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Become the Driver of Your Destiny at the Ridgewood YWCA

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Become the Driver of Your Destiny at YWCA September Women’s Empowerment Network

YWCA Bergen County is holding its September Women’s Empowerment Network (WEN) event, “Become the Driver of Your Destiny” presented by Lois Kramer-Perez on Wednesday, September 30, 2015 from 8:30 to 10:00 am at 112 Oak Street, Ridgewood.

Are you tired of struggling with relationships? Tired of feeling guilty about being happy? Wondering why you dim your light to let others shine? Learn the simple tools to clear your path, release the guilt, and create a freedom roadmap to your life and the relationships you love. You will learn which relationship in your life has the most influence, the surprising truth about letting go, the #1 way to stop guilt in its tracks forever, 3 crucial key words that will stop sending you into sabotage over and over, and how to discover what YOU truly want for yourself.

Lois Kramer-Perez, CHt puts her 10+ years of energy clearing to work for realtors, divorcees, business owners, and moms, breaking through their lives and putting them in the driver’s seat of their relationships and spaces. Lois is the creator of popular programs such as “Clearing Meditation Circle” and the “Feng Shui Jumpstart.” She is a board member of International Feng Shui Guild, and has been invited to speak for numberous organizations and companies. Lois is a faculty member at Emerson and Ridgewood Community Schools, and is a contributor to Natural Awakenings, Inner Realm and BC the Magazine. She is also Pazoo.com’s Feng Shui Expert.

Get the personal and professional growth you seek with exclusive opportunities for WEN Membership. Annual WEN Memberships are available at $100 for Professionals and $75 for Military or Students (with valid ID). Memberships include one-year basic YWCA membership, members-only discount for all WEN Intensive workshops, and a tax deductible donation ($50/$25) toward vital YWCA programming. WENPlus Memberships are also available at $250 annually and include a one-year basic YWCA membership, exclusive early bird registration and members-only discount for all WEN Intensive workshops, one non-member guest pass for the monthly program series, and discounts for other YWCA programs for women. A $200 tax-deductible donation toward YWCA is also included. Per event rates for monthly WEN programs include $25 for non-members, $10 for WEN members, and no charge for WENPlus members.

To become a WEN member, please visit https://www.ywcabergencounty.org/upcomingevents/womens-empowerment-network/ or for more information, please contact Samantha at 201-345-1895 [email protected]. To register for September’s WEN event, please visit https://ywca-sept-wen15.eventbrite.com.

Wednesday, September 30th
8:30 am to 10:00 am

YWCA Bergen County
112 Oak Street, Ridgewood, NJ

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Water Restrictions Shut Down RHS Student Car Wash

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On Saturday the high school chorus group was holding a car wash to raise a few dollars for their program. The kids were about an hour into it, 2 hoses with nozzles when the police came by and had them shut down due to a complaint. The officers were apologetic but had to act due to a compliant. I don’t have anyone in the schools, but what an awful example for the village. We ask the kids to work a task to help their program and then send the police to shut it down.

We should all be very concerned that their are people so miserable and angry in town that they complain about a organized event at the school to raise money.

Why is there no pressure on the water company to build a system that can meets the needs? Why is there no consideration of water use in the proposed increased in area housing? Why are we using village police resources to enforce water rules, seems if they had the time to do this perhaps we should review staffing levels when the water “crisis” is over ?

The “Stage 4 In Effect” notice posted on the Village’s website says NOTHING about a ban on washing vehicles. It addresses IRRIGATION ONLY.

When were we told in writing that washing cars is prohibited?

https://www2.ridgewoodnj.net/main_recent.cfm?ArticleID=1779

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NJ TRANSIT DETAILS NORTH JERSEY SERVICE FOR PAPAL VISIT

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Papal Event-Goers Encouraged to Travel Off-Peak

September 14, 2015

Ridgewood NJ,  NJ TRANSIT has plans in place to help manage travel for North Jersey customers during Pope Francis’ visit to the area on Thursday, September 24th and Friday, September 25th.

Event-goers are advised to plan their trip ahead of time, plan to travel off-peak when possible and purchase round-trip tickets in advance. Large crowds are expected along with enhanced security measures and expected delays during this time period. When returning to New Jersey in the evening on September 25th, customers should be prepared for longer wait times especially immediately following the Papal Mass at Madison Square Garden.

“With crowds moving into, out of, and around New York City on Thursday and Friday of the Papal visit week, NJ TRANSIT’s regular customers should know that this will be very far from their normal commute,” said NJ TRANSIT Executive Director Veronique “Ronnie” Hakim. “We are asking our customers to be patient – and to be prepared – as we expect our rail and bus service to be at or near capacity during the peak periods so wait times may be lengthy. Our goal is to have visitors utilize off-peak trains and move as many people as possible in a safe and efficient manner.”

NJ TRANSIT will operate additional rail service during the off-peak into Penn Station New York and enhance its bus service into Port Authority Bus Terminal (PABT) throughout the day.  Normal football Game Day rail service will run on Thursday and Sunday for the Giants and Jets games, respectively.

Signage and posters will be available at all major rail stations and bus terminals to inform NJ TRANSIT customers of travel options. Also, NJ TRANSIT Ambassadors, who are knowledgeable about travel information during this special Papal event, will be on hand to assist customers.

Special queuing in Penn Station New York will also be in place to handle anticipated crowds.  The new busing operations in place at the Port Authority Bus Terminal (PABT) should help vehicles, and customers, travel to and from the terminal more quickly.  In addition, the majority of buses do not travel on New York City streets and traverse from the Lincoln tunnel directly onto PABT ramps, avoiding any traffic diversion which may be implemented due to the Pope’s motorcade, unless it impacts the Lincoln Tunnel.

NJ TRANSIT is also working closely with area transportation partners to provide alternate transit options throughout the visit.  For example, customers can transfer to PATH service at Newark Penn Station or at Hoboken where they can also travel via NY Waterway. NY Waterway will operate their regular service for Thursday and Friday but will have boats on standby if needed.  They also are modifying their bus schedule to coincide with the Papal parade.

“Our staff continues to work hand in hand with NJ TRANSIT to ensure that those attending papal activities in Manhattan have a convenient and safe way to get there,” said Michael Marino, the Port Authority’s Director of Rail Transit and General Manager of PATH.

NY Waterway also has additional commuter ferry capacity from a number of locations to accommodate New Jersey residents coming to New York City during the Papal visit.

Ferry service is available to West 39th Street in Manhattan from Port Imperial in Weehawken, 14th Street in Hoboken and Lincoln Harbor in Weehawken.  These routes operate all day, with departures every 10 to 30 minutes.

Morning and evening rush hour service is available from Edgewater in Bergen County to West 39th Street, a 13-minute crossing every 30 minutes.  Morning and evening rush hour service is available from Belford/Middletown in Monmouth County to Lower Manhattan in 40 minutes and to West 39th Street in 65 minutes with departures every 30 minutes.

There also is service from Hoboken Rail/Ferry Terminal and Jersey City’s Paulus Hook, Liberty Harbor and Port Liberte to the World Financial Center and to Pier 11 at Wall Street.

“NY Waterway is always ready with the boats and the experienced crews to work with NJ TRANSIT to move New Jersey residents across the Hudson River quickly and reliably.  We are confident that we can handle the increased ridership during this wonderful event, the visit of Pope Francis to our region,” said NY Waterway President and Founder Arthur E. Imperatore.

Amtrak will provide direct rail service to 30th Street Station in Philadelphia with some trains making stops in New Jersey including Newark, Metropark, Princeton Junction, Hamilton and Trenton.  For more information on Amtrak service, please go to https://www.amtrak.com/papalvisit.

NJ TRANSIT has created a special Papal webpage will more detailed information for visitors. Please visit www.njtransit.com/papal for any updated NJ TRANSIT Papal travel news.

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PIPES: Obama: ‘My Muslim faith’

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President uses pious expressions with Muslims

By Daniel Pipes – – Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Editor’s Note: In this third of a five-part series, Middle East and Islam specialist Daniel Pipes continues his documentation of Barack Obama’s close ties to the Islamic religion, focusing here on statements he made as an adult.

Several statements by Barack Obama in recent years point to his Muslim childhood.

(1) Robert Gibbs, campaign communications director for PresidentObama’s first presidential race, asserted in January 2007: “Sen. Obamahas never been a Muslim, was not raised a Muslim, and is a committed Christian who attends the United Church of Christ in Chicago.” But he backtracked in March 2007, asserting that Mr. Obama “has never been a practicing Muslim.” By focusing on the practice as a child, the campaign is raising a nonissue, for Muslims (like Jews) do not consider practice central to religious identity. Mr. Gibbs added, according to a paraphrase by Paul Watson of the Los Angeles Times, that “as a child, Obama had spent time in the neighborhood’s Islamic center.” Clearly, “the neighborhood’s Islamic center” is a euphemism for a mosque. Spending time there again points to Mr. Obama’s being a Muslim.

(2) He may have made faces and horsed around in Koran class, but Mr. Obama learned how to pray the salat, a form of ritual worship, in religion class. Pak Effendi, his former teacher at Besuki, his school in Jakarta, Indonesia, recalls that he would “join the other pupils for Muslim prayers.” Praying the salat in and of itself made Mr. Obama a Muslim. Furthermore, he still proudly retains knowledge from that long-ago class. In March 2007, Nicholas D. Kristof of the New York Times witnessed asMr. Obama “recalled the opening lines of the Arabic call to prayer, reciting them [to Mr. Kristof] with a first-rate accent.” Mr. Obama recited not the salat itself but the adhan, the call to prayer (typically chanted from minarets). The second and third lines of the adhan constitute the Islamic declaration of faith, the shahada, the very utterance of which makes one a Muslim. The full adhan in its Sunni iteration (skipping the repetitions) goes as follows:

God is the greatest.

I testify that there is no deity but God.

I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of God.

Come to prayer.

Come to success.

God is the greatest.

There is no deity except God.

In the eyes of Muslims, reciting the adhan in class in 1970 made Mr. Obama a Muslim then — and doing so again for a journalist in 2007 once again made Mr. Obama a Muslim.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/sep/11/obama-my-muslim-faith/?page=all

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Ridgewood Water Stage 4 water restrictions are still in effect

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Stage 4 water restrictions are still in effect.
September 19,2015

Dear Ridgewood Water customers,
Your cooperation with Stage 4 restrictions has started to ease the stress that the water system experienced during this unusually dry summer. Weather forecasts predict that dry conditions will continue, so Stage 4 restrictions will remain in effect until further notice.
No irrigation of any kind is allowed on Mondays, Thursdays, or Fridays.
Irrigation using only a hand-held hose with a spray nozzle is permitted for odd numbered addresses only on Tuesdays and Saturdays and for even numbered addresses only on Wednesdays and Sundays.
Waivers for special circumstances such as irrigating newly planted lawns and shrubs, cleaning cars or houses, and filling swimming pools will be considered on a case-by-case basis. For more information on waivers please call Ridgewood Water at 201-670-5520 or email Customer Service at [email protected].
You can always find the current status of restrictions at our website,water.ridgewoodnj.net. Your patience is greatly appreciated

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Governor Christie Takes Action To Prepare Public Safety Measures In Advance Of Papal Visit

Vatican Pope Youths

Friday, September 18, 2015

Executive Order Builds On Ongoing Preparation Efforts & Ensures Officials Have All Tools To Ensure A Safe And Orderly Visit

Trenton, NJ – With an estimated 2 million visitors expected to gather in Philadelphia for the upcoming World Meeting of Families and Papal visit, Governor Chris Christie today signed an Executive Order that puts in place measures to manage the occasion, coordinate any requests for mutual assistance with neighboring governments, and ensure a safe and orderly visit for New Jersey residents and many thousands of visitors expected to travel through New Jersey for the occasion. In effect, the Governor’s Order provides emergency management, law enforcement, county and local officials with the tools needed for a secure and orderly visit of His Holiness Pope Francis.

“Given the Pope’s comprehensive schedule and the influx of people traveling to see him, the events associated with his visit span the normal State, county and municipal operating services,” said Governor Christie. “Managing this historic event requires the coordinated deployment of personnel and other resources to ensure the health, safety and resources of the citizens of New Jersey.”

The order, which will remain in effect until Tuesday September 29, 2015 at 8:00 a.m., provides officials with the authority to accommodate mutual aid requests as well as contraflow of traffic on roadways and, consistent with the deployment of the National Guard in Philadelphia, authorizes use of the New Jersey National Guard to support events as needed.

According to Philadelphia officials, it is estimated that as many as 2 million people will attend the World Meeting of Families and Papal Mass on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia. With tens of thousands of visitors travelling through the southwest region of New Jersey to access Philadelphia, gridlock on roadways within a 50-mile radius around the City is anticipated. In addition, as many as 250,000 additional vehicles and thousands of buses will be travelling through New Jersey into Philadelphia.

New Jersey officials already have put transportation plans in place:

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Rep . Scott Garrett Bids us a Happy Constitution Day

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PJ Blogger at Independence National Historical Park

On this date two-hundred and twenty-eight years ago, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention completed their arduous work and signed the document designed to restore liberty to the citizens of a new nation.

The American Republic was born out of a struggle against British tyranny and a monarchical system that our forefathers deemed incompatible with the rights of free men and women. Consistent with the principles espoused by the Spirit of ’76 and enshrined in the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution was not imposed on the people. It was humbly submitted to the people for their approval.

A great national debate followed. If the people were to judge the Constitution, they were expected to understand the Constitution. The Federalist Papers, a series of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison, responded to Antifederalist critics by serving as an invaluable guide to the Constitution’s provisions. Their arguments proved decisive and, eventually, the requisite number of states ratified the Constitution. Education was integral to the Constitution’s ratification.

At a time when the globe was dominated by kingdoms and empires, a skeptical world believed that a republic devoted to the ancient cause of liberty would inevitably fail. But the test of time has proven the wisdom, effectiveness, and durability of our great charter.

It has guaranteed our natural rights and preserved our cherished liberties.

It has inspired foreign peoples shackled by tyranny to seek to replicate what the Americans have accomplished.

It has resisted the waves of totalitarian ideologies that claimed human liberty to be a relic of antiquity.

On Constitution Day, Americans follow in the footsteps of the Founders, not only by recommitting ourselves to the Constitution’s enlightened provisions, but also by accepting the duty to provide the education necessary for the survival of a free people.

I commend all those that take the opportunity this day provides to promote the American ideals of human liberty and renew our commitment to the preservation of the Constitution of the United States.

Scott Garrett is the U.S. Representative for New Jersey’s 5th congressional district

 

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RIDGEWOOD SCHOOLS PARENT / GUARDIAN SURVEY REVEALS SLIGHT DECLINE IN OVERALL SATISFACTION WITH RIDGEWOOD SCHOOLS

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Positives : lower use of tutors

September 17,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, The results of the Board of Education’s 2015 parent/guardian survey are out. Individual school reports and district-wide results have been emailed to parents and guardians.

The survey was conducted via email from May 5-15, 2015 using SurveyMonkey software. Email invitations with private survey links were sent to all district parents and guardians with email addresses on file. Survey respondents participated on a secure survey website. Only one response was allowed for each email address. The survey was completely anonymous. Numerical data were compiled and charts were created using SurveyMonkey. District data were compiled from the grade-level surveys by members of the Ridgewood Public Schools Information Technology Department. The superintendent, administrators and school board members reviewed the data and all comments. How many parents and guardians participated in the 2014-2015 survey? How will these survey results be used? The data in this report reflect survey results for the district as a whole. Questions specific to a school or grade level have been included here with separate notation. District and individual school survey results have been provided to each principal, as well as the central administration and the Ridgewood Board of Education. The data will be used as one of several resources for the ongoing review and refinement of the programs of the Ridgewood Public Schools.

As of 5.31.15 # Enrolled Students 5682 , Emails on File 7786 , Survey Responses Participation Rate In-District  2773 35.6%

85.9 % of all respondents Agree or Strongly agree that they are satisfied with the overall quality of their child’s education, compared to 87% of all respondents during the previous survey.

80.8% of all respondents Agree or Strongly agree that they are satisfied with the academic progress of their child compared to 82.3% of all respondents during the previous survey.

74.8% of all respondents Agree or Strongly agree that the academic challenge for my child is appropriate ,compared to 75.7%  of all respondents during the previous survey.

56.1% of all respondents Agree or Strongly agree that the schools give opportunities to help my child do his or her best ,compared to 54.9% of all respondents during the previous survey.

69.1% of all respondents thought the amount of homework was just right compared to 69.2% of all respondents during the previous survey.

23.5% of all respondents supplement their child education with professional tutors ,compared to 31.9% of all respondents during the previous survey.

82.1% of all respondents Agree or Strongly agree that the condition/quality of the athletic facilities are acceptable compared to 80.5% of all respondents during the previous survey.

77.3% of all respondents Agree or Strongly agree that the parent or guardian was well informed as to the child’s progress compared to 80.4% of all respondents during the previous survey.

68.9% of all respondents Agree or Strongly agree that they had opportunities to express their opinions or concerns regarding their child compared to 74,3% of all respondents during the previous survey.

https://board-of-education.ridgewood.schoolfusion.us/modules/locker/files/get_group_file.phtml?gid=944840&fid=28828142&sessionid=f2fc552096d7f9abeb620bd07fd34d0f

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Central Business District Forum will resume next Wednesday, September 23, at 730 PM

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file photo by Boyd Loving

Next CBD Forum – September 23 at 7:30PM – Village Hall

Our Central Business District Forum will resume next Wednesday, September 23, at 730 PM, in the Village Hall Courtroom. We will discuss the new garage planned for Broad and Hudson Streets. No longer just a nice idea, the garage is moving into the design phase. We have already seen some exciting design possibilities that will be offered to our residences for their consideration. The Mayor will attend the forum and he and I will bring everyone up to date as to where the process stands and where it is headed, including a look forward at the all-important referendum on November 3. Please join us and invite your friends and neighbors to attend.

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We Are not Joking ,Pallone Calls for Congress to Investigate Fantasy football leagues

Frank Pallone

September 16,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ , Not worried about ISIS, jobs, immigration, Veterans or taxes Democrat Frank Pallone is concerned  that Fantasy Football leagues are undermining the moral fabric of western society.

 On September 14th New Jersey’s own Congressmen Frank Pallone , sent a letter to his Republican counterparts on Monday, asking the House Committee on Energy and Commerce to “hold a hearing examining the relationship between professional sports and fantasy sports to review the legal status of fantasy sports and sports betting.” (https://democrats-energycommerce.house.gov/sites/democrats.energycommerce.house.gov/files/hearing%20request%20Fantasy%20Sport%20Sept14.2015.pdf )

Pallone called on Congress to investigate fantasy sports websites that have thus far evaded restrictions on online gambling. Pallone has cited FanDuel and DraftKings as particularly prominent daily fantasy sites. In a recent letter to Fred Upton Chair of the House Energy and Commerce committee  “Anyone who watched a game this weekend was inundated by commercials for fantasy sports websites, and it’s only the first week of the NFL season,” he said in a statement Monday. “These sites are enormously popular, arguably central to the fans’ experience, and professional leagues are seeing the enormous profits as a result. Despite how mainstream these sites have become, though, the legal landscape governing these activities remains murky and should be reviewed.” (https://democrats-energycommerce.house.gov/sites/democrats.energycommerce.house.gov/files/hearing%20request%20Fantasy%20Sport%20Sept14.2015.pdf )

Pallone also conjured concerns that players might use fantasy sports to bet on games. “Team involvement in daily fantasy sports also raises questions of whether players or league personnel, who may be able to affect the outcome of a game, should be allowed to participate in daily fantasy sports,” he wrote in a September 14 letter to his GOP counterparts on the committee. “Given the professional sports leagues professional players [sic] deep involvement with fantasy sports, this Committee, as the committee with jurisdiction over professional sports and gambling, should examine the relationship between fantasy sports and gambling and the relationships between professional sports leagues, teams, players, and fantasy sports operators.” (https://democrats-energycommerce.house.gov/sites/democrats.energycommerce.house.gov/files/hearing%20request%20Fantasy%20Sport%20Sept14.2015.pdf)

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Wall Street’s latest panic: Trump could win

The Celebrity Apprentice

With Bush and Clinton taking their lumps, financial executives face populist critics in both parties.

By Ben White

09/14/15, 07:34 PM EDT

NEW YORK — Wall Street is growing increasingly terrified that Donald Trump — once viewed as an amusing summertime distraction — could actually win the Republican nomination for president.

The real estate billionaire, who took another populist shot on Sunday by ripping into lavish executive pay, continues to rise in the polls. Would-be Wall Street saviors like Jeb Bush are languishing in single digits. The belief that Trump’s candidacy would quickly fade is now evaporating in a wave of fear.

“I held four lunches for investors in August and at the first one everyone assumed Trump would implode,” said Byron Wien, vice chairman of Blackstone Advisory Partners and a senior figure on Wall Street. “By the fourth one everyone was taking him very seriously. He taps into frustrations that are very real and he is a master manipulator of the media.”

The CEO of one large Wall Street firm, who declined to be identified by name criticizing the GOP front-runner, said the assumption in the financial industry remains that something will eventually knock Trump off and send voters toward a more establishment candidate. But that assumption is no longer held with strong conviction. And a dozen Wall Street executives interviewed for this article could not say what might dent Trump’s appeal or when it might happen.

“I don’t know anyone who is a Donald Trump supporter. I don’t know anyone who knows anyone who is a Donald Trump supporter. They are like this huge mystery group,” the CEO said. “So it’s a combination of shock and bewilderment. No one really knows why this is happening. But my own belief is that the laws of gravity will apply and those who are prepared to run the marathon will benefit when Trump drops out at mile 22. Right now people think Trump is pretty hilarious but the longer it goes on the more frightening it gets.”

Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2015/09/donald-trump-2016-wall-street-reaction-213614#ixzz3lpzy6VjU

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Iran Nuclear deal angers families of Iran terror victims

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SEPTEMBER 14, 2015, 10:40 PM    LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2015, 7:11 AM
BY MIKE KELLY
RECORD COLUMNIST |
THE RECORD

It is considered a footnote in the contentious debate over the Iran nuclear deal.

But for the families of several New Jersey residents who were killed years ago in Iran-sponsored attacks, the deal’s promised return to Iran of billions of dollars in assets that were frozen years ago is nothing less than a blow to the war on terror.

Estimates of the amount of money in play range from $50 billion to about $150 billon, with opponents of the deal more likely to cite a higher figure. Many victims’ families looked to the frozen funds as a potential target — if an elusive one — to collect in court judgments against Iran for its role in planning terrorist attacks dating to the 1980s.

Supporters of the deal, however, say that the attempt by victims of terrorism to tap into the frozen assets is misguided and a back-door attempt to derail implementation of the accord, which the Obama administration says will prevent Iran from developing a nuclear bomb. Much of the money is already committed to paying other bills in Iran’s oil trade with Asian and European nations.

Regardless, the fate of the money has emerged as a dividing point in the debate over the deal — and future dealings with Iran.

“It’s a nightmare,” said Stephen Flatow of West Orange, whose 20-year-old daughter, Alisa, was killed in an Iranian-financed bus bombing in the Gaza Strip in 1995.

That event sparked Flatow’s nearly two-decade court battle to punish Iran by tapping into its financial holdings in America and across the world.

Along with Flatow, the families of American victims killed in dozens of terror attacks across the Middle East may lose out on the chance to collect as much as $20 billion in outstanding court judgments if Iran is able to recover all of its financial holdings that were frozen under international economic sanctions, some of which were imposed as punishment for those terrorist activities.

“This is about bills owed, payment owed,” said Arline Duker of Teaneck, whose 22-year-old daughter, Sara, was killed in another Iran-backed bus bombing in Jerusalem in 1996. Duker later followed Flatow in filing a lawsuit against Iran.

“These are not about new sanctions,” she said “This is about payment of a debt. The whole idea is for Iran to acknowledge what it did.”

The debate over Iran’s leading role in sponsoring terrorism dates back decades to a period when Iranian-backed terrorist proxies such as the Hezbollah group in Lebanon and Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank regularly attacked U.S. targets.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/kelly-nuclear-deal-angers-families-of-iran-terror-victims-1.1409790

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A busy season for local theater

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SEPTEMBER 13, 2015    LAST UPDATED: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2015, 1:21 AM
BY JIM BECKERMAN
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD

Say hello to Happy and Weepy.

You know them: twin masks, one the smiling face of comedy, the other the grimace of tragedy. They’ve been the official Emoji of theater for more than 2,000 years — ever since the days of the ancient Greeks, when actors did in fact wear outsize masks.

Consider them the mascots of the fall theater season in North Jersey.

Because happily, there are dozens of plays and musicals coming to our area in the next few months — from the lavish professional productions at Millburn’s Paper Mill Playhouse, to the dedicated amateurs who perform in a church basement.

And tragically, you’d be hard-pressed to get to them all, even if you wanted to.

There’s no disguising — with masks or otherwise — the sheer amount of theatrical activity that goes on in this part of the Garden State. They say that every clown secretly wants to be Hamlet — but so, apparently, does every accountant, lawyer, teacher, dentist and sales rep. How else to account for the proliferation of “neighborhood” theaters with their casts full of “shopgirls, schoolteachers, and counter-jumpers” — as Maurice Browne, in 1912, described the habitués of his Chicago Little Theater, the granddaddy of all community theater groups?

And that’s just for starters. What about the student theater groups, with ties to schools like William Paterson University and Bergen Community College? And the professional, Equity actors who appear in venues like Paper Mill and the Garage Theatre Company?

Any more actors in Bergen and Passaic counties, and they’d have to buy tickets and watch us.

Until that day, we local ticket-buyers can avail ourselves of the busiest theater season this side of Broadway. The choices are so many, and bewildering, you may not know whether to laugh or cry.

But then, that’s what the masks are for.

https://www.northjersey.com/arts-and-entertainment/theater/the-curtain-rises-on-north-jersey-1.1409016?page=all

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Obamacare enrollees must double to make budget projections work

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By Tom Howell Jr. – The Washington Times – Sunday, September 13, 2015

President Obama will need to more than double the number of Americans enrolled in Obamacare exchange plans to reach 21 million next year, the target set in budget projections, in what is shaping up as the next major test for the health care law.

As of June, the Department of Health and Human Services counted 9.9 million customers who have bought plans through the federal HealthCare.gov portal and a handful of state-run exchanges.

That puts the administration ahead of it’s own estimates for 2015, but is less than half what the Congressional Budget Office projected for 2016, showing just how much work officials have ahead of them as the next round of enrollment begins in less than two months.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/sep/13/obamacare-enrollees-must-double-to-make-budget-pro/

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Victimhood Culture in America: Beyond Honor and Dignity

Hello-Im-a-victim

Americans increasingly want and expect adult supervision

Ronald Bailey|Sep. 11, 2015 1:30 pm

In “Microaggression and Moral Cultures,” the UCLA* California State University, Los Angeles sociologist Bradley Campbell and the West Virginia University sociologist Jason Manning identify a “culture of victimhood” that they distinguish from the “honor cultures” and “dignity cultures” of the past. In a victimhood culture, they write, “individuals and groups display high sensitivity to slight, have a tendency to handle conflicts through complaints to third parties, and seek to cultivate an image of being victims who deserve assistance.”

Insightfully complementing their analysis is a new study by the St. Lawrence University economist Steven Horwitz, titled “Cooperation Over Coercion: The Importance of Unsupervised Childhood Play for Democracy and Liberalism.” Horwitz makes the case that overprotective childrearing is undermining the “ability to engage in group problem solving and settle disputes without the intervention of outsiders,” a capacity he calls “a key part of the liberal order.” In other words, both studies find that Americans increasingly want and expect adult supervision.

Campbell and Manning begin by probing the rise of the “microaggression” phenomenon on university campuses. As defined by the Columbia diversity training specialist Derald Wing Sue, microaggressions are “brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, and environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative racial, gender, and sexual orientation, and religious slights and insults to the target person or group.” Microaggressions include asking an Asian American where he or she was born, complimenting a Latino on speaking English well, or asserting that “America is the land of opportunity.” In general, microaggressions are seen as instances of a larger narrative of structural inequalities. “Conduct is offensive because it perpetuates or increases the domination of some persons and groups by others,” Campbell and Manning observe.

The authors argue that people seek the moral status of victim in situations where social stratification is low, cultural diversity is high, and authorities are referees. These three conditions pervade the modern American university, so it not surprising that the microaggression victimhood phenomenon is most intense in academia. Google Trends finds that headlines featuring microaggression started a steep rise in 2012.

https://reason.com/blog/2015/09/11/victimhood-culture-in-america-beyond-dig