaper for giving us a voice offered by the First Amendment.

Unsafe Bus Station

BY JULIE B. CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

The Nashville bus station is turning into an unsafe space. There’s graffiti on the walls of the women’s restroom and there is nothing done about it. Obviously no one cares if this goes on in bus station bathrooms. Why do we have security in our bus station if they’re not going to do their jobs? Why do we have cops sitting in the bus station if they’re not going to do their job that we pay them to do? If this is going to go on in our bus station why aren’t we do-

ing something about it? I will tell you why, because everyone is so worried about the homeless sitting and lying everywhere that they are not doing anything about the real crimes that are being committed in our bus station and in our city. Even the dog park is not safe anymore. Someone got their wallet stolen today. Our city is not safe and it is not because of the homeless; it is because of the criminals. I guess it is true that cops just sit around and eat donuts.

JULIA COLLINS, NURSE. @GOLDFINGEZ3000, CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

When comparing humility to pride/ego, most of the comparisons are common sense, but I wanted to study the unseen factors of these three very opposite emotions. I found that they are not as opposite as I thought, and all three can be very helpful if they are in balance with each other, and from experience being unbalanced with your emotions will cause a lot of life problems. So the term I would like to use is, “even keel,” defined as maintaining an emotional balance, working or progressing smoothly, without any sudden change, calm or steady, especially during or after a period of troubles or difficulty. The definition of humble is not proud and does not believe they are better than other people, keeping quiet about their accomplishments and good things they do. The Latin word for humility is humilitas, which means groundedness. Researchers show that true humility is an honest, grounded confidence and an ability to view oneself accurately, talents and flaws, viewed as weakness, but it is actually strength. An article by Rasey LaVine states that people who are humble by their circumstances may face hard realities by an

Humility Vs. Pride/Ego

BY MARK N., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

unforeseen disaster, financial crisis, public humiliation or embarrassment. Some people will recognize these hard truths and seek help others might not. Words that describe a person who is not humble: proud, arrogant, self-centered, egocentric, egotistical, narcissistic or boastful. Moving on to pride, first, positive pride is having a strong sense of selfworth. The definition of self-worth is a sense of one’s own value as a human being. What about an overly unbalanced pride? A person characterized by lack of self-awareness, often blind to their personal flaws and resistant to acknowledge areas for improvement. How about a positive ego? A healthy ego is a good thing, because it boosts our self-confidence, pushing us to confront or overcome our fears. Finally, an out of control ego is a feeling of intense jealousy when others succeed, having a persistent need to be right during arguments, and winning at all cost. In my opinion, I see these emotions every day, good and bad. It’s amazing how people, including myself, react, feel or think about emotion, or not. In America, we do have free will, which means we can watch what we

want to, we have freedom of speech, we can even carry a gun while we are exercising these freedoms. For myself, studying these emotions was therapy. Now, let me go to the word of God and see what he said about emotion. First of all, the Bible said in so many words the heart is the seat of emotion. For some Biblical ancestors, the heart was hardened. Some showed affection. The heart is mentioned over 300 times. I read that even physiologists say that the heart is capable of sending fear inducing signals to the brain. Matthew 22:37-39 says, “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the greatest commandment, and the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Proverbs 12:25 says, “Heaviness in the heart of a man maketh it stoop, but a good word maketh glad.” (Stoop means bend over.)

The main Biblical ancestor I think of when it comes to a hard heart is what Joseph brothers did to him. Genesis 37:4 says, “When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.”

Amazing. And this happens today. When a person finds out they are not as good as someone else, especially if that person has a big out of control ego or I’m the king or queen of whatever, it’s going to be hatred, and what they did to young Joseph was terrible, but God had his hands on him and other people saw what Israel saw in his son.

And what about Jonah, whose heart was so hardened he refused God’s commandments and sailed away from Nineveh. He reminds me of me, always headed in the wrong direction. He knew God would save the people of Nineveh, but he himself didn’t want to see that happen. Talk about big ego and pride. Romans 12:3 says, “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” In conclusion, writing these words have been very helpful to me, and my hopes are that someone else may look at the things we do every day and maybe we might need to check or be aware of how we think, feel or display our emotion.

COMIC BY DENNIS T., CONTRIBUTOR VENDOR

The New Christian Year

Selected by Charles Williams

Charles Walter Stansby Williams (1886–1945), the editor of the following selections, is today probably the third most famous of the famous Inklings literary group of Oxford, England, which existed in the middle of the 20th century, and which included among its ranks the better-known and longer-lived Oxford Dons J.R.R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. First published in 1941, this series of profound quotations, encompassing all walks of life, follows the sequence of the themes and Bible readings anciently appointed for contemplation throughout the church's year. It is hoped that the readings reproduced here will prove beneficial for any who read them, whatever their place in life's journey. — Matthew Carver

5TH WEDNESDAY AFTER EASTER

JESUS is at all times assailed by false witnesses, and while wickedness remains in the world is ever exposed to accusation. And yet even now he continues silent before these things, and makes no audible answer, but places his defense in the lives of his genuine disciples.

Origen: Against Celsus.

FEAST OF ST MARK THE EVANGELIST

WHO has taught the evangelists the qualities of a perfectly heroic soul, that they paint it so perfectly in Jesus Christ? Why do they make Him weak in His agony? Do they know how to paint a resolute death? Yes, for the same Saint Luke paints the death of Saint Stephen as braver than that of Jesus Christ.

They make him therefore capable of fear, before the necessity of dying has come, and then altogether brave.

But When they make Him so troubled, it is when He afflicts Himself; and when men afflict Him, he is altogether strong.

Pascal: Pensées.

5TH THURSDAY AFTER EASTER

THE hatred of evil things is for a man to hate his own sins, and to justify those of his neighbour.

The Paradise of the Fathers.

A man’s life or death cometh from his neighbour; if we benefit our brother we benefit ourselves, and if we offend him we sin against God.

The Paradise of the Fathers.

5TH FRIDAY AFTER EASTER

GOD’S own work must be done by God's own ways. Otherwise we can take not comfort in obtaining the end, if we cannot justify the means used thereunto.

Thomas Fuller: Good Thoughts in Bad Times.

For twenty years I continued to fight against one thought— that I might see all men of one mind.

The Paradise of the Fathers.

5TH SATURDAY AFTER EASTER

EITHER let us fear the wrath to come, or let us love the grace that is present—either this or that; only be it ours to be found in Christ Jesus unto live, which is life indeed.

St Ignatius: Epistle to the Ephesians.

Man has a natural dread of walking in the gloom—what wonder then that he naturally has a dread of the unconditional, of having to do with the unconditional, of which it holds good that no night and "no deepest gloom half so dark" as this gloom and this night, where all relative ends (the common milestones and signposts), where all relative considerations (the lanterns which else are a help to us), where even the tenderest and sincerest feelings of devotion—are quenched . . . for otherwise it is not unconditionally the unconditional.

Kierkegaard: Journals.

FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER

NOTHING is so easy to men of goodwill as goodwill itself, and this is all that God requires. Every act of goodwill permanently and sensibly increases goodwill. Trifling acts of goodwill are often more efficacious in this way than great ones. A flower given in kindness and at the right time profits more, both to the giver and receiver, than some vast material benefit in which the goodwill is hidden by the

magnitude of the act. Some little, sensible individual touch from the hand of our Lord may convert the heart more than the contemplation of His death for us.

Patmore: The Rod, The Root, and the Flower.

6TH MONDAY AFTER EASTER

REMEMBER: he who despises and mocks a mental gift in another, calling it pride and selfishness and sin, mocks Jesus, the giver of every mental gift, which always appear to the ignorance loving hypocrite as sins: but that which is a sin in the sight of cruel man, is not so in the sight of our kind God. Let every Christian, as much as in him lies, engage himself openly and publicly, before all the world, in some mental pursuit for the building up of Jerusalem.

` Blake: Jerusalem.

6TH TUESDAY AFTER EASTER

IT may fortune thou wilt say, "I am content to do the best for my neighbour that I can, saving myself harmless." I promise thee, Christ will not hear this excuse; for he himself suffered harm for our sakes, and for our salvation was put to extreme death. I wis, if it had pleased him, he might have saved us and never felt pain; but in suffering pains and death he did give us example, and teach us how we should do one for another, as he did for us all; for, as he saith himself, "he that will be mine, let him deny himself, and follow me, in bearing my cross and suffering my pains." Wherefore we must needs suffer pain with Christ to do our neighbour good, as well with the body and all his members, as with heart and mind.

Latimer: Sermons.

FEAST OF ST PHILIP AND ST JAMES

THE Church belongs not to the present, but has existed from the begin- ning; the Church which is spiritual is now manifest in the Flesh of Christ.

St Clement: Epistles.

Freely we serve Because we freely love, and in our will To love or not; in this we stand or fall.

Milton: Paradise Lost.

6TH WEDNESDAY AFTER EASTER

NO commandment . . . is kept if, upon pretence of keeping that com- mandment, or of the service of God, I come to an uncharitable opinion of other men . . . This abundant and overflowing charity is the persuasive and antidote against the woe of this text, Woe unto the world because of scandals and offences.

Donne: Sermons.

In every particular man there is some reason why he should be more afraid of God’s judgements than another man. Donne: Sermons.

Sole Victor from the expulsion of his foes, Messiah his triumphal chariot turned.

John Milton: Paradise Lost.

6TH THURSDAY AFTER EASTER

EXPERIENCE makes us see an enormous difference between piety and goodness.

Pascal: Pensées.

It is impossible that God should ever be the end, if He is not the beginning. We lift our eyes on high, but lean upon the sand; and the earth will dissolve, and we shall fall whilst looking at the heavens.

Pascal: Pensées.

Sponsored by Matthew Carver, publisher

6TH FRIDAY AFTER EASTER

HE is a good time-server that improves the present for God’s glory and his own salvation. Of all the extent of time, only the instant is that we can call ‘ours.’

Thomas Fuller: The Holy and the Profane State.

If God gives us masters from his own hand, with what willingness we ought to obey them! Necessity and events inevitably follow.

Pascal: Pensées.

6TH SATURDAY AFTER EASTER

THOU hast commanded, and so it is, that every inordinate affection should be its own punishment.

St Augustine: Confessions.

Mercy is born of that love which we ought to exercise towards each other. If we do not, God will require it of us at the Judgement Day; and, where He findeth not the requisite mercy, He will refuse mercy, as He Himself has said.

Tauler: Sermons.

SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER

CHARITY is the great channel through which God passes all his mercy upon mankind. For we receive absolution of our sins in proportion to our forgiving our brother. This is the rule of our hopes, and the measure of our desire in this world; and in the day of death and judgement the great sentence upon mankind shall be transacted according to our alms, which is the other part of charity. Certain it is, that God cannot, will not, never did, reject a charitable man in his greatest needs and in his most passionate prayers; for God Himself is love, and every degree of charity that dwells in us is the participation of the Divine nature.

Jeremy Taylor: Holy Dying.

7TH MONDAY AFTER EASTER

WHEN our Lord says, “Except a man hateth his father and mother, yea, and his own life, he cannot be my disciple,” it is because our best tempers are yet carnal and full of imperfections of our fallen nature. The doctrine is just and good, not as if father and mother were to be hated, but that love, which an unregenerate person or natural man has towards them, is to be hated as being a blind self-love, full of all the weakness and partiality with which fallen man loves, honours, esteems, and cleaves to himself. This love, born from corrupt flesh and blood and polluted with self, is to be hated and parted with, that we may love them with a love born of God, with such a love and on such a motive as Christ has loved us.

William Law: The Spirit of Prayer.

7TH TUESDAY AFTER EASTER

GOD does not lead all His servants by one road, nor in one way, nor at one time; for God is in all things; and that man is not serving God aright, who can only serve Him in his own self-chosen way.

Tauler: Sermons.

The impossibles of the lower nature are the commonplaces of the higher.

Eckhart: The Book of Benedictus.

THEME: GRADUATION

38. Adjust the pitch, with "up"

42. Previous VP

45. Marcona nut

49. Skedaddle

51. Moroccan spiced stew

54. Eurasian antelope

56. Sacha Cohen's middle name

57. Olden days "do", second person singular

58. Sean Penn's movie

"____ the Wild"

59. Embarkation location

60. *Student aid

61. Catch one's breath

62. Not on time

63. One on a list

64. Bald eagle's nest

67. *Graduation garb topper

PIECES OF POETRY - 23

Words Heard in The Contributor

04 / 24 / 2024 I wish I could afford, What it cost to have more to offer. The Resources, To reach out and teach them, It’s fun to be the one holding open the door. Someone with a cause worth fighting for. Whatever I’ve got, which may not be a lot, Feel Free... What’s been given to me is yours...

Garbage in & Garbage out.

What does it take to remove all doubt?

From where you’ve been, To where you are now.

We’ll figure it out together somehow... Somehow together we’ll figure it out...

Words Not Worth Being Heard, Can Poison, Can Hurt, Can Harm and Make Worse.

Words Worth Being Heard, Can Help. Put other’s needs before yourself. No Good Deed is Ever Forgotten, For Nothing or Un-Deserved. Consider it an honor, You have what you want, And are called upon to serve. I’m part of “Music’s Universe” Because I write the words.

Words Not Worth Being Heard...

Garbage in & Garbage out. What does it take to remove all doubt?

From where you’ve been, To where you are now.

We’ll figure it out together somehow... Somehow together we’ll figure it out...

Not every city has a Street Paper. No other street paper has got Chris Scott. The Contributor’s Songwriter Poet Laureate. A lyricist he is, a musician he is not.

That’s how you ended up getting, what you got. That’s just Chris Scott just being Chris Scott.

What can I say?

In so short amount of time? And remember it all has to have, Rhythm and Rhyme. Thank you Holy Spirit, That I can clearly hear it, And Thank You God, that in my heart, I have a One Track Mind.

Garbage in & Garbage out. What does it take to remove all doubt?

From where you’ve been, To where you are now.

We’ll figure it out together somehow...

Somehow together we’ll figure it out...

Captain Nashville Chris Scott F.

WRITTEN

It ain’t easy being me. It takes a lot to look this good. Knowing you’re right where you’re supposed to be, Doing what you should.

A regular Captain Nashville, Fighting for the Homeless, Song Writing, Robin Hood.

Misguided and Misunderstood, But still, doing the best he could...

Welcome to My World, Where Good Intentions and all that’s been spent, You Hope and Pray, that maybe someday, Ends up landing upon Good Soil.

A Dream no negativity can ever be able to spoil...

Low Man Joe

WRITTEN

Oh... Joe’s the type of guy you like to have around. He’s quick to pick you up when you’re feeling down.

He’s happy to help and he’s lending a hand, And he’s someone you can count on, When you need a friend.

Well, he’s the low man on the totem pole.

When you need something done,

Call: Low Man Joe.

He’s ready and willing and raring to go,

And it’s not a big problem for Low Man Joe.

No... It’s not a big problem for Low Man Joe...

He’s the designated driver to make a run,

And chip in a little bit, if you’re low on funds.

He’s the life of the party, behind the scenes.

The one who’s taking care of the little things.

When you’ve got a dirty job, that must get done, And someone’s got to do it and miss the fun.

It’s never his fault, but he’s taking the blame.

He’s there when you call, and he never complains.

Well, he’s the low man on the totem pole.

When you need something done, Call: Low Man Joe.

He’s ready and willing and raring to go, And it’s not a big problem for Low Man Joe.

No... It’s not a big problem for Low Man Joe...

Well, he’ll be right by your side, when you’re under attack. He’s the type of guy who’ll give you,

The shirt off his back.

He’s the kind of a friend that you’re glad you’ve got.

A Generous Man with a Servant’s Heart. Oh...

Well, he’s the low man on the totem pole. When you need something done, Call: Low Man Joe.

He’s ready and willing and raring to go, And it’s not a big problem for Low Man Joe. No... It’s not a big problem for Low Man Joe...

WRITTEN BY CHRIS SCOTT FIESELMAN

BY CHRIS SCOTT FIESELMAN

BY CHRIS SCOTT FIESELMAN

HOBOSCOPES

TAURUS

Sure, Taurus, I guess you could describe me as an avid-outdoorsman. I do love the outdoors, afterall. I mean, I’ve certainly been to the outdoors. Or, I’m at least very aware that there are places on the other side of these doors that one could describe as “out.” OK, given the choice, I’m more likely to stay in. When I look out the window, though, I see you out there. Stomping around. Solving problems. Mastering nature and whatnot. This is just a friendly reminder from a well-meaning homebody that not all your problems are out there in the world. Sometimes it’s an inside job.

GEMINI

The ancient Greeks believed that creatures who could shed their skin could go on living forever. When the goddess Eos fell in love with the mortal Tithonus, she begged Zeus to grant him eternal life so that they could be together. Zeus, who never much wanted anybody to be happy, agreed. He turned Tithonus into a Cicada. Ever-living, ever-shedding, ever-being reborn. The Greeks said that’s why cicadas make so much racket. They’re still mad at Zeus. If you’ve still got resentments you haven’t voiced, Gemini, yell them in the yard in the morning. I hear it helps.

CANCER

I heard they’re making a biopic about the guy from all those cell phone commercials. You know, he’s got the hard-hat and he walks around on his phone saying “Who even IS this?” and at the end he looks at the camera and they show the logo of the cell-carrier and he winks. Anyway, Cancer, they’re making a movie about him starring, I think, Bradley Cooper? My point is that whatever you’re excited about this week, stay excited. Because whatever you’re excited about this week, it’s probably more important than the biopic they’re making about the cell phone commercial guy. Who even IS he?

LEO

I used to post every picture I took on social media. I wanted everybody to know about the cool places I go. I wanted everybody to notice the unique way that I see the world. But then somebody would misunderstand or my post wouldn’t get enough likes. So I just started texting pictures to my friends. Which was great, but it still left a gap between us and made me feel distant. So I started taking pictures just for me. But then when I would flip through them, I’d feel lonely. So I stopped taking pictures at all, Leo, and started spending more time with the people I care about. Sometimes I miss the likes, but I’m getting more loves.

VIRGO

Wait, so what is frozen custard, anyway? It’s just ice cream, right? Just, like, thicker, or something? Anyway, Virgo, sometimes changing the way you talk about yourself changes the way you interact with the world. Like, my old business cards said “Cashier & Stocker” but I just updated them to say “VHS & Tanning Specialist” and people are already responding better to me at work. One customer even brought me some frozen custard and it’s delicious. What I’m saying, Virgo, is you can literally call yourself anything you want. Tell us who you want to be.

LIBRA

Every app I use lately seems to want a lot of encouragement. “Take some time to rate us!” “Could you share your feedback?” “Please tell us how we did!” Sure, Libra, I’ll get in there to leave a 5-star for a real human delivery driver, but these apps have got to figure out how to generate their own self-worth without begging for endless feedback. Once you start relying on positive reviews to give you a sense of value, it’s a bottomless pit. While I’ve got you, Libra, please rate me on amateurastrologerfinder.net. I hate to ask, but it’s the main way I get connected to more Libras like you.

SCORPIO

You might still get a reply to the fan letter you wrote to Mark-Paul Gosselaar in 1992. (Nothing in the stars about this, Scorpio, I’m just pointing out that it’s possible.) And he might tell you that your letter meant a lot to him at a very confusing time in his life. (I mean, he might.) And he might say that he always wanted to meet you but was afraid to ask. (I guess this actually could happen, Scorpio.) And he might invite you to visit him on the set of another new Saved By The Bell reboot and stay in his Malibu mansion. But if he doesn’t, Scorpio, and if none of this happens, I want you to know that the things you say and do — they really matter to the people you say and do them to.

SAGITTARIUS

What were you doing 13 years ago, Sagittarius? I was sweeping cicada shells off the porch at the Wandering Hills Super-Video and Tan. I spent that whole summer worried about not having enough money and afraid I was getting too old and that nobody understood me. And here I am, 13 years later. Still worried about money. Still afraid for my health. Still lonelier than I wish. And, surprisingly, still sweeping the porch at Wandering Hills. So where did all that worry get me, Sagittarius? Well, it sure was distracting. Maybe this week look up from whatever you're sweeping and see what else and who else is around.

CAPRICORN

Stubbing your toe on a coffee table, now that’s respectable. But I somehow stubbed my toe on the textured print in the linoleum on the kitchen floor. It’s basically flat. And I’m wearing hiking boots. I can’t believe I’m even telling you this, Capricorn. Mostly I just want you to understand that you don’t have to make excuses for the ways you’ve been hurt. The wounds are real, that’s all that matters. And healing just takes time. Could you hand me the remote? I should probably keep this elevated.

AQUARIUS

I bought a bunch of seeds back in February, but I still haven’t gotten any of them into the ground. I’ve just been super busy running around all day catching up on everything that I’m behind-on and avoiding the things that would be on-time if I did them today. So those seed packets just sit by the backdoor doing nothing. But I’ve got the day off tomorrow, Aquarius. Do you want to come over and maybe help me get something in the ground? It’s a good day to help each other with the first step. Even seeds need a little help getting started.

PISCES

You deserve to be paid for what you’ve been through, Pisces. Honestly, I think you do. I think you deserve a lot of things. You deserve to be free. You deserve to love and be loved. You deserve the opportunity to experience the fullness of a human life with all its hope, joy, fear, regret, wonder, sorrow, pleasure and discomfort. You deserve to awaken. To be fully present in your own body. You might not get the money, Pisces. You might not get enough of anything I listed. But if you feel you aren’t getting what you deserve, try being what you deserve.

ARIES

I’ve been trying to practice truly wishing people well. Like, I start with somebody I care about, like my dentist, and I picture them in my mind and say the words “I wish you well.” Then I think about somebody neutral, who I don’t have very strong feelings about, like my dental hygienist, and I picture them and say “I wish you well.” Then I think about somebody I have a difficult time with, like the receptionist at my dentist’s office, and I say…wait, I’m sorry, Aries, this exercise is harder than I expected. But give it a try. I wish you well.

Mr. Mysterio is not a licensed astrologer, a registered member of the Saved by the Bell society, or a beloved personal injury attorney. Listen to the Mr. Mysterio podcast at mrmysterio.com Or just give him a call at 707-VHS-TAN1

arubenfeldlaw.com

202 South Eleventh Street Nashville, Tennessee 37206

Telephone: (615) 386-9077

Facsimile: (615) 386-3897

ABBY R. RUBENFELD Attorney at Law

The two best limited series of 2024 are streaming straight off the bookshelf

We’re not even halfway through the year, but I can’t imagine that any upcoming limited series will match the greatness of a pair of anthology programs that have already landed on streaming platforms in 2024. Both shows boast storied antecedents, great talents and cinema-quality production values. And both shows find their roots in mid-century American crime literature and the lives of a pair of celebrity authors.

Feud: Capote vs. The Swans is the second installment of Ryan Murphy’s Feud series which premiered with Feud: Betty and Joan (2017) and portrayed the rivalry between actresses Betty Davis and Joan Crawford. This new season recounts the story of Truman Capote’s publishing of “La Côte Basque 1965” in Esquire magazine. The standalone chapter was intended to be the beginning of the author’s unfinished novel, Answered Prayers. But, it constituted a social suicide when it humiliated a number of Capote’s high-society female friends he referred to as his “swans.”

Capote became a household name when he published Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1958), but with In Cold Blood (1966) Capote minted the modern true crime genre and became the most recognizable book author in the world. The diminutive scribe translated that fame into a seat at the table in the most powerful and wealthy social circles in New York. Theatrical films like Capote (2005) and Infamous (2006) dramatized the writing of In Cold Blood and gave us great actorly portrayals of the author by Philip Seymour Hoffman and Toby Jones respectively. Capote vs. the Swans is focused on the last chapter of Capote’s life and features the very best embodiment of the author in an almost-guaranteed-Emmy-winning turn from Tom Hollander. The Swans boast a stacked-deck of talented actresses that seems almost too-good-totype: Naomi Watts, Diane Lane, Chloë Sevigny, Calista Flockhart, Demi Moore and Molly Ringwald. If all that wasn’t enough, Jessica Lange plays the ghost of Capote’s mother and six of the show’s eight episodes are directed by Academy Award nominee, Gus Van Sant.

Feud: Capote vs the Swans is streaming on Hulu

Most readers will know the name Thomas Ripley from Anthony Minghella’s indelible 1999 film, The Talented Mr. Ripley. That movie stars Matt Damon in the title role and it’s based on the book by Patricia Highsmith. The American author’s debut novel, Strangers on a Train (1950) was adapted into a classic film by no less than Alfred Hitchcock, and The Price of Salt was translated to the screen as Todd Haynes’ great picture, Carol (2015). Highsmith wrote a total of five Ripley novels known collectively as the “Ripliad.” Other Ripley movie adaptations have cast Alain Delon, Dennis Hopper and John Malkovich as Highsmith’s most famous antihero, and Tommy Wiseau even claims that his infamous film, The Room was inspired by Minghella’s Ripley movie. Writer/director Steve Zaillian’s new Ripley miniseries just started streaming this month. The first season covers the events in The Talented Mr. Ripley, but where Minghella set his conman/serial killer, Ripley against sun-soaked Italian locations awash in color, Zaillan’s film ensnares audiences in light-filled black-and-white images shot at paranoid angles by Academy Award-winning cinematographer Robert Elswit. This take on the first Ripley story is a cold-blooded neo-noir — it’s paced like a predator inching toward its prey, and it’s brimming with opulent interiors, overflowing wine glasses and stunning landscapes that have all been drained of vibrance.

The cast features Andrew Scott as Ripley, Johnny Flynn as the doomed Dickie Greenleaf and Dakota Fanning as Marge Sherwood. John Malkovich even makes a cameo appearance in the last episode in a fun homage to the larger Ripley cinematic universe. Like its title character, Ripley is a charming killer of a show, inviting viewers to see how the other half lives — and dies.

Ripley is streaming on Netflix

Joe Nolan is a critic, columnist and performing singer/songwriter based in East Nashville. Find out more about his projects at www.joenolan.com.

BY JOE NOLAN, FILM CRITIC