I started noticing these stickers popping up around my neighborhood in Oakland CA, and also across the bay in San Francisco. Intrigued by their design, message, and sheer ubiquity, I was prompted to learn more. Turns out that these stickers are a parody of a street art campaign created in the mid `80's by a student at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). The original campaign was "André the Giant Has a Posse" and the artist was none other than the now acclaimed Frank Shepard Fairey. You know all those "Obey Giant" stickers and posters that seem to be all over every major urban center across the globe? That is the work of Shepard Fairey. His original "Andre the Giant" campaign was said to be a self proclaimed "experiment in phenomenology" and became an icon for pop culture throughout the 90's.  Later Fairey's work evolved stylistically and semantically into the OBEY Giant campaign we see everywhere today.

May 1st, often called May Day, just might have more holidays than any other day of the year. It's a celebration of Spring. It's a day of political protests. It's a neopagan festival, a saint's feast day, and a day for organized labor. In many countries, it is a national holiday.

Back in February I posted a blog about how Tashina Byrd and her partner were denied over the counter emergency contraception at Wal-Mart in Springfield, Ohio. (You can read that post here:  http://blog.youngpeoplefor.org/story/2007/2/15/13419/1650)

After receiving a number of similar complaints, Planned Parenthood added Wal-Mart to their Fill My Pills NOW! Campaign (http://www.saveroe.com//campaigns/fillmypillsnow)  which involves intensive surveying of contraception providers. As a result of investigation Wal-Mart contacted Planned Parenthood today to say that they had changed their policies.  The new policy ensures customers "will now receive their prescriptions or OTC products in store without discrimination (no harassment or lectures)," "without delay," and "without judgment."

I was reading one of my favorite news sources today  AlerNet, and was reminded that today is the anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

In a great article by Norman Solomon and Jeff Cohen, I was reminded of just how controversial and passionate MLK  was. I thought I would pass it along.  

The Martin Luther King You Don't See on TV


By Norman Solomon and Jeff Cohen, AlterNet


Posted on April 4, 2007, Printed on April 4, 2007


http://www.alternet.org/story/50151/

It's become a TV ritual: Every year on April 4, as Americans commemorate Martin Luther King's death, we get perfunctory network news reports about "the slain civil rights leader."

The remarkable thing about these reviews of King's life is that several years -- his last years -- are totally missing, as if flushed down a memory hole.

Alright. So corporations are evil and totally suck, we know that. But every now and then, I come across a campaign that's super easy and has a direct, albeit tiny impact on the world.

One such a campaign is the "Karma" project sponsored by The RE*GENERATION project. Is a partnership between Virgin Mobile, American Eagle and the national homeless youth advocacy organization Stand Up for Kids. American Eagle has pledged to donate one article of clothing for every person that texts KARMA to the number 68405 (standard text fees to apply).

And while this isn't a long term solution to the epidemic of homeless youth, it's something simple you can do to help right now while we figure out  what to do for the long term.

http://www.standupforkids.org/

http://www.standupforkids.org/Karma/

Last Friday the second annual Battle Cry for a Generation two-day mega rock-concert/pep rally occurred at SBC park in San Francisco. Over all 25,000 evangelical youth from around the country gathered to protest the "virtue terrorism" of pop culture.

As described by the anti-Bush advocacy organization the World Can't Wait "BattleCry is a Christian fascist youth movement.  It is led by politically powerful theocrats who prey on the fears, search for meaning, and moral dilemmas that are facing today's youth.  They claim their religion and values are under attack, but it is BattleCry - and the intolerant theocratic movement they are part of - that has declared war on everyone else!  They are raising an army of youth to conquer the world and impose a theocracy where their hateful brand of Christian fundamentalism is made law."

Show your support to the women in Iran!

Reprint:

Feminist Daily News Wire

March 9, 2007

More Women's Rights Activities in Iran

Women's rights activists in Iran participated in protests yesterday commemorating International Women's Day, despite recent detainments of Iranian feminists. News sources are offering conflicting reports of yesterday's activities. The Los Angeles Times reports that about 50 peaceful protestors were "quickly confronted and overwhelmed by riot police, including dozens of young female officers wearing bright green uniforms with red stripes." Eight women and two men were reportedly arrested, and several protestors sustained beatings, according to the Los Angeles Times. Reuters and the Inter Press Service, however, report that several hundred activists attended the protest outside of the Iranian parliament and were attacked by police, though no one was seriously hurt nor arrested.

Is there anything going on in your local area? If so, you should support it. And if not, it's not too late to show your appreciation!

There are tons of ways that you can be a part of this important event. Here are some ideas:    

* Step up to the front lines and be a volunteer clinic escort.

• Ask your local provider how you can help.
  
• Praise clinic staff and doctors with postcards of appreciation.
  
• Write your local newspaper, call talk shows to express support.
  
• Take out ads in your newsletters and local newspapers.
  
• Organize local appreciation day events.
  
• Use your imagination, creativity and dedication to help create a climate at clinics where women, doctors and staff can hold their heads high without feeling shamed or fearing assault.

And remember, let's try and make  appreciation for abortion providers a part of our daily lives and not just something that happens once a year.

A while back I was at a protest surround by a crowd chanting some boring repetitive dirge when I got to wondering, where's all the music in this revolution? Looking back at the 60's and the fight to stop Vietnam there were tons of hippies putting their feelings to music, and they were inspiring and mobilizing people with their melody and message.  So as a singer, I decided to sit down and write a song, and I thought I might share it with y'all.

What follows is a song that I wrote, performed, recorded and produced one evening... Please feel free to download, enjoy and share at will.

Conservative media outlet lifenews.com published an article today about a New York man who was sentenced to 22 years to life for murdering his pregnant girlfriend after she refused to have an abortion.

This is obliviously a tragic event. The fact that this 23 year old man beat his 16 year old partner to death with a baseball bat is horrific. The fact that this violence was spurred by his lack of respect for right to choose makes it all the more sad. Furthermore, some might question the morality of a 23 year old and 16 year old having sex, but that's another blog all together.

Anyways, lifenews has decided to use this heartbreaking news story to capitalize on the notion that abortion is the greatest destroyer of peace. To illustrate the point that someone who might want their partner to have an abortion is on par with a murder. And while in this extremely unfortunate case that was true, this article makes a sneaky argument for people to connect abortion and murder... and that my friends is a slippery slope.  Not everyone in favor of abortion would be willing to kill someone to avoid a pregnancy, so let's try and keep this in perspective.  It's a sick thing when people capitalize on tragedy to perpetuate their agendas. So thanks lifenews, thanks for nothing.

Source: http://www.lifenews.com/state2141.html