n&t

BBC News - How to offset your 'conflict mineral' guilt

‘“As our devices get smaller and faster, they require some specialised minerals,” says Sasha Lezhnev, a policy consultant for the Enough project, a non-governmental organisation which focuses on genocide and crimes against humanity.

“A significant portion of the minerals that accomplish those tasks come directly from Eastern Congo war zones.”’

Notes (See)

January 17

“In spite of the noble affirmations of Christianity, the church has often lagged in its concern for social justice and too often has been content to mouth pious irrelevancies and sanctimonious trivialities. It has often been so absorbed in a future good ‘over yonder’ that it forgets the present evils ‘down here.’ Yet the church is challenged to make the gospel of Jesus Christ relevant within the social situation. We must come to see that the Christian gospel is a two-way road. On the one side, it seeks to change the souls of men and thereby unite them with God; on the other, it seeks to change the environmental conditions of men so that the soul will have a chance after it is changed. Any religion that professes to be concerned with the souls of men and yet is not concerned with the economic and social conditions that strangle them and the social conditions that cripple them is the kind the Marxist describes as ‘an opiate of the people.”

-MLK, Jr.

via

Notes (See)

+

‘Stuff’ & Consumption: Currently Reading…

The Information Diet: A Case for Conscious Consumption (@NPR). “Just because your boss doesn’t see you looking at that Kim Kardashian post on The Huffington Post doesn’t mean that it’s not without consequence. When you click on it, you’re making it so that it’s more visible to other people. That means an information diet is something that’s of ethical consequence to you and others…”

An interesting case on how we are voting for our content. +1 on the ‘think-before-you-click” as an ideal for conscious consumption.

The Quest for a Universal Sustainability Score For Stuff We Buy (@fastco). The Story of Stuff asked ‘what’s in our products?’ and found some answers about our materials economy; Andrew Dent asks, ‘can we create a standard for what we put in our products?’. More difficult to answer.

We’re Eating Less Meat. Why? (@markbittman for nytimes). “…conscious decisions are being made by consumers. Even buying less meat because prices are high and times are tough is a choice; other “sacrifices” could be made.”

Story of Stuff’s Annie Leonard on the Colbert Report (@storyofstuff). From September, but quite good and got me to turn off the TV ;). The newest video is “The Story of Broke”: “The US isn’t broke; we’re the richest country on the planet and a country in which the richest among us are doing exceptionally well. But the truth is, our economy is broken.” Posted as OWS peaked in November.

Ways To Reduce Our Reliance on Corporations (And Our Exposure to Ads) (@kerismith). Not trying to hate, but I like the way she thinks on this one + a comments section you’ll actually want to read :D

Notes (See)

+

Seth's Blog: Trading in your pain

“Pain is a part of work. And it leads to two mistakes…”

Quite true.

Notes (See)

January 10

Tell Me a Tale - Michael Kiwanuka

Really liking this music! I like how he’s kinda old soul and the music has so many layers; each song is really different from the other and each composition progresses so beautifully and unexpectedly. I hear bits of Al Green, Eric Clapton (hear: I’m Getting Ready), and mellow acoustic styling akin to more contemporary artists like Corinne Bailey Rae and Jack Johnson. There’s some 70s soul in there too (Tell Me A Tale).

How does he do it?

Also: Is it Friday yet? ;)

Notes (See)

January 7

GPO… oh just me being fancy :)

But… where’s my hair bow?

Notes (See)

+

How ‘Sh*t White Girls Say to Black Girls’ Blew Up the Internet - COLORLINES

This video is pretty accurate… (giiirl, who called and told you my life?). Except instead of “white”, I might substitute: “the culturally infirmed” lol. This is probably the best response to that “girls say” meme that started a string of these parodies.

To add:

In applying for school and other competitive application-based programs: *looks you over*, “Oh,… you’ll probably get in.”
During Christmastime: “So,.. do you celebrate any other holidays?”
In wanting to discuss or point out your “different” body: “You have such nice curves!”, “Your so lucky that you don’t have to worry about your body or think about weight!” Some might just break out in “Baby Got Back” or the like when you put on even the slightest figure-accentuating clothing… *sigh*
When you have braids: “Do you, like, wash your hair? Or…er.. do you have to?”
In trying to gauge/commiserate on your romantic leanings, purposefully pointing out the first black guy sporting JCrew: “Isn’t he cute?!!”
In trying to avoid the uncomfortable fact that those with darker skin tones are disproportionately stigmatized or prejudiced against (in other words, flipping the script- “Hey, I can be a victim too!”): “I’m sooo white/pale! Aww I wish I had your color. You never have to worry about tanning!”
Stepping it up on fingersnapping, booty shaking, “mmmhmm-ing”, and mindless chatter about top 40 rap/r&b posited as cultural conversation pieces,… or plain ol’ saying “giiirlfriend!” in your presence believing it might be their entrance into “girlfriendship” (ps. I just made up the term “girlfriendship”. Get on it, 2012).
“Nude”. As a color. ‘Nuff said. Should it go the way of the “flesh” crayon? Or maybe it’s not really a thing because “nude” is mostly used for adult women products and is less specific?
Romanticizing “Gone With the Wind”. Yeah…/ And forcing doubt about the negative racial and deceptively feminist depictions.
As a “BBF”, expecting super-confidence and timely sassy wisdom for relationship struggles

Notes (See)