Monroe Center Arts Community Blog

Hoboken Women and Politics

Godfrey — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 16:57:18 +0000

The National Federation of Democratic Women {NFDW} will hold a meeting at The Monroe Center in Gallery E-200 on 29 April, 2008, at 7.30pm. The central theme of the discussion will focus on how to grow and foster women’s political participation.

Ryn Melberg, Treasurer of the Hoboken Democratic Party, has invited Nancee May, President and Lorraine Joewonov, First Vice President of the N.J. Federation of Democratic Women to the Monroe Center for the Arts for this event.The NFDW is inspired by the growing ranks of women political leaders locally and nationally. They feel it is time to consider restarting the Women’s Caucus for Hoboken and potentially Hudson County.

The National Federation of Democratic Women {NFDW} was established in 1971 as a means of supporting women’s voices within the Democratic Party and is recognized as the official women’s organization within the Democratic National Committee {DNC}

The New Jersey Chapter of the NFDW hosts state-level conferences and activities designed to support the extraordinary group of women who support the goals and ideals of the organization.

While this is women’s focused organization and event, supportive men are very welcome.

An Art Exhibition will be held simultaneously in Gallery E-200. Artists from Monroe Center will be exhibiting their Art. Many visiting Artists will also be displaying their creations.

Attendance to this Event is Free. Parking is Free.

Contact: Ryn Melberg Phone 201 420 8308

E-mail: ryn_melberg@yahoo.com

The Dream Is Over, Definitely, Maybe…

Allan Proctor — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 20:21:51 +0000

The Black n’ White dream is over. Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama on one ticket. Finito! Thanks to Hillary Clinton. So, as the Village Idiot once asked no one in particular, “ Kay, What Happens Now, Amigo?”

Elections, Caucuses, Delegates and Super delegates.

What happened to the simple vote, where the one who got the majority won? Democracy is about majority vote, with a strong, respectable minority voice. Simple. But nooooo, the Democrats have to make this complicated, and a fight to extreme confusion is now inevitable. This might fracture the Democratic Party.

The Village Idiot asks, “Don’t they know that?”

Where is Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, the central organization of the Democratic Party at the national level? M.I.A., like they say in the army. You can bet your bottom penny, he will surface when the mess gets unmanageable not because he wants to, but because he has to. The reason for his hiding under a rock, is that he is afraid of tangling with the spinning Clinton threshing machine. That is the reason Hillary Clinton is sand blasting Obama and Democratic Party fundamentals, and not one Senior Democratic has lodged a silent protest! Not even Ted Kennedy.

The glorious Sunshine State of Florida, scene of the Hanging Chad, is once more embroiled in a political pickle. The best is yet to come. To go into it here would be excruciatingly painful. Just stay tuned. It will all come to you.

The Village Idiot says, “What Idiots, these people, eh!”

And so, day after day, two stalwart Democratic candidates keep tearing at each other and in doing so; shred the Democratic Party to ribbons. Oh! This must be a great time to be a Republican!

Meanwhile, John McCain is busy building his fences to guard against the Democratic onslaught that is to come. The road to the White House is going to be a twisted path. So, will Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama still manage to stay on one ticket when all the blood and dirt has been washed away. Some say No, some say Definitely, some say Maybe. Some talk of Politics and Strange Bedfellows!

The Village Idiot is silent. He has nothing left to say. He has moved on to bigger things. The political grapevine and Belt Way Boys, state that he has been invited to The White House to solve The Middle East problem before President Bush leaves office. You may laugh, if you desire.

Blues For North Korea

Angelina Redpath — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 20:18:48 +0000

Well, it appears that part of the axis of evil is slowly turning on a fulcrum of musical notes. Recently the New York Philharmonic played in Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, and now, hold your breath, the North Koreans have officially invited British Rock n’ Blues man Eric Clapton to play there. This is revolutionary. Clapton will be the first rock star to perform in the communist country. Secret sources in North Korea whisper that Kim Jong Chol, son of leader Kim Jong il, loves old slowhand, Eric Clapton.

The concert, if all goes well, will take place in 2009.

What next: Ozzfest in the DMZ? Now that will be a real revolution. For all those Rock fans in North Korea, we say, tune in and rock on. It’s a small step to freedom, but by the beard of Karl Marx, the time is coming, ya-aal hear!

Times in North Korea are changing. Later this year, the North Korean State Symphony Orchestra will journey to the United Kingdom to perform there. These musical exchanges are the pathway to democracy. It will take time, but now, that the first notes have been exchanged; a symphony of freedom can be seen dancing on the horizon.

Experts say that if this continues to happen, the spirit of music, double tracked with some subtle democracy and political pressure, can pave the way for North and South Korea to become one nation. It is possible, look at Germany. Yes, one can feel the rumble of vibrations in North Korea, deep in its communist soul, slowly rolling and rocking.

Roll over Kim Jong il, go tell China the news. “We don’t need no DMZ!”

Death Of A Salesman

Godfrey — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 22:36:16 +0000

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi is dead. He introduced the business of Transcendental Meditation to the West. The Mantra being “BUSINESS”. Made money. Slogans like end world poverty, and world peace. The Beatles up on a mountain. Mia Farrow, Mike Love and Donovan. Promised a short cut to TM. Get Mantra. Mind travel. Private helicopter. Imagine!
Sexy Sadie what have you done. You made a fool of everyone. Built Peace Palaces of learning around the world. Failed to see India, land of his birth and learning. Helping ease poverty begins at home. Sure, he built schools there to further his name and mission.
Plan to raise $10 trillion to end poverty by sponsoring organic farming in the world’s poorest countries. Wonder what happened to all those donations? Started by moving into 200-room mansion in the southern Dutch village of Vlodrop. Took the West on a Magical Mystery Vedic Tour. Donations and a $2,500 (£1,270) fee to learn the technique of TM.
A twenty-minute Mantra chant and you know how to meditate transcendentally. You can hear laughter from the Himalayan range, peak to mighty peak. You cannot shove TM into a microwave and get a cool quickie mind fix. Does not work like that, Guru! Children in Nepal and Village Idiots in India will tell you that. He sold a fuzzy mystical formula to the West. Packaged it in clever Eastern philosophy. Tied an exotic mental ribbon around his con game, and marketed the hell out of his Mantra of peace. Parlayed his interpretations of ancient scripture and philosophy into a multi-million-dollar global empire. Morons all over the world paid real money to learn his “Yogic Flying”. The Maharishi’s official website shows a picture of three men gliding crosslegged against the backdrop of a lake blue sky! The accompanying copy hints that you can physically fly, starting with short body hops! How did he get away with this garbage! A real smooth Guru, this Mr. Mahesh.
Imagine, no possessions; it’s easy if you try. Then retreated to his 200-room monastery. How cool a con is that! If Reincarnation is true, he will reappear someday, selling celestial brain dust in Trafalgar Square. One hit. Nirvana! Instant Karma’s gonna get you!

Fly High With The Angels

Angelina Redpath — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:21:55 +0000

In the city of Angels, strange things happen all the time. It’s California, what do you expect! Surreal car chases, maverick film stars, Rock n Pop insanity and blazing infernos. It’s a liberal town that sneers at conservative and conventional thinking.
Now 24-hour medical marijuana vending machines are fast becoming the rage in Los Angeles. All you need is a pre paid card with a magnetic strip and fingerprint identification. Once the card and fingerprint is verified, a bright green envelope with quality pot drops down into a slot. Pot and Slot. A good rhyme!
The 1/8th ounce packet that the machine dispenses comes to $40 that is $20 lower than the average price at other dispensaries
Owner and inventor Vincent Mehdizadeh calls his wonder ‘The PVM’ {Prescription Vending Machine}
And what do The Angelenos have to say about this? Ahaaa… they don’t care. If the doctor has ordered you to get high, what is the problem?
There is a down side to this high. The Drug Enforcement Agency is looking into this, and Mehdizadeh may have problems down the line, but for now, the machines are doing just fine, thank you. How would you like these machines in your city? A simple Yes or No will suffice. Mehdizadeh would love to spread the joy from sea to shining sea, coast to coast!

Monroe Center: A Rocking Experience

Godfrey — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 20:15:39 +0000

The new Open Studio Day, January 13^th, at the Monroe Center got off to a great start with The Julio Fernandez Band playing startling Jazz in Shades. Monroe’s very own tenants, Monroe Street Movement Space put on a great dance performance, while Urban Arts held a fantastic workshop for kids. Monroe Center’s artists had their studio doors open, so people could view the artists creating fantastic works of art. Outside visiting artists displayed their creations in the Lobby, inside Shades and on the Third Floor. Attendance to the Open Studio was one of the largest seen at the Monroe Center.

Shades was packed when The Julio Fernandez Band began playing. Julio, who plays with the internationally famous Jazz Band Spyro Gyra, rocked the house. Sitting in the audience was a quiet reflective man at a corner table. Mid-way through his set, Julio walked over to him and asked him if he would like to jam with the Band. The quiet reflective man turned out to be, Gerardo Velez, the percussionist who had played with non other than Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock and other legendary shows. The performance after that was a thundering musical experience. The band was scheduled to play till five pm, but the crowd refused to leave and so the band played on for another hour. Great jazz, cheese, wine and an appreciative audience. It was an experience that will be remembered for those fortunate enough to be there. There are bigger thrills planned for the Next Open Studio day. The Open Studio at the Monro Center is now held quarterly.

Stay tuned. The Monroe Center Wavelength is where it’s at.

Poor Paris Hilton

Angelina Redpath — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 19:14:35 +0000

So what is Paris Hilton going to do now? Her grandfather, hotel magnate, Barron Hilton has cut her out of his will. He has decided to donate 97 % of his $2.3 billion fortune to the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation that supports projects that provides clean water in Africa, education for blind children and housing for the mentally ill.

For Paris Hilton, it is now finally over. She will no longer be able to avail of the Hilton money. Her grandfather has been embarrassed by her free wheeling behavior in the past and has now decided to make her pay a price. So now, in the future, poor Paris will have to work for a living. The sex n’ drugs n’ rock n’ roll for Paris is a thing of the past. She will now have to come down from her ritzy Hilton tower and reside with the commoners. Given her behavior in the past, her grandfather did the right thing. Helping the blind and mentally ill attain a better life, is far better than Paris Hilton flaunting her fortunes. In the end, she got what she deserved from her grandfather. Nothing. A fitting lesson from a wise old man.

The Power Of Lust With Italian Dressing

Robert Fulgaretti — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 16:17:24 +0000

And here is some lighthearted news for the New Year. People with no curiosity call it gossip. This one’s a zinger that is going to be around for some time. French President, Nicolas Sarkozy has begun dating stunning Italian ex-super model Carla Bruni Tedeschi. After Princess Diana, she is now going to be the most photographed woman in the world. Bruni is already a multi billionaire. She is hieress of a tire manufacturing fortune and of course, she has amassed millions from her modeling career. The stunning Bruni however, does come with a lot of ugly baggage. She has been called the “happily married man’s wife” worst nightmare.
Reportedly, she split the marriages of Donald Trump and Marla Maples and Mick Jagger and Jerry Hall when she had affairs with Trump and Jagger. Bruni has been often heard boasting, that she can have any man she desires in this world, if she puts her mind and body to it. Bruni’s sister Valeria clarifies, “When my sister wants someone she takes him.” And Bruni has done just that. Her affairs with rich, famous and powerful married men are legendary. In her wake, she trails a long list of broken shattered families and ex-wives who are ready to tear her limb from limb. One of them, Justine Levy, daughter of philosopher Henri Levi, whose marriage Bruni shattered by sleeping with Levy’s husband says, “If I see Bruni. I will kill her.” Bruni is a silky, beautiful kitten who has ugly claws. Her attitude towards common people, who don’t have power and money, is also well known. One report in Europe had this to say about Carla Bruni and her rich, rotten, stinking attitude: “Woe on the employees of any hotel she checks into.”
The recently divorced French President, at 52, one assumes, is a wiser man when it comes to dealing with women. But Carla Bruni is also reported to be shrewd manipulator. The five foot nine inch Italian brunette who is 40-years-old, could become First Lady of France. That is one big egoistic step from pounding catwalks and appearing naked in million dollar advertisements. Will the xenophobic French public accept her as First Lady? Time will tell. However, going by Bruni’s vampire reputation, Sarkozy may soon discover that the old Gaelic saying is right: “Do not judge by appearances; a poor heart may be under a rich coat.”

New Year, Old Game

Allan Proctor — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 15:46:48 +0000

So, what will be different in the New Year? Nothing. The politicians will keep on playing games. Fighting over Red States and Blue States till they are Purple in the face. The politicians running for President have been using religion like a devastating crusader’s sword, attacking the faith of their opponents and spewing hate and insanity. Is the Presidency that important that you grind your dignity and values in dirt, in front of the entire nation and the world? If the answer to that question is yes, then you have some serious explaining to do to yourself.
Every one of them, running for President have made myriad promises, which they do not intend to keep. Sounds familiar! Eventually the winner will blame his or her’s lame duck walk on the opposition or divine providence. The new President will continue to make more promises, which will not be honored. Sounds familiar!
So what will be new in the New Year? Our forces will still be stuck in Iraq and Afghanistan, Iran will still be trying to make a nuclear bomb in their basement and the United Nations will still be debating the genocide in Darfur. Africa will be plagued by revolutionary wars and Europe will be, well, Euro rising. China, India, Australia and the United States will continue to flout all Green rules while continuing to prosper. American jobs will continue to travel abroad. The Middle East will continue to simmer, as it has always done, and another confrontation and peace treaty will always be around the corner, while the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Nuclear Watchdog, El Baradei, will look on, smile a toothless grin and try to bark in the face of a growing nuclear wind.
Back home, the educational system will continue to flow down the academic drain. The racial divide between black and white will get broader. The border fence controversy will still go on. Illegal Aliens will still be crossing the border, or climbing or tunneling under the fence, and the old show will go on. George Walker Bush will soon be gone. And expectations will rise like inflated gas for a day or two. Please do not get sick and dizzy trying to hold your breath hoping for a miracle. The lure of Universal Health Care is another political line and hook. Guess who made that promise? Three Cheers for the right answer!
What is this world coming to? We have all heard that line at some time or the other. Ask a politician that question, and you will get a cheery response. “The State of the Union is strong, blah, blah, blah…” Sometimes it’s good to listen to a white lie. It makes the darkness surrounding you a little more acceptable. Denial can be a good thing, sometimes, for a little while. Pessimistic. Yea! There is a recession coming! And one final cheer. What happened to Osama Bin Laden and Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri? Where are they?
Is the glass half-full or half-empty?
Personally, I don’t even see the bloody glass!
A Happy, Happy, New Year To All!

Art In The Holy Land

Godfrey — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 15:28:01 +0000

The controversial concrete wall surrounding The West Bank has now turned into an outdoor art gallery. The latest exhibition called “Santa’s Ghetto, Bethlehem 2007’’, is a stark reminder of trouble in The Holy Land. One of the most striking images by a collaboration of artists is that of a dove wearing a bulletproof vest. This unique exhibition was started by graffiti artist, Banksy from Bristol, England.

Banksy’s sketches on the security barrier flow in artistic waves towards Manger Square, across from the Church of the Nativity, where Christians believe Jesus of Nazareth was born.
Artists from all over the world have been traveling to Israel to paint on the security barriers. The works of art, Banksy hopes, will draw global attention to the problems of the Palestinians. The artist also hopes that more tourists will come to see these fantastic works of art, thereby helping the economy.
So if you are an artist, and you wish to contribute, go to Israel. The wall is long enough to accommodate hundreds of artists.
Meanwhile, the fight for peace in Israel goes on, with yet another futile peace summit.
The daring portrayals on the Wall however, are slowly becoming a true reflection of all that is wrong with The Middle East. Maybe the politicians, both Israeli and Palestinian, should study the art that decorates the security barrier. There is a lesson to be learnt from these telling, disturbing depictions. Maybe peace will finally be achieved, with art as a stimulus.
It’s the Holy Land, stranger things have happened there.