AltWeeklies Wire
Adult Ed Gets Reprievenew
While President Barack Obama broadly stressed the importance of education and workforce retraining in his State of the Union address, students, teachers, parents and advocates have been mobilizing to prevent Los Angeles Unified School District from making a half billion dollars in cuts at the expense of adult education.
Random Lengths News |
Zamna Avila |
02-23-2012 |
Education
Retired Industry Expert Joins Gas Refinery Fight in the Los Angeles South Baynew
After spending more than three decades working in the oil industry, Connie Rutter is the perfect citizen advocate to advance the community’s effort to shut the dangerous Rancho LPG tank facility.
Random Lengths News |
Paul Rosenberg |
02-23-2012 |
Environment
Free Trade Doesn't Worknew
There's been something wrong in this land for several decades now--most people have been sensing that but haven't been able to put a name to it. Finally, economist Ian Fletcher wrote a book called, "Free Trade Doesn't Work" which pretty effectively says it all.
Random Lengths News |
Lionel Rolfe |
02-13-2012 |
Commentary
The Truth About On The Roadnew

In his latest book, Gerald Nicosia has unlocked the dynamic of Jack Kerouac and Neal Cassady, and not a moment too soon.
Random Lengths News |
Lionel Rolfe |
01-02-2012 |
Author Profiles & Interviews
The Greatest Music In The Worldnew
You might ask by what right do I have to proclaim what is the greatest music in the world and what isn’t. Who the hell am I? Well, you can judge by what I say, but when it comes right down to it, your opinion has as much validity as mine.
Random Lengths News |
Lionel Rolfe |
12-08-2011 |
Commentary
The Trotsky Projectnew
What does the old Left from the 1950s have to say to today's Occupy Movement?
Random Lengths News |
Lionel Rolfe |
11-22-2011 |
#OCCUPY
Thoughts On Steve Jobs, Capitalism, Cybernetics & Old Reactionary Bankersnew
I’ve never been a fan of capitalism, but Steve Jobs made that a difficult position to uphold.
Random Lengths News |
Lionel Rolfe |
10-10-2011 |
Commentary
An Insidious Pack Of Scoundrelsnew
The insidious pack of scoundrel running for President on the Republican side make it difficult for me to figure out if I should shit or go blind in the event Obama were defeated by one of them. On the one hand, it's clear that the smartest among them is John Huntsman. He's not an obvious scoundrel like a Perry or a Bachman. He is intelligent, and for that reason I hope he is not the candidate. He's the only one who would have a chance of successfully going head to head with Obama. Hopefully he won't be the Republican candidate, I guess, but then I get the chills. I used to think that Ronald Reagan was a man who could never be elected president. I was wrong.
Random Lengths News |
Lionel Rolfe |
09-14-2011 |
Commentary
Altadena Man Remembers Civil Rights Struggle On Eve Of MLK Statue Dedicationnew

This Sunday when President Obama dedicates the $120 million Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the National Mall in Washington D.C. in front of the nearly 31-foot tall statue of the man who delivered his "I have a dream" speech there on Aug. 28, 1963, one Altadena man will feel especially stirred by the events. This Sunday will be about celebrating that speech which occurred 48 years ago to the day.
Random Lengths News |
Lionel Rolfe |
08-26-2011 |
Civil Liberties
People’s Capitalism Is Dead!new
With two of the three leading Republican candidates for president threatening to set up a new Christian theocracy, this next election may be our last. We know that it will be brutal, the Republicans will use every cheap bullying lie and tactic that they can, and we’ll end up with America’s first fascist state if they prevail.
Random Lengths News |
Lionel Rolfe |
08-26-2011 |
Commentary
The Sierra God Machinenew

This is an excerpt from Lionel Rolfe’s unpublished novel, “The Misadventures of Ari Mendelsohn,” a novel of the ‘60s.
Random Lengths News |
Lionel Rolfe |
07-29-2011 |
Excerpts
Peace and Redemption: One Soldier's Story of an Uncovered Warnew

As part of a two-part series, this issue of Random
Lengths News brings readers the story of Ethan McCord, the soldier who rescued two wounded children.
Random Lengths News |
Zamná Ávila |
07-05-2011 |
War
Who Was The Real Columbo?new
The death of Peter Falk at 83, the actor whose most famous role was a rumpled, eccentric Los Angeles police detective named “Lt. Columbo,” brought to mind the real story of who Columbo was.
Random Lengths News |
Lionel Rolfe |
07-01-2011 |
Commentary
Tags: Columbo, Peter Falk
A Reunion At Mt. Lowenew
Lionel Rolfe is the author of “Literary L.A.,” about which a documentary is being made. The following are his recollections of his teen years at Mount Lowe Military Academy in Altadena, California and the secrets that mostly died with its closing.
Random Lengths News |
Lionel Rolfe |
06-27-2011 |
History
Cycle of Deceit, Part 2 Huey’s Christian Agenda Shorts Facts and Jesusnew
In Part 1 of this story, we described how Republican candidate for the 36th Congressional District, Craig Huey promotes a circle of deceit with regard to economics and budget issues: He pumps up hysteria, which makes it easier to believe false or exaggerated claims, which in turn fuels further hysteria and the belief in even more false or exaggerated claims. We took on economics first, because it’s easier to nail down facts involving hard numbers, and thus make clear what Huey is doing. This issue, we turn our attention to Huey’s religious conservatism and related electoral activism.
Random Lengths News |
Paul Rosenberg |
06-21-2011 |
Elections