The topic will be "Does God Exist? A New Survey of the Arguments Pro and Con." It will be held 12-14 October at the Doubletree Hotel Philadelphia, 237 S. Broad St. Speakers will include R. Joseph Hoffman, author of Just War and Jihad and editor of Julian's Against the Galileans; Eddie Tabash, chair of the Council for Secular Humanism's First Amendment Task Force; Tom Flynn, editor of Free Inquiry magazine; and Sherry Rook, coordinator of CSH's Secular Humanist Aid and Relief Effort (SHARE). As I can't afford the registration ($119), the most interesting news to me is the creation of the last-mentioned project, which is something I've favored for some time. I made my own little effort along those lines when I volunteered for the International Solidarity Movement in 2002 and bought a Happy Human pendant just so I could wear it while there. Disappointingly, not many people asked me what it meant.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
A Pro-Porn Haiku
Keywords: poetry, pornography More precisely, I suppose this is anti-anti-porn:
Posted by stripey7 at 4:37 PM 0 comments
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Extending Puzzle Deadline
Keywords: word puzzles
I've decided to extend the deadline for solutions to a puzzle I posted on the 2nd, while publicizing it a little better. Here it is again:
Now, a word puzzle. The answer is a sentence that looks like this: "You're my _ _, _ _ _ _ _." Each underscore represents a word. The letters of one word after the comma form an abbreviation for the words before the comma, while the remainder are all the same letters, in the same numbers and the same order, as the first word before the comma. The phrase preceding the comma is listed in the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Enter your solution as a comment below. I'll give the answer next week.
Posted by stripey7 at 8:59 PM 1 comments
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Marable, Fletcher to speak in Philly
This just in:
PHILADELPHIA, PA – September 14, 2007 – The Philadelphia Community Institute for Africana Studies, Inc. (PCIAS), today announces the third in a year-long series of Black Public Interest Forums to encourage and facilitate dialogue and debate on the history, progress and challenges facing the African American community in the Delaware Valley. The third forum in the series will take place Thursday, September 27, 2007, from 6 PM to 9 PM at the Good Samaritan Baptist Church, 62nd and Lansdowne Avenue. Everyone with an interest in the African American struggle for social and political justice is welcome to attend. Admission is free, although donations are encouraged and will be very much appreciated.
The featured speakers are renowned educators and activists in the African American community. Professor Manning Marable is a distinguished historian and author. Mr. Bill Fletcher is an eminent labor activist and past President of the Trans Africa Forum. Butch Cottman is our own homegrown, outspoken, and committed activist for social justice, and co-founder of the Philadelphia Community Institute for Africana Studies. The format of the program is a panel discussion, followed by a question and answer period during which members of the audience will have the opportunity to dialogue with our speakers.
Professor Marable will discuss “Empire, Racism and Resistance: Global Apartheid and the Prospects for a Democratic Future.” The talk will link the prison industrial complex in the U.S., with the war in Iraq and the dynamics of “Global Apartheid.” The talk will explain what practical steps are necessary to reverse these destructive processes.
Bill Fletcher will talk about the challenges facing Black workers and the challenges & changes facing the trade union movement and Black leadership. Butch Cottman will talk about the chaos in our lives and communities as the internal reflection of the violence, pillage and chaos our country unleashes on the world.
Muhammad Ahmad, President of PCIAS, explains, “Manning Marable, Bill Fletcher and Butch Cottman represent three of the most progressive minds of the 21st century in the African American community. And the three of them presenting on the Black peoples’ problems will be a monumental event.”
Butch Cottman, on behalf of the Board of Directors of PCIAS, states, “In the one hundred thirty odd years since the end of Reconstruction, capitalism has trained us to eat our children and insist that we call it beefsteak. Why and how should we commit ourselves to a vision and practice of hard work/protracted struggle that doesn’t unravel under the weight of frustration, cynicism, opportunism, and ultimately contempt for the oppressed?”
The Black Public Interest Forum is sponsored by the Philadelphia Community Institute for Africana Studies, Inc. and supported by The Coalition, a network of civic, social justice, educational and community organizations and activists.
Posted by stripey7 at 5:03 PM 0 comments
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Tens of Thousands March Against War
http://answer.pephost.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=8663
Upcoming--
19 September: 7pm at the Ethical Culture Society, 1906 S. Rittenhouse Sq., Playgrounds for Palestine is presenting Occupation 101. Requested donation is $10, $5 for students/seniors/low income; no one turned away.
24 September: 7pm at the A-Space, 4722 Baltimore Ave., the Philadelphia Anti-War Forum will screen The Oil Factor. Free; discussion to follow.
25 September: 6:30pm at the LAVA Zone, 4134 Lancaster Ave., the Green Party of Philadelphia will be holding its general meeting. Free and open to the public; all registered Philadelphia Greens may vote.
15 October: 7pm at the A-Space, PA-WF presents Palestine Is Still the Issue. Free; discussion to follow.
And on 6 October, this:
Sexual Freedom Forum
What IS Sexual Freedom? And, more importantly, why should I care about it? Join a group of nationally renowned speakers and local organizers - experienced sexual freedom activists and trainers - and learn how to create social and political change. Join us as we "put a face" on the issues and actions that affect all of us in today's society. This fabulous forum offers a full day of discussions and skill-building/problem-solving sessions featuring some of the best known leaders in the social change movement.
Where & When
Holiday Inn Philadelphia
400 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
Saturday, October 6, 2007 Registration at 9:30 am, Forum 10:00 am - 4:30 pm
Box lunches will be served for those who pre-register. Suggested donation: $15 to help cover costs of materials. Scholarships are available. To register, call 1.202.628.3333 or on the Web at Woodhull
Liberty, Libations & Libido
FEATURING:
Philadelphia' s Premier Neo Burlesque Troupe Peek-A-Boo Revue
DJs Johanna Constantine Spinning Electro & Philadelphia' s own Roots and Groove
and lots of Philadelphia "Sexual Pioneers" PLUS a silent auction featuring items to entice your libido!
TO BENEFIT THE WOODHULL FREEDOM FOUNDATION AND THE DELAWARE VALLEY LEGACY FUND
Liberty - join us in celebrating sexual freedom as a fundamental human right.
Libations - political discussions, popular libations and good company.
Libido - get your libido going with live body art, the incomparable Peek-A-Boo Revue Burlesque Show, world-famous DJ Johanna Constantine and Philadelphia' s own Roots and Groove.
Where & When
October 6th, 2007
7:30pm - 11:00pm
The Courtyard Marriott (near City Hall) 21 N Juniper St Philadelphia, PA 19107
Admission: $20
To register, call 1.202.628.3333 or on the web at Woodhull.
Official After Party Hosted by Pure Nightclub 1221 Saint James Street
All Attendees Receive Free Admission before Midnight. www.PurePhilly. com
Posted by stripey7 at 11:34 AM 0 comments
Friday, September 07, 2007
The Fatuousness of Cynicism
Keywords: critical thinking, skeptical tracts
Posted by stripey7 at 3:47 PM 0 comments
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Come join us!
Keywords: political cults, political music, punk rock, religious cults
Posted by stripey7 at 7:15 PM 0 comments
City to Host Regional Peace Demonstration
I've recently gotten word that an antiwar demonstration for the mid-Atlantic region will be held in Philadelphia on 27 October. It's still in the planning stage; more details will appear here as they become available.
Posted by stripey7 at 3:48 PM 0 comments
Sunday, September 02, 2007
It's a puzzle, isn't it?
Indeed it is! But first, this great T-shirt I just saw: black on red, it depicted a chimp in a Che-style hat, over the slogan "VIVA LA EVOLUCION."
Now, a word puzzle. The answer is a sentence that looks like this: "You're my _ _, _ _ _ _ _." Each underscore represents a word. The letters of one word after the comma form an abbreviation for the words before the comma, while the remainder are all the same letters, in the same numbers and the same order, as the first word before the comma. The phrase preceding the comma is listed in the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language.
Enter your solution as a comment below. I'll give the answer next week.
Posted by stripey7 at 1:10 PM 0 comments