The Betty Pages Dec 2014 by Betty Desire

The Betty Pages - December 2014 Betty’s Corner

By Betty Desire, The Betty Pages

In The Mix

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By Bridget Adams

An Interview w/ Rabbi Marti Leviel By: Stephanie Kountouros

Sexy Kinky Fun

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By j

Friends of Film Is Truth A Bibliography of Gay Film By Lyle Pearson

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The Wheel of Fortune

The Comics!

By Kevin Walder

Community Event!

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About our Contributors... Miss Betty Desire has been entertaining anyone who would listen in Bellingham for nearly 10 years, and is proprietor of The Betty Pages, the monthly publication that you are reading at this very moment. It is her hope that your perusal of the Betty Pages will enrich your life one chuckle at a time. Writer Bridget Adams currently resides in Washington State but that is always subject to change. Lucky enough to be a full-time, if poor, writer, she is most likely somewhere in front of her computer with a cup of coffee. Lots and lots of coffee. Queer Film Historian Lyle Pearson has published in Film Quarterly Sight and Sound, International Film Guide, Filmfare, Youth Times, and Manshots. With a BA from Pacific Lutheran College (1959) and a MA from San Francisco State College (1968), he has also taught film at Western Washington University.

Naomi graduated Whatcom Community College with an Associates in Visual Communications - Graphic Design but prefers more hands on tinkering & random projects (of which she always has many still to finish).

Betty’s Corner

The Holiday’s have arrived! I have Betty Desire, The Betty Pages mixed emotions this time of year. I enjoy the festive lights and decorations of the season, and the gatherings with family and friends. I am excited to be able to host Christmas Eve at my new house in Kendall, yet am painfully reminded how expensive this time of year can be and how depressing it can be for those around us who have fractured families. Those who by no fault of their own are no longer welcome at their Birth family’s table. Then there are those who are welcome, and expected to show up for the festivities ,but when they do endure hours of conversation with relatives who are polar opposites to them in every conceivable way. How many times must you have to say “I respect your Spiritual Belief system, but don’t share it”or “I understand your political views I just don’t share them” I have been fortunate with my family and would hope that most families can “muddle through the Season” without causing too much emotional damage to each other. I guess what we all should remember is that no one is perfect, no one owns all truth, and true love transcends Political, Religious, and any other personal beliefs. It is my hope that whatever you Celebrate this time of year, and there are many Belief systems among us, you are able to tap into and extend true love, acceptance, and encouragement to all around you. We are all after all on this incredible journey of life together and need all the assistance we can get whether we realize it or not. I wish you the best this Holiday Season, I wish you Joy, Happiness, Contentment,and Love!

Finally as we wind down the celebratory end of 2014 I urge you to play responsibly. Do what you will but harm none. Remember there are extra patrols out until next October. Don’t drink and Drive. Don’t let your friends or family drink and drive. The Police have enough paperwork to do so don’t add to their work load!

Betty Desire

Bridget Adams

It’s the holidays, Poppets. Oooo….I do love the holidays. The lights. The colors. The music. The food. Laughter, friends, and goodwill. Traditions that have spanned longer than I’ve been alive, and that just started last year. I love it all. Especially the traditions. A few years back, David and I were in pretty bad shape financially. Really bad shape, actually. Our friend, Mac, sat down to do her charitable giving that year and, instead of giving to the ASPCA, she gave to us. $100. Now, it doesn’t seem like much. That year? It was a ridiculous amount of money. What none of us realized, though, was a tradition was born. Every year since then, David and I have given $100 in her name. We’ve given to individuals, a family, organizations, even once the innkeepers of a place we’d been staying, when we learned they were on food stamps. That $100 in Mac’s name has become part of our holiday tradition. Another tradition of mine is to buy a toothbrush and full-sized toothpaste every time I go to the store from November 1st through Christmas. Sometimes, that’s once a week. Sometimes, it’s every day. However often, though, I buy a toothbrush and toothpaste. Between Yule and Christmas, I find a homeless shelter wherever I am, and deliver them. David is British Canadian, so he grew up with a strong sense of Boxing Day being the day to make charitable donations. For him, it was gloves, scarfs, socks, underwear. The small things people tend to forget about. We have combined our two traditions quite nicely, and now deliver my toothbrushes and his gloves on December 26th. My point is holiday traditions don’t have to be about turkey or beef for dinner. Or the chorale concert you always attend. Or decorating the tree with your friends and too much eggnog. Don’t get me wrong – I have those traditions, too, and I love them. But holiday traditions can be about more than that, too. If you have a tradition of giving, great. If you don’t, it’s never too late – or too soon – to start one: Give in honor or in memory of someone. A teacher who supported you. Your drag mother. The friend who made it easy to come out. The sister who loans you her skirts (even if she draws the line at her shoes). The brother who taught you to tie a necktie. Give your time. Not all of us have the financial resources to give money. Believe me, I get that. Contact Bellingham Food Bank (360.676.0392 at 1824 Ellis Street in Bellingham). Or one of the animal organizations (The Whatcom Humane Society: 360.733.2080 at 2172 Division Street in Bellingham or The Alternative Humane Society: 360.671.7445 at http://alternativehumanesociety.com in Bellingham). Or Northwest Youth Services, which has explicit Queer Youth Space, (360.734.9862 at 1020 N. State Street in Bellingham). They will have ways you can donate your time, knowledge, empathy, muscles, brains, and passion. Whatever cause is dear to your heart, you can donate your time to it. Combine traditions. Invite your friends over to decorate the tree and drink too much eggnog ~ and ask that everyone bring a single toy, stick of deodorant, full-sized toiletry, or jar of peanut butter. Pick a theme and ask everyone to bring one of that thing. The goal is to reach critical mass – have a small pile of something, without anyone having to spend more than they have, or feel bad because they couldn’t afford much. And that, dear Poppets, is how traditions are made. I wish you well at the end of every month, but especially during this time of year. For some of us, it’s the best time of the year. For others, not so much. Wherever you fall in that spectrum, my holiday wish for you is peace, now and always. Until next month, Poppets, take care of you – and each other.

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This month marks my first month in my 60’s I want to thank all of you who helped me celebrate the beginning of my 6th Decade, and I can report that it is not as bad as I had feared. I do of course have new aches and pains, and it takes me a bit longer to do things than I want to admit, but over all it’s ok and far better than the alternative. Kimmeth at Rumor’s Cabaret worked very hard to make the Roast and Toast happen, as did Peter Storm and Brian. I was reminded of many wild and crazy events of my sordid past! It was arduous journey through the last 59 years, some happy, some sad, some totally unknown to me before and many embarrassing! The best is yet to come! My Nephew gifted me my own personal exorcize bike so I have begun peddling my way to health and vitality. I will let you know when I get there. Hopefully I will have cell service.

In The Mix

A Most Un-Orthodox Rabbi – An Interview with Rabbi Marti Leviel Stephanie Kountouros

I’ve known Rabbi Leviel for several years, since she was a member of, and later parted ways with, Congregation Beth Israel. Her monthly services at the Center for Spiritual Living are loosely based on Jewish Renewal, a more spiritual, Kabbalistic and meditative path than traditional branches of Judaism. Full disclosure, I don’t just attend services, I’m also in the choir. You could say she literally preaches to me on a regular basis. We sat down to chat on a rare, sunny autumn day in my living room. You lead monthly Shabbat (Sabbath) services at the Center for Spiritual Living. What kind of services do you offer and how are they different than traditional Jewish congregations? I’m here to find a way to express being me. As I express being me, those that want what I am offering, it will resonate for them and they will come! I have a lot of faith in people’s selfinterest, which is a little strange for being clergy, because our culture shows examples of being clergy where you’re supposed to teach people how they’re supposed to be. I’m there to help them be who they came to be. So how did you come to this point? What drew you to being a rabbi?

I had been in his congregation since 1983 when we were both in L.A. and I’m in just awe of this guy. It’s like “I wanna be doing what he’s doing!” Had you been religious before this?

Another way the service is unique is that it seems our congregation brings together a high percentage of people who are queer, gay-identified, transgender. Do you have a connection to queer identity?

It’s not even in the Torah! What’s important to me is this notion of light and dark. Through the dark, it is our job, it is our opportunity, it is necessary in the darkness of this world, you know? It’s our job to bring light.

I’m one of the founding members of the Lesbian Dinner Social Club. I’m married to a woman and I am a woman. That’s just how it is. I don’t identify myself as anything other than a human being. There are 7 billion people on this planet and 7 billion different relationships to gender and sexual identity. I just want to help people find who they are…and recognize that they are a blessing. Whoever they are, whatever they believe, and wherever they land. They’re a blessing.

In the December 12th service, which is a few days short of Hanukkah, will there be any elements of Hanukkah in the service?

What do you think is the draw people of different identities to your services? What do such a diverse group of people experience that they don’t in more traditional services?

Rabbi means “teacher” and how better to teach than with a story?

Conversely, in the Torah there are some pretty strict anti-gay injunctions that are used against people who love others of the same gender.

There’s a parallel between that and light and darkness. That it makes a sort of wholeness.

I translate things a little differently than other people translate them. (Laughs.) How would you translate, “Thou shalt not lie with a man as with another woman?” You CAN’T lie with a man as with another woman. It’s physically impossible. It’s not an injunction. I don’t think God really cares. It’s not part of what God cares about.

So you bring this meditative experience to your services now? What are your services like?

So how do you interpret the overarching fundamentals of the Torah?

First of all, you don’t have to be Jewish to come to my Shabbat service. I’m very focused on making sure everybody knows what we’re doing, making the Hebrew not too significant. I

Teaser! This leads me to a question one of my partners asked, “Why do rabbis always tell so many stories?”

Why are they always so funny?

But people would say it’s clearly an injunction in Leviticus.

What would you say to Jews who might be interested in coming, but don’t know the religious stuff or are not sure about “the God thing”?

Absolutely. We’ll have a menorah and will probably light all of the candles. We’ll talk about Hanukkah and the story behind it. And we’ll talk about the real hero of Hanukkah.

An openness to what’s there. An openness and that connection. There’s something in the Jewishness that seems to be part of the draw. Certainly people can find connection to the Divine here. They could find that connection in lots of different places or in nature. There must be something in the Jewishness that is resonating for people.

I had studied Hebrew as a child and was “taught” by the rabbis, “This is what’s right. This is what’s not right.” I didn’t necessarily believe that stuff. I wish that it had fit me, because everything was so black and white and so easy to get—then you could “get life.” I’ve struggled with life.

When I’m doing services I’m there to provide a connection with God, with the Eternal, with the Divine, the Infinite. You can call it whatever you want, it’s the same thing. It’s to impart a Jewish path, a Jewish “way.” We do Jewish songs, Jewish prayers, we talk about Torah, we meditate.

It’s not a major holiday in the Jewish tradition. What’s important about Hanukkah to you?

It is. It also says not to eat lobster. Do you eat lobster?

That kind of depends on the story. My reason, my raison d’etre, is to help people connect, to people, to the Divine. So to me there’s certain ways of connecting to God. Two of them that are the most precious are laughing, and crying. So I love it when people do either at my services.

Yes! And as you know, I speak about shalom, peace. And I speak about shalom in terms of wholeness. Not peace that is different than war, but a wholeness that embraces what is. You add the phrase “the Tribe of Ishmael” to the Tribe of Israel in some of your prayers, including the Arabic people as well. I do include them, and I don’t talk too much about Israel. I choose not to be political. I choose not to claim that somebody is right and somebody is wrong. I don’t know what’s right and what’s wrong. I don’t want to argue. I want to promote wholeness, understanding, coming together in support of life. What’s something you wish people knew about Jews or Judaism?

I do. I love lobster. (Laughter)

To me, there’s a lot of story to the Torah, there’s a lot of rules to the Torah, there’s a lot of teachings. And I believe that there are central teachings and there’s “what got filled in.” You hold services once a month and the next one is during the month of Christmas. So, tell me about the “Jewish Christmas.” (Gasps) There’s no such thing as Jewish Christmas! I cringe at that phrase every time I hear it. You must be talking about Hanukkah. Do you want to go back to the Pagans? Before Hanukkah was even created? Are you saying that Hanukkah, like Christmas, was layered over a Pagan holiday?

It’s the same what I want them to know about gays or lesbians or transgendered people or Christians or Muslims. We’re all people. Let’s find…what is this person about? Anything you would like to say to the readers of the Betty Pages? Just enjoy life. All are welcome to the Shabbat/Hanukkah service at 7:00 PM, December 12. Center for Spiritual Living, 2224 Yew Street Road. Rabbi Marti can be contacted for rabbinical services at 360-738-7797. You can find the full interview at thecuriousqueer.com

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Rabbi Ted Falcon. He founded a synagogue in Los Angeles that was for Jewish meditation, and taught kabbalah, which I had never heard of. (Ted Falcon is also a member of the Interfaith Amigos, who have performed and written from a Muslim, Jewish and Christian perspective.)

don’t want anybody feeling like they don’t belong because it’s “too Jewish.” We’re there for people to come, experience God, experience that connection. Let go of the week. Let go of this environment we live in that equates “struggle” with “life!” Let go of the struggle…and take a Shabbat moment.

Hanukkah wasn’t. But the Pagan celebration of light in the middle of the dark pre-existed Jesus’ birth and the destruction of the temple and the Maccabees. Hanukkah is a celebration of light, light and dark.

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Sexy Kinky Fun By: j

We all come to this lifestyle from a variety of life experiences and backgrounds. We all have different levels of acceptable risk. We all have different ideas about how much information is enough. We have different ideas about what kinds of information are important. Negotiation conversations help us ensure that we’re on the same page. There are three major areas that you might consider talking about with your partner(s): sexual safety, physical safety, and emotional safety. Below are some talking points for each area. These are intended to be a starting point for conversations when we’re negotiating with someone in the context of kink, BDSM, or sex. Please use them or change them or ignore them or add to them based on your own acceptable levels of risk and personal preferences.

Physical Safety Some of what you need to take into consideration for physical safety is dependent upon what types of activities you are going to be engaged in. That said, there are some fairly universal talking points. Again, you go first and then ask your partner.

Emotional Safety Emotional safety is a dicey one. Everyone has different emotional needs and they are often things we cling to very tightly. But emotional safety can be the most important. Even if sexual and physical safety needs are met, if emotional safety is not looked after everything can implode. I, for example, tell all potential partners that I am a rape survivor and that I have difficulty saying no in the moment so no mid-scene re-negotiations. Some things that might be talking points in an emotional safety conversations: -Trust issues -Past trauma -Need for reassurance -Phobias -Triggers (actions or words) -Anxiety Having these conversations can be awkward, but they help make sure that needs are met, risk is considered, and boundaries are respected. Some things that make these conversations a little less awkward: -Having these conversations before engaging in sexual or kinky activities with new partners minimizes resentment and unmet/imbalanced expectations afterwards. -Revisit these conversations a fairly regular ongoing cycle as relationships and circumstances change especially any time there is a risk, or perceived risk, added to the mix. -It might be a good idea to have this conversation in a neutral place and at an event that carries no expectation of sex or kinky play—lunch, getting coffee or drinks—so that everyone has time to process the conversation and no one feels “on the spot”. -It is OKAY to say, “I need time to think about this.” It is OKAY to say, “I need time to do some research about this potential risk.” It is OKAY to say, “I need time to talk to my other partner(s) about our conversation.” -Talk directly to the people you want information from. Don’t use mutual partners or friends as go-betweens. It puts them in an uncomfortable position and often leads to miscommunication. -Be non-judgmental. There is a big difference between saying (for example) “I’m really not into Sexy Activity X. That’s a hard limit.” and saying “Holy crap! You like Sexy Activity X?? What is wrong with you?” -Ask for clarification as needed to avoid making assumptions about what others mean or know. -Repeat and restate what the other person says so that you can check for understanding and so that the other person has a chance to reflect on what you heard— because what you heard may not be exactly what they said or meant. These are just some basic talking points. This is not the only way or the right way to operate. This is a compilation of ideas from my experience and my favorite web resources to give anyone new to, or seeking to improve on, these kinds of conversations a place to start. Make it your own because personal responsibility is personal. Boil it down to include what you need it to include. Craft it, shape it, make it work for you. But be honest in your conversations; be respectful that not everyone operates as you do, be loving and non-judgmental. Live with selfawareness and self-respect and, through your actions and words, be a model for those around you.

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Sexual Safety There are some standard conversational talking points that can serve as a jumping off point for safer sex talks in either monogamous or polyamorous partnerships. It’s always best to start by telling your information. It puts the other person at ease and gets the ball rolling. Start by telling them things like: 1.When you were last tested, what you were tested for, and what your status was. 2.Any risky sexual things you’ve done since you were last tested. 3.What your current relationship status is, your sexual orientation, and any relationship agreements you have that they need to know about. 4.What your safer sex practices are. 5.One or two things you like sexually. 6.One or two things you don’t like sexually. 7.NOW ask them. Listen to what they say and how they say it. Adapted From Reid Mihalko You might also include things like: 1.Whether you’ve tested positive for any STDs in the last 6 months. 2.If you have allergies, especially to latex. 3.If you are on a form of birth control. If you’re poly/open, you might want to include these talking points also: How much information you need to feel safe about your partner’s other partner(s). How often you need updates about your partner’s other partner(s). When you want to know about your partner’s potential new partners. How much you want to know about your partner’s other sexual activities. What kind of relationship you want to have (ideally) with your partner’s other partner(s). How far down the poly chain you need to go to get sufficient information to help you feel safe. i.e. Do you only need to know about your partner’s partner(s) or do you need to go further and know about your partner’s partner’s partner? If you want information about your partner’s partner’s partner—you need to sit down with your partner’s partner and talk to them directly so they can talk to their OSOs about sharing that information with people they may not have ever met. Using mutual SOs as go-betweens is setting everyone up for communication breakdown.

It takes away the “I’m going to interrogate you now” atmosphere and makes it easier for the other person to think through what they need to share. Some talking points might include (not an exhaustive list, but to give you some ideas): -Skin allergies -When you last ate -Other allergies -Alcohol or drugs (including caffine) -Asthma -Past surgeries -Heart conditions -Epilepsy -Joint pain -Pain tolerance -Taking medications

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Dear Friends of Film is Truth,

There's been a lot of excitement in the two months since we announced our transition to non-profit status, and we've heard a lot of questions about how such a transition works, who will play a part in it, and what the future looks like for Film Is Truth. We've been thrilled by the support we've already received from you - our friends, neighbors and customers - and we're happy to announce some big steps forward toward our goal. It is with great pleasure that we introduce to you Film Is Truth's nonprofit board of directors. The board is made up of President Anna Wolff, Vice President Sam Kaas, Secretary Anna Haskin, Treasurer Charles Dyer and Board Members Emily Marston, Karl Freske and Dee Dee Chapman (attached to this email is our board photo, courtesy of Tad Beavers Photography). This dynamic group is committed to advancing Film Is Truth's role as a community resource, and to sustaining the level of diversity, passion and creative thinking that Film Is Truth has long been known for. This is reflected in our Mission Statement: ?Film Is Truth is a cultural resource serving Bellingham, WA and the surrounding communities by promoting the appreciation of cinema as art, as entertainment, and as education through providing access to an extensive collection of physical media.? We're now moving quickly toward our goal of filing as a 501(c)(3) non-profit by the end of the year, and discussing long-term plans for a healthy, vital and community-focused organization. We've been delighted by the number of people who have already come forward offering to volunteer. While we're not yet able to take regular, in-store volunteers, we're excited by the possibility, and we'll be announcing volunteer opportunities as soon as they become available. We'd like to thank everyone who has expressed an interest in volunteering so far ? we're glad to have you on board. Stay tuned for more details. If you're interested in pursuing an active role in Film Is Truth's future, please feel free to contact us at filmistruth@filmistruth.com, or to come down to the store and talk with us anytime! The simple fact is that what we do at Film Is Truth would not be possible without you. For seventeen years and counting, we've been driven by an incredible community, and as we grow into our new role as a nonprofit, it's our community that we're thinking of, first and foremost. Your support is the most valuable asset we can imagine, and whether you're here for a documentary on the Jamaican economy or that one Wes Anderson movie or Sharknado 2, you're one of us. So, again, thank you. We're looking forward to what's next.

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ST. PATRICK’S DAY IN SRI LANKA By Lyle Pearson

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Three Irishmen, a German girl and I walked into the Manchester Bar in Colombo on St. Patrick’s Day 2014… But let’s go back to the beginning. In India, on a tourist visa, every six months you must either register with the police or cross a border, if only for an hour. With my peripatetic lifestyle, moving every two weeks from film festival to film festival, it’s easier to cross a border than explain myself as a filmi news reporter. So the past two years I’ve flown to Sri Lanka (see LEARNING TO FLY) in March just before my six-months were up, also to visit the island nation’s best-known film directors, Lester James Peries and his wife Sumitra. Last year I stayed in their guest room, once occupied by Lindsay Anderson. Arvind Badrinarayanan, my host in Bangalore, who has also traveled to Sri Lanka, arranged a car to pick me up at the airport and deliver me to the Colombo City Hostel, 68 S D S Jaysinghe Mawatha, about five miles from Colombo city center. It’s a stately white building, with square columns on its verandah, managed every six months by a different female intern from some country in the former Soviet bloc. Most travelers stay at the hostel for a day or two only, but I stayed for perhaps ten days, visiting, taking meals and talking about Sri Lankan cinema with Lester and Sumitra in their home. Lester, often called the ‘Satyajit Ray’ of Sri Lanka, at age ninety-one, now seldom has guests stay overnight. Thus, my mornings and late evenings free, I spent some time with the other Hostel visitors. They came of course from various parts of the world, and on March 17 an Irishmen, introducing (with an Irish lilt) his traveling companion as “My partner in crime,” invited me and several others to join them at the Manchester Bar, about eight miles away, tucked behind he fancy Taj restaurant. We piled into two auto-rickshaws, or tuk-tuks, one ‘partner in crime’ in one and one in the other, soon videoing each other with their cellphones from tuk-tuk to tuk-tuk as we sped through the night. The Irishman in my tuk-tuk casually mentioned today was St. Patrick’s Day and I suddenly thought, “Oh, oh. I’m getting into something more than I bargained for.” He had read in a guidebook that there would be a St. Patrick’s Day celebration at the Manchester, complete with green hats, green beer, and drinking-games. At seventy-six, I didn’t feel up to a whole evening of Irish revelry.I would have been happy with just a swig. After all, my favorite Irish joke was “Did you hear about the Irishman who walked out of a bar?” And that was it, to my knowledge, its own punchline. But to an Irishman, there’s more. (See below.) Well, we got to the Manchester okay, but it was almost deserted – the St. Patrick’s Day party had been the night before. I breathed in relief, as following the lead Irishman I bought a pitcher, splitting the cost with the third Irishman and the German girl. She seemed more reluctant to join in than I did. And whom should we meet but an Indian/Sri Lankan lothario (a borderline sociopath, it seemed to me), and his more judicious European girlfriend. The pair had spent the previous night in a private room in the hostel. He an adventurer, she worked for an NGO that promotes foreign business ventures on this military-controlled island. She was particularly successful in recruiting Chinese interpreters. Sri Lanka is recovering from war at a rapid pace, its military newly in charge of development. Sri Lankan bars close early. The Manchester was about to close and the staff, which outnumbered us, was anxious to leave. It became even more anxious when the Tamil pulled some marijuana out of a box and began mixing it with tobacco. (I hate tobacco.) The staff began circling our table. The Tamil had some film information for me however -- there is a flamboyant stuntman in Chennai, named Horse Babu who had a polka dot van until it was trashed in a labor strike. Having recently spent time in two Pune hospitals, I tried to ask the Tamil about his time working in a Colombo hospital, but all he could talk about was his adventures

with nurses. From the alpha Irishman I learned a new punchline to my joke. When I asked if he’d heard of the Irishman who’s walked out of a bar, with that Irish lilt,” he shotoff, “You’re a liar. It never happened.” The evening wore on. Actually, I think it was only about an hour, I noticed that the third Irishman and the German girl, self-conscious, were not joining in the festivities. As I couldn’t make any headway in intelligent conversation with the Tamil, I gradually edged over to them, and asked if they’d like to leave. The pitcher was almost empty, there was a sweet smell in the air, and the staff was hovering ever closer. “Yes,” they would. So we left the two other Irishmen, the trippy Tamil and his girlfriend, to fend for themselves. We caught a tuk-tuk right away and I told stories all the way back to the hostel. It was not long before the two Irishmen returned, with plastic bags full of shiny new, full beer cans. As #1 passed me on his way to the kitchen to continue the party, I quipped, “Now I know what you mean by ‘Your partner in crime.’” #1 laughed. I headed for bed. I assume, as in the joke, that the Irishmen didn’t walk back, but took a tuk-tuk like the rest of us. The next evening, when I got back from Lester and Sumitra’s, they were gone. “I’m too old for St Patrick’s Day,” I had thought. A week later I was back in Bangalore.

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The Wheel Of Fortune

Community Event

Kevin Walder

Hello! I’m really excited to announce the Bellingham Comic Arts Festival, a single day festival celebrating the diverse array of today’s cartoonists, illustrators and printmakers creating new and exciting work. APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN!!! BellCAF will take place Saturday, March 14th 2015 from 12:00pm-7:00pm at: The Majestic Hall - 1027 N Forest St - Bellingham, WA 98225 ATTENDANCE IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!!! So help spread the word! BellCAF is organized by Neoglyphic Media with help from the Pickford Film Center, Make.Shift Gallery, Alternative Library and Whatcom Museum. Please consider applying and let’s make this festival rock!!! Cullen Beckhorn - Director neoglyphicmedia.com neoglyphicmedia.tumblr.com

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The Wheel of Fortune, or simply The Wheel is another member of the Major Arcana family and carries considerable weight when it turns up in a reading. As a Major Arcana card The Wheel will indicate the real question at the core of the reading. I think of the Major Arcana cards as the plot to our story. They set the tone for the reading and bring up the questions we are most in need of addressing at this time. This card, being all about change, is a strong indictor that some adjustment of attitude with regard to change is necessary. The Wheel is just one of the change cards in the Major Arcana. Unlike The Tower this card speaks of change we can sometimes predict, or more cyclical change such as the change of seasons. The Wheel refers to the ups and downs of life and encourages us to make the best use of the down times to prepare for the busier season to come. At this time of year our lives seem to be busier than ever, but then we have the down time following the fevered activity of the holidays. The secret is to learn to look forward to the slow times as much as the busy times. The darker winter days give us great opportunities to build and create what will become our focus in the spring. Another piece of advice from this card is that change is inevitable and stubborn resistance will not only wear us out but stop our creative preparation for the busier times ahead. The time for planning is now because in the hectic season ahead we won’t have time for it. When I think of The Wheel I am reminded that this system developed during a time in history when time was kept by the cyclical nature of the seasons. The only timing our ancestors were concerned with was that which revolved around their planting seasons and harvest seasons, everything else fell in between. They did not deal with deadlines as we do today, the idea of linear time would be as foreign to them as circular time is to us today. The artwork for this card varies somewhat from deck to deck, but generally it depicts a wheel of the year with the seasons and various seasonal activities portrayed. It indicates the cyclical nature of life and how we move through the seasonal activities required of us. This card represents constant and consistent change without which no growth can occur. When I see The Wheel appear in a reading it indicates to me that the querent may be resisting change that is necessary for their growth. This card encourages us to embrace the inevitable changes which occur in all our lives, because resisting change is a futile and dangerous undertaking. How is the energy of The Wheel evident in your life? How has embracing the constant nature of change in your life enhanced your view of life? How do you practice living in the moment and allowing change to be a natural part of your life? Kevin Walder offers Tarot consultations by phone and email from his website: http://www.kevinwalder.com

Kevin Walder is a Tarot Consultant and Instructor. Please visit his website for more information: http://www.kevinwalder.com

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GLBT Organizations in Whatcom and Skagit Counties -ISCEE The Imperial Sovereign Court of the Evergreen Empire is affiliated with the International Court System and has been actively raising money for charity for over 30 years by sponsoring drag shows and pageants. The group is open to all regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation, seeking to provide social activities and community service opportunities for gays, lesbians, and their friends and allies in Whatcom, Skagit and San Juan Counties. -Leather, Levi & Bear Social Monthly gathering of men who like Leather, Kink, and Unabashed Masculinity. Second Saturday of the month, Rumors Cabaret, 7:30 to 10:30. Info 360.380.6409 -www.theslowlane.com This website includes a gay resource guide for Bellingham located at www.theslowlane.com/guide.html.

-Sean Humphrey House A housing unit for people who need assistance living with HIV/AIDS in Bellingham. For more information call 360-733-9357 -Evergreen Wellness Advocates Evergreen Wellness Advocates provides support services for people living with HIV and AIDS who reside in Whatcom, Skagit, Island, San Juan and Snohomish counties. Bellingham: 115 Unity St. 360-671-0703, Everett: 2709 Wetmore Ave. 425-740-3000

-PFLAG of Skagit County Support meetings for Parents, Friends and Families of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people and GLBT individuals are held at Central United Methodist Church, 1013 Polte Rd, Sedro-Woolley on the second Monday of every month at 7 PM. For directions and information all 360-856-4676 and for additional information and events check online at www.pflagskagit.org. -Cascade Rainbow Community Cntr is a community of LBGQT people that enjoy each other’s company. We gather every Friday @ 6:30 PM for community, sharing of food, conversation, ideas, and current events. Each Friday is either game or movie night. The group has a lending library, Pride participation, and educational support. We are located at The Center for Spiritual Living @ 1508 N 18th St., Mount Vernon, WA. For information call (360) 840-8499 and for additional information checkout and subscribe to our Facebook Page. -Whatcom County KINK is a group to help organize events, munches, help if you have items to sell, or just a way for people to get to know each other. Meetings are the 1st Tuesday of the month at Rumor’s Cabaret. Happy Spankings!

-Whatcom County PFLAG Whatcom County Parents Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays meets the 2ND Thursday of each month, 7pm at First Congregational Church, 2401 Cornwall Avenue, Bellingham. For more information and events visit www.whatcompflag.com -WCC’s Queer Straight Alliance is committed to supporting the GLBT community by promoting awareness of queer issues and entertaining and educating students and staff of WCC. We can be reached at wccqsa@gmail.com. -Bellingham Bi/Pan Potluck We are a monthly gathering of pansexual and bisexual people, partners, family and friends on second Thursdays from 6:30-8:30pm at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) on the corner of E. Bakerview and Deemer Roads. Bring food or drink to share. For more information email gregory.lindon. smith@gmail.com.

-Mount Baker Planned Parenthood Mt. Baker Planned Parenthood proudly demonstrates its commitment to the LGBTQ community in all of our educational and service areas, by partnering with LGBTQ service organizations and through sponsorship and participation in Bellingham Pride. Our goal is to ensure that every individual has the information, services, and freedom to make healthy, responsible decisions about sex, sexuality, and parenthood. We offer transgender services, comprehensive reproductive care, affordable STD testing and treatment and annual exams. Sliding scale available. Make an appointment on-line! http://www.mbpp.org Bellingham Clinic: (360)734-9095 Mount Vernon Clinic: (360)848-1744

-WWU LGBTA The Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Alliance at Western Washington University is a student organization which supports lesbians, gays, bisexuals, people who identify as transgender, and their allies; in the various stages of their coming out process, in the creation and affirmation of positive self identities, and in the promotion and defense of their human and civil rights. The LGBTA is located on Western’s Campus in Viking Union 515 and is open from the first day of Fall quarter until the last day of Spring quarter. For information call 360-650-6120.

The Betty Pages Copyright Notice While The Betty Pages and/or its contributors generally reserve all rights and privileges of copyright, several parts of this publication are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/us/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA. For more information and permissions, contact The Betty Pages at thebettypages@gmail. com or send a letter to The Betty Pages, c/o Desire Enterprises, PO Box 2724, Bellingham, Washington, 98227-2724, USA.

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-Triskeli Guild The Triskeli Guild is Bellingham’s BDSM group that promotes community and education for safe, sane and consensual play. They encourage participation by all sexual preferences, race and age 18 and up people. www.triskeli. org-Queries—triskeli@triskeli.org

-Washington Gender Alliance A support and educational organization for anyone dealing with issues of gender identity or expression, and the people in our lives. We have weekly Open Support meetings in Bellingham and Everett. For more information, please write to us at info@ WashingtonGenderAlliance.com or call 360-445-2411, or visit our web site at www.WashingtonGenderAlliance.com.

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