Don't Drink The Water?

Congress has been considering different policies after learning that the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, has failed to let the public know that extremely dangerous levels of the herbicide, altrazine, has been found in at least four state's drinking water.

Altrazine is a chemical that is linked to breast and prostate cancer, birth defects and is a known endocrine disruptor.

We, here in the US, use it as a weed-killer. It is banned in Europe.

For more, click here!

The Balloons Didn't Help

Until the late 80s Seminole fans used to release garnet and gold balloons at the Doak Campbell stadium during home games. The tradition was put to a stop because officials began to note the environmental damage hundreds of thousands of balloons were doing to their beautiful surroundings.

Last night, during the highly anticipated opener for both Miami and Florida State the tradition resumed with new, eco-fab, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission approved balloons that degrade as fast as an oak leaf.

This is not surprising from a school that has a "green" house of campus (<~pretty impressive).

Unfortunately, the balloons weren't enough and we lost. No need for the score, a "L" is a "L". Next time, there's always next time.

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So Long, Van Jones...

I do not know the intricacies of what Van Jones' political theories are/were as far as the Bush Administration or anything else for that matter. But I do know that he had what seemed like a never ending list of ideas to help save the environment and the black community in a spectacular "2 for" deal that is known as green collar jobs.

Unfortunately, as statements and actions come to light from his past many believe that Jones does not belong in the Obama Administration, forcing another one of the mighty czars to fall.

Even though America prides itself on the right to have freedom of speech, it seems that raising the question if President George W. Bush allowed the September 11th attack to occur, makes you ineligible for government employment.

Read more here...

Purple Ribbons to Purple Haze

Speaking of Andre 3000, whispers are starting to grow louder about the much anticipated Jimi Hendrix musical bio-pic coming to the big screen. Rumors have been circulating that the Outkast member will star as lead.

Insiders say Lenny Kravitz is campaigning hard for the role. Personally, I believe Andre 3000 would make a better Jimi. Their styles are both extremely eccentric and the likeness is a plus.

Wood Harris didn't do so bad in the made-for-TV movie version, Hendrix. But let's be real, Avon Barksdale can do know wrong in my eyes. *sighs*

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Baby Talk With Erykah Badu

Babble caught up with the colorful-veggie loving-songstress, Erykah Badu, and discussed homeschooling, homebirths and veganism. The mother of three, Seven (8), Puma (5) and Mars (6 mo.) had the following to say:

Erykah on raising her kids as vegans: “When Seven was born I was a vegetarian and his father [Andre 3000, of Outkast] was too, so it was a natural progression for him in life to eat the things we eat. Puma [whose father is the rapper The D.O.C; Mars' father is longtime boyfriend Jay Electronica] is the same way. It's just what's in the house. They also now have an understanding of how to read ingredients — it's Mommy's lifestyle so it's their lifestyle… I don't in any way force them to have the same lifestyle, but I think they should know the benefits of having a healthy body. If they were to choose to do anything else after they become high school students, I would have full confidence that they know how to take care of their bodies and themselves. By making sure they use preventive medicine — getting plenty of water, plenty of chlorophyll and vegetable juices and good, healthy rest and activity — I know they'll be able to take good care of themselves.”

Erykah on delivering her children at home: “I had all my children at home, naturally. First my son [Seven Sirius] was born at home in 1997, because that's the natural environment, the old way. There's not a lot of fuss and moving around. I had a very wise doula and midwives giving me the freedom to continue living my life. I didn't have to uproot myself… Maybe to some it's scary, but preparation is the whole key. When a mother has found out she's going to have a baby, her whole life — her diet, her mood, her energy — should kind of prepare her. After she prepares herself, fear is never a part of it. I expected success and health, so I made sure I surrounded myself with it. By the time I had my third baby, childbirth seemed a very natural part of life to me.”

For more click here!

Also, look for Erykah in a city near you because she has recently joined MOS DEF's Ecstatic Tour that features her baby daddy, Jay Electronica.

Not-So Model Behavior

Heather Mills and Paul McCartney disagree about pretty much everything. Everything but their disdain for Naomi Campbell's latest fashion ad for luxury fur designer, Dennis Basso.

After posing for PETA a few years back and declaring that she would "rather go naked than wear fur", prints from her latest project show her wearing a pricey $200k fur and nothing else underneath. Maybe she got it confused?

PETA has yet to comment on Na-Na publicly. They know who not to eff with. Old ladies wearing fur-yes. A Blackberry tossing Naomi Campbell-hell naw.

I guess times are hard. Like Fesh says, "A check is a check".

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Creamy Crack Is Wack

Do you remember, back in January, me telling y'all about Chris Rock's documentary Good Hair was making its debut at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival?

Well, guess what? It's coming to the big screen this fall, as well! October 9th to be exact and I can't wait! I know I probably will have to travel down to Sacramento because Chico doesn't show movies with more than 1.5 black people in their theaters. (<~just playing but not really)

I Remember. Do You?

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With everything from freshman year to frat parties to the War in Afghanistan clouding our minds, many Cal students may have forgotten that this week is the fourth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

For those of you with a shorter memory span than others, Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast this week in 2005. The storm left a battered trail of mass destruction, FEMA failures and patriotic volunteerism in its wake.

However, while our country flocked to the rescue of hundreds of thousands of people left stranded or homeless post-storm, it seems today that we've all but forgotten the thousands of families still struggling to survive. Four years has not been long enough to rebuild lives

This past January, I spent a few weeks in Mississippi and Louisiana with Berkeley Hillel gutting homes that have still barely been touched since the Hurricane hit. Roughly twenty of us worked in St. Bernard Parish, a county Southeast of New Orleans in Louisiana. This suburban blue-collar community was racked to its core when the levies on its border broke and flooded the town with
14 feet of water.

Sadly, of the 70,000 people that lived there pre?Katrina, less than half have returned home today. Many cannot return due to housing prices, a lack of economic infrastructure and broken community ties. Others choose not to return in fear of another storm or from the pain of the recent and localized memories. For a record two months after the storm, homeowners were not even allowed near their homes because the Parish Council declared every single one unlivable and toxic.

Click here, for more of this article.

Michael Vick Goes Green

Congratulations to Michael Vick who signed a two year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles for a reported 6.8 million dollars.

I have always expressed my support for Michale Vick (click here in case you have forgot). And now I am glad to see some of my fellow eco-fab bloggers are now jumping on the bandwagon.

The Wall Street Journal has a very interesting article discussing Vick's "second chance". The article discusses the history and culture of dog fighting, black America and white America's feelings and views about the Vick case and redemption for ex-convicts among other things. An interesting article to say the least. Here's an excerpt:

"A Rasmussen Poll of July 30 finds that 82% of black Americans think the National Football League is right to allow Vick—who was recently released from prison after serving time for operating a dog-fighting ring—to resume his athletic career. Among white Americans, however, 46% favor banning Vick from the NFL.

The difference in opinion between whites and blacks on this matter feeds the wrong-headed idea that America remains as racially split as ever, despite clear statistical evidence of narrowing earning gaps among people of similar educational attainment and the election of rising numbers of racial minorities to positions of political authority."

For the entire article click here!

Below is a clip from the Philadelphia Eagle's press conference and if you want to read Vick's blogged apology on Global Grind, click here!

Mama Likes!

You guys know how I feel about cars, especially big body cars, oh, and sports cars. I just love 'em! But the gorgeous gas guzzlers made by American auto companies make my soul cry.

That is until now. Introducing the Chevy VOLT by GM. The Volt, an electric car, can get up to 230 mpg (almost four times the amount of the Toyota Prius).

However, many people are already complaining saying that they will take the dependability of Toyota over a Chevy any day.

What say you?

Click here for more info...