Friday, July 16, 2004

Two Personal Plugs Warning: Non-drug-policy-related post. I usually stick exclusively to drug policy in this blog, but today I wanted to take a moment to make a couple of plugs -- one for a show I'm producing and directing in Chicago which opens in a week (and therefore posting will be quite light). The other is for a new book written by my Dad. Obviously feel free to skip this post if you're not interested or are in some way offended by one or the other. If you're going to be in or near Chicago, check out the upcoming production of Ascent of the Living Canvas. This is a live production based on The Living Canvas photography that I've been doing for the past 20 years, which involves using the human form as a canvas for textures and unique approaches to light and shadow. The photography has come alive for a series of performance pieces ("The Living Canvas" in 2001 and "The Living Canvas: An Oddysey" in 2002) incorporating movement, text, music, projections and the extraordinary expressiveness of the unclothed human form. The new show, "Ascent of the Living Canvas," adds digital projection and combines humor, beauty, and abstract social commentary on the issues of self-esteem and body acceptance. Photography and direction is by me, choreography by my good friend Mark Hackman (of the amazing Chicago Dance Crash) and original composition is by Dennis Tobenski. Performances are July 23 through August 28 (Friday and Saturday nights at 8 pm) at Boxer Rebellion Theatre, 1257 W. Loyola Ave. in Chicago (one block from the Loyola Red Line stop). Tickets are $15 and may be purchased online. I'll be at all the performances, so please feel free to stay afterward to chat. For more information about my photography, visit The Living Canvas. I highly recommend this book: The God Connection: A Layperson's Guide to the Bible by Francis Geo. Guither. Yes, I'm promoting a book written by my dad. He's a retired United Methodist minister, a great guy, and I can have delightfully frank and open religious discussions/arguments with him. Well, I started to read his latest book out of politeness (so I could tell him I read it) with that sort of have attention that I developed sitting through all those church services as a kid. But I really became interested. He explains the bible in ways that truly make sense, not as a rigid dictated set of arbitrary doctrines, but a genuine search for meaning and understanding. Here's an excerpt In the beginning, God!"  Not what, how, or why, but Who? The Bible is a book about God. Unfortunately, we try to make it a book of science, magic, and unquestioned history.  We force it to do all kinds of things it was never intended to do.  This book of religion, is the devout and inspired word of faith, coming from sincere, godly men and women confident that God really existed, and that God had moved in marvelous ways to give people, the ultimate creation, an abundant, happy life. Not all truths came to them at one time!  That never happens.  Like all of us today, we start with a simple understanding, and move step by step to a higher comprehension.  But God was real to them...very real!  Like children in a nursery, they had to learn...piling up the blocks, experimenting, asking, "What is the will of this God we worship?"  "How is life meant to be lived?"  They learned the simple ABC's first: "There is but one God!"  They learned the higher mathematics later, "Love your enemies!" It took time, lots of time!  The prophets came along, and slowly like nurse-maids coaxing little children, they said, "Try this on for size: God is just!" and then, "Now try this: God is merciful!"  And would you believe, "God is love"? Through it all, God never changed: "the same yesterday, today, and forever." (Heb. 13:8)  But man's understanding of God changed.  Some growing did take place!  Very little, it seemed.  Now and then, they took a half-step forward, then fell back a step and a half. You can buy it through the link above, either as an electronic book, or paperback, and for considerably less than it's selling at Amazon (and I don't get a cut from Authorbooks, but that's fine). 11:54:37 AM |  drug policy | Links | permalink | comment []

Andrea Barthwell and the Illinois Senate Race As has been fairly widely reported now, Andrea Barthwell was once found to have committed lewd and abusive behavior through inappropriate remarks during an office birthday party. The Illinois GOP is in complete disarray. Ditka is out, Ryan might still be in, Oberweis is looking fairly likely at the moment, and Ted Nugent has been floated (!) so who knows who will be the Senate candidate. Quite frankly, Barthwell is now unlikely to be chosen as the GOP candidate (too much baggage, too little name recognition and money). But if she was chosen as the GOP candidate, her chances of winning are about equal to winning the lottery. Obama was leading Ryan by a huge margin. He is the bright and shining candidate and is on a huge roll. He has the full backing of the national party, and is running in a state that will go easily for Kerry this year with a state GOP organization that's just about belly up. Obama has been selected to give the keynote address at the Democratic convention. Failing a major surprise, there's no way that Barthwell can win. Therefore, using the harassment issue to undermine her does drug reformers no good, so I'm not going to comment on it here. What we need to discover is whether there is something we can do to influence the public drug policy views of the Democrats' rising star. Obama has been allowed to be fairly enigmatic about drug policy reform and that must change. I'd like to see a public appearance with Obama where somebody could ask a question like: "Your opponent (Barthwell) is in favor of having all students pee in a cup, even if there's no suspicion of drug use. What's your view?" This is where having Barthwell as a candidate could actually be an advantage to us. We have to work toward more public debate on drug policy. Talking about past sexual harassment disciplinary actions in this case won't help us. I encourage everyone (and not just here in Illinois) to go to candidate appearances and ask the tough questions about drug policy, such as: "Do you support locking up sick and dying people for using medical marijuana in states that have made it legal?" 11:04:53 AM |  drug policy | Links | permalink | comment []