tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75106722011-10-11T01:25:13.638-05:00Coreynoreply@blogger.comBlogger1601100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-14738074181315226592011-04-29T23:25:00.001-05:002011-04-29T23:26:37.902-05:00

There's a pro-labor flash mob happening in Urbana-Champaign, 5/1. Check out the Peace and Justice calendar at Just BloNo for detailed info. After seeing a few of them on Youtube this week, I have to say that I'm a huge fan. I thought I'd post one here, a recent one in San Francisco.

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-38147164634789914292011-04-11T22:36:00.001-05:002011-04-11T22:42:15.461-05:00

This article from the Chicago Sun-Times is the most intriguing I've read in a newspaper in awhile. The Pesek brothers have quite a little mob business running in Cicero, detailed well by reporter Steve Warmbir. The ways the brothers and their family receive jobs and kick-backs from the government is quite disgusting, but it shouldn't be forgotten that corporations do pretty much the same sort of

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-22721125057108543172011-03-26T17:05:00.001-05:002011-03-26T17:38:12.442-05:00

A few weeks ago I attended the Illinois Education Association Representative Assembly as a delegate from the Bloomington Education Association. This is my report, with an eye for what our union and supporting community can do to defend teachers and other public sector workers from right-wing attack. The attack against public sector workers, and specifically teachers, has gone into overdrive this

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-72701115023979419362011-02-21T23:04:00.001-06:002011-02-21T23:06:15.900-06:00

For more video of the protest, check my youtube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/coreysm13?feature=mhum

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-83045204381673602302011-02-16T22:11:00.002-06:002011-02-17T21:28:28.315-06:00

The corporate media is blacking out the Wisconsin fight for union rights and working-class living standards, which is why we need to publicize it ourselves. Here is a collection of articles, some mainstream and some not, covering the rebellion in Wisconsin. LA Times NY Times article (not good coverage, but coverage nonetheless) Progressive article Wisconsinites Rally Labor Notes article (

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-63851694179012830162011-02-11T05:50:00.000-06:002011-02-11T05:50:52.458-06:00

The events in Egypt, with the people demanding democracy against an intransigent dictator, throw a spotlight on the global power arrangements - especially those between this dictatorship and the U.S. It looks like Obama will go down supporting the enemies of democracy to the very end. His actions are dressed in pragmatism, harkening back to Bush Sr.'s mantra "must be prudent." Really, what is

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-85768086351025184302011-02-03T15:36:00.001-06:002011-02-03T15:37:20.274-06:00

The attack against teacher working conditions is heating up. Maybe this is what explains why a leader of a teacher union finally did a decent job defending us against the attacks. Dennis Van Roekel performed well in this NY Times article, defending teacher tenure as a basic right of protection against arbitrary dismissal. Maybe I haven't seen enough performances of the top brass, but Randi

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-22748791928147126152011-01-25T19:12:00.002-06:002011-01-25T19:15:34.348-06:00

I went my first roller derby this past weekend, with the McLean County Missfits battling the Peoria Push Hardknocks. I had a great time, and learned the rules of the sport, as we cheered on some friends on the team. My partner, Rachel, took some great pictures. The one I include here is our friend Becca. (If you know me, see if you can find me in the picture). Visit her Rachel's Flickr site, De

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-40381457864554914262011-01-24T17:56:00.000-06:002011-01-24T17:56:55.933-06:00

That Rahm Emmanuel got kicked off the ballot for Chicago mayor is more good news in what has been a month of favorable news in Illinois. We can only hope that the Illinois Supreme Court keeps him off. Rahm is on the wrong side of almost every important political question, and has received recently a lot of money from billionaires and other wealthy contributors who want to take away teacher rights

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-35867053132103991702011-01-21T21:00:00.000-06:002011-01-21T21:00:19.104-06:00

I've started Mother Jones Books in Bloomington-Normal. I'm selling progressive literature at political events, and selling online, with the hope of one day being able to open a collective in town. Check out the website for Mother Jones books!

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-38467403579393086612011-01-18T19:34:00.001-06:002011-01-21T21:02:54.691-06:00

In a sea of what is usually dismal news, here in Illinois we've had a spate of what are clearly political victories for progressives. It began late last year with the passage of the Civil Union law, which allows gay and lesbian couples many of the rights afforded to married, heterosexual partners. Then, in the first few weeks of February the Illinois Senate passed the abolition of the death

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-80933697157116295922011-01-10T17:38:00.000-06:002011-01-10T17:38:44.263-06:00

Fellow activists in the Peoria Area Peace Network hold a vigil for the people hurt and killed in Arizona and for peaceful politics.

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-5766493909535237602010-10-26T18:32:00.000-05:002010-10-26T18:32:40.121-05:00

Our local paper in Bloomington-Normal is absurdly right-wing, featuring columns from idiots like O'Reilly and Cal Thomas. They routinely report on items that fit their agenda and leave out items that don't, earning them the derogatory name The Slantagraph. The other day I couldn't take it anymore and finally discontinued my subscription. Their reasons for supporting Kinzinger and Johnson, two

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-31621514870608276162010-10-18T16:47:00.005-05:002010-10-18T16:59:52.116-05:00

My partner and I didn't know if we should laugh or cry when we heard that Rich Whitney's name was spelled incorrectly on the Chicago ballot sheets for the upcoming gubernatorial election. Rich Whitney is the Green Party candidate for Illinois governor. He's already been excluded from the debates by the League of Women Voters, facing the same discrimination encountered by third party candidates

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-89775626540893027612010-10-17T15:00:00.000-05:002010-10-17T15:00:09.479-05:00

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-9808699544760493702010-10-15T23:23:00.000-05:002010-10-15T23:23:54.915-05:00

Tomorrow I'm traveling to Chicago with the Bloomington-Normal Citizens for Peace and Justice to protest the U.S. wars and occupations in the Middle East. This protest is what we've been working on for the last month, and even though most progressives are fixated on the upcoming election and not movement politics, we've managed to organize a decent contingent from central Illinois. In the next few

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-336777277026643582010-08-28T16:53:00.000-05:002010-08-28T16:53:00.347-05:00

The anti-war movement is again on the move. 800 activists from around the country attended a national conference, the United Anti-war National Conference, and have produced an action program. We'll be meeting here in Bloomington-Normal, Illinois to discuss how to end the wars, working to implement the national program in central Illinois. If you're interested in attending, the Bloomington

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-30804648557188335762010-07-23T12:40:00.000-05:002010-07-23T12:40:03.673-05:00

I posted here an interview I saw on Democracy Now!, broadcasted from Las Vegas, covering a conference on social media being held there. This interview highlights the role social networking can play in democratizing the media, taking the news away from the corporate deceivers of CNN, FOX, MSNBC, the New York Times, Washington Post....   

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-75116027392710061622010-07-17T20:11:00.002-05:002010-07-17T20:14:07.941-05:00

This NPR interview exposes the lie of what it means to be a "failing school," both under Bush's No Child Left Behind and Obama's Race to the Top.

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-48909191293555457712010-07-16T17:45:00.001-05:002010-07-16T17:47:49.960-05:00

While the discussion here is somewhat abbreviated, and there are competing Marxists theories of the exact nature of capitalist contradictions, I thought this animated talk was a nice introduction to the discussion (and it's fun to watch!).

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-28087100056922466312010-07-08T17:23:00.005-05:002010-07-08T17:36:52.185-05:00

I watched this game, Spain vs. Paraguay, with a friend from Spain. He was excited when Spain scored the game-winning goal, but he didn't quite match this level of excitement. (My embed here loads too slow, as it turns out. To get the real effect, go to Youtube to view.)

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-72183936473229545182010-07-08T17:11:00.006-05:002010-07-08T17:21:32.730-05:00

Bloomginton-Normal Citizens for Peace and Justice is having an educational on community organizing. We will be showing Bill Moyer's last PBS production, his profile of the community organization Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, which is very similar to our own Illinois People's Action here in Bloomington. You can find event details by downloading the flyer here.

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-59132339139497241342010-07-07T14:45:00.005-05:002010-07-08T17:07:56.048-05:00

I didn't go this year to the National Education Association (NEA) Representative Assembly, but having gone twice, I have a sense of the results by looking at the new business items passed by the delegates. I was particularly interested in how the NEA would respond to the increased attacks against teachers and our unions, specifically with Obama's Race to the Top and his horrible plans for the

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-47919459271735830832010-07-04T17:49:00.007-05:002010-07-09T12:15:55.274-05:00

This past weekend, 4th of July weekend, we visited Chicago with our friends and saw Dale Watson at Martyr's. I have to say, it's a little different to see a performer drink himself under the table while on stage! We did our share of carousing around town, eating at a number of different establishments - burgers and beer at BadDog's, sushi at Tank, and Italian at Topo Gigio's.Walking and driving

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-86577736407868774422010-06-28T22:26:00.019-05:002010-06-30T10:04:14.959-05:00

We need help! Which shingle color looks best on our house? Look at the pictures below (click on picture to enlarge), choose your favorite, and then navigate up to just below the blog title and vote! (In case the picture and name of shingle type don't line up below, they are listed in the same order as the poll (and alphabetical order): 1. burnt sienna, 2. colonial slate, 3. cottage red, 4. hunter

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-77051220782505811062010-06-23T22:00:00.005-05:002010-06-23T23:15:28.047-05:00

The most promising political news of the year has to be the victory in the Chicago Teachers Union of the Caucus of Rank-and-file Educators. This grouping was formed two years ago to contest the closing of Chicago neighborhood schools due to No Child Left Behind. For anyone who has worked in an urban school, it is obvious that the NCLB-mandated tests are entirely unfair to schools with diverse

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-60909370977410789812010-06-23T21:45:00.003-05:002010-06-23T21:56:53.786-05:00

Here are a few pictures of the Chicago Blues Festival, which I've attended now for the second year. I tend to like the acts during the day the best. The night brings some well-known people, and some tributes like the one this year to Hubert Sumlin, but I never have a chair and sitting in grass - with or without a towel - isn't that fun. This year, though, I got to see Jimmy Johnson in a

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-55888060564820478382010-05-30T12:29:00.006-05:002010-05-30T13:00:35.652-05:00

Two weeks ago I submitted a letter to the editor to the Pantagraph (or Slantagraph, as I like to call it, our very conservative-leaning local paper in Bloomington-Normal), defending undocumented immigrants from attacks by the right-wing. You can find the letter, along with its discussion forum, via this link. From these debates online, including others involving other letters and articles, I

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-21515686250582793252010-05-02T20:59:00.001-05:002010-05-02T21:00:24.387-05:00

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-23339346694143651102010-04-26T15:34:00.003-05:002010-04-26T15:42:23.510-05:00

With many pro-immigrant rights organizations calling for immediate comprehensive immigration reform, a group of those organizations is calling for an open debate on the proposals on the table. The Grassroots Immigrant Justice Network published on Open Letter criticizing the Democratic Party proposals. The problem with these reforms, including the Gutierrez bill, is that it strengthens the punish

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-31948814593415354332010-04-24T18:08:00.004-05:002010-04-26T15:27:11.653-05:00

I participated last week in the large Save Our State rally calling for Illinois budget that covers the state's needs. Called by the unions of the public sector, including the Illinois Education Association and the Illinois Federation of Teachers, the coalition behind the rally is calling for an increase in the state income tax from 3 to 5% and a slight increase to the corporate tax. My own view

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-9696533834753783492010-04-18T13:13:00.002-05:002010-04-18T13:21:15.249-05:00

Last weekend we participated in the annual meeting of the Illinois Coalition for Peace, Justice and the Environment, and for the opening keynote address, listened to Alexander Cockburn speak on sad state of the American left with Obama as president. I generally agree with him on his analysis of liberal capitulation to Obama's rightwing corporate agenda.

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-44889911454253687732010-04-13T16:24:00.003-05:002010-04-13T16:36:32.031-05:00

This article on Obama's Sec. of Education, Arne Duncan, as leader of the corporate take-over of education, is the best I've come across yet. But I would have been a little harder on the leaderships of the two national teacher unions, which have done so very little to educate and lead on these issues. The NEA under Van Roekel is so enamored with Obama that his mild criticism of Race to the Top (

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-28877616610811043572010-03-26T19:28:00.003-05:002010-03-26T19:34:57.010-05:00

I'll update this post from time to time with the best analyses I can find on the health care plan recently passed. I opposed the bill, but from the left, believing that we need to cut out the insurance companies from health care with a single-payer system.Press release from the Physicians for a National Health Program

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-17569584144015512552010-03-08T20:39:00.006-06:002010-03-08T21:00:45.045-06:00

Obama and his Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, told us they would change the name of No Child Left Behind. Well, now we have it - Race to the Top. Unfortunately, we're now seeing that Race to the Top is an extension of NCLB. Using the punitive measures of the Bush era law, Race to the Top doles out money to states and districts that are willing to privatize and open up to charter schools.

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-34211573091008428912010-03-07T13:54:00.005-06:002010-03-07T14:14:29.144-06:00

Renegades for Peace, a student group at Illinois Wesleyan, and the Bloomington-Normal Citizens for Peace and Justice (BNCPJ) hosted a panel forum on different perspectives against the current wars and occupations. The event was a huge success, bringing at least 30 people to discuss their opposition to the Afghanistan war, including a contingent from Peoria. The discussion was particularly

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-42052030497991244822010-02-24T23:09:00.004-06:002010-03-07T14:22:48.065-06:00

The Slantagraph reported today that the Bloomington Farmer's Market, one of our favorite weekly summer events here, might be moved to another location, possibly to Uptown Normal. We'd probably still go, by biking up Constitution Trail, but the current location is much better than Uptown. Hopefully it won't go through!

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-29722815280303364592010-02-18T20:09:00.006-06:002010-02-18T20:56:49.587-06:00

Regarding my last post, written two weeks ago, I have to say that I was extremely disappointed with the production of Jesus Christ Superstar, the Ted Neeley (playing Jesus) tribute performance, that came here to Normal, Illinois. I don't have definitive proof, but I suspect that it was sanitized of its subversive elements for mainstream church-goers. Compared to the 1973 version, which

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-87271467223463947972010-02-04T15:20:00.006-06:002010-02-04T15:43:00.867-06:00

Next Monday, my favorite musical - Jesus Christ Superstar - is coming to ISU's Braden Auditorium. I've actually only seen the movie version of the musical, so seeing it live and with the original Ted Neeley starring is definitely a thrill. Posted here is one of my favorite scenes, where in his polemic with Judas, Jesus seems a little megalomaniacal in the end. I love this scene because, in unions

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-6641320066840115312010-01-31T23:47:00.003-06:002010-01-31T23:59:29.106-06:00

This past Saturday night we went with some of our friends to Theatre's Cool to hear the bands Oh Alchemy and Constant Velocity. All in all a good time. The venue, located in downtown Bloomington, is next to a coffee shop I sometimes frequent and I always wondered what kind of events they hosted. Turns out that Theatre's Cool is an all-ages theater and acting school, and also host bands. We'll be

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-80584875299367328042010-01-18T21:41:00.003-06:002010-01-18T21:47:26.186-06:00

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-48404058320000700662010-01-17T18:17:00.009-06:002010-01-17T18:35:49.837-06:00

I was reading Robert Jensen's book All My Bones Shake, and in the section on living sustainably, he mentions this interesting website by Redefining Progress that estimates your ecological footprint. I took their quiz, found at www.myfootprint.org, and discovered that if everyone in the world lived like my partner and I we would need 4 Earths. We didn't do too badly, relative to the country

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-87531378481642131682010-01-05T20:30:00.004-06:002010-01-05T20:50:22.104-06:00

Over winter break I traveled by train to Austin, Texas, visited my friend and his family there, did a fair amount of reading, met up with my partner and our friends in St. Louis for New Years, and arrived home to promptly get sick. Tomorrow I go back to work, still sick of course, so I'm fighting off the blues. Just to remember the free times of vacation, I thought I'd post a few pictures from

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-13955190150665579522009-12-23T09:03:00.004-06:002009-12-23T09:21:42.199-06:00

Who would Jesus bomb? "Peace on Earth" is an end to imperialist wars.

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-91037919687856307642009-12-18T20:46:00.004-06:002009-12-19T12:02:38.984-06:00

I have gotten two letters from Cheri A. Hall from Healthcare Recoveries, wanting me to call them regarding the insurance coverage of my recent tendinitis injury. I'm sick of these jokers. It's the insurance companies, and these parasitical companies like Trovers, that are pushing health care costs through the roof. Single-payer now!

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-89892417659246008532009-12-17T23:46:00.003-06:002009-12-23T09:58:03.900-06:00

I've been following the developments in Copenhagen on Democracy Now! but not as well as I should be. From what I've gleamed the rich nations, including the U.S. and Canada, have controlled the talks and have pushed forward plans for a much weaker agreement than that of even Kyoto. Obama's emission targets have been laughable, amounting to a reduction of 4% of 1990 levels by 2020. This interview

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-61490432051317464402009-12-16T17:26:00.003-06:002009-12-16T17:46:57.019-06:00

These pictures were taken at the 100th commemorative anniversary of the Cherry mine disaster in Cherry, Illinois, the weekend of November 14th and 15th. I tried to put them in order of when they were taken but got it backwards. The last picture shows Cherry, Illinois, a normally sleepy town, filled with cars during the Saturday rally. I was late to this main event, arriving just as it was ending,

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-80159136493346285722009-11-30T07:27:00.002-06:002009-11-30T07:34:05.796-06:00

As we await Obama's decision on whether or not to escalate in Afghanistan, I thought I'd post our local anti-war group's actions in the upcoming year. I'm only guessing, but I think we'll need to build a much bigger anti-war movement.

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-69299808505748042009-11-23T07:38:00.003-06:002009-11-23T07:46:21.735-06:00

Since moving to Bloomington-Normal last year, I've had more reasons to anticipate the chill of winter. Winters here aren't that bad, at least compared to Minnesota, in terms of intensity and duration. I still don't like it when it gets very cold, which does happen occasionally, but overall I don't dread winter here like I did in Minnesota. My anticipation, though, has to do more with my allergies

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-80717175394959010462009-11-21T10:35:00.004-06:002009-11-21T10:39:38.831-06:00

This analysis of the Greens demise in Minneapolis is first-rate. I agree especially with the author's assessment that the Green Party is a small-business party with an incoherent program.

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-48128801159365540582009-11-13T07:12:00.007-06:002009-11-13T15:55:29.948-06:00

This weekend we're heading up to the village of Cherry, Illinois, where my parents currently live, to commemorate the Cherry Mine disaster. My mother's family is from Cherry, moving there from Italy a year after the disaster occurred in 1909. I'm excited to participate in this event mostly because I've always heard stories of the disaster in my childhood. The commemoration event looks extremely

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-36904595062927140152009-11-10T18:56:00.003-06:002009-11-10T18:59:59.504-06:00

Here is Kucinich's excellent summary on why the recently passed health care bill is fatally flawed and not a step in the right direction. You can find a summary at http://www.clevelandleader.com/node/11927 . Some other progressive members, like Grijalva from AZ, were considering voting against it but unfortunately did not at this time. If this were a bill that was even a small step in the right

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-20454469816188869862009-11-06T07:44:00.005-06:002009-11-06T07:57:35.723-06:00

How is moneyed politics bad under Bush, yet fine under Obama? (e.g. Sumner, Geithner, bank bailout, phony cap and trade environmental legislation, health care insurance bailout, and on and on...)How is Iran dictatorial and its elections illegitimate, and yet Karzai's electoral corruption in Afghanistan is fine by the Administration and justified as the result of a process?How is NCLB and merit

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-34774972245504758602009-11-04T20:46:00.003-06:002009-11-05T06:49:11.964-06:00

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-50608731386193351342009-10-20T18:53:00.004-05:002009-10-20T19:00:24.993-05:00

See the other pictures of our pumpkin carving night at http://www.flickr.com/photos/28574817@N02/sets/72157622623505458/

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-42662692423360219372009-10-20T18:44:00.002-05:002009-10-20T18:49:39.478-05:00

Yes Men strike again, and this time it's against the Chamber of Commerce. Of all their hoaxes this one has to be the sweetest. The CofC is one of the worst organizations in the country, opposing every possible progressive reform imaginable.

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-66585131491419494962009-10-15T15:08:00.004-05:002009-10-15T15:16:13.219-05:00

My Heartland Community College class, on how to design an ecologically sustainable yard with native plants, begins tonight! Getting into the spirit, I can't wait to learn what this amazing flowering plant in our yard is called. I know that it is native to our area, since it is planted at our neighborhood elementary school's native plant garden, and I see it all over Founder's Grove. During most

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-55570150550144703462009-10-13T15:20:00.003-05:002009-10-13T15:41:43.146-05:00

Anti-war actions are scheduled in cities across the country this Saturday the 17th, organized by the National Assembly to End War and Occupation. Here in Bloomington-Normal, we're supporting the action in Peoria, leaving at 11 AM from the Center for the Performing Arts on East Street.

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-6080995278844934602009-10-06T15:34:00.005-05:002009-10-06T15:39:28.847-05:00

At our last Bloomington-Normal Citizens for Peace and Justice meeting, we noticed that there are 3 conflicting anti-war event happening in town this Wednesday (10/7/09), marking the 8th anniversary of the U.S. occupation of Afghanistan. Wow, that's a lot of activity for a town this size! Check out the three events at the BNCPJ website. I still haven't made up my mind if I'll attend the student

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-84530747975022278112009-10-02T17:15:00.004-05:002009-10-02T17:25:41.869-05:00

I've watched The Global Report a few times on Free Speech TV and was impressed by the breadth of news covered. By the way, Free Speech TV, and Link TV as well, are simply awesome.

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-48733230121009279292009-10-01T21:22:00.005-05:002009-10-01T21:47:46.601-05:00

Lately I've been feeling a little guilty keeping our cats indoors all the time. Our cats, Lefty and Gigi, frequently try to sneak out the back door, curious to explore more terrain and nooks and crannies, but we (as good cat owners) always frustrate their plans. I think what really spurred my guilt over this was having heard Bill Maher in one of his standup routines , ridiculing the indoor cat as

Coreynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-49111352553799212692009-09-29T15:48:00.004-05:002009-09-29T15:55:27.638-05:00

Beginning Saturday afternoon, with the onslaught of the current chilly weather, fall has definitely been in the air. Temperatures are in the 60s, for the daily high, and the leaves are just starting to change color. I've always loved the fall - the cool chilly breezes, the early darknesss of late afternoon, the scent of fireplace smoke in the crisp air. But ever since I've moved to Illinois, the

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-79845641419147801412009-09-27T21:43:00.002-05:002009-09-27T21:50:28.495-05:00

With all that's wrong with the world, I feel guilty looking forward with great anticipation the TV season premiere of Dexter this evening. Maybe it's because a Showtime subscription seems so bourgeois. But is it really? Everyone spends money, just on different priorities. And what's wrong with a little pleasure in life, a little TV or whatever, as long as it doesn't replace other priorities?

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-26581645959429420302009-09-27T11:04:00.002-05:002009-09-27T11:08:25.564-05:00

We loved his movie Super Size Me a few years back, for which reason we'll be heading to ISU in Normal this Wednesday to hear Morgan Spurlock speak on his life and career after his career-making movie.

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-19726637237742089572009-09-26T13:21:00.006-05:002009-09-27T11:14:00.299-05:00

These great pictures of the Pittsburg G20 protests, taken by photographer Jon Pratt, uplifted my spirits. On not so positive of a note, Cindy Sheehan comments on her blog on the authoritarian police presence in Pittsburg.For an overview, here is the New York Times coverage.

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-40475649965486312642009-09-26T12:46:00.003-05:002009-09-26T12:55:24.069-05:00

I'm plowing through Homer's Iliad. Well, actually I'm only in Book 3, but it feels like I'm plowing through it. As I read it, though, I'm reminded by what Bernard Knox said in the Introduction of this volume - that the Greeks in Homer's day had no conception of the after-life being granted to mortals. Immortal deities were lucky to have everlasting existence, but mere mortals died and then

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-85183485575783179862009-09-25T16:19:00.003-05:002009-09-26T12:58:22.703-05:00

Tonight we're going to see Soderbergh's The Informant with some friends of ours. A reader of my blog recently pointed out, under my June posting on the labor struggles in Decatur, that the movie take place in Decatur, Illinois, dealing with a major corporate scandal involving ADM. I can't wait to see what parts of Decatur are shown in the movie, while watching what should be an excellent film.

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-78907930660264474312009-09-22T20:02:00.001-05:002009-09-22T20:04:51.973-05:00

Amazing. Honduras is once again making international news, with the return of President Zelaya and his holing up in the Brazilian Embassy, and I couldn't find one word of it on the cable channels. Just more proof of Noam Chomsky's thesis in Manufacturing Consent. Of course, Democracy Now! aired almost a half-hour worth of coverage.

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-64088175886362579952009-09-22T01:30:00.004-05:002009-09-22T01:45:40.028-05:00

Last Tuesday I biked to downtown Normal to meet my sig. other and friends to see the fantastic documentary Made in L.A.. On my way there, I was shocked to see the number of gnats flying around, not just swarms of them, but a curtain of gnats enveloping the city. By the time I got to Normal, gnats were stuck in my arm hair, plastered to my shirt. It was gross.Turns out, I recently learned that

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-17517735951760149492009-09-20T17:38:00.002-05:002009-09-20T17:44:54.723-05:00

Organized by the National Assembly Against the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, Oct. 17th is the next day of protest against what is now Obama's war. This time around, actions will be local and regional across the country. Here in Bloomington-Normal, we're going to organize a caravan to support the Peoria Oct. 17 protest, and invite other peace groups in Central IL to attend as well.

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-53486805375573805212009-09-17T15:18:00.003-05:002009-09-17T15:23:23.218-05:00

A Minnesota friend of mine sent me this link, a video of the resistance in Minneapolis against evictions and foreclosures. For months now a movement has been developing around the foreclosure of Rosemary Williams' home. Supporters of Rosemary have resisted her eviction by staging a sit-in of sorts at the house, but on Friday, police raided the home and arrested those doing civil disobediance.

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-37952340466596895452009-09-12T17:38:00.005-05:002009-09-12T18:00:04.831-05:00

This might be my perspective for awhile now, sitting on my porch as I try to get some writing done on my research project. I'd rather be delving into some of my recently borrowed ancient Greek philosophy texts, reading my Paco Taibo Ignacio novel, or doing what I'm doing now - blogging! - but I need to get this damn M.A. finished. Priorities!

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-34494819714983341942009-09-08T22:57:00.003-05:002009-09-09T19:32:32.774-05:00

Our friends at Lisa's going away party a few weeks ago...

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-8687689407130612492009-09-07T21:54:00.003-05:002009-09-07T22:06:27.673-05:00

I celebrate Labor Day, whether in September or May. But, I must add, the true Labor Day is May 1st, the International Workers Day, which is celebrated internationally by workers around the world (everywhere but here in the U.S, except for a small minority of us, I might add).This point, that International Labor Day is May 1st, was driven home this year by a requirement that the Bloomington-Normal

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-45830352147774578302009-08-30T02:18:00.004-05:002009-09-12T17:56:03.185-05:00

My partner and I shopped at the Farmers Market Saturday morning, buying some tomatoes (despite the tomato blight) and other vegetables. We've been to the Bloomington market throughout the summer and have returned mostly for the vegetables and the honey.While at the market, walking around the Old Courthouse at the market, I got to thinking about why I liked this particular market. What's been

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-88414807666100230902009-08-27T17:35:00.007-05:002009-09-22T01:42:33.509-05:00

In our fifth week living in our new house, I still can't get over how superb it is living in a central location within the city! We made that a major factor in choosing our house, and so far at least we have reduced our car use dramatically, which is a major quality of life issue for me. I sometimes don't use the car for a week or two. Rachel takes the bike trail or the bus daily, and I actually

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-48360363505713702982009-08-20T22:23:00.003-05:002009-08-20T22:34:52.932-05:00

I went to the mall this evening with my wife and happened to browse the Limited with her for a few minutes. I've never been in the Limited before (I wouldn't have a reason to go there alone) and so was somewhat surprised and definitely amused by their pseudo-intellectual screeds written on the walls and plaques throughout the store. One in particular inspired me to contribute to their advertising

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-83756145233209365292009-08-19T21:58:00.003-05:002009-08-19T22:11:43.659-05:00

Well, summer isn't officially over. But for us teachers here in Bloomington-Normal, with the students arriving tomorrow, our summer of professional rejuvenation has wound to an end. I'm not really saddened by this, however. So far, all of my classroom preparation has gone well and my room looks better than last year. I couldn't be more prepared, in fact. Beginning this early in August, at least

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-47616253245154161912009-08-15T22:34:00.002-05:002009-08-15T22:37:31.921-05:00

"You do not cut deals with the system that needs to be replaced." --- Ralph Nader

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-90009847495109321672009-08-13T13:22:00.002-05:002009-08-13T13:25:12.682-05:00

One of my favorite events here, the Sweet Corn Blues Festival, is almost here! Whoever came up with this idea, combining blues and sweet corn - two staples here in central Illinois - deserves some kind of reward.

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-26870211613839397192009-08-06T20:57:00.004-05:002009-08-06T21:00:41.208-05:00

I was excited to hear that the Yes Men have made another movie, airing in U.S. theaters in October, and even more excited that HBO is airing it starting this Friday!

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-51051061811981147082009-08-05T21:36:00.004-05:002009-08-05T21:54:33.972-05:00

In the latest Democracy Now!, Amy Goodman interviews a number of Iraq War veterans speaking out against war and occupation. I've linked to one of the interviews, but they are all excellent.

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-6297457180687968042009-08-05T21:18:00.007-05:002009-08-06T21:01:21.734-05:00

CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, Bloomberg, all of these outfits are corporate-owned. Given their economic power and control of the media, their political interests get favored in the news. Worse, they decide what is news, and given our corporate culture in the U.S., it is mostly what people end up hearing.This reality is always there, but the extent of the corporate news bias never ceases to amaze me. The

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-58418429552768198432009-08-04T21:05:00.005-05:002009-09-12T18:04:48.850-05:00

All of us are still acclimating to our new home. Needless to say, the cats had a rough first day figuring out what was going on. I think it took most of that first day for them to realize that this was indeed our new home and not some place of torture like the vet's office. In the picture, Rachel is trying to convince them to come up the stairs, which served as a psychological barrier for them

Coreynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-64052254988670121452009-08-04T21:01:00.003-05:002009-09-12T18:01:56.316-05:00

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-24458217279174100342009-07-31T21:45:00.002-05:002009-07-31T21:48:53.343-05:00

We've moved into our new house and are in the process of reordering our life, which explains my negligence in updating my blog. I have pictures of my house that I was going to post here, but I can't seem to find the thing I use to load them to my computer! Once I do, I'll be posting more pictures of our move....

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-21108693751888417862009-07-27T09:35:00.003-05:002009-07-27T09:39:53.828-05:00

It might be strange, but I actually enjoy living among moving boxes, waiting for the move. This move is particularly exciting because it's to a house we really like.

Coreynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-72393123109970396792009-07-25T11:27:00.008-05:002009-07-25T12:17:05.436-05:00

The blogger American Leftist has a good recent post assessing Obama's position on the Honduran coup. He mentions that Hillary Clinton's last statement critical of the ousted Zelaya - that Zelaya's symbolic return to Honduras was reckless - is more proof that the Obama Administration is providing support to the military coup there.Actually, there is great deal of evidence amounting that the Obama

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-75344818619210279812009-07-25T10:27:00.011-05:002009-07-25T13:26:38.953-05:00

In a recent article in Health and News, a small monthly newspaper here in Bloomington-Normal, it is mentioned that Minneapolis/St. Paul is the "other Twin Cities." What?! The article clearly wasn't meant to be disparaging of Minneapolis/St. Paul, since it was a favorable tourist guide of the area. (The article itself has other problems; for example, I would take issue with Mall of America as

Coreynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-73638503586876181882009-07-23T11:51:00.011-05:002009-07-23T12:39:55.885-05:00

While drinking coffee at my local coffeeshop this morning, I overheard a conversation among 4 white Verizon workers that undoubtedly is being replayed across the country. These 4 were arguing that Henry Louis Gates had acted inappropriately prior to his arrest in Cambridge and deserved to be arrested for disorderly conduct. According to this view, the cop's police report is to be believed; Henry

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-42870244355176036482009-07-20T22:51:00.004-05:002009-07-20T22:56:50.851-05:00

We're convinced that our cat Lefty has learned the concept of using bed covers. (This scene wasn't staged, and they wouldn't let us even if we tried.) As can be seen in the picture, Lefty has learned how to get under the covers and then position himself so that his nose sticks out for air. Pretty smart.

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-10533230951927921322009-07-19T20:01:00.003-05:002009-07-19T20:11:49.200-05:00

We went to the Nothin' But the Blues Festival here in Bloomington, Saturday afternoon and evening. The event was very well-attended and very impressive. In places I've lived outside Illinois, I was used to horrible music festivals. But, here in Bloomington-Normal, all of the blues festivals have been terrific. I've been more impressed with the cultural offerings here than in the larger towns I've

Coreynoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-65735406397020564722009-07-17T12:23:00.004-05:002009-07-19T20:24:29.326-05:00

I just wanted to share my wife's ISU homepage (Rachel L. Shively's ISU Home Page) for its excellent resources involving Spanish language learning, especially for its web resources. There is also a link on the page to her class wiki on technology resources for foreign language teaching.

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-32665340045237523062009-07-16T22:50:00.004-05:002009-07-16T22:56:12.525-05:00

I'm now back from my one-week trip to Minneapolis. I saw some Minneapolis-St. Paul friends during my stay, visited with my friend from Austin and saw his family, visited some bookstores, and altogether had a pretty good time. Unfortunately, though, I didn't take many pictures. This is a picture I took of my Austin friend in one of the bookstores we visited.

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-66917785580960511992009-07-15T10:50:00.003-05:002009-07-15T11:00:43.348-05:00

With the passage of the health care bill in the House, more details of the bill have been released. Although the bill appears like an improvement in the short-term, it needs to be analyzed in depth for short-term and long-term results. One thing we know for sure - single-payer health care is a far better option than the Obama 'government-run' health option for a number of reasons. First,

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-50827620417541990022009-07-06T07:20:00.003-05:002009-07-06T07:28:39.607-05:00

It's been a long time since I've taken a road trip. After having visited State Street in Madison yesterday, I'm getting to set to head through the driftless region of Wisconsin, up through Viroqua and Black River Falls toward Menominee where I'll meet up with the White family. Then on to Minneapolis...

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-85011825696980616892009-07-05T19:19:00.005-05:002009-07-23T12:37:21.898-05:00

Notice how the politicians, in particular Fox News, are quiet over the military coup in Honduras? All the outrage over Iran, and yet with a country that we largely control, turns out democracy isn't all that important to them. (Of course, we know that Washington politicians across the spectrum don't want Hondurans to push for real democracy because that will mean a confrontation with the ruling

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-25235625195632109122009-07-01T21:56:00.004-05:002009-07-01T22:04:40.104-05:00

Defeat the reactionary military coup in Honduras!This article on the Workers International League (WIL) is the best background and analysis I could find on the Honduran coup. My view is that we need to pressure the U.S. government, after their belated condemnation of the coup after virtually everyone else already had acted, to pull their ambassador, cut off funding to the government, among other

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-29800839222026951882009-07-01T16:22:00.003-05:002009-07-01T16:31:59.611-05:00

Or, BNCPJ, as it is called for short. BNCPJ is the anti-war group in B-N. When first moving here, they were very easy to find on the Internet. And being independent of party politics, promoting grassroots mass action, BNCPJ was an easy sell. Since then, though, activity in the group has waned. Maybe I'm wrong, but I'm guessing that many who support Obama either think the imperialist wars in the

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7510672.post-42833762117593346012009-06-27T14:21:00.005-05:002009-06-27T14:58:14.214-05:00

Only 2 of the large environmental organizations stood up to typical corporate politics in Washington and opposed the remarkably bad American Clean Energy and Security Act (Waxman-Markey). Their criticism says say it all, so I'll just post their statements here.Greenpeace opposes Waxman-Markey (Statement by Greenpeace)Greenpeace opposes Waxman-Markey (Blogger mikeg's summation on Greenpeace's blog

Coreynoreply@blogger.com0