It is easy to feign ignorance when buying your consumer products, but that is going to get a little harder. Last week when President Obama signed the all Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, it included a law that requires companies to disclose the use of tantalum, tungsten and tin, three rare minerals that are heavily mined in the Congo, in independent audits filed with their annual financial reports. Now the law does not prevent them from using conflict minerals, but it will allow companies that do not use them to advertise their products as conflict free. Check the PSA below to get a better understanding of how all this works.
Nike continues the Write the Future campaign, but his time uses is to increase awareness about AIDS in Africa instead of selling shoes or promoting World Cup. The campaign comes together with (PRODUCT) RED and give you some information on what you can do to make a difference.
Christian Lander, the genius behind Stuff White People Like writes an awesome and introspective piece on identifying himself as ‘white.’
Excerpt:
I’m not attempting to assert some sort of superiority through my whiteness; quite the opposite actually. Thanks to my liberal upbringing, I am imbued with the appropriate amount of guilt and shame about my ancestors and their actions in the New World.
Even in my home, I can’t offer a blanket to a nonwhite friend without the fear that they will look at me and say “no smallpox on this right?” A joke, but I still want to apologize.
I’m a white male. I belong to a group that pretty much always been able to own land and to vote. I’m more or less from the kind that grabbed power somewhere after the fall of Rome and never let go. In other words, I’m the kind of white guy that has never experienced any real oppression.
Guru isn’t the only pioneer we mourn today. While he changed hip-hop and we remember him for it, we also must honor a woman who helped change the world, a Civil Rights heroine – Dorothy Height. She died early this morning of natural causes. Obama released a statement paying tribute to her.
“Michelle and I were deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Dorothy Height — the godmother of the Civil Rights Movement and a hero to so many Americans. Ever since she was denied entrance to college because the incoming class had already met its quota of two African American women, Dr. Height devoted her life to those struggling for equality. She led the National Council of Negro Women for 40 years, and served as the only woman at the highest level of the Civil Rights Movement — witnessing every march and milestone along the way. And even in the final weeks of her life — a time when anyone else would have enjoyed their well-earned rest — Dr. Height continued her fight to make our nation a more open and inclusive place for people of every race, gender, background and faith. Michelle and I offer our condolences to all those who knew and loved Dr. Height — and all those whose lives she touched.”
The Washington Post’s Colbert King wrote a beautiful piece that gives a glimpse of Height beyond her pursuit for equality across race, class and gender.
Imagine a place where aspiring fashion designers, producers, models, directors, and musicians collectively convene to provide engaging content for the masses. These aspiring leaders of the new era have regretted the “main” stream and embraced their “blog” stream success. Gone are the days of control through corporate sponsorship and label constraints, today artist have turned to the dojo to perfect their skills for the fight of “Creative Control”.
The 24hr Karate School as Mos Def refers to it, is an exceptional view into the process of media mogul training at its finest. Creative Control TV is an online television site that offers up the best in alternative programming for blog superstar artist who don’t have mainstream success, but are apart of an underground internet sub-culture that has a faithful following. Founded by directors Coodie & Chike, Mos Def, and Ex Rocafella Records CEO Dame Dash Creative Control TV is an remarkable site to view content of artists on the rise and those new fresh directors offering stunningly sharp vignettes accompanied by dope lyrics and smooth beats. Artists such as Sean O’Connell, Voodoo Farm, Jay Electronica, The Cool Kids, Stalley, Smoke DZA, Asher Roth and my personal favorite Curren$y all have content on the site, be it music videos, or impromptu jam sessions provided by Sessions @ DD172 the site gives viewers a doorway into a subculture of artist who genuinely are fresh . Shows like “Fuck the Major We Major” illustrates these artists hesitance to join the rat race of a major label. Other shows include Tonight @ Noon starring Mos Def and Gallery @ DD172, which gives those searching for new artists and art a place to fill their pupils with interpretation. Creative Control TV is awesome and should be considered a site to view as much as possible. It allows its ambitious members to produce quality material the way they want it and upholding the integrity in their material. I absolutely think those in the know, should get to know CreativeControltv.com
Not sure why this is just hitting the internet, as I though read the TOS. You will learn your lesson one day.
Please note that the Equipment Recovery Fee is imposed by Google and not your chosen carrier and is in addition to any early termination fees that may be charged by your chosen carrier in connection with termination of your wireless plan prior to fulfillment of your chosen carrier’s service agreement term.
So basically, it goes like this: if you cancel after 14 days (30 in California), T-Mobile will charge $200 for breaking the contract, and Google will charge the difference between the subsidized cost of the phone and its full price. So if you received the phone fully subsidized ($179) and canceled, you would pay Google the difference ($350) plus the T-Mobile EFT ($200), for a total of $729. Not the business at all. Buying the phone unlocked in only $530. Anyone see what they are trying to get you to do?
Chances are, no matter how cool you are, you will never get a chance to sit down with Mr. Obama and shoot the shit. So, Barack & Me made it possible to put yourself in the picture, caption it, and post it on your social networks.
Fred Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church thrives on ignorance. And its about time he get a taste of his own hateful medicine. In response to his homophobic “God Hates Fags” movement comes “God Hates Fads.”
A tee created by two chicks in Kansas City, Missouri, who decided to subvert Fred Phelps’ hateful message and parody streetwear fashion at the same time. You gotta love girls with passion, smarts and cynicism.
People can order the shirts, printed on black American Apparel classic tees, via Paypal by e-mailing godh8sfads@gmail.com for $25 and include your size. (S, M, L for women and S, M, L and XL for men)
I am not sure what to say about this, but I will say that I am a bit shocked by it. Lynsee, a mommy blogger, has decided to live stream her child birth. Now, people have put births on the internet before. It is a natural process and I am not trying to make this into a big deal or anything, but this just seems a little different to me.
Boston.com originally carried the story and reported the Lynsee, the 23 year-old mom to be, was approached by Moms Like Me and asked to blog about her pregnancy. In addition, they asked her to live stream the pregnancy. After a quick chit-chat with the hubby, it appears that she got the go ahead. The camera crew has been instructed to keep it clean and tasteful. Not exactly sure how that is going to work.
If you are interested in watching the process, Lynsee is due on November 19.
That’s right. In a HAPPY political climate, people could write off pet food, expensive vet bills and such. It’s stirring quite the controversy at the dog park. Some say owning a pet is a luxury and not a tax break. While others argue a bill like this could help save thousands of pets from losing their homes and lives in the recession.
