Oooh! Check it SF!

Bummer.

Great idea!

8pm, 400 SE 12th Ave and Oak! Please go. Postcards and paper provided. Just take a minute to show support for our friends behind bars.

Been slacking lately, but we just put up some new stuff online. Check it. We like our new "Never Trust An Ex-Vegan" shirt, but.. yeah, it's a conversation starter at least.

In addition to Let Live this weekend, check out this flyer of non-Let Live related events. Glad folks are putting things together. Good job Portland.

Saturday.pdf

"Hey folks, some friends of Eric McDavid are coming to Blackrose Infoshop (4038 N Mississippi Ave) tonight to put on a video presentation and to talk about Eric's case. There will also be some live music. Come and hang out for a while and make a donation to these great people if you can! Thanks! For more info, visit: www.supporteric.org "

"PrimateLabs.com is a news and information site dedicated to educating the public and assisting animal rights activists in the fight against the use and abuse of primates in laboratories nationwide. Our site features news, commentary, information, and other resources to help educate the public and assist grassroots activists in the fight against cruel and unnecessary primate experimentation. Please be aware that our site is brand new, and so you may spot errors here and there. If you notice something amiss or a bug anywhere, please email us at info@primatelabs.com."

"In a Democracy Now! exclusive interview, we speak with Andrew Stepanian, an animal rights activist who was jailed at a secretive prison known as a Communication Management Unit, or CMU. Stepanian is believed to be the first prisoner released from a CMU and will talk about his experience there for the first time. He was sentenced to three years along with six other activists for violating a controversial law known as the Animal Enterprise Protection Act. The ACLU has filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of CMUs. We also speak with Stepanian’s lawyer and a reporter covering the story."

I really hope this is as good as I think it oughta be...opens tomorrow.  Represent.

"A well-known activist—an anarchic, revolutionary activist—is accused of spying on other activists for the FBI. The strangest thing about the rumor is, it's true. How Brandon Darby transformed from cop-hater to federal witness. Plus, a story by Etgar Keret, about a boy who betrays his people with a pair of shoes."

"Get your fix of ice cream this Friday on the Broadway Bridge. This Friday from 5p to 6:30p there will be an ice cream social on the Broadway Bridge. Tempt Ice Cream, a hemp based vegan ice cream, will be provided by Living Harvest."

Exciting to get a Let Live mention on Jasmin Singer's awesome blog. So excited for this weekend, hope you are too. Register yet?

Sit down, put on some nice instrumental music, maybe Godspeed You Black Emperor, drink some coffee, and read this. And remember why you give a shit.

"She beholds him with her deep, black eyes, thoughts streaming and darting, swelling and swarming in their dark pools, and she envelops him in her symphonic silence, which – you hear it now! – is not really a silence, but a space in which Louie's voice may shine, a protected space where his voice may grow stronger, vaster, freer – not because it can boom against her muteness, but because it can speak for someone other than himself and, in so doing, it may grow from an instrument of self expression to an instrument of grace. Not the abstract concept of grace that we like to discuss and dissect, but the daily practice and experience of it.
"

So, we got a new cookie in called the No Cookie. No eggs, No refined sugar, No wheat. It's a hot debate here at the mini mall now because Chad and Josh Herbivore don't like them, but Emiko, Eben, and Dave looove them. We think you should come find out for yourself.

From our pal Ben:

"Interested in meeting up in a parking lot for a late night "Whiffie"?! I know I am!!

Join us while we attempt to break the record (currently 7) for most Whiffies (fried pies) in an hour.
Whiffies are $3 for sweet, $4 for savory.
Many delicious vegan options are available.
Winner gets the official "Pie Champ" hat and access to the "Pie Champ" Twitter account.
Not up for pounding 8+ pies? Then how about:
Fastest person to eat 3 pies with NO HANDS!!!
WINNER GETS 25 FREE PIES!!!
Gregg (owner of the Whiffie cart) will also be debuting his vegan chocolate creme pie when we arrive that night. The vegan pot pie (a crowd favorite) will also be available, along with additional varieties.
Partial proceeds from sales will benefit: http://www.letlivefoundation.org/
A donation jar will also be passed around. And I will be personally donating a dollar per pie for every person that eats at least 6.

Tuesday, June 23rd. Ride leaves (at 10pm ON THE DOT) from the Honest-1 Autocare Parking lot, SE 20th Ave and Stark St. Bring lights!
(approximately 1 mile downhill to the Whiffie cart : )
Even short rides are fun in big groups. So please make the effort to ride down together.
10:00pm - 11:30pm
The longest contest lasts an hour... or until everyone explodes (whichever comes first)."

Hey, check this page and note all 3 of the Worldwide Vegan Bake sale events coming up. The first one is this Saturday at People's Coop, 12:30-4:30pm. Money going to House of Dreams, who deserves your money. Go!

"Belle Sirota is hosting this event on Saturday at 6 PM, inside Jantzen Beach Center:

VEGANIZE IT!

Transform your favorite recipes in this tasty workshop by naturopath Melissa Berry of Missionary Chocolates.
6 pm, Saturday, June 20

Sample hemp, soy & rice milk alternatives, along with Tofurky items provided by Turtle Island Foods.

Free event, but we will be accepting donations for Sisters of the Road Cafe.

Call (503) 206-7851 to reserve a spot now. Space is limited!

Belle Sirota
1411 Jantzen Beach Center"

Gymnast Shawn Johnson Put To Sleep After Breaking Leg

"On Sunday July 19th, Akemi Salon will be hosting a benefit for the Let Live Foundation. Stylists Suzzette Fasching, Augustus Bowman, Christian McNutt, and one more TBA will be donating their talents for a very worthwhile cause. From noon until eight p.m. the stylists will be performing haircuts for the benefit of the Let Live Foundation. For a suggested donation of $20 for women's hair, and $10 for men's hair, you can look as good as you'll feel after spending time in the chair of some of Portland's most talented stylists. Come treat yourself to a full salon service experience while donating money to a very worthwhile cause.

Augustus, Suzzette, and Christian are all stylists who feel very strongly about a vegan lifestyle, and welcomed the opportunity to pool their talents to raise money for the unexpected expenses incurred in putting on this years Let Live Conference. All the shampoo and hair products used at Akemi Salon is completely cruelty free.

We do ask that you make an appointment, although walk-ins will be serviced as time permits. Please schedule with your desired stylist in advanced to make sure you can be a part of what will surely be a great time for a great cause.

To Schedule Appointments for the day, please call the Stylists directly. All men's haircuts will be handled by Augustus Bowman.

Suzzette - 503-750-8584 (Suzzette is only offering this to new clients only please)
Christian - 503-863-4531
Augustus - 503-528-4173

Akemi Salon is located at 3808 N Williams Ave

Thanks, and hope to see you on the 19th!!!!"

"Last month I wrote about an official with the U.S. Department of Commerce who gave animal exploiters advice about how to minimize threats from animal activists.

In November representatives from the Justice Department will do the same.

They are just some of the people signed up to speak at the National Animal Interest Alliance's 2009 conference Nov. 1-4 in Washington, D.C."

"This morning around 9:30am I was traveling on the MAX reading a book and I saw bright red from the corner of my eye. I looked up to see bright red paint splattered across a building like blood. Then I noticed it was Nicholas Ungar Furs. So I got off the train to get some photos and info for this article. The entrance, the sidewalk, the windows, and the sign on the front of the building were significantly splattered. The Police arrived very shortly after I did leading me to believe that perhaps this just happened last night."

"Be a part of the world's largest day of action to end the suffering of elephants in zoos. Events will be taking place in at least 30 cities around the globe.
What: International Day of Action for Elephants in Zoos - educational leafleting
When: Saturday June 20, 2009, 11 a.m.- 1 p.m.
Where: Oregon Zoo, 4001 Canyon Rd. Portland
More info: Matt Rossell, 503-890-5151, matt@idausa.org"

We may have posted this before, but... watch this trailer. This kind of thing has such potential to change things.

"The promo code to get the special pricing is "animals" and you can share it with all of your friends, family and co-workers. All we ask is that people remember this is also a fundraiser for our animal rescue efforts so we hope they will support our auction, raffle and book signings. Please use this opportunity to show your support for our hard work on behalf of the animals of our community, many of whom you have adopted!"

Hey all. Wanted to give you the heads up about an all vegan coffee shop on 52nd and Burnside called Cafe Lucha. It's run by some sincere folks and features an array of delicious joints from Sweetpea Bakery, Voodoo Donuts, Stumptown Coffee, and some others I can't remember. They even feature a Soyritzo bagel sandwich. Wicked. Lots of gluten-free options also. There's a small selection of important books for you to peruse as well, if book learnin' is your thing. Try to support these folks. It can't be terrbily easy to have a vegan cafe that far out. And ride your bike. There's already too much traffic on Burnside.

"Maybe he meant to say "fierce apathy." Or "fierce antipathy." Because if this shit is "fierce advocacy," Mr. President, we'll take benign neglect. Obama's Justice Department filed a brief late last night seeking the dismissal of a legal challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act in a federal court in California. Obama didn't have to do this. Other presidents have refused to defend laws that they believed were unconstitutional or unjust. But Obama is defending DOMA. On what grounds?"

"International Call In Day Monday - June 15th. Call E-Bay and ask them to stop posting cruel trophy hunt sales! Lions, bears, leopards, wolves and other predators on the auction block."

Soft servie is ON! Noon til it runs out. Come get it.

This looks awesome. Congrats to Greg for helping get this thing made.

This footage taken at a recent Let Live organizing meeting.

Hey everybody, don't forget to some drop some $$$ around here tomorrow. There are rumors of soft serve (c/o Blossoming Lotus) at Food Fight.

"In reaction, the food industry has mounted a Rovean-strength, batten-down-the-hatches preëmptive defense. (I can just picture the discussions in corporate agribusiness headquarters: “Gentleman, we thought ‘The Omnivore’s Dilemma‘ would never spread past the arugula set. We won’t make that mistake again.”) They’ve got a counter-propaganda website, SafeFoodInc.org, and are penning flurries of blog posts and press releases accusing the film of scaremongering and factual distortion. (Monsanto’s spin minions have handily collected all the film’s various rebuttals for you in one place.)"

Wow, this is uplifting! Go team!

"The underground laboratory would provide a more secure location for animal research.

In 2004, vandals broke into animal research laboratories housed in Spence Laboratories and Seashore Hall on UI campus causing $450,000 worth of damage. Animal Liberation Front claimed responsibility for the incident."

"I received this email in my inbox today.

It’s a Take Down Request from the University of Berkeley in regards to a commenter’s post left here at Vegan Soapbox over a year ago."

"The annual Bible Rodeo Camp is designed to teach kids ages 8-14 about the Bible and all things rodeo, from riding to roping and horsemanship to barreling. Instructor Danny Bliss says the entire staff is touched by what the kids accomplish."

Bummer. Looks like Nhut Quang closed down. Such nice folks.

So... we know its been a long time, but Higher Taste finally has some new vegan stuff out. We're getting 2 new burritos today. Both with Soy Curls! Fajita and BBQ. Nice.

"Is it just me, or is there suddenly a fantastic selection of animal activism books out there? I think we’re seeing a very encouraging trend, as writers and publishers both recognize the value in introducing new titles to help activists speak up for animals. "

Storefront posters going up on Friday and you'll be able to buy tickets here at Food Fight. Nice idea, right?

Dandies are back in stock, for a little while. Order/buy them while you can.

""I was getting ready to pick up a piece of meat off the line and I felt it -- the percussion. And you could feel it in my chest and my ears popped," said worker Chris Woods. "One of the guys I was working with got blown back -- his hat flew backwards.""

"Meet at 9:30 AM at Seattle's Best Coffee, 1742 SW 6th, right near PSU.

We will be car pooling to a neighborhood west of downtown afterward to distribute door hangers informing residents of the wasteful practices of OHSU animal researchers. This is a fun, non-confrontational way of getting exercise and doing something good with your Sunday morning!"

Here you go! We're very very excited about this. Take a nice long gander, figure out what you want to see (sorry, you can't attend everything), and get excited. Please help spread the word too, we can use all the help we can get.

Got a few minutes? Listen to Chad and Josh Hooten talking about the Let Live Conference, using their signature wit and sarcasm.

Hey, if you are feeling it, we're collecting some cash to put aside to help our pal Josh Harper (in the middle of the above photo, hanging with his D&D buddies) get back on his feet when he gets out of prison in early July. There is a bucket here at FF if you feel like throwing in something. Every bit will make a difference.

Or, if you're out of town, you can mail it (well concealed cash):
1217 SE Stark
Portland, OR
97214

Just got in a bunch of Whizzers, like vegan MandMs. $2.25 for not a big bag, but... worth it. From the UK and stuff.

Holy crap! Awesome news. Seems to be that ALL of them, not just Lloyd Center have closed down. Good riddance.

"The Center for Consumer Freedom and its unscrupulous mouthpiece are fond of pretending that they do care about at least basic animal welfare but that they're just "normal" about it, as opposed to those of us who are extreme--that is, those of us who really care about eliminating unnecessary suffering rather than just occasionally pretending to care for sake of PR. Well, here's one of those great examples of how much they care."

We've been out for a long time, but now you are free again to soap up.

"As of May 2009, I have been at USP Marion's "Communication Management Unit," or CMU, for roughly nine months and now is a good time to address the misconceptions (and the silence) regarding this unit. I want to offer a snapshot of my day-to-day life here as well as some analysis of what the existence of CMUs in the federal prison system implies. It is my hope that this article will partially fill the void of information that exists concerning the CMU, will help dispel rumors, and will inspire you to support those of us on the inside fighting the existence of these isolation units -- in the courts and in the realm of public opinion."

"But the show feels aggressively off-kilter with the current mood, as if it had been incubated in the early to mid-’90s, when it was possible to find global-warming skeptics among even the reasonable and informed. Who really thinks of wind power — an allusion to which is a running visual gag in the show — as mindless, left-wing nonsense anymore?

Mr. Judge, who remains obsessed with the absurdities of political correctness, still has his head very much in the Clinton years, and it is possible to watch “The Goode Family” feeling so thoroughly transported back to another time that you wonder where all the Monica Lewinsky jokes went. Sometimes you’ve just got to grab your cup of free-trade coffee and move on."

First come, first serve. We have about 10 free passes (2 people per pass) for June 16th @ 7pm @ Cinema 21. Just ask.

don't forget the amazing bake sale happening in food fight right now. all money goes to the let live conference at the end of the month. there are delicious items here people! ice cream sandwiches, all kinds of cookies, rice krispy treats, cupcakes, etc.

Just wanting to give a reminder, the last Tuesday of every month is Prisoner Letter Writing night at the Red and Black. Write a letter, get 10% off your purchase. Mark your calendars and go!

"Germany’s Bremerhaven zoo reports that two “gay” adult male penguins have hatched a chick and are now acting as its adoptive parents.

The male penguins, Z and Vielpunkt, were given an egg that had been rejected by its biological parents, the zoo said on Wednesday.

Z and Vielpunkt reported to be happily rearing the chick, which is now four weeks old.

Bremerhaven zoo made headlines in 2005 when it announced plans to "test" the sexual orientation of penguins with homosexual qualities.

Three pairs of male penguins had been observed attempting to mate with one another and attempting to hatch offspring from stones. So the zoo brought in four females to try to get the penguins to reproduce, but abandoned the plan shortly thereafter amid outrage by gay rights activists who accused the zoo of meddling in the animals' behavior. The six "gay" penguins, which include Z and Vielpunkt, remain at the zoo."

Wow. Tons of marshmallows here. Tons. Four different kinds of the Sweet and Sara "gourmet" joints, a couple bags of the Dandies, two kinds of smores. Wicked.

Just got word that In Defense of Animals is kicking down for sponsorship of the Let Live Conference. And also, that Little Otsu is donating a grip of their lovely greeting card/postcards for the Prisoner Support table so folks on the inside will get something nice in the mail.

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"WHAT: Letter Writing Group
WHEN: Wednesday, June 10th, 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
WHERE: NW IDA Office, 1732 NE Alberta St.

Please RSVP to Jane Bicquette at jbicquette@gmail.com, 503-380-4647, or simply show up.

This is an ongoing event scheduled for the second Wednesday of each month, 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

What to bring: Your compassion for animals, and your laptop if you have one and would like to compose your letter (or email) on it.

Provided: Vegan snack/drinks; paper, pens, clipboards for writing on, envelopes, stamps, relevant addresses and "talking point" information.

Goal: To provide ongoing support and resources for creating and sending factual, convincing letters addressing a variety of animal rights and animal welfare issues.

Format:
-Greetings and introductions.
-A topic will be presented, via dvd, speaker, and/or handouts, lasting no longer than one-half hour, followed by a brief discussion of key points. Present handout of key information and contacts.
-Participants may then choose to take the handouts with them, or remain at the meeting and engage in an actual writing group, where attendees will compose drafts or complete the letter (or email) at that time.
-At 8:50 p.m., we'll have a very brief closure discussion, including suggestions for future topics. Cleanup IDA office space.
-Finish by 9:00 p.m. sharp

Please arrive on time. Topic: Omak Suicide Race. We will be writing to elected officials, news editors, and others.

And in July, the topic will be elephants in circuses and zoos."

"WHAT: Education and Outreach at the Oregon Zoo
WHEN: Saturday, June 20th, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
WHERE: Oregon Zoo, 4001 SW Canyon Rd., Portland, OR 97221

IDA invites you to participate in the first International Day of Action for Elephants in Zoos (IDAEZ), a global event aimed at bringing attention to the plight of elephants in zoos, and ending their suffering. On Saturday, June 20, pro-elephant advocates will turn out en masse at their nearest zoos, holding outreach events and demonstrations to educate the public about the tragic effects of keeping elephants in small, impoverished zoo pens where they suffer and die.

We'll be near the main entrance to the zoo."

"Come join us Saturday, June 6 2009 from 12 to 4 pm, 36831 Richardson Gap Rd., Scio for an afternoon of fun activities including hay wagon rides, hoof trimming demonstrations, entertainment, tours and more. Learn about the animals, the sanctuary and the work we strive to accomplish. Also, you will be able to meet our new arrivals and edible treats for the animals will be available. This celebration is free to the public, but some activities and the treats will have a nominal suggested donation. Other donations are gladly accepted."

When: Saturday, June 6, 2009 / 12 pm to 4 pm

"Kris Holechek, author of the excellent nomnomnomblog.com blog and The 100 Best Vegan Baking Recipes, is holding a bake sale:

DATE:Saturday June 20, 2009
TIME:12:30pm – 4:30pm
VENUE:People's Coop Community Room
ADDRESS:3029 SE 21st Ave., Portland, OR 97202 [map]
MORE INFO:nomblog@gmail.com. Contact this email if you're interested in baking, also.
PROCEEDS:Will benefit House of Dreams, a no-kill cat shelter.

This just in — Equalize is holding a bake sale:

DATE:Thursday June 25, 2009
TIME:TBD (probably 6pm – )
VENUE:Alberta Arts, Last Thursday (exact location TBD)
MORE INFO: info@equalizeit.com
PROCEEDS:All proceeds will go to help Equalize educate young music fans on issues that affect the sexual and gender minority community."

Just got a text message from Lisa at Sweetpea:

"Hey, I'm posting online that we are donating half of our brunch sales to Let Live this week."

Holy crap. Very touching to have such support from the community. Please go give these folks some money, and get full and happy. Support your local vegan business.

"The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently allowed companies to slap a “naturally raised” label on meat and meat products that come from animals whose upbringing was far from natural. Raising animals in intensive confinement on factory farms, with no access to sunshine or fresh air is that natural? We say no! Furthermore, such a label misleads the public and exploits consumer trust in advertising and packaging claims and in government regulation of agriculture.

Let the USDA know you won’t stand for such deceptive claims. Tell them their “naturally raised” label is not natural!"

A great article from a very established magazine about the non-future of meat-eating.

"From now until the conference, we will donate 10% of sales from Wednesday nights to the Let Live Foundation. Come on by and munch on vegan goodness whilst sipping a fine vegan wine! Reservations recommended.

Peace,

Aaron"

Any of you kids want to mosh in the pit tonight, there's a show at 5025 SE Market St. at 6:30pm. Anchor (vegan band from Sweden), Run with the Hunted, Unrestrained (yay Gus!), Not Sorry, and Envision are playing. $7!

"David Carradine, star of the 1970s TV series "Kung Fu" whose career roared back to life when he played the assassin-turned-victim in Quentin Tarentino's "Kill Bill," was found dead Thursday in Thailand. Police said he appeared to have hanged himself."

Check out these nice folks who are helping sponsor the Let Live Conference. Pretty rad, huh?

""Rocky Mountain Animal Defense (RMAD) has worked to help eliminate the human-imposed suffering of animals in the Rocky Mountain region since 1994. Based in Boulder, CO, RMAD furthers its mission through public education, investigation and research, the legislative process, direct action, and appeals to reason and compassion. We are currently looking for an executive director with big ideas, energy and creativity that can take this established organization into a new era. If interested, please send me a short summary of your qualifications and your ideas for where you would take our organization. Questions and applications should be sent to Dr. Scott Plummer at vegandancingdoctor@gmail.com.""

Holy crapaloo. Just got in new Sweet and Sara Cinnamon Pecan and Strawberry marshmallows.

Now have this good stuff online. Buy and burn.

Remember Crumblz? Long gone? Yeah, it seemed, but now they're back under a new brand name, Laura Lee's. Just got in Macadamia Coconut and Original Peanut. Come get some ButterFinger-y goodness and make your teeth hurt.

Tomorrow (6/4) is Sip's one year anniversary! Congrats to Mr. Heck for making Portland a nicer place.

Go over tomorrow (in front of People's Coop) and celebrate with a milkshake. Sip is going to donate 100% of the milkshake profits help fund the Let Live Conference. So... no excuses. Go freeze your brain and support a good cause.

"Salt Lake County employees did not violate the free-speech rights of animal-rights activists who protested a Utah circus by calling police to break up the demonstration, the 10th Circuit ruled."

"Farmers must learn what animal activists are saying and doing in our home state, especially when they are in our backyard. And activists need to see what we look like, and when appropriate, hear our message about responsible animal care and stewardship.

We cannot let anti-farming, anti-livestock/poultry legislation get one little toe in the barn door in Minnesota. Too much is at stake."

"These are the places to direct staunch critics of veganism. These resources show the connection between animal agriculture and environmental destruction, animal agriculture and public health threats, animal agriculture and animal abuse. And these sources are not biased for animals rights or veganism:"

Oooh, benefit movie night! June 14th. 8pm. The Artistery, 4315 SE Division. $3.

Come feel patriotic pride swell in your heart (just kidding) and cheer for the Wolverines and raise money for Romania Animal Rescue (http://www.romaniaanimalrescue.com/). Good folks.

And if really need more info on this classic brainiac film:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087985/

Got Isa Moskowitz's new "Vegan Brunch" book available online finally. So, order it, ok?

Yo. Emiko and Rachael are going to be selling baked goods, iced tea, and ice cream sandwiches outside of the store on Saturday starting at noon. All hard earned moneys will go to the Let Live Conference. Please come get some cookies and what nots.

This just in, SweetPea is gonna donate some stuff too, thanks Lisa.

"Hello, Friends!

The Let Live Animal Rights Conference is just around the corner and we are in need of volunteers. Volunteering is a great way to get involved and for those who volunteer at least two hours- it also means FREE admission to the entire conference! How can you beat that? You can’t! So join us Wednesday, June 10th at 8pm at Food Fight (1217 SE Stark) to learn more.

If you can’t make the volunteer meeting but are interested in helping out, please e-mail us at elsbeth@letlivefoundation.org and we’ll set you up. Thank you for supporting animals and Let Live!

xoxo
the Let Live crew"

Hello all. Just wanted to drop y'all a line to let you know that we just got some Rainier cherries, yellow peaches, and nectarines in this morning. The cherries are a lovely sweet/sour, ready to chow down. The peaches and nectarines are still a bit firm and could use a couple days to ripen, unless you like your shits real crisp. Well then they're perfect. We also still have a sale on raspberries going on, and we're finally stocking limes. Come buy this stuff and be healthy y'all.

"Dr. George Tiller, one of the few late-term abortion providers in the country, was murdered inside his church on Sunday, and the only suspect is Scott Roeder, a man The New York Times said “had professed an anti-government, anti-abortion philosophy.” U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder called the murder an “abhorrent act of violence,” but he hasn’t used the word “terrorism.” Not once."

Wanted to let everyone know some nice folks will be at Pioneer Square talking to people about veganism. If anyone wants to help, please show up there, and bring your own literature.