“Second Life Musician Joins The Help” – Donations Request.

Second Life (SL) musicians and live performers are awesome at rising to a call for help. Read this excerpt:

Second Life’s Cylindrian Rutabaga, Grace Buford in real life, a well known and highly written about musician in Virtual Spaces, has just informed me she’s looking into potentially putting on an online event to help support the The Austin 80. I’ll keep everyone informed as to where it goes but I wanted to show that help can be made in many ways to help The Austin 80 get what they need, by spreading awareness, by telling and emailing your friends, ect ect. Let’s get this done people, it won’t take much.

Grace, thank you for your kindness, your generosity and your help.

For more information on the The Austin 80, please see the first post on this blog.

http://theaustin80.com/2008/03/16/hello-world/

Requests for help in Burma is not a new development, certainly not to human rights bloggers…but, the “wish list” for items is the first I’ve seen with information on how to help – and, is located on the above-referenced cite and at the bottom of this post – I’m going to put in a quoted message here, but please read more at the links given and the blogs cited – at the end of this blogging message, is an address to send items:

“Yes, there are about 81 people, all in one apartment complex on Rutland. There are also a few from the same “batch” from the refugee camp, who landed in a complex on Burton, which is off east Riverside Drive, but I don’t go there much and it is less than 20 people, including children. However, i have included their needs in this list you asked for. They are babies to elderly, and of Christian, Moslem, and Buddhist religion (the bulk are Christian).

No one has a car.

Most of them do not have a phone yet because of the expense, although some do.
NO ONE HAS A COMPUTER. If they had computers, just about any computers, they could communicate with their monk out on Hwy 71, and their refugee relatives in other countries. The kids could do their schoolwork, and the parents could do the ESL CDs I bring them from Half-Price Books, and the kids could do the learning games I have brought them against the day when they might have a computer. The kids cannot use the school computers before or after school easily at the middle or high school because they ride the bus, which gets them there just before school, and leaves right after school. IF I COULD GET THEM ANY ONE THING ON THIS WHOLE LIST, IT WOULD BE THIS.
In the group on Rutland, 37 are children under 18. None of the teenagers have a good calculator for school use. Imagine school nowadays without a calculator — I used one in high school in the 70’s (thte TI-40 — weren’t they a godsend??)!

Not everyone who needs a bike has one, and nobody has a bike patch repair kit or bike pump or tools to fix a flat.

There are several babies in diapers, which are very expensive and not covered by food stamps of course, and a lady due to deliver pretty soon. They don’t have proper carseats that I know of, and need infant and toddler. I know they don’t have cars, but when volunteers drive them, the baby has to be in a carseat.

Not everybody has socks or sufficient underwear because when I do clothing drives nobody gives these items — because they wouldn’t want to wear someone else’s!
The new people need umbrellas because they walk or ride the bus everywhere.
They need spoons, ricecookers, coffeemakers, mugs, and kitchen towels. They also need dishwashing liquid and laundry soap, bar soap, shampoo, and maybe some conditioner. And they need skin lotion if possible because they are used to living in a warmer, moister environment (I know, here are some folks who will like Austin’s summers!)
Not everybody has a toothbrush. I know in one family they share one. Others don’t have any now. Not everyone has a brush or comb, and some of the ladies and girls would like something to hold their straight black hair away from their face (like barrettes or ponytail holders or scrunchies or clips) but they are so expensive.

I have been taking them books every week, courtesy of Half-Price Books, for a couple of months now, but nobody has a bookshelf that I have seen and so these are beginning to get in the way. The reason this is bad is because they tend to be picked up and piled with the other “junk” the children have strewn on the floor and piled somewhere, making them less accessible and appealing for the next time. If anyone has any old bookshelves, telephone standa, bedside stands with a shelf, magazine rack — anything whch would help keep the books out and in easy sight and reach — I hope I can get it to them. Needless to say, the kids who look at their books the most are coming along the best in English.
Some of the apartments can use some more light, such as from a floor lamp, because a floor lamp doesn’t need to have an existing piece of furniture to be set upon.

None of the rest require any comment and I will try my best guess at the number needed to help out both the large group I see many times a week and the few at the south location. Well, okay, one comment, I have been inside each home many times and I know who is sharing bath towels, who has no toothbrushes, who is pregnant, etc.:

pitchers(8)
cookiesheets(6)
cutting boards(12)
very sharp knives for dicing(32)
bowls(40)
sponges(64)
rice(unlimited, they eat it 3 meals/day)
small mixing bowls(20)
medium mixing bowls(20)
large mixing bowls(20)
plates (200, no need to match the design)
cleaning brushes(35)
scouring powder(20)
manual can openers (20)
potholders (40)
teakettle(if one happens to come in, bring it, but don’t go buy — I know who drinks tea)

bath towels(80)
hand towels(40)
washcloths(80)
bathmats(14)
soap dishes(5)
toothbrushes(200)
toothbrush holders(12)
toilet brush set(20)
bathroom trashcans(8)
all-purpose cleaner(Lysol, Pine-sol, etc.)(20)
shower curtain liners(3)
small baby diapers(under 10 lbs.)
large baby diapers(20+ lbs.)
toothpaste(20)

pencils(many)
pens(dozens)
scissors, adult(12)
manual pencil sharpeners(8)
soccer ball, size 4*
soccer ball, size 5*
American football, small*
American football, full-size*
basketball, full-size*
tennis shoes, all sizesclothing infant – age 18, girl and boy
educational toys, birth-toddler (they have a couple already)
bicycles, teenage/youth(4)

irons(2)(most of them were lucky to receive irons a short while ago!!)
ironing board, probably small is best(5)
coffee tables(3)
end tables(3)
bicycles, adult(4)
bus passes
gift cards to Wal-mart
gift-cards to H-E-B
“Vietnamese”-style brooms from MT Supermarket (these are terrific, try one)(5)
mops(16)
buckets for use with mop(16)
vacuums(14)(they have never had to contend with carpet before and hate it!!)
telephones(10)
phone cards(10)

*NOT A NECESSARY — JUST FOR FUN

The address to ship stuff:
12411 Turtleback Lane
Austin, TX 78727

If you have specific questions for Elaine, you can contact her at: borntohelp@earthlink.net
But please do not spam her, she’s a senior citizen and can only manage so much.

Thank you Grace, for all you do – I hope this posting helps, as well.

Shirley J Rhodes, MLS

Movement Vision Lab Blog – vids on Immigration are excellent…

http://www.movementvisionlab.org/blog/live-blog-take-back-america-conference

This blog takes you to a Live BLog for the MVL. The contest held recently is still voting on videos entered during their “Take Back America” conference. You can still blog, vote or simply view the videos:

http://www.movementvisionlab.org/blog/your-votes-community-values-immigration-video-contest

Worth the views – voting will not be easy, I suspect…

For Bloggers – Human Rights Toolbox

http://www.humanrightstools.org/news/bloggers.html

So many great links in this resource toolbox – I tend to read the librarian-related/tagged blogs – especially, if I am a member of an organization, volunteer, or subscribed.  And, then I found this helpful link to an “E-brary” Directory – <http://www.humanrightstools.org/dir/> as well as my personal favorite link – <http://librarianoutreach.blogspot.com/>

I am finding other links of social / human rights interest blogs on wordpress, as well. I still haven’t read much on the Reporters without Borders, but I did find the blogging guidebook referenced, again, in the online Human Rights Toolbox, that I referenced on an earlier post regarding Reporters without Borders.

Isn’t political blogging an interesting thingee? Glad it’s not my bag, but I like to poke my nose in and see different perspectives, as I blog on…and, learn something new everyday!

Reports of abuse of FBI, from 2006 continues…

I’m posting the blogs from this page, and a reference of an article that came my way, today. Worth the look-see, I always say…

Report: FBI abuse of investigative tool continued in 2006

* Story Highlights
* Report says FBI issued national security letters without proper authorization

* Justice official says significant improvements started in 2007
* NSLs are requests for companies to hand over person’s records without court order
* FBI slammed last year for how it used NSLs, failing to protect civil liberties

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/03/13/fbi.nsl/index.html

Referenced source: personal email

Related Blogs referenced source:

From the Blogs: Controversy, commentary, and debate

“First Online Free Expression Day launched on Reporters Without Borders website”

I haven’t validated this web site, however, I found it very interesting with a great reference resource on “blogging”.

There is an updated version of the on-line publication, Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber-Dissidents. I reviewed it quickly, and will go through it in more depth, I’m sure.

The reference material appears to be useful as a tool whether you consider yourself a reporter, dissident or super cyber-blogger…Smiles. (Please note: The document referenced below is linked to a handbook available is in English only.)

Here’s the direct link:

Updated Handbook Available from Reporters without Borders Web site on Blogging

Referenced source: http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=26086

(Part of the above text is reposted.)

Regarding a blog on Africa and new novel…

“Heart of Diamonds”, by Dave Donelson Regarding blog on Africa:

“Heart of Diamonds”, by Dave Donelsonhttp://heartofdiamonds.blogspot.com/

This is a book written by a new myspace friend – scheduled to become available September 2008 – “Heart of Diamonds”, by Dave Donelson, looks like a must-read, to me.

The blog is awesome and the photography is amazing – experience this, [Quote] A Novel of Love, Scandal, and Death In the Congo[end quote] and personal reflections from the author.

(In part, a repost from personal myspace blog)

“Amazon Sleeping” – My first use of an online editing tool on Flickr

You may also use this link to the photo edit I did with Picnik (Note: Use of online resources used without premier accounts: Second Life, flickr, Picnik – all three resources currently are free, basic or group memberships (including guest) as well:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3176/2329142537_5f0fe67119_m.jpg

And, it was fun!

I’ve added a tag called “Second Life Reference”

If interested, please help organize these references for librarian / educator / patron use. I believe that it is easiest to use the traditional reference methods, as learn to understand the importance of catagorization of Bibliographical Reference Materials.

Love to hear more from folks that work with meta tagging, as well. The “hive” intelligence is just too difficult to keep in check, and it is not our foundation of learning, as professionals. However, we can enhance our systems by sharing sound search principles in combination with digital preference…we may harness a collective effort of combining “tags”, enhanced global standardization, and easier access to organization of many types of resources.

Just another issue in defining the web for easier access – if it isn’t our job as librarians and educators, then who holds the key to the digital portal?  In WordPress blogging, here is a good place to start and move forward – go to the FAQ on “tags” :  The best place to find out more about what others feel about tags and categories is in the forums.

Shirley

Virtual Worlds: Libraries, Education; Museums Conference

Great bunch of folks doing wonderful things in Second life – The Public Libraries in Second Life is going full-speed ahead. Very pleased to be involved with this effort.

The Web

Create Your Own

Updated 3/15/08.http://www.rockyou.com/show_my_gallery2.php?instanceid=105134429