AltWeeklies Wire
Dreaming of a Green Christmasnew

Here are some tips to keep a greener, more respectful holiday this year, and some ideas for you (and local governments) for future Christmas seasons.
Creative Loafing (Tampa) |
Wayne Garcia |
12-16-2008 |
Environment
Must Love Meth: Drug-Testing Company is Desperately Seeking Tweekersnew
Despite the talk of rising unemployment, we have found work for members of South Florida's lighter-fluid-and-Drano-ingesting set.
Miami New Times |
Gus Garcia-Roberts |
12-15-2008 |
Drugs
Denver's Rocky Mountain News is Going Downnew
E.W. Scripps has put the tabloid up for sale, but if no buyer emerges by mid-January, the company says it will explore "other options."
Zac Mazzotta Takes the Safe Sex Industry by Stormnew
Using extreme-sports-based marketing and a unique type of latex that he personally traveled the world over to find, Mazzotta has steered Santa Barbara-based Bravo from industry newbie to international critical acclaim.
Santa Barbara Independent |
Ethan Stewart |
12-15-2008 |
Sex
L.A. Couple Calls for Gay Designers to Boycott Straight Weddingsnew
While others have designated Dec. 10 as a shopping day without gays, ChadMichael Morrisette and Mito Aviles are calling for a gay boycott on straight weddings. And if they get their way, there's going to be a whole lot of ugly happening each time man takes woman to be his lawfully wedded wife.
L.A. Weekly |
Gendy Alimurung |
12-12-2008 |
LGBT
Funds Cut for Campus Assault Preventionnew
Combating sexual assault is especially tough if your workspace is the size of a professional basketball player's shoebox.
Boston Phoenix |
Sara Faith Alterman |
12-12-2008 |
Education
Shutting Down Public-Access TV in L.A.new

If everything unfolds as planned, Time Warner will walk away from operating 12 public-access studios in L.A, which help everyday people to create hundreds of hours of content on 11 freewheeling, neighborhood-based public channels.
L.A. Weekly |
Patrick Range McDonald |
12-12-2008 |
Media
Militaries Map Out Scenarious for the Coming Climate Change Conflictsnew

I realized two years ago that the military in various countries were starting to run climate change scenarios in-house. So I started interviewing everybody I could get access to: not only senior military people, but scientists, diplomats and politicians.
NOW Magazine |
Gwynne Dyer |
12-12-2008 |
Environment
$35 for Your Thoughts on the Economynew
What justifies a national news story saying the psychic business is booming in these uncertain times?
Colorado Springs Independent |
Anthony Lane |
12-11-2008 |
Economy
Gay Marriage in D.C. is Only a Matter of Timenew
Eleanor Holmes Norton thinks undue haste on gay marriage could be Congressionally disastrous, but Councilman David A. Catania is going to introduce a bill anyway.
Washington City Paper |
Mike DeBonis |
12-11-2008 |
LGBT
Man Sues Bank Over Debit Card Feesnew
Dennis Charlton is taking one of Greater Cincinnati's largest corporations to court in a legal showdown that potentially could affect thousands of local banking customers.
Cincinnati CityBeat |
Kevin Osborne |
12-11-2008 |
Economy
As Recession Spreads, Santa Feans Buy Gold, Guns and Generatorsnew
Even Barack Obama says the economy will get worse before it gets better. In the meantime, freaked out New Mexicans are putting their money where they can see it: at home, under lock and key. And they're packing heat, just in case.
Santa Fe Reporter |
Corey Pein |
12-11-2008 |
Economy
Pain -- and Possibility -- Arise as the Language of Race Decaysnew
The way out of this -- past notions of racial purity and beyond words like "multi-racial" and "other" -- need not be difficult. It will require us to recognize the faulted language we've inherited and consciously opt to ditch it.
Arkansas Times |
Mara Leveritt |
12-11-2008 |
Race & Class
Remembering the Lessons of Harvey Milknew
As the 30th anniversary of his assassination approached last week, coupled with the opening of the new Sean Penn biopic on his life, it became clear that the lessons of Milk are being lost to the newest generation of the LGBT community.
Vermont's Iraqi Refugees Struggle to Rebuild Shattered Livesnew

In the last year, about 50 Iraqis have been resettled in the Burlington area, and their numbers are growing.
Seven Days |
Ken Picard |
12-10-2008 |
Immigration