Join the Burma Lifeline Effort

Make yourself available on April 11th for the following presentation:

Extreme Trekking: Backpacking Medics in Burma's Eastern War Zones

Speaker: Voravit Suwanvanichkij, M.D.
Research Associate, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

At risk to their lives, medics have been backpacking into Burma to provide primary care and to systematically document the health crisis occurring along Burma's eastern border. Burma's brutal military dictatorship forbids international humanitarian aid in these regions and engages in widespread atrocities against the ethnic minorities there. The backpacking teams have now documented a healthcare crisis on par with better-known humanitarian catastrophes such as Darfur, Ruwanda. and Cambodia following the rule of the Khmer Rouge. "Dr. Vit" will share the story of these backpacking medics and the conditions they have documented.

Boulder-based Burma Lifeline is co-sponsoring this event with the Boulder Public Library. Burma Lifeline is supporting small clinics in northern Thailand that provide medical services, including backpacking teams, to Shan areas of Burma. Most of the current backpacking teams are serving ethnic minorities further south.

Time: Wednesday, April 11, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Place: Boulder Public Library Auditorium

You can read about Burma Lifeline and its founder, Inge Sargent, in
Issue 4 of Cairn Magazine.

Red Carpet Gala in Colorado

Support Little Voice this Saturday, March 24th, by attending the Shooting Stars red carpet gala at the Comcast Media Center.

"A Hollywood Evening of Dinner, Dancing and Surprises to Benefit Little Voice."

Little Voice is a non-profit who use film and video to promote social change. The three year Shooting Stars campaign is set to kick off with a bang this Saturday. All proceeds are tax deductible and proceeds will go towards their goals of Social Media Campaigns, Films, Outreach and Education, and the Little Voice Center.

The Gala will include entertainment from the Crystal Swing Band and up-and-coming - funk, rock, soul - group Something Underground.

Tickets can be purchased online.

Friday Lowdown

It's Friday, and if you're hankering for something to do, look no further than these two fine Cairn Magazine Partners:

For those of you in Denver:
Bovine Metropolis Theater - Denver's improv theater group brings you the original sketch comedy show "Cows on a Plane", which they describe as "an edgy sketch comedy that explores American society and culture through swift-paced original songs and chaotic off-beat scenes." This is the last weekend, so check it out. Friday and Saturday night at 8pm.

For those of you in Boulder:
The Dairy Center for the Arts - All weekend, the Boulder Ballet School will present "The Emperor's (Really) New Clothes" - a great family event. Tomorrow night Playback Theater West will perform their unique brand of improv theater at 8pm. Be prepared to participate!

Burnt Toast Never Tasted So Good

Another posting from Boulder...

Burnt Toast is a restaurant located on The Hill in Boulder. Burnt Toast has the ambience of an old town coffee shop that eschews symmetry in favor of the beauty of the found object. The staff is welcoming, the food delicious, and every Thursday night, they have a wine tasting. It's a laid-back social affair, involving several bottles, loosely chosen around a theme. Attendees are typically of varying degrees of sophistication but no less eager to sample the selected vintages and to nibble on the fruits, cheeses, and meats provided by the restaurant. I've found that the tastings are inconsistently attended. One night, it might be standing room only and on other nights it could be an intimate affair with you, your friends and the hosts. The only sure thing is that you'll enjoy yourself.

A little over a week ago, they swapped wine for bourbon, and we tasted everything from "moonshine" to varieties that had been aged for almost two decades. It was a quiet night, with myself and some friends the only ones in attendance. I always felt a bit out of my league when it comes to tasting wine. But bourbon is less demanding. It seemed much easier to zero in on the qualities you liked and didn't like. Overall it was a fine night. I'm not sure if and when they'll do bourbon again, but if you have a free Thursday night, and a penchant for good food and wine in a relaxed, inviting atmosphere, check it out.