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DEF is a non-partisan, independent political blog based in the
City of St. Louis, Missouri. Our goal is to cast a critical eye
on lawmakers, their policies, and those that have influence upon
them, and to educate our readers about legislation and the political
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State Representative Connie Johnson and an awkward State Senator Harry Kennedy joined celebrity doctor Ian Smith, comedian J. Anthony Brown, old school hip-hoppers Biz Markie and Slick Rick, St. Louis Ram legend Marshall Faulk, and other celebrities at the 50 Million Pound Challenge event at Union Station this weekend.
The Challenge is a party with a purpose, promoting physical fitness and health among African Americans while bringing some great (and free, thanks to State Farm) music performances to cities all across America.
Organizers called the St. Louis event a huge success, with thousands of people showing up and tens of thousands of pounds pledged to be lost.
Tonight will mark the directorial debut of St. Louis American editor Chris King. "Blind Cat Black," King's first feature film, premieres tonight as part of The St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase.
"Blind Cat Black," which features several local well-knowns appearing for the first time on film (some of them in ghoulish zombie make-up), starts at 7:00 p.m. at The Tivoli Theater in the Delmar Loop.
Since our first World Saxophone Quartet video has been viewed more than 30,000 times on YouTube, we thought we'd go back to the tape from last year's concert at Lovejoy School and cut three more videos. Enjoy.
You may have heard that two concert-goers were injured Sunday at Beyonce's concert at the ScottTrade Center. They were reportedly taken to Barnes-Jewish Hospital where they were treated for minor burns.
You may have also heard that Beyonce visited the two victims at Barnes later that night.
Michael Moore's latest documentary, Sicko, comes out today. A critical look at America's failure to provide for the health and welfare of its people, the film has received praise from both sides of the political aisle.
Show times at the Chase Park Plaza are: (12:00), (1:15), (2:30), (4:00), (5:00), 6:30, 7:30, 9:00, 10:00
For your outdoor viewing pleasure, Martin Casas' Frontyard Features will being showing A Night at the Museam in Francis Park, 5399 Donovan Ave, next to the tennis courts tomorrow night.
Click here to listen to KWMU's story on Casas' mission to bring St. Louis' movie lovers outdoors this summer.
And for those of us who are patiently waiting for the 6:00 release of the iPhone, might we suggest this great program for converting those Netflix DVDs to iTunes viewable movies.
When Dr. Cole Woodcox of The Missouri Alliance for Historic Preservation announces the group's annual list of "Most Endangered Historic Places" next week, he will do so in front of a building which is surely on the list — the Mullanphy Emigrant Home in Old North St. Louis.
Last week, PubDef Intern Reporter Dan Martin visited this endangered piece of St. Louis history and spoke with a representative from the group fighting to save it, as well as a woman who thinks they may just be wasting their time.
On Wednesday, May 16, supporters of the project to save Mullanphy will hold a benefit concert at Christ Church Cathedral at 7:00 p.m. Advance tickets are $20 each or buy them at the door for $25. Go to www.savemullanphy.org for more info.
EXTRA:Click here to watch Dan Martin's full interview with Sean Thomas of the Old North St. Louis Restoration Group.
A native St. Louisan and former reporter for several local publications, Jabari Asim's byline can now be regularly seen in the pages of The Washington Post as deputy editor of the book review section. But it is his own book which is earning this "hometown boy made good" national attention.
Asim's book details the history of what is perhaps the most controversial word in our language today: nigger (commonly referred to in polite company as "the N word").
On Sunday afternoon, Asim sat down with PubDef on the corner of 14th Street and Washington Ave, in front of the Geletaria café, to talk about his new book and the word that continues to cause so much pain and controversy.
You can meet Asim tonight at the St. Louis Public Library Central Branch, 1301 Olive Street, at 7:00 p.m. He will be discussing and signing copies of his book. The event is free to the public and all are welcome.
There was a time not too long ago when religious leaders in America focused the energies of their flocks on social ills like poverty, education and civil rights. But in recent decades, religious conservatives have refocused those energies on the narrow fights against abortion and homosexuality.
While the country engages in wars which result in the deaths of tens of thousands of civilians, with only some notable exceptions, the religious community is largely silent. What happened to the Christian calling for social justice?
The name Kennedy is synonymous with a religious calling leading to social action through politics. The family and their two most famous sons have a legacy of public service that is rooted from their Catholic values and has branched into nearly every arena of public service thanks to a family tree as large as any in Yellowstone.
Earlier this week, I sat down with Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, the former Lieutenant Governor of Maryland and the eldest of Robert F. and Ethel Kennedy's 11 children. We discussed her new book, "Failing America's Faithful: How Today's Churches Are Mixing God with Politics and Losing Their Way".
Click here to buy "Failing America's Faithful: How Today's Churches Are Mixing God with Politics and Losing Their Way" on Amazon.com.
Blame it on Imus. The debate over the use of the so-called "N-word" is back in the national discussion. Who can say it? Should anyone say it? Why is it apparently alright for some people to say it and others not?
Jabari Asim is a native St. Louisan and deputy editor of the Washington Post Book World. He has written a very timely book called "The N Word: Who Can Say It, Who Shouldn't and Why". This week he appeared on Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report" to promote the book and discuss (with some delicate humor) the most controversial word in our language.
Yesterday I appeared on WGNU's "The Real Deal with Syl and Tim" to discuss a wide range of current events. And like at so many dinner tables across America recently, somehow a discussion of the Imus controversy led to a broader discussion about language and the N-word specifically.
Asim will be in St. Louis to discuss his book on Monday, April 30, at the St. Louis Public Library Central Branch, 1301 Olive Street, at 7:00 p. m.
Take a ride with Umar Lee, a local white Muslim cab driver/philosopher/writer...
Umar is a frequent contributor to the Arch City Chronicle. Check out his blog at www.umarlee.blogspot.com and click here to watch Part 1 of "Cabbie Tales".
And Resurrection Lutheran Church, on the corner of West Florissant and Fair Avenues in north St. Louis, was destroyed by fire last night. Click here to see Channel 2's report.
STILL BLUNTED -- Missouri Congressman Roy Blunt, father of Gov. Matt Blunt, fended off opposition to his House leadership post today. By a vote of 137-57, Papa Blunt beat out Arizonan John Shadegg to be minority whip when the new Congress convenes in January.
AND THE OSCAR GOES TO... Director Frank Popper and State Senator-elect Jeff Smith have to be worried silly with excitement about the recent announcement of the Academy's short list. I mean, will this actually beMartin Scorsese's year?
THE TROOPS TURN THEIR BACKS ON AMERICA -- Where has the patriotism that followed September 11, 2001 gone? We can remember when Americans dared not question the leadership of our country's elected officials! But leave it to some battle-scarred war veterans to go and disrespect our local political warrior.
At last weekend's scantly-attended Veteran's Day parade, eight veterans literally turned their backs on Mayor Francis Slay when he rose to speak. They told a Post-Dispatch reporter they were angry about the departure of the Soldiers Memorial's longtime superintendent, Ralph Wiechert.
According to the Post, Wiechert, who was in the audience, said he had had "no support" from City Hall for repairs at the Memorial.
Well, I guess next they'll be asking Congress not to cut their health benefits! Don't they realize we're at war? It's about sacrifice, people.
Yesterday we took our camera over to the East Side, near Brooklyn, Illinois. No, it's not what you're thinking. It was for a project. No, not that kind of project... Look, can we just get back to the story?
Anyway, not far past all the strip clubs and prostitutes, in a town called Lovejoy (oh boy), is a school appropriately named Lovejoy School. Six decades ago, a boy named Hamiet Bluiett attended that school. That boy grew up to become one of the most respected saxophonists on the planet. Yesterday, he returned to Lovejoy and he brought along three of his friends. Together, they call themselves the World Saxophone Quartet.
The World Saxophone Quartet -- comprised of founding members Bluiett and Oliver Lake, and master saxophonists James Carter and St. Louis native Greg Osby -- are currently celebrating their 30th Anniversary. They will be performing tonight and Saturday at the Bistro, 3536 Washington Ave., across from the Fox Theatre.
All of these producers were given the same prop (a shopping bag), the same character (Leo or Linda Garren, a bank manager), the same line of dialogue ("Is that all I am to you?"), and just 48 hours to make a short movie. Here are some of the results:
"IN THE BAG" Produced by: Andrea Dixon Genre: Disaster Winner of "Best Use of Prop"
"I HATE ZOMBIES" Written and Directed by: Matt Stuertz Genre: Horror
"FROM THE HIP" Directed by: Phil Voissem Genre: Western
"SPACE BETWEEN US" Co-Produced and Directed by: Ezra Hubbard and Jonathan Eberle Genre: Family Film
"ROVER" Directed by: Jeff Chamberlin Produced by: Joshua Hawkins Genre: Road movie
And as a special treat, here are some outtakes from another film also called "In the Bag." This one was produced by a group called Section Six.
Oh, wait! Here's a late entry... and it's animated!
"ROMANTIC INTEREST" Directed by: Joe Millitzer Written and Voiced by: Peter Wilberding Art by: Katie Johanness Genre: Film Noir
UPDATE: Here's "IN THE BAG" by Section Six Productions:
There's something for every kind of political watcher this weekend -- except maybe basketball-hating conservatives.
For those pissed off that in the year 2006, Detroit is still producing vehicles that give less than 15 miles per gallon, the man who used to be the next President of the United States has a movie for you. "An Inconvenient Truth," starring former Vice President Al Gore, will open Friday at the Plaza Frontenac Cinema. Frontenac is one of the "select cities" to get this highly anticipated documentary this week. It opens everywhere else next weekend.
For those pissed off that in the year 2006, Detroit got its ass handed to hit by Shaquille O'Neal and the Miami Heat and therefore have no desire to watch the NBA Finals (which start tonight), state senate candidate Jeff "I love this game" Smith has an event for you. The professor and basketball coach will be heading to the northside Saturday to host his first annual 3-on-3 b-ball tournament in Fairgrounds Park.
On Sunday, Smith and his opponents (for the senate, not on the court), Amber Boykins, Yaphett El-Amin, Derio Gambaro, and Kenny Jones, have been invited to the Organization for Black Struggle's candidate forum at 4:00, at the Rowan Community Center, 1401 Rowan Ave.
And speaking of struggle, radio host Lizz "Living Life as a Liberal and Loving It" Brown and former Ald. Irene J. Smith will be conducting their Urban Institute class on Saturday at 9:00 a.m. at 1020 N. Taylor. They will be discussing the Team Four Plan and how they believe charter schools are a part of that "poisonous plan."
UPDATE:MoveOn.org is hosting a conference call with Al Gore on Sunday. To participate, call one of the following numbers just before 6:00 p.m. and enter the appropriate passcode:
Line 1 Toll free: 1-888-891-0496 Passcode: 8626127
Line 2 Toll free: 1-888-891-0496 Passcode: 4765019
Line 3 Toll free: 1-888-891-0496 Passcode: 5417431
Deb Peterson and Steve Patterson are reporting that a documentary about Jeff Smith's unsuccessful 2004 campaign for Congress has been selected as one of the docs at a Washington D.C. film festival.
Smith narrowly lost to then-State Rep. Russ Carnahan in 2004. He is currently one of five candidates running for an open state senate seat.
"Can Mr. Smith get to Washington Anymore?" is directed by Frank Popper and will be seen at the Silverdocs Festival in Washington D.C. June 13-18.
First radio host DJ Wilson mentioned seeing one on his way to host "Collateral Damage" on KDHX 88.1 FM last week. Then we received these images in our email inbox.
Has Post-Dispatch columnist Bill McClellan become the Che Guevara of south St. Louis liberalism?
Chris King, editor of The St. Louis American, will be performing with his rock band, "Three Fried Men," at The Schlafly Tap Room this weekend.
King describes his 7-member band's music as "eccentric folk rock." They are scheduled to take the stage Friday at 10:00 p.m. in the Elliott Room on the first floor. The Tap Room is located at 2100 Locust Street downtown.
On the website of the Columbia Missourian, the newspaper's staff has created a mock-up of Pres. George W. Bush's Facebook profile.
Facebook is a popular online directory that allows people to touch base, interact, create social networks and make friends. "As far as we have searched our President, George W. Bush, does not have a Facebook profile," says the Missourian's page. "But if he were to have a Facebook profile, we think it would look something like this."
Listed under "personal info," the President lists among his interests: fighting terrorism, compassionate conservatism, Jesus Christ, and Mexican food.
His favorite TV show is Fox News. His favorite music artists are Toby Keith and Britney Spears. His favorite books are "How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must)," "Curious George," and "My Pet Goat." And he belongs to the Diebold Voting Machine Fan Club.
The President says he is looking for friendship and "more people to like me and then go to the polls and tell the world that they like me. In political speech, we call that 'approval rating.'" Click here to see the page.
