This & That is published now and then for the Erie area progressive community. Always good to double-check dates and times. Event submissions should have “T&T” in subject line, send to [email protected] . If you don’t want to receive this please reply with “Unsubscribe” in subject line. Also posted to http://occupyerie.net and www.erielead.org

Dec 31 - Emancipation Proclamation 150th anniversary "Watch Nights" observed this year.

Dec 31 –Community Board Game Night at Community United Church (CUC is a progressive congregation) 9:30- 1 am, $5 donation.Community United Church, 1011 West 38th Street. For more information visit facebook page

Dec 31 – NYE@EAM – Erie Art Museum 10 E. Fifth St. Erie, Pennsylvania

Dec 31 – Link Special: Chris Hedges – Days of Revolt 9:30am, also Jan 3 at 11:30am.

Jan 4 – Wide release of Promised Land, the highly anticipated anti-fracking film, directed by Gus Van Sant and starring Matt Damon and John Krasinski.

Jan 5 – 3rd Annual Candle Light Vigil and Talent Show in Memory of Steve Arrington II 11am-3pm, Booker T Washington Center, 18^th & Holland

Jan 9 – Meeting for CeaseFirePA 5:30 PM Jefferson Educational Society, 3207 State St., Erie, PA. The topic of the program will be legislative efforts to control gun violence in PA. http://www.ceasefirepa.org/

Jan 11 – National Day of Action Against Guantánamo – This will be the 11th anniversary of the opening of Guantanamo. There will probably be a local event, check with Erie Peace Initiative or NWPA Peace websites. Nationally, visit Close Guantanamo, also DC events by National Religious Campaign Against Torture

Jan 11– Lewis Black in Erie “The Rant is Due” Warner Theater

Jan 12 - UU Erie Black and White Movie Series is showing “Citizen Kane.”7 pmUnitarian Universalist Congregation of Erie is at 7180 Perry Highway (Route 97) in Erie, less than a mile north of I-90.

Jan 17-26 – David Mamet’s “Race” at Dramashop. One of David Mamet’s most recent works,“Race” follows “three attorneys, two black and one white, offered a chance to defend a white man charged with a crime against a black woman.” The plot unfolds as the three lawyers and defendant grapple with the evidence of the case and their own feelings about race. Socially relevant, poignant, and often biting, “Race” offers a crash course in racial tension and the nature of resolution. Renaissance Centre Theatre (2nd floor)1001 State Street Erie, PA 16501

Jan 18-26 – ‘Pageant Play’: Fridays and Saturdays, 8 p.m. at t PACA, 1505 State St. Erie PA (2^nd floor); Edgy satire that explores the totally twisted world of child pageants. Cost: $10 adv/ $15 at the door. Info: www.paca1505.com. PACA is a great new space for the performing arts, right in Erie’s Entertainment District.

Jan. 18 – Martin Luther King Tribute Concert 7:30 p.m. Central Tech High School, 3325 Cherry St.presented by Gannon University’s Erie Chamber Orchestra with Shiloh Baptist Choir. Info: 871-7755. Free.

Jan 20 – UU Erie Breakfast Standing on the Side of Love (an interfaith public advocacy project of the UUA) 9 am.Unitarian Universalist congregations nationwide are launching a THIRTY DAYS OF LOVE campaign — from MLK Jr. Day to Valentine’s Day — to harness love’s power to stop oppression. This special service will address issues related to LGBT equality, immigrant justice, Islamophobia, and bullying. You will be treated to a video of a rousing sermon by Rev. Gail Geisenhainer: “We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest.” Service Coordinator: Al Richardson Musician: Lin Lang Su, Rebecca and Hannah http://www.standingonthesideoflove.org/

Jan. 20 – A Day of Expression Honoring Dr Martin Luther King. At Erie Art Museum, 20 E. Fifth St., Erie. Presented by The Youth Leadership Institute of Erie and Youth Service America with live performances by the Victory Christian Center alternative youth group, Kemoni Farmer with “The Legacy Of MLK” and more. $10 (donation), Info: 806-0103.

January 21 Annual Martin Luther King March and Rally. Marchers will gather on South Perry Square next to City Hall at about 11:30 a.m. with the march kicking off at 12 noon. The marchers will walk up W.6th St. to Chestnut and then north to the Martin Luther King Center for a brief rally. Dress for weather…In observance of the Martin Luther King Holiday, Gannon will host a prayer service at 9 a.m. in the University’s Mary, Seat of Wisdom Chapel, 520 Peach St. The public is welcome to participate. Also on Martin Luther King Day, Gannon will host a light lunch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Yehl Ballroom of the Waldron Campus Center, 124 West Seventh St. The lunch is free and open to the public.

Jan 21 – Anti-Drone protest at the Inauguration Set to coincide with the Presidential Inauguration Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and the third anniversary of the Citizens United Supreme Court ruling, the Arc of Justice rally and parade will be a determined but hopeful expression of our concern and dissent against the wars, occupations, loss of civil liberties, overwhelming corporate and big money power over our lives, environmental degradation, and many other important issues mostly abused, ignored, or minimized by recent administrations and Congress.

Feb 2 – New Strategy for Peace movement (Pittsburgh). Meeting at the Friends Meeting House 4836 Ellsworth Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15213 Map to Meeting House ”While many groups are working for peace and are opposing the military mindset of our society, we each have been pushing our little part of it with some success, but little notice by the general public or the media. Several of us, involved with the American Friends Service Committee PA, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, Code Pink, Peace Action, Anti-War Committee know that there are many more groups and individuals who contribute in their own way or would like to bring about a more peaceful world. We believe that if we pool our efforts and ideas, that we could be a more powerful force and have more impact on events in Washington and the world. Since President Obama’s election to a second term, he himself has said that he needs to hear from us, and so does the rest of our government.”

Feb 15 – On Screen/In Person: Cafeteria Man Mercyhurst

Mar 1-2 – Pennsylvania Progressive Summit Harrisburg PA

NEWS & VARIOUS

• 2013: America on the cusp of social change
• Gannon launches http://www.greeneriepa.org/
• Good to see that Erie’s Hero BX was probably not involved with the CN Rail scandal. The hopeful movie Fuel (2008) was sponsored by Hero BX. You can watch it for free here.
• “Michael Moore’s “Bowling for Columbine” streaming on Netflix, showing on Current TV and Moore invites people to watch the full version for free on You Tube. http://www.michaelmoore.com/
• Glenn Greenwald, Guardian UK “Obama’s gift to al-Qaida, support for tyranny, and FBI monitoring of dissent” (aka “Why do they hate us?) Numerous individual events from this week alone signify important trends in US government policy
• NY Times interview with Matt Damon about “Promised Land”
• WKBN report: Youngstown anti-frackers hold rally in support of Promised Land
• Preview: Dr. Martin Luther King: The Making of a Holiday
• Warren Ohio Oral History Project

EATING ANIMALS

“Farm animals feel pleasure and sadness, excitement and resentment, depression, fear, and pain. They are far more aware and intelligent than we ever imagined…they are individuals in their own right.” —Jane Goodall

• I just posted a listing of “More Humane Sources for Meat, Poultry and Dairy in the NWPA area” and also set up a FB page for updates. This includes “more humanely” raised animal sources, meatless and vegetarian alternatives, sentience, sustainability and more. Please note that terms like “humanely-raised,” “free-range” “grass-fed” “compassionate” and even “pastured” aren’t solid standards. It is a good idea to visit the websites and locations of the farms and businesses listed, to get more specific information about their standards. Vegans, of course, reasonably argue that “humane” would mean no animal products are consumed.
• Change Is Coming: Factory Farms’ Days May Be Numbered Animal welfare advocates, rejoice Article offers courses of action.
• A flying pig, farm animals singing a Broadway tune… think you could take that seriously enough that it might affect your buying habits? It’s made a major effect in Australia. Watch this and see. Discussion at Democratic Underground here.
• Someone, Not Something project by Farm Sanctuary Farm Animal Behavior, Emotion, and Intelligence. A project that aims to educate the public about the sentience of farm animals. The Farm Sanctuary does promote vegan living, but carnivores who care about animals will find these well-researched pages to be very enlightening.
• Leaning Vegan: NPR

A better world is possible… Much peace to all in the New Year!