29 June 2010

BOYCOTT all Major Oil Companies for ONE DAY - JULY 14TH

Bastille Day Boycott - July 14th - Worldwide

On July 14th, 2010 (Bastille Day), send a message to the oil corporate elite that we've had enough of the way they do their do business. The Gulf Oil Spill from the Deepwater Horizon proves that there were no active corporate ethics followed and no ecologically sound method in place to correct their mistakes. The powers in control of the spill effort have used the American environment as a testing ground for their authority and experimentation.

BP and their sub-contractors have denied access to members of the press and denied entry to public thoroughfares. In so doing, the means of the United States military and the police (both State and local) have been utilized against the American people in their due exercise of rights. Since when does a foreign owned company have more rights than the citizens of our nation? Since when can they exert undue pressure through force over our citizenry?

Therefore, in order to send the message the "we the people" are tired of the way their business as usual is conducted at our expense, let this day of boycotting all of big oil's enterprises be the first of many messages. The only way the corporate elite listens is through the power of financial loss. If all they listen to is the sound of the dollar, then let this be a clamor to their ears!

Why Bastille Day? Bastille Day is the day symbolized to celebrate the French Revolution that brought democracy to that nation. One of the prevailing themes of the French Revolution was "Common people against the government." Well, we're not boycotting the government, but feel the maxim be adjusted to the modern day aristocracy of big oil. Thus, "Common people against the oil corporations" is a fine tuning to the current situation.

In addition, there is symbolic symmetry to the heritage of the first state affected by this engineering failure. Louisiana was once part of the Louisiana territory purchased by France which almost doubled the size of our nation. This engineering disaster has now spread across four states and it continues to spill into our coastal waters.

If you are not living along the Gulf Coast, it is easy to forget about such things. Perhaps for some, it is easy to be cynical about the Gulf region leading someone named Jill from Ohio to make the comment: "well...there's so much voodoo and debauchery... don't you think that maybe the region brings it upon itself? Don't you think there's something to that?" Passing comments that bear no fruit are easily said, but as a reminder to Jill, Louisiana alone supplies 30% of the nation's seafood demand, 34% of the nation's natural gas supply and 30% of the crude oil supply.

It is true that Louisiana bears a heavy burden for providing what she does, to the amount of 1,900 square miles of coastline that has been lost in the last 50 years. Coastline that has been cut up to supply our nation with her energy needs. Coastline that provides storm protection for the largest breakbulk port in the nation (a port that provides for 21% of all waterborne commerce in the United States). Despite that burden, the greater burden for these needs falls on us as consumers and it is time for us to take responsibility so that the corporate elites will begin to exercise there responsibility.

Call it a mistake if you like, but this is nothing short of a man-made failure caused by greed. Whether MMS oversight had failed, corporate ethics went awry, or individual spirit of responsibility is to blame, it is a failure of epic proportions.

Your purchasing power is also your vetoing power. It's time to dictate what you rightly control. The choice is yours this July 14th...Purchase no gas on this day...

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To download the above image to share, please visit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nolarisingproject/4744305125/sizes/l/

06 June 2010

Benefit for Haitian artists tonight starting at 6pm

Hello all,

The silent auction to benefit the Sculptors of the Grand Rue begins tonight at 6pm! Bidding runs till 8:30pm.

DJ Finger Prince will bring his collection of West African High Life and Carribean classics. A good friend has decided to bring some food and a little extra wine to keep the bidders happy. Dizzap will also be there with a taste of their own beverage alchemy.

Barrister's Gallery is at 2331 St. Claude Ave. at Spain St.
Gallery phone: 504 710 4506

I've updated the artist list on the event page according to the artwork hanging on the wall right now; there may be late arrivals. I'm so pleased with these donations-- the show looks wonderful, and there are treasures to be had for collectors; at the same time, the work and the bidding wars are all for the purpose of supporting the Sculptors of the Grand Rue-- I hope that you can all make it! Please tell your friends.

http://www.facebook.com/l/015ab;www.barristersgallery.com/
the flyer and the artist list is up at the gallery site--- the artist list on the fb event page is the current one.

If you would like to support the Grand Rue artists, you can also go to this site and send a donation via paypal:
http://www.facebook.com/l/015ab;www.foundry.tv/haiti/

There are more projects in the works, between Haitian and New Orleans artists. If you are interested in getting updates on future developments, please send an email to myrtlered @ gmail.com

Many thanks to the artists and volunteers! I hope to see you at the auction!

Myrtle von Damitz lll

03 June 2010

An Open Letter to the President and an Encouragement for others

An Open Letter to the President and an Encouragement for others


Example of the Letter I Sent on June 3rd placed below. Pls feel free to copy/paste and repost as to your liking. (Personal information deleted on the letter, but pls remember to add your address and email)

President Barack H. Obama
The White House
Office of Presidential Correspondence
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20500

3 June 2010

Dear Mr. President,

In regards to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, I request that you advocate for the following:

(1) BP and clean-up efforts by their collaborative partners to stop using COREXIT on our coastal waters.

(2) Force the use of tankers and/or supertankers in the Gulf for skimming to collect the oil currently making it to the surface to minimize coastal impact.

(3) A full investigation into the business practices of which led up to the accident in question with proper parties being respectively held criminally and civilly liable.

(4) A review of European safety practices that are currently not in place in the coastal waters of the United States and the expedient enactment/implementation of those safety policies in hopes to reduce accidents of this magnitude in the future

(5) The removal of liability cap that is currently placed on oil companies in order to insure adequate clean-up and remediation expenses are covered by the negligent parties in the future

(6) The use of bio-remediation in the clean-up efforts of our coast

(7) The creation of more offshore berms and protective barrier islands off the coast of Louisiana and a policy shift to aid in the restoration of the Louisiana coast that has negatively been affected by decades of offshore exploration

(8) That oil and gas royalties allotted to the State of Louisiana for offshore drilling be expedited to state coffers in advance of the current timeline of the year 2017

and lastly (9) The allowance of media in areas that have currently been off-limits by BP security and those acting under their directives in order to insure full transparency for the public trust and knowledge.

Understanding the imperatives of the oil economy of the State of Louisiana, the ecological impact this disaster on the Gulf Coast, the damaging effect on our seafood industry and beyond, please consider my above requests in your policy considerations.

Many thanks in advance for your due consideration,

Michael "Rex" Dingler

Sophie D...

Contact Information:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact

You can also call or write to the President:

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Please include your e-mail address

Phone Numbers
Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461

TTY/TDD
Comments: 202-456-6213
Visitors Office: 202-456-2121