Eyesocket Miracles

Take the mass out of your communication
We’ve got a cist of innovation
Standing in between
Our vitality and the self same entropy
That used to sustain our reality--
That fear that we forgot how to fight
Is blocking our throats
And catching the things
We might have swallowed
When we knew how to sit close
And close was comfort
When we knew the strings in our throats
Not only connected
Our brains to our feet to our future
But also connected us to our brother
To our dreams
The same ones that even now
Are trembling in our trachea
Too terrified to come true
In a world where lies taste like love
And truth only trickles from sinners’ tongues
And the ears are too timid
Or too tortured
Or too entranced
To transform

So take the masses out of your cords of communication
Burdened and Broken tongues
Sound so stale when spoken
So unceremoniously
And I aim to aim my arrow of community directly
At this misguided misconception of connectivity
Hoping only to hit those things we love most
Because my lines have yet to snap
Because the degradation
Of my poetry
Into commodity
Not only frightens me
But offends me
I am much more grand
Than these strands
Of snapped apart lines and limbs
Connected to the knee bone
Of people all over these over charged
Lines of super market powers
Because we’re forgetting that rib bones
Aren’t the only things that keep
Strong hearts beating
Because 200,000 times a day,
200,000 times our size
We reach out in all directions
To encompass any and every
Lasting thing that leaves us breathtaken
And brush our fingertips against
The fire that used to fuel our feats
Before we were fueled by fast food
And as many times as we pass through the flame
As many times as we force ourselves into the frying pan
We don’t burn out like stars past our prime
We have all the sublime startings
Of constellations
And the zenith of innovations
To tear our own locality in eternity
So I say it’s high time
To re-recognize our autonomy
And assert the authority
We were born to be
Because the truth of me
And probably the truth of you too
Is that we two
Grew not from seeds or misdeeds,
But from thoughts and dreams and beating hearts
And 200,000 miracles a day
Reminding us of the catastrophe of mundanity
And that ordinary is insanity
We were born to be so beyond burdened and bored
We were born to be blazing
And beautiful
And brilliantly
Shining out of eyesockets
Are those dreams of schemes and gleams
Of all that seems beyond our means
I follow them every day like lighthouses
Because I still feel the edges of the universe
With fingertips
There is stardust under my nails
And darkness in my fists
And oceans in my eyes

Waiting like summer
Wading like sons too far out to sea
Wafting like sunshine
Come down to dance
To the evening song played by the beating breakers
They are having a party
Where the land turns to sea
And the solidity of a mentality
Learns fluidity
And flows easily down a throat
To let the swell surge again
With the floodgates open,
Maybe the rivers will flow home
And we can send signals along like synapse
Messages meandering with the current
Meshing and managing
To make it
Even without mechanisms and machines
We still have mystery and magic

Food Not Bombs: nourishing the front lines of social justice

Food Not Bombs shares free vegan and vegetarian meals with the hungry 

in over 1,000 cities around the world every week to protest war, poverty and 

the destruction of the environment. 

With over a billion people going hungry each day how can we spend another dollar on war?

Need It Keep It

So, I read about this the other day, and the goal of this organization is astoundingly modern and at the same time straightforward: let's make "giving" go viral.

The organization is called Need It Keep It, and the process is simple:

Read the letter in its entirety.

If the money in the envelope comes to the reader at a time that it can have a measurable impact in their life, they are instructed to keep it. In other words, "If you need it, keep it."

Whether they keep it or not, the letter simply asks that the recipient let us know, via phone, email, or through our guestbook, exactly if and how it impacted them.

If they don't need the money in the envelope, we ask that they simply pass the envelope along to someone else, ideally, adding a dollar (or more) to it, if they're able, and compelled to do so...

The organization was created by Don Compton, who started the organization by taking 100 of these envelopes and putting a single dollar inside of it, along with the enclosed letters. Already, the attempts at exponential growth of this idea of giving have taken hold, and the organization has started up its own website, along with facebook, myspace, and twitter pages.

http://needitkeepit.org/

I just found its simplicity inspiring, and saw potential for its presence here at UCLA.

K'Naan & J. Period: The Messengers

Free download! Killer 3-part project honoring Fela Kuti, Bob Marley, and Bob Dylan.


 

// FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE //  New York, NY (August 18, 2009) – Some artists are defined by their environment. Some redefine their environment. Still others push the boundaries of convention so fully that their influence is felt around the globe, and across generations. Their music compels us not only to dance but to think, not only to celebrate but to strive, not only to listen but to truly hear. Fela Kuti, Nigeria’s eminent musical activist; Bob Marley, Jamaica’s emissary of struggle and unity; and Bob Dylan, America’s reluctant Civil Rights song leader, are three such artists.

These are “The Messengers.

Today, August 18, 2009, acclaimed DJ/Producer, J.Period, and rising Somali-born MC, K’NAAN, are pleased to announce a unique and powerful remix project, paying tribute to the lasting legacy of these musical giants. Weaving afro-beat, reggae, ska, folk music and rock into this genre-bending musical experience, The Messengers stretches the boundaries of hip hop—and the mixtape genre itself. Remixing the classic work of Fela, Marley and Dylan, The Messengers captures the timelessness of their sounds and the continued urgency of their messages. The result, as fans have come to expect from J.Period, is like no mixtape you’ve ever heard.

Zinnstrumentals: a mix tape dedicated to Howard Zinn

Check out this awesome, awesome mixtape by DJ Ian Head!  You can download the whole thing for free as an MP3.  Just control+click (on a Mac) or right click (on a PC) on this link, and "save as" to your desktop: Zinnstrumentals.

March 2010: Zinnstrumentals
DJ Ian Head
Just as many of us djs and producers look up to those who work and look outside the box, I believe in looking outside the so-called box when thinking about history, politics and society in general. So did legendary historian and author Howard Zinn, who sadly passed just a little over a month ago. His book "Peoples History of the United States" was his attempt to tell history from voices and viewpoints often shut out of history text books. I found it inspiring, as well as his belief that "neutrality" was basically bullshit; that if you are silent, you are siding with the status quo. In his words, "you can't be neutral on a moving train."
So this tape is a bit of an experiment - originally I was going to just do an instrumental tape of some my favorite beats, especially records often forgotten or overlooked. But I felt it needed something more, and so I dropped in some tidbits from various interviews with Zinn, who I believe was often overlooked himself. For someone whose book has sold well over a million copies worldwide, and who has been a commentator, activist and author for several decades, his passing drew very little attention in the media. Columnist Bob Herbert summed it up best, writing "His death this week at the age of 87 was a loss that should have drawn much more attention from a press corps that spends an inordinate amount of its time obsessing idiotically over the likes of Tiger Woods and John Edwards."
The records I pulled for this mix come from a variety of producers, and I tried to keep it obscure but dope, lots of underground 12inches that I feel are often forgotten. I've included a tracklisting of the producers below, in order.
The excerpts of / about Howard Zinn are from Democracy Now! with Amy Goodman, Bill Moyers Journal on PBS, and Prison Radio with Mumia Abu-Jamal.
RIP Howard Zinn.
-- DJ Ian Head

Tracklisting:
1. exile
2. dj vadim
3. hi-tek
4. attica blues
5. kankick
6. portishead
7. asheru
8. no i.d.
9. madlib
10. da beatminerz
11. chief xcel

Thingloop: who needs to BUY STUFF when you can SHARE?

Art | Global Health Center at UCLA

My involvement with the Art | Global Health Center at UCLA began in the fall of this school year, September 2009. The Center was able to get Pieter-Dirk Uys - a well-known performer, satirist, and social activist from South Africa - to come to UCLA and lead a two-week workshop with a group of willing students at UCLA from various academic departments. I participated in this workshop and learned about HIV/AIDS facts, the negative stigmatization associated with HIV positive individuals, and the ways in which all of this can be helped. The group of students that participated in the workshop became the "AIDS Performance Team."

I learned from Pieter the importance of art as a medium for change, which I had previously been quite skeptical of. At the end of the workshop, Pieter-Dirk Uys, Bobby Gordon (Outreach and Project Coordinator for the Center) and the AIDS Performance Team put on an original show about HIV and AIDS. The show was creative, informative, and entertaining all at once. We addressed topics such as condom use, the stigma surrounding AIDS, the importance of testing, and more.

Since then, I have continued my involvement with the Center through volunteer work and even more performing. During Winter quarter, the AIDS Performance Team (which gained some members) created a new show called "When the Situation Gets Slippery". We went to three L.A. high schools with this performance, which included acting, singing, dancing, beat-boxing, and all the fun and informative aspects of Pieter's original idea. In the past couple weeks, Bobby Gordon has arranged filming of some of the AIDS Performance Team's work, which will be edited into a creative and original film. This film will allow us to reach even more high schools in Los Angeles and beyond.

The reason this work is so effective and so inspirational is because it is not just informative - it's serious, it's hilarious, and it's completely honest. The show gets students to listen in ways that a sex ed class never could, and they learn so much more.

The Art | Global Health Center involved in many other projects, and they are always looking for creative ideas or an extra set of helping hands. Below is an excerpt from their website about their mission and the ways they achieve their goals.

"Our endeavors are shepherded by the following guiding principles:

1: The Power of a Global Network of Artists

We aim to facilitate collaboration between artists and advocates working for the advancement of global health, strengthening public health interventions through improved communication via the international artists’ network and database.

2: The Creative Process as a Catalyst for Change

Our programs seek to create points of personal identification through art as a means to elicit empathy, understanding, and emotional growth through recognition of a shared humanity.

3: De-Centered Sites of Artistic Encounter

We aim to expand our audience into sites of encounter beyond elite spaces. These sites are portable, village level, street level; they reach all populations.

4: Education as Action

We seek to develop, implement and evaluate arts-based educational programs, taking advantage of the laboratory provided by UCLA to ascertain the most effective means to educate and empower youth in the battle against HIV/AIDS."

If you want to get involved with the Art | Global Health Center at UCLA, visit their website and click on the "Contact Us" tab at the top.

http://artglobalhealth.org/

Also, if you want to see a sample of some of the stuff I've done with the AGHC, watch this YouTube video that was used as an advertisement for UCLA Campus World AIDS Day.

A Tribute to Kisingani

Hi Everyone! So after hearing Peter tell us about the genocide in Kisingani in 2001 and watching the video of Faustin Linyekula dancing, I was inspired to write a poem for my reflection last week, in tribute of what happened in Kisingani and how beautiful things can still happen in the midst of such destruction. Enjoy!

In the aftermath of bullet showers,
Smoking guns, screams of terror, cries of agony,
All is quiet.
The Congo still ebbs and flows as it always does,
Even as its waters mix with the blood of massacred bodies,
A deadly peaceful and horrifying sight.

In the aftermath of fatal explosions,
Bombings, dying innocents,
All is not lost.
A makeshift space among the ruins of a building,
A few dancers doing what they do best,
A willing crowd gathering to watch spontaneity,
And creative passion once again reigns supreme.

In the aftermath of destruction,
All is quiet,
But all is not lost.

CC -- The Creative Commons

Creative Comments is a nonprofit organization that allows artists to build upon the work of others. The aim of this is to help increase the amount of work being created, allowing artists to share their work publicly with the copyright protection that works best for them. Creative Commons also provides a "no copyright" option, which permits art to be used by anyone, anywhere, without any legal repercussions. The following is a video better explaining the nature of the Creative Commons:

Copyright law no longer requires the "c in a circle" icon; due to changes in law, any creative work is automatically copyrighted as soon as it is made. A goal of Creative Commons is to help people know whether or not something is copyrighted, since the "c in a circle's" absence may not necessarily mean that it is not protected under copyright.

Creative Commons can be used by anyone, but some big names utilize it to publish material--Google, Wikipedia, Nine Inch Nails, and the Obama Administration (whitehouse.gov) just to name a few.

As an artist, Creative Commons allows for the posting and utilization of works, with varying degrees of copyright protection--all of which are clearly posted on the Creative Commons website.

Dancers in WAC (or elsewhere) who want to use a song for their piece can find music that is not protected with an "all rights reserved" clause. DJs or musicians who want to sample material can also find creative comments useful, as the techno beats in a song that they hear on the radio will likely be off-limits for them to use publicly. If you're making a poster to be displayed in the middle of a college campus, you can't just go online and use whatever pictures you want off of Google Images--but Creative Commons shows you, as an artist, what images you can use, without having to worry about getting sued by the illustrator who created the image.

On the other end of the spectrum, if you want take a photograph and want anyone to be able to use it for activist purposes, Creative Commons helps those activists in showing them that your work is open for public use for that purpose.

Here's the website:

http://creativecommons.org/

Public Art - Public Theater - Public Dialogue in LA!

Cornerstone Theater Company's culminating production of the Justice Cycle is right around the corner! 3 Truths is the sixth and final show of the Justice Cycle, a four-year series of plays examining how laws can shape and disrupt L.A.'s communities. With only 5 public performances of this show, it'll be over before you know it. Choose a date (June 4, 5, 10, 11, & 12) and write it down so you and your friends don't miss this epic L.A. event!

 

3 TRUTHS
Written by NAOMI IIZUKA
Directed by MICHAEL JOHN GARCÉS
June 4 - 12, 2010 at Grand Performances

Nationally-celebrated playwright Naomi IIzuka’s 3 Truths weaves together a sprawling cast of Angelenos from all walks of life all asking one question: What Is The Truth? As L.A.’s landmark Hall of Justice stands in the distance, Cornerstone Theater Company transforms downtown’s California Plaza into a dramatic judicial arena where fates are decided and lives hang in the balance. As laws have the power to separate and confine us, we come together in our quest to uncover three truths: your truth, my truth, and the truth.

Directed by Michael John Garcés, this epic world premiere event is the culminating “bridge” show of Cornerstone’s Justice Cycle, a four-year multi-play exploration of how laws shape and disrupt communities. Immediately following each performance, audience members are invited to join in dialogue with L.A.’s important civic and cultural leaders as they come together to discuss urgent issues of justice facing our city and beyond. Click here or go to grandperformances.org for more information about all post-show discussions.

Mother's Day gift for the Mom who has everything

Did you know that the flower industry is one of the worst abusers of commercial pesticides?  Skip the chemical bouquet and do good in your Mother's name.

At Oxfam's chariable gift shop you can buy soap, a goat, a school desk, or have a vegetable garden planted in your Mom's name, directly supporting HIV/AIDS affected families in countries around the world.

What is Oxfam America?

Forty percent of the people on our planet—more than 2.5 billion—now live in poverty, struggling to survive on less than $2 a day. Oxfam America is an international relief and development organization working to change that. Together with individuals and local groups in more than 100 countries, Oxfam saves lives, helps people overcome poverty, and fights for social justice.

How is Oxfam America rated?

Oxfam America is one of the top charities rated by leading charitable watchdog organizations, including the American Institute of Philanthropy. Charity Navigator gives us 4 out of 4 stars. We meet all 20 of the Better Business Bureau’s standards for charity accountability.
To learn more about us and our work, go to: About Oxfam.

All Creative Work is Derivative... Viva the cultural commons!

Afrikan Student Union at UCLA

One of the organizations that has had a lot of influence on my life is the Afrikan Student Union here at UCLA. Currently, I serve as ASU's Administrative Coordinator and my job is to make sure that any logistical and tedious tasks are taken care of. In addition, I hold staff members accountable to the task that have been set forth in our spaces. Simply, ASU serves as the unifying voice for all Afrikan-identified students here on the campus and in the Los Angeles community.

Some of the programs that ASU does have are Students Heightening Academic Performance through Education (SHAPE), Academic Supports Program, and Afrikan Education Project.

SHAPE is a student-initiated and student run outreach program, created to have K-12 African American students matriculate into institutions of higher education, with a focus on holistic development. SHAPE offers tutoring, peer advising, mentorship and various workshops to ensure African American numbers can ultimately increase on the collegiate level.

ASP is the student-initiated and student-run retention program designed to guide Black/African students to a successful college experience and graduation from UCLA. ASP also focuses on helping students with personal management skills, major choices, goal settings, class planning, academic difficulty, readmission work, and much more.

However, one of my favorite projects of them all is the Afrikan Education Project that is a tutoring/mentoring program that seeks to enhance the lives and academic scores of the children who reside at New Wilmington Arms in Compton, CA through African empowerment and education and basic tutoring. All of these different projects are ways to reach out into our Afrikan-identified communities and helping to develop our own people so that we can develop and empower ourselves.

If you are interested in getting involved in any of the projects that were mentioned above, then make sure to check out www.blackbruins.org.

Yoga!

Hi everyone! So I love yoga. I've practiced yoga with my mom for a while, I've taken classes through the WAC dept with Kishan, and I've taken various classes around LA. However, yoga can be pretty pricey and finding a great teacher and a nice studio is tricky. Recently my friend and I found a lovely studio right on 3rd street in Santa Monica (just a 15 min bus ride!) Its called Yoga Co, Santa Monica. It's a donation based studio and as their website states, "What you donate is personal and private. We don’t want you to stop practicing yoga for financial reasons... In the yogic sense of karma, as we are giving to you a gift, it is our hope that you will give back." This is a great philosophy and a great way to get the yoga experience on a budget. Best of all the studio is super beautifully decorated, very clean, environmentally friendly, and light. I am recommending this studio because I think if everyone practiced yoga the world would be a better place! The meditative and breathing aspect of yoga is extremely calming and cleansing. The physical aspect is great too because you get a good workout which is good for your body. The physical and mental aspects of yoga combined create a sense of positivity and awareness of the world that is hard to get anywhere else. I really encourage anyone who is interested in yoga to take a class at yoga co! Its very close to UCLA, very reasonably priced, and it will make your mind and body feel better and more nourished.

Here is the information:

Yoga Co, Santa Monica Yoga, Power Yoga Studio -

About Yoga Co: YogaCo is Santa Monica's largest yoga studio with three unique rooms offering up to 25 classes daily...We believe in a collective community consciousness and welcome all yogis from all walks of life. OUR CLASSES ARE RUN ON A DONATION BASED SYSTEM

**Also its a "green and clean" environment!

- We strive to keep our air as clean and healthy as possible to add to your yoga experience. We do this by placing Hepa-filters throughout the studio, which filter 100% of the existing air 2 to 5 times per hour. We also have oxygen-producing plants, (featured on an environmentally approved list of a small handful of plants which are proven to rid the environment of Benzene, Formaldyhyde, and TCE), all which help to enhance and produce additional fresh air for every breath we take.

- To help preserve and protect our environment, we have placed recycle bins throughout our studio and also use waterless urinals - which can conserve up to 40,000 gallons of water a year, and low-flow toilets (please use respectfully :). We have used quadruple-paned windows to also help mitigate the loss of heat and air for maximum energy efficiency.

- We are big on Bamboo (a highly renewable resource) and have used it for all of our flooring and also used it to custom build our shoe cubbies, bathroom partitions, benches and office furniture.

VanPool

When I was thinking about what to post, I really had a hard time thinking of anything that would be interesting. I wanted to highlight something new,exciting, and outside the box, but needless to say I had a hard time with that. So, I went back to the basics and thought about what my parents did to be sustainable and "green". And the first thing I thought of was carpooling, it may sound hella basic but it is something that has been around since I can remember and it was really affective with my family.

And now carpooling has become even more prevalent in the community at large. One resource that identify as something that was useful to me as a UCLA student was VanPool. The VanPool is not only a good spot for networking with people you might not ordinarily interact with, but it is also practical.

There is a small monthly fee to use the VanPool, but the peace of mind to not have drive everyday to and help the environment at the same time.

CSA

http://www.localharvest.org/csa/

"It's Our LA, Keep It Clean!" Program

In my apartment, we have a small mountain of plastic bags stored in the cabinet underneath the sink. It seems to perpetually stay the same size and never shrink, no matter how much we try to make good use of them in our trashcans or for storage purposes. We have a stash of reusable shopping bags that we use for grocery shopping but on the days when I decide to stop by Ralph's on my way back from class and I am without a reusable bag, I always cringe internally at the thought of adding yet another plastic bag to our collection.

In the face of LA being ranked one of the top cities with the worst ozone pollution and just pollution in general, I was glad to see various green organizations and programs being implemented and one of them is the "It's Our LA, Keep It Clean!" Plastic Bag Recycling Program. The program encourages residents to return plastic bags to stores for recycling and coincides with the passage of the Plastic Bag Recycling Act of 2006 (AB 2449), a new statewide law that requires certain retail and grocery stores to set up an at-store recycling program for customers to return plastic bags to accessible, visible bins for collection.

Stores meeting AB 2449 are required to print or display, on their plastic bags, the words PLEASE RETURN TO A PARTICIPATING STORE FOR RECYCLING. They must also provide a collection bin that is clearly marked for the purpose of collecting and recycling plastic bags. In addition, the store will maintain records describing the collection, transport, and recycling of the bags for a minimum of three years to demonstrate compliance and assess program success.

In this first year of the program, the pilot program commitment will be for one year in which it will focus on areas in LA designated as "high trash areas." After a year, an assessment will be carried out. The state law expires in 2013.

For more information, you can go to http://www.plastics.lacity.org/index.htm to find out more about the program. There is also a new "Take Action!" section on the website, encouraging the public and schools to look at this effort as simple and effective, from knowing what goes into their recycling bin to volunteering for a cleanup, to helping local stores start a recycling program.

Amor Ministries

I have been a part of Amor ministries in the past, and the profound effect it had on me is, in essence, why I have chosen to blog about it. Now, I know what you're thinking...this is one of those organizations that pushes an overly-religious agenda...and you know what, maybe that is somewhat true. Yes, I am religious, and yes I have conviction in my beliefs, but before I continue let me just say, it doesn't really matter what an organization is founded in, as long as it is doing good. At least that's my selling point for this.

What it does

"Jesus calls us to a continuous life of service. Therefore, we choose to serve with love. Join Amor Ministries in our efforts to change the world, one family at a time." The goal of Amor ministries is invested in love, not necessarily Christian love, although it is strongly encouraged. The mission is two-fold: by building homes for impoverished families in Tijuana and South Africa, individual congregations get a taste of spiritual fulfillment, and through building new relationships, families who desperately need new living conditions acquire them. The Amor team has a variety of recruitment sessions with both family and church ministries. All the building materials are provided (via a small fee, well worth it) and once there, hard work takes over. The process takes about a week, and it is truly a humbling experience. I will never forget seeing the mom of my family sweeping her freshly poured concrete floor as if it was the most expensive mahogany.

How it works

The organization is truly targeted as a grass roots approach to issues that God calls his followers to acknowledge. You go with your friends, and you do what Peter outlined in his lecture: You chill out. That isn't to say you don't work. I look at the process almost like a ritual routine. By the end of the trip fatigue and exhaustion usually get the best of you, but what is more shocking is that people live in these circumstances every day. As Peter says, they don't just live, they LIVE, and they learn to enjoy what they have. As members of the UCLA community, based in Southern California, Tijuana is so close...we don't have to go to Africa to spread love and quality of life. It's here in our own backyards.

Recently, the organization has grown tremendously, as the need for housing has become more and more acknowledged by the global community. In the last 50 years, orphanages in Mexico have experienced huge growth...I originally attributed this to crime and unwanted pregnancies, but what I found was astonishing. Parents gave-up there children in order to give them better lives. What I had seen as a lack of love was actually an overabundance of it. Often times, first hand experience goes unparalleled, and in this circumstance, I can't say I would have recognized the ability to LOVE, to AMOR without face-to-face contact.

You don't have to be super religious to participate, Amor is always looking for interns and participants, however a degree of spirituality is essential. As it is for a fulfilled life.

Amor Ministries Global Headquarters

1664 Precision Park Lane
San Diego, CA 92173 U.S.A
Phone: 619.662.1200

WWOOF

http://www.wwoof.org/

Ever long just to get off the grid, flee the city. I'm sure you have. Living in L.A. is stressful. Sometimes you might think t0 yourself, "gah, I just want to go live on a farm." But you can't. Cause you don't know any farmers. Well all that can be changed, easily, with WWOOF.

WWOOF stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. What they are is a third party between you and organic farmers. All you have to do is sign up for a membership (there's some small fee, but this is a non-profit) and choose a part of the world you want to work in. Once that's all done WWOOF puts you in contact with a farmer in that area. You and the farmer make the arrangements. What you get out of this deal is free room & board, food, and valuable knowledge. All you have to do is work on the farm during the week.

In this consumer culture we live in, we often forget where our food is coming from. Or maybe it isn't that we forget. We simply don't know. This program puts people in touch with a movement for sustainable agricultural practices that can't be learned in the supermarket. Moreover, the volunteer work helps organic farmers keep their businesses up and running. It may seem like a bunch of mundane field work, but what about at the end of the day. It would be pretty cool to see what goes on after hours on a farm in Costa Rica.

CaringConsumer.com

Our topic last week related to ethical consumerism, and recognizing the ways in which everyday decisions impact not only ourselves, but a global network of others. For my post, I wanted to emphasize the idea of consumerism as a form of political action.

I recently began using this sight called caringconsumer.com, which has compiled lists of corporations that do and do not test on animals. Before this sight, it never really occurred to me that buying lotion or something from Johnson-and Johnson the trusted "family company," make-up from L'oreal, or other everyday brands common in drugstores, could contribute to animal abuse. Personally, whenever I see those commercials (which i'm sure many of you have) on tv depicting those hard to look at photos of animals who have been beaten, neglected, and abused in most every way i think to myself "what kind of messed up people can do this?" and it didn't occur to me until recently, that by being an uninformed consumer i was enabling people to continue this abuse by financially supporting their corporations and cruelty.

I know that many people are busy, and if you don't want to go out and invest a lot of time, you can make a difference just by going to the store and choosing to purchase from companies that are not cruel to animals, and neglecting companies that resist changing their ways... i want to leave off with the notion that just changing a brand could save lives, Ihope this post was informative =)


http://search.caringconsumer.com/

Locks of Love

My friend Brooks Allen Paul was diagnosed with bone cancer (osteosarcoma) when he was 15 years old. Just 3 months later, after a strict regimen of chemotherapy, the army of doctors treating him decided to amputate his leg to stop the cancer from spreading throughout his body. Brooks lost his left leg, his hair, and months of his life to cancer that first time. Chemo was nothing less than hell for him. He would be in the hospital for two weeks at a time with five day breaks in between so that the medicine that was meant to save his life wouldn't poison him. The cancer came back 5 more times, and Chemo became a routine part of Brooks' life. Though the Chemo took his hair, his strength, and his energy, Brooks maintained an overwhelmingly positive outward appearance. He loved talking about his leg and the cancer he had because he liked to educate people and because he liked to "sound like a hero." I loved his shamelessness. But Brooks, unfortunately, is an exception to an overarching rule of depression, self consciousness, and fear that often overcomes children and young adults who are diagnosed with cancer.
I want you to think for a moment of losing your own head of hair--going through months upon months of chemotherapy--a drug that not only makes you lose your hair but also makes you sick to your stomach and so weak that even getting out of bed seems beyond your capacity for endurance. The process, for some of us, seems unimaginable, but there are young people--children--enduring it every single day. Some of these children without money for the procedures and drugs which can save their lives, much less small comforts like a wig which can restore, in part, a child's sense of self and normalcy. Brooks hardly ever complained about losing his hair, but I know there are many children out there who are deeply affected by the loss of theirs, but have insufficient funds to buy hair prosthetics. This is why the Locks of Love foundation exists.
Locks of Love is an organization which makes wigs for children under the age of 21 who suffer hair loss from any kind of medical diagnosis. They take donations of money or hair from people around the world. Most people would not think of their own head of hair as a miracle--a gift that could be given--but this organization allows everyone who can grow their hair to give a gift that is not based in the cash-economy, but the love economy. By donating your hair to Locks of Love, you give a part of yourself without the expectation of anything in return, without even knowing who the gift is going to.
Donating is simple-- all you have to do is cut off at least 10 inches of healthy, non-bleached hair, put it in an envelope addressed to Locks of Love and send it off. More specific guidelines can be found at http://www.locksoflove.org/donate.html but the process really is that simple! I donated my hair 2 years ago and now have the blessing of knowing that I helped make a difference in someone's life.
Brooks died on March 26th of this year, but the memories of his struggle remain just as vivid as the happiest of my memories of him. I want everyone to know that what people in his situation need most are gifts of love and self and understanding. Brooks used to say-- "I'm like a duck, calm on the surface, but Paddling like hell underneath." It's important to recognize the struggle--mental, emotional, and physical--that is happening underneath everyone's calm exterior, and to give the gifts that represent the love and compassion that people need most.

http://www.locksoflove.org/index.html

Mentors for Academic and Peer Support

What is MAPS?

MAPS (Mentors for Academic and Peer Support) is a volunteer program at UCLA that takes UCLA students to two different low-income high schools in the Los Angeles area. These volunteers assist at either Jordan High School in Watts or Al-Hiba in Crenshaw. This program is meant to provide these high school students with the resources and the drive to attend college and seek higher learning. Not only that, but we also provide students with peer counseling to understand their mindset and to help them understand the importance of an education as well as being a good influence in their lives.

Why MAPS?

Too often do students of low income environments feel trapped within the system in place. Often times it is not even the student's lack of ambition but the sense of helplessness surrounding them that inhibits their academic growth. Schools like Jordan High School give off a sense of imprisonment, as it has high gates surrounding them and police officers encircling them. These students then get the impression that they are not in a learning environment, but in a jail. This mentality will greatly influence their behavior both in and outside of school, which leads to trouble. We as students of UCLA have a privilege to attend an established university with an almost unlimited amount of resources at our disposal. We should not only take advantage of this ourselves, but provide for students who do not get the same treatment.

How does MAPS work?

MAPS divides their days with the two different sites, spending three days in Jordan and two in Al-Hiba. Volunteers will be briefed on announcements they make or if they need to host a workshop (workshops range on "how to get into college" to scholarships). The rest of the time is spent tutoring for different classes that the students are in, or having a mentoring session that discusses the different things occurring in the student's life, in hopes to positively deal with some of the student's conflicts.

How can I get involved with MAPS?

The MAPS office is located in the Students Activity Center at UCLA. If you want to sign up to be a volunteer, visit the offfice and speak to the project coordinator, Sabrin Said. You will be given the option of which days you are able to volunteer (you can either go to site in the morning or afternoon) and then you will be trained to work with the students.

Any last thoughts??

The crime rate in the city of Los Angeles is inexcusable. Too often the problem starts when the person is young, and susceptible to the influences around them. With MAPS, you are able to take an active role in a student's life, and often times these students truly strive to excel in education. We can really be the difference in someone's life. So join MAPS and help the community!

Student/Farmworker Alliance

I didn’t even think to realize where the food I ate everyday was coming from until I heard Raj Patel speak and watched all the videos on storyofstuff.com. When I was younger I didn’t feel like I was in control of the food I consumed because everything was provided for by my parents. Even here at UCLA I feel limited by the options given on campus. Just because a certain restaurant chain is highly popular and is located just about everywhere doesn’t necessarily mean it is a honest business. Being a popular food chain does not give the right to exploit workers, which many fast food chains do. There are many suppressed farmworkers that supply goods to fast food industries that are being stripped of social and economic justice.

Student/Farmworker Alliance (SFA) is a national network of students organized in direct partnership with farmworkers to eliminate sweatshop workers and modern day slavery in the fields. SFA is partnered with the Coalition of Immokalee (CIW), which is a membership-led organization of mostly Mexican, Guatemalan, Mayan Indian immigrants, and other low-wage workers in southwest Florida.

The SFA sides with farmers to create a path to a better world. They do this through education, action, and leadership development.

SFA was part of the three largest victories against corporate greed:

• Taco Bell: Between 2002 and 2005 22 high schools and colleges prevented Taco Bell restaurants and sponsorships as a part of SFA’s “Boot the Bell” campaign. In March 2005 Taco Bell and its parent company Yum! A brand, which is the world’s largest restaurant corporation, accepted all of the boycott’s demands. They agreed to work with the CIW to improve the sub-poverty wages and working conditions of farmworkers in its tomato supply chain.
• McDonald’s: After years of intense campaigning, in April 2007 the CIW reached a landmark agreement with McDonalds, the worlds largest single restaurant chain, to take responsibility for exploitation of farmworkers.
• Burger King: In 2008 Burger King agreed to work with the CIW after relentless campaigning.

If you click on resources and then on action on the website, it lists a number of ways to get involved. Some ideas are:

· Hold a rally on campus

· Organize a delegation and present a demand letter

· Re-appropriate comment cards in your dining halls

· Host a film screening

· And much more!

http://www.sfalliance.org/action.html

http://www.sfalliance.org/index.html

Habitat for Humanity

I chose Habitat for Humanity which is one of the Non-Profit Organization. The Organization is providing a place to live to people all over the world. The vision of the organization is "A world where everyone has a decent place to live." Their mission is that by building and renovating houses, they provide the environment where people live uncomfortably and promote the self-development of the local society. Homes are built using volunteer labor and are sold at no profit. In locations outside the United States, Habitat for Humanity charges interest to protect against inflation. I have been studying architecture, and I always think what I can do for the other people with what I have learned. Involving this organization and activity is one of my solutions for the problem which is what I can do with architecture. To involve the organization, you need to make a team and apply for volunteering. Or, you need to join into the existing team.

Burning Man

I chose Burning Man because it represents a uniquely functional gift economy. Burning Man is a weeklong festival in Black Rock Desert, Nevada with over 40,000 participants. During this festival the desert is transformed into a temporary metropolis called Black Rock City. The participants of this event are called “burners,” and have established a unique culture of funky costumes, amazing art, and a gift giving economy. Thousands of tents are set up and themed camps are organized where services such as food, massages, and musical performances are offered for free as gifts. Practically everything at Burning Man is free, there is no buying or selling allowed once you go beyond the gates so you don’t use money for an entire week. This event creates a community that revolves around the aspect of gift giving, creating something specifically for the people of the community. Giving art as both a visual gift as well as a gift that is useful represents an escape from mass production, or a “market economy.” The culture at Burning Man represents a resistance to oppressive social and economic conditions and constraints that characterize mass consumer society. It operates in a structure common to more “primitive” societies where things were produced for their intrinsic usefulness in people’s lives. A capitalist commodified culture results in the disappearance of individual voice and a weakening of personal or individual relationships, and their replacement with “commodity” relationships. Even if you don't attend this festival, Burning Man emphasizes a culture and lifestyle that can be adopted by anyone who wants to escape the mass market society we live in today.

Slow Food Los Angeles

I have decided to write about this topic due to the gradual shift towards fast food in not only Los Angeles, but across the US as well. As can be seen on several fast food restaurant's menus, the value of a healthy salad is extremely expensive compared to a burger at McDonald's. Why is it that people have to pay so much to eat healthy? These manipulative schemes by fast food restaurants essentially tarnish their image through misleading advertisements. For example, I'm sure if someone has two dollars in their pocket, they would rather spend them by purchasing two, one dollar McChicken sandwiches off the dollar menu then starving themselves because they are not able to afford the five or six dollar Caesar salad. To me, that is pathetic. So essentially we are saving a few bucks by eating cheaper; however; as Raj Patel mentions, we will eventually multiply those savings and pay for health care costs due to the ridiculous quality of cheap, fast food. In my opinion, if I were looking for something fast, I would pay a couple extra bucks for a salad, but what happens to those who are less fortunate and are always stuck paying the unhealthy meals that most fast food restaurants have to offer? Slow food Los Angeles, is an excellent program that attempts to provide information on alternatives to these lucrative businesses who are responsible for a large portion of our citizen's poor health. To join SlowFoodLA, a onetime $60 fee is required, but if you want a dual membership (you and a friend) the cost is $75. Membership benefits include invitations to multiple international and national events that promote good, clean and fair food, and membership-only discounts on events and publications. Being a part of SFLA will increase the opportunity for others to gather and take collective action towards legislation regarding healthy food in LA. Similar programs that students like us may join are Slow Food in Schools, and Slow Food on Campus. The initiatives and message are the same, but they aim to gather students to cooperatively promote clean and healthy food on college and university campuses. This program also aids the younger sector in which it provides information on the health of our children through the Children Nutrition Act. I believe we as adults should be obligated to advocate for programs like this in order to encourage a healthy lifestyle to as many people as we can. By visiting the www.slowfoodusa.org website, we can educate others of the positive message that slow food LA has to offer.

Kiva- Microfinance

Kiva is one of the largest and most widely known players in the microfinance industry. Microfinance is the supplying of loans and other financial services to the poor. One of the reasons that I find microfinance far superior to simply donating money to a charity is that it allows the recipient to have access to a loan that they wouldn’t have access to. Currently, when someone wants to get a loan, they are required to go to a bank, where many entrepreneurs are turned down because of their lack of collateral or their poor credit score. Furthermore, Kiva allows poor individuals the chance to take out loans rather than asking for handouts from charities. Another interesting fact about microfinance is that these institutions tend to focus on women, which has helped to make women play a more prominent role in their communities.

Kiva works by disbursing money to a number of microfinance institutions around the world that approve and make loans to entrepreneurs in their respective areas. The microfinance institutions assist entrepreneurs in making profiles about their businesses and these videos are hosted on Kiva’s website where individuals around the world can go to choose who to make loans to. Over time, the loans are eventually repaid and your lender account is credited, at which point you can lend again to another entrepreneur. This program not only enables current entrepreneurs to grow their business, but also allows new businesses to take off. By empowering individuals and growing small business in underdeveloped countries Kiva is helping them move forward in a positive direction.

To participate simply log on to the Kiva website and start lending with a minimum loan of only $25!

Kiva's Website: www.kiva.org

National Cristina Foundation

After watching the "Story of Stuff," I started to think about the profound role "stuff" plays in my own life. After an introspective glance into my own role as a consumer, I realized that the majority of items that I buy are electronic devices, mainly music players, laptops, cellphones, etc. In fact, there's a whole area designated in my garage at home to all of our electronics. My dad is an engineer and loves to experiment with devices so, over the years, we've acquired the oldest of computers (floppy disk compatible) to rather recent, yet bulky desktops. I'm equally to blame-I have about 6 old cell phones, 2 ipods, 3 diskplayers, and a boombox that have not been used in years!
That's why the National Cristina Foundation was my calling, in a sense. What the non-profit organization does is recycle old electronics through donations and transport them to educational settings that would otherwise not be able to afford electronic devices such as computers. For example, the foundation has been able to send computers to special education classrooms as well as underpriviledged high schools and elementary schools.

It's really easy to get involved!
Donating is easily done online. All you have to do is meet the minimum requirements of the foundation and they will either come by your desired location to pick up the item or you can drive to one of their many locations nation-wide

http://www.cristina.org/

this video talks about the organization some more (about the first minute and a half of the clip): http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6436440n&tag=related;photovideo

GoodSearch

How many times a day do you go to Google (or whatever your preferred search engine is) to look something up? Personally, Google is my top-visited webpage...by a landslide...and I'm sure if I summed up the amount of time I've spent on it during my lifetime, it would total up to hours, days, or even weeks spent searching. I'm not at all saying that's a bad thing - in this day and age, search engines have become embedded in our culture - a tool we rely on for information.

But what if every time you searched, money was donated to the charity of your choice, without you having to pay a cent? When I found GoodSearch, I was so impressed by this concept, as simple as it may be, and am now trying to slowly phase out Google and incorporate GoodSearch into my daily routine. At first, I was worried that my search results wouldn't be as reliable or helpful, but GoodSearch is powered/supported by Yahoo!, so it's basically like using Yahoo's search engine and donating to charity at the same time. Personally, so far I have GoodSearched for Mortar Board, a senior honor society I am involved with at UCLA that always could use fundraising efforts, as well as the American Parkinson's Disease Association (APDA), a cause which I am very passionate about.

Even if you don't have any causes in mind to support, GoodSearch has a list you can peruse of 90,000+ charities and non-profits that you can help just by using their search engine. This is an awesome way to give back and contribute just by doing what you'd normally do on the Internet, and I think it's really admirable that this organization allows people everywhere to contribute to virtually any charity without paying a cent.

For anyone wondering how they can take time out of their busy lives to give back to a cause they're passionate about, this website is the solution to that problem. Although there are many efforts that can be made without donating money, the fact of the matter is that for some causes, such as research on diseases like HIV/AIDS, cancer, and Parkinson's, what they most need right now is financial support - which presents a problem to those who want to contribute to finding a cure (or whatever the cause may be), but don't feel they have the means to do it. This website allows you to do your part to provide it for them, no matter how much money you personally have available to give, all while receiving reliable search results in return. So check it out...www.goodsearch.com !

-Maddie :)

P.S.: On the same note, I really love The Breast Cancer Site, which donates money to fund free mammograms for women every time you click (a click a day). The Hunger Site, The Animal Rescue Site, The Literacy Site, and The Rainforest Site have similar concepts. Happy clicking! :)

City CarShare

So, I wanted to research Zipcar, but it looks like Allison already got than one :) The idea of having a car lately has been on my mind because I have been feeling very limited... I do not have a car and struggle to get to things off campus. I use the bus system, but even that has its limitations. So anyways, I have been researching my options, and organizations like Zipcar and City CarShare seem to be great options (and they're inexpensive!) Because Allsion already discussed Zipcar, I decided to look at a very similar company, City CarShare, located in the bay area.

City Carshare, like zipcar, is a bay area non-profit that allows members access to cars. Each member is given an electronic key that opens the car they have reserved- only during that time. Members can reserve cars on-line 24/7 in locations all over the bay area. These cars range from small sports cars, to trucks, to SUVs, and the like. Whereas it typically costs an individual $500/month to own a car- including gas, etc; City Carshare only costs around $45- including gas, insurance, etc. Plus, by sharing and not owning, you're keeping more cars off the road and protecting the environment. Also, City Carshare allows for individual, household, company, and university membership.

Unfortunately, City Carshare is only in the bay area... but Zipcar is available right here in LA!

www.citycarshare.org

Also, visit www.citycarshare/press.org to access some of the fabulous reviews!

This is so sweet :)

ZIPCAR: why own a car when you can borrow one?

I love Zipcar!
I was a member for several years in San Francisco, and used it weekly, from getting groceries at Trader Joe's to moving props to the theatre for shows to taking weekend trips to see my family.  I didn't own a car until I was 27, and never really felt the need or the desire to make car payments, pay for insurance, or find parking.  But I also love to drive.  I love taking road trips, blasting my music while cruising up the coast with the windows down.  So Zipcar was, for me, the perfect solution.
 

What is Zipcar?

Zipcar is a service that allows members to borrow nice, new cars as they need them.  You pay per use, around $8-10/hour or $60-80/day, which includes unlimited gas and very good insurance.  The cars are all new, and range from basic economy cars (Toyota Yaris, Honda Civic) to utilitarian (trucks, SUV's) to luxury (BMW, convertible Mini).  The cost depends on the fanciness of the car. 

How does it work?

Zipcars are parked around the city in public lots or garages.  Members sign-up and make reservations online anywhere from a month to 15 minutes in advance of a planned trip.  You receive a Zipcard that unlocks the car you've reserved, and the keys remain in the vehicle at all times.  You can rent a car for up to 4 days at a time.  There is no annual fee to be a member, but there are different payment levels, so the people who use the cars the most get a discount.

How is this an alternative to unsustainable patterns of consumption?

Zipcar is a great example of communal ownership: Zipcar members collectively "own" their fleet of Zipcars.  It also supports greener, more sustainable ways of living in the city.  Many of us prefer to be pedestrians and bike riders to being slaves to the car and the highway.  It's healthier, cheaper, more social, and better for the environment.  But sometimes you kinda need a car, right?  Zipcar is a great way to bridge the gap between car-ownership and non-car-ownership.

Here's what the folks at Zipcar have to say about promoting sustainability:

Fewer cars. Way Fewer.

Each and every Zipcar takes 15-20 personally-owned vehicles off the road. Multiply that by the more than 6,500 cars in our fleet and you've got a really big number.

Less and less driving.

After joining Zipcar, 90% of our members drove 5,500 miles or less per year. That adds up to more than 32 million gallons of crude oil left in the ground—or 219 gallons saved per Zipster.

Green gets even greener.

10% of the population is expected to adopt car sharing as their primary mode of transportation. Break it down and you have millions of people saving billions of gallons of gas and oil. Factor in the savings and you've got an economic revolution.

A penny saved, a community revived.

Zipcar members save more than $500 (vs. car ownership). What would you do with an extra $500 a month? Many Zipsters put it back into their communities by buying local and sustainable products.

How do I find out more?

Go to Zipcar.com!