Safe Cosmetics Act

I guess the goal of this bill is for there to be no cosmetics at all. Which is usually fine with me, since we should all be happy with the way we are. But this goes beyond what’s usually defined as “cosmetics.” We’re not just talking lipstick and makeup. We’re talking shampoo, deodorant, and, most importantly, SOAP.

The purpose of the bill is to reduce the toxic materials included in all these products, a goal which is laudable. But take a look at the bill itself. “Nanomaterials?” Putting down every single ingredient? This will put mom-and-pop shops out of business as they’ll have to hire labs to test exactly what is in the water they’re using. And the thing is, with this bill, drinking water will have laxer standards than makeup and soap. Remember when Dubya allowed more arsenic in our drinking water? You don’t see Agatha Christie’s poison of choice listed on your bottle of Aquafina, do ya?

In short, the drafters of this bill need to sit down and think a little more about what this will do to small businesses. Their intentions are good, but a sweeping change such as this is a bit much.

Please contact your representative on this issue. I wrote about the above to Congresswoman Yvette Clarke of NY’s 11th Congressional District (Give it up for Brooklyn!), but lost it while running between browser tabs.

It basically said that while the bill had good intentions, it would hurt people such as myself, who make soap out of their kitchens. We’d then have to hire people to check all the ingredients in our good old NY drinking water, including the arsenic Bush allowed in there, and the remnants of heart medications. It ended with a plea to give the Act some slack for small businesses.

Maybe I’ll follow up by sending Congresswoman Clarke a bar of soap with Brambleberry’s “toxic waste yellow” coloring. ;P

(Thanks to Anne Marie at Brambleberry for bringing this to my attention)

Female Genital Mutilation at Cornell University?!?

Female Genital Mutilation at Cornell University | Slog | The Stranger, Seattles Only Newspaper.

After reading this article, all I can say is… wow. I mean, I think of “female genital mutilation” as something that occurs in African tribes, not in an American university. I can understand, maybe, if the clitoris was large enough to look like a penis and the parents wanted the child to be comfortable in her femininity. MAYBE. But this seems to be for cosmetic reasons.

And don’t get me started on the annual “follow-up” exams. Applying vibrators and otherwise stimulating the clitoral areas of six-year-olds? And it’s only one doctor doing this, so why hasn’t his medical license been revoked for being a pedophile?

Poor, poor, girls.

You can’t even compare this to male circumcision; as far as I know, little boys don’t get handjobs during their physical exams.

Tags: wtf

New Jersey School Redefines “Fundraising.” 

I understand that schools are strapped for cash. Hell, everyone’s strapped for cash nowadays. Therefore, I can totally see how the school can end up not having enough money for a end-of-the-year trip to the zoo.

However, the school sent letters home basically requiring parents to pay their kids for doing chores around the house, and that all the proceeds ($20) go to the school for the field trip.

Umm, what? That’s going a bit far. I can understand a school trying to tell parents how to help their children with academic work, but with chores? That’s getting a bit too invasive. As one of the moms, Laura Wellington said, paying her kids for doing household chores goes against their values.

Even worse is that the school said it was mandatory that the families do this.

I can understand if they just said, “We want to take the kids to the zoo. Please contribute $20.”

However, they have to expect to receive some “no” answers from families. Families are struggling; many parents are unemployed or underemployed. And according to Wellington’s statement, the kids already went on a trip this year. What would the kids really miss by not going to the zoo? They could spend another day in the classroom, or maybe even have an assembly or field day that would cost less money. Better yet, how about a lesson on fiscal responsibility? I think that, in the fifth grade, I understood the concept of negative numbers. Teach the kids that, since the grown-ups spent too much money, the school has negative money to take them on trips.

Oh, Bergen County. I know you’re one of the richest counties in the nation, but couldn’t you have thought this through for five minutes, like I just did?

New Jersey School Gives New Meaning To Fundraising – 1010WINS.com .

Tags: wtf

The MTA is frakkin’ with my service… FML!

The MTA is making lots of service changes in the next couple of weeks. One of them is the elimination of te V line, which usually runs along 6th Ave with the B, D, and F lines. Instead, they are extending the M train and changing its color designation. So, at 6th Ave and 14th St, you can now see the following sign:

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Read the Guest of a Guest article here.

In case you didn’t know, FML can stand for “F*ck My Life.”

Unfortunately, the MTA doesn’t have a sense of humor, and is working to change the order of the signs.

Tags: M.T. Fuckin' A!, only in ny, transit

World Cup: Dee Shows Her True Colors

Those colors are green and white.

As you may already know, I was born to a Nigerian-born father and Jamaican-born mother. Jamaica doesn’t make it to the World Cup often, so I root for Nigeria. When they crap out, I root for my country of birth, the U.S. of A.! That’s that. If you don’t like it, deal.

Is it really “pro-life?”

In Pennsylvania, a 13-year-old girl almost died when she used a pencil to perform an abortion. Depending on her birthday, she may be a rape victim, as one of the definitions of rape in the state of Pennsylvania includes having sex with someone “who is less than 13 years of age.”

Even if the bastard doesn’t get convicted of rape, she most likely was being taken advantage. And he’d better get a guilty verdict for, at the very least, “statuatory sexual assault.” Either way, the man who impregnated her, and helped her hide the fetus…

…this girl is a victim.

Had she been in another state, she could have had a professional, medically safer procedure. Instead, she continues to recover in hospital.

Can having a 13-year-old on the brink of death truly be called “pro-life?”

Call it something else. Call it “anti-choice.” Call it “anti-abortion.” Call it “pro-fetus.” But calling it “pro-life” is just inaccurate. Killing Dr. Tiller and others in the name of a pro-life movement just does not make any sense.

13 Year Old Performs Abortion At Home: Time To Rethink Parental Notification Laws.

Tags: news, politics, rights

Once Again, Best Wishes to Aleja and Nick (with a dash of disability politics)

My friend Alejandra and partner Nick had a ceremony this past Sunday. One of the reasons it was not a marriage is because the current healthcare system imposes a marriage penalty on those receiving SSI benefits. Their benefits would be reduced by 25% if they were legally married.

Both Alejandra and Nick are outspoken disability advocates. I met Alejandra through the Peace of Heart Choir, which, as you should know already, promotes peace and healing through song.

Again, I wish Nick and Aleja the best, both in their loving relationship, and in their fight for disability rights.

Article: Couple Exchanges Vows in Central Park – Transportation Access.

Tags: choir, politics, rights

Free your mind, and the rest will follow…

I’m working with my husband Kevin and our friend James on a new service. It’s called Unshackle New York, and we offer consulting services, web services, programming, classes and tutoring. I’m doing mostly behind-the-scenes stuff such as building up a presence on social networks and working on the webpage right now. Hopefully, with Kevin and James’ help, I’ll get my Linux skills up to speed and be able to help out with the actual work.

For everyone who thinks it’s too late to return to get a GED/go to college/go to grad school…

I hear it a lot: “I’m too old to go back to school.” “I have children,” etc. While I admit it is hard work to raise kids, go to school, and have a job, I just want to let you know the ultimate refutal for the age excuse:

Back in 2004, The New York Times published an article about an 84-year old man who took advantage of Kenya’s newly adopted free education system to go to the first grade.

Yes, that’s right. You had an 84 year old man taking classes with his grandkids.

Now if he can do it, why can’t a 30 or 40-something go to college?

BTW, I just found out that he died last August, and went up to the sixth grade. There is a movie in the works about his educational life.

Kimani Ng’ang’a Maruge is truly an inspiration.

I don’t get Facebook Recommendations sometimes…

I mean, sometimes, they make perfect sense. They suggest people with whom I have mutual friends, like co-workers, members of my choir, or family friends. Heck, sometimes, they’re even good enough to find my local representative (e.g., city councilwoman Letitia James). But today, I got a suggestion for this fella:

The guy on top is Hiram Monserrate, who was ousted from his New York State Senate seat in February for being convicted of assaulting his girlfriend. There’s no doubt he beat her up; there’s video of him dragging her out of the building while she’s bleeding and seeking help.

And the other thing: he’s not even in my district. And we have no mutual friends. I have one Facebook friend whom he used to represent, but she just moved out of not only the district, but the county (borough) altogether, and, survivor that she is, wouldn’t have friended him, either.

Tags: facebook, wtf