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ph777 withdrawal How co-writing a book threatened the Carters' marriageIn Portland’s Central Eastside, small acts of kindness are supersized — blown up, immortalized in colorful bursts of paint and splashed across the walls of once-drab buildings. Strolling along Belmont Street, you might find yourself sucked into a perfectly still scene alive with good intentions. Faceless, purple figures clink coffee cups and chat with other equally purple, equally frozen friends. They recycle cans, hold up umbrellas for pets and dance against the colorful, brick-textured background. The mural, titled “Streets of Hope,” covers two walls on the corner of Southeast Eight Avenue and Yamhill Street. It’s the most recent project by the Portland Street Art Alliance and part of its ongoing initiative to uplift the city’s unhoused community through art. To accurately reflect a community, you have to be willing to involve them in the process, said Tiffany Conklin, PSAA’s executive director. “We make murals in the streets, and many times we go out there and we’re in their living room essentially, right?” she said. “For us, it feels right to bring them into the fold.” This mission began in 2021 with the inauguration of the Leroy Blocks , a series of murals honoring and inspired by Leroy Sly Scott, a beloved Portlander who spent 30 years living unhoused in the Sunnyside area. Community members rallied in support of the project, Conklin said — holding up flashlights and helping to redirect traffic during painting days. “Streets of Hope” takes community involvement to the next level. Exploring themes related to how Portland’s unhoused community cares for each other, the mural was created in collaboration with five local nonprofits: P:ear , Street Books , Street Roots , Sisters of the Road and Ground Score Association . With more than a decade of experience as a project manager at Portland State University’s survey research lab, data-informed design has always been a dream of Conklin’s. “Streets of Hope” brought this aspiration to life. Although the first swipe of paint didn’t hit the walls until late August, initial planning and grant applications began more than two years earlier. In March, the group contracted Damon Smyth , a Portland-raised muralist and comic book artist — and he and Conklin spent the next few months interviewing members of each nonprofit. In every conversation, Smyth encouraged individuals to be unfiltered in their answers. He often started sessions by prompting members to draw something that connected to them, then looked for ways to incorporate these ideas into the mural’s final design. Connecting with the community — especially those from P:ear, a mentorship organization for unhoused youth — was both a learning opportunity and a chance to serve as a role model, Smyth said. As a 16-year-old living in Portland in 2008, Smyth was incarcerated for three years, a sentence that was followed by a 6-month period of homelessness, he said. It was in prison that comic books became his go-to escape mechanism, he said, a hobby that later turned into a career illustrating historical graphic novels. In 2020, amid the wave of national and local Black Lives Matter protests, Smyth started painting again — reviving a casual childhood interest in graffiti and turning it into massive downtown murals featuring George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. He’s been painting murals full time since 2021. “We can go down the wrong path sometimes, but you can still be successful,” Smyth said. “ You can still be a great person. You can still be highly empathetic. You can still be valued. You can still be seen as someone that contributes to society.” There’s a lot of beauty in Portland’s unhoused communities, he said. The heart of “Streets of Hope” isn’t just depicting the community’s struggles — it’s showing how much joy, light and kindness individuals emit despite them. Every element of the mural is directly inspired by the stories of those he interviewed, Smyth said. The massive, realistic depiction of two hands reaching for each other was pulled from an instance he witnessed first-hand where two people helped each other up during a drawing session. After noticing how unhoused individuals prioritize their pets’ needs, he sketched a vignette where a man holds an umbrella over his dog. There’s a hand holding a rolled-up newspaper, a reference to the weekly social justice paper dispersed by Street Roots. Scattered coffee allusions — a pair of people holding takeout cups, a giant mug sloshing liquid across the wall — exist as a nod to the P:ear cafe, where some interviews took place. One scene youth were adamant Smyth included was an image of three people dancing, arms stretched up toward the sky. “I felt so inspired that people that don’t even have a roof over their head can still laugh and dance and sing together,” he said. “They were always excited to be around me, and I was excited to be around them.” PSAA invited nonprofit members to join in on a few early days of painting, filling in Smyth’s outlines with spray paint gusts and soaked acrylic paint rollers. For Smyth, art gave him an outlet through which to channel his energy during his incarceration. Making art offers individuals something they have complete control over, he said — a way to reclaim a sense of childhood nostalgia, a spark of life. He’s currently wrapping up two murals at Beaverton’s first year-round homeless shelter , where he’ll teach art classes as part of its yearlong residency program. “Part of the human experience is creation,” Smyth said. “ We have machines that build better than us, we have computers that are better at math — but art is still one of those things that can’t be duplicated.” With “Streets of Hope,” he said, the goal is that the mural’s inherent empathy will be infectious. “ I hope that people will see it and they’ll treat someone different that day because of it,” he said. — Veronica Nocera covers life and culture. You can reach her at vnocera@oregonian.com , 503-221-8111 or @vernocera

Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh): Teri Mitti’, ‘Galliyan’, ‘Tere Sang Yaara’, ‘Kaun Tujhe’, ‘Dil Meri Na Sune’, ‘Kaise Hua’ and ‘Phir Bhi Tumko Chaahunga’ fame lyricist Manoj Shukla Muntashir (Mumbai) was in city in connection with making conversations during Antar-rashtreeya Geeta Mahotsav on Sunday. During his stay, this correspondent talked to him. He was of the opinion that ‘Gita’ originated from Ujjain when Lord Krishna got his education at Sandipani Ashram and thus it should be connected with day-to-day life. Excerpts: In which campaign are you active these days? A: Sanatan awakening, Hundutva awakening, wherever possible. How far have you swum in the Ganga of knowledge? A: I am currently swimming at surface level only. Even if I spend my whole life, I will not be able to fathom the ocean, it is a bottomless storehouse. One who is ignorant has the arrogance of knowledge. If you read even a little and know what the scriptures are, what knowledge is, then you will never have the arrogance of knowledge. This applies to the whole world. We are seeing many ignorant people talking big things, in such a situation we should talk about the essence which we have learned from Krishna, Gita and Ram. Gita and Krishna have a very strong connection with Madhya Pradesh. Would you like to tell something? A: Ujjayini is the land that made Krishna Shri Krishna. He became Shri Krishna in the ashram of Guru Sandipani. He was called ‘Shri Krishna’ when he gained knowledge of 64 arts. Before this, he was Krishna and was also revered. For us he was an incarnation. He came to Ujjain at the age of about 12. At the age of 11 he killed his cruel uncle Kansa. At such a young age he learned so much and was called Yogeshwar. Anyway, this is the virtue of this land. Do you agree that Gita, which is still considered the most sacred book in the world, originated in Ujjain? A: Absolutely, it originated from here. When knowledge started being gained which started from Ujjain, then we should obviously accept that Gita originated from Ujjain. The Gaumukh of Gita is in Ujjayini. How can Gita be taken to the young generation? A: They will have to be told in their language. See, if we keep rejecting the young generation by saying that they do not understand, they do not know the language and literature and what is Gita - we will suffer a lot in this. And we have been making this mistake, which we will have to stop now. We have to explain Gita in their language. Our new generation have gained a lot of speed but have lost the depth. We have to connect Gita with day-to-day life. We have to make them confident that testimony lies in Bhagavad Gita. Why do storytellers and preachers not propagate the real Bhagavad Gita in their programmes and why do they get involved in political intrigues? A: Look, politics is a Yugdharma and we cannot stay away from it. If positive politics is involved in the knowledge of Gita, then there is nothing wrong in it. Politics flows in your veins. On one side there is film, on the other there is religion. How do you separate the two? A: I do not do any such film which comes in my religious belief. I am not afraid of speaking my mind even in Bollywood. I have left behind all fears of the world. Cinema is a very beautiful medium and I will definitely say a few good things through it. I cannot tolerate leftist cinema that has been sold to us for centuries. Nor will I ever be a part of it.None

Let’s protect habitat of wild animals

Article content The office of Quebec’s public security minister has condemned remarks made during a pro-Palestinian protest in Montreal after a masked demonstrator appeared to use Nazi terminology directed at pro-Israel counter-protesters. The incident occurred Thursday afternoon outside Concordia University’s downtown campus during a student-led pro-Palestinian demonstration. Hundreds of protesters had marched from earlier rallies at Dawson College and McGill University, with some boycotting classes. The protest grew to include non-students, and led to tense confrontations with pro-Israel counter-demonstrators outside Concordia. One individual, who appeared to be a middle-age woman, was filmed saying to the pro-Israel protesters: “The final solution is coming your way, the final solution. You know what the final solution is?” The phrase, notorious for its association with Nazi Germany’s plan to exterminate Jews, drew immediate outrage on social media. In a statement on Friday, the minister’s office called the remarks “unacceptable” and urged swift action: “It’s important to make a complaint quickly to the authorities so that they can investigate and crack down on these people.” The minister’s office expressed confidence in law enforcement, adding: “The police can intervene on the spot or afterwards, depending on the level of risk associated with an intervention.” Montreal police reiterated Friday morning they had no information about the incident, while Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante’s office declined to comment. The incident comes amid a rise in hate crimes targeting Jewish communities across Montreal in the past year, with synagogues and community centres being damaged by firebombs and schools being shot at. In October, Jewish community leaders issued a public plea for Montrealers to unite against this surge of hate. Julien Corona of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs condemned the protester’s remarks on Thursday, labelling them a “death threat” and urged authorities to respond decisively. hnorth@postmedia.comOne story I never tire of telling is how Channel 6 assured Philadelphia would have a Thanksgiving Day Parade, even as retailers who originally sponsored it faded from the local scene. I mention Channel 6’s place in Philadelphia Thanksgiving history annually because it marks one of the all-time greatest rescues of a local tradition by a local media giant. Thursday, that tradition continues as “The 6 ABC Dunkin’ Thanksgiving Day Parade,” begins its 105th annual march — 39th under Channel 6’s aegis — at 8:30 p.m. featuring its usual assortment of balloons, marching bands, celebrity performances and floats. Dunkin’, as in Dunkin’ Donuts, has been Channel 6’s primary partner for 14 years. Channel 6 news folk Rick Williams, Cecily Tynan, Adam Joseph, Karen Rogers and Alicia Vitarelli will serves as hosts of event: Williams and Tynan from the main Benjamin Franklin Parkway broadcasting booth, the others from the parade route which starts about 16th and the Parkway and leads to the Art Museum. Headlined guests include “Abbott Elementary’s “ Lisa Ann Walter, “Wheel of Fortune’s” Ryan Seacrest and Vanna White, “Live!’s” Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos, ubiquitous TV host and panelist Carson Kressley, and “Good Morning America” weather anchor Sam Champion. Pop music acts appearing at the parade include my lifelong favorite Darlene Love, Matteo Boccelli, The Sugarhill Gang, Kathy Sledge, The Sharpe Family Singers, CeCe Peniston, The Funky Bunch, Wé Ani, and the former Ladies of Chic. Performers from Ensemble Arts Philly touring shows are featured as well as the Walnut Street Theatre’s current production of “Elf,” the Philadelphia Orchestra, just back from a tour of China, Eddie Bruce and the “No Name Pops,” and the Philadelphia Ballet, now doing their annual rendition of “The Nutcracker.” Of course, some creatures known as Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and Santa Claus make dramatic appearances. ‘Anastasia’ at the BCP Until Al Blackstone was asked to choreograph a production of “Anastasia,” a full-fledged musical based on 1997 animated version, he didn’t realize how much dancing the show required. “I thought it needed a ballet scene and some period dances,” he said. “Once I began working on it, I realized everything in ‘Anastasia’ is a dance,” said Blackstone, who, at the time we spoke was heading to the final rehearsal of “Anastasia” at New Hope’s Bucks County Playhouse, where it will run through Sunday, Jan. 25. “There is so much music to work, and it’s by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, so you know it’s fabulous, but more than that, (director) Eric Rosen’s concept is the music of a memory, so dance serves to illustrate the moment and where the characters are. “It gives us liberty to invent as the show moves from Imperial Russia to Paris, to which the Russian nobility flees following the Revolution.” Russian sequences can range from folk dances to formal ballet. The Paris the refugees inhabit is one of class. Blackstone says his personal experience helped in conceiving the movement for both settings. He had worked on a production of “An American in Paris,” which though set in a later period, provided a sense of the sophisticated Parisian milieu. His grandfather had emigrated to New York from St. Petersburg, Russia, at the time of the Revolution. “I was aware of the different stations and scenarios in the characters’ lives,” Blackstone says. “There’s a lot of range because some of the emigrants are members of the aristocracy while others are from the working class. “There turns out to be so much to explore in this show, I’d like to do it a third time.” Asked whether it is more difficult to work with a vehicle that was originally an animated cartoon, Blackstone said it presents some challenges. “We ask ourselves how we deal with such a situation, dealing with what it is before us but finding an effective way to make to bring out the dramatic reality of a situation, the human reality of it.” Blackstone came to prominence as one of the choreographers on “So You Think You Can Dance,” for which he received two Emmy nominations and earned one 2020 Emmy. “So You Think You Can Dance” was all about dance. It wasn’t concerned with celebrity or the process that led to the performed dance. “The language of dance was the priority, so the show became a great place to exercise creativity,” Blackstone said. “An atmosphere was created in which anything seemed possible.” Blackstone knows a lot about performing. His parents owned a dance school near Point Pleasant, N.J. “They just closed it after 45 years. Besides all of the training, my mother would take us out of school on Wednesday afternoons, so we could go to Broadway and see all of the musicals. That, as much as anything, made me want to be involved with the theater. “I remember the first show I saw was “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamboat.’ It excited me so much, I wrote a letter to everyone in the cast. In time, I saw how dance is an integral part of storytelling.” Now in his 40s, Blackstone says dance and music remain a huge part of his life. “I don’t know how to do everything. I don’t want to do everything. I know who I am and what I’m programmed to do. And, of course, I’m still learning. “The music that interests me the most is the Great American Songbook, the wonderful songs by George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin and their contemporaries. Musicals are often composed with that style of music, which is why I enjoy working on them so much.” Peacock’s ‘Jackal’ show to die for Being so used to whole series streaming at once, it is difficult to deal with waiting a full week for a new episode of a show. Peacock’s “The Day of the Jackal” is worth it. Eddie Redmayne plays a highly paid, highly talented professional assassin. Watching him set up the first kill of the series is engrossing as both actor and the situation are fraught with tension. The Jackal is the bad guy, but Redmayne’s charm and talent, and his character’s skill and poise make you root for him despite the international political mayhem he causes with each precise kill. The series is smart enough to let us see various aspects of The Jackal — as a family man, as a lover of nature — that enhance our like for him. Also, his main adversary, an MI 6 agent played by Lashana Lynch, is heavy-handed in her tactics and never becomes as likable as Redmayne, let alone becoming someone to root for. New episodes appear on Peacock every Thursday. You can binge-watch those that have aired already. Kudos for WIP post-game team Throughout the Eagles season, the post-game commentator I look most forward to hearing is former Eagle wide receiver Jason Avant, whether he’s conversing with Rob Ellis on WIP (94.1 FM) or Don Bell on Channel 3. Avant is candid and knowledgeable in a way that illuminates the game he’s s discussing, the plays he’s dissecting, and the players he’s praising or questioning. He brings a polished expert’s perspective to whatever he’s saying while being a sharp, observant, and fair critic of the game he, Ellis, or Bell is taking apart. That Rob Ellis and Don Bell, in their individual ways, rank among the best sportscasters in the market, is a head start to their success working with Avant. Ellis is always rational and, while stating opinions firmly, he listens to callers, explains his views calmly, and introduces ideas you haven’t heard all day on earlier programs. Bell is playful, the guy who applies a good-natured point of view to his reporting and is the life of the broadcasting party while remaining prepared and able to get down to business. Bell also has a worthy pre-game partner in Channel 3’s Pat Gallen, who seems nonchalant in approach but knows his topic thoroughly. Another who’s impressed recently is Channel 29 sportscaster Breland Moore. I enjoyed her take on the Eagles-Commanders game of Nov. 14. I also noticed that see chose as her “player to watch” in terms of being significant to the game at hand was a defender, Eagles safety Reed Blankenship, who came through with a timely interception of a Jayden Daniels pass.DFS directs banks to adopt advanced technologies to combat fraud

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