Mn-prog-events Mailing List: Progressive Calendar 05.03.06

[David Shove (shove001]

             P R O G R E S S I V E   C A L E N D A R     05.03.06

1. AmInd/music/food    5.03 4pm
2. Jim Fetzer/AM950    5.03 5:15pm
3. Stop SuperTarget    5.03 5:30pm
4. MnSOA               5.03 6pm
5. Wireless Mpls       5.03 6pm
6. Concrete busting    5.03 6:30pm
7. Anti-torture        5.03 6:30pm
8. Jim Fetzer/9-11     5.03 7pm
9. Orange Rev/Ukraine  5.03 7pm
10. Legal MJ/film      5.03 7pm
11. Poison DUst/film   5.03 8pm

12. AmInd/rummage sale 5.04 10am
13. Eagan peace vigil  5.04 4:30pm
14. Small is beautiful 5.04 5pm
15. Northtown vigil    5.04 5pm
16. WEI auction        5.04 5:30pm
17. Arborfest/beer     5.04 5:30pm
18. Auction/Queertopia 5.04 5:30pm
19. Minnesota Cuba     5.04 5.04 6:30pm
20. Vets/peace         5.04 7pm
21. Cabs/capitalism    5.04 7pm
22. Renewal/hope       5.04 7pm

23. Burt Berlowe  - Fetzer to address questions about 9/11
24. Joshua Frank  - Challenging Hillary Clinton
25. Prensa Latina - Bolivia takes control of gas and oil
26. Kari Lydersen - Target as bad as Wal-Mart? You decide
27. ed            - Boob jobs

--------1 of 27--------

From: Chris Spotted Eagle <chris [at] spottedeagle.org>
Subject: AmInd/music/food 5.03 4pm

Wednesday, May 3rd 4-8pm Red Lake Urban Office Open House, 1433 E.
Franklin Avenue, Ste. 13A, Minneapolis, MN.

Meet with Redby District Representatives, Live music featuring Johnny
Smith, Food, raffles, good company, Free and open to the public, FMI call
(612) 874-9588.


--------2 of 27--------

From: altera vista <alteravista [at] earthlink.net>
From: "Producer" <Producer [at] AirAmericaMinnesota.com>
Subject: Jim Fetzer/AM950 5.03 5:15pm

Prof Jim Fetzer interviewed on AM950 radio, 5.03 5:15pm.
[Hear him in person at 7pm - see #8 below]


--------3 of 27--------

From: Jane Prince <Jane.Prince [at] ci.stpaul.mn.us>
Subject: Stop SuperTarget 5.03 5:30pm


Jay Benanav is working with his colleagues to try to get Target to the
table to come up with a better plan.  If people show up or testify, you
might want to point out that suburban communities like Woodbury (and Sam's
Club), Edina (and Target), Brooklyn Park (and Target) and Inver Grove (and
Walmart) are all getting much more cooperation in building stores that fit
into the surrounding communities.  Inner-city St. Paul deserves NO LESS
than they are willing to do for suburbs!
Jane Prince, Legislative Aide, 651/266-8641

---
Jesse Mortenson <teknoj [at] gmail.com> 5/2/2006 9:26:14 AM

Please take a moment to support transit-oriented development in Midway.

A very important decision will be made this Wednesday, at the St Paul City
Council.  The council will be voting on an appeal by a coalition of
neighborhood advocacy groups and labor unions to demand better development
out of the proposed SuperTarget.  University United, the Lex-Ham Community
Council, and the United Food and Commercial Workers Union are the
coalition members.  They are asking the city council to repeal the
decision made by the Planning Commission to approve the site plan for the
SuperTarget and grant a parking variance.

The current site plan proposes an enormous big-box facing the freeway.
This Super Target threatens hundreds of living-wage, union grocery jobs
just down the road. This big box expansion does not contribute to a
transit-friendly, light rail vision for University!

City Council: 5:30pm this Wednesday

If you can make it, please come to the public hearing on Wednesday to show
your support.  The meeting starts at 5:30, but the appeal is second to
last on the agenda, so plan accordingly.  The city council meetings take
place at City Hall, 3rd floor, 15 W Kellogg Boulevard.  If you can't make
it, you can call your city council member and ask them to support the
appeal.  Below is a list of council members and their phone numbers.

Let's tell the city council that we want transit-oriented development,
local, independent businesses, and living wage jobs!

Ward 1 - Debbie Montgomery 266.8610
Ward 2 - Dave Thune 266.8620
Ward 3 - Pat Harris 266.8630
Ward 4 - Jay Benanav 266.8640
Ward 5 - Lee Helgen 266.8650
Ward 6 - Dan Bostrom 266.8660
Ward 7 - Kathy Lantry 266.8670

Thank you,
The Small is Beautiful Committee of the Green Party of St Paul
Renée Lepreau
651.647.4261

[And see item #26 below]

-------4 of 27--------

From: Charles Underwood <charleyunderwood [at] hotmail.com>
Subject: MnSOA 5.03 6pm

Wednesday, 5/3, 6 pm, MN School of the Americas Watch meeting, Holy Trinity
Lutheran Church, 2430 E 31st St, Mpls.  http://mnsoaw.org/home.html


--------5 of 27--------

From: Melis Arik <melis [at] intermediaarts.org>
Subject: Wireless Mpls 5.03 6pm

Minneapolis goes wireless
Find out what a Wireless city may mean for you. Learn more about Wireless
Minneapolis, what it may mean for you and how it may help bridge the
digital divide.  Come to a Wireless Minneapolis informational session.

6-8pm, Wednesday, May 3
Waite House, 2529 13 Ave. S., Minneapolis

Those who attend will have the opportunity to share their ideas and
feedback about what "community benefits" should be negotiated to help
bridge the digital divide.

Additional meetings are being planned. For more information or to sign-up
to receive e-mail updates on the project, visit
www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/wirelessminneapolis.


--------6 of 27--------

From: Amy Ihlan <amyihlan [at] comcast.net>
Subject: Concrete recycling 5.03 6:30pm

I wanted to let everyone know that the Twin Lakes developers are applying
for an interim use permit to create a concrete recycling area at Cleveland
Avenue and County Road C2 (the Dorso site).  This site is near Langton
Lake, and right across County Road C2 from a wetland/pond.  It is also
near the surrounding residential neighborhoods to the north and east,
although it does not appear that any homeowners are being given notice of
this proposal.

If you are concerned about the impact of a concrete recycling area on the
lake, park, and neighborhoods (including noise, dust, runoff, or other
pollution) please come to the Planning Commission meeting on Wednesday,
May 3 at 6:30 p.m. and express your views.  It is important for people to
attend and be heard -- otherwise the city council will be told there is no
public concern or opposition to this plan.

Please let me know if you have any questions.  A staff report on this
proposal is supposed to be available online at www.cityofroseville.com --
planning commission meeting, as of April 28.


--------7 of 27--------

From: Dave Bicking  <dave [at] colorstudy.com>
Subject: Anti-torture 5.03 6:30pm

Every Wednesday, meeting of the anti- torture group, T3: Tackling Torture
at the Top (a sub-group of WAMM).  Note new location:  Center School, 2421
Bloomington Ave. S., Mpls.

We have also added a new feature:  we will have an "educate ourselves"
session before each meeting, starting at 6:30, for anyone who is
interested in learning more about the issues we are working on.  We will
share info and stay current about torture in the news.


--------8 of 27--------

From: alteravista [at] earthlink.net
Subject: Jim Fetzer/9-11 5.03 7pm

9/11 evidence to be critically reviewed by University of Minnesota
professor, May 3, 2006

Professor James Fetzer, McKnight Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at
the University of Minnesota-Duluth, and co-founder of Scholars for 9/11
Truth, will give a "Critical Review of 9/11 Evidence" at 7 pm on May 3,
2006, at the 3M main auditorium of the O'Shaughnessey Science Buildings at
the University of St. Thomas (South Campus of UST, SW corner of Cretin and
Summit Aves.) StPaul.

This program is presented by the Mn911 group and the Justice and Peace
Studies Program at the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul.

Prof. Fetzer has taught the history and philosophy of science at the
UofM-Duluth since 1987 and has published more than 20 books. Scholars for
9/11Truth (www.scholarsfor911truth.org) comprises over 200 academicians
and experts, including physicists, engineers, and students of history,
science, and military affairs, dedicated to bringing scientific rigor to
the study of 9/11 phenomena.

Prominent theologian David Ray Griffin, a member of the group, has taken a
leading role in exposing false claims about 9/11 and the omissions and
distortions of the 9/11 commission; Prof. Steven Jones, co-founder with
Fetzer of S9/11T, has published an influential analysis of the physics of
the collapses of the three World Trade Center buildings.  The group has
joined Judicial Watch in a lawsuit calling for release of documents,
films, and physical evidence being withheld from the public.

Professor Fetzer is available by phone from Duluth to discuss this event,
at the number below.  Appointments for in-person interviews can be
arranged for May 3.

For further information, please contact Michael Andregg, UST Justice and
Peace Studies Program, 651-962-5907, mmandregg [at] stthomas. edu; Leslie
Reindl, 651-633-4410, alteravista [at] earthlink.net; or Prof. James Fetzer,
jfetzer [at] d.umn.edu, 218-724-2706.

[And see item #23 below]


--------9 of 27--------

From: david_m [at] northcountrycoop.com
Subject: Orange Rev/Ukraine 5.03 7pm

Come learn about the politicsw and grassroots context of the wave of
"colored revolutions" in Eurasia from a Left perspective.

Brief Presentation and Video followed by discussion

Wednesday, May 3rd  7pm
Walker Community Church
3104 16th Ave. S. Minneapolis

Free and open to the public

Was the Orange Revolution in the Ukraine and similar rebellions in the
former USSR a U.S. backed, "postmodern coup", or "franchised revolution?"

Twin Cities native Stefan Iwaskewycz will talk about the real, grassroots
context and the Left-wing critiques of events transforming post-Soviet
Eurasia.  He will focus on the Ukraine where he lived for a year and from
where he wrote a list-serve before, during and after the Orange
Revolution.  Currently, Stefan writes a blog on Ukraine from a Left
perspective and is working on a documentary about the fact of grassroots
and Left-wing participation in the making of the Orange Revolution.

ffi:  612-247-2725


--------10 of 27--------

From: Corey Stern <corey_stern [at] yahoo.com>
Subject: Legal MJ/film 5.03 7pm

Pro Marijuana Legalization Movie "Saving Grace" is Playing Tomorrow!

May 3rd, 7pm
799 Raymond Avenue  St. Paul, MN 55114 [Libertarian Party HQ -ed]
Cost: FREE!  Donations are welcome.

At the center of this story is Grace, a middle-aged housewife. When her
husband unexpectedly dies bankrupt, leaving her destitute and about to
lose her cherished home, she becomes so desperate for money that she'll
do anything--even sell marijuana.

View the details: http://movies.meetup.com/203
Corey Stern Freedom Movie of the Month - A non-partisan, non-profit
educational organization


--------11 of 27--------

From: Charles Underwood <charleyunderwood [at] hotmail.com>
Subject: Poison DUst/film 5.03 8pm

Wednesday, 5/3, 8 pm, Hamline Students for Peace hosts showing of film
"Poison DUst" on effects of so-called depleted uranium, Drew Science 118,
south of Old Main between Hewitt and Englewood, St. Paul.
matthewfbyrnes [at] gmail.com


--------12 of 27--------

From: Chris Spotted Eagle <chris [at] spottedeagle.org>
Subject: AmInd/rummage sale 5.04 10am

Thursday, May 4 thru Saturday, May 6. Spring Rummage Sale at the
Minneapolis American Indian Center, 1530 E. Franklin Avenue, Minneapolis.

To benefit Native Senior Citizens Program, Hours: Thursday and Friday
10am-3pm, Saturday 10am­1pm, Donations accepted until May 3rd at the
Indian Center, FMI call Harriet Denomie at (612) 879-1770.


--------13 of 27--------

From: Greg and Sue Skog <skograce [at] mtn.org>
Subject: Eagan peace vigil 5.04 4:30pm

CANDLELIGHT PEACE VIGIL EVERY THURSDAY from 4:30-5:30pm on the Northwest
corner of Pilot Knob Road and Yankee Doodle Road in Eagan. We have signs
and candles. Say "NO to war!" The weekly vigil is sponsored by: Friends
south of the river speaking out against war.


-------14 of 27--------

From: Jesse Mortenson <jmortenson [at] Macalester.edu>
Subject: Small is beautiful 5.04 5pm

First and third Tuesdays of the month
5.04 5pm
Cahoots coffeehouse
Selby 1/2 block east of Snelling in StPaul

Limit bigboxes, chain stores, TIF, corporate welfare, billboards; promote
small business and co-ops, local production & self-sufficiency.

http://www.gpsp.org/goodbusiness


--------15 of 27--------

From: EKalamboki [at] aol.com
Subject: Northtown vigil 5.04 5pm

NORTHTOWN Peace Vigil every Thursday 5-6pm, at the intersection of Co. Hwy
10 and University Ave NE (SE corner across from Denny's), in Blaine.

Communities situated near the Northtown Mall include: Blaine, Mounds View,
New Brighton, Roseville, Shoreview, Arden Hills, Spring Lake Park, Fridley,
and Coon Rapids.  We'll have extra signs.

For more information people can contact Evangelos Kalambokidis by phone or
email: (763)574-9615, ekalamboki [at] aol.com.


--------16 of 27--------

From: Darrell Gerber <darrellgerber [at] earthlink.net>
From: Women's Environmental Institute [mailto:listserv [at] w-e-i.org]
Subject: WEI auction 5.04 5:30pm

Don't miss out on the
Women's Environmental Institute Annual Auction

May 4th from 5:30-8:30pm
Maria's Cafe, 1113 East Franklin Ave, Mpls
(safe, off-street parking, handicap accessible)

Tickets are going fast for this unique shopping opportunity.
Get your tickets today at www.w-e-i.org

Help support WEI's environmental justice and sustainability work. For only
$20 you'll gain entrance into one of the finest auctions in the seven
county metro area. You'll be able to bid on everything from books and
gardening supplies to personal coaching and Middle Eastern dance lessons.
Bid on Frank Hornstein's hybrid car for a weekend, biscotti baked by
Phyllis Kahn, champagne breakfast in bed delivered by Karen Clark and
Jacquelyn Zita, and much much more.

It will be a great experience for a great cause.
Don't miss it!
See our current list of donations and buy tickets at www.w-e-i.org


--------17 of 27--------

From: ewomenwin [at] mnwpc.org
Subject: Arborfest/beer 5.04 5:30pm

Support Family Tree Clinic at Arborfest 2006  [Arbeerfest - ed]

Join Family Tree Clinic for Arborfrest 2006, their annual beer tasting
fundraising event, on Thursday, May 4 from 5:30-9 p.m. at Macalester
College in St. Paul. Enjoy a selection of regionally brewed beers, snacks,
live music. You must be 21+ years old. For more information, visit
www.familytreeclinic.org. Family Tree Clinic is a leading low-cost health
care provider in Saint Paul since 1971.


--------18 of 27--------

From: Louisa Hext <louisahext [at] GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Auction/Queertopia 5.04 5:30pm

Silent Auction - Hosted by Comedian Matthew Feeney
Thursday, May 4 5:30-8pm
Jetset - 115 North First Street, Mpls
Cash Bar, Horsd'Oeuvres and Desserts

Auction proceeds will benefit the Outward Spiral production of Queertopia:
A Caberet Celebration of Queer Love
An evening of dance, music, inspired theatrics and drag
Pride Weekend June 23-25 at Intermedia Arts

Items include:
Theatre Tickets from The Jungle, Fitzgerald, The Mixed Blood & Patrick's
Cabaret
Concert Tickets - Gay Men's Chorus, One Voice Mixed Chorus
Gift Certificates at Twin Cities Coffeeshops and Restaurants
Romantic Week Getaway to Northern Minnesota Log Cabin
Heated Stone Massage from Diamond Willow Therapeutic Massage
Chiropractic, Massage and Acupuncture from Lakepointe Health and Wellness
Dinner by Design: four-course dinner for six prepared in the comfort of your
home
Membership for Bonny Doon Winery
Salon Junallo Gift Basket & Salon Services
Plus Many More...

For more information please go to http://www.outwardspiral.org

"Outward Spiral Theatre Company is dedicated to producing theatre from a
Queer point-of-view. We strive to entertain, educate and act as a catalyst
for social change through inclusive, multicultural, provocative artistic
expression".


--------19 of 27--------

From: Minnesota Cuba Committee <mncuba [at] usfamily.net>
Subject: Minnesota Cuba 5.04 5.04 6:30pm

The next meeting of the Minnesota Cuba Committee will be at 6:30, Thursday
May 4, Holy Trinity Church, 2730 31st St. East, Minneapolis.

Upcoming events are the May 20 march on Washington demanding "Hands off
Venezuela and Cuba" and the June 22 Pastors for Peace caravan event at St.
Albert the Great. Go to www.may20coalition.org or
http://groups.msn.com/minnesotacubacommittee to download flyers for the
march and for more information.


--------20 of 27--------

From: Carole Rydberg <carydberg [at] comcast.net>
Subject: Vets/peace 5.04 7pm

Thursday May 4, 7pm Dialogue among military family members and peace
activists.  Guests include the authors of a book for young children who
have a parent away in the military, a member of Blue Star Mothers, and
information related to returning veterans and PTSD.

NW Neighbors for Peace, St. Joseph Parish Community, SW corner of 36th
Avenue N and Boone in New Hope. Info - Carole Rydberg, 763-546-5368


--------21 of 27-------

From: Lydia Howell <lhowell [at] visi.com>
Subject: Cabs/capitalism 5.04 7pm

THUR MAY 4, 7pm: Join Biju Mathew for a fast-paced ride through the
yellow cab industry of New York when he presents his book Taxi!: Cabs
and Capitalism in New York City, on Thursday, May 4 at 7pm, at the
Merriam Park Branch Library, 1831 Marshall Avenue, Saint Paul.

Taxi! is as much a critical commentary on globalization, urban renewal,
migration and multiculturalism, as it is a captivating account of the
struggles and triumphs of life behind the wheel.  Mathew is a member of
the Organizing Committee of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, a
professor of business at Rider University, and a co-founder of the Forum
of Indian Leftists. Part of the St Paul Public Library's annual UNTOLD
STPRIOES labor series. MOre ifo (651)222-3242 www.thefriends.org


--------22 of 27--------

From: scot b <earthmannow [at] comcast.net>
Subject: Renewal/hope 5.04 7pm

The St. Croix Valley Peacemakers are indeed fortunate to have with us Ms
Victoria Safford Minister of the White Bear Lake Unitarian Universalist
Church Thursday May 4th at 7:00 PM at Ascension Episcopal Church 214 No
3rd St.  Stillwater. { 3rd building North of postoffice }

Victoria will share with us thoughts on renewal, regeneration and how and
why we should maintain hope for the future. The land is again fertile for
peace. She will also share with us her thoughts on how we can embrace
those whose views we disagree with and how to talk with those of opposing
views. Come get recharged by this vibrant speaker.

For more info on valley peacemaker activities call Wayne at 651 439 6414


--------23 of 27--------

From: Burt Berlowe <bberlowe [at] mn.rr.com>

Fetzer to Address Questions About 9/11
By Burt Berlowe

Just when we thought we could forget about 9/11, it's right back in our
face. News of the volatile trial of Zacharias Moussaoui screams at his
from the daily headlines.  George Bush mentions 9/11 umpteen times in a
speech somewhere. And just last week, the dramatic Flight 93 movie landed
with a thud on Twin Cities movie screens. Once again we are being reminded
of what the terrorists did to us on that fateful day and how we must
appropriately respond.

But there is another side to the story. One that casts doubt on our common
beliefs about 9/11 and any faith we may have left in our government's
integrity.  Under the radar of blockbuster events and media hype is a
growing movement of scholars, activists and concerned citizen who are
questioning the standard version of what happened that day and who did it.

One of the leaders of that movement, UMD Philosophy Professor James
Fetzer, who will speak Wednesday May 3 at 7pm in the 3M Auditorium at the
College of St. Thomas in St.Paul. Fetzer, who is brought here by the new
MN9/11 group in the Twin Cities, has been speaking around the country
before community groups and on talk radio and TV shows. His trip to the
Twin Cities, included dropping in on the fundraiser for Green Party Senate
candidate Michael Cavlan, who has made 9/11 one of his campaign issues.

Along with teaching Science and Philosophy, Fetzer has a long history of
investigating possible conspiracies starting with the assassination of
President Kennedy. He recently published a book alleging that Senator Paul
Wellstone was assassinated. "I became interested in 911 within a few days
after it happened," he said in a recent phone interview from his Duluth
home. "I watched the explosions of the towers and surmised that those
buildings couldn't have fallen from just the collision with the plane. I
also thought that the report on the Pentagon attack was suspicious. Why
was the Pentagon hit only where there were the fewest key personnel?" he
asks. "Why was there no plane debris found at the site?  "How could the
terrorist whose flight instructor said 'couldn't even fly straight make
such a precision hit?' Fetzer also questions the accepted claim that the
Towers were brought down only by the aircraft's impact, and has presented
documented evidence of numerous separate explosions throughout the
buildings not caused by the collision.

As for Flight 93. Fetzer calls the official story "fiction."  It doesn't
mention, for instance, that cell phone calls cannot be made from that
altitude.  Then there was supposedly the noise of the tray car in the
passengers section, but those sounds could not have been picked up by cell
phones or black boxes in the pilots' cabin. And at the site there's a big
hole as if it had been excavated.  Debris - and not much of it -- was
supposedly found up to eight miles away from the scene. That's
scientifically impossible."

Months of questioning, doubting and investigation have led Fetzer to not
only challenge the official account of 9/11 but to put the blame for the
tragedy squarely in the White House. "Nine-Eleven was a conspiracy of the
Neocon agenda," he said. "It was orchestrated by Dick Cheney and Don
Rumsfield and the Department of Defense as part of their national security
policy.  They needed a big event to get the American people afraid of
terrorism, what they called "A New Pearl Harbor."

Fetzer is far from alone in his beliefs. He formed Scholars for 9/11 Truth
a few years ago and the group now has some 300 academics.  A book by one
of those scholars, Theologian David Lee Griffin called The New Pearl
Harbor sparked what has now become a national movement to find out the
truth about 9-11.  New organizations, including the fledgling MN 911 group
in the Twin Cities, burgeoning blogs and web sites, as well as additional
books and films on the subject are cropping up around the country. An
online petition seeking a re-opening of the 9-11 investigation is nearing
its goal of 10,000 signatures. The first national conference to discuss
this issue will be held early next month in Chicago.

The 9-11 movement has had difficulty gaining traction with a skeptical
mainstream media. But Fetzer has seen evidence of change. He has made some
300 appearances in recent months in both big cities and small towns, and
on radio talk shows around the country. (His visit here includes an
appearance on Air America Minnesota). He was recently interviewed by a
Time magazine affiliate in London. The 9-11 Truth movement got a big boost
recently when Actor Charlie Sheen endorsed a new investigation during an
interview on CNN.

"What we want first of all is a total release of public records on 9/11,"
said Fetzer. "If the government has nothing to hide why won't they release
them." Fetzer has another idea of how to jumpstart a new probe. "I would
like the individual states, especially those around D.C., to begin their
own investigation. We also need to change the makeup of Congress and get
some new faces who realize the importance of this issue. Fetzer will have
a lot more time soon to help the movement. He is retiring from 30 years of
teaching next month to give his all to the cause. He is currently editing
a new book called The 911 Conspiracy and will make himself increasingly
available as a consultant to groups like MN911.  "There is a great
opportunity now to do this," he said. I have faith in the American people,
that once they know the facts, they will react."

The MN 911 group is just a few months old. But it has already held several
showings of videos about the 9/11 cover up, including speeches by Fetzer
and Griffin and perhaps the best documentary on the subject called Loose
Change, which can be purchased from MN911 or viewed online by typing in
its name. Anyone interested in ordering or showing a film or in joining MN
911 can call Leslie Reindl at 651-633-4410 or email at
alteravista [at] earthlink.net.  For more information on Fetzer and his
colleagues go to 911Scholars for Truth.org or www.d.umn.edu/~fetzer/.
Other good resources are as follows: A good general website is
911Truth.org. David Lee Griffin's New Pearl Harbor and a second book
criticizing the government 9-11 report are available from Amazon.com and
other book stores.

Sidebar:
Some Unanswered Questions about 9-11

* Why did six of the alleged 19 hijackers turn up alive right after 9/11?

* Who made millions selling "puts" on (short selling) United and American
Airlines before 9/11?

* Why did firefighters report hearing explosions in the towers before they
fell?

* Why was the steel wreckage immediately hauled off and shipped abroad
before forensic examination was done?

* Why was there no sign of an airliner or bodies in the PA meadow where
Flight 93 supposedly went down?

* And many others.

[And see items #3 and #8 above]


--------24 of 27--------

Challenging Hillary Clinton
by Joshua Frank
www.brinckburner.com

New Yorkers Take on the War Party

Hillary Clinton is pocketing enormous amounts of cash across the country
for her reelection campaign, from Manhattan to Hollywood. Yet, Hillary is
facing what seems to be fierce opposition from within her own party, as
well as from third parties here in New York. The main reason candidates
have signed up to challenge Hillary is her position, er, non-position on
the disgraceful "war on terror."

Hillary, in a letter to constituents last November, expressed her belief
that the war in Iraq shouldn't be "open-ended" but was clear that she
would never "pull out of Iraq immediately." Translation: Hillary Clinton
supports a continued occupation of Iraq. Her stance on Iran isn't much
better; in fact, it may be worse. In the same letter, Clinton hoped
contingents of U.S. soldiers would remain in the region with "quick-strike
capabilities. - This will help us stabilize that new Iraqi government,"
she attested. "It will send a message to Iran that they do not have a free
hand in Iraq despite their considerable influence and personal and
religious connections there."

Messages, I guess, carry more weight when they are delivered at gunpoint.
"Watch out Tehran," Hillary seems to be declaring, "I'll strike quick."
Such neoconish attitudes have upset antiwar activists, and now many are
rallying 'round any alternative they can find to challenge Hillary in her
bid for reelection this year.

Jonathan Tasini, who is running against Clinton in the New York Democratic
primary, is gaining the most visible support. His position on the Iraq war
is solid, as he wants all U.S. troops home now. Tasini also believes that
democracy in Iraq is a long way from developing and argues that there will
be no such thing in Iraq's future as long as the U.S.  stays the course.
"[The] invasion of Iraq has created a theocracy," says Tasini. "The people
of Iraq have the right to decide what law they choose to follow."

The Green Party is also tossing its antiwar weight into the ring. Sander
Hicks, the founder of Soft Skull Press and operator of indie publishing
house Vox Pop, is challenging Steve Greenfield for their party's
nomination. Both Hicks and Greenfield support bringing U.S. troops home
immediately and oppose any US involvement in Iran. The Libertarian Party
of New York recently nominated Jeff Russell, who says he'd bring soldiers
home as soon as possible, and the Socialist Equity Party is running Bill
Van Auken, who wants to bring U.S. troops home now.

None of the antiwar third-party candidates at this point in the campaign
season have any real name recognition or financial backing. Even so,
Tasini the Democrat does. Antiwar flyers plaster campuses throughout New
York City touting Tasini, and his campaign is being discussed on numerous
antiwar blogs and e-mail lists. Tasini's drive may soon spark some real
tension among antiwar activists in New York, however, as many believe
supporting Tasini will fail the movement against the war.

For starters, they contend that Tasini is still a Democrat, which means
that if he doesn't beat Hillary in September's primary election, he will
most likely endorse her campaign and hand over his antiwar funds to the
pro-war Democratic Party, much like Dennis Kucinich did during his
presidential race in 2004 when he endorsed John Kerry.

When I contacted Tasini's campaign manager, Adam Koch, he challenged these
criticisms.

"Tasini won't be endorsing Senator Clinton after the primaries if he
doesn't win," says Koch. "Nor will he be giving any of his money to the
Democratic Party." Koch also noted that Tasini is currently seeking the
Working Families Party line, but if that falls through he will not be
appearing on the ballot.

The Working Families Party will be endorsing a New York senatorial
candidate on June 3, and Hillary and Tasini have been the only two
candidates to seek the party's line thus far. Hillary scored the
endorsement in 2000, so it's not guaranteed to go to Tasini.

If the antiwar movement is to truly take on Hillary this election season,
we need to challenge her all the way up to November. The majority of New
Yorkers who oppose the Iraq war aren't even Democrats and can't vote for
Tasini in New York's closed primary elections. The validity of Tasini's
campaign is now greatly dependent on whether or not he receives the
Working Families' endorsement.

Supporting another antiwar candidate or voting "none of the above" may be
the only way to hold Hillary Clinton accountable for her depraved Iraq war
stance on Election Day 2006. Until then, let's track Hillary across the
country and let her know we don't agree with what she's offering.

Fortunately, antiwar activists can all agree on one thing: Hillary Clinton
doesn't deserve our votes.

--Joshua Frank
May 01, 2006 in Activism, War |


--------25 of 27--------

Bolivia Takes Control of Gas and Oil
Prensa Latina, Havana
http://www.plenglish.com

La Paz, May 1 (Prensa Latina) Saying the pillage of Bolivia´s natural
resources is over, President Evo Morales has nationalized the country´s
gas and oil industry at a ceremony marking International Labor Day and his
first 100th day in office.

At a ceremony in San Alberto gas and oil field, in the country´s south,
Morales signed a decree by which all foreign energy companies ought to
send their supplies to a state company for sales and industrialization.

The head of state cautioned that companies rejecting the decree will have
to leave Bolivia within six months.

"The time has come, the awaited day, a historic day in which Bolivia
retakes absolute control of our natural resources," Morales said from the
facility, which is operated by Petrobras in association with Repsol.

The main energy companies operating in Bolivia are Petrobras, the
Spanish-Argentine company Repsol, British companies British Gas and
British Petroleum and Total of France.

After the president spoke, a soldier unfurled a Bolivian flag from atop
the facility.

President Morales also said the state would retake control of Bolivian
hydrocarbons companies that were privatized in the 1990s, with the state
taking over shares in the hands of foreign companies and of semipublic
Bolivian entities.

On celebrating the 100th day in office, the executive noted how Bolivia
has recovered her dignity and builds confidence through political, social
and economic achievements.

He added that on Jan 22 he received a country destroyed, divided and
demoralized by decades of neoliberal, anti-national policies.

Rather than foreign interests Bolivia has begun to meet the interests of
the victims of neoliberalism, has declared war on corruption and is making
the government work for general wellbeing.

President Morales also announced a National Development Plan to sever
poverty, dependence and underdevelopment.

He also praised Cuba´s support to the literacy campaign and Miracle
Operation to provide free medical services to the poor.

The president also referred to the Trade Treaty of the Nations (TCP, in
Spanish) with Cuba and Venezuela, and other agreements signed with
Argentina and Brazil, which are an alternative to US-sponsored free trade
agreements in favor of transnationals.


--------26 of 27-------

Target as Bad as Wal-Mart? You Decide
By Kari Lydersen, CorpWatch. Posted May 1, 2006.
http://www.alternet.org/workplace/35610

When it comes to wages, working conditions and effect on communities, the
two big box stores are eerily similiar.

Shopping in a Target store, you know you're not in Wal-Mart. But the
differences may be mostly skin deep.

Targets are spaciously laid out and full of attractive displays and
promotions. While many people associate Wal-Mart with low-income, rural
communities perhaps dominated by a prison or power plant, life-size photos
throughout Target stores remind you that their customers are a lively,
beautiful cast of multi-cultural hipsters.

"Their image is more upscale, more urban and sophisticated, sort of a
wannabe Pottery Barn," said Victoria Cervantes, a hospital administrator
and documentary-maker in Chicago who regularly shops at Target. "I'm not
sure if their customers really are more upscale. But that's the image
they're going for. They have a very good PR campaign."

In contrast to this image, however, critics say that in terms of wages and
benefits, working conditions, sweatshop-style foreign suppliers, and
effects on local retail communities, big box Target stores are very much
like Wal-Mart, just in a prettier package.

Of more than 1,400 Target stores employing more than 300,000 people
nationwide, not one has a union. Employees at various stores say an
anti-union message and video is part of the new-employee orientation. At
stores in the Twin Cities, where Target is headquartered, the United Food
and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union Local 789 has been trying for several
years to help Target employees organize, with little luck.

"People ask what the difference between Wal-Mart and Target is," said UFCW
organizer Bernie Hesse. "Nothing, except that Wal-Mart is six times
bigger. The wages start at $7.25 to $7.50 an hour [at Target]. They'll say
that's a competitive wage, but they can't say it's a living wage. We know
a lot of their managers are telling people, 'If we find out you're
involved in organizing a union you'll get fired.'"

Wal-Mart has about 3,800 stores nationwide and another 2,600 worldwide,
employing about 1.6 million people. Target plans to open at least 600 more
stores by 2010, for a total of about 2,000 in 47 states. Like Wal-Mart, a
typical Target sells a wide range of consumer goods including clothing,
household items, office supplies, toys, sports equipment, furniture, art,
and electronics; and the stores often have photo laboratories and
pharmacies. About 160 SuperTargets nationwide also sell "upscale"
groceries, as the company's website describes them, and often contain
banks, Starbucks, and Pizza Hut Express outlets. Total revenue was up 12.3
percent in 2005 - $52.6 billion compared to $46.8 billion in 2004.

Wage Slaves

A survey by the UFCW found that starting wages are similar in Targets and
Wal-Marts -- possibly higher overall at Wal-Marts - and that Target
benefits packages are often harder to qualify for and less comprehensive.
(Target's media relations department refused to comment on its wages and
benefits policies; individual wages and benefits policies are not included
in their annual report.)

"We know that Target and Wal-Mart are constantly checking each other out
and seeing how cheap they can get by," says a UFCW statement on the
website Targetunion.org, urging Target employees around the country to
post their wages.

A Target employee who asked that his name and store location be kept
secret said he can barely make ends meet on his salary of $8.40 an hour.

"After three years, I have received less than $1 an hour in raises. I
started at $7.65," said the worker, adding that he does love his job
because of camaraderie with his co-workers. "We are never compensated and
rarely even recognized for meeting our goals."

The starting wage he describes would put a single parent with two kids
working full time at Target just slightly above the poverty line;
someone with more children or working fewer hours would fall below the
poverty line.

Compare that to Target CEO Robert Ulrich, who earned $23.1 million in
2005, according to Forbes, making him the second-highest paid CEO in the
retail sector. That's more than 1300 times as much as the worker we spoke
to.

Sweat on the Racks?

Meanwhile a glance at labels on a few racks of stylish $20 cardigans and
capri pants shows that, like Wal-Mart and most major clothing retailers,
Target itself sources its products in India, Indonesia, Guatemala, Mexico,
Bangladesh, Kenya, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia and other
low-wage, developing countries.

In October 2005 representatives of a Mexican labor federation protested
outside a Bronx Target to call attention to alleged child labor and
illegal worker lockouts at a Mexican factory that supplies the store's
Halloween costumes.

"The way the global garment industry is, there are so few factories that
respect workers' rights that there is no way Target gets its clothes from
workplaces where workers' rights are being respected," said Allie Robbins,
national organizer of the group United Students Against Sweatshops.

Race to the Bottom

Target doesn't differ from most major clothing vendors; you usually have
to seek out small specialty companies to find union-made, American-made
textiles. But as one of the country's major retailers, Target is an
industry leader, fostering and profiting from the U.S.'s general culture
of consumerism: We buy, buy, buy at ever lower prices in a market system
sustained by very low-paid, non-union workforces in impoverished
countries.

Even as American consumerism thrives, however, there is growing public
awareness and critique of the problems it spawns. Wal-Mart is becoming a
lightning rod for the public's increasing dissatisfaction and animosity.
A recent study by the University of Massachusetts at Lowell showed that 63
percent of people would oppose a Wal-Mart opening in their community.
Groups such as Wal-Mart Watch, several documentarians have harshly
critiqued Wal-Mart's working conditions and its effects on communities and
international labor standards.

But somehow, perhaps because of its relative small size compared to
Wal-Mart, Target has largely avoided negative publicity.

In fact, it benefits from anti-Wal-Mart anger, a fact that isn't lost on
company officials.

Media reports describe Target executives booing and hissing at a Wal-Mart
logo during sales meetings and calling it the "evil empire."  While
communities often fight tooth and nail against new Wal-Marts, residents
usually welcome Targets, as local governments offer the corporation
generous tax breaks and subsidies to locate in their area.

That is what happened last fall in West St. Paul, Minn., where a new
Target reaped $731,000 in local tax breaks, while 30 miles away, Ham Lake
was fighting Wal-Mart's efforts to open a superstore. The Target in
downtown Minneapolis received $68 million in public subsidies, according
to the Star Tribune newspaper. In Chicago in 2004, a city-wide coalition
formed to oppose two proposed Wal-Marts and the fight roiled the city
council for months. Meanwhile at least three new Target stores have been
built in the metro area in the last several years.

Target definitely works hard on its image. Last summer it became the first
company to sponsor an entire issue of The New Yorker, with 17 pages of
ads. With a 2005 advertising budget of $1.028 billion, it regularly takes
out full page ads in major daily papers and magazines, promoting the
company's products, and sophisticated image as well as its charity work.
The company's website says that 96 percent of Americans recognize the
Target logo, "more than the Swoosh or Apple." Unlike Wal-Mart's
low-budget, cluttered decor, Target sports artsy, larger-than-life photos
of everything from cleaning products to desserts to women in lingerie. It
is the exclusive marketer of specialty items such as the Roots
"retro-futurism" official gear for the 2006 Winter Olympics. Target's
website notes that its average consumer has a median household income of
$55,000, and 43 percent have completed college.

"It's like they're trying to be Marshall Fields or something," said
Chicago high school student Stephanie Evans, shopping for a bikini for
spring break. "But it's really the same things as at Wal-Mart, just at
higher prices."

The first Target discount store opened in Roseville, Minnesota, a suburb
of St. Paul, in 1962. It was run by the Dayton Company, which originated
in 1902 with a retail store called Goodfellows owned by George Dayton in
Minneapolis. Along with the discount stores, Target Corp. runs Target
Financial Services, which manages the Target REDcard credit card.

Target: We Train the FBI

Perhaps Target's oddest singularity is the fact that it boasts one of the
nation's top forensics labs at its company headquarters. A product of its
efforts to stop shoplifting and property destruction at its stores, its
mastery of surveillance and investigative technology and strategy is now
eagerly subscribed to by law enforcement agencies nationwide, including
the FBI. The company provides training for police and federal agents on
investigation and prevention of everything from arson and robbery to
smuggling.

Target does more proportionately for the community in the form of
community grants and charity than Wal-Mart does, and spends considerably
less boating about it. According to the company website, which says Target
donates more than $2 million a week to local and national non-profit
organizations. The company gives grants of $1,000 to $3,000 to community
organizations, and shoppers can donate 1 percent of Target REDcard charges
to a local school. The website says more than $154 million has been
donated to schools since 1997. The company also runs Target House, a
luxury residential facility in Memphis where families can stay while their
seriously ill children are treated at a nearby medical center.

In comparison, Wal-Mart, with revenue of $288 billion in 2005, donated
$200 million (or 7/100ths of a percent) to charities and organizations in
2005, according to its web site.

While many customers and employees praise Target's charity efforts,
critics counter that the company would have more positive impact on
communities by providing living wage, stable jobs to local residents.

Following the general trend in retail and the U.S. job market as a whole,
Target relies on part-time workers. This schedule may work well for some
students and retired people, but it contributes to a dearth of full-time,
fully benefitted, stable employment - especially in communities reeling
from the store's impact on small local businesses.

"If I needed a full time job I couldn't afford to work here," said "Rosa"
a 57-year-old who works part time at a St. Paul Target near her house.
(Her name has been changed because she fears retribution.) "It starts at
$7.50 an hour and you only get a 50-cent raise once a year. So how long
will it take you to even get to $10 an hour! You can't live on that."

Diversity Dilemma

Target's website says diversity is a core value for employees and
customers. It says Target is above national averages in employing
minorities, both in the overall workforce (21 percent) and managerial
positions (38 percent).

But that may depend on the store. Hesse said that some of the many Somalis
refugees employed in the Twin Cities stores complain about cultural
insensitivity and discrimination.

"Entry level management people just don't know how to handle it, they seem
to be insensitive to immigrant workers," said Hesse. "In one store,
there's a lot of friction between managers and Somali workers. They hire
these young white boys as managers, and then they run a crew of Somalis
with a very condescending attitude."

An African-American employee at the flagship Roseville, Minn. store (who
asked that her name not be used for fear of retribution), said she feels
as if she constantly suffers racial discrimination. She said there are no
black supervisors on the overnight shift she works. "There are a lot of
Somalis working on the overnight shift, but no Somali team leader."  She
said she is tired of young white "team leaders" repeatedly telling her to
work faster or do things differently.

"It's the same conversation over and over," said the middle-aged woman.
"They treat us like we're kids. And they'll approach you in front of other
crew members, not in the office or somewhere private."

She thinks she was unfairly given a document from management saying she
needed to increase her work speed.

"I feel like I was discriminated against because I'm black," she said.
"I talked to white co-workers who I was working side by side with, and I
could see I was working just as fast as them. I asked them if they had to
sign the paper [from management] saying they were too slow and they did
not. The majority who got the "guidance" slips were Somali or
African-American like myself."

Beat the Clock

Workers generally complain about a pressurized and patronizing work
atmosphere where they are constantly pressed to work harder and faster and
at the same time to act cheery and invested in the store's success.  The
company's website boasts that workers will respond with "cheetah-like"
speed within 60 seconds to customer calls on the red phones throughout the
store.

Rosa said employees are constantly exhorted to get shoppers to sign up for
Target REDcards; some stores have weekly quotas. "They'll have little
employee promotions, it's so ridiculous, you'll get candy or a liter of
pop if you get two people to sign up," she said.

She said the store is generally understaffed and workers are expected to
do numerous jobs at the same time.

"You're running around, feeling like you're being pulled in every
direction," she said. "There's never enough people on the sales floor.
You're getting calls to come up to the cash register, to do pulls [of
merchandise] in the back room, to deal with returns at guest services, all
at once. And the whole time you're constantly picking up and folding
stuff, getting things off the floor. At my age it's a really hard day, on
your feet the whole time on these linoleum floors. I'm aching when I get
home. I have to take Ibuprofen just to be able to sleep."

John Hayden had a similar experience working in a Target distribution
center near his home in Oconomowoc, Wisc. After quitting his Target job in
2002, he was diagnosed with a hernia which he blames on lifting up to 700
boxes a day.

"It was hard work," said Hayden, who was in his late 50s at the time.
"We never produced enough to keep the middle managers happy. I think they
plan it that way - they always want more."

Could it Be Different?

In today's market, could retail really be any different? Fair labor
advocates think so. Hesse notes that in several unionized grocery stores
in the Twin Cities, hourly wages hover around $13 to $17 an hour, roughly
double Target's. Now SuperTarget's sale of groceries threatens the
survival of union grocery stores.

Even other major big box retailers have managed to pay significantly
higher wages and achieve higher employee retention. The prices at Costco
Wholesale Corp., the nation's fifth largest retailer, are competitive with
those at Target and Wal-Mart, but it pays full-time employees an average
of around $16 an hour along with generous health benefits.

Costco pulls this off by offering fewer brands of each item, keeping
infrastructure costs low and forgoing advertising; and the company also
benefits financially from low employee turnover. Labor advocates also note
that The Container Store is known for decent wages and good working
conditions.

"We've turned into a nation of consumers, not citizens," said Hesse. "We
need to make retailers and employers bring back the old social contract
where if you work hard and give them full time, they have to treat you
with some degree of dignity and pay you enough that you don't need to
worry about your basic needs all the time."

Kari Lydersen, a regular contributor to AlterNet, also writes for the
Washington Post and is an instructor for the Urban Youth International
Journalism Program in Chicago.

[And see item #3 above]


--------27 of 27--------

Boob jobs

Q: Mr President, what do you think of boob jobs?

A: Ah! Um... I think... the immigrants would be perfect for them. Right?


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