Blogs

The VItal Voice just got wind that barring a very unlikely "no" vote to close off the street by its City Council, Belleville will be hosting its first ever Gay Pride event on Saturday, June 21, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. It will be held on 2nd street between W. Main and A street(s) outside of Club Escapade, which is located at 133 W. Main street.

The confirmed speakers are:

The Honorable Tom Holbrook, Illinois State Rep.
Mr. Lynn Clapp, Chair, Belleville Human Relations Commission
Mr. Mark Kern, Chair, St. Clair County Board.

GasHole is disturbing. Not Requiem for a Dream kind of disturbing, but more the kind of disturbing found in Fast Food Nation. It is a film that digs into the past of the gasoline industry and finds what some might not be too surprised to find – that alternatives to petroleum do exist, that it is possible to get more than quadruple the gas mileage that we are accustomed to getting, and that gas companies have known this for decades and have been very successful at covering it up. In some cases, claim GasHole directors Jeremy Wagener and Scott D. Roberts, the gas companies themselves have been responsible for innovative techniques that would be saving us billions as a country and keeping us safe from the danger of dependency on foreign oil. Not only do they make these claims, but they also have pretty good evidence to back it up.

While Wagener and Roberts have experience in filmmaking, GasHole is their first documentary. So don’t judge too harshly the sometimes-heavy hand of narrator Peter Gallagher and a couple of gimmicky fast cuts here and there. The message is still clear: the tyranny of oil could and should be ended, but it certainly won’t be unless the consumer finds a way to hold those with power (not only gas companies, but congress, too!) accountable for their cash flow driven actions.

And here’s the good news! GasHole was originally scheduled to be in St. Louis for just the past weekend (June 13-15), but because over 400 people turned out to see the film, the Hi-Pointe has decided to remain open (it’s currently in the midst of renovations with a grand-reopening possibility in the future) to show the film for one more weekend. So you can catch GasHole this weekend, June 20-22, at one of the 7 show times (Friday, 7:15 pm; Saturday & Sunday, 2:30, 4:45, 7:15 pm). Matinee and student tickets, $6.75, adult tickets, $8.75. The Hi-Pointe is located at 1001 McCausland Ave. For more info: gasholemovie.com, stlouisgreen.com.

It is all too easy to forget that these old-school hate mongers exist. If it wasn't live and Memorex, one could be lulled into thinking they were a set piece from Geraldo's greatest hits, or one could stare in curious wonderment at a movement thought extinct, much like the first South African to gaze in the Cretaceous eyes of a coelacanth.

Kingsbury Animal Hospital hosts a celebration in honor of its 30th anniversary Saturday, June 7 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The event will include refreshments, entertainment and a silent auction to support the Barkley House. The Barkley House is a temporary establishment where pets who are undergoing medical treatment at the University of Missouri Veterinary Teaching Hospital can meet with their owners.

The Hospital is accepting donations, merchandise and artwork for the silent auction. You can contact Kingsbury Animal Hospital at (314) 721-6251 with questions.

Well into the dot-com era, we have immediate access to information about everything we could possibly envision. A common problem, though, is that despite the availability of information out there (and despite powerful, wide-reaching search engines), people still have difficulties filtering through the mess. Where exactly could you purchase eco-friendly furniture made with FSC-certified wood? Is there such a company in St. Louis who deals with termite and mold control that is safe for humans and pets? What “green” events are happening in your neighborhood?

Via Yahoo's LGBTA listserv, The Vital Voice got wind of an attempted robbery, a shooting, and a possible death on the 2000 block of Russell on Sunday, April 27. St. Louis City Police spokesperson Schron Jackson confirmed an incident happened, sending an email that stated:

At 5:27 a.m. Sunday, detectives responded to the 2000 block of Russell for a shooting, the victim was en route to an area hospital.

Annual Huge Mt. Pleasant Neighborhood Wide Yard Sales - Saturday, 5-03, 7:30am – 2pm. Approx. 20 different houses with treasures for sale. Pick up your map of registered homes at The Original Crusoe’s parking lot on the morning of the sale, 3152 Osceola @ So. Compton .

By Joan Lipkin

Hollywood has lost one of its best and brightest with the passing of Stan Winston.

Winston, the mind behind such memorable special effects as the Tyrannosaurus of "Jurassic Park", the extraterrestrial monsters in "Aliens," and a great many others has died from cancer at the age of 62.

Winston's work was widely recognized in the industry, earning him Oscars in 1986, 1992, and 1993 for "Aliens," "Terminator 2: Judgement Day," and Jurassic Park. He also earned a makeup effects award for his work on Tim Burton's "Batman Returns."

According to data released by the Pew Research Center last September, 58% of Americans know little or nothing about the practices of Islam, a percentage that has changed very little since 2001.

When I met with Melissa Matos, director of the St. Louis chapter of Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a civil rights advocacy group for Muslims in North America, I started the conversation with questions that I hoped were basic, but not misguided.

“Can you clarify the terms Islamic and Muslim?” I asked.