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Dear List, This message just received from Congressman Tom Allen's staff member, John McLaughlin. He is working hard to try to bring Mr. Ali to Maine. Any support or suggestions would be welcome from the List.. "Ivan, today I was able to get Mr. Ali's home telephone number (he wasn't in). I explained to his assistant your desire to have Ali come to Maine for a Parkinson's event. His assistant said that at first blush Mr. Ali would not be opposed to doing that but would require more information prior to consenting. My question to you is, are you still interested in pursuing this? If so, could you draft & send a signed letter addressed to Tom to my attention outlining your request? Let me know what you think...... " My own thought is to officially invite Mr. Ali to address (or have an address read for him) at the Maine Democratic State Convention, in Presque Isle, Maine. SOme of you may recall I was a Delegate in 1996, and delivered a Platform speech that caused the Udall Bill to be included in the Maine Democratic Platform. 2. Karen and my TV show This is an extraordinary, 30-minute live TV interview, on April 6, 1998, of Karen Bardo, myself, and her husband Jon. It is the 2nd TV show I arranged, the first having been on Jan. 20, 1998. We realize there are those off you who would like a video copy. But neither Karen nor I can fit in the time and energy to arrange production and distribution, so far. This 30-minute TV show has only PD-related questions, emphasized our symptoms and feelings, and shows Jon's concerns and feelings. A tape with NO intervening commercial advertisements is in the works. Keep tuned. 3. Ph.D. dissertation I am corresponding with the University of the Witwatersrand Anatomy Department, in Johannesburg, which I left in 1979, shortly after the students in Soweto were mowed down by police gunfire. I hope to spend my summer and fall working towards completing the writing of my long-suspended Ph.D. thesis, on the fossil bones of the earliest human relative, Australopithecus africanus. Tolcapone is FINALLY helping me tremendously--I had 11 "on" hours and only 2 "off" hours yesterday (plus a 3 and 1/2 hour nap). Today is going just as well. The warm weather makes a HUGE difference. Yours, Ivan Suzman 48/11 Portland, Maine