handmade good, CPSIA bad.

So, today (wed. 1/28/09) is CPSIA Blogging Day. On the East Coast, I’ve already missed it. But here on the West Siiiiide, I still have 52 minutes. So, here I go.

What is the CPSIA, you ask? The Consumer Protection Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), slated to take effect February 10, 2009, is a well-intentioned, but poorly-written piece of legislation (boy, that sounds familar) that threatens thousands of indie crafters and small-run manufacturers of goods intended for children. At first glance, the CPSIA is peachy – it’s designed to protect kids from products containing potentially harmful levels of lead, pthalates, and other toxins (i.e. all those toys from China that were recently pulled off the shelves). But underneath the surface, the CPSIA could severely injur small businesses and individual makers of handmade goods by requiring extensive/expensive testing and certification, permanently affixing labels to products, and enduring a tedious administrative process.

What does the CPSIA mean for a seller like me? If I wanted to sell child-size hats, beekeepers, and neckwarmers in stores or online (see hurleysashimi.etsy.com), I would have to send my products in to “CPSIA headquarters” for extensive testing and certification, affix mattress-tag-like labels to my products that would have to remain there forever, and wade through layers of red tape before my products would be deemed “sellable” (if that’s a word). By that time, I’d have to sell my stuff for a kajillion dollars. That’s a lot.

At a time when the un(der)employed are searching for more creative ways to make a living from home, and at a time when more crafters and handmakers are producing goods from safer, eco-friendly materials, this law threatens to wipe out a large sector of a burgeoning DIY movement.

Protect the kids, yes. But target the efforts better.

Read more about the CPSIA on:CRAFT and buyhandmade.org.

Read the actual law here.

Pareng Barack: Filipinos in Obama’s America

On Sunday, I attended the book signing for Benjamin Pimentel’s Pareng Barack: Filipinos in Obama’s America at the SF Public Library. I haven’t read it yet, but the small book is about how Filipinos responded, “often with excitement, sometimes with fear and dread,” to Barack Obama’s historic campaign and election. Having just returned from D.C., imagine my excitement to purchase a book with the words “Obama” and “Filipinos” on the cover.

The event wasn’t that well-attended, and the question-and-answer portion turned more into a long-winded-comment-and-answer session, but I was inspired by Pimentel’s reflections and his eagerness (the book was released 2 weeks after the Nov. 4 election) to chronicle the diverse perspectives of the Fil-Am community in the context of Obama’s phenomenal rise to the presidency.

I found one of the author’s reflections to be particularly stirring. During the event, Pimentel noted that he was 8 years old when President Ferdinand Marcos declared Martial Law in the Philippines. From that point on, for 14 years, his own political views (ultimately cynical and pessimistic) would be shaped by a dictatorship. Today, one of Pimentel’s sons is 9 years old. How wondrous it will be for this father to witness how his son’s views on politics, race, and social conditions are shaped by an (hopefully awesome 8-year) Obama administration.

“It will be Obama’s face and voice that my sons will see and hear on television and on the Internet over the next four years, maybe longer. It will be Pareng Barack who will play a critical role in defining my sons’ future in America.”
-Benjamin Pimentel

Not sure yet where you can get your own copy (I’ve been looking all over the internet, and can’t find ANY purchase information), but as soon as I figure it out, I’ll let you know!

Sneak Peek: Inauguration ‘09

still defrosting after our incredible whirlwind trip to the east coast. will do my best to post more during the week (once i stop spinning). in the meantime, here are a couple choice shots from the inauguration festivities.

by the way, barack obama is the president (!!!!!!).

At the Inauguration!

See you all here next week.

Emily Jacir’s Where We Come From

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to meander through the galleries at the SFMOMA free of charge (one of the perks of working for an arts organization). There wasn’t a particular exhibit I was dying to see, but I’m taking a photography class this semester, so I thought I’d take a stab at viewing works not just for purely retinal purposes, but to actually consider composition, use of light, subject matter, etc…you know, all the stuff that real artists look for.

So, I floated around through the galleries, admiring some works, questioning others, all while silently scoffing at the crowds of “intellectual masterbators.” I’ll admit – while I consider myself an art lover, many of the contemporary works housed in giant museums don’t speak to my soul. In fact, I spend lots of time cocking my head to one side wondering what something like a giant black canvas is supposed to “evoke.” So, just when I’d had my fill of modern art, I stumbled upon a gem.

Up on the fourth floor, through the curtain of golden beads, past the suspended water bottles, in what seemed to be the most remote corner of the galleries, was Emily Jacir’s Where We Come From. Jacir, a Palestinian American artist, holds an American passport and can travel with relative ease in and out of Palestine and Israel. From 2001 – 2003, recognizing that many people do not share the same opportunity, she asked Palestinians in far-off places like Montreal, Paris, Houston, New York, etc. the following question:

“If I could do anything for you, anywhere in Palestine, what would it be?”

The responses were eye-opening and heartbreaking:

“Go to Haifa and play soccer with the first Palestinian boy you see on the street.”

“Drink the water in my parent’s village.”

“Go to Bayt Lahia and bring me a photo of my family, especially my brother’s kids.”

“Climb Mount Carmel in Haifa and look at the Mediterranean from there.”

Upon gathering each request, Emily Jacir embarked on a journey to Palestine to accomplish the tasks to the best of her ability. The installation consists of about a dozen of the written requests in both English and Arabic, detailing the individual’s name, location, and passport information alongside an explanation of why travel, for him or her, is impossible, paired with a photograph of the task being accomplished.

Jacir’s journey, guided by the mundane and poetic longings of a Palestinian Diaspora, has resulted in a small, but deeply powerful installation that I feel blessed to have experienced. Especially now, when the centuries-old “Israel-Palestine conflict” has again come to a head, this exhibit, by emphasizing humanity over geopolitics and war, poignantly and pointedly tells a story of real lives, real hopes, and real journeys. Moreover, the project is a true example of an individual using his/her privileges to benefit others in a personal and meaningful way.

SFMOMA is the first American Museum to add Where We Come From to its collection. The installation is part of the Passageworks: Contemporary Art from the Collection exhibition through January 19. Peep it.

(images via modern art notes)

Prayers for Oscar Grant

This morning, Oscar Grant, the 22-year-old father who was shot and killed by a (careless? hateful? stupid?) BART Police Officer on an Oakland train platform was laid to rest by friends and family. At this moment, hundreds (maybe even thousands) are gathered at the Fruitvale Bart station in Oakland, CA to mourn his loss, express their outrage, and demand accountability for Grant’s unlawful murder.

Grant was belly-down, unarmed, and struggling at best when he was shot in the back point-blank. Definitely no imminent threat.

Today, the rookie (or “2-year veteran”) BART Officer responsible for the shooting resigned from his position without speaking to investigators or offering his account of the events. Whether this be a case of racism, hate, or sheer incompetence, this is a tragedy on all sides. Rather than pleading for our “patience,” BART officials need to reassure the public that we’ve entrusted the right folks with our safety.

My prayers go out to Oscar Grant and his loved ones. RIP, bro.

The Presidents’ Club

War, Murder, Corruption. Not off to the best start in ‘09.

So, I wonder what these guys talked about at lunch today?

Customized Yoga Mats!

Print your own photo or design onto the highest quality, eco-friendly yoga mats over at yogamatic.com. They’re pricey, but what an awesome idea. They’ll even get rid of your worn yoga mat in an environmentally responsible way and provide FREE shipping on a replacement mat purchased from their site. This one’s going on my wishlist.

(via swiss miss)

2008 Socio-Politico-Economic Year-in-Review

And another one. This time for the news junkies. From those clever brothers over at jibjab.

(via digg)

2008 Pop Year-in-Review

I’m too lazy to generate my own, personalized recap of 2008, so I thought I’d look for other people’s summaries on the good ol’ interweb (New Year’s Resolution #542: stop letting the internet do all the work for me lest my brain turn to mush). Here’s a fairly amusing year-in-review from pop waffle on the pop culture front. Be warned, there are some pretty obscure references in this one. If you get them all, you may want to think about how much time and brain space you spend on media-consumption. On the other hand, you may watch this and realize that you’re completely clueless about the world (the world of of American tweens and twenty-somethings, that is). Me? Like always, I find myself somewhere in between. Okay, maybe just a tad closer to the jacked-up-on-media side.

Peace out, 2008.

(via happy mundane)