Portland-based medical provider Outside In faces a serious cut in their
revolutionary syringe exchange program, thanks to a drop in federal funding. The
ever-rocky annual funding of this 23-year-old program depends on both the
federal, county and city support. This year, the program barely sneaked by with
a last minute allocation of $65,000 in one-time cash from the mayor's office.
In 1988, the federal government cemented a ban on any federal funding for needle
exchanges, seeing it as a contradiction of its zero-tolerance policy for drug
use. However, in 2009, President Obama overturned this ban, welcoming support of
these statewide programs despite disapproving grumbles. Now, Obama has revoked
this decision in legislation that also cut federal funding of low-income
abortions in Washington, D.C. "The product of a tough negotiation," according to
White House spokesman Adam Abrams.
To understand the local repercussions of this loss, [the Portland Mercury] spoke
with Outside In Executive Director Kathy Oliver.
Mercury: What portion of your annual funding relies on federal support?
Oliver: A very small portion, we get a total of $190 thousand from the city and
county together and about a little more than $6 thousand from federal funds. The
issue is not that it has a huge impact on our funding, but it's a huge step back
in public policy.
Mercury: Do you think this cut is in relation to the stigma surrounding syringe
programs, or solely a budgetary issue?
Oliver: It definitely feels like a political move. Unfortunately the federal
governments no tolerance to drugs policy extends to drug users as well.
Mercury: How do you think our country can break this stigma?
Oliver: It's going to take a lot more education. We need people to understand
that needle exchange programs are a bridge to treatment, not just a quick fix.
Mercury: Although the money isn't the main issue, what does this cut mean for
the syringe exchange program financially?
Oliver: I think the major impact is not so much that we'll be turning people
away, but that local funding is absolutely essential now, not just helpful. The
fact that the city money was given to us this current year as one-time only
makes me nervous. There needs to be a stable source.Mercury: Do you see the
negative national take on syringe exchange in Multnomah County as well?
Oliver:No, it's more a national thing. The county has been a huge supporter,
they totally get the public health aspect. And the city too, especially when it
comes to public safety. We've been really fortunate. Portland's been great, we
just need that support.
Mercury: What's next in securing local funding for the upcoming year?
Oliver: I've scheduled a meeting with the mayor to talk about our budget,
hopefully that will set us in the right direction!
Weekly Column from ColorofChange.org
COLOR US AMERICA
Congress is on the verge of handing the entertainment lobby sweeping,
unprecedented control over how we use the Internet, which could have devastating
consequences for our ability to communicate freely and without fear of reprisal.
Pending federal legislation would force nearly every domestic website to engage
in a tremendous degree of self-censorship to ensure it won’t be subject to
serious legal and financial liability. Any website featuring user-generated
content—think YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook, not to mention the user comment
sections of blogs, news sites, and commercial/retail sites like Amazon—would be
forced to scrutinize every last post to ensure that none contain links to
vaguely-defined, so-called foreign “rogue” sites that may fall afoul of US
copyright law.
The unjustifiable repercussions of self-censorship, for both content producers
and content consumers, strikes at the root of ColorOfChange's purpose—to amplify
those voices historically marginalized by the powers that be. Black Americans’
effective and powerful history of organizing—and our victories in gaining
freedoms, rights and respect—has always been dependent on our ability to use the
latest technology to share information and communicate with each other. Today,
maintaining an open Internet is critical to protecting and building on the
progress we’ve made—our ability to compete on a level playing field and have our
voices heard on the Internet is unmatched in any other media platform.
The entertainment lobby's overbroad Internet policing scheme elevates corporate
interests over freedom of expression, and is an immediate threat to Black folks’
full participation in civic, social, and cultural life. Please join us in urging
Congress to block any bill that suppresses our voices online.Under the threat of
prohibitively expensive legal action, suspension of incoming advertising and
donation revenue, and removal from all search engine results, websites run by
independent bloggers and journalists, artists, activists, and entrepreneurs
without deep pockets will likely have to close up shop if they're caught hosting
a stray—or even maliciously-placed—"rogue" link. The ubiquity of user-generated
content on the Internet is such that corporate bloodhounds could effectively
target almost anyone they want, because almost any website could be found to be
technically in violation of this wildly over-broad legislation. For the same
reason, the very existence of sites like YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter, which
rely wholly on—and host millions of pages of—user-generated content, is under
direct attack.
The notion of creating an all-powerful Internet content policing mechanism is
menacing enough, but it is incredible that our elected officials would consider
handing such authority over to corporations, which have no regard for our most
basic and hard-fought rights. Ostensibly designed to stop online piracy by
websites located outside the United States, the legislation under consideration
actually goes about cutting off access to foreign pirate websites by putting the
squeeze on innocent US-based intermediaries. Forcing everybody else do the
entertainment lobby’s dirty work for them would rope US-based website
administrators into law enforcement to an unprecedented degree and give
corporate entities exceptional power to chill public debate and expression
without regard for due process.
While the two related bills at issue—the PROTECT IP Act (or PIPA) in the Senate,
and Stop Online Piracy Act (or SOPA) in the House—would have a devastating
effect on our ability to communicate and express ourselves on the web, you
aren’t alone if this is the first you’re hearing about them. Though this
legislation has been in play since May 2011, as of this past weekend precisely
one segment on the subject had been aired on any of the network or cable news
outlets in prime time.This media blackout isn’t happening by accident—of the six
enormous conglomerates that control 90 percent of all American media, every last
one is lobbying in support of these bills.,
After a powerful outcry from the likes of Internet behemoths Google, Facebook,
Wikipedia, Craigslist, Reddit, and Wordpress, the sponsors of both SOPA and PIPA
agreed this week to remove their most contentious provisions, which would have
blocked Americans from even being able to access challenged domain names—much in
the same way that the Chinese government's “Great Firewall of China” notoriously
blocks its citizens from accessing censored content.9 Yet other deeply-troubling
provisions that would just as effectively suppress Internet-based expression
remain, and it’s increasingly clear that no amount of tinkering will fix the
inherently flawed premise behind these bills: that the Internet should be
repurposed from a public good into a surveillance vehicle for corporate benefit.
SOPA is currently stalled in the House, but may be revived as early as February,
and PIPA is scheduled to go to a Senate vote on January 24. Please join us in
defending the free and open Internet—urge your elected representatives to oppose
PIPA, SOPA, or any bill that harms online expression. And when you do, please
ask your friends and family to do the same.
Thanks and Peace,
-- Rashad, James, Gabriel, Dani, Matt, Natasha and the rest of the
ColorOfChange.org team
January 4th, 2012
A Weekly
Column from Emily's List
A WORD FROM EMILY'S
Marc Cenedella, CEO of TheLadders.com and a potential Republican
candidate for U.S. Senate in New York, has posted -- on his company's blog --
some of the most obscenely sexist things I've ever read. It's so bad that I'm
not going to repeat any of it here, because this email would probably end up
right in your spam filter if I did. This line from the New York Times is about
as close as I can get: "[The blog] had a number of entries containing random
observations about sex, women and drugs." And trust me -- it's all bad.
Cenedella is almost certain to run against EMILY's List champion Senator Kirsten
Gillibrand. He told one news website he was a "9.2" out of 10 when asked how
serious he was about running. After the things he has written, Cenedella
shouldn't be preparing a Senate run. He should be working on his apology to the
women who work for him, the women of New York, and the women of America. If
Cenedella runs, he will immediately make the New York Senate race competitive.
With his pledge to rely on his personal wealth, he can eschew fundraising and go
straight to attacking Kirsten Gillibrand. I'm from New York, and my family still
lives there. I am being completely serious when I say that I would never want my
mom or my aunt to see what he has posted -- let alone to have him be their
Senator.
And since his normal, everyday behavior includes publicly enjoying some of the
most vile, sexist things about women on his company's website, we can only
imagine what he will say against an accomplished, successful female political
opponent.
Before Cenedella even thinks about running for Senate, he needs to apologize for
behavior that is way, way over the line of basic human decency.I was genuinely
angry when I first read what Cenedella has posted. I'm sure once you read it,
you'll agree that his behavior has been vile. Thank you for joining me and hold
him accountable for his actions.
All the best,
Amy K. Dacey
Executive Director
SPORTS NEWS
dan savage's
"savage love" column
Dear Savage,
My 13-year-old son came out to us this morning. He plans to tell his brothers in
the next few days. We love and accept our son, and this news isn't surprising
(but when will the stereotypical neatness kick in?), but we do have some
concerns. He has, apparently, already made the news public at school. Any
pointers you can give? We want to make sure he knows that we love him and don't
care about his sexuality, while at the same time preparing him to deal with
those people who do. Also, any advice you can give for when he starts dating
would be appreciated.
-Dad Seeks Support
"On behalf of advocates for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth
everywhere, let me be the first to say 'thank you,'" says Eliza Byard, executive
director of GLSEN (glsen.org), the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network,
which works to create safe school environments for LGBT—and straight—youth.
"Simply by giving your son your love and support, you have already significantly
increased his chances of living a happy and fulfilling life. The importance of
an accepting home cannot be overstated." (The damage that can be done by a
hostile family also cannot be overstated: LGBT youth whose families are hostile
are eight times likelier to commit suicide than their straight peers. Hostile
parents can't make their gay kids straight, but they can make them dead.)
"The bad news is that school can be a miserable place for LGBT youth," says
Byard. "GLSEN's 2009 National School Climate Survey found that nearly 9 out of
10 LGBT teens experienced harassment in school in the past year. The good news
is that engaged parents can make a huge difference."
So, DSS, while it's admirable that you want your son to understand that you
"don't care about his sexuality," you also have to make your son understand that
you care about him and that you're aware of the challenges he faces.
"Talk to your son and learn more about his school and his experiences there
since coming out," advises Byard. "What kind of response has he received? What
supports are in place for him at school? Does the school have a Gay-Straight
Alliance? Do students have access to LGBT-affirming resources in the library?
Does the school have policies that address bullying? Are there adults in the
school community whom he trusts and feels are supportive?"
Call your son's school, DSS, and set up a meeting. Making sure his teachers and
school administrators know that you're on your son's side can go a long way
toward creating a safe environment for your son at school.
"Send a GLSEN Safe Space Kit (safespacekit.com) to your son's school to give
educators the tools they need to provide support and create a safe space in
their classroom," advises Byard. "Visible signs of support, such as a GLSEN Safe
Space sticker on a door, can fundamentally alter the school experience of an
LGBT youth by helping them identify those adults in the community who are
supportive."
As for dating and sex...
"Treat your son with the same awkwardness you would your other kids," says Byard.
"I'm speaking as a mom myself now. Make sure he has access to all the health and
safety information he needs. (Sitting down to watch reruns of Will & Grace
together won't cut it.) I have two daughters and want to be absolutely sure they
have access to all the information they need to make smart and healthy—and
potentially life-saving!—decisions. Make yourself available to talk whenever he
needs and welcome his boyfriends inside the house the same way you would if they
were girlfriends." '-
Dan Savage
DEAR MEXICAN: I feel that the more Mexicans who come
to this country, the better. I am a Mormon, a member of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter Day Saints. In our Book of Mormon, on page 54, it says on the
left side of the page in verse 6, "There shall none come into this land save
they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord." I want as many Mexicans in this
country as possible, and then I want to tell them about Joseph Smith and get
them baptized and enjoy the blessings of the temple. Come on down—you are
welcome by me.
Love My Brown Brothers
DEAR GABACHO: Gracias for your welcoming heart, even if your ulterior
motive is stealing Mexicans away from the Virgin of Guadalupe for a religion in
which Jell-O is the only allowable narcotic. While we're talking about Moroni
worshipers, can you do me a favor and ask Mitt Romney why he's such an ingrate
toward Mexicans? After all, Romney probably would've been some Jack Mormon
jerk-off if it weren't for porous fronteras and living in violation of a
country's laws. His great-grandfather Miles Park Romney fled los Estados Unidos
for Mexico during the 1880s to escape American authorities and continue his
polygamous ways, while Mitt's papi, George, was born in Chihuahua and therefore
is more Mexican than your typical Chicano Studies major. Not only that, but
Pancho Villa's troops were kind enough to not massacre Mormon colonies during
the Mexican Revolution, thus allowing the infant George and his family to return
home and ensure Mitt's Brilliantined hair would grace America. One final point,
Brown Brothers: Por favor, tell Mitt and all other Mexican-hating LDSers that
the Book of Mormon requires amnesty for illegals. The above quote you cited came
from the Second Book of Nephi and is a wonderful passage, but what about the one
before it? In 2 Nephi 1:5, it tells the Saints that Lehi prophesied about
America, "Yea, the Lord hath covenanted this land unto me, and to my children
forever, and also all those who should be led out of other countries by the hand
of the Lord." Hear that, Mitt? Let my gente go—into the United States for the
free health care, por supuesto. '-
Gustavo
Arellano
The Ice is Melting Too Fast!
The Climate is Changing Too Fast!
CORVALLIS, OREGON
CHRISTY'S
CRIME BEAT:
Tweakers, SEX CRIMINALS, WOMEN top Crime Scene in City this Week
See archives from preceding weeks
here. This Week's Terrible Crimes:
Right: Michael Ryan Lanpheare
Ex-convict Michael Lanpheare was busted with his buddy Aloyisus Meshell
confessed to stealing a trailer from OSU
owned by Campus Crusade for Christ and trying to sell the contents locally. 3
trailers in town have recently been stolen. One could argue that that the
contents of the CFC trailer were accumulated dishonestly, but not the trailers
belonging to electricians and graders. These 2 clowns are clearly slow learners,
having been cell mates together in prison.
Left:
Aloyisus Meshell
Left: Accused rapist Brandyn Nathan Jones of
Hillsboro
Above: Mr. Jones has been charged with sex crimes, including rape of a 21 year
old local woman. He's in good company this week, with Fox News' Greg Kelly being
accused similarly of a rape which left a
woman pregnant. Of course, crime is second nature to
Fox News employees and executives.
Right: Another Linn County export, Jonathon
Earl Goss
Mr. Goss has left his mugshot in Albany for stalking and
violating a court order. Who knows what he had in mind when he was busted here
last night for entering someone else's car and theft?
Left: Myung Jei Kim
You can expect the local burglary rate to drop
following the arrest of accused "fence" Myun Jei Kim. Cops
say they "warned Kim twice -- in January
2010 and May 2011 -- about regulations against doing business with felons. The
sheriff's office also provided a list of known felons to help Kim identify them
when they attempted to sell him scrap metal.
Despite those efforts, Linn County Sheriff Tim Mueller reports that detectives
found Kim purchased scrap from at least 10 known felons, all of whom were on
that list."Mr. Kim runs MJ Recycling in Albany (isn't that
where you'd open a fencing operation for thieves?) although he
himself lives in Beaverton (wonder why?!!). Mr. Kim would be facing those burglary
charges if justice wasn't tilted toward the rich.
Right: Nova Dev Sweet
Ms Sweet seems to have a suicidal impulse. Once a local high school basketball
coach, she's been busted for meth and theft. She was busted in May of last year
when, cops say, she and a boyfriend tried to rob a pot grower in Portland and
stabbed the guy when he refused them free pot. She was charged in that case with
attempted aggravated murder, robbery and burglary. She has a degree in criminal
justice from Louisville and once also worked in a Springfield facility for
at-risk kids. She can kiss all that goodbye. In fact, she can kiss most things
goodbye.
Right: Jason Leslie Shively
Mr. Shively has been busted for assault and disorderly conduct in a domestic
violence case. In related news, our long- promised handbook on local creeps
busted for battering women will soon be out.
Left: Michael Joseph Schwender, busted for not
showing up on meth distribution and evidence tampering charges
Mr. Schwender was busted in Roseburg in August on strangulation, assault,
failing to register as a sex offender, and other charges.
Right: Ronald Justin Koetz
Mr. Koetz, who lives west of Philomath, has been busted for felonious assault in
a domestic violence case. Mr. Koetz was busted in December for meth and DUII.
Left: Nicholas Delbert Smith
Cops
say Mr. Smith of Philomath - yeah, of
course - called 911 and said "his girlfriend was calling him against his wishes.
When police spoke with the girlfriend, she showed police that Smith had called
her 11 times and left her four inappropriate messages." Mr. Smith is not new to
law enforcement. In March of 2004, his parents
told the cops, he "attacked his mother and
stepfather during an argument. He reportedly threw a steak at the TV, breaking
the plate it was on, then broke a mirror in the living room and bedroom, a
coffee cup and cookie jar lid, the kitchen window and the back window of his
stepfather's minivan."In April, 2004, he was sentenced to 13
months in prison after pleading guilty to robbery. In August, the prison
said he "walked
away at 11:05 this morning from a work crew that was weeding ditches at 45th and
Sunnyview in Salem."
In all these isolated little Republican sh-tholes like Philomath and Linn
County, the kids grow up watching their parents and neighbors all troop down to
the polls to vote for criminals, and then the parents spend a lifetime wringing
their hands and posturing about where they "could have gone wrong". In most
cases, the parents of these people should be indicted as co- conspirators.
Above: Lyndie Gulino and Stephen McLean. This has been a bad week for relationships a week for
bad relationships. Stephen W. McLean and Lyndie Darlena Gulino,
both 49, of Corvallis, were cited for harassment after getting into a physical
fight at their residence. This is not the first time the two have had issues. In
April, Mr. McLean "reported
that his long-time girlfriend, Lyndie Darlena Gulino, 49, of Corvallis, came
over to his residence, which was in violation of her release agreement of a
previous domestic assault. Gulino then became upset with McLean after he
questioned her on who she was talking to on her cell phone. A fight ensued in
which Gulino threw a glass of wine at McLean, and scratched his chest with a
knife and fingernails. McLean then put a hand around her neck, shoved her across
the room."Ms. Gulino was arrested 3 times previously for
violating a restraining order. 6 months prior to her first recorded arrest her,
Lyndie Darlene Guliono was busted in Georgia for assault.
Poor lost soul Dyan Biggs is busted again
Ms Biggs has been busted 11 times since last March, mostly on drug violations or
drug court violations. The War on Drugs goes on. And on. And on...
Right: Joshua Michael Bussell
Mr. Bussell is being held on 2 counts of sex abuse. The nature of the charges
isn't specified on the roster but bail is set at $200,000.00 and in Oregon, Sex
Abuse 1 :
"A person commits the crime of sexual abuse in the first degree when that
person:
(a) Subjects another person to sexual contact and:
(A) The victim is less than 14 years of age;
(B) The victim is subjected to forcible compulsion by the actor; or
(C) The victim is incapable of consent by reason of being mentally defective,
mentally incapacitated or physically helpless; or
(b) Intentionally causes a person under 18 years of age to touch or contact the
mouth, anus or sex organs of an animal for the purpose of arousing or gratifying
the sexual desire of a person.
RIGHT:
Omolara Molara Opeifa
Ms Opeifa, of Junction City, was one of 2 busted
for Prostitution. The cops aren't posting the mug shot of
Pratish Rao, who was busted at the same time.
Say the cops, the 2 were driving to an ATM
machine so Mr. Rao could withdraw $250 for sex after they met on an "adult
escort site". Ms Opeifa was earlier
busted in Springfield for prostitution and in Eugene for Theft of services. No
explanation is forthcoming on how the police can devote so much time to busting
sex work and yet refuse to investigate car break-ins, which are at an all time
high.
But the good news is that nobody got clipped this week. In fact, nationally, for
the first time in 50 years, murder is
not one of the top 15 causes of death.
In fact, you're more likely to choke to death in your own vomit than to be
murdered in America. Beware, Thursday- Nighters!
Left: Jonathon David Challe, a
perennial problem child, busted this
time for theft and burglary
Left: Tiffany Ann Carr
Ms Carr was busted for 2 counts of ID theft. She also was booked into the
Roseburg jail 4 months ago.
Local cops are saying that the burglary rate in Corvallis has shot through the
roof. In previous instances of such escalation, the arrest of 3-4 Linn County
residents has tended to bring things back to normal. We've often said in this
column that the key to bringing crime rates down would be to institute toll
bridges across the river on the 2 highways leading from Linn County, charging,
say, $50 which would be applicable to bail money when the inevitable occurs.
Between Linn County, Philomath and the Risland clan (see below), 90% of the
city's crime would dry up.
Right: Katrin Amy Hunter
Local tweaker, Katrin Hunter, is in jail again on
a harassment (domestic violence) charge. Ms Hunter has been busted 3 times in
Corvallis for the same charge, another time for violating a restraining order
and 3 times on drug violations. If you knew Ms Hunter, you'd understand why she
is having such difficulty giving up a man's company.She is
unlikely to find another man willing to take the dive with her. But be fair -
the guy who did, needs to be psychologically examined.
Left: Travis Wayne Ingram
Tweaker Travis Wane Ingram's picture is in mugshots all over the web. In Yamhill
County alone, he has been booked 7 times in the past year, on charges from
Marion and Benton County, ranging from meth to burglary, the most recent charge
in Corvallis.
Right: Donacio Corona Hernandez
Mr. Hernandez is probably the most aggressive and
dangerous of the panhandlers downtown, coming very close to demanding your
money. He was
busted in May after he was "spotted
entering a vehicle that had just been broken into. Hernandez claimed he was
trying to return to the vehicle a drivers license and a credit card that were
hidden in an ash tray". Cops busted him for illegally entering the vehicle and
found meth and a crack pipe on him. He was busted again for assault an illegal
weapon. This time around he was busted for FTA.
Susan Perkins was busted after her neighbors complained she "threw their
belongings through the back window of their car." One of the "belongings" was a
bowling ball.
Left: Brandon Michal Haysom
Mr. Haysom was busted for theft of services, and
giving false info to a cop. Mr. Haysom is not new to law enforcement. The
impression given on the web, from Montana to Corvallis, is that he really can't
hold his liquor and should give up drinking altogether.
Right: Alaura Baldwin, another gift from Linn
County Linn County
Ms Baldwin was busted for giving false info to the cops, and
on a warrant out of municipal court in Lebanon. She was busted into the Albany
jail in April, too. On Ms Baldwin's Facebook "wall",
the only posts are from her, and they consist of a canned daily astrology
summary and a "love quote of the day", also canned. Poor woman. She says in her
profile: "But there is only one thing in life that will ever make me fully
complete and truely happy, Tho im still searching for it. " Being from Linn
County,
that's probably an 8 ball of meth. And being from Linn County, she's unlikely to
find any extra there that's not already in use.
Right: Michael Dustin Ahearn
Above: Mr. Ahearn was charged with
"kidnapping, fourth-degree assault, menacing, strangulation,
reckless endangering coercicon and first-degree criminal mischief" after
strangling a woman unconscious and holding a gun in her mouth as the SWAT team
surrounded the house for 6 hours, cops say. Cops say the victim tried to leave
and Mr. Ahearn smashed the car up and pulled her out of the vehicle. There
really needs to be a new law making men who brutalize women register like sex
offenders, with those convicted not allowed contact with women.
Right: Dusty Risland, busted 10 times since
November. Now again in October.
About the Dusty Risland Rehab Clinic
Dusty Risland, for whom the Dusty Risland Rehab Clinic (see above) is named, is
back in jail. Mr. Risland as busted for criminal trespassing, criminal
possession of a forged instrument (counterfeit $20), felon in possession of a
weapon and meth. The Dusty Risland Clinic mentioned in this column is strictly
online, consisting of repetitive viewing of the video below, until the technique
is mastered. The assumption of the Clinic is that there is a small subset labelled criminals
who actually just do not know how to change their adult diapers when they full and are showing
up, bewildered, seeking police assistance. That is the only possible explanation
a rational person could come to. NOBODY could POSSIBLY be so stupid and inept,
as criminals, as people like Mr. Risland pretend to be.
Note: there are several sleazy websites across the country posting mugshots,
utilizing photos owned by the public, in the public domain, all run by
Portlander Kyle Ritter, which will remove your mugshot for $39 or such from their sites.
This is not one of them. Do not send in cash trying to have a mugshot removed.
It would just be a waste of your time and your money. Instead, put your time
into turning your life around. And your money into your kids.
Your Breaking Election News for 2012 -
Pretty Much the same as Last Year's
Left: Michelle Bachmann
Weekly Column
from Planned Parenthood PP LOOKS AHEAD
Today, President Obama rejected efforts by anti-women's health
groups and their allies in Congress to cut off access to birth control for
millions of women simply because they work at religiously affiliated hospitals
or attend religiously affiliated universities. The Obama administration
announced that these women and their families will have access to the new
benefit that requires health insurance plans to cover birth control with no
co-pays.
This decision was never a sure thing. For months, anti-women's health groups and
their congressional allies lobbied hard to undermine this important benefit. But
after over 100,000 Planned Parenthood supporters spoke out, President Obama
stood strong with you to protect women's health. Today, President Obama rejected
efforts by anti-women's health groups and their allies in Congress to cut off
access to birth control for millions of women simply because they work at
religiously affiliated hospitals or attend religiously affiliated universities.
The Obama administration announced that these women and their families will have
access to the new benefit that requires health insurance plans to cover birth
control with no co-pays.
This decision was never a sure thing. For months, anti-women's health groups and
their congressional allies lobbied hard to undermine this important benefit. But
after over 100,000 Planned Parenthood supporters spoke out, President Obama
stood strong with you to protect women's health. We always knew that the fight
for women's health under health care reform would be a long battle. As each
piece of the reform law takes effect, including this latest right, our opponents
get more and more desperate. This decision from President Obama makes clear that
you and I can make a real difference when we stand up.
I'm so glad to be able to share this good news with you today. Thank you, once
again, for everything you do for Planned Parenthood and the women, men, and
teens who rely on us to protect their access to health care.
Cecile Richards, President
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
CORVALLIS POET ROGER WEAVER'S NEW "LADDER OF
DESIRE"
order here BUY DAN'S BEES' HONEY AT THE AMAZING PRICE OF $10 A QUART
Support a Musician
LOCAL
MOVIES
playing at the darkside downtown,
215 SW 4th Street
Friday,
January 27 -- February 2
Holding over for another week. Some titles will have limited shows.
THE WAY:Life is Too Big to Walk it Alone. Martine Sheen, Emilio Estevez.
MELANCHOLIA: It Will Change Everything.
CARNAGE: A New Comedy of No Manners. Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, John C. Reilly.
HOW THE FIRE FELL: A film by Edward P. Davee about Corvallis cult the Brides of
Christ.
INTO THE ABYSS: Werner Herzog's latest.
NEW!
A DANGEROUS METHOD: Based on the true story of Jung, Freud and the patient who
came between them. Viggo Mortesen
MY WEEK WITH MARILYN: That's what she does, she breaks hearts. She'll break
yours. Michelle Williams
A DANGEROUS METHOD --R
Sexuality hasn't been the same since Sigmund Freud proposed it's the primary
reason for anyone doing anything. Generations since have taken his suggestion to
withhold repressing urges just about as far as they can. A movie about Freud's
philosophies is right up the alley of director David Cronenberg, whose films
often view sexuality as a clue to what hides beneath personalities.
A Dangerous Method, adapted by Christopher Hampton from his stage play The
Talking Cure, doesn't make Freud the central character. That position goes to
the professor's colleague Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender), who is initially
devoted to Freud's theories in his own practice but starts having doubts that
sex is the reason for everything in human behavior. At the same time, Jung's
libido is steering his life.
Jung has a patient named Sabina Spielrein (Keira Knightley), who arrived as
severely hysterical, a condition the doctor uses Freud's "talking cure"
procedure of psychoanalysis to identify as masochism learned in childhood. Jung
hires Spielrein as a research assistant while continuing her therapy, a decision
raising suspicion in his wife of convenience, Emma (Sarah Gadon). Nothing
illicit happens at first, with Jung repressing his feelings for professional
reasons.
Every urge needs a triggering effect, and Jung's is the arrival of another
patient, Otto Gross (Vincent Cassel), a psychologist committed by his father
after a deviant lifestyle. Otto perfectly reads the relationship between doctor
and patient, prodding Jung to carry out his desire, and soon Jung begins
fulfilling Spielrein's with spankings.
Meanwhile, Jung tries hiding his indiscretions from Freud (Viggo Mortensen), who
doesn't appear often yet his rationalization of everything through sex hangs
over each frame of Cronenberg's film. Mortensen plays him with the puffed-up
authority of an expert in a science so new that nothing he says can be refuted.
Jung's doubt and professional breach with Spielrein are revealed, and the
resulting chasm between innovators reverberates among scholars today.
The pleasure of Cronenberg's movie is hearing these characters speak so
eloquently on the subject of sex, and watching actors raise their game a bit for
it. Cronenberg again dabbles in kinky behavior, but here it doesn't seem as
forced as the automobile erotica of Crash, or the gynecological horrors of Dead
Ringers. A Dangerous Method is a movie believing the most formidable sex organ
really is the brain.
Watch Trailer.
MY WEEK WITH MARILYN --R
In the early summer of 1956, 23 year-old Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne), just down
from Oxford and determined to make his way in the film business, worked as a
lowly assistant on the set of 'The Prince and the Showgirl'. The film that
famously united Sir Laurence Olivier (Kenneth Branagh) and Marilyn Monroe
(Michelle Williams), who was also on honeymoon with her new husband, the
playwright Aurthur Miller (Dougray Scott). Nearly 40 years on, his diary account
The Prince, the Showgirl and Me was published, but one week was missing and this
was published some years later as My Week with Marilyn - this is the story of
that week. When Arthur Miller leaves England, the coast is clear for Colin to
introduce Marilyn to some of the pleasures of British life; an idyllic week in
which he escorted a Monroe desperate to get away from her retinue of Hollywood
hangers-on and the pressures of work.
Watch Trailer.
HOW THE FIRE FELL -- NR
You probably know that Joe Haege is no stranger to dramatic performance if
you've ever seen any of his various bands (31 Knots, Tu Fawning) or seen him
perform solo. Or perhaps you caught his turn in Field Guide to November Days,
where his fine acting was overshadowed by the fact that the movie was
insufferably twee. But we did learn that Haege does a beautiful job of both
kissing boys and crying while riding a bicycle, so I was eager to see him in his
next leading role, in How the Fire Fell as Edmund Creffield, a Christian cult
leader who during the turn of the 20th century founded the Bride of Christ
Church in Corvallis. And thank the Bride of Christ, Haege's found a film that
both demonstrates the absurd breadth of his talent (that soundtrack? co-written
by Haege with John Askew) and is interesting in subject matter, execution, and
is awesome enough for it to be surprising that it's director Edward P. Davee's
first feature. Apparently one of Portland's most talented filmmakers has been
hiding out in the AV department of Reed College.
The degree of Haege's responsibility in this role is hard to underestimate. Were
there any flicker of hesitation in his delivery as a hysteria-inducing holy
roller the whole thing would have come crashing down. In fact for most of the
film he's the only actor who does much speaking at all.
The creepiness of the film is sustained by its ambient delivery, and nearly
every uncanny shot makes the hairs on your neck twitch. Davee's choice of
subject was well made, but of equal importance is his decision to be expository
but not particularly biographical. The bones of the story are that Creffield
built a following through fervent sermonizing, often in people's homes. He was
convincing enough that he was able to claim a whole slew of wives (polygamy
being the benchmark of success in patriarchal religious cults), naming one
17-year-old girl to be his "bride of Christ." He also emphasized nudity as a way
to tap into that Garden of Eden feeling, cursed San Francisco on the night
before an earthquake and widespread fires brought the city to its knees, was
once tarred and feathered, and was eventually shot and killed by the brother of
his Bride of Christ. (The brother was acquitted.)
It's a lot more interesting than crying on a bicycle. See this one.
Watch Trailer.
CARNAGE -R
CARNAGE is a razor sharp, biting comedy centered on parental differences. After
two boys duke it out on a playground, the parents of the "victim" invite the
parents of the "bully" over to work out their issues. A polite discussion of
childrearing soon escalates into verbal warfare, with all four parents revealing
their true colors. None of them will escape the carnage. Jodie Foster, Kate
Winslet, John C. Reilly.
Watch Trailer.
THE WAY --PG-13
"The Way" is an inspirational story about family, friends, and the challenges of
navigating a complicated world. Martin Sheen plays Tom, an American doctor who
comes to France to collect the remains of his adult son (played by Emilio
Estevez), who died while walking the Camino de Santiago, also known as The Way
of Saint James. Embarking on the historical pilgrimage to honor his s memory,
Tom meets other pilgrims from around the world: a Dutchman (Yorick van
Wageningen), a Canadian (Deborah Kara Unger) and an Irishman (James Nesbitt).
Eventually, Tom discovers the difference between "the life we live and the life
we choose." THE WAY, written and directed by Emilio Estevez, was filmed along
the actual Camino de Santiago.
Watch Trailer.
OTHER STUFF: A Couple Thoughts on HOW THE FIRE FELL
There is affection for our little neck of the woods in almost every frame of HOW
THE FIRE FELL, by local filmmaker Edward P. Davee. The sounds of the film seem
to be taken from every walk ever taken on Chip Ross, Bald Hill, or even your
favorite backyard. The textures of the foliage and raindrops create a bouquet of
local flavor when combined with images of the faces of HOW THE FIRE FELL. This
is a film about perceptions and feelings.
The story is shown to us-not so much told. Dialogue is almost exclusively the
pontifications of the main character Edmund Creffield. He is played flawlessly
by Joe Haege, who performed music for years with the energy needed to pull off
the charismatic Creffield. It is very easy to do charismatic preaching badly. In
this movie it is done well enough that we might be seeing the beginning of an
acting career that will have no small part of its beginning in Corvallis,
Oregon. The other actors prove that they too have the footing to move up
artistically, as well.
There is a Pennsylvanian austerity to early 1900s Oregon, as Davee sees it. This
same austerity is expressed in the filmmaking by Davee, who doesn't seem too
interested in how they do it in Hollywood. HOW THE FIRE FELL was shot on real
film with an acute understanding that time in the Willamette Valley is measured
in shades of grey. When a colourful preacher comes to town, he can hypnotize and
beguile--those so smitten are separated from the peace and peace of mind we have
come to expect from our Benton Country existence. Thankfully, Davee's skill
means he doesn't bludgeon us when the peace is shattered.
HOW THE FIRE FELL is the type of film that should make Corvallis proud, and I'm
proud to have it at the Darkside Cinema.
- Lainie
and
Paul Turner
Darkside Cinema
215 SW 4th
Corvallis, OR 97333
darksidecinema.com
SEARCH CORVALLIS COMMUNITY PAGES:
CORVALLIS AUTHOR AND HISTORIAN TED COX'S THE
TOLEDO, OREGON INCIDENT OF 1925
OCCUPY, Longshore Workers, Local Governor Combine to Bring
Goldman Sachs to the Bargaining Table
Perhaps you read this week of Apple saying why international
corporations will not be bringing jobs back to the U.S. - Apple wanted a
change in production made. They woke up 6,000 workers living in barracks in
the middle of the night, fed them a biscuit and tea and sent them to work on
Apple's product. 13 year olds make 75 cents an hour, working 16 hour shifts.
But even if American workers proved willing to meet such conditions - AND WE
ARE NOT - the jobs would not come back, Apple says, because the U.S.
educational system has been degraded by years of financial starvation. It
seems dismal.
Enter: Occupy. When Bunge, an Argintinean firm owned by the Goldman Sachs
and partner of agri-villain Monsanto on many projects, announced it was
going to be using poorly paid workers to unload their ships at Longview
Washington, Occupy shut the ports down Dec. 12. Another ship was on its way
in January, and Occupy along the West Coast was alerted. The port panicked
and asked the governor of Washington to intervene, which she did yesterday.
The longshore workers and EGT (Bunge) came to an agreement and the picket
was withdrawn. If EGT does not pull some last minute switcharoo, the issue
is settled. Occupy members have been invited to Longview to celebrate rather
than shut the port. It will take such determined intervention before we see
an end to the wholesale destruction of jobs which has occurred under the
rule of international corporations. As the former Secretary of Labor, Robert
Reich said today, the profit priority of corporations means that NO net job
creation will occur as a result of private capital. It will be up to us.
Following on the actions of people across the web who stopped SOPA in its
tracks, the Longview news is promising. We can start by demanding that
companies who violate U.S. labor and environmental laws abroad for the sake
of profit will no longer be permitted to do business here without severe
tariff penalties.
A Weekly Column
On Environmental
News
Right now, a Canadian mining firm is attempting to open a
4,500-acre copper mine in the Coronado National Forest, in the heart of suitable
ocelot and jaguar habitat – on U.S. Forest Service Land!
Will you tell the Forest Service to stand up to foreign mining interests, and
protect imperiled wildlife like jaguars and ocelots?
We celebrated huge news late last year, when a jaguar was sighted in Arizona –
the first jaguar sighting in the U.S. in 3 years. This jaguar was seen in a
mountain range directly adjacent to the Santa Rita Mountains where the Rosemont
Copper Project is proposed. And now, as jaguars are making their way back to
Arizona, new mining exploration could destroy the very habitat that they are
seeking.
The proposed “Rosemont Mine” would heavily impact the Santa Rita mountains – a
biologically rich “sky island” mountain range on the Coronado National Forest.
This land is vital habitat for many animals, potential habitat for countless
others, as well as recreational space used by families across the region.
Send a message to the Forest Service now and urge them to protect our wildlife.
What makes the matter even worse is that the company that is looking to open the
mine, Augusta Resources, has never operated a mine or produced any mineral
product. Opening the Rosemont Mine would be their first exploration into this
sensitive business, and could have big consequences for the natural communities,
farming communities and outdoor recreation-based economies in the surrounding
region.
Apart from the 4,500-acre mine, thousands more acres of land will be overtaken
by roads needed to access the mine. These roads, and the heavy truck traffic on
them, would even further disrupt important wildlife corridors and likely
increase wildlife road kills.
The Rosemont Mine will devastate the Coronado National Forest. Send your message
now, before it’s too late, and make your voice heard.
Much of the land that would be indirectly impacted is sensitive riparian lands,
like Davidson Canyon and Cienega Creek. These designated “outstanding waterways”
are vital to wildlife as well as people living across the region.
We have too much to risk by allowing the Rosemont Mine to move forward with
their destructive mining plans in Arizona. Tell the Forest Service to reject
this mine and protect this important wildlife habitat.
Comments are due by Tuesday, January 31st, so be sure to send your message now
and make your voice heard.
Matt Clark
Southwest Representative
Defenders of Wildlife
Corvallis Legislator Sara Gelser Launches her Campaign for 2012
2012 will be here in a matter of days. The new year will
bring a legislative session where we will grapple with a challenging budget,
revenue reform, and implementation of some of the sweeping education and
health care legislation passed last year. The short session is scheduled to
end just before filing day, when we will learn for certain who is running
for office in local, state and federal races.
I am running for re-election in 2012, and starting to build my campaign in
earnest. I cannot receive campaign contributions when the Legislature is in
session which is why it is so important for me to get a head start on
building my campaign coffers in February. If you can, please make an online
financial contribution today through Act Blue , and then join me for my
campaign kickoff in Corvallis on January 27. Keep reading this email for
more details about the event, my campaign and where to mail a campaign
contribution if you prefer not use an online service.
You are always welcome to contact me with questions or concerns-- whether
they be about the campaign or legislative matters. I'm always glad to hear
from you!It is an honor to represent the people of Philomath and Corvallis
in the Oregon House, which is why I’ve decided to seek re-election next
November. I'll need your help to win the election and return to Salem.
During my time in the House, I’ve been proud to lead efforts to pass
legislation improving safety for children, seniors and people with
disabilities. We’ve strengthened Oregon’s response to abuse, made it harder
for kids to access dangerous smokeless tobacco products, elevated the crime
of strangulation to a felony and improved learning opportunities for all
Oregon students. I’ve been proud to support legislation protecting equal
rights for all, ensuring collective bargaining rights, and opposing any
encroachment on a woman’s right to choose. If I return to Salem, I will
continue to be an unwavering advocate for working families, our most
vulnerable neighbors, sensible revenue reform, affordable healthcare and a
strong public education system.
As a member of the House, I must run for re-election every 2 years. Due to
redistricting, this year I need to introduce myself to over 2000 new voters
so that I can earn their votes in November. Doing so will involve door
knocking, coffee meetings, house parties, and raising the funds necessary to
develop and distribute campaign materials.
Because I cannot raise or accept campaign contributions during the February
session, it is important to begin those efforts now. This is why I am asking
you to do three things today:
If you are able, please make a financial contribution to my campaign.
Whether it is $25 or $250, it will help me reach my goal. Contributions can
be made online through ActBlue, or can be mailed to Sara Gelser for State
Representative at 1804 SW Brooklane Drive, Corvallis, OR 97333.
Sign up to follow me on Facebook or Twitter (repsaragelser), and urge your
friends to do the same.
Email me at repsaragelser@yahoo.com to request a lawn sign, give permission
to use your name in a public endorsement, or let me know if you’d like to
volunteer for canvassing, phone banking, hosting a coffee or house party,
envelope stuffing or any of the many tasks that are part of a legislative
campaign.
I am lucky to represent one of the most engaged and active communities in
the state. My constituents know their efforts can make a difference in the
political process. Your support can make a difference in the outcome of the
2012 election, and help shape what we can accomplish in Oregon in 2013 and
the years to come.
Thank you for considering my request, and best wishes for the new year!
Sincerely,
Sara
WORLD NEWS
Weekly COLUMN ON YOUR WEll
Being
It's Stupid, the Economy, And if You're Behind on
the Story...
Site Dedicated to the Memory of Eric McKinley,
d. Iraq, 2002
Eric McKinley was our local connoisseur of ska
music and cafe denizen whose unit was activated and sent to Iraq to patrol with
inadequately armored vehicles. When Congressional funds for armoring the
vehicles were diverted by the notorious Republican Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska
(later convicted on corruption charges), Eric's unit was reduced to using
plywood to give their vehicles some additional protection. When an insurgent's
IED hit Eric's vehicle, his horrified teammates were forced to watch as the heat
of the burning plywood began exploding the grenades strapped to Eric's body.
Eric, you are not forgotten and will live forever in our hearts.