When your care to send the very best...

***Dear Kelley, On behalf of the wounded soldiers here at Walter Reed and Abrams Hall. Thank you. We received the packages and most of the stuff was immediately passed out to as many soldiers as possible. Generally we open them and set them in a common area for all the wounded soldiers to take what they need. The stuffed animals were a huge hit. They went the fastest, and the candy and slinky's were also. The toothbrushes and personal items are always needed. I would like to describe the process from Battlefield to Walter Reed. In my case I was medivac'd to Balad, Iraq. I was there for 2 days, and then to Landstuhl, Germany for a more in depth evaluation which took about a week. Finally I was flown to Walter Reed. Usually, all your belongings remain behind in Iraq or Afghanistan. That is why these care packages are very welcome. I came here with the set of clothes I was injured in and no personal items. The Red cross issues some personal items, but they don't last. The whole ordeal is very depressing because you are bounced around amongst strangers and the whole time you are thinking ( I hope my friends in Iraq are safe. ) It is very difficult to be here and your friends still there. It is very lonely here and these care packages are lifesavers. It at least makes us feel that someone, somewhere cares about us. So, from the bottom of my heart and the hearts of those around me Thank you. ***


This is a letter I stole from the ROAD WARRIORS blog that was found on Face Book. The soldiers very much appreciate our help. You can donate directly to WWP by going here. Or, on that same page donate for a back pack filled with essentials which costs $99. Or, you can go to the ROAD WARRIORS donation page for WWP and support them in their run to raise awareness and money for WWP on May 9th.

Another cause near and dear to my heart, EQUALITY NOW has a Mother's Day fund raiser. What could be better than helping world-wide womens' rights AND eating chocolate? It's an easy way to help.

On my mind...

I'm back on the subject of bed making, again. Apparently I have some compulsion to talk about bed making at least once a year. Almost two years ago was my first rant sulk about making my bed and then just the other day I blamed my out-of-the-blue thoughts on editing on my leaving my bed unmade. Today's totally random question is, if you don't make your bed, do you leave out your sleep attire...whatever it is? Do you put it away, hang it, hamper? What??? Do non-bed makers also leave out their jammies?

~*~*~*~

He's Just Not That in to You. We went to see this movie last weekend. Fantastic cast. Really. However, this movie was supposed to be funny and clever. Me? I was depressed afterward. If this is what dating and relationships are like now, well, blech! I sure am glad I'm not out there trying to date, hook up or whatever.

Things I did like: the Justin Long and Ginnifer Goodwin story line. They were both very good. I give an honorable mention to the Ben Affleck and Jennifer Aniston story line as well. Has anyone else seen this?

~*~*~*~

Equality Now. I'm still getting their newsletters but have been sadly lacking in posting updates or news. Things are horrid in Pakistan right now. It's actually terrifying to me how many places in the world women are mistreated as a normal every day consequence. It gives one pause when traveling. Some of the places I'm most curious about, like the Middle East, are the absolute worst places for women. Even though I don't post all the time I hope you will still give them a read and a thought now and again.

~*~*~*~

The Road Warriors and the Wounded Warrior Project. My sister finally got the donation page up for running group at her blog. If you want to donate to a great cause and inspire my sister and her friends to run go here and donate to the cause.

NOTHING BUT RED

This is a portion of the forward in NOTHING BUT RED:

"I can’t change Du’a’s fate. I can’t punish those responsible for her death. I can’t change the world. But I can make damn sure that at least I don’t slip into apathy—that I keep trying. To do anything else is, in my not-so-humble opinion, immoral. I don’t try to make a difference because I think that I’ll succeed; I try because I couldn’t live with myself otherwise.

So yes, I’ve made this foreword all about me. And I encourage you to do the same: make this fight for equality about you. Don’t start with the world—start with yourself. Start with your apathy. Start with what you are capable of doing to help. Start with your capacity to care.

Everything that you do has the potential to change something, to inspire someone. To remind the people out there fighting the good fight that the work they’re doing has meaning.

The only thing you can ever change is yourself. Have you?"

Skyla Dawn Cameron
Head Organizer, Lead Editor, Book Designer


I don't want to forget. I don't want to be apathetic. Maybe you didn't get a chance to buy NOTHING BUT RED when it came out in April. Go now. Do a good thing. Like Skyla says maybe buying the book won't change the world, but it might change you.

NOTHING BUT RED

Several people have already mentioned this book on their blog and websites. But I figured what the heck, if one more person buys the book and money gets donated to Equality Now then it's all good. What is written below I've taken from the Nothing but Red wordpress site.



Visit www.lulu.com/nothingbutred to purchase your copy! The full colour eBook is $5.95, and the black and white trade paperback is $15.95. All profits (about $4 per book) will go to Equality Now.

If you would like to read the foreword to the book, click here.

“Because it’s no longer enough to be a decent person. It’s no longer enough to shake our heads and make concerned grimaces at the news. True enlightened activism is the only thing that can save humanity from itself. I’ve always had a bent towards apocalyptic fiction, and I’m beginning to understand why. I look and I see the earth in flames. Her face was nothing but red.”

- Joss Whedon, May 20 2007

EQUALITY NOW & Governor Spitzer

Take a second and check out what Equality Now sent out about the NY Governor Spitzer sex scandal.

Dear Friends,

Yesterday New York State Governor Eliot Spitzer resigned. Below is a link to an article in the New York Times, by renowned journalist Nina Bernstein, titled “Foes of Sex Trade Are Stung by the Fall of an Ally.” The article, which mentions Equality Now’s campaign against Big Apple Oriental Tours and quotes Executive Director Taina Bien-Aimé, links the allegations against Governor Spitzer to the broader issue of the commercial sexual exploitation of women.

For over fifteen years Equality Now has worked to end human rights abuses against women and girls around the world, including sex trafficking, sex tourism and other forms of commercial sexual exploitation.

We urge you to read the New York Times article, or see full text below. Thank you for your ongoing support.

Best regards,

Jessica Neuwirth
President
Equality Now

Take a Minute and Just Click

EQUALITY NOW

RAPID RESPONSE ALERT

EQUALITY NOW CALLS ON IRAN TO STOP THE IMMINENT
EXECUTION OF IRANIAN SISTERS ZOHREH AND AZAR KABIRI
RECENTLY SENTENCED TO DEATH BY STONING FOR ADULTERY

February 7, 2008

In its latest assault on Iranian women’s rights, the Iranian judiciary has sentenced two sisters, Zohreh and Azar Kabiri to death by stoning. According to Iranian media reports, following allegations of adultery by Zohreh’s husband, the sisters were arrested in February 2007. In the first trial, which took place without defense counsel, the sisters were coerced to “confess” to adultery during the course of interrogations by the judge. The General Court of Ferdis found Zohreh and Azar guilty of “inappropriate relations” and sentenced them to 99 lashes. Instead of being released, after enduring the lashes the sisters were without explanation sent back to prison and later summoned for a new trial on charges of “adultery” in Tehran’s Criminal Court. On 5 August 2007, they were sentenced to death by stoning for adultery, a decision that was subsequently approved by the Supreme Court.

The lawyer for the sisters, Jabar Solati, has filed an appeal in the Supreme Court requesting that the stoning sentence be reviewed. Solati maintains that it is unconstitutional for Zohreh and Azar to have been tried a second time for a crime for which they had already been convicted and punished. Solati also stated that the evidence needed to prove adultery was absent; these include confessions by the accused on four different occasions and the testimony of eye-witnesses to the alleged crime. Furthermore, reports indicate that the official documents from the first trial relating to the lashing sentence and execution of the sentence were all missing during the trial in Tehran’s Criminal Court.

Death sentences continue to be issued with regularity by the Iranian judiciary despite repeated local and international protest by human rights activists, citizens, the media and the international community. In spite of a moratorium on stoning issued in 2002 by Ayatollah Shahroudi, head of the Iranian judiciary, judges continue to hand down stoning sentences, in particular and disproportionately to women, for adultery. These death sentences are being carried out. A woman and man are reported to have been stoned to death for adultery in 2006. As recently as 5 July 2007, Jafar Kiani was stoned to death in Aghchekand in Iran. Kiani’s partner, Mokarrameh Ebrahimi, and nine other women including Kobra Najjar have all been sentenced to death by stoning. All these women are in prison and their sentences could be carried out at any time. Two men await punishment by stoning as well. Equality Now Executive Director Taina Bien-Aimé says, “The Iranian judiciary should be upholding international law rather than violating the human rights obligations Iran has undertaken. Adultery must not be punished by criminal sanctions. This is a violation of the right to privacy. Moreover, stoning is a fundamental human rights violation in all cases.”

Stoning to death violates the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to which Iran is a state party. The ICCPR clearly prohibits torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment and punishment. It also limits the imposition of the death penalty “only for the most serious crimes.” No criminal or other act warrants violent and inhumane punishments such as flogging and stoning. Moreover, adultery is a private act and should not incur criminal punishment. Protection from arbitrary or unlawful interference under the ICCPR has been found by the United Nations Human Rights Committee to include consensual sexual activity between adults in private.

Equality Now is an international human rights organization that works to protect and promote the civil, political, economic and social rights of girls and women. Equality Now opposes all forms of the death penalty. Equality Now’s Women’s Action Network comprises 30,000 groups and individual members in over 160 countries. For more information please visit www.equalitynow.org.

Please contact Iran’s Head of Judiciary Ayatollah Shahroudi urging him to release Zohreh and Azar Kabiri immediately and unconditionally from prison. Also urge him to release Kobra Najjar (see http://www.equalitynow.org/english/actions/action_2901_en.html for more information about her case) and to commute all death sentences that have been passed and await execution. Iran must comply with its obligations under the ICCPR and ban the practice of stoning, and recognize adultery as a private act that should not incur criminal penalties.

His Excellency Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Head of the Judiciary
c/o Ministry of Justice
Park-e Shahr
Teheran
Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: iripr@iranjudiciary.org, irjpr@iranjudiciary.com and info@dadgostary-tehran.ir
Phone: +98 21 22741002, +98 21 22741003, +98 21 22741004, +98 21 22741005

In the United States please also contact:
Interests Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran
(Housed in the Embassy of Pakistan)
2209 Wisconsin Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20007
Phone: (202) 965-4990, (202) 965-4992, (202) 965-4993, (202) 965-4994, (202) 965-4999
Fax: (202) 965-1073
Email: requests@daftar.org

For more information, please contact Equality Now at info@equalitynow.org.

EQUALITY NOW

What follows came in my email today. It's noteworthy. I hope you'll take a look.

Dear Friend,

Equality Now’s Executive Director, Taina Bien-Aimé, was quoted in a column today (January 15, 2008) by renowned journalist Bob Herbert of the New York Times. Mr. Herbert’s column, titled “Politics and Misogyny,” highlights various forms of violations of women’s rights in the United States, including violence and sex trafficking, and demands that the presidential campaigns address women’s rights issues in a more concerted manner.

Everyday women and girls endure grave human rights abuses here in the US and all around the world. For over fifteen years Equality Now has strived for gender equality and worked to ensure that women’s rights are made a priority issue of concern for political leaders both in the US and internationally.

We urge you to read the New York Times column: here. *

For information about Equality Now's work to end sex trafficking please visit: here. *

Thank you for your support and the opportunity to share this story with you.

Warm regards,

Jessica Neuwirth

President

Equality Now*

*Revised from original but only to embed links.

What you can do...

If you haven't already read about NOTHING BUT RED at Bam's site, please go check out this post from yesterday. Maybe there is something you can do to help even if it is just raising awareness. C'mon go see what you can do.

EQUALITY NOW

HAVE YOU JOINED YET?

IT ONLY TAKES A MOMENT.

IF NOT NOW WHEN?

EQUALITY NOW.