Apparently there was a walkout down at OFS over the firing of the long long time operations manager. From the OFSVolunteers wiki:

The OFS Board of Directors fired Operations Manager Jeffrey Bartone on August 21st, 2007 after 21 years of service to the organization. His termination was based on complaints of "rude, abrasive, and uncooperative behavior". It is our opinion that the recent decision was not a true representation of the OFS community's wishes, due to an inadequate number of participating board members. We further feel that Jeffrey's termination was the result of the personal agendas of a few board and staff members through a calculated and opportunistic effort. Furthermore, the move included no contingency for filling the extensive job requirements of Technical Director, further highlighting a lack of responsibility on the part of the board.

...

We the projectionists, along with many other volunteers, view Jeffrey as the human face to OFS. He has personally welcomed us into the organization, appraised our interests and skills, and found us our place here. In firing Jeffrey, the board cited a number of complaints about his behavior. Many of us would not be a part of OFS today had it not been for Jeffrey. We are now willing to walk out on our volunteer shifts and to possibly end our involvement with OFS. We propose this gesture in contrast to any complaints he may have received.

"To promote the spirit of an active volunteer society among the membership" -OFS Goals

From Anarkismo - By Wayne Price Part 2 of What is Class Struggle Anarchism? Why do we call ourselves class struggle anarchists instead of feminist- antiracist-Gay liberationist-green-class struggle anarchists? What is the relationship among class and nonclass forms of oppression, such as gender and race? Instead of the base/superstructure metaphor, we should a model of an overlapping network of oppressions, of which class is at the center. This leads to strategic conclusions. As I argued in Part 1, the working class is central to the fight against capitalism. But what is its relation to other sections of the population and their systems of oppression? How does class relate to women and patriarchy; to African-Americans and white supremacy; to “Third World” nations and neocolonialism; to immigrants and nativism; and to other oppressions, too numerous to name? How does class relate to apparently nonclass issues such as war or global warming? I am not discussing the morality of oppression, let alone whether one form of oppression is worse than another (such as anti-Semitism vs. discrimination against the Deaf). All oppression is evil and should be opposed. I want to discuss an analysis of the relations among oppressions and the strategic conclusions which can be drawn from this.

The Base/Superstructure Model

A Statement read by Bea Bridges at an August 27th RNC WC Press Conference: Good morning, members of the Press. Thank you all for coming. My name is Bea Bridges, and the RNC Welcoming Committee has asked me to show you this video and read a statement. The Welcoming Committee is a group formed specifically to respond to the 2008 RNC in St. Paul. However, we hope the work we are doing fosters the growth of stronger radical communities in the Twin Cities and beyond. We are not single-issue focused, and we will not be satisfied by merely stopping the war or ending Neocolonialism (although that would be a great start). Instead, we focus closer to the roots of oppression. We believe in radical change- in ending Capitalism, Imperialism, Patriarchy, and all other forms of hierarchy, and in replacing them with direct, participatory democracy, sustainability, individual autonomy, and personal relationships built on empathy and a desire for mutual aid.

As you know, the RNC Welcoming Committee is hosting the pReNC this coming weekend. The pReNC is a gathering of anarchists and anti-authoritarians one year in advance of the Republican National Convention. Its purpose is to share skills, network, and develop a strategic framework for the 2008 protests. Many of you have wondered if we plan violence, confrontation or mayhem for this weekend. We do not. The pReNC is not intended as an arena for protest and direct action. Rather, it is a time for learning, building, and planning for next year.

With school starting soon I found this to be an interesting article about fads in our school systems. It is written by Phyllis Schlafly, and is a fairly quick read. If you have children in school you may like to read and see if you hear anything about it from your local school district.

From Townhall.com

Every few years a new fad sweeps through the public schools. There's been self-esteem, new math, whole language, New Age, outcome-based education, school-to-work, mental health screening, school-based clinics, global education, diversity, multiculturalism, and early childhood education.

The newest public school fad was announced last week on the front page of the New York Times, so educators must be taking it seriously. If it hasn't come to your town yet, no doubt it will come soon.

Read more.

As the three (or maybe four, or five) day weekend begins, anyone on wheels may want to check road conditions first on the Washington State Department of Transportation site. For instance tonight (Thursday) the ramp from US 101 to southbound Interstate 5 will be closed from 10 p.m. Thursday until approx. 5 a.m. Friday.

Got plans? Advice? Thoughts on what Labor Day means? An invite to your neighborhood barbecue? What's cookin'?

Courtesy of www.cnn.com  

WORTHINGTON, Ohio (AP) -- It has come to be known as the Spooky House Incident: A group of teenagers in this quaint older suburb who tried to scare themselves on a "ghost hunt" and a recluse who responded with gunfire, leaving two lives wrecked.

A pretty blonde high school cheerleader, Rachel Barezinsky, is crippled for life.

Allen S. Davis, roused from an eccentric but otherwise unoffending existence, was sentenced last month to 19 years in prison for what he describes as defending his home.

A year after the shots were fired, the bizarre case has left residents around Columbus torn.

While plenty of people felt Davis got what he deserved for overreacting to teenager antics, many others saw the girls as picking on Davis and facing no legal consequences for trespassing.

Read more here 

Long story short. The girls dared each other to go onto the spooky property, the guy heard them rattling around, they started to drive off and he started shooting...at fleeing trespassers.

So I received an anonymous (not Larry) message asking that I push our meeting venue to another location sans alcohol and/or tobacco. Being that the broho is a sacred place I don't think we could permanently cut it out of the schedule, but I mentioned that we did coffee gatherings at one point, but their popularity has waned as of late.

So, with all of this in mind: Less alcohol, less smoke, maybe letting folks younger than 21 around (do we have these) possibly venues that allow children, maybe something we could do during the daytime vs evening. Feel free to add your own ideas as well

Does anyone have any ideas for future gatherings that might fall into these categories? Any input is appreciated.

Norm