Gay Pride Rally June 19, 2010

June 19: 2010 GAY PRIDE RALLY

THE 2010 GAY PRIDE RALLY

Saturday, June 19th, 4:00 - 8:00 PM

72nd St. & 5th Ave. @ Rumsey Playfield Central Park


Please join the official NYC LGBT Pride Rally!

The Rally will feature well-known performers and motivating speakers from the LGBT community to kick-off this year's Pride Week events
.

The first NYC LGBT Pride Rally occurred one month after the Stonewall Riots in June 1969 when 500 people gathered for a "Gay Power" demonstration in Washington Square Park. It was followed by a candlelight vigil in Sheridan Square. From 1997 to 2009, the Rally was held in Bryant Park.

Now, the 2010 Rally is delighted to be moving to Central Park's SummerStage in Rumsey Field, 5th Ave and 72nd St.

This event is free and open to the public. No tickets are necessary.

The entire Rally will be ASL interpreted for individuals who are deaf/hard-of-hearing.

Joe Barton: "A tragedy of the first proportion"

I think it is a tragedy in the first proportion that a private corporation can be subjected to what I would characterize as a shakedown -- in this case a $20 billion shakedown

These were the words yesterday of Rep. Joe Barton (R-Tex) commenting on the escrow account that the administration got BP to agree to. An agreement Burton labelled a "shakedown." Although most of the media has focussed on the word "shakedown." It seems to me that - in the face of a real "tragedy of the first proportion" in the Gulf of Mexico, Burton would characterize the White House/BP deal in those words. Talk about insensitivity.

Wikileaks and the Obama administration

There may be legitimate reasons for security, but when administrations use "security" to cover up their crimes, to look better than they really are that's not transparency. Democracy requires an informed public and cover-ups undermine that. Remember the Pentagon Papers well check this out we may be back there.

Consortiumnews.com

June 18: World War 4 Report Benefit

June 8: Protest Israeli actions in Gaza

PROTEST TUESDAY

June 8, 5 PM

the Israeli Consulate
(42nd St and 2nd Ave)
Look for the JVP banner to join our contingent.

We still don't know the names of the dead or wounded, and the remaining activists trying to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza have been removed from their boats and are being held incommunicado.

President Obama says he "deeply regrets the loss of life," but has made no suggestion that there be any consequences for Israel's deadly attack in international waters. And Gaza remains under siege.

WE CAN'T BE SILENT. COME OUT TUESDAY.

A trade: Bloomberg for LeBron

Mayor Bloomberg is at it again. Remember his failed attempt to get half the West Side condemned in order to bring the N.J. Nets basketball team here. Remember the fiasco of Bloomberg and the Summer Olympics (2012). Well, as you can see from the above video, he's at it again. With all the serious problems NYC has right now, he spends his time and our money on attempts to get Cleveland's LeBron James here. That used to be called tampering, but for Bloomberg it's business as usual (remember Term Limits).

But actually I think there is a way to get LeBron here: a trade - Bloomberg for LeBron. Cleveland gets Bloomberg (it's their problem what to do with him) and we get LeBron. That way we win twice.

June 4: Citizen's arrest at BP headquarters

Citizen's Arrest at BP Headquarters, Washington, D.C.

Friday, June 4, 12:00pm - 1:00pm

BP's Washington, D.C. Office

1101 New York Ave., N.W., Washington, DC

Public Citizen, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, Energy Action Coalition,
Chesapeake Climate Action Network, 350.org, Hip Hop Caucus and the Center for Biological Diversity are going to hold BP accountable for its high crimes and misdemeanors. They need YOU to help them deliver the charges against BP!

June 3: SEIZE BP

NYC Protest to demand: SEIZE BP!
National Days of Action

Thursday, June 3, 5pm

JP Morgan Chase World Headquarters*
270 Park Avenue (48th Street)

(6/E/V Trains to 51st St)
(*Chase owns close to 30 percent of BP's public stock)

(RSVP on Facebook)

Yesterday, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced a "criminal probe" to investigate whether BP "broke any laws." That completely misses the point! Of course BP broke laws. But what everyone in the country wants to know from the Obama administration is whether the government will defend the interests of the people whose livelihoods have been destroyed and offer any hope of salvaging the environment in the Gulf of Mexico.

A criminal probe will last years. By then, the criminals at BP will have reorganized the company or dissolved it, with BP's assets handed over to some other big oil conglomerate before BP has to pay out. Its executives will be paid handsomely; the people whose lives it has destroyed will be left to suffer. The government must act now to seize BP's assets before the company "reorganizes."

From coast to coast, people are stepping up to the plate and organizing demonstrations for the Seize BP Week of Action in their cities and towns.

The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition will take to the streets from Thursday, June 3 to Thursday, June 10 in cities across the country to demand: Seize BP!

For more information: 212-694-8720, nyc@answercoalition.org

June 1: Protest Israeli attack on Gaza Freedom Flotilla

Protest Israeli Attack on Gaza Freedom Flotilla

June 1, 5 PM
Assemble at the Israeli Consulate, 42nd St & 2nd Ave

Planned route: After rally at the Israeli Consulate,
march across 42nd St to Grand Central,
and then to Times Square.
Protest expected to last until approximately 7 pm.

We still don't know the names of the dead or wounded; the surviving activists are not being allowed to communicate to the outside world. Pres. Obama "deeply regrets the loss of life" but has made no suggestion that there be any consequences to Israel for its deadly attack on the flotilla in international waters. Gaza remains under siege.

WE WILL NOT BE SILENT. NOW IS THE TIME TO COME OUT!!!

ADDITIONAL ACTION TO TAKE TODAY!

CALL the U.S. State Department (+1 202-647-4000, x 1) and the US Consulate in Jerusalem (+972 2 622 7207/21/30) and DEMAND that the U.S. Government take immediate action to safeguard innocent lives!

CALL White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel (+1 202 456 6798) and DEMAND that the Obama Administration support the creation of an unbiased international commission to investigate and hold the Israeli government accountable for the murder of unarmed civilians!

For background and more information, go to www.freegaza.org and U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation.

June 3: Code Pink benefit play

Join CODEPINK NYC & friends from the Lower East Side Girls Club for a special benefit performance of Karen Malpede’s new play PROPHECY,
featuring Kathleen Chalfant, George Bartenieff and Najla Said.

Thursday, June 3rd, 7:30 p.m.

PROPHECY
Written & directed by KAREN MALPEDE

Performance followed by a talk-back with Laura Flanders of GRIT TV

Fourth Street Theater
83 East 4th Street

General Admission Tickets: $40 each
Sponsor a ticket for YOU AND a Lower Eastside Girls Club teen: $75

All ticket holders are invited to join CODEPINK NYC at the Lower Eastside Girls Club's Art+Community Gallery for a pre-show wine and cheese reception on June 3rd @ 6pm. 56 east 1st Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues.

All ticket holders are also invited to a special talk-back with Noam Chomsky to be held at the New York Theater Workshop (79 East Fourth Street) at 10 p.m. on June 8th.

The Lower Eastside Girls Club (www.girlsclub.org) provides a place where girls and young women 8-23 can grow, learn, have fun, and develop confidence in themselves and their ability to make a difference in the world. By delivering strong arts, literacy, science, health and leadership programs we provide girls with the vision to plan – and the tools to build – their future. All Girls Club programs develop environmental, entrepreneurial and ethical leadership in the girls we serve.

“The play is a thing of beauty…and I’m here to tell you to see it.” David Swanson, After Downing Street

More about the play: In PROPHECY, the Abraham-Sarah-Hagar myth echoes through the marriage of Sarah and Alan Golden. Sarah Golden is an acting teacher who tries to avert the tragedy of a talented young man who went to war for tuition money but returns with a terrible secret seared into consciousness. Then, Alan's estranged daughter arrives from the Middle East, seeking retribution.

June 8: Are Sports Boring? Debate Zirin v. Gupta

ARE SPORTS BORING?

TUESDAY, JUNE 8, 7:30pm
The Brecht Forum,
451 West Street
(Bt Bank and Bethune Sts)

Join The Indypendent for an evening of forensic fisticuffs and verbal violence as Dave Zirin defends sports against Arun Gupta’s claims that sports are boring.
Zirin is a sports columnist for The Nation and author of A People’s History of Sports in the United States.
Gupta is a founding editor of The Indypendent.
Co-sponsors: The Nation, Haymarket Books, The New Press and the Brecht Forum.

Cash bar.
All proceeds benefit The Indypendent. 212-904-1282 •
indypendent.org
brechtforum.org

Poll: LOST fans: Your reaction to the series finale?

Poll: LOST fans: Your reaction to the series finale?

June 5: Pete Seeger Concert for Caravan to Cuba

Pete Seeger in benefit for caravan to Cuba

Saturday, June 5, 2:00pm

Beacon, N.Y.

Images from AIDS Walk NY 5/16/10 (and around the park)

A suggestion for Congress: Follow the money

Here's a simple suggestion for Congress: Whatever the corporate oligarchy - oil companies, Wall Street banks, health insurance companies - spend millions of $ trying to prevent you from enacting into law, that should be your top legislative priority. Corporations in the U.S. have always been predatory, but today profits have become the holy grail and they are unwilling to spend any money that will decrease this "manna from heaven." Without strong unions, and with the dependence of the political elite on bribes (oops, political contributions) and the congenial relationship between the media and the oligarchy, there is no one left to protect the rest of us. So why not say: "We're here to protect all our constituents, not just our sponsors."

May 22: Harvey Milk Day of Action for Full Federal Equality

Harvey Milk Day March for Federal Equality


Saturday, May 22, 2010, 11:00pm

March from LGBT Center,
208 West 13th Street
(bt 7th Av & Greenwich Av.)

www.equalityacrossamerica.org info@equalityacrossamerica.org

The march begins at the LGBT Center in Manhattan with rallies along the way including Union Square, St. Vincent's Hospital, Army Recruiting Center, Marriage Bureau and finally ending at City Hall.

A Lost weekend

So Losties, here's the latest news.
ABC has extended the final episode (5/23) to 2 1/2hrs (9-11:30pm). ABC's reasons are fairly obvious: bt. $850,000 and $950,000 per 30 sec. ad., it may be extended further (ABC can't stand not making every dollar they can). Obviously exec producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof will take all the time ABC will give them (any creative artists would).

The second piece of news: Following the finale, the stars and producers join Jimmy Kimmel for "Jimmy Kimmel Live: Aloha to Lost," Sunday, May 23 from 12:05 p.m. - 1:05 a.m., ET on ABC, following local news. According to the N.Y. Times, the Jimmie Kimmel show will "feature alternative endings to the show and appearances by the producers [Cuse & Lindelof]."

So here's the schedule for the Lost Weekend: 5/22, 8pm - the original pilot (2hrs); then 5/23, 7-9pm, a 2-hr look back at the series; and then the final 2 1/2 hr episode. Then Jimmie Kimmel's tribute to Lost at 12:05pm

And then the abyss!

May 8:The New York City Labor Chorus Spring Concert

Photo by Harlan Reid -
CWA Local 1180



The New York City Labor Chorus,
one of the premier choral groups celebrating the history and struggle of working people for nearly 20 years
invites you to its Spring performance.

Saturday, May 8th, 2010, 8:00 PM

the Peoples’ Voice Café

the Community Church of New York (Unitarian-Universalist)

40 E. 35th Street (between Park Ave. & Madison Ave.)

May 8 :BBQ & Books through Bars

Saturday, May 8, 2-6 pm

BBQ & book drive for Books Through Bars

Freebird Books:
123 Columbia Street,
Brooklyn
(F-train to Bergen or B61-bus to Kane St.)*

“Every time you stop a school, you will have to build a jail. What you
gain at one end you lose at the other. It's like feeding a dog on his own
tail. It won't fatten the dog.”
--Mark Twain

"Mourn the dead; but fight like hell for the living"

Mother Jones 1924

(Courtesy of Library of
Congress. Modifications
© Jone Lewis 2001.)



Given the recent tragedy at the Upper Big Branch mine in West Virginia , perhaps only the most publicized recent worker deaths on the job, few words could be more appropriate this May Day than those of 19th & early 20th century labor activist Mother Jones: "Mourn for the dead; but fight like hell for the living."

From Doctor Who to the Bard

David Tennant and Patrick Stewart (as Claudius)

Although I think most of us died-in-the-wool Doctor Who fans are enjoying Matt Smith (and especially Karen Gillan) as the new Doctor and his comrade-in-arms, if you are still missing David Tennant he will grace us with 3 1/2 hours of the Royal Shakespeare Company's Hamlet on PBS (Channel 13) Wednesday (4/28) 8-11:30PM. Patrick Stewart co-stars as Claudius and Mariah Gayle is Ophelia. Should be quite a show.


David Gennant with
Mariah Gayle as Ophelia

Goldman "Sacks"

Editorial cartoon by Mike Peters:


Thanks to Paul Krugman for referring to this cartoon in his column yesterday (Mon.)

Two Norman Finkelstein events this week

1. Monday April 19 from 7:00-9:00 P.M

Norman Finkelstein
The Aftermath of the Gaza Invasion

NYU Silver Center Rm. 703, 100 Washington Sq East

(Directions: take R or W train to 8th St-NYU, #6 to Astor Pl. or A, C, E, B, D, F, V to W 4th St., then enter 100 Washington Sq East from either Washington Place or Waverly Place)

2. Thursday April 22 at 5:00-8:00 pm

Norman Finkelstein and Lowkey, plus Jody Mcintyre

Brooklyn College Library's Woody Tanger Auditorium

(If you are not a CUNY student, an RSVP to PalestinianClubBC@gmail.com is required.)

(Directions: Take #2 or 5 train to Flatbush Ave.-Brooklyn College. Enter campus with any photo I.D. at Avenue H & Campus Road , then walk through campus to B.C. Library entrance near the rough equivalent of East 27th St. & Avenue H)

April 29: Main Street march on Wall Street

Thursday, April 29th, starting at 4:00 p.m.

Rally and march to bring Main Street to Wall Street

City Hall Park (between Broadway and Park Row at Chambers St)

This event is one of a series of major actions this spring to demand big banks start putting America's economic recovery ahead of their oversized profits and bonuses. Thousands of Americans in more than a dozen cities from New York to Charlotte, North Carolina to Kansas City, Missouri will converge on bank branches and at the shareholder meetings of the big banks to demand action on foreclosure prevention, job creation, and an end to predatory lending and consumer practices. Community groups and families will also demand Wall Street stop spending millions fighting reform efforts in Congress. The mobilizations will be the largest demonstrations against Wall Street since 5,000 Americans converged on the American Bankers Association convention in Chicago last fall.

Martin Luther King, 1/15/29 - 4/4/68

Although today is widely recognized as Easter Sunday, for many of us it is the anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King and also of (one year earlier) his Beyond Vietnam speech. Many people believe there was a connection between these two events. King was clearly the most important political figure of the second half of the twentieth century. Despite the fact that when King was murdered he was only 39 years old we are still feeling the impact of his contributions. Without King, there would be no President Barack Obama and whatever you think of Obama the man, that moment at 11pm November 8, 2008, when NBC declared his election, was a watershed in American history. But it is up to us to continue the work he began. All one had to do was witness the racist and homophobic behavior of the anti-health care thugs both inside and outside of the Capitol, to realize there is still much to be done.

Martin Presente!

April 15: Forum on Haiti

April 15, 6:30 - 9:30 pm

Forum on Haiti

Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture, 53 Prospect Park West at 2nd
Street, Park Slope

How can we express solidarity with the Haitian people?
Come to this discussion with slides and reports from folks who have recently returned and representatives of various relief projects and solidarity groups.

Consider a progressive response to U.S. militarization and the Preval/Clinton initiative to rebuild Haiti as a tourist destination.

Sponsor: Latin America Committee of Brooklyn For Peace

(Trains: 2/3 to Grand Army Plaza;F/G to Seventh Ave (at 9th St); Q to Seventh Ave (at Flatbush.)

May 15: Brooklyn Peace Fair

Saturday May 15, 12 - 5 pm

Brooklyn Peace Fair at Brooklyn College!!

Keynote Speaker: Father Roy Bourgeois, Founder of School of the Americas Watch, Nominee for 2010 Nobel Peace Prize

Workshops and discussions, information on peace and justice, kids' activities. Music, art, poetry, dance, film, hip-hop, spoken word.

Performances by
Rude Mechanical Orchestra,
Spiritchild,
Ill-Literacy,
Metro Sonics,
Stephanie Rooker, and more.

Sponsor: Brooklyn For Peace

Co-Sponsors:
Brooklyn College Community Partnership & Brooklyn College Student Center
Plan now for your organization to participate!
Endorse, register for a table, place an ad in the program.
Click here for registration forms.

If you would like to present a proposal for a workshop, activity, or
performance, e-mail peacefair@brooklynpeace.org
Deadline (to be listed in the program): Monday April 19
Admission free to the general public; all welcome!! (Photo ID required)

Transportation:
Train: 2/5 to Flatbush Ave/Brooklyn College; Q to Ave H
Bus: B6, B103, B44, Q35, B44, B11, BM2

Jim Marshall. whose camera framed our image of rock, is dead

Jim Marshall, one of the great rock & roll photographers, died Wednesday in a New York City hotel of unknown causes. He was 74.

He and photographer Timothy White have a new book "Match Prints."

As you can see from the above photos of Janis Joplin backstage (1968) and Jimi Hendrix burning his guitar at Monterey (1967) he had unlimited access in the early days of rock & roll. His photos framed our image of rock. And with his camera he often caught the reality (such that it is) behind the public image.

The causes of his death will probably be known in a couple of weeks.

Lieberman Voucher Amendment Defeated! | Americans United

Lieberman Voucher Amendment Defeated! | Americans United

The Oscars: 2010 - thoughts and predictions

Tonight (ABC, 8:30 PM) The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences will hand out its annual awards (Oscars) in 24 categories covering most aspects of filmmaking.

Well, we've finally seen the last (An Education and The Blind Side) of the 10 nominated films. It seems that according to most reports it's a race between Hurt Locker and Avatar. I think of the 10 nominated films (and that's really all this is about, there are many other worthwhile films that are ignored each year) Avatar is my favorite and The Hurt Locker is probably my least favorite. Why? Avatar, beneath all the 3D, futuristic effects, and blue-skinned natives, is really a contemporary version of the genocide against the indigenous people of this continent in order to steal their land and resources. A mysterious corporation is after the richest deposit of the potentially earth-saving (and profit making) mineral Unobtainium (note the name) located on Pandora. They, of course, enlist the assistance of the U.S. armed forces to once again destroy the native Na'vi population. Plus ca change, plus ca meme chose. It also raises questions about the environment and the power of the physically challenged - the leading male character is a paraplegic, except when he's on Pandora. (Lost fans note John Locke on the island and off).

In contrast to this, The Hurt Locker seems to me to reinforce all the stereotypes of the bomb-crazy Iraqis. In contraast, only the American characters are fully developed, the Iraqis are just bomb-throwing props. This doesn't seem to me to be the basis of a great anti-war film. I know there are others who disagree.

A few words about the other films. I really liked Precious and The Blind Side because they demonstrate, in very different ways, that it isn't the color of one's skin that determines one's potential, but the circumstances in which a child grows up. I prefer Precious mostly because, in addition to some incredible acting, the person who turns Precious' life around is a teacher of color (Alicia Keys) and not another white superhero. But even in the more typical white savior film The Blind Side it still shows how it's the situation one is in that determines so much (rich white people do better in this society than poor Black people). Isn't that surprise? Perhaps if we were to equalize the starting position of the contestants, the race wouldn't be so one sided.

A quick word about Up in the Air and An Education. I liked both of them and would recommend them to anyone who hasn't seen them. I know in many ways they are very different and George Clooney isn't a 17-year-old woman, but at their core, they are very much alike. Two other thoughts: District 9 and Avatar are very similar in their politics and I don't know what sense Inglorious Basterds makes except to fulfill a Quentin Tarantino's fantasy. I suspect that the only reason why A Serious Man (or Job 2009) and Up have been included was to fill out the required 10 films.

A few other comments:

I really want to see Jeff Bridges win for best actor. I know it's a career award, but it was one hell of a performance.

I'm not at all convinced about Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side) - the best actress favorite. I don't think her work touches what Gabourey Sidibe did in Precious and I've been told, since I haven't seen it, Meryl Streep's cover of Julia Child (Julie & Julia). I also liked watching Carey Mulligan get an education in more ways than one and Helen Mirren as Madame Tolstoy (yes, that Tolstoy), but I'd watch Helen Mirren do anything.

Christoph Waltz (The Hurt Locker) seems to be the odds on favorite for Best Supporting Actor and I don't really have any objection, except to say Matt Damon was wonderful in Invictus.

As for Best Supporting Actress I think, like everyone else, that it should go to Mo'Nique in Precious. But if there were a silver Oscar it should go to Crazy Heart's Maggie Gyllenhaal. She was really wonderul as always.

One other race to pay close attention to is Best Director. It seems that, even if Avatar beats The Hurt Locker for Best Picture, the voters may divide Picture and Director and give the director award to Hurt Locker's Kathryn Bigelow. If she wins it will be the most important award of the evening, because she will be the first woman to ever be so honored and it's about damn time.

That's about it, except to say that the award for Best Costume Design better go to The Young Victoria or the Academy will hear from both Ann and me.

The new Doctor Who (2010)

So you want to see the first glimpse (and that's all it is) of the new (2010) version of Doctor Who. Well here is what I've found.
His new companion, Amy Pond, is played by Karen Gillan.

ACORN wins a big one against right-wing attempts to defund it

ACORN won a big battle in its struggle to overturn the unconstitutional congressional provisions specifically naming it for defunding. According to The Center for Constitutional Rights,

Yesterday, Wednesday, federal judge, for the second time, granted an injunction against Congress’ unconstitutional de-funding of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) to apply to federal budget provisions signed into law by President Obama in December 2009 and ordered the United State of America and several named agencies to rescind orders cutting off funding to ACORN and its affiliates and allies. A preliminary injunction was won in December 2009 in the Center for Constitutional Rights’ (CCR) case charging Congress with violating the U.S. Constitution’s protections against Bill of Attainders and the First and Fifth Amendments in several recurring resolutions. Today’s opinion extends that protection by ordering a permanent injunction and directing agency heads to disregard the provisions denying funding and to rescind the memos that implemented the Congressional action.

I think the best way to understand the congressional attack on ACORN is to ask, who's behind it? Or maybe, why is ACORN being targeted now? The answer is simple. The Republicans and their right-wing allies (the line between these two is getting more and more blurred) are deathly afraid of the enfranchisement of poor people and mostly people of color. That's exactly who ACORN is organizing. ACORN has fought for the last 40 years to get poor people, working class people and people of color access to the American dream. In very simple terms that means enfranchisement, education and a good job and home of one's own. These are hardly radical ideas. But they do require some changes, which the Republicans and their right-wing allies are ideologically against. They are opposed to broader enfranchisement, greater access to education and to home loans because securing access to these rights requires government intervention, the great bugaboo of the right.

ACORN is being targeted by the internal enemies of democracy because above and beyond everything else they are scared to death of the enfranchisement and empowerment of poor people and working people, particularly people of color. It's not accidental that this anti-ACORN attack follows the election of a person of color to the what is still to them the aptly named White House. It has not been missed by these people that if only the votes of white people were counted in 2008, John McCain would now be president. So the enfranchisement of poor people, people of color and young people does not bode well for the future of Republican/right wing power. And the primary goal of ACORN has always been the expansion of voting rights. But not just to expand the franchise, but to educate people how to exercise their power - the vote is only a part of that struggle. The struggle continues between the power of bribery (oops, I mean campaign contributions) and the power of the vote of an ORGANIZED constituency. And that's what ACORN does, it helps people to organize so that they can exercise their power. Human centered social change has never happened unless people were organized. And prepared to exercise their power both inside and outside the electoral process. Resistance is key and it takes many forms.

The politics of The Hurt Locker and Avatar

If you are following the race for the Oscar - or even just interested in the politics of the nominated films - this article addresses the politics of The Hurt Locker and Avatar. Since the media (especially film critics) has essentially ignored the politics of these two films, Mamoon Alabbasi's article fills in some of the spaces. I think there is more to be said about both films, especially Avatar, but this is a good beginning.

Consortiumnews.com

Posted using ShareThis

The War Resisters League's income tax pie chart

The pink shows how much of your income tax dollars are used to support the U.S. military.

Just so you know what you're paying for:


Hot off the press! Tax Day Pie Chart FY2011

The War Resisters League's famous "pie chart" flyer analyzes the Federal Fiscal Year 2011 Budget (released in February 2010). Perfect for Tax Day!

Each year, War Resisters League analyzes federal funds outlays as presented in detailed tables in "Analytical Perspectives" of the Budget of the United States Government. Our analysis is based on federal funds, which do not include trust funds--such as Social Security--that are raised separately from income taxes for specific purposes. What you pay (or don't pay) by April 15, 2010 goes to the federal funds portion of the budget.

Order print copies via WRL online store,
or by phone at 212.228.0450

Downloadable versions are available on WRL website

Orders can also be mailed to:
War Resisters League
339 Lafayette Street
New York, NY 10012

If you have questions about ordering, email WRL at wrl@warresisters.org.

Copies are available for $.10 each (1-199), $.07 each (200 or more), $.06 each (500+) plus 20% postage. Call for information on very large or rush orders.

The War Resisters League spends a lot of time, energy, and money to create this resource. Please credit when using. For permissions to reprint, email us at wrl@warresisters.org.

1000 U.S. Deaths in Afghanistan: Vigil Tues Feb 23, 5:30-6:30 pm

1000 U.S. Deaths in Afghanistan!
Vigil Tues Feb 23, 5:30- 6:30 pm:
Rockefeller Center, Manhattan

According to icasualties.org the number of U.S. soldiers killed in Afghanistan has reached 1,000 as of, Feb. 22.
An untold number of Afghans have also died. Just this weekend at least 27 Afghan civilians were killed by a NATO airstrike.

Join other NYC peace groups in a commemorative candlelight vigil:

Tuesday, Feb. 23, 5:30 pm
Rockefeller Center:
West side of 5th Ave bt 49th and 50th St

In a candlelight ceremony, names of U.S. military and Afghan citizens who have died in war-related incidents will be read, to the somber beat of a drum.
Invited political and celebrity speakers, including actor/author Malachy McCourt, actress Kathleen Chalfant, State Sen. Bill Perkins, civil liberties attorney Norman Siegel, and others will make brief remarks.

At 6:30 p.m., the vigil group will walk to the Times Square recruiting center for more comments, name readings and songs by the Raging Grannies
(Route: down 5th Ave, turn right on W. 44th St., walk to recruiting center at Broadway & 44th Street.

Let’s send a strong message: it’s time to bring the hostilities to an end! Replace missiles with missions! Replace destruction with diplomacy!

PLEASE BRING CANDLES OR FLASHLIGHTS!

Participating groups: Grandmothers Against the War; Brooklyn For Peace; Granny Peace Brigade; Veterans for Peace; Raging Grannies, Peace Action NYS; World Can't Wait; Code Pink; Gray Panthers; West Side Peace Action, and others

Questions? Call 718-624-5921 or e-mail bfp@brooklynpeace.org

Kevin Smith v. Southwest Airlines

I suppose you've heard about the Southwest Airlines v. film director Kevin Smith (Clerks, Chasing Amy, and upcoming Copout) brouhaha by now. It seems to me that it's a perfect example of how capitalist corporations fail to serve their customers but just indulge their greed for profit. After all they have to pay their executives. Clearly greed isn't exclusive to Wall Street. In short, in case you missed it, Smith was thrown off a Southwest Airlines flight (although he paid for two seats) because they couldn't accommodate him on a soldout flight. If you want to check other airlines click here

It seems to me that if airlines were concerned about serving their customers instead of squeezing as much out of them as possible they would have accommodations for heavy-set people. But that would mean they might have to give up a few seats (and a few fares). It's hardly surprising that people are flying less. It's also true that Americans are getting fatter (not a good thing) but the airlines are not the appropriate diet monitors, since all they care about is making as much profit as possible. so the hell with the customers. Also, I believe, if the planes were appropriately designed (for the population) the concerns about safety, voiced by hired experts, could easily be accommodated. The capitalist hunger for profits is not a customer or worker friendly world.

March 12: Celebrate International Women's Day with the Federation of Cuban Women

In Celebration of International Women’s Day
Welcome the visting delegation of the
FEDERATION OF CUBAN WOMEN

Friday, March 12, 2010,
you will have a unique opportunity to share an evening of information and open dialogue with the leadership of the Cuban Federation of Women (FMC). Martizel Gonzalez, Foreign Relations Representative, of the Federation of Cuban Women, North America Region, will be joined by others

Friday, March 12th
John Jay College
Reception 6:30pm
Program Begins 7pm

The FMC Delegation will be there to discuss:
* Women in Cuba today
* The world economic crisis and its impact on Cuba
* Prospects for ending the U.S. embargo of Cuba and normalization of relations
* Democracy in Cuba today
* Cuba’s ongoing solidarity with Haiti
* Recent developments on race relations in Cuba and much more

During the Question & Answer part of the program, you will also be able to raise your interests and concerns.
Literature will be available on Cuba, the Cuban 5, current activities and trips to Cuba and Cuba’s initiatives in solidarity with
the people of Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake.

Sponsored By:The July 26th Coalition, an ongoing initiative by the organizations and individuals in solidarity with the People Cuba, in the NYC/Tri-State Area.

For more information about this event and the ongoing work of the July 26th Coaltion contact :

Book signing/discussion: Palestine, Israel and the U.S. Empire

Saturday, Feb. 20, 12 p.m.

Richard Becker
Palestine, Israel and the U.S. Empire.

ANSWER Coalition office
2295 Adam Clayton Powell Blvd., Ground Floor

... Richard Becker, ANSWER's Western Regional Coordinator, will be in New York City to speak about his new book Palestine, Israel and the U.S. Empire. Becker is a noted writer and commentator on Middle East affairs. He led fact-finding delegations to Palestine in 2000 and 2002, delivering medicine to Palestinian hospitals. Becker helped produce the video Palestine Fights for Freedom (2002) based on his experiences.

Palestine, Israel and the U.S. Empire provides a sharp analysis of historic and current events in the struggle for Palestine—from the division of the Middle East by Western powers and the Zionist settler movement, to the founding of Israel and its regional role as a watchdog for U.S. interests, to present-day conflicts and the prospects for a just resolution.

The book’s narrative is firmly rooted in the politics of Palestinian liberation, and is a necessary introduction to the heroic efforts of the Palestinian people to achieve justice in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.

In addition to the Saturday, Feb. 20 event in the ANSWER office in Harlem, Becker will be speaking at the following New York City locations:

Feb. 22: City College
Monday, Feb. 22, 5pm-6:30pm
Hoffman Student Lounge (Back Theatre)

Feb. 23: Bronx Community College
Tuesday, Feb. 23, 12pm-2pm
South Hall (Conference Area)
Hosted by ANSWER Club at Bronx Community College

Feb. 23: John Jay College
Tuesday, Feb. 23, 6:30pm
Room 1311 in N-Building
Hosted by Justice in Action

Contact the ANSWER Coalition at 212-694-8720 or email nyc@answercoalition.org for more information about these events.

Oscar firsts:: Kathryn Bigelow & Lee Daniels

OK, the Oscar nominations have been announced. And maybe Hollywood has decided to join the rest of U.S. society. But it's clearly easier to elect a Black President than for a Black or female director to win an Oscar.

The best picture fight is between Avatar and The Hurt Locker. As I said earlier, Kathryn Bigelow is the fourth woman to be nominated for Best Director (Lina Wertmuller, Seven Beauties ; Jane Campion, The Piano,; and Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation). Only The Piano was nominated for Best Picture. Bigelow would be the first woman to ever win for Best director.

But there is another important award to focus on. Lee Daniels (Precious) is the second African American to be nominated for Best Director (John Singleton, Boyz N the Hood, was the first). But Daniels has already made Oscar history, because Precious is the first film by a Black director to be nominated for a Best Picture award.

Oscar nominations tomorrow (Tues)

Tommorow (Tues) morning the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences will announce its nominations for the Oscars. The winners will be announced March 7th.

Here's a tip for those who plan to wager on the outcome: In 54 out of the last 60 years the winner of the Directors Guild award for best picture went on to win the Oscar. Last Saturday the Directors gave their award to The Hurt Locker.

More importantly, if The Hurt Locker wins it will be the first movie directed by a woman -Kathryn Bigelow - to win the Best Picture Oscar. If she wins the Best Director, that would also be a first for women.

As a Hollywood gossip footnote Bigelow and her main competitor - James Cameron (Avatar) used to be married. Sounds like a Spencer Tracy/Kathryn Hepburn movie to me.

Howard Zinn: 1922-2010, Presente!

graphic By Sergio Iniarte
(from Thank You Howard Zinn on Facebook)


Howard Zinn revolutionized the way we understand history - from the bottom up - but he did much more than that. He changed the way we see ourselves in relation to history and social change. He made it clear that we all have a role to play in history. In other words, he was not only a radical historian, he was also an activist. He taught, not just with his writing and teaching, but also by example. Howard Zinn died on Wednesday at 87 of a heart attack. Fortunately for all of us he was able to work until the very end. His last contribution to history (as far a I know) was "The People Speak" on the History Channel, a TV version of his magnificent A People's History of the United States. (1980)

Always the activist, his 1967 work, The Logic of Withdrawal, was, as Amy Goodman said this morning (1/28),

the first book on the war to call for immediate withdrawal, no conditions. A year later, he and Father Daniel Berrigan traveled to North Vietnam to receive the first three American prisoners of war released by the North Vietnamese.

She also reminded us that,

When Daniel Ellsberg needed a place to hide the Pentagon Papers before they were leaked to the press, he went to Howard and his late wife Roz.

Also on the tribute to Zinn on Democracy Now ,author and journalist Naomi Klein summarized his contribution in these words:

But the thing about Howard is that the history that he taught was not just about losing the official illusions about nationalism, about the heroic figures. It was about telling people to believe in themselves and their power to change the world. So, like any wonderful teacher, he left all of these lessons behind. And I think we should all just resolve to be a little bit more like Howard today.

For more of Democracy Now's tribute - which also includes Noam Chomsky, Alice Walker and Zinn' collaborator Anthony Arnove - go to http://www.democracynow.org/2010/1/28/howard_zinn_1922_2010_a_tribute

Restore democracy in the U.S.

The Supreme Court today (1/21) decided there should be no restraints on corporate spending on elections. In other words, they decided that corporations should have the same free speech rights as individuals. This completely distorts the Constitution. What is already an oligarchy (not a democracy) will become a virtual dictatorship of the corporations. Check all this out on freespeechforpeople.org

Share This Video Far And Wide | freespeechforpeople.org

Dennis Brutus and the struggle to isolate Apartheid South Africa's sports teams

In memory of Dennis Brutus - who was remembered Sunday at The Brecht Forum - here is a preview of a new film about the struggle to create an international sports boycott of Apartheid South Africa. This was one of Brutus' lasting accomplishments (If your seeing this on Facebook, please go to http://contestedterrain.blogspot.com/2010/01/dennis-brutus-and-struggle-to-isolate.html to see the video preview)

Jan 21: Protest Wall Street greed

Jan 21, 12:00 - 2:00pm

85 Broad St, (Goldman Sachs Headquarters)

On January 21st, Goldman Sachs and other major banks and financial institutions will announce the huge bonuses that will be given out to its elite bankers--the very people who destroyed our economy and threw hard-working Americans out on the streets. Rally in front of the headquarters of Goldman Sachs.

Americans are living through the most difficult economic crisis in the last 50 years. One in five Americans does not have decent, full-time paying work.

Goldman Sachs' behavior is un-American and unpatriotic.

Come rally on behalf of America. Come rally to demand a new economic system which rewards all Americans, not just a few.

Bring your signs and banners.

INITIAL CONVENORS:

Progressive Democrats of America
Democrats.com
Democracy for America
Jonathan Tasini For U.S. Senate

Happy birthday Ellen!

We went to a couple of events today - more about that later {with photos). Fortunately because of the weather they were in the same place. One of these events was Ellen Davidson's report back from Gaza and her 50th birthday party. After the report back there were supposed to be toasts to Ellen and the party. Unfortunately, we had to leave before the toasts to Ellen so here's mine:

I have known Ellen for nearly 30 years, we worked together at the Guardian and she and Ann were in a singing group- "Womansong"- with four other wonderful women {Barbara, Jill, Mara, Carmen) who sang at our wedding (27 years ago). I say all this so you'll know how well I've known Ellen. So let me say that when I heard that Ellen went to Gaza to support the people there, I was not in the least surprised, even for a moment, because I know that wherever people are fighting for liberation Ellen will be there. She understands, as few of us do, that we are a human race and wherever one of us is oppressed we are all oppressed and it is always all our struggle.

Sunday, January 17: Dennis Brutus Memorial

Sunday, January 17, 2:00 PM

Dennis Brutus Memorial
A celebration of the life of South African poet, anti-Apartheid fighter, and human rights activist Dennis Brutus (1924-2009)

Speakers TBA

Brecht Forum
451 West Street
(bt Bank & Bethune Streets)

Phone: (212) 242-4201 - Email: brechtforum at brechtforum.org

Co-sponsors: Black Left Unity, Haymarket Books, Activist-Poets Roundtable, War Resisters League, The Indypendent

Jan. 15, 3:30PM - Protest on Wall Street

PROTEST ON WALL STREET
ON DR. KING’S BIRTHDAY!

FRI., JAN. 15, 3:30 – 6 p.m.
At Wall St. and Broad
(across from the Stock Exchange)

No more bail outs & bonuses for bankers –
BAIL OUT THE PEOPLE!!

WE DEMAND JOBS FOR ALL
SAVE FREE STUDENT MTA CARDS
STOP FORECLOSURES AND EVICTIONS
HOUSING, EDUCATION AND HEALTHCARE - NOT WAR

Here's to you Mrs. Robinson

Does anyone else love the fact that the 60-year-old member of Parliament, who's also Northern Ireland's First Lady, who stepped down from her seat in Parliament (her husband, Northern Ireland's First Minister also stepped down) after her affair with then 19-year-old Kirk McCambly was revealed is named Mrs. Robinson.

It would seem that any woman named Mrs. Robinson has a cultural responsibility to have an affair with a younger man.

The Simpsons, Mazel Tov

Congratulations to the people of Springfield - Particularly, of course, Marge, Homer, Bart, Santa's Little Helper (dog), Snowball (cat), Lisa and Maggie. And a special salute to Matt Groening, who created the show.

The Simpsons has broken the record (formerly held by Gunsmoke) of 20 years on prime time TV (or it will when the next season starts) So raise a burger or donut to The Simpsons

There will be a regular Simpsons show Sunday (1/10) @ 8PM and Morgan Spurlock's The Simpsons 20th Anniversary Special: In 3D! On Ice!@ 8:30PM.

Favorite protest signs

Here are two (I know, actually three) of my favorite signs of the past year. One from a right-wing anti-public option demo and one from a pro-gay marriage action: