mipmup.

friday favorites.

here are my favorites for this week (the travel edition):

• recyclopedia stationery set, garden theme. write your "wish-you-were-heres" on these papers, made from recycled vintage books and encyclopedias. no need to bring your little black book if you pre-address them before you say bon voyage. from 4.50.

• hat with spf. this hat boasts a 50+ ultraviolet protection factor and a gigantic brim, so you can lounge on the sundeck a little safer. 60.

• pucci beach bag. though you probably couldn't guess from the pedestrian clothes i'm wearing right now, pucci is one of my favorite designers. this beach bag will make your beach strolls stylish. and it better for 690.

• to doodle and dream. put down that in style and write or draw your afternoon away. handmade in nepal. fair trade. 20.

• natural sunscreen. as an alternative to chemical-laden and possibly toxic sunscreen, benedetta offers a two-part system to protect you from harmful rays. 48.

photo credits: superfantastico  .  bliss  .  eluxury  .  mandala  .  benedetta

may day.

my great-grandparents on one side of the family and great-great-grandparents on the other side were immigrants. their story is simple and familiar: they came for a better life. for a chance. one pair came from mexico and after settling here, they started a farm and my great-great-grandmother was also a legendary midwife. on the other side, my great-grandfather came from eastern europe to escape hardships brought on by the czar, eventually founding a business (ironically for me — the vegan — a butcher shop). my family faced a number of hardships and discrimination that are unimaginable to me today, but firmly believed that their life would be better here in the us. they assimilated so much that my grandparents and parents only spoke english.

while my family came here legally, obviously others are not so lucky. the backlash against this group, who i've heard referred to as the only ones who may still believe in the american dream, is distressing. in fact, my immediate family is on the right of this issue, which confounds me.

this monday, 1 may, in addition to being international workers' day, is a one-day protest called the great american boycott 2006, endorsed by california's state senators. show your support by participating in organized events or strike by following the call for "no work, no school, no sales, and no buying" and by wearing a white shirt.

i will be supporting this boycott because i believe firmly in the rights of all people, regardless from whence they came, to have a life that allows them to meet their basic needs — and many of ours. i believe in the contribution of our immigrants (including these women and albert einstein), and i am thankful for all they do. finally, i do not believe that criminalizing immigrants is a solution.

i will say that the republican party has an amazing ability to promote inaccurate mythology surrounding illegal immigration. thankfully, the nonpartisan urban institute, which analyzes social, civic, and economic policies, seeks to set the record straight:

myth #1: undocumented immigrants come to the united states to get welfare.
undocumented men come to the united states almost exclusively to work. in 2003, over 90 percent of undocumented men worked—a rate higher than that for u.s. citizens or legal immigrants (passel, capps, and fix 2004). undocumented men are younger, less likely to be in school, and less likely to be retired than other men (capps et al. 2003). moreover, undocumented immigrants are ineligible for welfare, food stamps, medicaid, and most other public benefits (fix, zimmermann, and passel 2001).

myth #2: undocumented immigrants all crossed the mexican border.
between 60 and 75 percent of the more than 10 million undocumented immigrants entered illegally and without inspection—mostly across the mexican border. the other 25 to 40 percent entered legally and subsequently overstayed visas or otherwise violated the terms of their admission (passel 2005).

myth #3: undocumented immigrants are all single men.
over 40 percent of undocumented adults are women, and the majority (54 percent) of undocumented men live in married couples or other families (passel 2005). fewer than half of undocumented men are single and unattached.

myth #4: most children of the undocumented are unauthorized.
in fact, two-thirds of all children with undocumented parents (about 3 million) are u.s.-born citizens who live in mixed-status families.

myth #5: a large share of schoolchildren are undocumented.
nationally in 2000, only 1.5 percent of elementary schoolchildren (enrolled in kindergarten through 5th grade) and 3 percent of secondary children (grades 6-12) were undocumented. slightly higher shares—5 percent in elementary and 4 percent in secondary schools—had undocumented parents.

myth #6: undocumented immigrants do not pay taxes.
undocumented immigrants pay the same real estate taxes—whether they own homes or taxes are passed through to rents—and the same sales and other consumption taxes as everyone else. the majority of state and local costs of schooling and other services are funded by these taxes. additionally, the u.s. social security administration has estimated that three quarters of undocumented immigrants pay payroll taxes, and that they contribute $6-7 billion in social security funds that they will be unable to claim (porter 2005).

read more.

additional resource:
immigrant solidarity network
national immigrant forum

photo credit: mr. mipmup.

support the pet evacuation bill.

i can't imagine what katrina residents had to go through in leaving their pets behind. will you join me in urging louisiana's government to support the pet evacuation bill? the bill "requires the state and parish governments to develop emergency evacuation plans for pets and service animals." you can read all about the bill here. comments are due by this monday, 1 may.

below is a sample letter written by the best friends animal society network with email addresses. please modify it for extra impact if you have the time.

Jerry Luke LeBlanc, Commissioner of Administration
P.O. Box 94004
Baton Rouge, LA 70804
local ph: 225-342-7000; toll free: 800-354-9548
fax: 225-342-5653
email: doacommissioner@la.gov

Governor Kathleen Blanco
Office of the Governor, Attn: Constituent Services
P.O. Box 94004; Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9004
ph: 866-366-1121, 225-342-0991 or 225-342-7015; fax: 225-342-7099
email: contact@la.gov

Dear Commr LeBlanc and Governor Blanco,

Citizens of the world look to Senator Fontenot's pending Pet Evacuation Bill
(SB-607) as a model plan for service animals and household pets during a
catastrophe. You have an unprecedented opportunity to help your constituents
and enhance Louisiana's image worldwide.

Emergency arrangements with no animal component are out of touch with
citizens like Scott Sherman, who refused to evacuate without his dogs. Scott
is listed among the hurricane dead. The death toll might have been lower if
a plan to accommodate household pets and service animals had been in place.

I call upon the State of Louisiana to fund the humane evacuation, transport
and temporary sheltering of animals as provided in SB 607. Please consider the economic offsets. It is more cost-effective to shelter/transport animals than finance crisis evacuations for residents who won't leave without them.

Currently there are two bills moving in the U.S. Congress:
(1) HR3858 requires the Director of FEMA, in approving standards for state and local disaster preparedness plans, to ensure that the plans take into account the needs of individuals with household pets and service animals.
(2) S2548 authorizes the Director of FEMA to make financial contributions to states and local authorities for animal emergency preparedness purposes, including the procurement, construction, leasing, or renovating emergency shelter facilities and materials that will accommodate people with pets and service animals.

U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn, top Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security Committee was quoted in the Stamford Advocate on April 14, 2006 as saying" Hurricane Katrina taught us that many people will not evacuate if they will have to leave pets behind".

As you are aware, hurricane victims were forced to choose between survival
and their pets. Last September Denise Okojo clung to her seeing-eye service
dog in the shadows of her swamped apartment. When a helicopter team arrived,
Okojo was ordered to leave Molly, a Labrador retriever, behind. The blind
woman said goodbye to her "eyes" and sole companion.

On April 18, John Bozes carried three empty leashes to the Senate Hearing on
SB-607. The leashes represented Angel Girl, Bullet, and Honey, his now deceased extended
family's dogs.

With pets banned from designated shelters outside St. Bernard Parish, Bozes
(who cannot drive due to disability) had found overnight haven at Beauregard
Middle School. The next day Sheriff's Deputies ordered people to vacate
without their pets, assuring them the animals would be rescued. Instead,
Bozes watched CNN's Anderson Cooper later report "Dog Killings at Three St.
Bernard Parish Schools." As TV cameras surveyed the crime scene, Bozes
spotted Angel Girl, Bullet, and Honey lying in their own blood.

"I still have nightmares about what happened," Bozes says. "I still lay
awake at night crying because Angel Girl was all I had."

Unforgivable images are forever etched into our nation's conscience. But
Louisiana can now take the lead in legislation to fully implement protocols
on rescue/shelter of animals during a disaster. This pivotal human/animal
safety issue deserves your utmost attention and financial support.

Thank you,
[your name]

send to:
doacommissioner@la.gov, contact@la.gov

cc:
adleyr@legis.state.la.us, amedeej@legis.state.la.us, websen@legis.state.la.us, barhamr@legis.state.la.us,boassow@legis.state.la.us, lasen15@legis.state.la.us, cainj@legis.state.la.us, websen@legis.state.la.us, smithcheek@legis.state.la.us, websen@legis.state.la.us, dardennej@legis.state.la.us, websen@legis.state.la.us, lasen20@legis.state.la.us, ellingtn@legis.state.la.us, fieldsc@legis.state.la.us, fontenoc@legis.state.la.us, gautreauxn@legis.state.la.us, lasen21@legis.state.la.us, heitmeierf@legis.state.la.us, hinesd@legis.state.la.us,hollisk@legis.state.la.us, jacksonl@legis.state.la.us, websen@legis.state.la.us, kostelka@legis.state.la.us, lentini@legis.state.la.us, malonem@legis.state.la.us, lasen17@legis.state.la.us, lasen29@legis.state.la.us, lasen23@legis.state.la.us, lasen27@legis.state.la.us, murraye@legis.state.la.us, websen@legis.state.la.us, quinnj@legis.state.la.us, romeroc@legis.state.la.us, schedlet@legis.state.la.us, websen@legis.state.la.us, smithmi@legis.state.la.us, theunisg@legis.state.la.us, websen@legis.state.la.us

friday favorites.

here are my favorites this week, celebrating earth day:

• pandora. support a cd-free planet by visiting pandora, a supercool "a music discovery service" that allows users to find music based on what they already like. just input your favorite artist or song and you'll be served up your very own "radio station" with tunes. in true "i am the center of the universe" fashion, users provide feedback like "i don't like this song. it's not what this station should play." suh-weet! [via superhero journal.] free + subscription options available.

• forestethics. trees help the environment in a number of ways. forestethics helps protect endangered forests. currently, they've got their eye on victoria's (dirty little) secret. find out how you can get involved. non-profit.

• byob. that's bring your own bag. help reduce the billion "free" bags given out each year and bring your own instead. i have this bag and keep it in my purse, just like my buddy showed me how to do! and! type in "freeacmebag" at check-out and get a free bag with your purchase! 9.95, discounts for greater quantities.

• fire + light cake plate. i have a weird thing for cake plates. i have four. i think i could use one more, yes? these plates are made by artisans from recycled glass, crushed by hand (ouch).  i'm not big on the blue, but i think the copper or citrus would do just fine. regularly 64.95, save 20% on any fire + light product with the coupon code "fl042006."

• eco-responsible kitchenwear. i also have a love affair with the cutting board. i have seven. ok, it's a problem, but some were gifts! anyway, if you need one, this board is made from mahogany and guapinol, which was harvested sustainably. also, proceeds help reforestation programs in costa rica and elsewhere. large, 36.

photo/image credits: pandora .  forestethics  .  reusablebags.com  .  global exchange  .  greenfeet.com 

minibreak(s).

nothing like a little minibreak (or two) to recharge the ol' soul. my better half and i got all spontaeneous and drove up to san francisco the other weekend to bid our very bffs adieu as they move cross-continent. while there, we camped out at caffe trieste (the spot at which francis ford coppola wrote "the godfather" screenplay) to celebrate their 50th anniversary, lawrence ferlinghetti watch and drink caps costing just 30 cents. i should have thanked the owner for my husband's $3-day capuccino habit since this is where it all started.

the next weekend, we celebrated a milestone anniversary with a trip to the desert where we relaxed, ate, drank and contemplated our future selves as we interacted with old people dressed in gold outfits, loafers without socks and faces pulled a wee bit too tight for nature's comfort.

don't you hate coming home after a trip? it's all back to normal, why-do-you-have-to-put-that-dirty-knife-on-the-countertop-instead-of-in-the-sink and stuff.

related: 50 years of art and coffee: an espresso pioneer, north beach's famed caffe trieste opened in '56 as a literary hangout -- and little has changed since

dance fever.

for the love of god, american apparel. for the love of god.

photo credit: american apparel.

friday favorites.

here are my favorites for this week:

• purelash mascara. when my husband said i looked more "bright-eyed" lately, i wholly attribute it to this product since i'm not doing anything else differently (but i'm still not getting carded). 16.

• artisanal coffee marshmallows. i don't even eat marshmallows (the gelatin, y'all) and these look worth ordering. 6.

• divina cucina. should we end up in italy this year, i'm thinking i might just want to splurge for a visit with the judester. from 375.

• adorable spring papers. i'm not really into the whole easter thing, but in true hypocritical fashion, i'm loving the e-bunny. 3.95.

• disc necklace. i feel like wearing this necklace just might make me sex-ay. 44.

photo credits: jane iredale . little flower candy co. . divina cucina . hello! lucky . jennifer grove.

friday favorites.

here are my favorites for this week:

• blocky bunny ipod case.  suh-weet ipod case. i'm beginning to feel so outdated now that my better half has a video ipod. he's so cool. 28.

• turquoise choker necklace. is it the fact that all the top models are decked out in turquoise necklaces that i'm suddenly thinking in turquoise? probably, but whatever. 55.

• aviary cards. again with the birds. 12.

• beach cover-up. off here on vacay, i realized this is the one thing i don't have, but really need. a little cover-up to go from pool to dining. 132.

• desk control. my desk needs control. 'nuf said. three pack, 19.

photo credits: copacetique . alltribes.com . fred flare. graham kandiah .  velocity art and design.