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Patchwork: it’s not grandma’s quilt


Hey, I am all for recycling but $42,000 for a handbag? Yes, you read correctly. French icon Louis Vuitton introduces us to a fresh take on recycling. According to the March 13th edition of The New York Post, fashion house Vuitton is preparing to launch its Tribute Patchwork Bag. Reminiscent of my grade-school collage days, the $42,000 handbag will combine patterns selected from 15 bags from the Louis Vuitton spring/summer and cruise collections. No slouch when it comes to promotion, Vuitton is limiting the number of Tribute bags to 24. Only four of these handbags will be crossing the Atlantic to the U.S. And yes, for those of you with the dough, all four have been taken.

Vuittondm060307_400x520

According to the U.K.'s Daily Mail, Louis Vuitton and designer Marc Jacobs, along with company executives, created the concept as an attempt to stem the tide of mass counterfeiting that generally occurs when new bags are launched. No matter that imitation is the best form of flattery — if you are creating a product that is generating income, it is definitely preferable that you get to keep the bucks. That said, let's ask ourselves why we are willing to pay exorbitant amounts for an item that, while it may serve a helpful function (where else would you put the pound of make-up needed for touch-ups?), according to one enterprising reporter can be re-created for approximately $205?

What is it about us that makes owning collections of expensive shoes, handbags, and make-up so vital? In fact, it appears that our need to be included and yet just a wee bit better is what keeps the counterfeiters counterfeiting and the Louis Vuittons so sure in their ability to attract people willing to spend $42,000 on a handbag. In our consumption-driven world, the end is never in sight. Whether we are filling our closets with the latest fashions, juggling our planners to fit in one more appointment, or adding one more book about organization to our shelves, we acknowledge the ironies only to return to the feast. For a lucky 24, the exclusive Tribute handbag will be served. Louis Vuitton will gorge on an extra $1,000,000. Street vendors, with a new vision to hawk, can hope for some additional bread. Thanksgiving in March, we can keep on giving thanks that there is room for just one more at the table, err, in the closet.

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Dirty secrets? Like, whatever!


When I asked one of my classmates how he felt about the classification of government information, his response was as terse as it was disappointing. "I don't," he said.

Ask a student you see walking to a class at any college campus in America. The responses rarely vary.

The iPod Generation, with its sleek camera phones and on-demand online news, has all too often simply forgotten about the dirty little secrets that those we empower to run our lives and spend our money hide from us on a daily basis.

We skate across the surface of today's 24-hour news cycle, across the icy layer of the superficial and the celebrity that dominates today’s programming.

So how can anyone blame us?

We are, as the cliché goes, what we eat. As the news becomes increasingly soft and profit-oriented, healthy choices become more and more scarce.

Can I or any other transparency advocate blame a generation choosing from the journalistic equivalent of McDonald's for their unhealthy diet? Logic tells me I must answer no.

Had I never broken through that ice and into the debate room during high school, I, too, might never have discovered the cold waters that lie beneath the surface.

Once I did, the truth was as shocking as any plunge into a wintry lake.

Hundreds of detainees held without charge or due process in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; torture in secret prisons from North Africa to the Middle East to Eastern Europe; illegal wiretapping of American citizens. Every story read like the topic of a high-adrenaline bestseller ready to fall off bookshelves at a Borders or Barnes & Noble near me.

But the stories were true. And the deeper I dove, as I arrived at college and began volunteering at the Freedom of Information Center, the more unbelievable, shocking truths I discovered.

A U.S. government report saying the Iraq war has significantly increased the threat of terrorism, not quelled it; Iraqi insurgents who not only were financially self-sufficient but even earned enough money to fund other terrorists around the world: These kinds of truths made me stare dumbly at my flat new laptop’s screen.

They underscore the necessity of a national dialogue about open government and transparency like Sunshine Week.

Now that I have seen the shadowy world beneath that layer of ice, I wonder how anyone could simply ignore the injustices our votes enable and tax dollars bankroll.

But I don’t wonder long.

I remember the words of the late President Reagan, who famously classified his grades after taking the oath of office: "All you knew is what I told you."

I remembered what I learned in history class: how he had neglected to mention his decision to sell arms to Iran and send the profits to anti-communist guerrillas in Nicaragua.

I remembered my generation, entirely too young to remember the lesson of the famous Iran-Contra Affair and, like every generation, probably could have paid closer attention during American History.

When I think about how little my generation knows about the indignities of our times, I have to forgive them.

Instead of learning from a young age not to trust our politicians' power to create secrets, we went ice-skating.

This week is Sunshine Week, a national initiative to open a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information. Participants include print, broadcast, and online news media, civic groups, libraries, non-profits, schools, and others interested in the public's right to know.

 

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Blog

Right-wing entertainment


Alternet has an article up about the parallels between the movie 300 and the Republican-backed war. Even as a liberal, feminist Democrat, I still want to groan — enough already. It's. A. Moo-vie. Just like 24 is a TV show. So was V For Vendetta (does anyone even remember that one anymore, besides Natalie Portman bald?). Is this all we have to talk about? Out of everything happening in the world today, this week, this is what you choose to use your degree and access to a wide audience for? ♦

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Building green for environmentally conscious homeowners


Green building is gaining a small foothold in American homes. Although mega-mansions and their wealth status are popular in many subdivisions, some environmentally conscious homeowners are no longer satisfied with consuming energy for the sake of showing off. Conserving the environment while making a home more energy-efficient, using alternative energy sources, as well as building with reclaimed materials is gaining in popularity. And now some states even help the greening of homes by offering attractive tax credits and incentives that offset some of the costs of materials and installations. Creating or restoring a home into a clean-energy-efficient one also creates less of a dent in owners' wallets each month. This perk, along with creating less of a carbon footprint, are enough of an incentive for owners who have already gone green.

Reclaimed building materials
Buildings, houses, and barns are demolished everyday, and many of the materials used for these buildings are still perfectly good to use. Second-hand goods are cheaper in every market and, by reusing these goods, it also keeps them out of landfills and creates less destruction of nature for manufacturing. Reusing building materials such as bricks, tiles, and flooring is an attractive way to help your home become green. And, in turn, home restorers can also recycle their old materials. There are companies that specialize in recycling and reclaiming building materials from demolished or renovated residences.

Solar power
With energy costs creeping higher and higher and energy resources dwindling, alternative and clean energy sources are gaining a small momentum with homeowners and businesses. Certain states such as California, New Jersey, and New York offer rebates and excess-energy buyback programs that, along with federal tax credits, can offset the cost and installation of solar panels. Depending on the state and program, most actual payback times — the amount of time that your out-of-pocket costs versus zero-energy-costs merge — can be as little as 10 years. Most solar panels are hooked up to a battery pack or generator that store excess energy to be used when the sun isn't out.

Indoor energy efficiency
Using less energy to begin with will make your house green. It starts with proper insulation — this keeps the house warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Some green builders have used hay as a natural insulator. Ceiling fans use much less energy than air conditioners and, in the winter, the fans can circulate the hot air that rises to the ceiling. Installing florescent energy-saving light bulbs cuts down on energy consumption and the bulbs also last much longer than traditional incandescent ones. Saving water is becoming a big concern, so dual-flush toilets, which use more or less water depending on the need, are a good alternative. For more on how to save energy around the home, check out my post How to fight global warming, use less energy.

Natural aspects
Not all green building has to do with the house itself. In the summer, a big tree over the roof of your house provides natural shade for cooling. Installing a bucket to catch rainwater is a good way reuse it to water the lawn. Planting the garden with native plants that don't require a lot of watering also makes ecological sense.

Your home is one of the most expensive investments you will ever purchase. Most anyone can easily do a few things around their home to make it green. The next time the energy bill comes around, think about simple solutions to bring down the bill and in return help the environment.

keeping the earth ever green

For more on green building check out the excellent "Austin House Project" series on "This Old House."

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Suicide bomber in Morocco kills one — himself


This morning I was informed of a suicide attack here in Morocco — Casablanca (the financial capital), to be precise.

As it turns out, only the bomber himself was killed, and the rest of the story was pretty straightforward.  The BBC reported this morning that prior to the attack, a patron of a cyber café had been told by the owner that he was no longer permitted to view "jihadist" (BBC's term, not mine) websites and that the bombing was perhaps in retaliation, although there is question as to whether or not the bombing was intentional.  A friend accompanying the bomber managed to escape and has not yet been questioned.

The bomber hailed from Sidi Moumen, as did the perpetrators of 2003 bombings in Casablanca which killed 45 people and targeted a five-star hotel and some Jewish cultural buildings.

Whether or not this will affect tourism remains to be seen.  Morocco has basically been on terror alert since 2003, but tourism has only increased, particularly in Fez and Marrakesh, both major historical centers.  Casablanca, on the other hand, has very little of interest to tourists; most go only to see the giant Hassan II mosque — funded entirely by donations — then move on to the former imperial capitals, the Sahara, or the Mediterranean coast.

Personally, I'm not concerned.  As a co-worker reminded me this morning, "you could be hit by a bus at any time."  Morocco has far less crime, even "terrorist" or "religion-related" crime, than my home country and less than most developed countries.  I'll stick it out. 

 

 

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Political Prose

A portrait of the artist as an old man

I highly recommend The Cats of Mirikitani, a deeply moving documentary on homeless New York artist Jimmy Mirikitani.


I highly recommend The Cats of Mirikitani, a deeply moving documentary on homeless New York artist Jimmy Mirikitani. At first the film is an engaging and often humorous story of friendship between the filmmaker and her eccentric subject, but as the life of this eighty-year-old painter comes into focus, so does his tragic place at the center of world events: the Japanese American internment, the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, the September 11 terrorist attacks. (The burning Twin Towers, clearly visible from Mirikitani's patch of sidewalk, provide a grim backdrop to the film's middle portion.) Like Mirikitani's own childlike sketches, The Cats of Mirikitani begins simply and intimately, and yet gradually reveals the harrowing themes at the heart of its artist — the pain of memory, the responsibility of governments to their citizens, and the collateral damage of war, measured in ruined lives and ruined ambitions. The film is playing internationally in select cities and should air in condensed form on PBS later this year.

The Cats of Mirikitani

Victor Tan Chen is In The Fray's editor in chief and the author of Cut Loose: Jobless and Hopeless in an Unfair Economy. Site: victortanchen.com | Facebook | Twitter: @victortanchen

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Use it and lose it


Capris, flats, a new bag? Perhaps it was the outdoors, a trip to the local nursery to spruce up your neglected greenery. Maybe you are the traveling type, with spring, bringing on thoughts of water, sand, passports, and airport security lines.

Remember when spring used to mean putting on last season's jeans, getting out the broom and finally facing all of that stuff you had somehow accumulated during your hibernation? What happens when you simply can't let go of the Mickey Mouse towels Aunt Madge gave you (she thinks you are still her darling 12-year-old) or the bags of too-small designer clothes given to you by your best friend after helping her clean out her closets?

Taking a tip from the House & Home section of Thursday's New York Times, how about a storage unit? Yes, we have all seen them, pseudo-garages lining our nation's highways, their signs advertising their specialties: climate-controlled, secured premises with 24-hour access, all for less than $59 per month. Blooming like mushrooms after a spring rain, storage units provide us with yet another means of hanging onto "stuff."

The benefits of storage units are many. We can streamline our living space, giving the appearance of simplicity. The increased space provides us with the opportunity to purchase a few more of life's necessities. The proverbial "quick fix," storage units remind me of the latest dieting fads. Regardless of its name, Atkins, South Beach (remember when it was a destination?), or promises, one pill a day is all you need to burn your stubborn fat; diets, like storage units, are temporary solutions.

Unfortunately for those of us unwilling to give up the ghost, diet plans and storage units both require the outlay of some bucks. The first step is to determine what it is that you will be storing. Perhaps it will be your high-end valuables; think grandma's Chippendales. Will it be stuff that can actually be used again, like the king-sized mattress you are tired of crawling over? How about all that stuff that your mom finally got tired of holding onto?Your costs will depend on a couple of factors: how much stuff, its value (monetary/sentimental), and your needs (can you really maneuver that king-sized mattress into an elevator and down a hall?). A quick trip on the Internet will locate any number of storage facilities ready to do your bidding. A 5 x 5, upstairs by the elevator, will run you about $47 a month. If drive-up access is more your style, you can rent a 10 x 10 for $143 per month. Okay, it is cheaper than buying a larger house; however, at $564 and $1,716 annually, is it really a solution?

Storage units and diets. Quick fixes. What are we avoiding? Sure, it's tough to admit that you made a mistake when you bought a king-sized bed knowing that a move was in your future. It is most definitely easier to swallow a pill (and the hype) than parking your car at the end of the lot and walking a bit more. Who has the time to go through those boxes mom has been saving from the minute the stick turned blue? Why do you have to read the label of yet another box of cereal? Why shouldn't your life, body, home, be adulation-worthy?

Like a liposuction gone bad, our homes, storage units, lives can expand only so far. Filled with stuff, we lose our newfound tidiness. Why are we so willing to settle for the temporary? What it is that prevents us from tackling life head on? If we can spend the time and energy locating and following the latest diet plan, if we are willing to gather our goods for the journey to the storage unit, could it be possible to take the next step? Let go of the "what ifs" and go ahead and display the Chippendales, tell your best friend that her clothes are too small, take the stairs, accept yourself.

Trite and true, life is a journey. No matter how many ways we try to turn it into a destination, like the blood flowing through our veins, life continues until it stops. And that storage facility? I wear a size 6.

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Every girl deserves a happy ending


A Reuters article announced that the Walt Disney Company will welcome its first black animated heroine to join the ranks of Cinderella, Snow White, Jasmine, and the other Disney Princesses. “The Frog Princess” will be released in 2009, starring Maddy, a girl from the French Quarter in New Orleans. 

The Disney Princesses, in total, have raised over $3 billion dollars in retail sales across the country since 1999. That doesn’t include data from the individual princesses, as they were marketed to young girls. Effectively, this number recognizes the willingness of our society to buy into the happy endings that Disney films promise.

But these happy endings became multicultural only recently. Before Jasmine, the first Disney character of color, was introduced in 1992, all of the princesses Disney marketed to global youth were white: Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Belle, and Ariel were familiar faces.

Disney has been heralded as a corporation dedicated to family entertainment and the wishes and dreams of all children. But without representatives from diverse ethnic groups, how can there be happy endings for all?

Furthermore, the company’s animated films, for a great deal of its history, showed only frail women. Snow White, Cinderella, and Ariel all needed saving. So did Jasmine, but to a much lesser extent. Her frailty was far less pronounced. Until Mulan and Pocahontas were marketed, women seemed resigned to have their fairytale ending with a man tied to their hip, or at least predominantly responsible.

Hopefully, with the introduction of Maddy from New Orleans, all that will change. Dreams of a future free of hate and intolerance, the embodiment of the so-called villains that Disney constructs, have no color. Every girl deserves a chance for a happy ending, or at least a dream of one.

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Another Russian journalist dead


From Yahoo news: "A journalist [Ivan Safronov] who fell to his death from a fifth-story window had received threats while gathering material for a report claiming Russia planned to provide sophisticated weapons to Syria and Iran, his newspaper said Tuesday."

Maybe the Russian government doesn't even consider journalists worth the bullets anymore.

When in France, hide your cameraphone: "The French Constitutional Council has approved a law that criminalizes the filming or broadcasting of acts of violence by people other than professional journalists."

This next piece happened here in America, in my own backyard, and it's disgusting: "Children stranded after immigration raid." I'm sure the same Republicans who endorse this kind of action against immigrants are the same ones who believe in family values and children having two parents. Well, now 100 children, including some infants, in New Bedford, Mass., do not. If one of the arrested happened to be the sole guardian of a child, he or she was released. The others could either place their children in foster care or with a friend or relative. Well, how accomodating and thoughtful. Wait, there's more — the company charged with employing (and treating inhumanely) these immigrants is Michael Bianco Inc., which manufactured "high-end leather goods for retailers including Coach Inc. and Timberland Co. before landing a $9.4 million military contract in 2003 to make survival vests." Do I really need to say more?

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Progress and pizza


CNN.com reports that Pizza Hut's Book It program is being "denounced" by critics for encouraging unhealthy eating habits. I was once a well-read and well-fed child on that program. Although I don't remember the specifics, basically you read a book, get a gold star, and with enough gold stars, you earn pizza. It's win-win.
Pizza Hut and their plump, calorie-laden slices are not the problem. Food like that never hurt anyone, big or small — if it's occasional and a reward for feeding the mind with a book. Give kids normal, healthy food otherwise and send them outside to play like we did back in my day (now I feel old. But when was the last time you saw kids on skateboards or building forts?), and there's no problem. Denying a child books and pizza — that's just wrong.

Yahoo News writes about homeschoolers having easier access to higher education, specifially private colleges and universities. Apparently, public schools are still difficult to get into if you were homeschooled (tell me about it), but there are just too many such students. Accommodations have to be made in the admissions office. I wish this had been the case back in the dark ages of homeschooling that was the 90s when I started. But I'm thrilled that the best opportunities are being offered now.

I've just learned that I. Lewis Libby has been found guilty of "obstruction, perjury, and lying to the FBI." I'm going to go jump up and down now.

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