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Take 2 & Kiriakou - Mar 2013 Happy Spring, folks! February?! It flew by, with amazing happenings, including these: -We played Nawlins Mardi Gras at
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 The Green Ball in Nawlins for Mardi Gras! |
Happy Spring, folks!
February?! It flew by, with amazing happenings, including these:
-We played Nawlins Mardi Gras at The Green Ball: Party with a Purpose! (And, yup, we performed in those costumes!) Find out about LifeCity and other orgs whose projects like bead recycling, glass beads (instead of plastic) and locally-manufactured throws (instead of the made-in-China ones) are working to green New Orleans' biggest love (and trash)-fest. And read on for another green surprise: solar football!
-We had the honor to meet and sing for former CIA agent, now torture whistleblower, John Kiriakou. More onJohn's case and the "Going to Prison Reception" we sang at, below.
-With BIG THANKS to you all, we won the Washington Area Music Asssociations' Fan Favorite WAMMIE for the 2nd year in a row! We so appreciate your love & support! Since there's still no Billboard Hot 100 Activist Song Chart, awards like this help us show some creds in "the biz." |
 2nd limited run of toffee! Order by midnight Mar 11th! |
Pat's Homemade Toffee - Take 2
-And, we discovered just how much you all love Pat's Homemade Organic Toffee! Here are some raves from folks who ordered last month:
“Not only can't you eat just one, you can’t eat just 10.” – Cathy
“AMAZING! We are currently rationing ourselves to a daily dose to make it last.” -Mindy
So, we're doing a 2nd limited run. Order by midnight Monday Mar 11th and we'll get it out to you before we hit the road. Ingredients and more here. |
 One Billion Rising Against Violence Against Women, Feb 14th New Orleans |
Violence Against . . .
On Valentine's Day in New Orleans, we took part in One Billion Rising, the "biggest mass global action to end violence against women & girls In the history of humankind." And, President Obama's signing today of Congress' long-delayed reauthorization of The Violence Against Women Act is a great way to kick off Women's History Month.
Still, it's clear that there's more to be done to stop violence against everyone.
We were shocked to hear of the brutal murder of openly gay mayoral candidate, Marco McMillian. As the Boston Herald reported, "McMillian's campaign had said he was one of the first openly gay, viable candidates for public office in Mississippi."
The article continued, "Mississippi's hate crimes law covers acts motivated by bias against a victim's race but not sexual orientation. However, a federal hate crimes law covers bias against sexual orientation. [MS' U.S. Rep. Bennie] Thompson, the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, said the FBI could determine if a hate crimes charge should be considered."
And we are glad to see that, even in the midst of sequester madness, Congress is making some headway to curb gun violence. The Miami Herald wrote, "The Senate Judiciary Committee approved legislation Thursday making gun trafficking a federal crime as lawmakers cast the first vote in Congress to curb firearms since December's horrific shootings at a Connecticut elementary school."
As Sandy's been pointing out at recent shows and classroom visits at colleges in PA and IA last month, progressive activist positions are now the majority opinion. Here are the stats:
-"Associated-Press-GfK poll in January found 84 percent favored requiring background checks at gun shows. Other proposed gun curbs were supported by just over half the public."
-From Melissa Harris-Perry's by-the-numbers report : 51% nationwide support marriage equality.131 Conservatives have come out of the party closet in support of overturning Prop 8 (Sandy's words, not MHP's). 212 members of Congress have filed a brief to support Edie Winsor's challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act. (Check out this photo of us singing for Edie & Thea outside NYC's City Hall in 2008.)
-And, 75% of Americans believe that all women should get a paid holiday on International Women's Day.
Okay, so we made that last one up, but let us be the first--but hopefully not the last--to wish you all a powerful International Women's Day tomorrow.
Our Women's History Month tour schedule takes us to PA, DC, AZ, CA and HI for concerts celebrating music, activism, marriage equality and community! Then it's on to WA, MI and NC. (Details are below.)
Catch us coming right up:
Sat 3/9 Media PA
Thur 3/14 Washington DC
Sat 3/15 Chandler AZ . . . and more! |
Upcoming Concerts
See our concert page for details on these & all of our shows.
Sat Mar 9 Media PA: Returning to the wonderful Interweave Out Loud Concert Series at UUCDC in Delaware County! Opening set by members of Anna Crusis Women’s Choir under the direction of Miriam Davidson. And Miriam will join us on keys for a couple of songs. Tickets
Thur Mar 14 Washington DC: We'll perform at the "Labor of Love" Film Screening & Q&A, which will showcase a new 20-minute cut of this film about lesbian culture in the DC area
Sat Mar 16 Chandler AZ: Concert at Valley Unitarian Universalist Congregation. Phoenix area, here we come! Tickets
Fri Mar 22 Solana Beach CA: Returning to the beautiful UU Fellowship of San Dieguito for a concert! Tickets
Sat Mar 23 Santa Barbara CA: And to the wonderful Trinity Backstage Coffeehouse, run by our friends and singer/songwriters, Doug Clegg & Kate Wallace!
Sat Mar 30 Everywhere: Pat's Birthday!
Sun Mar 31 Honolulu HI: Singing at the Easter Sunday Service at First Unitarian Church. All are welcome. |
 With anti-torture whistleblower, John Kiriakou. Feb 21 Washington DC |
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Prison Chic
When CodePINK co-founder, Medea Benjamin, emailed on a Tuesday to ask us if we were "around Thursday night", we suspected something great was a foot.
The invitation, in elegant script, read:
"Fresh Juice Party and Code Pink
request the pleasure of your presence
at a going to prison reception
honoring Mr. John Kiriakou."
And continued, "Dress is Prison Chic (open to interpretation) because . . . orange is the new black!"
We knew we wanted to be there.
As the AlterNet review of the event explained:
The first person in 27 years to be convicted of violating the Intelligence Identities Protection Act, Kiriakou views himself as a whistleblower who is being punished for shedding light on the government’s policy of torturing terrorism suspects through the use of waterboarding and so-called “enhanced interrogation techniques.
“If this case were about leaking, the jails and the prisons in this country would be bursting with former CIA officers and White House officials -- and they’re not,” Kiriakou told the partiers gathered for his send-off. “This case was not about leaking; it was about torture.“
We had heard John on Democracy Now! discussing his sentence of 30 months in prison for blowing the whistle on torture. We came to the reception prepared to sing a couple of our songs, plus our friend, Anne Feeney's, fabulously appropriate "Have You Been to Jail for Justice?"
Ends up Medea had the same idea! So we all sang together, with CodePINK's adapted verses and, this one, from us:
Friends and whistleblowers, gathered here tonight
Honoring your courage and commitment to the fight
With your inspiration, justice will prevail
Free John Kiriakou! Send the torturers to jail!
John was extraordinarily warm and joyful, even on this occasion. We were honored to help thank him for speaking out.
Support John and his family in their more than $1 million in legal bills (!) by contributing to the John Kiriakou Support Fund. |
Solar Football
Ok, so Sandy's been saying for years, "If we could just get solar panels on stadiums, sports fans would be environmentalists!"
And, yes, she has been talking about this ("think of how large stadiums are, they're usually outside of town so they're not in the shadow of skyscrapers, etc.") idea to whomever seemed like they might be someone who knew someone who could take action on it . . . but, luckily, we don't have to wait any longer.
Check out this page about Brazil's newly-designed solar-powered football, er, soccer stadium that Sandy tore out from a United Airlines inflight mag last month!
There are a couple other solar-powered stadia, including some right here in the States (and, yes, we are word nerds). Brazil's will be net-zero energy and LEED Platinum-rated and includes this innovative chemistry-set process:
"To clean greenhouse gases from the air, those parts of the roof not covered in solar panels are coated with titanium dioxide (TiO2). When activated by sunlight, TiO2 converts carbon dioxide to, essentailly, dirt, which is then washed away by rainwater--which is itself filtered and reused in toilets and irrigation systems."
Now, for Sandy's 2nd big enviro idea:
"How do we help stop climate change? By changing men's business wear!"
Seriously. While women's wear changes to fit the season, men are still expected to wear full, long-sleeved suits, with undershirts, ties, socks and closed shoes all year long. Office buildings are over air-conditioned, especially in summer, while women bring sweaters and use heaters under their desks because they're freezing in their sundresses! And, buildings are constructed with windows that don't open, so there's no chance of catching the natural comfort of a cool spring or fall day.
Are you the person who can crunch the numbers on electricity-cost savings? Not to mention energy savings? Do you know someone at Kenneth Cole or another progressive-minded fashion designer? Email Sandy and dress for (climate) success! |
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