Rag Radio : David Edwards on Transformative Trends in World Affairs

University of Texas Government Professor David Edwards in the KOOP studios in Austin, Friday, January 13, 2012. Photo by Thorne Dreyer / The Rag Blog.UT-Austin Government Prof David Edwardsdiscusses transformative trends in international relationsand the crisis of the capitalist empire --on Rag Radio with Thorne Dreyer. Listen to it here:Tom Hayden, director of the Peace and Justice Resource

FILM / Alan Waldman : A Look Back at My Favorite Films

James Gandolfini in the British film, In the Loop.From 2003 to 2010:Looking back at my favorite filmsBy Alan Waldman / The Rag Blog / January 18, 2012[Last week we posted Alan Waldman's 10 Favorite Films of 2011, with his list headed by The Help, The King's Speech, and The Guard. Now Alan presents his favorites, by year, going back to 2003.]2010:CITY ISLAND is a wonderful comedy drama about

Lamar W. Hankins : Funeral Costs Need not Require Charity

Making an informed decision:Paying for a funeral need not require charityMany families succumb to grief, social pressures, and salesmanship by a funeral director and spend much more on the funeral than they can afford.By Lamar W. Hankins / The Rag Blog / January 18, 2012I was startled last Friday to see a news item in the Austin American-Statesman about a family that needs $8,700 in additional

Tom Hayden : Preventing the Coming War with Iran

Image from Antinews.Preventing the coming war with IranRational self-interest is not always enough to prevent what Barbara Tuchman has called 'the march to folly.'By Tom Hayden / The Rag Blog / January 17, 2012Peace and justice activist Tom Hayden and Rag Blog editor Thorne Dreyer will continue their discussion on Rag Radio this Friday, January 20, 2-3 p.m. (CST) on KOOP 91.7-FM in Austin, and

Harry Targ : 'Right to Work (for Less)' in Indiana

Workers in Indiana opposing HB 1104. Image from PR Watch.'Right to Work (for Less)' in Indiana:The historic battle against workersBy Harry Targ / The Rag Blog / January 17, 2012WEST LAFAYETTE, Indiana -- Fifty working people assembled at a town hall meeting in West Lafayette, Indiana, on Saturday, January 14, to share information about the latest phase of Indiana�s battle over a new �

William Rogers : Austin Workers Rally to Recall Scott Walker

At the Recall Walker rally in Austin: Travis Donoho, left, organizer for Education Austin (American Federation of Teachers) and Steve Rossignol, Texas State Association of Electrical Workers. Photo by Carlos Lowry / The Rag Blog.As Scott Walker speaks in Austin:Unions rally to support recallefforts of Wisconsin workersBy William Rogers / The Rag Blog / January 16, 2012See more photos,

Kate Braun : Dark Moon Magick

Dark Moon. Image from The Sage Grove.Moon Musings: Dark Moon(January 20 � 22, 2012)By Kate Braun / The Rag Blog / January 16, 201210 a.m. is the best time to perform Dark Moon magick for the garden. This moon-phase is excellent for removing what�s not needed, as gardening lore states that whatever is pruned, trimmed, weeded out, etc. during the moon�s fourth quarter and dark phases will not

Ted McLaughlin : Class Conflict and the Disappearance of the Middle Class

Class conflict risesas middle class disappearsThe growing inequality of wealth and income in this country has reached a point where it is now causing a conflict between the rich (the 1%) and the vast majority of Americans. By Ted McLaughlin / The Rag Blog / January 16, 2012The graphic above (from Think Progress) shows what has been happening to the American middle class in the last 40 years. To

Paul Krassner : Predictions for 2012

Lessee here: Paul Krassner will bring The Realist out of retirement, resurrect cartoonist Wally Wood, and publish a Republican Party Orgy centerfold. The Republican Party will not be amused.Predictions for 2012Ron Paul will unite with Ru Paul and they�ll perform on Dancing With the Stars.By Paul Krassner /The Rag Blog / January 12, 2012Politics: The electoral college will be replaced by a system

Tony Platt : Remembering Alex Haley and Mario Savio

Alex Haley. Image from Gather.A Better Day:Remembering Alex Haley and Mario SavioBy Tony Platt / The Rag Blog / January 12, 2012Let me drink from the waterswhere the mountain streams floodLet the smell of wildflowersflow free through my bloodLet me sleep in your meadowswith the green grassy leavesLet me walk down the highwaywith my brother in peaceLet me die in my footsteps?Before I go down under

Alan Waldman : My 10 Favorite Films of 2011

Octavia Spencer in The Help.The Help is powerful, complex:My 10 favorite films of 2011By Alan Waldman / The Rag Blog / January 11, 2012As was the case last year, some of the films I was most anticipating (The King's Speech then, The Descendants now) hadn�t played in my hometown of Corvallis, Oregon, by the time I was compiling my list, so they will be eligible for next year�s list.In addition to

Bruce Melton : What Can Be Done About Climate Change in Texas?

What a mess. Even without the fires, our natural environment has been devastated by these droughts. This scene was taken in late August just around the corner from my house in southwest Austin. Fortunately I have only lost a handful of immature trees and a few 12-foot shrubs. -- B.M. Photo by Bruce Melton / The Rag Blog.What is to be done?Welcome to climate change in Texas / 3By Bruce Melton /

Paul Robbins : Switching on the Sunshine

Flipping the switch at solar farm near Austin, Texas. Rag Blog photo.Let the sunshine in:On being young and crazy in AustinThey say that victory has 1,000 parents, but defeat is an orphan.By Paul Robbins / The Rag Blog / January 11, 2012AUSTIN -- On Friday, Jan. 6, Austin officially commissioned its new 30-megawatt solar plant. It is one of the largest solar installations in the U.S. Austin and

Richard D. Jehn : Moving Through the End of Growth

Transformation time. Image from Fluxed Up World.Moving through the end of growthand the collapse of the U.S. as we know itWelcome to the New World.By Richard D. Jehn / The Rag Blog / January 10, 2012Although my headline implies catastrophe, and I firmly believe that there are now factors beyond our control that strongly suggest we are in for an unprecedented hard time, this article is actually

Ted McLaughlin : Are We Marching to War With Iran?

Dogs of war. Graphic from Press TV.Dogs are barking:Are we marching to war with Iran?By Ted McLaughlin / The Rag Blog / January 9, 2012The animosity between the United States and Iran has a longer history than most Americans realize. Before 1950, most of the oil assets of that country were owned by Western powers (mainly the United Kingdom and the United States).The countries paid the Shah (King)

Harry Targ : Brute Facts and Political Choices, 2012

Protesters at the State Capitol building in Madison, WI., demonstrating against Gov. Scott Walker�s anti-union legislation. Photo by Mark Hirsch / Getty Images.Brute facts and political choices:Thinking about 2012By Harry Targ / The Rag Blog / January 9, 2012The year 2011 was truly an exciting year for progressives. Arab spring sent shock waves across the Middle East, launching a campaign for

Chellis Glendinning : In Bolivia, 'The Repression Strengthened Us!'

Native demonstrators march on La Paz to protest highway construction. Photo from AFP.Letter from Bolivia:'The repression strengthened us!'The ragtag band walked day and night in flip-flops, and the hearts of Bolivians went out to them...By Chellis Glendinning / The Rag Blog / January 5, 2012LA PAZ, Bolivia -- One wrong move, forgetting to take your hat off, the interruption of a phone ringing

THEATER / Jonah Raskin : Zayd Dohrn's 'Outside People'

Cast of Outside People at the Vineyard theater in New York. Inset photo: playwright Zayd Dohrn.We�re all outsiders now:Zayd Dohrn�s new play, Outside PeopleThe play -- which is part situation comedy, part soap opera, and part prophecy -- plays with and deconstructs stereotypes of Americans and Chinese.By Jonah Raskin / The Rag Blog / January 5, 2012Zayd Dohrn�s new 90-minute drama, Outside

Bruce Melton : Has Texas Crossed a Climate Threshold?

Downtown Austin seen from near the intersection of Loop 360 and US 290/71 West. This photo was taken in early September 2011. The brownish yellow- and red-leaved trees in the left and bottom right foreground are elms. They naturally shed their leaves early during our hottest summers and September is still summertime in Central Texas! The fall leaf drop does not start until October. This year is

Bob Feldman : Populism, Labor Organizing, and White Chauvinism in Texas, 1876-1890

Flag of the Texas Farmers Alliance. Image from HHS AP US History.The hidden history of TexasPart VIII: Populism, labor organizing, and white chauvinism in Texas, 1876-1890By Bob Feldman / The Rag Blog / January 4, 2012[This is Part 8 of Bob Feldman's Rag Blog series on the hidden history of Texas.]Between 1870 and 1890 the number of people who lived in Texas increased from 818,000 to 2,235,000