A letter for all to read… pass it on. Check out the website too! July 10, 2009

Dear Friend,

The country is in real trouble right now, with unemployment spiraling out of control. President Obama’s stimulus plan provides money to expand unemployment assistance. But a group of Republican governors, led by Louisiana’s Bobby Jindal, is trying to score political points by blocking that assistance from reaching the people who need it. It’s cynical and disgusting.

These governors are playing with people’s lives. They’re trying to further their political ambitions while showing they could care less about the fate of everyday folks–even in their own state.

Please join me in calling them out and forcing the media spotlight on them. I just signed ColorOfChange.org’s open letter demanding they do the right thing. Together, we can help make sure that in times of hardship folks get the assistance they need. It only takes a moment:

http://www.colorofchange.org/govs/?id=1781-907222

It’s incredible. President Obama’s stimulus package provides money for states to extend unemployment benefits for people in dire need of help, but a handful of Republican governors–Bob Riley of Alabama, Mark Sanford of South Carolina, Rick Perry of Texas, Sarah Palin of Alaska, Haley Barbour of Mississippi, and Bobby Jindal of Louisiana–are putting politics over people.

All six governors have threatened to turn down these funds. Four are 2012 presidential contenders, and they all have a vested interest in seeing Obama fail. They’re attacking the President’s policies to increase their own profile and cozy up to the most die-hard conservatives. They also claim that taking the stimulus money would leave their states in debt when it runs out in three years. But that argument rings hollow–state legislatures could reduce benefits to pre-stimulus levels at that point.

While these governors posture, Black folks suffer the most. In all of these states, Black unemployment is at least twice that of Whites–and in Louisiana and Mississippi, the two Blackest states in the Union, the unemployment rate among Black people approaches three times that of their White neighbors.

Please join me in telling these Republican governors to stop putting their personal and political interests above the good of all their states’ citizens. Demand that they accept all of the stimulus money designated for unemployment benefits. And please ask your friends and family to do the same by passing this message on.

http://www.colorofchange.org/govs/?id=1781-907222

Thanks.

Iran, and it’s People June 28, 2009

I have been so upset lately over what is going on in Iran. There is no excuse whatsoever for any government to disallow it’s constituents to speak their voices. We ALL have the right to assemble, protest, and speak our opinions about our leaders. The leaders should work for the people, not the other way around. I believe government positions are positions of service. Yes, the government should have authority, but Universal principles should always be honored.

I realize governments make the rules for their own countries, and they have their own standards in which we outside of the culture have no right to judge – to a point. When people are attacked when trying to gather peacefully, it is everybody’s business. And in this case, the world is watching. Thank God for the internet and phones with cameras.

I also have a special sense of honor for the Iranians in Iran that are standing up, defying authority and demanding justice. They are facing horrible violence and when arrested, possible torture and execution, and I stand behind them. Not for political reasons (I don’t know the Ins and Outs of Iranian politics), but because their freedom of speech has been violated. And as I mentioned earlier, the freedom of speech (protest) is a Universal Right. ALL deserve it. And ALL deserve the right to fight for it. Not to mention the right to not be beaten by anybody, especially those that are supposed to be trusted as your leaders.

Here is an inspirational video worth watching.

World Unites for Democracy in Iran

Happy Surfing,

Rebkeh

For those that are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, the music in the background of the video is the song Imagine by John Lennon. The lyrics can be found here.

It’s good to be home June 9, 2009

Ahhh….. DC!

As a recovering hermit, I have to say I am shocked that I found my roots stretching out in such a busy city. I always hated crowds, they made me feel like I was suffocating, but now…. interesting. I don’t care for them still, but people in close proximity don’t make me cringe like they used to.

It is an odd sort of peace I feel in this town that I left ten years ago. Sometimes you go a long way out of the way to find your way back correctly.

Gallaudet University is here, which is  home in itself. Nowhere do I feel as safe as I do on campus. But it is not just the institution that makes DC the place for me, even the Metro (DC subway system) gives me a feeling of connectedness. I enter a sort of meditative quiet and reflective state of mind when riding the lines.

I have lived on both American coasts (east and west) and spent some time in the south. To their credit, California and Arizona have their charm, but it is here that I belong.

The bustling of the city used to drain me, now it charges me. The flurry of hands on campus at Gallaudet brings me joy. Old playgrounds such as Union Station and Dupont Circle make me sigh in relief. I feel younger and more vibrant than I did when I WAS younger and more vibrant.

I have found my place.

Now, if only I can find a job!

From Trash to Dirt – Do’s and Dont’s of Composting November 19, 2008

Banana peels, coffee grounds, crushed eggshells, plant matter, tea bags, vegetable scraps … all of these go back to nature easily (thank god) but they can serve you by becoming soil if you compost them. Even if you don’t garden, composting is better than sending stuff to the landfill.

Basically, this is how it works: keep a bucket in the kitchen to collect the waste, before it gets rank put the stuff into a container outside, add moisture, mix it up, and let nature do its work. Sooner or later it all turns into dirt.

There are containers ready made with cranks on the side so they are easy to turn, or you can rough it and use a bed and a shovel. One way is to have a plastic barrel with holes drilled into it. Kick the barrel around the yard to mix up the contents. You do not necessarily have to touch the stuff if you don’t want to. At least not until it is finished. It should not smell bad either, if it does, you need to add more leaves or shredded paper. (see below)

The point in composting is for the stuff to decompose. So what you want is 3 basic things:

1. Moisture

2. Heat

3. Mixing or turning

There are a few things not to do, so here is a list of do’s and dont’s:

DO:

Do put your composting a distance from your doors and windows

Do put natural stuff that will break down like food and small amounts of non glossy pulpy paper (coffee filters, shredded newspaper, shredded sales fliers, etc)

Do keep the stuff heated (such as in the sun, not the shade)

Do keep the stuff aerated (let it breathe, keep it mixed up)

Do keep the stuff moist but not soaking wet – like a run out sponge

Do shred newspaper if you are going to compost it.

Do add composting agents which are available at gardening centers. Fresh cow manure works as well.

Do chop or break up stuff into pieces or parts

For best results, do turn it every few days. Burying it will do the trick, just at a much slower rate

Do add farm animal manure if you can get it

Do add cut grasss but be sure to mix it

Do let worms live in the compost – they help aerate the compost and they eat it which speeds up the process.

Do protect it from heavy wind and rain

Do add leaves, straw, or shredded newspaper and turn it. Especially if it starts to stink.

DON’T:

Don’t put in things with protein, such as meat or dairy – it will take a long time to break down and attract pests.

Don’t put in bones – they will definitely take forever to break down (seems silly to say this but I actually know someone that tried )

Don’t put in plant matter that is diseased or treated with herbicides, such as lawn clippings from parks.

Do NOT try to compost poop. Feces comosting should be done separately since the soil cannot be used for gardening. It also requires slightly different instructions.  However, poop from herbivores is different, that is fertilizer, and is ok to compost. But don’t go overboard. Cat and dog (and human) poop is definitely a don’t.

Don’t toss your trash in the compost. This defeats the purpose of composting.

Don’t put in a lot of newspaper with a lot of shiny paper and colored ink (coupon pages for example)

Don’t put in ashes from coal. Wood ash is not recommended either.

Don’t put in diseased plants or weeds gone to seed (if you plan to garden with the resulting soil)

Don’t add dairy products (this will attract pests and make it stink)

Don’t add fatty stuff like salad dressing – fats take too long to break down.

Happy Rotting…..