51 percent of the population; 1 percent of the landowners

My apologies for getting so serious so soon after the celebrations of The Trials of Benny Swim and the Dooryard festival. But the fact remains that there's still a lot of work to be done in this crazy world of ours. Here is an excerpt from a long article from the New York Times dealing with women's global inequality. It's part of a new book which we should all take to heart, given that women create us, nurture us and inspire us on so many levels.

Bill Gates recalls once being invited to speak in Saudi Arabia and finding himself facing a segregated audience. Four-fifths of the listeners were men, on the left. The remaining one-fifth were women, all covered in black cloaks and veils, on the right. A partition separated the two groups. Toward the end, in the question-and-answer session, a member of the audience noted that Saudi Arabia aimed to be one of the Top 10 countries in the world in technology by 2010 and asked if that was realistic. “Well, if you’re not fully utilizing half the talent in the country,” Gates said, “you’re not going to get too close to the Top 10.” The small group on the right erupted in wild cheering.

Read the rest here, then sit still and think about it.

Unfiltered Smoke

Hey folks, just wanted to remind you that Jason's new creative hub is up online: www.unfilteredsmoke.com. He's looking for readers and contributors, check it out!

Best of luck, Jason for your launch at Dooryard next Friday!

No, no, the other Woodstock!

Notice the coincidental date - 40 years next Sunday. Check out the excellent photos here and here. Some hippies sold out, but their organizing model remains influential.

10 Things About Dooryard

Here's what you don't want to miss next week! Schedule is available at www.rivervalleyarts.net.dooryard

10. Tons of free afternoon showcases.

9. Random Saturday artists and Vendors (everyone is invited).

8. Saturday afternoon Beer & Wine Tasting (if that's your bag, baby). Get 5 beer and 5 wine samples for $10.

7. Arts Workshops for young and young at heart.

6. A chance to paint your way across the train bridge.

5. Live outdoor concerts on Friday and Saturday evening.

4. Writers telling tales out of school at Fusion.

3. The Charlie Bomb Marathon on Friday.

2. A classy cocktail party with yummy food on Wednesday.

1. The Trials of Benny Swim. Only the most infamous story in Carleton County