by Robert Naiman

LOS ANGELES - August 27 - Religious leaders today unveiled "Glenn Beck Is No Martin Luther King, Jr." a new online short from Brave New Foundation to express outrage over Glenn Beck's 'Restore Honor' rally and his attempt to usurp the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King's 'I Have A Dream Speech' by holding the event on the anniversary of King's landmark speech. To view online short, click: glennbeckisnotmartinlutherkingjr.com

MSEA Strike Picket

<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]-->Students and educators in Mahomet were back to class on Monday, Aug. 23 after the Mahomet Seymour Education Association (MSEA) and the school board were able to settle on a new contract on Aug. 20.  The settlement marked an end to a two-day strike, the first strike ever in their union’s history.

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MSEA secured a one-year contract with 2.6% raise (step + .5%) for teachers, 3.5% (step + 1%) for aides and 3.5% for other support staff.  Union president Joan Jordan commented on the two-day strike and the negotiations saying, “I’ve negotiated several contracts and this has been the most contentious process I have ever been through.”

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Building Up to ‘The Battle’

The Mahomet Seymour Education Association is claiming victory having settled a contract about 2:30 pm on August 20.  This signals and end to the two day strike for MSEA.

More details and pictures will be forthcoming here at UCIMC later today.

MSEA Picket

The first day of school for Mahomet Seymour students did not happen today because the Mahomet Seymour Education Association (MSEA) has been out on strike since 7 am.

The union has had previous struggles with the school board over employment issues. The summer of 2009 was spent pressuring the district to bargain with MSEA about staff performing medical procedures like the insertion of catheters. The district board had refused to negotiate the matter and expected non-medical staff to perform medical procedures.

by Mike Meno

In the latest example of a changing political atmosphere surrounding marijuana issues, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in Washington state has been forced to clarify a series of cliché jokes his office made at the expense of medical marijuana research and patients.

Last week, Republican Dino Rossi issued an extremely immature and thoughtless press release criticizing federally funded research being conducted at Washington State University into marijuana’s effect on pain medication. The two-year study by psychology professor Michael Morgan involves injecting rats with synthetic cannabinoids and opiates in order to find ways to improve treatment for people suffering from chronic pain.

by Randall Amster

Some rough ideas I thought i'd share with you:

The social temperature appears to be going up, metaphorically. Alienation, Inc. turning their screws, so to speak. And our response? Masses to be mobilized "in the only ways possible" of perpetual "tit for tat"? The next question: To be or not to be metaphorical soldiers driven to react topically to truths, which prove only to perpetuate bigger picture problems?? Or.... what if we give ourselves permission to respond more deeply?

Anyways, here is some art (of mine) to possibly inspire deeper critical thought.

For one, many believe "armageddon" is right around the corner and are fast becoming (i think) caught up in hysteria modes of rigidity. And will be easy to mobilize towards the same old stupidity called "war at home" and so on and so forth. ..And while most of such believers of such rigid Fear are biblically-challenged, er, hyped-up perpetually by the leaders they blindly trust, many, i think, only go along with such programs for appearance sake.

by Kenzaburo Oe

Tokyo

August 6, 2010

THE Futenma Marine Corps Air Station on Okinawa, one of the largest United States military bases in East Asia, is in the center of a crowded city. The American and Japanese governments acknowledge the dangers of this situation, and they agreed nearly 15 years ago that the base should be moved; however, no move has yet been made.

In 2009 a new prime minister, Yukio Hatoyama, tantalized Okinawans with the prospect of moving the despised base off the island, but he was recently forced to resign, in part because of his failure to keep that promise. Mr. Hatoyama’s successor, Naoto Kan, has made it clear that he intends to respect the United States-Japan security treaty — a position that, while not directly related to the issue of dialing down the United States military presence in Japan, may indicate which way the wind is blowing.