Unions such as the socialist FGTB/ABVV with one million members in its Flemish section – almost half the working population – can do a lot. I myself was in one of the two biggest trade unions in Belgium, having advanced to a leading position of responsibility for their migrant worker policy. Mine, however, turned out to be a purely ceremonial function.

I had no notion of cultural or identity politics at that stage. I was not alone being paid to combat discrimination in the labour market. I had fifteen colleagues alongside me. But they didn’t let us get on with it.

We were encouraged to organise events to enhance the union’s profile, and that of the socialist party to which it was linked. That was it. We were certainly not intended to have any structural impact on the problem.

Is indecency running rampant in our shopping malls?

A rigorous legal criteria ensures that neither museum nor mall aesthetics are subject to random, punitive witch hunts.

Lawmakers face tough vote on smoking ban

The legislation highlights the inconsistencies in the smoking debate. If it's important to protect the health of restaurant and bar employees, why shouldn't casino employees be afforded the same protection?Ultimately, it's difficult to predict what a smoking ban might look like after it snakes its way through the legislative process. Some House GOP members are set to offer amendments that would exempt bars and family farm corporations from smoking bans.Who can say no to family farmers? And if smokers can't go to a bar to puff, where can they go?It all raises some difficult questions for state lawmakers, who likely will have to take votes that will anger some people back home. The question is, which people. .

CHILE: Despite Decline in Fertility, No Drop in Teen Pregnancies

Forced to leave school after becoming pregnant at the age of 16, she now works six days a week as a cleaner in a supermarket, earning 130 dollars a month. She turns her entire salary over to her parents, with whom she lives in a poor neighbourhood in southern Santiago.

"My son Jonathon is three years old, and my mother takes care of him while I work, Monday to Saturday. I was in high school when I got pregnant, but I had to quit school and go to work, because the baby's father is the same age as me and he was going to school too, and his family didn't want me to go and live with them," she told IPS.

Like Inostroza, the vast majority of teenage mothers in Chile are poor, unmarried and live with their parents or their partners' parents, according to a study published this month in the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) Review.

Special Flu Shot Clinics coming soon!

Are you protected from the flu? Health experts say it's not too late to get your flu shot.

The Minnesota Department of Health says the flu season has yet to peak. The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention says flu is widespread in Minnesota.

Special Flu Fighter Clinics are being planned due to the recent death of a 12 year old girl in Minneapolis.

Dates & Times
The Minnesota Visiting Nurse Agency will hold a clinic Saturday, March 1 from 10 am to 2 pm at their office at 3433 Broadway Street NE, Suite 300 in Minneapolis for anyone ages 6 months and older.

Public clinics for adults and children age five and older will be held at 20 CUB Pharmcy locations:
Friday, March 7th, 3:00 - 7:00pm
Saturday, March 8th, 10:00am - 2:00pm

Below, you'll find a listing of the 20 CUB Pharmcy locations hosting the special flu shot clinics.

Gators handle Seminoles in close contest

The UF women's tennis team continued its dominance of in-state rival Florida State on Wednesday, but it wasn't as easy as the score might indicate.The No. 5 Gators posted a 6-1 victory to push their all-time record against the No. 20 Seminoles to 48-0."Probably about an hour and change into the singles match, it was dicey," UF coach Roland Thornqvist said. "It was tight on almost every court. And so I really liked how we responded at that point." .

December 2006

I spoke to my daughter Sage who was 3 years old about the children in Uganda, Africa. As I packed our luggage for our return trip to North Carolina, I struggled to close our suitcase. Sage sat on the edge of the bed. She looked at me and said Mommy I want to give my clothes to help Africa These words gave birth to what is known today as The Blissful Sage Foundation Inc.
Through the BlissfulSage Foundation, I seek to make a positive difference in the lives of others. One particular difference is to raise health awareness. Like so many families, mine has been touched by cancer. In honor of my parents, the BlissfulSage Foundation seeks Cancer Awareness in developing countries like Belize and is committed to raise awareness of Cancer, HIV, and Diabetesdiseases that quietly disable many people of color around the world.

Candidates offer final messages before Iowa caucus

I have always admired your family and the things they stood for. I was in college when that fatal day came and we no longer had our inspiration, your brother. I am disappointed in who you are endorsing. To think about all the times that the Clintons were here for you, and now you just put them aside. I think about it, and I thougt you were above the good old boys. Not so sure about that now. Hillary, a women. Maybe that just does not sit well with you Kennedys. I just don't understand. She is a great lady that certainly helped your party out by staying with Bill. The party owes her more than a senate seat. She should have all of you out there shouting her attributes. It was alright for Bill to be used to get votes for our new governor. He also has a short memory. I will have a hard time voting for either one of you because of this.

Rams offer new hope in new course

In more ways than one, the Rams are in transition. The franchise changed hands with the death of beloved owner Georgia Frontiere. Her son, Chip Rosenbloom, is in control now, though it will take time for him to assume a more proactive role.

To their credit, the Rams aren't moping around, waiting for a dramatic transformation to occur, until a new course is set by Rosenbloom. Instead, the front office and coaching staff are making things happen.

"We just have to go," Rams general manager Jay Zygmunt said. "We're circling the wagons. We don't get this time back. It's an important offseason. You just can't stop."

The Rams are off to an encouraging start in their attempt to dig out from under a disastrous 3-13 season. .

Dan DeLuca's 2007 Mix CD

Full-length CDs still have their place, but the iPod revolution has seen to it that the song reigns supreme. Here's a mix of 21 of the year's best that can fit on one disc. 1. "1 2 3 4," Feist. Canadian coffeehouse queen counts off the simple pleasures on her iPod ad and excellent The Reminder. 2. "Annabelle," Hail Social. Irresistibly airy synth-pop longing from Philadelphia band's Modern Love & Death CD. 3. "The Coolest Kid In School," The Teeth. Kinks-y catchiness from these gleaming incisors, whose You're My Lover Now is the local indie-pop album of the year. 4. "A-Punk," Vampire Weekend. Bloggers went bananas over these Afro-pop-flavored Ivy Leaguers, whose debut is due in January. 5. "Girlfriend," Avril Lavigne. Let the courts decide if this is a bald rip-off of the Rubinoos' "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend"; enjoy the meanness in the meantime.

GHANA: 'Nearly 275,000’ affected by floods in little-known disaster

There is an imminent famine in the area," added Nana Akrasi-Sarpong, public relations manager at the Ministry of the Interior, appealing to the international community for help.

The government says it has set up an emergency task force to plan for future floods, and has already taken “adequate measures" to deal with the expected famine resulting from the flooding, according to the government website.

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BOYS TENNIS: DV duo makes sacrifice for betterment of team

They could have been champions. After finishing as the runners-up in the state 5A Division I tennis doubles championship last year, Desert Vista’s Barnaby and Ahmad Saleem could have had the inside track to the title this season. Instead, they decided to take one for the team. "They came to me and said they would like to split up this year because they thought it would put us in a better position to win two doubles matches every day and take the pressure off everyone else in the single," Desert Vista coach Wayne Brimley explained. Brimley may be in his first season as a boys varsity tennis coach, but he’s worn a whistle around his neck long enough to be open to a legitimate proposal. "Barnaby and Saleem would have had a good shot at state," Brimley said. "I was going to leave them together.