Drawing Bloooood - PartTwo

So I'm a little late - sorry! I usually try to have the current page done by Friday, but I chose to wait to include comments from Saturday's Blood Drive.

All-in-all, the usual success, and Carolyn and Troy deserve a pat on the back for all their hard work. There are always a few hiccups - this year a walk-in donor showed up and was turned away because it was too close to ending, and she was O-negative, a rare blood type. I offered to draw it for her (I had a paper cup and a straw) but she declined. All going to show how helpful it is to pre-register.

An artist note: The quotes above do not all go with the people I drew (some do, some don't) because I don't get permission to quote any of the donors. If you have a comment, please share here!

Next week, a new story. Speaking of new stories, I'm always looking - please send me your ideas by email or in the comments section!

Drawing BLOOOOOOOOD!

In the spirit of Halloween, I present this story of a cartoonist who, in her words, says the best part about this program is "we get to save lives by doing what we love."

(Full Disclosure - I have been participating in the "Cartoonists Draw Blood" project since its inception.) Besides being a good cause, it's a joy to help in such a worthwhile program just by contributing a few hours and a pint of BLOOOOOD. 

Speaking of witch, I will be at Speaker's Church Saturday on Saturday, October 29th along with Carolyn, Bill Brown, and a shambling horde of cartoonists. If you show up, let me know that you've seen this post so I can interview for next week's page!

2016 Facebook Invite: https://www.facebook.com/events/491187757755990/

Direct blood donor sign-up link for 2016: http://www.redcrossblood.org/give/drive/driveSearchList.jsp?zipSponsor=Cartoonistdrawblood

Press Release: http://www.redcross.org/news/press-release/local/washington-dc/Cartoonists-Draw-Blood-event

Last year's photos: https://www.facebook.com/pg/Curls-Studio-50763422380/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10153644273257381

The Oasis of Peace (part three)

I could add several pages of accomplishments to this list, including several Nobel Prize nominations for peace. I encourage you to look at some of the following links to learn more about the people of the Oasis of Peace; I know I will pay more attention to them and their work as a model for all the world.

I decided to add extra color because the "rainbow arch" was the first thing that caught my eye went I was looking for stories. It seems like a small piece of the big picture, but as a kid I would have loved having this in my neighborhood, and as you'll learn if you read more, it's the children that will build the future of this community.

A small but interesting note is that the name of the village IS "Oasis of Peace". Sometimes it is referred to as Nev Shalom Wahat Al-Salam, and sometimes the order is reversed (Wahat Al-Salam Nev Shalom) because these are the Hebrew and Arabic versions of the name (it does make a difference which you choose when Google-ing.)

http://wasns.org/ (main site)

http://wasns.org/video-interview-with-nadine-nashef (Video interview with Tali and Nadine)

http://www.oasisofpeace.org/ (American friends of Oasis of Peace)

The Oasis of Peace (part two)

To be continued...

There's more to tell about this story, and I hope to include interviews with representatives of NSWAS and its support groups. Meanwhile, I have a favor to ask. 

Do you know of s story that my small but growing readership might appreciate hearing about? It does not have to be a BIG story... it can be as simple as two neighbors helping each other, or two rival school teams lending each other a hand. I know you know stories like these. Please help me share them!

The Oasis of Peace

Today is the first day of Rosh Hashanah. As I mentioned before, I teach at a Hebrew Sunday School and the rabbi and I are pals (he's a good guy, for a Red Sox fan.) Last night at the evening services the President of the Temple initiated a new tradition which she borrowed from her Catholic relatives (yes, she's part of an Interfaith family too) called "the sign of Peace." 

During a mass, there is a pause where everyone stops and shakes hands or hugs the people around them. Jayne asked everyone in the sanctuary to do the same. I can't think of a better sign for the start of this new story from the middle east.

P.S. - afterward, the Rabbi commented that he liked Catholics too, especially because they were started by a rabbinical colleague.

The LGSM Story part 2

I can only imagine what it was like for the two groups to meet for the first time, but even though 1985 doesn't seem that long ago, and Boy George and Culture Club were all over the airwaves, it must have been a serious adjustment for both groups. 

I'd never heard Bronski Beat before, and checked them out (the Internet is a wonderful thing.) This was one of their hits which must have been performed at the Pits and Perverts Ball. Check it out for your 80s flashback (or a sample of what your parents listened to - all 80s music sounded like this as far as I can remember.) 

To me the most significant aspect of this story is that the strike ended (the miners lost) and yet they still showed up for the Gay Pride parade, just to support the people who helped them. This was not quid pro quo, this was true friendship.

Next week I'll show you the "Oasis of Peace."

The LGSM Story

I plan to update once a week, and keep each story to two pages. If I get enough of a following I'll change that to twice a week. Some stories will need more that two, and I'll play that by ear (or fingers) as I go along.

I learned about the LGSM from the movie "Pride" (2014 BBC Films, Directed by Matthew Warchus and written by Stephen Beresford.) Here's a link to the trailer: Pride trailer.

Once I started researching the subject, I found that the movie was very accurate in its portrayal of the historical events, down to the paint job on the vans. Several of the original LGSM members met with the cast during filming, and participated as extras in some of the crowd scenes.