World Crisis

CENTRE FOR THE STUDY OF EDUCATION AND WORK – UPDATE 13th FEBRUARY 2011

EVENTS

LEFT FILM AND VIDEO – CULTURE FORUM ONE

Monday, February 21
7:30 pm.
The Regal Beagle (back room)
335 Bloor St West (near St George), Toronto

Left film and video: a discussion with Frank Saptel and other Board members of the Canadian Labour International Film Festival (CLIFF)

Performances by:
- Wally Brooker, saxophone
- Jerry Lee Miller, stand-up comedy
- Mike Constable, animation films
- plus short films by invited guests

Presented by the Culture Committee (Cultcom) of the Greater Toronto Workers Assembly

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WEBINAR – THE CO-OPERATIVE MODEL: A DURABLE AND SUSTAINABLE ENTERPRISE

Friday, February 18
12pm EST

Featured Speakers: Professor Ian MacPherson (Professor Emeritus University of Victoria and author of A Century of Co-operation) and David Bent (Author of Forthcoming book Determined to Prosper: The Story of Sussex Co-op, the Oldest Agricultural Society in the World, PhD Student in History, University of New Brunswick)

More info: http://www.cooperativedifference.coop/page/4-Events-Opportunities

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CLiFF (CANADIAN LABOUR INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL) CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS FOR 2011

The Selection Committee of the Canadian Labour International Film Festival (CLiFF) invites you to submit your film or video for possible screening during our second Festival to be held this November in Toronto, Ontario and in 50 communities across the country (and counting). Films are due 30 June, 2011.

CLiFF features film and video made by, for, and about the world of work and those who do it, in Canada and internationally. The films we showcase are about unionised workers, as well as those not represented by unions. We encourage projects regarding any and every aspect of work, as well as issues affecting work or workers.

The festival draws thousands of trade unionists, community members, youth, activists, students, educators, artists, and allies from across North America and one day, we hope, the world.

We are looking for films on a wide spectrum of issues. We seek films about privatization, youth, First Nations people, people of colour, immigrants, refugees, detainees, health and safety, resistance, art, poetry, women, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered people, taxi drivers, truck drivers, rickshaw drivers – anyone who does anything considered work.

We also encourage the widest possible variety of films: from documentaries to drama to poetry/poetic treatments to comedy and animation.

More info: http://labourfilms.ca/cliff/2011/02/08/2011-call-for-submission-now-available/

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FORUM – GLOBAL CRISIS, FISCAL RESTRAINT AND PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS

Thursday March 10, 2011
7pm
Ryerson University, Oakham Lounge, 2nd floor
63 Gould Street, Toronto

2011 Phyllis Clarke Memorial Lecture: John Loxley
Co-sponsored and supported by Ryerson’s CUPE Locals 233, 1281, 3904, Ontario Council of Hospital Unions/CUPE and the Department of Politics and Public Administration, Ryerson University

Dr. John Loxley is a professor in the Department of Economics, University of Manitoba. He specializes in International Money and Finance, International Development and Community Economic Development and has published extensively in these areas. He has researched public-private partnerships for almost fifteen years and recently published Public Service Private Profits: The Political Economy of Public-Private Sector Partnerships, with Salim J. Loxley, Fernwood Publishers, 2010.

For further information contact Bryan Evans at 416 979-5000 x4199 or e-mail: b1evans@ryerson.ca

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LUNCHBOX SPEAKERS’ SERIES – SOCIAL ECONOMY CENTRE (OISE/UT)

Community Foundations

Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Noon – 1:30 pm.
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Room 12-199, 252 Bloor St. West, Toronto

With Rosalyn Morrison, Community Initiatives, Toronto Community Foundation and Betsy Martin, Community Foundations Canada

Rosalyn Morrison will talk about how the Toronto Community Foundation mobilizes more than 300 individual and family donors, high-impact community organizations and cross-sector leaders to tackle complex, quality of life issues in creative and inspiring ways.

Betsy Martin will discuss how foundations in Canada can support social enterprise and how this is part of the evolution of the investment model of foundations around the world. She will give examples of what community foundations in Canada and the United States are doing, to give a sense of the potential for this kind of community foundation investing.

Moderator: Michael Hall, Primus

- Bring your lunch and a mug.  Water, coffee and tea will be provided.
- For more information, please contact Lisa White at: secspeakerseries@gmail.com
- This event will also be webcast live on the Internet.  Please see our website for detailed instructions: http://socialeconomy.utoronto.ca/english/webcast.php

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NEWS AND VIEWS

REPORT: WAL-MART ACTUALLY KILLS JOBS, CREATES TAXPAYER BURDENS

from The Raw Story

NEW YORK – Wal-Mart’s lengthy struggle to open in New York City has hit fresh problems — a controversial report that said America’s biggest discounter does not just sell cheap, it makes neighborhoods poorer.

The report concludes that Wal-Mart, the biggest U.S. private employer, kills jobs rather than creates them, drives down wages and is a tax burden because it does not give health and other benefits to many part-time employees, leaving a burden on Medicaid and other public programs.

Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/02/10/walmart-draws-ire-poor-parts-brooklyn/

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MUBARAK’S FOLLY: THE RISING OF EGYPT’S WORKERS

by David McNally, The Bullet

Rarely do our rulers look more absurd than when faced with a popular upheaval. As fear and apathy are broken, ordinary people – housewives, students, sanitation workers, the unemployed – remake themselves. Having been objects of history, they become its agents. Marching in their millions, reclaiming public space, attending meetings and debating their society’s future, they discover in themselves capacities for organization and action they had never imagined. They arrest secret police, defend their communities and their rallies, organize the distribution of food, water and medical supplies. Exhilarated by new solidarities and empowered by the understanding that they are making history, they shed old habits of deference and passivity.

Read more: http://www.socialistproject.ca/bullet/460.php

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TAKE A STAND AGAINST WAGE THEFT

We work hard, but too often we don’t get paid.  

In December 2010, the Workers’ Action Centre recorded our experiences looking for work. Go to http://www.workersactioncentre.org to listen to the reality workers in Ontario face every day.

We are offered work for less than minimum wage, we don’t get overtime pay, we are charged fees to get work, we are told we have to be self-employed to get a job.

This is wage theft.

TAKE ACTION

We are taking action against wage theft and so can you.

-  Watch workers’ stories of wage theft and share with others. (http://cts.vresp.com/c/?WorkersActionCentre/0760994829/46f0beda64/0feed76c2b)

-  Email the Minister of Labour Charles Sousa on our Wage Theft Action page (http://www.workersactioncentre.org/campaigns_stopwagetheft.html)

-  Call our workers rights hotline at (416) 531-0778.  Report wage theft.

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CBC NEWS OTTAWA – UNION WASTE COLLECTORS SAVE OTTAWA MILLIONS

The City of Ottawa said Tuesday it saved close to $5 million, over four years, by using unionized employees to collect garbage in its downtown core.

The city said since the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 503 — the city’s largest union — won the garbage collection contract for Ottawa’s downtown area in 2005, it has delivered the services it promised for less money.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2011/02/08/ottawa-union-garbage-208.html

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PUBLIC-WORKER UNIONS SKIP ALBANY AD BLITZ FOR NEW TACTICS

by Nicholas Confessore, New York Times

ALBANY — The airwaves are virtually silent. The fiery criticism of years past has given way to conciliatory press releases. And the halls of the Capitol ring not with angry protests but with the quiet hum of lawmakers and lobbyists making their daily rounds.

Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers, the New York City teachers’ union, said, “We think the ad wars make people feel disenfranchised from the process.”

Faced with devastating budget cuts from Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and a deeply hostile electorate, New York’s most influential public-employee unions have unexpectedly shifted their strategy for defending cherished government programs and worker benefits. Put off for now are the angry denunciations and millions of dollars of advertisements, chiefly from hospitals and a health care union, that have traditionally begun haunting governors in early February.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/10/nyregion/10unions.html?ref=nyregion

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ABOUT CSEW (CENTRE FOR THE STUDY OF EDUCATION & WORK, OISE/UT):

Head: Peter Sawchuk
Co-ordinator: D’Arcy Martin

The Centre for the Study of Education and Work (CSEW) brings together educators from university, union, and community settings to understand and enrich the often-undervalued informal and formal learning of working people. We develop research and teaching programs at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (UofT) that strengthen feminist, anti-racist, labour movement, and working-class perspectives on learning and work.

Our major project is APCOL: Anti-Poverty Community Organizing and Learning. This five-year project (2009-2013), funded by SSHRC-CURA, brings academics and activists together in a collaborative effort to evaluate how organizations approach issues and campaigns and use popular education.

For more information about CSEW, visit: http://www.csew.ca

Posted here by Glenn Rikowski

The Flow of Ideas: http://www.flowideas.co.uk

MySpace Profile: http://www.myspace.com/glennrikowski

The Ockress: http://www.theockress.com

Rikowski Point: http://rikowskipoint.blogspot.com

Glenn Rikowski on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/glenn.rikowski

Volumizer: http://glennrikowski.blogspot.com

Henry is a cat who finds a friend in “Henry in Love” (Balzer + Bray, $16.99) by Caldecott Honor recipient for “Hondo & Fabian” Peter McCarty. Simple pencil like sketches help to tell the story of a young boy who falls for his friend’s sister, Chloe, a rabbit. The romance is helped by a blueberry muffin and teacher who knows how to rearrange seating.

Author Herman Parrish has helped to further the life time of Amelia Bedelia by carrying on his aunt’s tradition. “Amelia Bedelia’s First Valentine” (Greenwillow Books, $16.99) illustrated by Lynn Avril focuses on Amelia the child as she learns the ways of Valentine Day. The young girl, who does not understand idioms, is at first perplexed by her homework to finish cards for her classmates. She puts a band aid on a Valentine that claims to be a “heartbreaker” and kisses the one labeled, “sealed with a kiss.” Amelia is told that she wears her heart on a sleeve when she leaves her cards on the school bus but quickly finds an alternative and ends the day happily with her family. Amelia definitely helps learners to understand literal and figurative language.

“My Heart is Like a Zoo” (Greenwillow Books, $16.99) by award winning graphic artist, Michael Hall is an adventure in similes and the number of ways that a heart can depict an animal. Beginning with “eager as a beaver” the book progresses through such pages as “jumpy as a frog” and “gloomy as a lone coyote walking in the fog,” until it concludes, “tired as a zookeeper who’s had a busy day.” The identity of the fellow is discovered on the last page.

Popular favorite “Fancy Nancy” (Harper Festival, $4.99) returns in “Heart to Heart” by Jane O’Conner. Nancy reminds the reader that “Almost everything about Valentine’s Day is fancy.” Nancy makes valentines that are magnifique using sequins and doilies but is perplexed when a glittering fuchsia valentine comes from a secret admirer. She then uses her deductive reasoning skills to locate the sender.

The infamous mouse from “If You Give A Mouse A Cookie” by Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond is back in “Happy Valentine’s Day, Mouse.” (Balzer + Bray, $6.99) The little board book shares how mouse makes his friends very unique valentines.

9 – Martin Link (MO)

15 – Michael Wayne Hall (TX)

17 – Frank Spisak (OH)

22 – Timothy Adams (TX)

You’re with me in Rockland, in Austin, in Chiba, in Queens, and in Urbandale.

Barcelona, Osaka, San Bernadino, New York, Taipei, Helsinki, Yokohama!

I hope your families embrace you this holiday and keep your sorrows at bay.

***

This is for Rui in Tokyo, far away from home.

Sweet dreams, Rui darling

(The songs are Loneliest Person, by The Pretty Things, and I Wish I Were Home With You, by the great Austin, TX songwriter and singer, Michael Hall.)

The film swept the 19th Academy Awards, winning in all but one category in which it was nominated. The film won best picture, Wyler won best director, Fredric March won best actor, Harold Russell won best supporting actor, Robert E. Sherwood won for best screenplay, Daniel Mandell won for best editing, and Hugo Friedhofer won for best score. (The only category in which it was nominated and did not win was best sound recording. The Jolson Story took home that award.)

There are several reasons for the film’s financial and critical success. It perfectly captured the mood of the times. In 1946, returning servicemen faced an enormous housing shortage, an uncertain job market, food shortages, and a turbulent economy (price controls were finally lifted by the O.P.A. around the time the film premiered). Combat veterans also faced their own personal demons in an atmosphere in which discussing feelings was seen as a sign of weakness. By telling the stories of three World War II veterans returning to life in their hometown, The Best Years of Our Lives held a mirror up to American society.

The biggest reason for the film’s success, however, is that it’s a great movie. Plenty of films made in 1945 and 1946 featured characters who were returning veterans, but none before had shown them in such a realistic, unvarnished way. The Best Years of Our Lives doesn’t try to wring tragedy out of its characters’ personal situations. It’s an overwhelming emotional experience precisely because it doesn’t strain for high emotions. The film earns every one of its quietly powerful moments. Hugo Friedhofer’s score is occasionally overbearing, and a little high in the mix, but at its best it’s moving, and a fair approximation of Aaron Copland’s fanfares for common men. Gregg Toland’s deep focus cinematography is phenomenal. Every image in the film — the hustle and bustle of life in a small American city, the quietly expressive faces of its characters, and the interiors of homes, drugstores, bars, banks, and nightclubs — is fascinating to look at. (Toland was Orson Welles’s cinematographer on Citizen Kane, and he was an absolute wizard.)

The actors in this film are, without exception, outstanding. Fredric March plays Al Stephenson, an infantry platoon sergeant who fought in the Pacific, and who returns to his job as a bank manager. Myrna Loy plays his wife, Milly, Teresa Wright plays their daughter, Peggy, and Michael Hall plays their son, Rob. Dana Andrews plays the shell-shocked Fred Derry, a decorated bombardier and captain in the Army Air Forces in Europe, who returns home to his beautiful wife Marie (Virginia Mayo), whom he married immediately before leaving to serve. Now that the war is over and they are living together, they realize they have very little in common. Harold Russell plays Homer Parrish, a sailor who lost both his hands when his aircraft carrier was sunk.

Russell was a non-professional actor who lost his hands in 1944 while serving with the U.S. 13th Airborne Division. He was an Army instructor, and a defective fuse detonated an explosive he was handling while making a training film. Russell’s performance is key to the success of the film. An actor who didn’t actually use two hook prostheses in his everyday life wouldn’t have been able to realistically mimic all the little things that Russell does; lighting cigarettes, handling a rifle, playing a tune on the piano. More importantly, Russell’s performance is amazing. From the very first scene that the camera lingers on his face as he shares a plane ride home with March and Andrews, I felt as if I knew the man.

Russell is so convincing as a man who has quickly adapted to his handicap that it’s gut-wrenching to watch as his exterior slowly breaks down, and we’re drawn deeper into his world. Homer Parrish has a darkness inside him, and he carries with him the constant threat of violence; bayonets adorn the walls of his childhood bedroom and he spends his time alone in the garage, firing his rifle at the woodpile. His next-door neighbor and childhood sweetheart Wilma (Cathy O’Donnell) keeps trying to get close to him, but he pushes her away. In a lesser film, this all might have led to a violent and melodramatic finale, but it merely simmers below the surface, informing his character. Instead, the most emotional scenes with Homer take place in smaller ways, such as when we see that he is not as self-sufficient as he seems, and needs his father’s help every night to remove his prostheses before he goes to sleep.

The Best Years of Our Lives is a great film, and should be seen by everyone who loves movies and is interested in the post-war era. It’s long — just short of three hours — but it didn’t feel long to me. The running time allows its story to develop naturally as the characters enter and re-enter one another’s lives. It also felt more real than any other movie I’ve seen this year. (I can’t think of another movie that wasn’t about alcoholism that featured so many scenes of its characters getting realistically drunk.) And despite all the personal difficulties its characters face, it’s ultimately an uplifting film, full of quiet hope for the future.

It was short-lived, the marriage between actor Michael C. Hall and actress Jennifer Carpenter. They´ve been married for about 2 years, but have been separated for some time, and now filed for divorce.

But, hey, that´s what you get for marrying your sister. Or at least a co-worker who plays your sister.

Spokespersons for both say it´s been a peaceful break. So I guess Dexter won´t have to kill off his sister, at least not yet.

Dexter, America’s favorite serial killer, and one of the best shows on television right now. Season 5 just started. Here are the first three episodes.

Watch Dexter S05E01 – My Bad (zShare Link)

Watch Dexter S05E02 – Hello, Bandit (megavideo link)

Watch Dexter S05E03 – Practically Perfect (VideoWeed Link)

The show, narrated by Dexter himself, follows his double life and his challenges and torments of playing a sane, mild-mannered lab technician and devoted brother, husband and father by day, and a meticulous, vengeful killer by night. Hall plays the title character to perfection and his narration gives the audience a view into the, darkly funny, inner workings of a killer devoid of conscience, but who nevertheless juggles the everyday human neuroses from which we all suffer. Dexter knows he is a monster, but by clinging to his strict set of rules, his ever-present blood lust can be satisfied through a series of retribution killings that effectively clean up Miami’s streets.

The dark and mischievous nature of the show is expressed perfectly in the inspired title sequence. We see Dexter merrily working through his morning ritual – shave, shower, breakfast – but each mundane act is a dark and brutal metaphor representing the violence within is everyday life.

Dexter is one of the most intense and gripping shows on television. Its dark sense of humour and blood-soaked menace fits perfectly with the bright sunny façade of Miami. The show’s chronicling of America’s most prolific serial killer into a reluctant family man is both refreshing and gripping. Since its premiere season, Dexter has pushed television boundaries and its fetishist obsession with providing increasingly menacing storylines has improved no end. Season four came to a shocking and brutal conclusion, and season five is set to refine and improve this wickedly good serial killer series.

Click for Dexter season five trailer

The show, narrated by Dexter himself, follows his double life and his challenges and torments of playing a sane, mild-mannered lab technician and devoted brother, husband and father by day, and a meticulous, vengeful killer by night. Hall plays the title character to perfection and his narration gives the audience a view into the, darkly funny, inner workings of a killer devoid of conscience, but who nevertheless juggles the everyday human neuroses from which we all suffer. Dexter knows he is a monster, but by clinging to his strict set of rules, his ever-present blood lust can be satisfied through a series of retribution killings that effectively clean up Miami’s streets.

The dark and mischievous nature of the show is expressed perfectly in the inspired title sequence. We see Dexter merrily working through his morning ritual – shave, shower, breakfast – but each mundane act is a dark and brutal metaphor representing the violence within is everyday life.

Dexter is one of the most intense and gripping shows on television. Its dark sense of humour and blood-soaked menace fits perfectly with the bright sunny façade of Miami. The show’s chronicling of America’s most prolific serial killer into a reluctant family man is both refreshing and gripping. Since its premiere season, Dexter has pushed television boundaries and its fetishist obsession with providing increasingly menacing storylines has improved no end. Season four came to a shocking and brutal conclusion, and season five is set to refine and improve this wickedly good serial killer series.

Click for Dexter season five trailer

Mark on Money
Need a mortgage? Don’t get pregnant! That’s according to New York Times reporter Tara Siegel Bernard and she joins Mark to tell us why.

Eleven Year Old in Protective Custody
An Eleven-year-old girl is taken into protective custody after her YouTube video goes viral. Post-Dispatch columnist Aisha Sultan has all the details.

This past Wednesday, my friend Michael Hall lead the kick-off yoga class in Malcolm X Park, which I wrote about in detail on my blog, WelcomeOmDC. (See: DC Yoga Challenge Kicks Off). I was warmed to see that 60 yogis came out for the class, and happy to see the fruits of our labor… mostly the hard work of May, Laura, and Carolyn in the days leading up to the challenge.

It’s day three, and I have done yoga twice… at the class in Malcolm X Park, and in a class taught by John Horan of Past Tense Yoga Studio in Mount Pleasant, one of the studio sponsors.

So it’s nearly 5pm and I have to work until 7pm… so I am going to have to settle for a home practice this evening.

But here is what the rest of my weekend will look like for the challenge:

Tonight: yoga DVD

Sunday July 4th: lululemon Logan Circle free yoga class (or home practice)

Monday, July 5th: Yoga Chai in Adams Morgan, Kristen Krash’s 9:30 am class

If you are interested in sponsoring me for this great cause, please refer to my donation page!

OPELOUSAS, La. — A 25-year-old airman is being held without bond in Opelousas after the shooting death of his bride’s ex-husband.

Jason Rolls, of Fort Dix, N.J., has been booked on manslaughter charges in the death of 32-year-old Michael Hall, a Krotz Springs firefighter shot and killed just hours after the couple married.

Police Chief Susie Lacassin said a judge declined to set bond for Rolls.

The shooting took place Friday. Lacassin says Jason and Twaila Rolls had been married for only a few hours when Hall appeared at their home and was shot after a brief argument.

Lacassin says Hall and Twaila Rolls had recently divorced.

Texas Monthly‘s Michael Hall wrote an informative narrative about the discrepancies in unscientific forensic investigations.  In his piece, Weird Science, Hall discusses multiple cases where the slightly unscientific methods failed, and how they led to sometimes catastrophic consequences.

The article, which I located via @longreads on Twitter, is long and packed with background, extra information, and the aftermath of some detrimental mistakes.  Usually, if I were to read on the internet, something so long that my scroll bar shrinks to the size of a pencil eraser, I wouldn’t be able to get through more than a few paragraphs.  The internet makes it more difficult to read, so the author needs to do something more interesting to hold their audience’s attention.  This is a strong suit of Hall.

The piece is separated into different sections and each section, depending on its purpose, is written in a slightly different manner.  In the opening paragraph, Hall pulls the reader in by detailing the amazing success and skills of an investigator, Pikett’s, bloodhound dogs.  By the end of the section, you can’t help but feel in awe about the amazing things that animals can achieve, then Hall brings you back to reality in the next section by filling you in on how wrong these dogs can be – leading to false incrimination, and sometimes the execution of truly innocent people.  The twists in his voice and the amount of detail put into each section, allow Hall to take his time while still keeping the attention of his readers.

As I was reading, it also seemed to me that Hall was choosing different vocabulary and using different details based on what he was trying to portray.  I was thrown off when, in a couple paragraphs about faulty forensics used in a possible arson case, sarcasm began oozing from Hall’s words.  My first instinct was to scoff at how unprofessional such language was in a published piece, until my brain decided to kick in and I realized what his intention was.  Hall recognized that his audience was going to be outraged by the wrongdoings of the state of Texas, and of course he wanted to play into that.

As a writer, I have always been intimidated by longer pieces.  I get half way through and start panicking that I’m being redundant, or not making any sense – and I then over-edit.  It’s helpful being able to read well-written long pieces, because then I get to pick up pointers on how to do it right.  Breaking the story up in to parts ensures that I’m not going to unnecessarily repeat what I said at the beginning of the story at 4 times throughout.  Reading pieces like this also has tuned me in to the fact that I always need to consider what tone I want to convey in what I’m writing, and that I need to be prepared to back up the decision with solid reasoning.

The methods used in some investigations are hardly scientific, and can lead to the imprisonment of of innocent people. Photo by Horia Varlan

]]> http://th3sha.wordpress.com/2010/04/29/%e2%80%9cdexter%e2%80%9d-a-invins-cancerul/ Thu, 29 Apr 2010 01:10:18 +0000 cOokie http://th3sha.wordpress.com/2010/04/29/%e2%80%9cdexter%e2%80%9d-a-invins-cancerul/ http://sommerreading.wordpress.com/2010/04/25/my-heart-is-like-a-zoo-by-michael-hall/ Sun, 25 Apr 2010 16:26:41 +0000 sommerreading http://sommerreading.wordpress.com/2010/04/25/my-heart-is-like-a-zoo-by-michael-hall/ I can’t image a child (or adult) who would not be drawn to the cover of this book:

I think we may have a new pre-school classic on our hands here, folks.  Michael Hall has created a vibrant and delightful book for young children and a graphic work of art for browsers of any age.  My Heart is Like a Zoo moves instantly into that Lois Ehlert and Bill Martin stratosphere of books that all young children should experience.  The book features one brightly colored animal per page, and they are all made up of one shape – hearts.  I can guarantee that Hall’s book will steal yours!

We are among nearly 1,000 yogis practicing at the peak of the cherry blossoms at the National Monument, the largest yoga gathering in Washington, DC to date, and possibly the largest in North America (or so we would like to think!).  The event was organized by Lululemon Athletica Tyson’s Corner manager, Laura Mann, with the support of Lululemon Athletica employees from all over the DC region.

We are no more than fifteen minutes into the practice, and I am pretty sure I have violated all of the eight  limbs of yoga, particularly pratyahara, control of the senses. But I cannot help but scan the colorful, energetic crowd of yogis surrounding me, and gaze at the rock star demonstrators on stage. I stare in awe as world-class yogi David Kyle, visiting all the way from Puerto Rico, rockets up into handstand.

I am not sure that being star-struck violates any particular yama, but it certainly does not help bring me further to the divine. I scan the stage further and see Kaitlin Quistgaard, Editor-in-Chief of Yoga Journal, joined by her seven year old daughter, Malena. To stage right is DC’s own Faith Hunter, this month’s Yoga Journal cover model and co-owner of Shakti Mind Body Studio near the convention center. To Faith’s right is Mimi Rieger, badass DC budokoni and owner of Pure Fitness DC.

Providing the music are the Hypnotic Gurus, a DC trance group that mixes electronic beats with classical Indian instruments, like the sitar. Their sounds gives the class an eclectic feel, smoothly blending modern and ancient traditions.

* * *

PRIOR TO THE YOGA CLASS this morning, I have some words and practice acro yoga with the teacher, Peg Mulqueen, of Down Dog Yoga. Within moments of meeting her, she has me folded over her legs, shooting my body into the air, just like my dad used to do with me when I was four.

“Nice to meet you!” I cry out in excitement, my face dangling just two inches above hers. “You too!” she beams back, her youthful eyes sparkling.  She quickly wins me over, and I fight off the urge to be jealous of this tanned, muscled, super-human yogini.

“I have never taught a class this large!” Peg confesses.

Well, you would never know it because she handles the hundreds of yogis like a pro, calling out poses as if she teaches record-breaking yoga crowds on a daily basis.

And I would bet my money that Peg is the first yogini and woman to lead a crowd this large chanting together in unison to the sound of, “Om,,” Sanskrit for peace.

* * *

DOZENS OF VOLUNTEERS from Lululemon Athletica are at the festival in support of the yoga event, sporting matching “Passion Pink” tanks. As a wink to yoga’s Indian roots, the Lululemon crew and on-stage yogis don sparkly, lime-green bindis between their eyebrows.

Lululemon’s community relations manager for the entire east coast is here from New York City to attend the event, striking down dogs next to her two-year-old daughter, (who is donning the tiniest Lululemon pants ever made!).  The Lululemon DC regional manager even changed her holiday travel plans last minute to attend this event, taking a later flight to meet her family out in Colorado.

Last year, Lululemon Athletica also hosted the first Cherry Blossom Festival Yoga Class, which about 200 yogis attended. This year, the organizers relied on Facebook, Twitter, the blogosphere, traditional media outlets, and good ol’ fashioned WOM (word of mouth) to foster enthusiasm and participation for this free yoga class.

* * *

THE CHERRY BLOSSOM YOGA CLASS is akin to a coming out party for the DC yoga scene. The zeal of the yoga community is palpable. “This is so cool!” squeals an exuberant Faith Hunter, as she literally arrives by skipping onto the stage and jumping into the welcoming arms of Michael Hall of Mid City Yoga.

The event, if anything, is a hallmark of the amazing teachers, studios, and student talent that is abundant in the District. “I’ve had teachers fly in to DC from L.A. and San Francisco and comment that we have one of the best yoga scenes outside of California,” says Deborah Perlson-Mishalove, owner of the insanely popular Flow Yoga Center in DC’s Logan Circle neighborhood.  Deb draws her inspiration for Flow from San Francisco’s Yoga Tree studio, and her students are drawn to the California vibe her studio radiates.

Perlson-Mishalove also spearheads DC Yoga Week, an annual event that helps remind yoga studios and students across the city that they are part of the same community. The climax of this year’s Yoga Week (May 15-22) is an outdoor class on the National Mall, which will be taught by yoga goddess herself, Shiva Rea.

* * *

A WARM BREEZE sends cherry blossom petals fluttering over the crowd.  Peg leads the crowd in its final chant, “Lokah samasta sukhino bhavantu”, meaning “May all beings everywhere be free and happy and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all.” The crowd chants a closing, “Namaste” and bows to the ground.

Class ends, and there is a sense of calm and joy among the crowd. People stretch towards the sun, which has finally poked its way out from the clouds. Yogis both beginner and advanced, young and old, confident and uncertain, smile and breathe in the energy.

Some stay to meditate or to practice more challenging poses like crow and handstand. One young woman practices headstands against a cherry blossom tree. Others stay to snap photos of the crowd and the blossoms, to picnic with friends, soak up the rays, or to watch the Japanese dancers who are about to perform.

Regardless of what brought each individual to the event – the weather, the social media buzz, curiosity about yoga, or a strong desire to see women in tight luon–  we all chanted together in the name of peace, practiced an ancient exercise with some modern flair, and stayed for the community. Ah! Now that’s what I call yoga.

Photography: Brandon Bloch

Posted by: Kelly

Friday, April 2
To do:

1. Pick out outfit for Cherry Blossom Yoga on the Mall tomorrow.
2. Pack mat and assorted yoga accoutrement.
3. Mentally prepare for awesomeness with Peg Mulqueen, Faith Hunter, Michael Hall, and others.
4. Frantically call, email, facebook, and tweet ALL friends to make sure they are all coming down to participate in the event.

we luv cherry blossoms!

Saturday, April 3
Get up early, have a warm breakfast, and leave early to arrive on-time and maximize ideal mat placement at Cherry Blossom Yoga on the Mall, beginning at 11 a.m.

Sunday, April 4
Recover from Cherry Blossom Yoga on the Mall, check WelcomeOmDC for pictures of self in a rockin’ dancer pose, warrior II, or chillin’ in Savasana under the cherry blossom trees.

And scene.

Ok, we know there’s more going on in the city, but still… you’re coming to Cherry Blossom Yoga on the Mall on Saturday, right? Its going to be sunny, the cherry blossoms will be in peak bloom, and the class will be amazing. Be a part of this unique event!

For reals, here’s a broader round-up of what’s happening in DC this weekend:

Thursday, April 1
7:30 – 9:00 p.m. Tranquil Space (1632 17th Street, NW)  Niyati Shah is teaching a four-part yoga basic series starting tonight and continuing on Thursdays in April (April 1, 8, 15, & 22). It will focus on proper alignment and techniques for getting into, being, and getting out of basic poses alignment, breathing and relaxation techniques. Ideal for newbies or students returning to their practice. Investment: $70 for the 4 week series or drop in to a single session for $20. Come to one, or all 4!

Friday, April 2
12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Yoga Chai (1744 Columbia Road, NW) $5 Friday Lunch Class. Yup, just $5. This mid-day Friday deal taught by Sandy Kevalier just can’t be passed up. What a great way to kick-off the weekend!

Saturday, April 3
11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. 2010 DC Bike Swap (Lamont Square, Mount Pleasant) Presented by the Farmers Market Bike Clinics. Bike Art, Bike Parts, Bikes, Tools, Gear, Trailers, Baskets, etc. Come out to show support for the four FMBC locations, Potomac Pedalers Touring Club, Washington Area Bicycle Association, and the Bike House bike clinic at Qualia coffee shop. Investment: FREE!

Is this you? Come to the Yoga for Allergies workshop!

1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Past Tense Yoga Studio (3253 Mt. Pleasant Street, NW) – Yoga for Allergies Workshop. Have you started getting the sniffles and itchy allergy eyes yet? We have! Check out this workshop and learn from Kelly DiNardo how a regular yoga practice can ease your allergies. Discover poses that will help you open your nasal passages and practice breathing techniques that strengthen the immune system, detox organs, increase lung capacity and clear congestion. Investment: $30

1:30 – 3:30 p.m./4:00 – 6:00 p.m. Flow Yoga Center (1450 P Street) - Puerto Rico rocket man David Kyle returns to the District to teach a two-part Inversion Workshop series on Saturday and an Intro to Progressive Ashtanga on Sunday. Sign up for David’s workshops on the Flow website before they sell out. Investment: $35 for either inversion workshop, $55 for both, $40 for Sunday’s Intro to Progressive Ashtanga

4:00 Revolution Cycles in Georgetown (3411 M Street, NW) - Second Annual Off Sides Ride celebrating the home opener of DC United as they take on the New England Revolution! Ride with Washington Area Bike Association and Revolution Cycles to RFK Stadium to enjoy some delicious food and tailgating good times before the game. WABA will be providing ample bike racks to accommodate everyone and we’ll have a tent and food waiting for you upon arrival. Investment: FREE!

Sunday, April 4
10 .m. lululemon athletica georgetown (3265 M Street, NW) – Weekly Run Club – Join an all levels run with Trish Peva. Beginners and long time runners are welcome. Then you can choose to stay for Sunday Community Yoga Class in the store at 12 p.m. Investment: FREE

David Kyle can fly, literally, check him out this weekend

12:00 – 3:00 p.m. Flow Yoga Center – David Kyle’s Intro to Progressive Ashtanga workshop, (see above). Investment: $40

It also seems like the weather will be perfect for a leisurely bike ride on the Capital Crescent Trail!

What are you up to Weekend Warriors? Tell us your plans in the COMMENTS below.

Posted by: Jamie

Congratulation

More than 9,200 runners finished the course on a beautiful, sunny Saturday with highs in the 70′s. Michael Wardian, 35,  of Arlington, Virginia won the marathon in 2:21:58, capturing his fourth title. Krista Vrombaut, 27, of Rock Island, IL won the women’s marathon with a time of 2:51:17. (Source: Washington Running Report).

For information on the race and forthcoming official results, check the Suntrust National Marathon Official Website.

WelcomeOmDC enjoyed the race from the sidelines, where we joined about 40 lululemon-clad fans at the Mile 6 Cheer Station. Please enjoy photos from Mile 6 below:

Do you have any stories from the National Marathon that you want to tell us? Please share in the comments below! Or submit your photos to WelcomeOmDC(at)gmail(dot)com.

Posted by: Kelly

Peg Mulqueen of Down Dog Yoga will be on stage leading the practice. Michael Hall and other DC yogis will be demonstrating.  For more details, check out the National Cherry Blossom Festival Yoga Facebook Page.