monsoon holiday

no pictures this time but links links links

My favorite link for today is this one.

I'll have to tell you the story behind it.

So it's the holiday season and I decided to check and see if a website I had stumbled upon ages ago was still out there. I'm looking for alternative things to do with the money you spend on gifts for family and friends at christmas. I remember a couple of years ago going to www.heifer.org, which is an amazing site and it gives you the opportunity to do something really helpful with your moola. I found my way back to heifer.org and started reading the article I've linked above, and man oh man did it make my day. Such an extraordinary woman.

so yes. read it-when you've got the time, it's a bit long- but definitely worth it.

and more links for your reading pleasure.

This is such a good site for things we should be learning about.
If you have any money or any family members who might just forgo a christmas gift for a good cause give these folks some money.
It absolutely cannot hurt to go here.
TODAY you should wear a red ribbon.
some folks I might like to work for someday.
A bit like heifer.org but still good stuff.
This is a great site, though it is based in the UK, it offers worldwide boycotts.
I'm a huge fan of this lady and what she's done.

yippy that's all for now.

I have met- in the last week a Zimbabwean documentary film maker, and an Iraqi magician. Both were completely magical encounters.

I must once again encourage everybody who feels that they can, to give money to some kind of charity instead of buying gifts for people. Or better yet, if you have already bought gifts or still want to- why not just sit down and have a conversation with someone about the world, anything you can think of will do. I think it's a good idea to think about the world sometimes...earth, other people, other beings, etc and ourselves.

definitely ourselves


oh and this is something very important that needs to be said. Pigeon sent it to me- apparantly it's all of UK livejournal's

"a lot has been said about how to prevent rape.
women should learn self-defense. women should lock themselves in their
houses after dark. women shouldn't have long hair and women shouldn't
wear short skirts. women shouldn't leave drinks unattended. They
shouldn't dare to get drunk at all.

instead of that bullshit, how about:

if a woman is drunk, don't rape her.
if a woman is walking alone at night, don't rape her.
if a women is drugged and unconscious, don't rape her.
if a woman is wearing a short skirt, don't rape her.
if a woman is jogging in a park at 5 am, don't rape her.
if a woman looks like your ex-girlfriend you're still hung up on,
don't rape her.
if a woman is asleep in her bed, don't rape her.
if a woman is asleep in your bed, don't rape her.
if a woman is doing her laundry, don't rape her.
if a woman is in a coma, don't rape her.
if a woman changes her mind in the middle of or about a particular
activity, don't rape her.
if a woman has repeatedly refused a certain activity, don't rape her.

if a woman is not yet a woman, but a child, don't rape her.
if your girlfriend or wife is not in the mood, don't rape her.
if your step-daughter is watching tv, don't rape her.
if you break into a house and find a woman there, don't rape her.
if your friend thinks it's okay to rape someone, tell him it's not,
and that he's not your friend.

if your "friend" tells you he raped someone, report him to the police.
if your frat-brother or another guy at the party tells you there's an
unconscious woman upstairs and it's your turn, don't rape her, call
the police and tell the guy he's a rapist.

tell your sons, god-sons, nephews, grandsons, sons of friends it's not
okay to rape someone.

don't tell your women friends how to be safe and avoid rape.
don't imply that she could have avoided it if she'd only done/not done x.
don't imply that it's in any way her fault.
don't let silence imply agreement when someone tells you he "got some"
with the drunk girl.
don't perpetuate a culture that tells you that you have no control
over or responsibility for your actions. You can, too, help yourself.

If you agree, repost it. It's that important."

i hope all are happy and healthy and working hard but loving it.

-s