The fierce urgency of now and then. On May 24, 1963, concerned about the potential for race-related riots nationwide after Birmingham, Attorney General Robert Kennedy met with group of prominent black intellectuals and artists, such as Kenneth Clark, Clarence B. Jones, and Harry Belafonte, in a meeting organized by James Baldwin (YouTube 7:07... and also 6:27 and 6:28, if you're interested.) The tone of this emotionally wrenching meeting, however, would be greatly influenced by the presence of fifteen-year-old Jerome Smith, a nonviolent CORE volunteer who was being treated in New York for jaw and head injuries sustained after a brutal beating by segregationists in Mississippi. [more inside]
posted by markkraft on Nov 3, 2008 - 12 comments

The Hero of Burbank, The Man They Call Jayne. Just a day before it starts, the Firefly-focused "Flanvention" convention was canceled by Booster Entertainment (who took down their entire site in the process), leaving about 500 "flans" who had paid $225 for a weekend pass (some math) (and some who paid $5000 for lifetime passes to all Booster cons — although that may not have been as foolish as it might appear) and who had made nonrefundable flights and nonrefundable hotel reservations with nothing for the money they had spent on con(vention) passes or their accommodations. Now, that, in and of itself, is quite unpleasant but perhaps not MeFi-worthy — but what pushes this over the edge to being a cool story is when the Firefly actors decided to come out anyway — evidently unpaid — for their "flans." [more inside]
posted by WCityMike on Dec 8, 2006 - 62 comments

In 1993, Damien Echols, Jesse Miskelley, and Jason Baldwin were tried and imprisoned for the ritual satanic slaying of 3 8 year old boys. I just finished watching Paradise Lost and Paradise Lost 2 and was compelled to check out the West Memphis 3 in more depth.

Echols has written an autobiography. Miskelley, with an IQ of 72, made a confession which believed to have been a textbook example of coercion.
Jason Baldwin is active in petitioning Arkansas Governer Mike Huckabee.

Most articles I've come across are convinced of their innocence and consider this case a result of 'satanic panic'. What's not so convincing, is the innocence of John Mark Byers.
posted by pieoverdone on Jul 16, 2006 - 34 comments

Hardcore Faith. Actor Stephen Baldwin on his skateboarding ministry and why it's OK to call the Lord 'dude.'
posted by matteo on Oct 10, 2005 - 125 comments

Vote Bush!
posted by tiaka on Sep 18, 2000 - 16 comments