a refugee camp is coming to a city near you

In September and October 2007, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) will be taking its outdoor educational exhibit A Refugee Camp in the Heart of the City to Milwaukee, Chicago, Minneapolis, Houston, and Dallas.

Guided by MSF aid workers, visitors are asked to imagine that they are among the millions of people fleeing violence and persecution in, for example, Afghanistan, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, or Sudan.
The exhibit is made up of materials used by MSF in its emergency medical work around the world, including emergency refugee housing, a food distribution tent, water pump, health clinic, vaccination tent, therapeutic feeding center, and a cholera treatment center.

the camp will be at Loring Park, Minneapolis from September 27-30, 2007, 9 am–5:30 pm.

Doctors without Borders refugee camp

diy fire pit

Here is an easy to make fire pit for that at-home camping experience. I built this fire pit with found bricks and cement from an old sidewalk. Other found, liberated, or re-appropriated materials, were rocks, sand, and gravel. I added a copper bowl later. It took me a few hours to make.


Materials: pea gravel, sand, bricks (enough to make a circle), rocks, and reused sidewalk cement
Tools: shovel and trowel


1. Choose a location for the fire pit that is 25 feet away from trees, buildings, etc. 

2. Mark the area you will dig for the fire pit. Dig out the hole for the pit. Dig down about 10 inches. If you are using a fire ring, dig the hole to the size of the ring.

3. Fill the hole with pea gravel and then a layer of sand. This will stop any fire from spreading out of the pit to tree roots.

4. If you are using a fire ring place the ring in the pit. Place bricks around the pit. It helps to have the type of bricks that form a circle. See the photos. I used one row of bricks but you could use two layers. 
5. Place broken pieces of concrete abound the brick (this can be substituted with flagstone but used and discarded concrete is much much cheeper or free). Place the concrete or stone like a jigsaw puzzle so the pieces fit together like a sun shape around the pit. See photo. Place smaller rocks in the spaces between the concrete. Put sand over the concrete and rocks. This will "lock in" the rocks and concrete. The idea of this is to make an "apron" or area around the fire pit that is not flammable. But it will also look nice. The more rustic the better.


Add some tree stumps to sit on or a hay bale with a flannel blanket. Open a glass of good red wine and enjoy the fire. This is a sure fire way to stay warm on a late fall night.

rally for peace - end the war

Today we marched in solidarity with many peace activists throughout the country. We marched for an end to the war with Iraq and for peace in the world. We marched in solidarity with ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism) and protesters throughout the United States that want the war to end.

al franken supports afscme strike

Al Franken, Minnesota candidate for U.S. Senate, spoke at an AFSCME rally on Aug 10. He spoke from his experience having been in four unions.

"Students.....unions gave us the middle class. Unions gave us the weekend"

students shut down regents meeting

Thank you students! I had to appropriate this from "this kills fascists blog" Original story at http://thisblogkillsfascists.blogspot.com/2007/09/
shutting-down-board-of-regents-101.html
photo from "Workday Minnesota" online. (See sidebar)

"Shutting down the Board of Regents, 101 - In a community-service learning project this morning, the Student Solidarity Committee stormed the weekly Board of Regents meeting with the demand that the University meet the terms the striking AFSCME clerical, technical, and medical staff have asked for.

During a question and answer session, one student asked president Bob Bruininks why he won't give the workers a decent wage. When the Board refused to acknowledge the question, the students chanted "Shame on you! Shame on you! Give a fair contract at the U!" at which point in time the Board cowardly fled the room rather than answer for their money-grubbing practices. Then 5 of the demonstrators were arrested apparently for being the 5 closest to the police, because no explanation was given as to why 5 random people from the crowd of over 100 were arrested.

One board member, Steven Hunter, had the guts to stay and talk to the students, though it must be noted that he is the Treasurer/Secretary of the AFL-CIO in Minnesota. Through him, the students negotiated a truce with the Board that held that the students would sit quietly and not disrupt the meeting as long as the Board agreed to at least discuss the strike.

When the Board members finally returned to the room almost an hour later, Hunter read a weak, 3 minute long statement about how all sides want the strike to end as soon as possible, and that maybe the U should think about giving the workers a decent wage. After this, Board of Regents Chair Patricia Simmons called the meeting back to its regular schedule. When the students became upset at the bold-face lie of the Board in its refusal to even discuss the strike and began chanting "Shame on you!", the Board cowardly fled again down a back elevator to a van waiting for them and called off the rest of their meeting.

All of the students then left with a vague sense of wonder as to why the Board of Regents can't even answer the simple question of why they refuse to intervene on behalf of the workers, who are only asking for the pay the state Legislature already earmarked for them.

mr. stripey

Mr. Stripey is an English Heirloom tomato. Jen grew this huge "Mr. Stripey" tomato. I added a little character to him.

afscme locals 3260, 3800, 3801 and 3937 strike

About 3,500 clerical, technical, and health care workers went on strike today after talks with the U of M broke down. Union members are striking for a fair wage. For example every public employer in the state of Minnesota has put at least 3.25% plus step increases on the negotiating table except the U of M. They offered a 2.25% across-the-boards for clerical and technical workers, and a 2.5 percent across-the-boards for health care workers. And offered the Teamsters a 3% raise. (The Teamsters are still in negotiations with the U of M.)

I support the AFSCME strike. Four years ago I went on strike as an AFSCME union member and a U of M employee. We went on strike for economic justice. We were tired of working our butts off and being at the bottom end of the pay scale. I also see it as a gender issue. Most of the clerical workers are women and women are historically paid less than men. Working women today earn and average of 80 cents for every dollar earned by men.

Four years later the issue for the strike is still the same, economic justice. This time I have a different job and I'm no longer in a union represented job. I stand in solidarity with AFSCME and all unions. It's difficult to stand on the picket line - but you know it needs to be done. AFSCME members You have my respect and unwavering support.