Sam Spade's San Francisco

Are you a film aficionado or are you somebody who just goes to the movies once in awhile for no particular reason? The latter group would probably not be interested in this story, but if you truly enjoy the motion picture arts and sciences, then this story is for you!

San Francisco Sentinel ran an interesting story about the San Francisco Film Society which produces the San Francisco International Film Festival which is now in its 50th year.

According to their own self-description, "the San Francisco Film Society embraces the art, technology and innovation of the world’s most imaginative storytellers who use the moving image to celebrate humanity while educating, entertaining and enriching the audiences of the world." Their self-description is a little over the top in fluffiness, but I think you get the picture.

Because San Francisco has a number of resident movie stars and because of the inter-stellar power of George Lucas' LucasFilm, which is based right here in San Francisco at the Presidio, all this has come together to create a very prestigious film society and an internationally respected film festival.

This year, for the first time, six films now playing at the 50th San Francisco International Film Festival will be available online.

Graham Leggat, executive director of the San Francisco Film Society, and Gaurav Dhillon, Chief Executive Officer of Jaman, Inc., ‘a premier online community for world cinema,’ said the first International Online will focus on showcasing some of the Bay Areas most pre-eminent filmmakers, Robert Arnold, Les Blank and Rob Nilsson. The complete schedule of films and screening times can be found at jaman.com/festivals/sfiff

“The International Online is a ground breaking and visionary programming initiative synonymous with the San Francisco International Film Festival’s tradition of excellence,” said Gaurav Dhillon, CEO of Jaman, Inc. “We are extremely pleased to pay tribute to the pioneers of “social cinema” by showcase films from the vibrant San Francisco Bay Area film and media scene to Festival fans across the country and around the world.”

Unveiled as a new element of the landmark 50th San Francisco International Film Festival (April 26 – May 10), The International Online will offer online screenings of SFIFF feature films at better-than-DVD quality for viewing on Macs, PCs and home entertainment systems.

The six films selected for The International Online will be available worldwide for download to a limited number of viewers during an exclusive 24-hour window following their last SFIFF theatrical screening. Also, fans that register to view the International Online screenings will also be registered to win a 42” plasma TV from Jaman.

Schedule:
Thursday, May 3, Starting 9 am, EST
All in This Tea, directed by Les Blank and Gina Leibrecht (70 minutes, 2006). This absorbing documentary follows adventurer and world-renowned tea importer David Lee Hoffman as he travels through China in pursuit of the best handcrafted teas. After seeing this film, you’ll never drink a cup of tea the same way again.

Sunday, May 6 Starting 9 am, EST
The Key of G, directed by Robert Arnold (59 minutes, 2006). Robert Arnold’s moving documentary chronicles the life of a developmentally disabled 22-year-old who has difficulty integrating what he hears, sees and feels because the two halves of his brain do not communicate well.

The following four films for The International Online are recent works by Rob Nilsson who is featured in the Cinema By the Bay program, Carved Out of Pavement: The Work of Rob Nilsson.

Monday, May 7 Starting 9 am, EST
Winter Orange (73 minutes, 2000), set on a small island off the coast of Hiroshima focuses on a local resident torn between a desire to move to Tokyo and work in the theater or stay on the island with his wife who is expecting their first child.

Tuesday, May 8 Starting 9 am, EST
SAMT (72 minutes, 2001), shot in Jordan in collaboration with ZENID, a Jordanian social development institute run by Farah Daghistani. SAMT concerns a modern young woman named Ashtar who wishes to attend a youth conference and lies to her father in order to do so. In a broader context, it studies the role of women in Jordanian society.

Wednesday, May 9 Starting 9am, EST
Security (81 minutes, 2005), made for the Pacific Film Archive with the help of UC Berkeley students, examines the murder of a street person. The work leads to a broader exploration of the violence in Iraq and the nature of security in an insecure world.

Thursday, May 10 Starting 9 am, EST
Opening (85 minutes, 2006), an ensemble piece shot in three days about a diverse group of people confined to a Kansas City art gallery when tornadoes hit the city. Questions about art and its importance to particular communities are raised and explored.

For tickets and information go to www.sffs.org, call 925.866.9559 or visit the Main Ticket Outlet at the Sundance Cinemas Kabuki (1881 Post Street). For additional information telephone .

The guqin, a seven-stringed zither, is China's oldest stringed instrument, with a history of some 3000 years. Chinese music has a long history, and its essence is best expressed on the guqin. Historically, the guqin has been viewed as a symbol of Chinese high culture and the instrument most expressive of the essence of Chinese music. More than 100 harmonics can be played on the guqin, which probably is the largest number of harmonics of any instrument. In Imperial China, a well educated scholar was expected to be skilled in four arts:

· Qin (the guqin),
· Qi (the Life Force),
· Shu (calligraphy) and
· Hua (painting).

By the way, a rough pronunciation of the word guqin is "ku-ch'in".

Internationally renowned guqin soloist and first string performer with the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra, Gong Yi will perform guqin music compositions dating back to the Three Kingdoms period (770 BCE).

Collaborating with Gong Yi will be Professor Yiming Li, performing compositions from the Tang, Soong, Yuan, and Ming Dynasties. Gong Yi has written more than thirty papers and numerous books, and has reconstructed more than twenty pieces of early guqin music.

The performance will be preceded by a brief overview of the guqin instrument and its deeply rooted relationship to Chinese history and culture. With a history of over 3000 years, guqin music was proclaimed as one of the Masterpieces of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO IN 2003.

I am bringing back a story that was published here last week. This morning a deranged student dressed in combat camouflage screamed at the students of a physics class at City College of San Francisco that he was going to kill everybody.

According to a breaking story covered by the San Francisco Chronicle, CCSF Police Chief Carl Koehler said college police, who are not permitted by the college Board of Trustees to carry firearms, called San Francisco Police who arrived in approximately seven minutes.

SEVEN MINUTES!

While the response time for SFPD is acceptable, I cannot help ask the questions:

How many shots can be fired from an automatic weapon in seven minutes?

How many students can be shot and killed in seven minutes?

Seven minutes can cost dozens of lives.

And what about the CCSF police officers? Chancellor Day sent those men into a potentially deadly confrontation UNARMED. He was sending them to their potential deaths.

Chancellor Philip Day arrogantly told the Chronicle last week that "there is a preferred mode of dealing with students and faculty, and those methods do not include arming our police."

Evidently Chancellor Day is not aware of what can happen in seven minutes.

Unless Chancellor Day, with the full support of Dr. Anita Grier, President of the Board of Trustees, and with the agreement of the full board, immediately changes course and authorizes sworn POST-certified police officers to carry service weapons, then any future blood spilled at CCSF by a gunman will be clear and irrefutable evidence of their gross negligence and ineptitude.

If the policy does not change - and change DAMN SOON - Chancellor Day should be fired and the dissenting members of the Board of Trustees recalled.

Here then, is the original story as it was published in this blog last week:

In light of the Virginia Tech murders, City College of San Francisco Chancellor Philip Day defended his decision to keep campus police unarmed by telling Matthew Stannard and Tanya Shevitz of the San Francisco Chronicle, "There is a preferred mode of dealing with students and faculty, and those methods do not include arming our police."

Carl Koehler, the City College Police Chief, has another point of view. He said Day's policy leaves his department at a disadvantage. "When something happens, minutes are very important..."

Philip Day wants those minutes spent by unarmed campus police officers doing whatever they can to save lives when an emergency occurs. If those minutes are spent confronting a mentally disturbed gunman armed with a semi-automatic weapon it will result in the deaths of those unarmed police officers, students, staff, faculty members and anybody else who gets in the way.

The CCSF Police Department must have adequate funding to provide academy-trained POST-certified uniformed and armed sworn police officers on duty at all times in addition to whatever number of unarmed cadets are desired. Likewise, CCSF needs a chancellor willing to make the tough decisions and protect the sons and daughters of the people of San Francisco.

The political climate in San Francisco is definitely anti-gun. The members of the CCSF Board of Trustees are a group of people who are also predominantly anti-gun. It is an easy, safe, no-ruffles decision for Chancellor Day to keep the CCSF Police Department unarmed.

It is also an asinine decision.

Hopefully it will not take an insane gunman armed with a full clip and a semi-automatic weapon to prove that Day's decision is so completely irresponsible and negligent.

HIV Matters: Looking Forward

Date:
Saturday, May 19, 2007


Time:
5:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Place:
Metreon Fourth Floor Terrace
101 4th Street
San Francisco, California 94103

Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center's Annual Fundraiser and the 3rd Annual National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

You are enthusiastically invited to you to mark your calendars for HIV Matters: Looking Forward to be held May 19, 2007 from 5:00 — 9:30 p.m.

Commemorating 20 years of leadership in the HIV/AIDS movement, this year's theme — HIV Matters: Looking Forward — declares the API Wellness Center's commitment to sustaining and expanding efforts to address the constantly evolving impact of HIV on Asian and Pacific Islander (A&PI) communities.

HIV Matters: Looking Forward purposely coincides with the federally endorsed 3rd Annual National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, initiated by A&PI Wellness Center as part of The Banyan Tree Project — a national campaign to fight HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination in A&PI communities.

This year on May 19th, A&PI Wellness Center will launch a photo exhibition that showcases the work of individuals living with HIV and seeks to view the impact of HIV through their eyes. This exhibit will precede our fundraiser and is free and open to the public.

The annual fundraiser promises an enchanting evening of community award presentations, local and national celebrities and entertainers, a silent auction, delectable food, and an array of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

Palaces


Passion


India





Asian Art Museum



"... invite a way of looking that is different from the habits Western art cultivates."

-San Francisco Chronicle

"You need to go close to the small, ornate paintings...but the results of the inspection are fascinating."

–The Examiner

"Boisterous murals bursting with life."

–Bloomberg News

It all ends on April 29th. You're running out of time to see this spectacular show at San Francisco's Asian Art Museum

When the nineteenth-century American painter Edwin Lord Weeks arrived at Udaipur, the capital of Mewar in India’s Rajasthan region —the “Land of Kings”—he found a city “airy, unreal, and fantastic as a dream, —stretching away in a seemingly endless perspective of latticed cupolas, domes, turrets, and jutting oriel-windows, rising tier above tier, at a dizzy height from the ground …”

In the making for more than eight years, Princes, Palaces, and Passion features artworks ranging from the early sixteenth century to the early twentieth century, borrowed from important museum and private collections in Great Britain, Australia, and the United States.

Now, for the first time outside India, this exhibition illuminates the brilliant artistic traditions of this legendary kingdom.

For more information contact the Asian Art Museum by calling

Other current shows, events, lectures and exhibitions at the Asian Art Museum include:

This year the first ever San Francisco Epidemic Film Festival will launch on May 9th at the Castro Theatre. It will feature infectious work from a new generation of professional film artists who are all about to graduate from San Francisco's Academy of Art University.

The Epidemic Film Festival will be a showcase of the very best student work from the Academy's School of Motion Pictures & Television and School of Animation, continuing the San Francisco tradition of cutting-edge film festivals held at the Castro Theater.

Prior to the festival, hundreds of student entries will be judged by the Academy's own professional faculty. An outside jury of prestigious industry professionals will be brought in to make the final selections. The selection process will be highly competitive, but well worth it for the student finalists. Not only will the finalists earn a coveted spot in the screening line-up at the festival itself, they will also be invited to an exclusive VIP reception at the festival, organized by the Academy of Art University to allow these top students to network with impressive industry elite.

The winners of the festival will be announced at the screening. In addition to receiving special recognition and an award, the winners will receive all-expenses-paid trips to attend the most important national conventions in their industries. Winners in the film categories will attend the 2008 NAPTE (National Association of Television Program Executives) convention in Las Vegas, and winners in the animation categories will attend SIGGRAPH, the 34th annual conference on computer graphics and interactive techniques.

Film categories include short narrative, documentary, commercial, music video, experimental, and animation. The festival will begin at 7:00pm and will run for approximately three hours. All screenings are open to the public. General admission to the event is $10; however, the Academy of Art University will offer complimentary seats on a first-come, first-serve basis. Guests to the festival are encouraged to arrive early.

The Northern California Cherry Blossom festival will conclude this weekend with a parade on Sunday, April 22nd. The parade will get underway from Civic center at 1 PM, travel up Polk Street to Post, West on Post to Japantown. The grand finale of the parade is the Taru Mikoshi, an ornate shrine that will be carried by through the streets by more than a hundred people.

The Cherry Blossom Street Fair will run both Saturday and Sunday. The Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival started as a presentation of Japanese cultural heritage and pride. Japanese dancing, singing, martial arts demonstrations, as well as taste traditional and nontraditional Japanese delicacies will be available both days.

For more information visit the Cherry Blossom web site here or call .

The Hunt is On May 19th!

It's the The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence!

WHO: Crews or "Rogue Pirates", welcome aboard!

WHAT: A benefit for The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Inc.

WHEN: Saturday, 19 May 2007, 11:00am, sharp!

WHERE: Café Flore, 2298 Market at Noe

WHY: Nay, no, ne'er ask Sister why!

HOW: By The Three aRRRs: Registration, Release & Rules

Qs: Contact Novice Sister Delta Goodhand at

"So, ye want to hunt for booty in the Castro, Matey? Then, ye shall register today!," snarled Novice Sister Delta Goodhand, Cap'n of this fine outing! Enlist yer bawdy Crew or be a true "Rogue Pirate" and prepare to pillage and plunder the Castro in "Bootie and Bling: A Castro Treasure Hunt", a benefit for The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Inc. "X marks the spot" on Saturday, 19 May 2007, at 11:00am sharp at Café Flore in San Francisco.


The Pirate Party will commence after the booty has been safely stowed. Café Flore is located at 2298 Market Street (at Noe) in San Francisco, with grog and grub available that won't rob ye of all yer doubloons!

Gavin Newsom is definitely not the kind of mayor who boringly keeps the old musty status quo chugging along. He's got some fresh, cutting-edge ideas. His idea to generate electricity by building massive wave engines beneath the Golden Gate Bridge is an example of just how cutting-edge they are.

When it comes to MUNI (or SFMTA as they are now hoping to be known) the mayor is being no less creative. He wants to mount automated cameras on city buses that will send $100 fines to the owners of vehicles that park or stop in bus stop zones and bus-only lanes.



Fiona Ma, former SF Supervisor recently elected to the California State Assembly, has introduced AB 101 which would enable automated bus ticketing, but only in San Francisco. AB 101 amends parking laws to allow a ticket to be mailed to a vehicle's registered owner up to fifteen days after the date of the offense. It's pretty hard for anyone to mount much of a defense when the camera has caught them red-handed. Most of those kinds of tickets stick.



Article IV, Section 16 of the California Constitution prohibits the legislature from passing special laws for local jurisdictions. Ma's legislation declares San Francisco's bus lane problem unique to the state because of the density of the city, the congestion caused by weekday swelling of the city's population as tens of thousands commute, and because of the City's unusually narrow streets, steep hills and and blind intersections.

I wonder if there is a way we can also get those cameras to snap a picture of the driver every time a MUNI bus slowly wanders through a red light.

On second thought, forget it. They would run out of film too fast.

Willie Nelson is a regular guy. It's nice to know that there are still some people who have reached the pinnacle of fame, yet still remain regular folks. It's refreshing to find people who are that real.

At 73 years of age, Willie is in San Francisco today. He's not staying at the St. Francis or the Palace. He is sleeping in his bus. He eats his meals there too. The bus is parked right outside the Fillmore Auditorium on the corner of Geary and Fillmore. If you walk up and knock on the door, Willie Nelson will likely be the fellow who comes to the door. Although drunks, nuisances and other assorted clowns need not bother going over to visit with Willie. Muscle-bound security men and the SFPD will happily provide them with a moment of clarity.

Willie will be performing in concert at the Fillmore through this Thursday. For tickets (better hurry) and information click here.

To learn more about Willie Nelson or to hear some great music, click here.

To contact the Fillmore Auditorium call

John Burton is the retiring San Francisco Bay Area Steamroller. Willie Brown used to be the SF Bay Area Steamroller. Before him it was Jesse Unruh.

Jerry Brown wanted to be Steamroller, but it didn't work out for him.

Today there is a void. Nobody has clearly emerged as the Steamroller. Gavin Newsom stumbled on a bed with a friend's wife in it. That did him in.

Ron Dellums over in Oakland has been one of the biggest, baddest Steamrollers on Capitol Hill for decades. At this point in his career I don't think he wants the job - which is a good thing for ...

Mark Leno is emerging as the potential Steamroller. He's had two very successful and progressive terms in the state assembly and before that he enjoyed an equally successful and productive period as a San Francisco Supervisor. As Assemblyman Mark Leno he became the champion and hero of the gay and lesbian civil rights movement. At least, that is the viewpoint of this particular San Francisco Queer. Mark is a Democrat who has been faithfully paying his dues. He's been developing a lot of BigDem friends.

So, have there been any signs that Mark might be headed for Steamrollership?

Well ...

Twice in one week Mark Leno has steamrolled right over the competition. Hmmmm.

Last week Mark Leno won the second major endorsement of his campaign to win the Democratic Party nomination for the California State Senate.

The San Francisco Young Democrats gave Mark more than 60 percent of their votes, the threshold required to win endorsement. Earlier in the week the Alice B Toklas Democratic Club also gave Leno its endorsement for the senate seat currently held by Carole Migden.

Leno, who is being termed-out of his state assembly seat, is attempting to move up to the senate seat held by Migden. The 3rd senate district covers Marin county and major parts of San Francisco and Sonoma Counties.

I have followed Mark Leno's career since, as a local small business owner, he decided to run for Board of Supervisors. He has also distinguished himself as being a very competent and highly successful legislator who has represented the interests of all San Franciscans at the state capitol.

It is my clear and distinct honor to support Mark Leno for State Senate. Mark Leno's campaign web site may be found here: www.markleno.com

And I hope he gets his Steamrollership.

The news from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission that we MUST cut back on our water use is NO JOKE.

Nothing about our environment will ever be the same again. We need to start getting used to this new fact of life. Everything is changing and it won't be going back to "normal" again. This is the single biggest change in life on planet Earth that humankind has yet experienced.

It's Climate Change. It real and its here.

So, please encourage everyone in your sphere of influence to pay very careful attention to this notice. We need to cooperate completely and enthusiastically.

You can read the full notice by using the link at the end of this posting. Here's a brief version of the notice.

Following the fourth driest winter on record and concerned about possible first year drought conditions, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) today urged its 2.4 million San Francisco and Bay Area customers to curtail water consumption in the coming months to help avert possible mandatory rationing and deeper water consumption limits later this year. According to the latest measures, March precipitation at the Hetch Hetchy reservoir was just 27% of normal and the Sierra snowpack in the region is at just 46% of normal for the season.

1. Turn off the faucet when you are brushing your teeth or doing the dishes.
2. Take shorter showers. Each minute you cut saves 2.5 gallons.
3. Use a broom to clean sidewalks, driveways and pavement instead of using a hose.
4. Water only what your plants need: Water your lawn once a week and only at night.
5. This spring: plant drought tolerant plants.
6. Operate your clothes and dishwashers with full loads only, even if the machine has an adjustable load setting.
7. Stop leaks. To check for leaks turn off all water taps inside and outside your home. If the meter dial is moving, you may have a leak.
8. Install faucet aerators in your kitchen and bathroom.
9. Replace your old toilet, the largest water user inside your home.
10. Replace your clothes washer, the second largest water user in your home.

Joseph Blue ran for the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 2004 and he is well known and highly respected in San Francisco. Blue, who is African-American, is CEO of Blue Realty Group. Blue told the Chronicle, "San Francisco no longer has a viable black community. The middle class is gone, and what we have left is underprivileged, uneducated, poor black folks."

The article in which Blue's comments appeared went on to say that most people think the Bayview - Hunters Point neighborhood is predominantly black. The common perception is likely based on the prolific number of violent crime stories coming out of the BVHP .... police officers being murdered, random drive-by shootings, murders of children, murders of students and drug-related crimes too numerous to mention. The facts are clear and those facts tell us most of the people committing these crimes and almost all of the people who are victims of these crimes are black. Hence, the common perception that the BVHP is predominantly black.

Wrong!

In 2000, Bayview-Hunters Point was 46.9 percent black; 28 percent Asian and Pacific Islander; 4.9 percent white and 16.4 percent Hispanic of any race, according to the U.S. Census. It is estimated that there are even fewer black residents in the BVHP today. Less than half the folks in the BVHP are committing nearly all of the violent and drug-related crimes and just about all of the murders. As Mr. Blue said, "what we have left is underprivileged, uneducated, poor black folks."

According to the Chronicle, "The mayor's office is putting together a task force to figure out what can be done to preserve the remaining black population and cultivate new residents."

Wait a minute here! Not so damn fast!

Before we spend money and time to cultivate new citizens, let's take care of the needs and hopes and dreams of the citizens we already have.

We need lots of money to be pumped into City College of San Francisco, which operates a BVHP campus, to enable the college to offer a greatly expanded number of special educational and job-preparatory programs that are specifically and tightly interwoven and solidly connected to guaranteed jobs for BVHP residents upon completion of the special programs. We needs LOTS of these programs.

This will require Mayor Newsom and Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin to do something George Bush and Nancy Pelosi won't do ... work together.

We need many of San Francisco's major employers to shake themselves out of the mentality that they are being good corporate citizens by their current "community relations" plans. Usually, for most corporate giants, that includes huge donations to political action committees, equally huge donations and "dues" to industry associations and an impressive number of smaller, yet still significant donations to "obvious, visible and time-tested charities" like the United Way, the Red Cross and any organization with the name "children" stuck somewhere in the middle.

Contributions that can really make a difference to poor folks who are under the "public relations radar" are far and few between. In other words, the "underprivileged, uneducated, poor black folks" who live in the BVHP (and also in the Western Addition) are the losers. This injustice has to stop NOW!

First, let's take care of our own and give them the helping hand they need to become the kind of upstanding, middle-class citizens the mayor's task force wants to recruit. Before we go looking for other folks to populate San Francisco, let's help out the citizens we already have.

San Francisco is (or at least it used to be) a big family. We developed that attitude after the 1906 Earthquake. I know. My family came to this City in 1849. So, what happened to that sense of family? Why is it so damn difficult for us to understand that we need to take care of and help every member of our family ... even if they are oftentimes disgustingly repulsive by their consistent involvement with extreme violence, drugs and guns. Like it or not, they are still family and that's the bottom line.

Finally, I want to remind everybody that San Francisco is not only the home to an important citizen like Joseph Blue, it is also home to a great many attorneys, physicians, university professors, chemists, bio-tech researchers, corporate officers, firefighters, school teachers, ministers, police officers and let's not forget a former mayor and past Speaker of the California State Assembly ... all of whom are black. We may have lost of lot of middle-class black families, but with the economic and scientific growth of San Francisco we are gaining some of the best and brightest minds in the world, many of whom are black. Unfortunately many of those people do not see themselves as a part of the fabric of the City or as a part of the overall black community in San Francisco.

The difference between this latter illustrious group and the former group of "underprivileged, uneducated, poor black folks" is a difference of education and opportunity. It's just that simple.

Real, genuine, substantial, impressive, cutting-edge educational career opportunities are things the Mayor and Board can do in partnership with our corporate leaders and major businesses. It can be done. We just need people to get off their asses and do it.

The Nation has announced its second annual Nation Student Writing Contest. The Nation, by the way, was founded on July 6, 1865 as an Abolitionist publication. It is the oldest continuously published weekly magazine in the United States. Notable contributors to the Nation have included Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King, Jr., Gore Vidal, Hunter S. Thompson, Langston Hughes, Ralph Nader, James Baldwin, Clement Greenberg, Tom Hayden, Daniel Singer, I.F. Stone, Leon Trotsky, Franklin D. Roosevelt, James K. Galbraith, John Steinbeck, and Jean-Paul Sartre.

So, when the Nation announces a student writing contest, ears perk up all across the country. With so many magnificent universities and colleges right here in San Francisco and so many politically progressive young men and women, there must surely be students who will want to know about this contest.

Here's the announcement from the Nation exactly as I received it:

We're pleased to announce the second annual Nation Student Writing Contest and hope you can help us spread the word. Sponsored by the BIL Charitable Trust to recognize and reward the best in student writing and thinking, the contest's deadline is May 31, 2007.

We're looking for original, thoughtful, provocative student voices to tell us what is the most important issue for young people in the 2008 presidential campaign. Essays should not exceed 800 words and should be original, unpublished work that demonstrates clear thinking and superior quality of expression and craftsmanship.

We'll select five finalists (including at least one high-schooler) and one winner, who will be awarded a $1,000 cash prize and a Nation subscription. The winning essay will be published in the magazine and featured on our website. The five finalists will be awarded $200 each and Nation subscriptions, and their entries will be published at TheNation.com. The contest is open to students at US high schools and to undergraduates at US colleges and universities. Entries (only one per student) will be accepted through May 31. A winner will be announced by September 4. Please send entries to .

Click here for more information.

For last year's inaugural contest, we received more than 700 submissions from high school and college students in forty-one states. The entries arrived from big public institutions and tiny liberal arts colleges, from rural high schools and penitentiary writing programs, from Indian reservations and large urban centers. Read Sarah Stillman's winning essay, Project Corpus Callosum, as well as the five finalists--by Brie Cubelic, Zaid Jilani, Nikolas Bowie, Lianne Yim and Camila Domonske.

And check out the StudentNation page to see info on all of The Nation's student projects, programs and initiatives.

Finally, please visit The Nation online to listen to RadioNation with Laura Flanders, to read new Nation blogs, to view newsfeed links updated each day, to see when Nation writers are appearing on TV and radio , to find info on nationwide activist campaigns, and to read exclusive online reports and special weekly selections from The Nation magazine!

Best Regards,
Peter Rothberg,
The Nation

Stories from the History of U.S. Government
Surveillance

During national crises, the United States government often reacts over zealously. It takes actions that curtail the constitutionally guaranteed rights of the people. These laws, executive orders and government measures have been in reaction to public fears and public demands for a swift response.

Yet the flames of fear have also been fanned for political advantage. Federal agencies have acted to intimidate, harass, alienate, deport, and silence organizations and individuals. Historically, dissenting voices included advocates as diverse as labor and peace activists, immigrant-rights groups, political opponents, and civil rights leaders.

This documentary Web site, www.trackedinamerica.org, explores more than two centuries of surveillance in America. Included are two hours of audio interviews, 300 photographs, and 25 personal stories beginning in 1917. The site is designed for you to choose your path of exploration. Suggested paths include a chronological journey by time period (via the main navigation bar) or a thematic approach following similar experiences across time (via the "Themes" box on the page of each individual's story).

Visitors are encouraged to get involved, submit comments to the Speak Up page, and sign up for timely updates on the issue of surveillance.

Ari Berman, writing in The Nation online magazine, reveals the real story about where the Obama campaign fits in the scope of the 2008 presidential elections. The story is titled Obama's on the Money and here it is:

The way that money has come to define politics is truly sickening. That said, raising $25 million from 100,000 people without taking a dime from lobbyists--as Barack Obama announced today--is pretty darn impressive.

The Clinton's have long been masters of the money chase. Now Obama has sent a message to political insiders that he can match Hillary's campaign, if not one up her. In the first quarter of this year, he raised money from twice as many people as she did. More intriguingly, $6.9 million came from 50,000 donors online. Ninety percent of that money came in the form of $100 donations or less. Half of those people gave around $25.

That means Obama has amassed a sizable grassroots donor base. He's not just raising money from well-heeled fat cats, although I am sure there is some of that as well. We'll know exactly who raised what from whom--and how much the campaigns spent--when the full fundraising numbers are released on April 15.

For more information on Barack Obama: www.barackobama.com/

Welcome to April, the month when all of us, like it or not, have to deal with the federal government and submit our tax returns to the IRS.

Given the number of individual and corporate tax returns filed each year in this country, it should come as no surprise that mistakes are made. Some mistakes are made by the IRS, but the vast majority of them are made by taxpayers. So, make sure you're not adding to the confusion with your own mistakes.

Most mistakes made by taxpayers are simple and common ... so simple people don't pay attention to them and, as result, they make even more mistakes.

Here are some ways to avoid common tax return errors:

* File electronically. If you choose to e-file, many of the common errors are avoided or corrected by the computer software. If your income is under $52,000, you may be able to e-file for free using IRS Free File.

* Use the peel-off label if you choose to mail a paper return. You may line through and make necessary corrections right on the label. Be sure to fill in your Social Security number in the box provided on the return. If you do not have a peel-off label, fill in all requested information clearly, including the Social Security numbers.

* Check only one filing status on the tax return and check the appropriate exemption boxes. Enter the correct Social Security numbers for each of those exemptions.

* Use the correct Tax Table column for your filing status.

* Double check all figures on the return. Math errors are common mistakes.

* Make sure that the financial institution routing and account numbers you have entered on the return for a direct deposit of your refund are accurate. Incorrect numbers can cause the refund to be delayed or misdirected.

* Sign and date the return. If filing a joint return, both spouses must sign and date the return.

* Attach all Forms W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, and other forms that reflect tax withheld to the front of the return. Attach all other necessary forms and schedules.

* Remember to request the Telephone Excise Tax Refund. Don’t short-change yourself. Most households are eligible for a special, one-time only Telephone Tax Refund, typically between $30-$60, that you can request on your 2006 tax return.

* Do you owe tax? If so, enclose a check or money order made payable to the “United States Treasury” and Form 1040-V, Payment Voucher, if used. Or, you may choose to pay by credit card by contacting one of the credit card service providers.

For a complete checklist and a listing of some of the most common errors, see Tax Topic 303, Checklist of Common Errors When Preparing Your Tax Return, on the IRS Web site or call the IRS TeleTax number, . The IRS Web site also has information about e-file, Free File and the Telephone Tax Refund.

If you need help filing your 2006 current-year tax returns, see a Certified Public Accountant or an Enrolled Agent.

If you have some past years for which you have not filed tax returns, or if you owe either the feds or the state more in past taxes than you can afford to pay, then the right level of professional for you is a Tax Attorney. Tax laws change each year and only a law firm is properly trained and professionally skilled to handle past tax year issues. A tax attorney is also the correct professioanl to consult when you find yourself owing more to the IRS or to the State of California Franchise Tax Board than you can afford. If you find yourself in this position contact a tax attorney immediately.