The Streets Speak

In the LA Weekly, Daniel Hernandez sends a letter from Mexico City, featuring a traveling gallery of street art: graffiti, stencils, and stickers. I yearn for it to come to LA.

Clinton's Two-Step

Harold Meyerson, who is sorely missed here in Los Angeles by those of who loved his column in the pre-corporate LA Weekly, writes a column for the Washington Post. His latest installment takes on the bullshit being slung by the Hillary Rove Clinton camp, regarding Florida and Michigan:

"Clinton's supporters have every right to demonstrate on Saturday, of course. But their larger cause is neither democracy nor feminism; it's situational ethics. To insist otherwise is to degrade democracy and turn feminism into the last refuge of scoundrels."

The Tide Is Turning

According to the Field Poll - the most respected statewide California poll - the electorate here in the Golden State, which just a few years ago strongly endorsed a statewide ballot initiative against same-sex marriage, is coming around on the issue.

Fifty-one percent of those polls said they oppose a likely November referendum amending the state constitution to outlaw gay marriage. News accounts of the poll are here and here, and you can read the actual Field Poll report here.

The results are encouraging, but close. The battle over this referendum will be long, tough, and costly. You can learn more about the coalition forming to fight the assault on LGBT rights, and donate to the campaign for our rights, by going to the website for Equality for All.

A Window to the Future?

Microsoft is saying its new operating system will have a touch-screen technology instead of a mouse. I can't say I'm wild about the idea of fingerprints on my screen.

Saving the Venice Art Walls

Over 40 artists are donating artwork to raise funds to support the Venice Art Walls program. Faced with potential budget cuts from government sponsors, the organization that curates the walls are in dire straits.

ICU Art and its allies are having this benefit art auction to keep the program alive until they can secure more substantial long-term funding through grants or other sources.

The majority of the artwork will be sold in a silent auction with a few important works being auctioned in the live auction. They will also have a raffle for goods and services that are being donated by businesses and individuals. Tickets will be sold in advance as well as at the door the night of the event. Please come out and support the Venice Art Walls – an important cultural historic landmark and a Venice art resource.

Here is the info:
Venice Art Walls Benefit Art Auction
Tuesday, June 3, 2008 6-9 PM
The G2 Gallery
1503 Abbot Kinney Blvd Venice, CA 90291
$10 Admission
Celebrity Auctioneer: Richard Montoya (Cultural Clash)

www.veniceartwalls.com

How the Media Fails Us

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., gives a talk on why and how the mainstream media is failing America:

Pulver v. Faber

I'm already stoked beyond belief about the Pulver-Faber fight, airing on the Versus cable channel 6 p.m. PST Sunday June 1.

WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber (20-1) says Jens Pulver's (22-8-1) only chance at victory at Sunday's WEC 34 event is via knockout; Pulver doesn't disagree.

Faber is the clear favorite, but my heart is with Jens.

The Orange County Register has audio ciips ofinterviews with both fighters here.

And here is a video clip of both of them talking about the fight during separate training sessions:

Obama Loses KKK Endorsement

Michael Gene Sullivan publishes this hilarious gem over at the Huffington Post:

Racist Rejection Revives Dark Questions of Electability

Dateline - Lynchburg, Virginia

In a surprising move, which some are calling a deathblow to his candidacy, the Ku Klux Klan today decided to not endorse Senator Barack Obama in his bid for the Presidency of the United States. Seeming to validate Hillary Clinton's assertion that Obama cannot win the all-important poor white racist vote which had became the cornerstone of her support, many are now speculating that rejection by the influential domestic terrorist organization could spell the end for the Illinois Democrat's race for the White House.

You can read the whole article here.

Down with Dobbs!

Media Matters Action Network published a report last week aimed at CNN's xenophobic douchebag Lou Dobbs and others, regarding their "vitriolic rhetoric," on the topic of immigration. "On their eponymous programs, Dobbs, O'Reilly, and Beck serve up a steady diet of fear, anger, and resentment on the topic of illegal immigration," says the site.