Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Hispanic Population, Rising Faster Than Anticipated, A 'Huge Weapon' For Obama,"

"Hispanic Population, Rising Faster Than Anticipated, A 'Huge Weapon' For Obama," Sam Stein reports for the Huffington Post. And you were wondering why the Republican's top priority is interfering with the voting rights of poor people and people of color. You remember the bogus attack on ACORN (with which the stupid Democrats went along). They are also trying to pass laws that will require separate identification in order to vote. In other words it's the new Republican "Southern Strategy." This is only the beginning of massive population changes in the U.S. voting population, none of which will bode well for the Republicans.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/31/hispanic-population-rising-faster-than-anticipated_n_869209.html?ncid=webmail

Obama to Israel: Take whatever you want - Opinion - Al Jazeera English

Obama to Israel: Take whatever you want - Opinion - Al Jazeera English

As Obama's campaign for re-election moves forward, as in 2008, the "Jewish vote" becomes more & more important. But after all why wouldn't an American president back Israeli expansionism - in the name of security - since it almost perfectly mirrors the U.S. genocide against the indigenous people here in order to steal their land & resources.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

June 6th: Marriage Equality Monday!


Marriage Equality Monday!

Monday, June 6, 6:30pm - 9:30pm

Outside Marty Golden's Office
7408 Fifth Avenue
Brooklyn, NY

Show your support for marriage equality on Monday, June 6, in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Rally outside of State Senator Marty Golden's office.

Not only does Senator Golden vehemently oppose marriage equality, he now wants to stop New York State from recognizing same-sex marriages that were performed outside of New York.

Golden boldly told reporters that the people in his district "don't give a rat's ass about social issues." If his constituents "don't give a rat's ass about social issues," why is he acting like such a horse's ass about marriage equality?

Come down and let him know how you feel!!

Together we can secure the right for ALL New Yorkers to enter into legally recognized civil marriages.

Co-Sponsored by...
Bay Ridge Democrats
Central Brooklyn Independent Democrats
Lambda Independent Democrats
New Kings Democrats
(list in formation)

Friday, May 27, 2011

May 27, 5-7PM: Protest the acquittal of two NYC police officers for rape

PROTEST THE ACQUITTAL OF TWO NEW YORK CITY POLICE OFFICERS FOR RAPE

Friday May 27, 5-7pm

In front of the Manhattan Criminal Court building at 100 Centre St.

(Directions:
Take the No. 4 or 5 train to the Brooklyn Bridge Station; the C, N, R, 6 train to Canal Street; the 1 train to Franklin Street.
Take the 1, 6 or 15 bus line.)

On Thursday May 26, New York police officers Kenneth Moreno and Franklin Mata were found not guilty of charges that Moreno raped a woman in her apartment while Mata kept guard, despite the fact that the amount of evidence against the officers in this case was overwhelming. Instead, the jury convicted both officers of official misconduct for entering the woman’s apartment, but found them not guilty of all other charges, including burglary and falsifying business records. This despite the fact that one of the officers had been recorded on tape admitting to using a condom when having sex with the woman who made the accusation.

The cornerstone of the defense required that the woman was too drunk to have a credible account of the incident, but sober enough to consent to sex.

Join the protest. Because raping a drunk women while on patrol is more than “official misconduct”. Because calling 911 should not be an invitation to be raped. Because NO behavior, including being drunk, is an invitation to be raped. Because rapists do not deserve the protection of our tax-funded police department and city officials. Because we recognize this incident as part of the NYPD's long, horrific history of violence - sexual and otherwise - often and disproportionately against people of color. Because the people of NYC will not accept victim-blaming, cronyism, and a culture of silence that allows rapists to roam free, without consequence.

Read more about the case here:

and here:

Direct questions about the protest to Lori@feministing.com,
heidivanderlee@gmail.com or laveye@gmail.com

Stop Police Brutality, Repression and the Criminalization of a Generation
No More Stolen Lives!

Gil Scott-Heron, April 1, 1949 - May 27, 2011

The sound of the next stage of the revolution will be missing one of its great voices & will definitely not be televised.

The Daily Swarm - RIP Gil Scott-Heron...

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Mavi Marmara Memorial Exhibit

May 31 – June 3, 2011.
Mavi Marmara Memorial Exhibit
Alwan for the Arts,
16 Beaver Street,
Opening
May 31, 7:00 p.m.

(The exhibit will remain on display until Friday, June 3rd, 6 PM.)

Join in commemorating nine peace activists (Turkish citizens, including Furkan Dogan, also an American citizen) who were killed aboard the Mavi Marmara by Israeli soldiers when they sailed on the Gaza Freedom Flotilla on May 31, 2010. The Mavi Marmara Memorial will mark the one-year anniversary of the attack on the flotilla. Our common goals are peace, prosperity, and equal opportunities in the Middle East and everywhere across the globe.

Briefly Speaking:
Alborz Ghandehari, a filmmaker, actor, director, writer, and doctoral candidate at UC San Diego.
Jane Hirschmann, a member of Jews Say No! in NYC and one of the organizers of the US Boat to Gaza.
Remi Kanazi, a Palestinian-American poet and activist.
Kristofer Petersen-Overton, a doctoral student in political science at the CUNY Graduate Center and an adjunct lecturer at Brooklyn College, where he teaches Middle East politics. His job was briefly eliminated when right-wing figures labeled him unqualified, but it was quickly restored after a firestorm of protest.
Exhibit curated by Hulya Kartal, on behalf of Brooklyn For Peace.

On Exhibit:
Documentary – Alborz Ghandehari's film "Steel Dove: Stories of Art and Occupation” is the culmination of an undergraduate research project exploring the work of Palestinian artists.
Drawing – Necdet Yilmaz studied art in Istanbul. His illustrations have won awards in Turkey and around the world, and has also been exhibited in NY, London, Italy, Brazil, Cyprus, Pakistan, and Korea
Poem – Nihal Ozlem Kucukdonmez is a Turkish poet. She resides in Istanbul.
Posters – Dogan Arslan is an artist, designer and educator. He spends his time between Turkey and New York.
Sculptures – Marcia Bernstein has had solo shows in many venues and has been selected for large juried exhibits. She exhibits frequently with the National Association of Women Artists, the American Society of Contemporary Artists, Women in the Arts, and Art from Detritus.
Quilt – Hulya Kartal, who was raised in Istanbul and now lives in Brooklyn, is president of a non-profit organization to empower women.

(SUBWAY: 4/5 to Bowling Green;
J/M/Z to Broad St.;
R/W to Whitehall St.;
1 to Rector St. or South Ferry;
2/3 to Wall St.; A/C to Broadway-Nassau)

Questions? E-mail Memorial@brooklynpeace.org or 718-624-5921
www.alwanforthearts.org

Brooklyn For Peace www.brooklynpeace.org

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Issa Responds to Public Outcry over Baker Departure, Questions FCC

WASHINGTON -- House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski questioning the conduct of outgoing Commissioner Meredith Attwell Baker, who announced last week she would be leaving the agency to become a lobbyist for Comcast-NBC. Issa’s letter suggested that the FCC’s approval of the Comcast-NBC merger was so closely timed to Baker’s announcement that public trust in the integrity of the Commission had been damaged.

Since Baker’s announcement, Free Press and CREDO Action have collected more than 130,000 letters seeking a congressional investigation into Baker’s departure and apparent conflict of interest.


Issa Responds to Public Outcry over Baker Departure, Questions FCC

Sunday, May 22, 2011

May 27 & 28th: “Rhythm in the Kitchen” Music Festival

The Hell’s Kitchen Cultural Center, Inc.

212.765.8446
Proudly Announces
The Fifth Annual
“Rhythm in the Kitchen”
Music Festival

Friday, May 27th, Saturday, May 28th 2011
@ The Church for All Nations
417 West 57th Street
(between. 9th and 10th Avenue)
www.cfan.net
NYC
$15 General Admission
$12 Seniors/Students
$25 Festival Pass


Friday, May 27th

7 PM – Neal Kirkwood Trio: Lindsey Horner (bass); Sunny Jain, (drums); Neal Kirkwood, (piano).

8 PM – Francois Grillot’s Contraband: Catherine Sikora (tenor sax); Roy Campbell, (trumpet); Anders Nilsson, (guitar); Daniel Levin, (cello); Jay Rosen, (drums); Francois Grillot, (bass).

9 PM – Elise Wood-Hicks Trio: Tony Hewitt, (voice); Marvin Horne, (guitar); Elise Wood-Hicks, (flute, alto flute)

10 PM – Jay Rosen Trio: Michael Marcus, (clarinet); Francois Grillot, (bass); Jay Rosen, (drums).

11 PM – Ellery Eskelin Trio: Drew Gress, (bass); Gerald Cleaver, (drums); Ellery Eskelin, (tenor sax).


Saturday, May 28th

7 PM – Chris Chalfant Tree-Oh! Joe Giardullo, (soprano sax), Ken Yamazaki,(drums/percussion); Chris Chalfant, (piano).

8 PM – Tom Hamilton: “Off-Hour Wait State.” Bruce Arnold, (lap steel guitar), Brian Groder, (trumpet), Ras Moshe, (tenor sax), Al Margolis, (objects); Ralph Samuelson, (shakuhachi); Tom Hamilton, (electronic soundscape).

9 PM – Dick Griffin Duo: Warren Smith, (percussion); Dick Griffin, (trombone, piano, voice).

10 PM – William Hooker & JD Parran Duo: JD Parran, (reeds); William Hooker, (drums).

11 PM – Michael Marcus Duet: Charlie Taylor, (percussion); Michael Marcus, (clarinets).

June 14, 4:30PM: DC37 Rally @ City Hall


Stand Up - Let Your Voice Be Heard

Tuesday, June 14, 4:30 pm
at City Hall
(Broadway & Barclay Sts)

Save Jobs
Stop the layoffs
Save Civil Service
Stop the Service Cuts in
Our Communities
Stop Contracting Out and Privatizing



On Tuesday, June 14 beginning at 4:30 p.m., DC 37 plans to rock City Hall with its biggest demonstration ever.

On June 14, DC 37 members will be joined by allies to stand up for our rights and economic needs, fight back against the fiscal assault on our public schools and public health care, and raise our voices against the drive to crush public employees' rights from coast to coast.

DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts called on members to “rally at City Hall...to protest like our basic democratic rights are at stake – because they are. The right-wing effort to destroy union rights is a cancer that will spread unless we stop it.”

“At City Hall June 14 we will stand up for our families and our communities. Bring your co-workers, your families, your neighbors and everyone you can from every community and religious organization you are part of," Ms Roberts urged. “They will be proud to march with us against the city's immoral effort to sell off our public health care system, cripple public education and shred the public services that prevent child abuse and keep rats from running wild in New York City."

DC 37 and its allies will also stand in solidarity to protect the libraries where so many immigrants learn English, where so many of the unemployed use free computers to search for jobs, and where so many children - especially the city's record 43,000 homeless children - do their homework. They will speak out for the public parks and pools, the only free recreation available for working families.

DC 37’s giant fightback rally June 14 will also shout NO to the mayor's continuing effort to contract out jobs, freeze pay, cut benefits and wipe out public services for the communities we live in.

Mayor Bloomberg has squandered taxpayer money by throwing away three-quarters of a billion dollars on the CityTime payroll project (where the contractor is also accused of stealing $80 million from the city), failing to collect business taxes that are owed to the city, and continuing to waste some $10 billion on 18,000 private contracts for work city employees could perform. If his administration can waste that kind of money, then the Mayor can afford to cancel the service cuts and layoffs, stop the attacks on public employee benefits and get real about raises for dedicated, honest workers.

Friday, May 20, 2011

May 21: New York City Labor Chorus Spring Concert

In case they have the date wrong this is just a reminder about the New York City Labor Chorus's Spring Concert also scheduled for
Sat., May 21, 2011

the Peoples' Voice Café
40 E. 35th St.,
(between Park & Madison)

8:00 pm;
doors open at 7:30
Suggested contribution $15;
pay what you can.

www.peoplesvoicecafe.org
Click here for a flyer.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Quote of the day

From an AlterNet comment from alan 8:

"This President DID GET ELECTED because the American majority thought he
was really aware of the critical issues our minorities and lower income
citizens are facing! We were so wrong!" (from a comment by Kathy Grinslade @ AlterNet)

alan 8 responds to Grinslade:


"No, you were right! He WAS aware! He SHOWED the people he was aware. He "Clintoned" you!

"Clin·ton verb:
1. To show people you understand a problem with the intent to mislead them that you're actually going to do anything to solve it. [or you make it worse].

"Clinton said 'I feel your pain!', talking about economic hardship in the US. And the people ate it up! Not only did Clinton not do anything about their economic hardship, he made it worse. He eliminated welfare (one of the Republican goals), and he passed NAFTA, which drained (and continues to drain) US jobs to low-wage countries."

Monday, May 16, 2011

IMF chief denied bail in sex case (Al Jazeera English)


IMF chief denied bail in sex case
(Al Jazeera English)


Dominique Strauss-Kahn is being held without bail at least until his next court appearance on Friday.

I have heard some people suggest that he is being targeted because he's a socialist. It would seem to me if he's being targeted at all it's because he was planning to run against Nicolas Sarkozy in the next French presidential election and seemingly had a chance of winning. But it should also be said that just because someone is targeted that doesn't preclude the possibility (as in the case of Julian Assange) that he is guilty of the crimes with which he's charged. I would also ask the question: what is a Socialist doing as head of one of capitalism and imperialism's key institutions, the IMF. One could also ask why a Socialist would travel around the world in the luxury that Strauss-Kahn seems to do. I know politically France is a peculiar country, but even there "socialist" must mean something or maybe not.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Quote of the day

"Someone asked [Bill Moyers] why I invited Jon Stewart to be the first guest on the Journal's premiere in 2007. 'Because Mark Twain isn't a available,' I answered."

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Demand that Congress investigate Baker’s conflict of interest.

Say No! to the FCC/Comcast merger
FCC Commissioner Meredith Attwell Baker is leaving the FCC to become a lobbyist for Comcast – just four months after she voted to approve the Comcast-NBC merger.
Help us close the revolving door. Demand that Congress investigate Baker’s conflict of interest.

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Today (May 12) on Wall Street: Report from the May 12th Coalition

May 12 on Wall Street

Be patient you'll have to scroll down a couple of pages to get to the Report

Today: Peace Teach-in

May 12, 4PM:
Peace Teach-In
Assembly Site: New York Vietnam Veterans Memorial
(55 Water nr. Coenties Slip & South St.0

(R (not N!) to Whitehall St.-South Ferry;
#1 to South Ferry/Whitehall-South Ferry;
J (not M!) to Broad St. (south exit to Exchange Pl.);
#2, 3 to Wall St. (at William);
M5 bus via Broadway;
M15 bus via 2nd Av., Allen St. & Water St.;
M20 via 7th Av. So., Varick St. & WFC.)

Monday, May 09, 2011

May 27 & 28th: “Rhythm in the Kitchen” Music Festival



The Hell’s Kitchen Cultural Center, Inc.
Proudly Announces
The Fifth Annual
“Rhythm in the Kitchen” Music Festival

Friday, May 27th & Saturday, May 28th
@ The Church for All Nations
417 West 57th Street
(between. 9th and 10th Avenue)
www.cfan.net
212.333.5583

(www.hkculturalcenter.org,
212.765.8446)

$15 General Admission
$12 Seniors/Students
$25 Festival Pass

Friday, May 27th

7 PM – Neal Kirkwood Trio: Lindsey Horner (bass); Sunny Jain, (drums); Neal Kirkwood, (piano).

8 PM – Francois Grillot’s Contraband: Catherine Sikora (tenor sax); Roy Campbell, (trumpet); Anders Nilsson, (guitar); Daniel Levin, (cello); Jay Rosen, (drums); Francois Grillot, (bass).

9 PM – Elise Wood-Hicks Trio: Tony Hewitt, (voice); Marvin Horne, (guitar); Elise Wood-Hicks, (flute, alto flute)

10 PM – Jay Rosen Trio: Michael Marcus, (clarinet); Francois Grillot, (bass); Jay Rosen, (drums).

11 PM – Ellery Eskelin Trio: Drew Gress, (bass); Gerald Cleaver, (drums); Ellery Eskelin, (tenor sax).


Saturday, May 28th

7 PM – Chris Chalfant Tree-Oh! Joe Giardullo, (soprano sax), Ken Yamazaki,(drums/percussion); Chris Chalfant, (piano).

8 PM – Tom Hamilton: “Off-Hour Wait State.” Bruce Arnold, (lap steel guitar), Brian Groder, (trumpet), Ras Moshe, (tenor sax), Al Margolis, (objects); Ralph Samuelson, (shakuhachi); Tom Hamilton, (electronic soundscape).

9 PM – Dick Griffin Duo: Warren Smith, (percussion); Dick Griffin, (trombone, piano, voice).

10 PM – William Hooker & JD Parran Duo: JD Parran, (reeds); William Hooker, (drums).

11 PM – Michael Marcus Duet: Charlie Taylor, (percussion); Michael Marcus, (clarinets).

Torchwood/Doctor Who

Every day I try to learn something new. Today's discovery: Torchwood is an anagram of Doctor Who.

For anyone who doesn't know, Torchwood is a spin-off of Doctor Who.

Sunday, May 08, 2011

Relics of the Past on the Sunday Morning shows

Today the Sunday morning shows turned over a few rocks & found some antiques to display in the aftermath of the killing of Osama bin Laden. Fox News Sunday exhumed former VP Dick Cheney, Christine Amanpour on ABC turned up former Secy of State Condoleezza Rice, Face the Nation on CBS brought back former Sec'y of Defense Donald Rumsfeld & to top it all off returning for a moment from well-deserved oblivion former NYC Mayor (before much to NYC's relief he became America's mayor) Rudolph Giuliani appeared on NBC's Meet the Press. The one thing each of these guests have in common is the word "former" before their name. They are all relics of the Bush era. Of course, the other thing they have in common is that they have nothing new to add to our knowledge of what just happened in Pakistan, but self-justification to spout, lots of 'splainin to do. If the morning shows weren't themselves relics they would have chosen to look to the future instead of regurgitating the past.

Friday, May 06, 2011

Tony Kushner likely to be awarded CUNY honorary degree despite Zionist diatribe

C.U.N.Y. proposed awarding an honorary degree to one of America's best playwrights, Tony Kushner. An "impassioned speech" by one Zionist trustee, Jeffrey S. Weisenfeld, sidetracked the award until the Trustees began to think clearly. Board Chair Beno Schmidt said the decision not to award the degree to Kushner was "a mistake of principle and not merely policy." The Zionist cabal in the U.S. never stops trying to impose its version of reality on everyone else. This time it didn't work, but all too often it does.

Is Obama taking to many victory laps?

Someone needs to tell Obama to shut up. He's taken enough victory laps, there is a point at which what seems to work to his political advantage will provoke more response than we are prepared for. Any time now I expect him to make a speech under a "Mission Accomplished" banner. Bush was wrong on May 1st 2003 and Obama is wrong today. I know he wants to get re-elected, but that won't happen if his victory laps further anger Al Qaida and they attack. Clearly they will spew their hate whatever Obama does, but I think he needs to take a few steps back.

Thursday, May 05, 2011

Obama Admin to Propose Lower Corporate Tax Rate

According to this morning's (Thurs. 5/5) Democracy Now!
Obama Admin to Propose Lower Corporate Tax Rate
Just what an economy struggling with heavy deficits needs - a lower corporate tax rate - but then Obama is running for re-election. This only works in the fantasyland in which Obama & Geithner live, in which Republicans will follow the president's lead & not undercut him. I wonder what our good friend, Rep. Michael Grimm (R-SI), will have to say about the American taxpayer not being an ATM for corporate welfare. But I guess Mr. Grimm believes in fairy tales.

Wednesday, May 04, 2011

Quote of the day

"The American taxpayer is not an ATM for ObamaCare."
---Rep. Michael Grimm (R-SI)

But he doesn't seem to have any objection when the American tax payer is an ATM for Wall Street & the oil companies. I wonder whose paying his bills.

Osama's strategy vs. the U.S. was economic not military

This is a very interesting article from the Washington Post by Ezra Klein on Osama's real strategy vs. the U.S. & to what extent he succeeded. Klein writes:
For bin Laden, in other words, success was not to be measured in body counts. It was to be measured in deficits, in borrowing costs, in investments we weren’t able to make in our country’s continued economic strength. And by those measures, bin Laden landed a lot of blows.
It seems clear that Osama couldn't have succeeded even to the extent that he did w/o the collaboration of the rapacious banksters on Wall Street & the utter stupidity of the U.S. government in the aftermath of 9/11, the attack on the World Trade Center was surely the catalyst for much that followed. Although when you set historical events in motion - as Osama did on 9/11 - it is impossible to predict with any certainty what will happen (I doubt that anyone in Al-Quaida could have imagined that the U.S. would use 9/11 as an excuse to invade & occupy Iraq, a mission that the Neo-Cons had been planning for 10 years prior to 9/11), it is nevertheless true, as Klein quotes Linda Blimes & Joseph Stiglitz as stating that invasion cost $3 trillion and as he says, we have spent another $2 trillion in Afghanistan & more on domestic anti-terror activity. He also points out that although the latest capitalist crisis wasn't a direct result of 9/11, the behavior of the economic regulators in response to it, was in part a response to the attack on the World Trade Center.

Klein concludes by writing: "But then, we can learn from our mistakes. He [Osama] can’t." If anyone truly believes that we will ever learn anything from our mistakes, I have a sure-fire war to sell you.

Sunday, May 01, 2011

Cuba. News - Radio Rebelde.

Cuba. News - Radio Rebelde.

May Day - Cuba


May Day 2011 in Cuba

This May Day, International Workers Day, hundreds of thousands of young people in the traditional parade march organized every year millions of men and women in the Plaza de la Revolucion "Jose Marti. Unit, productivity and efficiency!