News

Brain Drain

By Lucas Hudson

Christmas is a time for sore cuticles, raw from fingernails clawing at red clearance stickers, and laughable attempts by parents to convince suspicious toddlers that presents are delivered by an obese cookie-obsessed, chimney-dwelling septuagenarian; but most importantly, Christmas is a time when bright young professionals come back to the family roost after planting roots in different cities. But for locally-born, preening professionals, why is the Christmas trip back to mom’s house via airplane instead of automobile? Comparatively speaking, does St. Louis truly suffer from a "brain drain" epidemic, or is the potential problem an exaggerated local myth reinforced by our well-documented racial problems, yearly crime rankings, historic population loss and the 17th time we’ve asked a coastal transplant: "So, why are you here?"

At noon on Nov. 15, while city workers hurriedly decorated Kiener Plaza with holiday lights and erected Christmas trees along Market Street, a chorus of chants and cheers took flight on the autumnal air as St. Louis once more was filled with the melodies of social justice.

More than 1,400 gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender (GLBT) and straight allied activists from throughout the region braved the cold and damp afternoon to protest the recent passage of Proposition 8 in California on the steps of the Old Courthouse downtown.

All pertinent information can be found at Show Me No Hate. I hope to see many of you there.

Peter Cabrera-Nguyen, Ph.D. student at Washington University is leading the local effort to protest the Mormon Church, which Cabrera-Nguyen claims bankrolled the successful effort to pass Proposition 8 in California, which bans gay marriage in the state.  The church's tax-exempt status makes their financial contributions towards banning gay marriage controversial, and could threaten said status.

Rep. Oxford’s Recommendations In the November 4 Election:

 On the Ellen show on October 20, Vice Presidential candidate Joe Biden gave three strong indications of why the LGBT community can trust that they will have allies in the White House when Barack Obama is elected on Nov. 4. First Biden took Ellen’s hand and warmly congratulated her on her recent marriage. Secondly he stated firmly that he would vote No on Proposition 8 to overturn same-sex marriage if he lived in California. Thirdly he reminded the audience that he and Obama have both opposed an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to ban same-sex marriage rights.

The war-ravaged Democratic Republic of Congo has seen the loss of more than 5.4 million lives. In the aftermath of the conflict, rape and brutality against women and children are still commonplace. In an effort to help these women rebuild their lives, Women for Women International is hosting Run for Congo Women.

The 5k and 10k run or walk will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 18 at Queeny Park in Ballwin, Mo. and end with a performance by the dance company Afriky Lolo. Registration costs $20 and includes a t-shirt that participants will receive the day of the event.

The U.S. Department of Transportation defines a scooter as a motorcycle that has a platform for the operator’s feet or has integrated footrests, and features step-through architecture, meaning “that the part of the vehicle forward of the operator’s seat and between the legs of an operator seated in the riding position, is lower in height than the operator’s seat.”

• “There’s no advantage to buying a bike at a big-box retailer,” Weiss said, because it just won’t hold up to the rigors of daily use. He said an investment of $500 to $700 is enough to get a good bike and the equipment necessary to get started.
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