Monthly Archives: September 2008

The Alaska Women Reject Palin Rally

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Never, have I seen anything like it in my 17 and a half years living in Anchorage.  The organizers had someone walk the rally with a counter, and they clicked off well over 1400 people (not including the 90 counter-demonstrators).  This was the biggest political rally ever, in the history of the state.  I was absolutely stunned.  The second most amazing thing is how many people honked and gave the thumbs up as they drove by.

Thanks to my sis for passing along the good news.

.:: For more photos & a first hand account of the rally –> check Mudflats

foto av dagen 09.17.08

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In its brief lifespan of only 13 days, Hurricane Ike wreaked great deal of havoc. Affecting several countries including Cuba, Haiti, and the United States, Ike is blamed for approximately 114 deaths (74 in Haiti alone), and damages that are still being tallied, with estimates topping $10 billion. Many shoreline communities of Galveston, Texas were wiped from the map by the winds, storm surge and the walls of debris pushed along by Ike – though Galveston was spared the level of disaster it suffered in 1900. (28 photos total)

.:: Ike’s wrath –> a photo series

9.11.08 a day of many things

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[image via amivectio.com]
I woke up early this morning to a mandatory evacuation of the county i am staying in here in TX, Jefferson County.  Hurricane Ike is on his way.  Now, intuition would tell you that a mandatory evacutation is just that, mandatory.  Apparently, not so.  After hearing about the evacuation, I went into work, a fairly large construction site, where the construction crews were hard at work securing the site for hurricane conditions.  Many of the folks on site i talked to were planning to evacuate north toward Dallas, or east toward Louisiana, or even west into Houston (where the storm is expected to hit directly), but a lot of the guys i talked to from the area are planning to ‘hunker down’ as they call it and brave the storm.  As it turns out, I am hunkering down as well (at least until I hear further word from my boss).  Needless to say, I have been glued to all the weather websites, my favorite of which is weatherunderground.com.  Just in the past hour Ike has been forecast to downgrade to a Cat 2 when it hits the coast.  Here are some images:

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The above image shows potential maximum storm surges.  For reference, Jefferson County is right there on the TX/LA boarder in the orange 24′ potential storm surge area.  the weather channel is telling me to expect a 10-20′ surge.  i have been told that the sea walls in this area hold until the surge surpasses 14′.  So yeah, I am starting to get nervous.

The red areas, which will see the highest surge, happen to be right in the Baytown area, where Exxon-Mobile has their largest oil refinery which, if you look it up on google maps, is the size of a small city.

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Meanwhile, in happier news, i was shocked this evening to open an email from the ninjas over at amivectio (friends of the revolution) and find my face front & center (ok, bottom left) in the message.  amivectio is the blog-child of Hector Estrada, founder & creative mind behind Triko, a dope street-wear collection for ‘progressive and eclectic individuals’ that embraces environmentally friendly practices [we are big fans & have covered Triko here … I still have my fingers crossed for some ladies threads].

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Several months ago Triko sent out a quick survey to their mailing list that I responded to, and this is the result:

Name: Jessie P.

What do you currently do for a living?
chemical engineer & part time ninja (green.myninjaplease.com)

Where are you originally from?
new england & tucson AZ, i can never decide which

How would you describe your style?
comfortable but with flavor

What inspires you in your daily pursuit of Life?
good people working for good things. bad people making us work a little harder

How do you feel about the environment?
it teaches us, we waste it away. in the end, it will have the upper hand

Do you prefer shopping online or in person?
in person. i have to be able to feel the textiles & see the colors. besides, fit is always tricky

Do you believe in extraterrestrials?
i believe it is ignorant to think we are the only beings in this massive universe

What books are you currently reading?
GRUB: ideas for an urban organic kitchen, by Anna Lappé & Bryant Terry; Oil!, by Upton Sinclair

What’s your favorite sound of nature?
a horse neighing in recognition

What does success mean to you?
making steps toward something you believe in

Many thanks to amivectio for calling me a friend of the revolution!

A few words on amivectio from the source:

Our new blog: friends.amivectio.com is clean and simple.  We’ll be covering progressive people and lifestyles with features on art, world affairs, music, friends, events, our daily grind, and of course fashion, style, and design.  If you submitted an “Art of Life” entry, these will now be feature at friends.amivectio.com, under the “friends of the revolution” category.  Please stop by our community blog and leave us a comment.  Enjoy!

In summation:
.:: for peace –> stop war

.:: for safety –> track Ike & get the hell out of dodge

.:: for fly earf-friendly street-wear –> check Triko, amivectio & become a friend of the revolution

Green Jobs Now: Events in Your Hood

Green Jobs Now is having an inaugural National Day of Action coming up on September 27.  Check for events in your neck of the woods on their handy US map.

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Examples include:
Mayor Menino’s Food & Fuel CampaignBoston, MA
September 27, 2008 09:00AM to 01:00PM
Hosted by Aaron Tanaka
Event Description:
Mayor Menino’s Food & Fuel Campaign is a partnership between government, businesses and non-profit organizations that are helping residents and small businesses address the rising costs of food and fuel. As part of this effort, the Mayor will be hosting a food and fuel summit at Madison Park High School on September 27th. These will provide opportunities for Boston families to come together and learn about programs and services that can help them manage in these tough economic times. Boston Workers’ Alliance will be at the event, holding a voter registration drive to elect the best Green Candidates. BWA will also be providing information on the new Green Jobs / Energy Efficiency training program that is being rolled out at Roxbury Community College this September. We are signing up unemployed residents with criminal records to get involved in the training so we can build our own energy auditing and efficiency business. Making your home energy efficient is the best way to cut costs and reduce pollution. Boston’s going green! We’re ready- are you?

Breaking Ground: Urban Gardening Youth Conference
San Francisco, CA

September 27, 2008 10:00AM to 04:00PM
Hosted by Julia Brashares
Event Description:
We are planning a full day youth conference on September 27th, 2008 bringing together high school students interested in urban gardening, open green space, and sustainability. The conference will feature workshops presented by youth, for youth, in addition to a Green Jobs Now panel featuring green job and internship opportunities for high schoolers to get involved with now.

Green Roofs, Green Jobs!
Bronxville, NY

September 27, 2008 10:00AM to 02:00PM
Hosted by SmartRoofs, LLC and Sarah Lawrence College
Event Description:
SmartRoofs, LLC, a subsidiary of Sustainable South Bronx (SSBx), and Sarah Lawrence College (SLC) are co-hosting an event called, “Green Roofs, Green Jobs!” on Saturday, September 27th, 2008 at 10am on the SLC campus located at 1 Mead Way in Bronxville, New York. **PLEASE CHECK BACK FOR UPDATED INFORMATION.** The event will kick off at 10am by publicly showcasing SmartRoofs’ first official green roof installation, followed by a press conference with local elected officials and heroes of the green-jobs movement, locally-grown refreshments, inspiring workshops, and a networking session. SmartRoofs, a green roof installation company based in the Bronx, is guided by SSBx’s mission to “create environmental justice (EJ) through innovative, economically sustainable projects that are informed by community needs.” Sarah Lawrence College is leading the way among colleges and universities by playing a key role in demanding governmental action for Green Jobs. The installation date coincides with the national day of action, “Green Jobs Now!”—calling for Green-Collar Jobs as a way to lift people out of poverty and restore our planet. By employing graduates of SSBx’s Bronx Environmental Stewardship Training program (BEST) to install and maintain the green roofs we design, SmartRoofs will show this solution in action on the local scale by simultaneously creating green space and green jobs, now! And for this exciting installation, the SmartRoofs crew will be comprised of ten talented BEST graduates! In an effort to show support for the transformation of our nation towards sustainability, SmartRoofs, SSBx, SLC, and GFA are collaborating to call for positive change in our communities. For more information about the day’s events, please contact SmartRoofs Business Manager, Renaldo DaSilva at 646.400.5292 or rdasilva@ssbx.org.

There are a lot of events on the map, but def still some empty states..so spread the word and start something in your hood!

.:: Official page –>Green Jobs Now National Day of Action

A Texan With a Plan, Or Just Another $cam?

I heard about this dude T. Boone Pickens months ago, I forget where, and then heard about him again a couple months later on some news program, then yesterday, as i was waiting in the airport (on my way to Texas no less), I was reminded of him again by a ‘Pickens Plan’ commercial on some news channel (which was simultaneously flashing stock/energy numbers across the bottom of the screen).  Now, call me skeptical, but When rich old oil hounds miraculously turn into earth-loving crusaders overnight, and then voluntarily drop however many $$$ on a major advertising campaign for their earth-loving cause, one has to wonder…is this ninja for real?

Decide for yourselves, watch his tv spot:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2bOug1d20c[/youtube]

Then watch this PSA from Zaproot.com (be forewarned, this chick talks at the speed of light):
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70HFEHB6dag[/youtube]

I say, never trust a Texan.  What do y’all think?