Have You Voted Yet?
The Quad Cities is in the running for the Best Midwest City for Meetings. 

The Quad Cities River Bandits are adding an incentive that if we win, tickets to their home game on Apr. 6th will be half-price!  Keep the winning streak going!

Vote here!
Nurse Shares Steps for Releasing Pain, Forgiving
Yourself and Others

From child abuse and domestic violence to human sex trafficking and atrocities against civilians in war-torn countries, our world creates new victims daily.

Broken bones and bruises heal, but for many victims, the emotional damage is lifelong and life altering, says Amrita Maat, a nurse, child abuse survivor, and author of the inspirational new book, "Wearing a Mask Called Normal," www.maskcallednormal.com.

"Experiencing abuse can affect how you feel about yourself and how you respond to other people," Maat says. "These effects might be easy to see if you're observing them in someone else, but they can be nearly impossible to recognize in yourself without help."

The emotional and physical abuse that Maat grew up with set the stage for her to become a perpetual victim as an adult, she says. The choices she made and her interactions with others were often unwittingly self-destructive.

"Lifestyle changes that involve healthy choices include eliminating dysfunctional patterns, such as manipulation and abusive behavior - the things children of abusive parents learn from their role models," she says. "A healthy lifestyle comes first through recognizing unhealthy behaviors and then laying the groundwork for positive change."

For Maat, that groundwork begins with forgiveness.

"You have to forgive," she says. "You have to forgive yourself and you have to forgive those who've hurt you. When you're a victim, you're often angry - because you have every right to be angry, right? But anger, focusing on blame and thinking of yourself as a victim only perpetuates the dysfunction and the pain it brings."

So, how does one begin to forgive oneself and others? Maat shares the steps she put together, which helped her learn how to identify what would move her forward on her healing path. She started by creating a list of the people and circumstances she needed to forgive and systematically working through the process:

1. Identify the people who have caused you pain and why you feel that pain. This validates your pain; it was real and deserves to be acknowledged.

2. Identify the pain you feel from others and consciously release it to the universe in a personal ritual that has meaning for you. You might write it down on a piece of paper and burn it. Or speak the words out loud and blow them away.

3. Allow yourself to forgive those who have caused you pain as a means to your physical, emotional and spiritual healing.

4. Identify the people you have caused pain and recognize why you caused them pain. It's important to acknowledge that you, too, are capable of causing pain in order to forgive yourself and those you've hurt.

5. Identify the pain you have caused others with your actions.

6. Allow yourself forgiveness for the pain you have caused others as a means to your physical, emotional and spiritual healing.

While forgiving others for hurt caused intentionally is difficult, Maat says the hardest is forgiving yourself for pain you caused. But this is vital; in order to forgive others and to open yourself to positive energy, you must forgive yourself.

"From every hurtful moment, I learned something, and part of my process is to acknowledge each lesson and to be grateful for it," Maat says. "Forgiveness was possible when I released the hurt because it no longer served a purpose."

About Amrita Maat

Amrita Maat is a nurse who reached a turning point in her life when she was injured while trying to avoid the advances of a physician who had sexually harassed her for years. For the first time, she stood up to an abuser by taking the man to court. But she had waited too long under the statutes, so she did not get her day of justice. Because of the nature of her memoir, Amrita Maat is a pseudonym.

Saturday, November 23 @ 3:00 p.m.

Teens in grades 6 through 12 are invited to the Moline Public Library on Saturday, November 23 at 3:00 for a celebration of books made into movies, including Catching Fire, Ender's Game, and The Hobbit among others. Games, trivia, crafts, and food. This program is free but registration is required. Call 309-524-2470 by November 20. For more information call 309-524-2470 or visit us at 3210 - 41st Street, Moline, IL 61265 or online at http://www.molinelibrary.com.

Theo's Java Club Cafe, 213 - 17th Street, Rock Island, will be celebrating 20 years in the specialty coffee/cafe business November 15th - November 23rd.

Kicking off the festivities will be "Elvis Presley Tribute Artist" Steve Brandes, live, on stage, on Friday, November 15th from 7-10pm.  More info on Steve can be found at www.stevebrandes.com.

Al through the following week, November 18th - 23rd, Theo's will be offering lunch and drink discounts and door prizes.

Also, more live music is coming back to Theo's beginning with open stage on Thursday nights, from 7:30-10pm with local and regional musical acts on Fridays and Saturdays.

Theo and his friendly staff invite all friends, past and present and future, to stop by for a heartfelt "Thank You" for 20 years!

WashingtonU.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), co-chairs of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, today introduced the Saving Kids From Dangerous Drugs Act of 2013 [link] to increase federal criminal penalties for drug dealers who entice children with candy-flavored methamphetamine, cocaine or other dangerous drugs.

According to law enforcement officers and drug treatment officials, methamphetamine and other illegal drugs are being colored, packaged and flavored in ways designed to attract children and other minors. Some have child-friendly names like Pot Tarts and Reese's Crumbled Hash Brownies.

"For years, drug dealers have used new gimmicks to target children by flavoring and marketing illegal drugs to taste and look like candy and soda," Senator Feinstein said. "These dealers intentionally mislead young customers into believing these drugs are less dangerous and less addictive than other illegal drugs.

"This bill responds to this serious and dangerous problem by increasing criminal penalties on drug dealers who alter controlled substances in a deliberate attempt to lure our youth into addiction and dependency."

"Anything that makes a dangerous drug seem less dangerous to kids is a serious problem," said Senator Grassley.  "The law should make clear that marketing drugs to kids will have steep consequences."

Many recent incidents have involved methamphetamine, which can cause users to experience hallucinations and delusions. In March of last year, police in Chicago warned parents about a strawberry-flavored version of methamphetamine called "strawberry quick" or "strawberry meth." Because of the drug's similarity to candy, police urged parents to tell their children not to take candy from anyone, even a classmate.

The size and sophistication of operations involving flavored or candied drugs is alarming. For example, in March of 2008, Drug Enforcement Administration agents seized cocaine near Modesto, Calif., valued at $272,400; a significant quantity had been flavored with cinnamon, coconut, lemon and strawberry.

Under current federal law, there are no enhanced penalties for altering controlled substances to make drugs more appealing to youth. The Saving Kids From Dangerous Drugs Act:

·         Provides an enhanced penalty when any adult knowingly or intentionally manufactures or creates a controlled substance listed in Schedule I or Schedule II that is:

o   Combined with a beverage or candy product;

o   Marketed or packaged to appear similar to a beverage or candy product; or

o   Modified by flavoring or coloring.

·         Subjects anyone who alters a controlled substance in these ways to the following penalty, in addition to the penalty for the underlying offense:

o   Up to 10 years for the first offense

o   Up to 20 years for a second or subsequent offense

The bill has been endorsed by the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, the Fraternal Order of Police, the Major Cities Chiefs Association, the Major County Sheriffs Association, the National District Attorneys Association and the National HIDTA Directors Association.

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Promotes new Iowa incentive program to assist in the formation

(MARION) - Governor Terry E. Branstad toured Timberline Manufacturing in Marion, Iowa, today to highlight the advantages of employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) and Iowa's incentive programs that make it easier for businesses in transition to further explore this business structure.

"ESOPs can help keep companies - and the jobs they provide - in local communities," said Branstad. "ESOPs are more than just an employee benefit plan, they are a transition plan for business owners and a growth strategy for communities."

Over the past two legislative sessions, the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) proposed programming to encourage companies and owners to explore the creation of ESOPs. Legislation was passed and enacted to provide a 50 percent capital gains tax deduction for businesses owners who sell their companies to their employees through a qualified ESOP. Further, a new program to provide financial assistance for ESOP formation is available to Iowa businesses as well.

A public-private partnership with ESOP professionals from around the state has been formed to help educate and inform Iowa businesses about the advantages of forming ESOPs and the incentives that are available to help.

The partners working with IEDA in this effort include the Principal Financial Group, Banker's Trust, Nyemaster Goode Law Firm and Prairie Capital Advisors.

Educational sessions will be held across the state and will take place in November and December at the following dates and locations:

Nov. 21 - Council Bluffs and Sioux City

Dec. 4 - Des Moines

Dec. 5 - Bettendorf and Dubuque

Dec. 11 - Cedar Rapids and Waterloo

Dec. 12 - Mason City and Ft. Dodge

Businesses interested in attending a session can contact Jerry Ripperger at the Principal Financial Group at 515-248-2240 or via email at ripperger.jerry@principal.com.

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New Service to Link Renters with Available Units

 

Des Moines - A unique new rental housing locator service, IowaHousingSearch.org is now available for Iowa landlords to list units at no cost. The web site is supported by a toll-free call center and is designed to give renters, landlords, housing professionals and social service providers access to detailed information about real-time rental housing vacancies. The service will launch for public use in January.

IowaHousingSearch.org offers all Iowa landlords, including those with critically needed affordable, accessible and special-needs housing, a free way to advertise properties while helping renters easily find units to fit specific needs. IowaHousingSearch.org will also be a vital tool during times of emergency, providing up-to-date housing information for displaced disaster victims and assistance organizations.

"Iowa has approximately 330,000 rental units," said Iowa Finance Authority Executive Director Dave Jamison. "The IowaHousingSearch.org site will provide a critical link between thousands of rental units and Iowans looking for them. I encourage all rental property providers to list their rental units on IowaHousingSearch.org as soon as possible."

IowaHousingSearch.org offers landlords 24-hour access to managing, adding and updating property listings. Detailed listings let landlords highlight amenities and special features, and landlords can use the property search feature to make neighborhood and pricing comparisons. Listings can include pictures, maps and extensive information about accessibility features and nearby amenities such as parks, schools and hospitals.

 

To begin listing on IowaHousingSearch.org, Iowa property providers can register online at IowaHousingSearch.org or by phone at 1.877.428.8844.

For more information, visit IowaHousingSearch.org or call 1.877.428.8844 (Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. Central Time) to speak with a representative. The service is funded by the Iowa Finance Authority.

 

The Iowa Legislature created The Iowa Finance Authority, the state's housing finance agency, in 1975 to undertake programs to assist in the attainment of housing for low and moderate-income Iowans.

 

 

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Vernissage for Todd Leisek:

November 15th. 2014

Art Installation :
" We Are Ghosts"

Mixed media.
This art installation is a room-sized glass exhibit.

At The Phoenix.
1530 Fifth. Avenue.
Moline.
Friday. November 15th. 2013
6-9 p.m.

Free and open to all.

Artist's description: About the Installation:

" This large installation is a communication and an interaction between what my family's identity, ethnicity and past has faced through the years.  Behind closed doors an individual hides their own identity and reality.  By breaking down these "doors" and "walls," our identities can be slightly revealed and displaced by reflections of light upon the exhibition wall.  In this installation, I concentrate on drawing upon the simple concepts of the breakdown of these doorways and walls through looking through broken glass, doors and walls taken from dismantled homes.  This piece is the past as well as the present as it confronts some of the conflicts of tribal identity in the United States.  Four doorways will be presented in the act of breaking apart with only the shards of clear glass to bind them together and the holding together of the walls will display the reflection of a past identity of a mixed tribal past. The installation is a chance to speak without words through the materials and the photographs hidden in the cracks of the walls.  I am mixed of Potawatomi, Sac/Fox and Cherokee.  Since I am of mixed tribal generation, where do I fit in with the world or how does my family (ancestors) fit in?  We roam as "ghosts" blending in from one subculture to the next recreating ourselves over and over without stepping through to connect with our tribal roots or ancestral traditions.  There are thousands of us still roaming the United States displaced."

Artist Statement

My artwork (installations) is based from sensory experiences (sounds, sights, smells and dreams) from the memories of my childhood experiences and the stories of family members long past.  Throughout my experience as an artist; I have concentrated on these sparks of memory which are drawn from nature (landscape), dreams of my past, and the faded memories.  In creating these abstract sculptural pieces, I'm attempting to bring back these recollections into a form of narrative or conceptual scene into the public space.  By changing the landscape (public space), I draw the viewers into my art installations to bring their own sensory experiences into the artwork.   These sensory experiences are connected to the material I use in my artwork (Ceramics, Wood, and stain).  I hope that these pieces display the uncomfortable feeling of distance of Native American authenticity and the reconnection of my families lost mixed of Otoe and Osage/Pottawattamiepast.  It is important that my artwork does not relate directly to a "Native American" background, yet an element of these memories, love and loss which was influenced by my ancestors past.

To present a loose form of this narrative in my art installations is an important element to address in the conditions of the Post-Native American identity.  The traditions of the storyteller in my family today are dependent upon me to retell them in a modern relation of the struggles we face for a place (or voice) in this world.  We all have memories and past experiences which we cannot completely explain, yet subconsciously influence our lives.

About The Artist:  Todd Liesek.

I was born in Ogden, UT as Todd Woodmansee, yet grew up with a very collect a diverse step family in Lodi, CA.  My first studies in Fine Arts started in San Francisco where I spent the first 4 years at San Francisco State University for my BA, which was dual emphasize in Art History and Fine Arts.  I stayed for additional 3 years teaching for private art/music schools within the Bay Area, traveling around performing and producing artwork in California.  In 2003, I received an invitation to study at University of Wisconsin-Superior for a MA in Studio Art in sculpture and ceramics.  In addition, I had an opportunity to perform with the University Orchestra and Brazilian Guitar Ensemble to perform in Rio de Janiero, Brazil.  After my graduation from UWS in 2006 with a MA, I moved from the cold frigid North to the Quad Cities, IL.  For the past few years, I received an invitation for the MFA program at Vermont College Fine Arts in Contemporary theories and Art Installation which I recently graduated in 2013.

I have worked for private and public art/music schools and Higher Education at both the Community and State University levels for about 9 years and 3 years as an online instructor. I have taught art history/appreciation from 1300 to 21st Contemporary Art, Art Theory, Sculpture/Ceramics, music orchestration, and guitar performance.

Tickets Go On Sale November 22

DES MOINES, IA (11/12/2013)(readMedia)-- Hairball returns with their head-banging 80s rock on Friday, January 31, at the Jacobson Exhibition Center on the Iowa State Fairgrounds. Tickets for the 8 p.m. show will go on sale at Noon on Friday, November 22. Admission is $18 in advance or $25 after 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, January 30.

Tickets will be available through www.iowastatefairgrounds.org for print at home tickets and will call orders. Walk up orders will be available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Administration Building located on the Iowa State Fairgrounds. All tickets are general admission. The day of the show, the Jacobson Exhibition Center ticket window will open at 5 p.m. for purchases and pick-up of all will call ticket orders. A $2 convenience charge will apply to all tickets. Concert parking is free.

Hairball is the world's ultimate "80s arena rock" impersonation act, recreating the good-time party atmosphere of the decade with unmatched authenticity. Rock Star Bob and Kris Voxx bring the musical and performance styles of Guns n' Roses, Whitesnake, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Motley Crue, Ozzy, AC/DC, Journey, Poison and more to the stage in dead-on visual and vocal performances.

By alternating stage time, these performers rapidly change elaborate costumes, seamlessly transitioning from Paul Stanley of KISS to Joe Elliot of Def Leppard without a break in the action. Their ability to cop the persona of the era's legendary front men and musicianship make Hairball an international favorite.

The Fairgrounds are located at East 30th and East University Avenue, just 10 minutes east of downtown Des Moines. For more information, call 800/545-FAIR or visit iowastatefairgrounds.org.

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The Salvation Army of the Quad Cities Announces their 2013 Red Kettle Campaign Kick-Off Event and YOU ARE INVITED:

2013 Red Kettle Campaign Kick-Off

Friday, November 15, 2013, 6:30pm

NorthPark Mall: JCPenney/Orange Julius Corner near Armed Services Recruitment Office Entrance

o Red Kettle Campaign Goal will be revealed by Mayors Dennis Pauley and Scott Raes.

o Bee Sharp, the St. Ambrose Male Vocalists, will perform a cappella Christmas music.

o Salvation Army Advisory Board Vice Chair John McBride and Quad Cities Coordinator Major Gary Felton to host.

This campaign is a community-wide effort and The Salvation Army's most important fund raiser of the year. 60% of the annual budget is raised during these six weeks.

To volunteer: please sign up at www.ringbells.org

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