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50,000+ WTO Protestors
Director Stuart Townsend ("Battle In Seattle") explains why 50,000+ protestors organized themselves to shut down the 1999 WTO talks in Seattle.
"Battle In Seattle" is in theaters now. Director Stuart Townsend ("Battle In Seattle") explains why 50,000+ protestors organized themselves to shut down the 1999 WT... more -
Seattle homeless camp cleared out
"Seattle city officials Friday ordered a homeless encampment named after the city's mayor to pack up and move out.
An estimated 100 people staying at the "Nickelsville" camp in Southwest Seattle had defied an order to leave by Thursday evening, so police and city outreach workers moved in Friday afternoon to move them along.
The Seattle Times said the process was going peacefully as the outreach workers offered to put the campers up in other shelters.
Volunteer activists set up "Nickelsville," which pays a dubious salute to Mayor Greg Nickels, Monday on a site owned by the city transportation department. About 200 people were staying in the makeshift village earlier this week, the Times said.
The department Thursday warned it would seek trespassing charges against anyone who did not vacate promptly, but no arrests were reported." "Seattle city officials Friday ordered a homeless encampment named after the city's mayor to pack up and move out. ... more -
The Battle of Seattle
Stuart Townsend, Director/Writer/Producer of film "Battle in Seattle," discusses the riots that erupted around the WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999 in Seattle, Washington.
Battle in Seattle is In theaters now. Stuart Townsend, Director/Writer/Producer of film "Battle in Seattle," discusses the riots that erupted around the WTO Minis... more -
Watch REP. Peter DeFazio drop the "Financial Crisis BS bomb" on the Hou...
Find out a little about this $700B biil, who the Treasurer is, where we are gonna get the money, how much time do we have? Watch, think, and discuss. Find out a little about this $700B biil, who the Treasurer is, where we are gonna get the money, how much time do we have? Watch, thin... more
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Is this cover sexist?
I used this cover for a post yesterday and it started an interesting discussion I would like to continue. http://current.com/items/89324856_significant_drop_in_p...
The picture comes from the "Seattle Weekly". (One of Seattle's free weeklies.)
You can imagine this cover displayed in newspaper boxes throughout the city for an entire week (last week to be specific). The cover brought up similar issues here, that are probably making you uncomfortable about the cover. Is this sexist? Has Palin opened herself to be objectified because of her past as a beauty queen? Is Palin an idiot as the cover suggests, "Teach Me Something"? (Of course there is the double innuendo suggesting Palin is interested in a more sexual lesson.) Is Palin anti-feminist? Does this picture tell that story? Why does this cover make you uncomfortable? Is that a bad thing to make people uncomfortable?
Is it art? I used this cover for a post yesterday and it started an interesting discussion I would like to continue. http://current.com/items/89... more -
Seattle Times recommends ... Barack Obama for president
n economic Katrina is shattering the confidence of hardworking, middle-class Americans. The war that should never have been in Iraq is dragging on too long. At a time of huge challenge, the candidate with the intelligence, temperament and judgment to lead our nation to a better place is Sen. Barack Obama.
Obama should be the next president of the United States because he is the most qualified change agent. Obama is a little young, but also brilliant. If he sometimes seems brainy and professorial, that's OK. We need the leader of the free world to think things through, carefully. We have seen the sorry results of shooting from the hip.
As our country lurches from one financial or energy crisis to the next, American taxpayers remain burdened with the cost of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan — to the tune of $12 billion a month.
Consider the banking and financial morass. Neither Obama nor his opponent, Sen. John McCain, offers a perfect solution. But McCain is all over the map, veering from statements such as "The fundamentals of our economy are strong" to the more obvious "Wall Street is threatened by greed."
McCain is at heart a deregulator. But it is the hands-off and ineffective federal regulatory system that allowed this mess to fester. Obama offered a more coherent approach months ago when he called for regulating investment banks, mortgage brokers and hedge funds and streamlining overlapping regulatory agencies.
Our country is on the wrong track. Average, middle-class citizens have lost confidence that if they work hard, they can improve their lives, afford to send their kids to college and not be tossed out of their homes.
American optimism has been wracked by President George Bush and a previous Republican Congress. If you want change, you do not keep what is essentially the same team in power. You try something different. You vote for the stronger matchup, Obama and Sen. Joseph Biden, a smart and steady hand on foreign policy and other matters. n economic Katrina is shattering the confidence of hardworking, middle-class Americans. The war that should never have been in Iraq is... more -
Muslims turn to bus ads in Seattle to create awareness about Islam
The ads are simple and stark.
Running on the sides of several Metro buses, they merely say: "Q: Islam. A: You deserve to know," with a phone number and Web site.
For Bilal Aijazi, a Bellevue software developer, the ads are meant to stir conversation and steer people toward information on Islam.
As a Muslim, Aijazi sometimes fields questions about his faith. Especially during Ramadan, which began about two weeks ago, people ask Aijazi why Muslims fast during this Islamic holy month.
Then there are the questions he gets other times of the year: Why some women wear head scarves; whether Muslims condone terrorism.
"We feel often Muslims don't have a voice," said Aijazi, one of about six people who helped coordinate the local effort to get the ads onto the outside of six Metro buses and the inside of about 25. About 10 local Muslims contributed to the nearly $5,000 campaign.
"This is just a way to present the community with a source of information about Islam that comes from Muslims themselves," he said.
The ads, scheduled to run until November, were designed by the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA) and direct people to a toll-free number and Web site sponsored by the group. ICNA is a New York-based nonprofit that seeks to educate people about Islam and has 22 U.S. chapters in the U.S.
In addition to Seattle, the New York and Chicago chapters plan to run ads on public transit this year. The bus ads haven't stirred controversy in the Seattle area, but in New York, where 1,000 of the ads are scheduled to go up in subways later this month, U.S. Rep. Peter King urged subway officials to not display them.
In a letter to transit officials, the Republican congressman said he doesn't oppose the ad's content. But he objects to the campaign's support by Siraj Wahhaj, a Brooklyn-based imam who was a character witness for an Egyptian cleric convicted in 1995 for conspiring to attack New York landmarks.
Wahhaj, who was the first Muslim to lead a prayer before the U.S. House of Representatives, was one of several imams the New York chapter had asked to tape video commentaries — posted to YouTube — in support of the campaign, said ICNA secretary-general Naeem Baig.
"Our goal is to create this awareness about Islam, that Muslims are Americans. That Muslims are your neighbors, your colleagues," Baig said. "People may have questions in their minds but don't know where to go."
Marlina Soerakoesoemah, of Redmond, co-founder of Azizah, a magazine for Muslim women, likes the ads and says they make information about Islam more readily accessible.
"It's great to get it out there in the public view," she said.
But whether such campaigns have any effect is up for debate.
A 2007 poll from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life showed that 58 percent of Americans surveyed said they knew little or nothing about Islam — a figure that's changed little since 2001.
And Americans' attitude toward Muslims and Islam appears to have gotten slightly more negative in recent years. The same Pew poll showed that 43 percent of those surveyed had a favorable opinion of Muslims, down from 48 percent in 2004.
"I don't think the ads will change anybody's mind," said Aijazi, the Bellevue software developer. "People will have whatever feelings they'll have about the issue. But at least they'll talk about it." The ads are simple and stark. ... more -
Yankees End Weekend with Loss
Jose Lopez hit two homers, Ryan Feierabend went from idle to impressive and the Seattle Mariners sent the New York Yankees tumbling into fourth place with a 5-2 victory on Sunday. Jose Lopez hit two homers, Ryan Feierabend went from idle to impressive and the Seattle Mariners sent the New York Yankees tumbling in... more
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Mariners Beat Yankees in Two-Hitter Led by Brandon Morrow
Brandon Morrow's bid to become only the second pitcher in modern history to throw a no-hitter in his first major league start ended when pinch-hitter Wilson Betemit doubled with two outs in the eighth inning, and the Seattle Mariners beat the New York Yankees 3-1 Friday night. Brandon Morrow's bid to become only the second pitcher in modern history to throw a no-hitter in his first major league start end... more
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27,000 Boeing Machinsts to Strike at Midnight
27,000 Boeing Machinists will strike at midnight on September 6 because they were unable to reach an agreement with management.
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5th Independent South Asian Film Festival - September 24 - 28, 2008
The 5th Independent South Asian Film Festival in Seattle will feature film screenings, including local premieres, and discussion forums. The festival theme -- Personal is Political: South Asian lens on vibrant love -- is touched in various new films including Santosh Sivan's Before the Rains, Faramarz K-Rahber's Donkey in Lahore, and the acclaimed documentary A Jihad for Love by Parvez Sharma. The festival will also present the discussion forum Queering Bollywood: Alternative Sexualities in Popular Indian Cinema. Both Gayatri Gopinath, PhD, Associate Professor of Social and Cultural Analysis at New York University, and Sandip Roy, on editorial board of India Currents, will lead the discussion presentation about how same-sex desire and visibility has recently emerged in South Asian cinema. Look forward to this event and additional film screenings at this year's Independent South Asian Film Festival. Check out their site for details. The 5th Independent South Asian Film Festival in Seattle will feature film screenings, including local premieres, and discussion forum... more
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Seattle-Tehran Poster Show Remix thru 10/15
Curators Daniel R. Smith and Iman Raad have produced the Seattle-Tehran Poster Show, an exhibition of poster illustration and graphic art, on view at the Design Commission in Seattle, September 4 - October 15, 2008. The exhibition premiered at Bumbershoot, Seattle's art and music festival over Labor Day Weekend, and will have a continued run at the Seattle interactive design and development studio in Pioneer Square. The poster designs promote cultural events in each city, emphasizing contemporary art, music, theater.
Pictured (L / R): Reza Abedini, Siah Mashq, Reza Abedini's Posters, 2004, and Imagination Iranienne, 2006. Images courtesy of Daniel Smith and the Seattle-Tehran Poster Show Remix. Curators Daniel R. Smith and Iman Raad have produced the Seattle-Tehran Poster Show, an exhibition of poster illustration and graphic ... more -
From Somalia to Seattle - Immigrant Mom Stands By Community, Faith and Tradition
Asha Mohamed knew America was the place for her soon after her arrival in a Kenyan refugee camp. “They gave me two books, a Bible and a pamphlet that talked about the American Constitution.” She was familiar with the former, but found the latter “the most fascinating document that I could ever read.”
As a refugee, Mohamed was then a young teenager who had become separated from her family during a chaotic episode of Somalia’s civil strife. “Strangers took me from Mogadishu to Mombasa,” she explained, adding that she knew little of the Somali language. Coming from a somewhat privileged family, she had been educated in Italy.
In Italian schools, the study of English was mandatory and Mohamed’s most vivid impressions of America had been gleaned not from the ideals of its founders, but from the glamour and glitz of U.S. television exports. “My view of America was Dallas, Dynasty, and,” she added zestfully,
“Wonderwoman!”
She was grateful to be eventually reunited with her family members who also had made their way to Kenya. “None of my closest relatives were harmed,” she said. After two years there, she received her parents’ permission to come to America to study to be lawyer. Though, traditionalists in many ways, they were afraid of losing their daughters to Western culture, yet cognizant of the skills needed to survive in an interdependent world. “I expected America to be this beacon of hope,” Mohamed said. Upon her arrival, she recalled being disappointed to find discrimination against women and “visible signs of racism.” There was economic shock as well.
Her legal sponsor was an aunt living in San Jose, one whose daily circumstances differed from what Mohamed had been accustomed. “In Africa, we were affluent …. We had everything on speed dial,” she said bemusedly. “My aunt said, ‘Asha, we are poor here. You need to understand that. ’” Mohamed did not. “I didn’t want to accept the reality that she lived.” She thought her aunt had “settled” for a lower socio-economic status; that she had “given up.” Reflecting, Mohamed said she realizes, “I was judgmental.” She knew little of the financial challenges of working class Americans.
In all her youthful naiveté, Mohamed too was still a product of a conservative Muslim culture. She said she chose to stand, like most Somali women, “by your community, by your faith, by your traditions.” She got married at 19. Her husband found a job in Seattle. “I wanted to go to New York .… He fell in love with the Emerald City.”
Now a mother of three, Mohamed is a counselor for the Seattle Housing Authority. She is also a community organizer, and a fervent immigrants’ and human rights activist at CURE – Coalition to Undo Racism Everywhere. She is looking forward to her role as a delegate to the Equal Voice for America’s Families town hall meeting in Los Angeles on Sept. 6. “We’re bringing 400 people from Seattle, 600 from the state,” she said energetically, prayerful that from within her group will emerge some who will help comprise “the next generation of critical thinkers.” Underwritten by the Marguerite Casey Foundation, there will be two other concurrent town halls in Birmingham and Chicago, respectively. The three-city event is expected to attract nearly 15,000 people, many of whom will have attended local and regional town halls 2007-2008. Asha Mohamed knew America was the place for her soon after her arrival in a Kenyan refugee camp. “They gave me two books, a Bible and ... more -
State extends time for comments on medical-marijuana limits
More than 100 activists who jammed a state Health Department hearing to protest proposed medical-marijuana limits Monday won at least a minor victory: getting more time to make their case.[more] More than 100 activists who jammed a state Health Department hearing to protest proposed medical-marijuana limits Monday won at least ... more
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16-year-old murder suspect arrested
The teen wanted for the murder of a man shot after a football practice in Federal Way last week was arrested and charged Monday with second-degree murder.
Federal Way Police say 16-year-old Luis F. Cosgaya-Alvarez of Kent was taken into custody in South Seattle.
The shooting happened just 8 p.m. as practice was ending for the Federal Way Hawks, a junior league football team. A crowd of parents and players were leaving at the time.
That's when police say a black SUV pulled up and someone shot 26-year-old Ormero Garcia Mendez in the head.
Witnesses say they had seen the SUV before circling the lot as if the driver was in search of someone.
According to friends, the Mendez was there to pick up another friend's child. He had come to the field every night.
Police say they don't believe the shooting was gang related.
KING 5 normally doesn't release the names of juveniles, but we are in this instance because of the severity of the crime. The teen wanted for the murder of a man shot after a football practice in Federal Way last week was arrested and charged Monday with s... more -
Seattle: Decibel Festival 2008 9/25-9/28
2008 marks the 5th anniversary of the Decibel Festival, an annual event held in Seattle that has now become one of North America’s preeminent electronic music events. To coincide with this landmark year, Decibel has planned its most ambitious festival to date; featuring more than 100 acts from 12 different countries, organized within 24 showcases at 11 different venues over four days. The lineup is not only massive but also the most diverse yet, increasing the international stature and range of artists, representing everything from underground dance to experimental audio / visual performance. Adding to the traditional club events, this year’s program will feature a two day dB Conference, Optical Multimedia showcases, a BBQ, an outdoor park event, an ambient dinner theater and an overall theme of sustainability in the arts. 2008 marks the 5th anniversary of the Decibel Festival, an annual event held in Seattle that has now become one of North America’s pre... more
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Seattle Hempfest 2008: A celebration of all things cannabis
This weekend on the Puget Sound waterfront, Myrtle Edwards Park plays host to America's largest marijuana law reform event in the 17th annual Seattle Hempfest. The festival, the purpose of which is to educate the public on the many uses and benefits of the cannabis plant, runs from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and promises nonstop entertainment.
Hempfest will include five stages featuring hundreds of speakers and music performers. Key speakers include PBS travel show host Rick Steves, author of The Emperor Wears No Clothes Jack Herer, and NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) founder Keith Stroup.
The Hemposium Stage will offer attendees a chance to participate in panel discussions with many of the Hempfest speakers, which John Davis, the event's board chairman, said is an opportunity not to be missed.
"The panels will provide a chance to hear people that really know what they're talking about discuss the issues," Davis said, adding, "It's really a neat experience to get to talk directly to the speakers."
Among the issues on tap for this weekend, industrial uses of cannabis will be at the forefront, as this year's theme is "Industrial Hemp, and what it can do for America."
"There are a lot of issues that surround the big issue, which is the legal status of the plant, but we do like to bring up industrial usage," Davis said.
Although the issue of marijuana legalization is at the center of Hempfest, the festival's always-impressive band lineup is a major reason why it is expected to draw more than 150,000 people to the waterfront this weekend. Among the many bands performing on the event's five stages will be L.D.T. Mo-Thugs (featuring members from Grammy-winning Bone Thugs-n-Harmony), Vains of Jenna, and Herbivores. Because the event is free and run by a nonprofit organization, most of the acts are volunteering their time to support the cause.
Any event involving the legality of marijuana is sure to raise the question of police presence. However, Seattle Hempfest has a fairly clean bill on this issue and works closely with Seattle Police to ensure a safe festival environment. Davis said he has been especially impressed with the efforts put forth by police during past Hempfests.
"The police have really shown our group the meaning of protect and serve," Davis said.
Hempfest is free and largely put on by volunteers, with funding coming from a combination of vendor revenue, sponsorships, and donations. However, Davis estimates that the average donation at last year's event was somewhere around 15 cents. 15 cents! So with two days chock full of complimentary entertainment, enjoy some speeches and concerts and then open up that billfold and contribute a little more than a nickel and dime for a great cause.
Posted by Joe Darda at August 14, 2008 4:45 p.m.
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A Hempfest attendee flies a marijuana flag at a past festival. Getty Images This weekend on the Puget Sound waterfront, Myrtle Edwards Park plays host to America's largest marijuana law reform event in the... more -
Family unveils plans for Bruce Lee museum in Seattle
Seattle Post-Intelligencer reporter Bruce Wong published this news article about plans slated for a museum -- the Bruce Lee Action Museum -- commemorating film actor and martial artist Bruce Lee's career, life, and memory. Lee's surviving family attended a private reception at the Seattle Art Museum in late July to advance plans with California-based architect film Carson Architects, from Marina del Rey, to produce a museum site in Seattle to be the home for the Bruce Lee Foundation, offer a cafe and 250-seat theater, a conference room, library, and a meditaiton room among other amenities. Read more about this exciting project in Bruce Wong's article, published July 21, 2008, Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
Image credit: Bruce Lee, "Tang shan da xiong", photo date: 14 April 2002 © 20th Century Fox - All Rights Reserved. Image courtesy of IMDB.com. Seattle Post-Intelligencer reporter Bruce Wong published this news article about plans slated for a museum -- the Bruce Lee Action Mus... more -
Rick Steves to preach pot reform at Hempfest
Renowned travel writer Rick Steves will once again speak at Hempfest, the pot-friendly Seattle festival that celebrates marijuana and rallies for drug-policy reform.
Steves, host of Rick Steves' Europe and author of more than 30 European travel books, believes marijuana should be decriminalized and regulated. In 2007, Steves compared the drug policies of the United States and the European Union. This year, he will call on marijuana activists to take their case to the general public.
Steves' schedule puts him at the Hempsiaum at 2:30 p.m. Aug. 16 and on the Hempfest main stage at 4 p.m. Aug. 16 and 17.
"In the United States there's two approaches on drugs. You can be hard on drugs or you can be soft on drugs," Steves told the crowd at Myrtle Edwards Park last year.
"In Europe, there's another approach. It's called smart on drugs." Renowned travel writer Rick Steves will once again speak at Hempfest, the pot-friendly Seattle festival that celebrates marijuana and ... more -
Seattle Men Force 14 Year-Old Into Prostitution By Threatening Her Family
Police believe they did it by threatening to kill the girl and her family.
Yonatan Ogube and Samuel Rezene are accused of driving the teen to Aurora Avenue, where she says she was forced to have sex with strangers.
"And he threatened her both with her own life, and that he would also kill her family if she didn't comply," said Lisa O'Toole, prosecutor.
The victim also told police the men approached her about two weeks later as she walked in Holly Park, grabbed her by the hair and tried to drag her into their Cadillac a second time, but that she managed to get away. That night she told her father, who called police.
According to charging documents, the day after the victim gave her statement to police, they found the white Cadillac she'd described. Later, on a search warrant, they found a loaded handgun inside.
Friends of the two suspects say the charges aren't fair.
"They were probably just playing around just to see like how far she'll go," said Sonny Mensure, the defendant's cousin.
Today bail remained at $50,000 for each of the defendants.
Rezene has a been booked for various crimes 14 times since 2006 and has a felony drug conviction. Police believe they did it by threatening to kill the girl and her family. ... more
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