Author and journalist Melinda Henneberger will speak about women and the church at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 18, at St. Mary Student Parish, 331 Thompson St. Henneberger edits PoliticsDaily.com, wrote If They Only Listened to Us: What Women Voters Want Politicians to Hear, and writes a column for Comomonweal. She lives outside Washington, D.C., with her husband, Washington Post reporter Bill Turque, and their 13-year-old twins.

Laughs and adult comedy are abundant in Beyond Therapy, being staged by PTD Productions in Ypsilanti. Written by Christopher Durang, the play is set and was first performed in the ‘80s. Impressively it manages not only an account of a bisexual man’s pursuit of romantic happiness, but also a send-up of psychotherapy. A review of the local production is here. The show runs through March 20, and Thursday is pay what you can. Durang's other plays include Baby with the Bathwater, Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All For You, and The Marriage of Bette and Boo.

Need to become a better/faster typer? Here are a couple resources that you may find helpful.

Check out the book Keyboarding Made Simple or the cd-rom Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing.

Practice keyboarding at one of our public computer stations using one of the keyboarding websites:
Davis Keyboard Practice
Powertyping.com
Jo Edkins Typing Practice

Check here to see how to position your hands on the keyboard.

aadl.org
Do you have photos on a CD-ROM or USB flash drive that you'd love to use in a photo slideshow? If so, bring them with you to the iDVD class on Monday, March 15th and we'll show you how to import your photos into the iPhoto library, create a slideshow, choose music from iTunes, and create an iDVD. We'll provide the DVD's, you bring your photos and favorite CDs or songs. If you would like to practice using iDVD with your own Mac laptop, feel free to bring it along with you! Don't have your own photos? That's ok, we'll have some files on hand for you to practice with!

Join us Monday March 15, 2010: 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm -- Downtown Library: Training Center on the third floor.

Registration is required. Register online, visit any AADL location, or call 734-327-4555.

See you in class!

aadl.org
Come to the downtown library for the Meet the Mac class on Friday, March 12th to practice using a Mac computer. We'll talk about all of the Mac stuff like the Dashboard, Dock, Widgets, Alias, Spotlight, and more. Ever lost a file on your computer? If so, we'll show you how to use the Finder to locate your files. Bring your Mac laptop along with you if you'd like!

Registration is required. Register online, visit any AADL location, or call 734-327-4555.

See you in class!

budget

Need some help balancing your budget? MSU Extension is offering a free workshop to get you on track. Participants will learn how to successfully create a financial plan, how values effect how we manage money and get ideas on how to pay down debt and save more. The workshop is on March 24 from 6:30 to 8 pm, and you'll need to register by March 22 by calling 222-3943.

demonstrators

What do Michigan alumni Arturo Rodriguez, Dean Baker, Bill Ayers, and Harvey Wasserman have in common? They were all campus activists in the late-1960s and early 1970s--and they're coming back to the University of Michigan March 12-14 for Bring it Back, Take it Forward (BIBTIF), a three-day conference at the Rackham Building. The conference will feature a dozen panel presentations focusing on several topics including the environment, health care, feminism, immigration rights, the underground media, TBLG issues and the progressive movement itself. Speakers will consider the future of progressive activism and reflect on previous milestones, including the 40th anniversary of the Black Action Movement (BAM) and the 45th anniversary of the first teach-in against the Vietnam War here at the University of Michigan.

A full list of presenters and programs is available here. For additional details and background on the presenters, visit the BIBTIF website.

Issues of identity and social life can complicate adolescence for adopted teens. Fortunately for families, there is lots of information at the library and support in the community. Check out Adoptive Families magazine in which the March-April issue has the article "Between Worlds" by Fran Eisenman. In Ann Arbor, a new group is beginning for adopted teens, "Connections," co-led by an adoptive mother/psychologist and her 22 year old daughter. The group will be a place to reflect on challenges, opportunities, relationships and adoption. For details, call Kristine Freeark, 668-0140 or email kfreeark@gmail.com.

BUCC
Among articles called out in the recent “Proposed Fourth and Fifth Avenues Historic District Study” is Grace Shackman’s Old West Side Story: The Germans in Ann Arbor. In this article, Grace carefully traces the longstanding German influence, back to 1825 when Mannheim baker Conrad Bissinger apparently became the first German to set foot in town. Reading this article, you can see why some people want an historic district that might include Bethlehem United Church of Christ and nearby historic homes. Click here to read a news story from AnnArbor.com. The actual report about the proposed historic district is here.