Thursday, 14 July 2011

Irish teens the biggest users of legal highs

Rare Keith Haring Collingwood mural restoration clash

My friend Gram wearing his serious 'save the mural' face!!!

Fans of Keith Haring's iconic Collingwood mural are dismayed by a state government decision not to restore the faded landmark to its former glory.
Last month, Premier Ted Baillieu announced Arts Victoria would preserve and protect the heritage-listed mural, now in disrepair after years of neglect.
New York artist Keith Haring painted the heritage-listed mural on the former Collingwood Technical College wall in 1984 and it is now one of his last remaining works.
Arts Victoria will preserve the mural as part of the site's redevelopment as the new home of Circus Oz and have not ruled out repainting it if the technology and materials to do so without damaging the original became available.
National Trust public art committee chair Thomas Dixon said the mural would be irrevocably changed by repainting. "The idea of someone taking a bucket and brush to vandalise his work is repulsive. If you want to repaint his mural, find another wall."
But Haring fans are crying foul, claiming the mural should be repainted, in keeping with the late artist's wishes.
Richmond gallerist John Buckley, who brought Haring to Australia, said Haring himself said a signwriter should repaint it. But Mr Buckley acknowedged: "It may be that it is in such bad repair that it can't be done."
Northcote resident Gram Morris (pictured) was prompted to start a Facebook group petitioning to save the mural last year when a rat by street artist Banksy was accidentally painted over. A year on, the group has swelled to over 5000 members. Both sides of the debate will meet at Richmond Town Hall later this month to discuss the fate of the mural.
Anna Whitelaw @'Melbourne Times Weekly'

16% Think It's OK for a Man to Hit His Wife? 5 Shocking Facts About Gender in America

With the GOP-waged wars on women, middle-class workers and poor families in full swing and steadily whittling away at women’s status in the US, it’s obvious that we have a long way to go in terms of equality of all kinds. But a new report sheds light on some surprising numbers highlighting that imbalance.

Without the right to abortion, or the ability to prevent and prosecute rape, or the ability to support one’s family, a woman cannot be a full human being, a citizen exercising her rights. This is a given. But did you know that many Americans--16 percent--still think it’s okay for a man to hit his wife? And did you know just how massive the wage gap remains between black and Latina women and white men? What about the fact that until recently, it was almost impossible for native American women to file rape charges if they were assaulted on reservations or that we’re positively the worst “developed” country on parental leave, bar none?

The list goes on, thanks to a recently released global report, “Progress of the World’s Women.(pdf), which focuses on the access to justice of women worldwide. The report comes from the dynamic new group, UN Women. Headed by Michele Bachelet, former president of Chile, the group is hopefully a nascent force for accelerating global gender equity. UN Women has released individualized information on all regions, and the North American fact-sheet (pdf link) highlights some fascinating, surprising and disturbing statistics that background our current climate.

Most importantly, when stacked up to other countries worldwide, the facts show that we’re not some pillar of opportunity for women compared to other countries and regions, but rather saddled with our own major problems. As Flavia Dzodan wrote for Tiger Beatdown, “I think this report does a good job at showing that inequalities and injustices are a global problem and that each region faces a unique set of issues, defined by their socio-political and cultural realities...no region in the world is without serious troubles.” Dzodan also makes the apt point that LGBT issues are absent from the report, which is unfortunate given their frequent close link with gender, race and class inequity. Abortion and reproductive health issues are not included in the US fact sheet, either.

Still, there’s a lot to learn about ourselves here...

Continue reading

Sarah Seltzer @'AlterNet'

Darryl “DMC” McDaniels Explains Overcoming Alcoholism, Depression and Spasmodic Dysphonia

Can with Magic Michael - Live in Hannover Germany April 11 1976 (SBD)

(1) Vitamin C
(2) One More Night
(3) Bel Air
(4) Dizzy Dizzy
Magic Michael can also be found on the Greasy Truckers Party album from 1972 and had one track 'Little By Little' produced by Dave Edmunds on 'A Bunch of Stiffs'
Get it
HERE
Following on from Richard Metzger's post on Magic Michael over at Dangerous Minds the other day here's something I originally posted on the late, great 'Pathway To Unknown Worlds'.