Tag Archives: Randi Kaye

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

a message from Rep. John Lewis ~Reinstate Voting Rights Protections ~ In Memory


I’m deeply saddened.

If Congress doesn’t act, this will be the first election in 50 years without critical protections from the Voting Rights Act.

the right to vote is precious… even sacred.

That’s why in 1963, I marched on Washington with Martin Luther King for the right to vote.

That’s why in 1965, I gave a little blood on that bridge in Selma, Alabama for the right to vote.

Folks marched for this. Folks fought for this. And some even died for the right to vote.

But today, the vital protections in the Voting Rights Act have been gutted by the conservative Justices on the Supreme Court.

Voting is the most powerful non-violent tool we have in a democratic society. And we’ve got to use it!

Will you demand that Republicans fix the Voting Rights Act?

Thanks,

Congressman John Lewis

  • Hopefully, the VRA becomes Permanent Law,  with a few caveats that direct actions towards States that still feel the need to engage in Racism and or Discrimination on any level during elections Suppressing the Vote! – Nativegrl77
~ my 2cents ...

Say it isn’t so … fun facts while folks are eating ice cream


beever-sac-400x400

So, I got an email on Monday, saying oh… , and Justin Gammill had more to share about “natural flavorings,” turns out, so do I. I was informed by my fams that ice cream more often than not was homemade and our mom only used pure vanilla extract when vanilla was needed! Whew! So, at least 20years of my life were “Vanilla flavouring,” free, though the fact is anything that has a scent probably includes … Castoreum ~~ from you know where. I also came across a 2011 article from http://vrg.org ,  was posted separately.

My first post is below … continuity for updates of course

 I was looking through my email a few days ago and came across an article about ice cream and the heading gave me the impression something seemingly vile was being put in it and had to find out. I love and eat all kinds of ice cream all year round because of its ice creamy goodness.

However, disclaimer … with cancer, things have been adjusted! please eat fruit bars etc.  I was in and felt like a reasonable and rationalization phase, thinking ok, I can find out which ice cream brands actually list all of their ingredients and omit those that have the “natural flavoring”  buying only those who don’t use you know what from you know where! A secretion sac. Then I found out that Castoreum, is used for beauty products and sadly, that was not all.

The article by Justin Gammill was well written I laughed but I cannot lie it pissed me off to find out that my obsession for vanilla was … extracted from my heart. I have been a vanilla lovin fool since my crayon days second to coconut and included in my group of extraordinary smells; I love, obsess over, and have used for years. While I love cinnamon and almond too, vanilla was … yes, was my go-to after Coconut then Shea butter for the skin the others for all things used on our skin eat and drink. I admit the article brought out feelings of sadness as well as sounds of ick, ewwww,  ugh of what must happen to the animal giving up their secretions let alone who how why did someone decide, uh um uh let’s take that beaver sac and see what we can do with its stuff. I am definitely frowning about the slap of ugly reality of “natural flavorings” knowing it had to come from somewhere and that was bad enough, but to research it a little more and read what health.com has to say:

“Where you’ll find it: On both female &male Beavers ~ Castoreum! “While it sounds downright disgusting, the FDA says it’s GRAS, meaning it’s “generally recognized as safe.” You won’t see Castoreum on the food label because it’s generally listed as “natural flavoring.” It’s natural all right—naturally icky.”

Today, Castoreum is used as a tincture in some perfumes[5] as a food additive, perfumes cigarettes, bee keepers use it and there are medicinal uses as well. Apparently, back in the 18th Century, they thought Castoreum induced abortions among other things and helped headaches too … goodness, don’t tell your favourite Republican because they will suggest putting that between your knees too !

All kidding aside, this stuff is worth a lot per sac.

Resources: wiki, the internet, health.com and Justin’s article

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

a dad’s journey to the America


Immigration … definitely not what folks describe

“Born one of nine siblings in Mexico, [my papa] worked as a teenager helping my grandpa make and sell potato chips and delivering mercancía (merchandise/goods), but he knew he wanted more. The United States called to him.”

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

NMAAHC


NMAAHC
Marian Anderson Collection Donated to the
National Museum of African American
History and Culture
Collection of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Marian Anderson Ensemble
Gift of Ginette DePreist in memory of James DePreist. Photo by Hugh Talman, Smithsonian Institution.
Dear Charter Members and Friends,           
The orange-and-black velvet ensemble Marian Anderson (1897-1993) wore during her Easter Sunday performance on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1939 has entered the museum’s collection of the Smithsonians’ National Museum of African American History and Culture.In honor of the 75th anniversary of that historic concert — one seen by more than 75,000 people gathered at the Lincoln Memorial — the museum will put the classic skirt and blouse on display at the entrance to its gallery in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History. It will be on view from Tuesday, April 8, until September 2014. April 9 is the 75th anniversary of the concert.

The concert attire is part of a collection donated to the museum by Ginette DePreist, the widow of the celebrated conductor James DePreist (1936-2013) who was Anderson’s nephew.

By the time Anderson gave that Lincoln Memorial performance, she had established a stellar reputation in Europe. But despite her successes abroad, racial discrimination in the United States continued to create obstacles in her career. Howard University wanted to host Anderson for a concert engagement in Washington, D.C., and approached the Daughters of the American Revolution about using Constitution Hall. DAR had a policy that barred the use of the hall by African American performers, and Howard had made similar requests in the past without success. Once again, the DAR denied the concert planners’ request. DAR’s refusal to let Anderson perform at Constitution Hall became a national story when First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt publicly resigned her membership in the organization: “You had the opportunity to lead in an enlightened way, and it seems to me that your organization has failed.” In response, Walter White, executive secretary of the NAACP, and Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes arranged for Anderson to give a public concert on the steps of the Marian Anderson

Marian Anderson

Music artist

Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday, April 9, 1939. Learn More

Sincerely,

Edison R. Wato, Jr.
Membership Program Manager

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

ClearWaterProject: Building a movement for clean water & cultural survival

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“Without clean water, we cannot survive,” Emergildo Criollo told me recently. See How We Work

You may have heard of Emergildo. An indigenous leader of the Cofan Nation in Ecuador’s northern Amazon, he has been a relentless advocate for his people, speaking out about oil giant Chevron’s toxic legacy in his territory. But today, even as he continues the fight to hold Chevron accountable, Emergildo isn’t waiting for a cleanup that seems always on the horizon.

Emergildo is taking matters into his own hands, helping to bring clean water to thousands of indigenous people who have suffered without for decades. And today, I want to ask you to support Emergildo, and the other indigenous leaders who are part of an effort that Amazon Watch is deeply proud to support:

It’s called The ClearWater Project.

ClearWater

Established in late 2011 by long-time Amazon Watch campaigner Mitch Anderson, ClearWater was a response to Emergildo’s clarion call for clean water, where access to this basic necessity can be a matter of life and death.

ClearWater began with a big goal: provide safe, sustainable access to clean water for every indigenous family in the region, whose ancestral waterways have been poisoned by oil production and ensuing industrialization.

In just two years, ClearWater has installed more than 500 family-sized rainwater harvesting and filtration systems that serve thousands of people in communities who have long suffered an epidemic of cancer, birth defects, and other illnesses that numerous health studies in the region blame on a lack of access to safe sources of water for drinking, bathing, and cooking.

And our efforts have been able to make this impact because from the beginning, ClearWater has been a collaborative partnership between the five indigenous nationalities here – the Cofan, Siona, Secoya, Kichwa, and Waorani – and international supporters, such as water engineers, humanitarians, activists, philanthropists, and people like you.

ClearWater believes in collaborative, integrative, community-led solutions, where someone like Emergildo is coordinating amongst the different indigenous nationalities to install new water systems, local youth are using GPS to map their biological and cultural resources, and frontline leaders are learning new media techniques to broadcast their concerns to the world.

Clean water, health, and dignity. From this foundation, Emergildo and the indigenous people of Ecuador’s northern Amazon, are building a movement for rainforest protection and cultural survival.

I’m proud that Amazon Watch is a founding partner in this project, and I hope you’ll join us too.

In solidarity,

Han Shan
Han Shan
Amazon Watch Advisory Board Member

P.S. Explore ClearWater’s impact by navigating around this cutting-edge interactive map designed by another Amazon Watch family member, Gregor MacLennan, now Digital Democracy’s Program Director.