WBAI Talk Show Host receives "Commie Call"

-New York City

“Go to Cuba where you belong, you Commie” were the words uttered to host Matthew LaClair this past Sunday during a call-in special on Equal Time for Freethought on WBAI 99.5FM regarding President Obama’s State of the Union Address, leaving some listeners pondering why the caller mentioned Communism.

The call aired live approximately ten minutes from the start of the show, following a discussion between Mr. LaClair and a caller concerning the distrust of politicians expressed by many Americans, in addition to concerns that the accuracy of numerous media sources in the United States is questionable. After the caller made his brief statement, the call disconnected. Mr. LaClair responded with a laugh, stating “Those are the most amusing calls we get, and I (have) to say, it certainly isn’t the first time,” referencing similar calls received by Equal Time for Freethought.

Some listeners thought that Mr. LaClair or his studio engineer had cut the caller’s comment short, thereby not allowing the caller to explain himself further. However, this concern was addressed during the show when a caller stated “I think you should let him talk,” to which Mr. LaClair responded “I agree with you” and continued to explain “We did not cut him off, he hung up the phone.”

Barry Seidman, producer of Equal Time for Freethought, commented after the show regarding the call. “During this show, Mr. LaClair was more centrist than the typical Equal Time for Freethought listener and certainly further away from the left than the average WBAI listener.”

Britney Kaiser, a listener from Sacramento, California echoed a similar feeling. “I have read many definitions of the term communism, and nothing said by him (Mr. LaClair) or any of the other callers had anything to do with communism.” Ms. Kaiser went further to state that “in fact, he at times seemed to be defending capitalism.”

The term Commie references communism as a whole, which the Encyclopedia Britannica defines as “the political and economic doctrine that aims to replace private property and a profit-based economy with public ownership and communal control of at least the major means of production and the natural resources of society.”

While Mr. LaClair could not shed light on the caller’s identity, Mr. Seidman has encountered this caller in the past. “There is a history with this caller. This is a person who has taken the position that WBAI is un-American and anti-Capitalist. Even when we haven’t addressed issues that relate at all to communism, he has called in to make similar statements.”

Equal Time for Freethought’s introduction explains the central theme of the show, which focuses on “Humanism, which is informed by and founded on scientific naturalism.” Issues discussed on the show include education, politics, science and more.

Mr. Seidman, talking about the show in relation to this caller, stated “We’re always interested in discussing different points of view. We want callers who disagree with us to have open dialogue with us, unlike this caller’s actions.”

Yet Another New Business Goal for Pedro Espinoza

Lima, Peru. This past January, Pedro Espinoza Brinkmann, a Peruvian artist and designer has embarked in an unexpected business in the construction industry upon a close friend’s persuade. His close friend, and now partner, Alfredo Chang, talked him into investing in the construction of an 8-floor building in a 400-meters-squared terrain located in the neighborhood of San Borja. With this investment in mind, they have formed the company Ocho Rios, named after the Amazonian location in which they first discussed their business, along with four other partners.

“I know nothing about the construction world”, confesses Pedro. “When Alfredo first proposed the idea to me I immediately desisted from it. First of all, I didn’t have the money and, moreover, I would be going into this business with my eyes closed.”

Pedro Espinoza graduated from The Catholic University of Lima with a degree on Economics and a masters in Business Administration, yet it was not until years later that he started pursuing his genuine passion for art. In 2001 he formed the small company Arte Qollana, in which he works with various different artists in the manufacturing of authentic Peruvian art pieces. He felt that the shift from economics to art would be the first and last dramatic change in his life. Nevertheless, Alfredo was determined to make him his partner in his newly envisioned business. “I offered to lend him the money for this investment. I knew Pedro had no experience in construction, but he knows a thing or two about managing a company”, Alfredo recounts.

Pedro trusted Alfredo’s instincts. “I knew his insistence was not going to be a vain attempt. That man knows how to do business more than anyone I know. I could not reject his offer. In contrast to the US, Peru’s economy has not been severely affected by the global economic crisis. Lima has recently shown a significant growth in the construction industry”, he says. According to the UN’s Human Development Report of 2009, Peru is an emerging economy where businesses are flourishing. This is reflected on its steady decrease in poverty levels since 2004.

The construction of Ocho Rios’ first building is programmed to begin in approximately thirty to forty days after the completion of all their legal paperwork with the contractors. The edifice, designed for a middle-class population, will have sixteen comfortable apartments and two underground parking levels. The company plans to build not only more homes in the future, but also offices among other construction projects. The partners have high expectations for their business. Surely, this is yet another dramatic modification in Pedro Espinoza Brinkmann’s career. Hopefully, his economic and artistic abilities will work hand-in-hand in all his construction projects.

Date Turns to Disaster in Stairwell Break-Up

           On the evening of February 1^st, Cameron Sheedy’s boyfriend ended their relationship in the stairwell of her apartment building, deciding after six months of dating that he did not in fact want a girlfriend. Francis’s decision to end their relationship came as a complete surprise to both Cameron and those with knowledge of the situation.

            The two had planned on having dinner at Momofuko Noodle Bar, and then spending the evening in, a pleasant plan for couples in New York City’s bitter weather of late. Plans first went astray when Francis arrived at 8:45 p.m. and claimed to not be hungry. Over an hour went by of awkward conversation between Francis, Cameron, and her roommate when Francis asked Cameron if they could have a word in the hall. Fearful and apprehensive, Cameron proceeded to the hall, and stood on the step looking up at Francis as he broke the news.

            Afterwards, Cameron tried to recount the situation, “All I can clearly remember him saying is, ‘I don’t feel right about us.’ After that I can’t remember anything exact, except something about our relationship never going anywhere. He kept saying he didn’t want a girlfriend. It’s all blurry, all I could do was nod and say ‘OK’”.

            For surrounding apartments, however, the situation was not so hard hear. The stairwell in the building is acoustic heaven, making the entire conversation audible to the neighbors. The resident of the adjacent apartment were taken aback when they realized what was happening in the hall, having seen Cameron just before her date was about to start, noting her great excitement to see Francis.

“She was so sweet and excited, I told her to have fun and not to be nervous,” neighbor Jay recalls, “I can’t believe this is what happened.”

“You should have worn a skirt and those heels” neighbor Will less than helpfully suggested.

Although Cameron was shocked and hurt, she remained positive and has faith that with help from friends she will soon recover.

The evening’s events were rather timely, as Cameron and her roommate had just finalized plans for their first annual “Suckentines Day: Party in the USA”, a party to spite the pressures of upcoming Valentines Day. The festivities are set to commence late on Saturday, February 13^th, and to continue through the weekend. The roommates hope to overcome society’s disregard for the benefits of being without significant others by having endless amounts of singleton fun.

“Suckentines just got so much better” Cameron stated, who hopes to have all of her shifts at work covered that weekend so as to consume copious amounts of alcohol without hesitation. Since grade school young children are taught to have great expectations on this commercial holiday, often leading to desperate disappointment and regret. Valentine’s Day is often a struggle for singletons, resulting in feelings of isolation, loneliness, and disapproval by society. Some even dread the holiday year round, while others only become victim to its emotional terror once they, like Cameron, find themselves single just before its arrival. 

Teen Pregnancy Reaches Its Peak

Teen pregnancy at highest since 1980s, is the media to blame?

Despite continuous efforts to promote abstinence amongst adolescents, more teens are becoming parents. Nearly two years after the 2008 “pregnancy pact” scandal in Gloucester, Massachusetts, teen pregnancy is now on the rise; this according to the Guttmacher Institute. Guttmacher, a non-profit organization dedicated to research on sexual and reproductive health; released their yearly reports early last week concluded that the rise of teen pregnancies in the nation are at is peak since the 1980s.

The media’s infatuation with pregnancy is almost certain to blame according to numerous reports. With the success of MTV show “16 and Pregnant” and its spinoff series “Teen Mom”, ABC Family’s “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” and the attention of young mothers (i.e. Jaime Lynn Spears and Bristol Palin) it sort of becomes a trend amongst adolescents, especially when their peers are becoming celebrities. Almost two years since their graduation at the Snowden International School in Boston, Alejandra Velázquez and Anna Anderson both 19, are now teen mothers and join the statistics. Both nursing newborns (Jan. 15 & Jan. 24), the two have yet to experience the trials and tribulations of motherhood. “I don’t watch T.V. really,” Velasquez says. “Becoming pregnant wasn’t something I tried to do ‘cause everybody else is doing it. It’s not cool. I’m struggling and my son is not even a week old yet”

Just last week, the L.A. Times published a story revealing that the nationwide percentage of teen pregnancies increased by about 3%, resulting in an estimate of 72 pregnancies per 1,000 girls between the ages of 15 and 19. Just four years ago, it was about 68 per 1,000. It also reported that this rise coincides with the decline in the 1990s. In the 90’s most programs that emphasized on teen parenthood, viewed a negative light, versus a happy ending or becoming a nationwide celebrity like today. “To be honest, I wasn’t happy or sad when I found out I was having a baby” Anderson reveals. “Nobody really makes a big deal about teen mom’s anymore cause so many girls are mothers and are teens.

Most teens that are experiencing motherhood may have their reasons to why or how they became pregnant if any reason at all. Most on the other hand probably won’t realize the real reason until they mature, become full adults and have time to analyze it all. “We all do watch those shows but it hasn’t made an affect on me, maybe my on friends it has.” Anderson says. “I think they’re trying to teach abstinence but some girls might think its cool because they might get a chance to be on T.V.” She continues. The media’s attention on teen motherhood purpose is to educate the youth into abstinence but it seems to be backfiring. According to Anderson “We all do watch those shows but it hasn’t made an affect on me, maybe my on friends it has.” Perhaps it does, since many teens today see pregnancy more as a reward then the creation of a life.

Earthquake Impacts Dominicans Residents

On Tuesday afternoon, January 12, Haiti wasn’t the only nation cruelly turned down without any previous notice. Citizens of the other side of the island, the Dominican Republic, where also significantly impacted by the 7.0 magnitude earthquake provoking a wave of despairs, chaos and above up, compassion for the people drastically affected in Haiti.
There is no comparison to the many lives lose that day and to the many structures that were brutally turned down by this catastrophic phenomenon, thus residents of the Dominican Republic surely felt the force of the earthquake causing insecurity and fear as to what could happen next. Before the news was widely spread, residents of a small town called Cebú in Santiago where thanking that they were alive and that their poorly built houses were intact.
The response given by the government of the Dominican Republic, other nations worldwide, individuals, organizations and private donors to help the damaged in Haiti have been outstanding. Nonetheless, many residents of Cebú feels that, to the date, there has been a vague response by its government in providing support for those that had a traumatic response to the seismic activity, especially in the area of a Cibao where the earthquake felt with greater intensity.
Fausto Nunez, a 36 years old father and husband, demonstrates the despair he went through while his poor house built out of wood shacked back and forward. He explained that “despite the short durability of the movement, I am extremely concern about whether or not the house can resists another movement of that magnitude.” Nunez is one of the many residents in this little town that feels insecure after the earthquake. He feels that the government should take action and prioritize this matter since there is not guarantee that another earthquake of even greater magnitude wouldn’t occur.
Nunez claim raises considerable concerns about the efficiency of the Dominican government in time of need. There is not dough of the crisis that was swamping Haiti at the moment and with the Dominican Republic being the first country in its rescue, creates a controversial and complex matter. Should the government of the Dominican Republic first address its population or should they immediately send help to Haiti, where the impact was significantly greater?
These questions remains open, thus there are those who, like Nunez, strongly believe that some type of support should be provided in a tamely manner. Others believe that this should be a time to seriously consider the resources and the services available in such circumstances. Maria Ramirez remembered her traumatic experience in the little town’s hospital and the incapability of its personal to deal with situations that entails despair, nervousness and spontaneous reactions. “I was brutally knockdown,” she claimed, “as personal in the hospital tried to stabilize and get me to comeback to normal condition. They weren’t prepared to deal with such circumstances,” she lastly stated.
Only a few weeks has passed since this catastrophic event and not detailed assessment has been done regarding the Dominican Republic reaction to the phenomenon that transformed a nation forever. However, it is clearly stated by many Dominicans that its government should provide trained personal to give support emotionally and additional personal to re-evaluate structural damages to reinstall security among the people. Only time would provide answers but at the meantime our energy should be devour in reconstructing a destroyed Haiti.

COLD WEATHER = FROZEN FUNDS FOR UNION SQUARE ARTISTS

New York City: It has been in the 20’s lately, far too cold to snow, the cold weather has quite the affect on Union Square artists and vendors, normally scattered across the city’s major mingling spot, with lack of foot-traffic by walkers and shoppers alike the cold weather has temporarily put a halt in the fairly consistent cash flow of the Square’s most dedicated artists.

“It’s very cold, there is a recession in New York and there is not a lot of business at this time,” Esteban Kremen points out. Esteban, a local and self-proclaimed “street artist” originally from Buenos Aries can usually be found in Union Square selling his prints and original pieces. Like many others, Union Square is his main place of business.

“After December you can keeping working until about half of January and it’s very good because a lot of people get bonuses from their jobs and keeping buying, the city is still full of tourists who want to bring gifts back home.”

December is the big moneymaker for most. The Holiday Market at Union Square, which is open November 27th-through Christmas Eve, is a major source of profit for many artists but also a big expense. A booth alone runs an artist $12,000, $6,000 if they don’t mind a smaller space. Esteban shares a booth, and with the help of his assistant works hard to sell what he can, make connections, get exposure and do more than break-even.

After the Christmas rush has ended Union Square seems to come to halt and pause for all of a New York minute…if not simply freeze over. The only vendors who are entirely consistent are those of the farmer’s market variety; a faithful folk who seem to withstand the cold weather by consuming large pots of delicious apple are pear cider.

“I use from February to April to make my production for the rest of the year. It’s a very long period of time, so it’s a great time to be creative. Take vacations and prepare for the busy season,” Kremen says. He also says that often during the Christmas rush he gets a lot of requests for special pieces, so he uses his off-season to fulfill such duties. Not all Union Square Artists are lucky enough to have their art in galleries or cater to private buyers like Kremen, so there are a few who wait-it-out in the cold to pay their rents.

“Artists started to sell their art in Union square less than 5 years ago. The best place was Soho on Broadway. That was the place to be. But like everything in New York it changed and now Union Square is much better.”

When the sun comes back walkers, riders and performers will once again return to the Square, sandals and shorts to brag. Only then will artists come out to sell under the sunshine and all will be at peace: back in business.

LOCAL FUNDRAISER PROVES SUCCESSFUL

This past Sunday, January 31st, an Italian dinner was held at Pierson High School to raise money for the students traveling to Italy this coming February. Hosted by the students themselves as well as parents and faculty members, the fundraiser was able to collect close to $5000 from ticket sales as well as other donations. Jennifer Houser, one of the parents who helped in organizing the event, said “Myself as well a few other mothers began the project in December and were determined to make this event as successful as we possibly could. Let’s just say I’m thrilled at the turn out but very happy that it is finally over.” Ms. Houser after contacting numerous restaurants in the local area was able to get 11 to contribute hefty portions of food for the dinner. Ms. Houser, also a decorator, offered her personal talents to help create an atmosphere similar to something seen in Italy.

When entering the cafeteria, where the dinner was held, it was very apparent the amount of work that went into perfecting it. Before even entering the room there was a coat check – very professional for a student run event. The tables were covered in red and white-checkered cloths –similar to something you would find in a New York Italian restaurant, Italian flags were hung from the ceiling, traditional Italian masks were covering the walls, and the waiters, or rather students, were all wearing a red handkerchief tied around their necks. Elizabeth Oldak and Luis J. Murillo, two current students at the High School, sang classic Italian songs (in Italian) while families enjoyed traditional Italian dishes. George Hoglund, currently a senior at Pierson, expressed his excitement over the dinner, and more importantly the upcoming trip: “I am very impressed with what was able to be done in the few months up to today. It’s really incredible what can be done with the right amount of determination. This trip will be amazing, and the fact that our families might be able to save a little money is even more amazing.”

Pierson High School is located in Sag Harbor, New York –a small town near the end of Long Island. What is important to note is the sense of community the town possesses. While a hot spot during the summer months, Sag Harbor has a significantly smaller population of people living in and around its area during the wintertime. Perhaps, it is because of this close nit community that events like “A Taste of Italy,” are able to be so successful. “While at times the winter can be tough,” one parent says, “it is the response and contributions of the local community that makes me happy I decided to raise a family here.”

The annual Italy trip is scheduled to leave on February 10th. Students and their chaperones will visit cities such as Florence, Venice and Rome, where they will be able to gain unique experiences involving art, history, literature, and of course food.