Remembering Katrina
August 31st, 2006
One of my very favorite photographers, Meg Reilley, shot these haunting photos last year in the devastation of New Orleans’ Ninth Ward. A native of Louisiana, Meg’s perspective on the tragedy, as with all her work, is intensely personal, honest and tender.
All of the media frenzy around “Katrina: One Year Later” made me think that perhaps a quieter tribute, like this one, might be a more appropriate remembrance.
If you’re interested in having Meg photograph the places near and dear to you, she will be in the Boston area in early October, the NYC area in late November and back in New Orleans in early December.
Pay It Forward
August 31st, 2006
It occurred to me yesterday as I was reading Jeffrey Sachs’ book, The End of Poverty, how little it really takes from each of us to make a huge impact in someone else’s life.
(More on this book and the amazing Mr. Sachs later.)
With more than 20% of the planet living in extreme poverty, the global problem can often seem overwhelming to those of us living ordinary lives in ordinary places.
But the good news is that no one is asking you to give up your comfortable lifestyle in order to change the world. What is required is not that a few individuals sell all of their belongings in order to impact the poor, the suffering, or the dying.
What is required is simply that a lot of people give up a very, very small percentage of what they have in order to drastically raise the standards of living for the others who don’t.
The world is a smaller place than you think. You and your five friends may not seem like much. But your five friends know five other people, and those people know five others.
Spread the good word. Pay it forward!
Instant Karma – Back to School
August 31st, 2006
New this week, “Instant Karma� features are going to be easy, quick and effective options for you to make a real difference in someone’s life. Hopefully in 10 minutes or less!
As your kids are going back to school this fall, why not pick up an extra set of school supplies for a child in need? These pre-packaged school supplies from SchoolKidz.com are specifically tailored for each grade from K-6 and sell for between $15 to $26.
But there’s no need to go further than your local drugstore. An extra backpack with a set of notebooks, pencils, pens and sharpeners might go a long way toward giving a child a more hopeful school year.
If you’re not sure where to drop it off, why not try your local school’s administration office to see if they know of anyone in need? Or a local place of worship? Even the Goodwill truck would be a great place to drop it off. Feel even better about sending your kids back to school!
Lovin’ the Dunes
August 31st, 2006
Speaking from personal experience, growing up in southern California puts a love of the beach into your bones.
Which is why I feel especially grateful to the folks at the Monterey Bay Chapter of the California Native Plant Society. The volunteers in their Beach Garden Project are working hard on the dunes of Seaside Beach to
clean out the non-native ice plant and replace it with native beach sagewort, dune buckwheat, and pink and yellow sand verbena. Volunteers have grown and planted over 100,000 seedlings since their founding in 1992.
Even if you don’t live near the California coast, you can get involved with protecting your local ecology. For more information, contact the Native Plant Conservation Campaign for a listing of local native plant societies near you.
Mary Jane’s Farm
August 31st, 2006
Does organic fast food sound like an oxymoron? If you can’t find the time to cook properly, but can’t get over the guilt of the drive-thru, this might be just the perfect (and perfectly convenient) solution to boost your karma score.
Check out the food stuff at Mary Jane’s Farm for all kinds of organic fast food options. (No, not a mary jane farm, that’s something different.)
Whether single serving, office, travel or family portions, they all seem pretty easy to manage — unzip the pouch, pour in the boiling water and wait! Easy as Top Ramen, no deep fried guilt.
Organic Peasant Tomato Soup from $2.87/serving.
Organic Griddle Cakes from $2.35/serving.
The catalog also comes cleverly disguised as a magazine, so you can multi-task your food shopping with your magazine reading. Doesn’t get better than that!