I wish I was a mini me.

The cutest children’s clothing line, Tea Collection.

50% of the purchases from Tea Collection’s “Little Citizens” line goes to the Global Fund for Children, a foundation which assists in childrens’ literacy and well being in countries all around the world.

Sponsored post by Tea Collection, still it is a very cute line. Talk about wishing I was 5 again.

“We will transform shadows into sunshine, taking on all challenges to diminish the shadows… Advancing justice for all, tackling emerging and current issues”, said The Honorable Thomas E. Perez.

My existential experience occurred at the first annual Advancing Justice Conference for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

This conference brought together numerous leaders in the public sectors and participants of grassroots, mid- sized and larger non- profit organizations, interconnecting people that share the same passion for building a larger foundation for civil rights, particularly for Asian Americans.

I had the privilege of interviewing the president of the Asian Pacific American Legal Center, Stewart Kwoh. I asked him the ultimate bright red nail biting question, ” What is the one thing you would like to tell the Asian American Community?”

“People have to organize and speak up for their rights, come together and work together. We have to use our collective knowledge and become stronger as a unit. We need to be willing to work together and give credit freely and share the efforts of the work involved”, responded Kwoh.

This was truly an eye opening event. The common theme that underlies the vision of the Asian American people is to strive to become one. Such an avante garde event, setting up a sewing room of experts as well as novices providing a place where our individual threads are encouraged to be woven together to piece together a harmonious tapestry that binds our community as a whole.

Whoever said differences in nationality and politics can’t coincide is truly misled. Together with our passion and efforts, we can become one to advance justice for all.

October 23, 2009

Contact: Grace Chang

Laura Rodriguez

FIRST NATIONAL ASIAN

AMERICAN CIVIL

RIGHTS CONFERENCE

IN LOS ANGELES

Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Tom Perez to

serve as keynote and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio

Villaraigosa to make welcome remarks at the inaugural

Advancing Justice Conference

WHAT: The 2009 Advancing Justice Conference: “Asian American and Pacific Islanders Building New Foundations     for Civil Rights” is an inaugural national civil rights and social   justice conference that drew 400 + of community and         government leaders and legal professionals from across the    country. The Conference will be the largest gathering of       advocates  and community leaders from the Asian American         and Pacific Islander community to share, network, mentor and address the major policy issues facing our nation today. For             a full conference agenda and registration information,                 please visit: www.AdvancingJustice.org.

WHO: The Advancing Justice Conference is a joint project of    Asian American Institute (Chicago), Asian American         Justice Center (Washington, DC), Asian Law Caucus             (San Francisco) and the Asian Pacific American Legal       Center of Southern California (Los Angeles).

WHEN: October 29-30, 2009

WHERE: The Center at Cathedral Plaza
555 W. Temple Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012-2707

BACKGROUND: The Asian American and Pacific Islander communities           are at the forefront in the fight for justice, protesting against hate crimes                 and racial profiling, as well as the lack of health insurance and the long       immigration backlogs. The four hosting organizations have worked on these        issues for years in their own neighborhoods and cities; but now, have the      opportunity to come together at a national level to dialogue about these issues.

Future Dates: 2nd Annual Advancing Justice Conference 2010 will                     be in Washington, D.C. 3rd Annual Advancing Justice Conference will be in            San Francisco, CA. 4th Annual Advancing Justice Conference will be in          Chicago, Illinois. Please check their website for future updates www.AdvancingJustice.org.

Susy sells sea shells by the seashore.

• Half off restaurant.com gift certifcates using this link http://c.couponcabin.com/r/cc-00so-0574-011919-00-00-0000-100109?afsrc=1. Or use code SHRIMP on restaurant.com.
• Free admission on tomorrow (Saturday) at LACMA for all Bank of America cardholders. Just show LACMA your Bank of Amercia credit or debit card.
• October is breast cancer awareness month. Go to www.thebreastcancersite.com and click on the big pink button to help women in need get free mammograms.

So should I use Flashy Flashyback Fridays? Or Flashyback Fridays?

Hmmmm… I think Flashyback Fridays might be good one. Le sigh. So many options and only 52 Fridays. Must get back to selling sea shells by the seashore.

And Lauren Merkin and I are a huge supporters of Breast Cancer Awareness! Anyways, Lauren Merkin, designs a special pink item from her collection, where 50% of the proceeds are donated to the Young Survival Coalition. This year she has designed a Fuchsia Tiled Embossed Lamb wallet, retail $175 and 50% of the proceeds are donated to YSC!

If this the wallet a bit too pricey… Please feel free to click the

http://www.thebreastcancersite.com

to help fund free mammograms for women in need. Click the big pink button, it will only take a second and it is FREE!

Laura Ling and Euna Lee, two American journalists, were recently sentenced to 12 years of prison in North Korea.

On March 17, 2009, Laura and Euna were shooting video along the China/North Korea border for a story they were working on about the trafficking of women in the region. They were stopped by North Korean border guards and arrested immediately thereafter. Both women were transported to Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, where they remained under arrest until their trial.

A verdict in their closed trial was reached on June 8, and both Laura and Euna were sentenced to 12 years of reform through labor for illegal entry and grave crimes against the North Korean state.

Since the sentencing, the families have been able to receive calls on a few occasions. During the second call received on the evening of July 7, Laura and Euna reported that they are being treated fairly and are being seen by physicians. In the most recent call, they asked for continued support from our country and its citizens for their amnesty.

PLEASE TAKE 10 SECONDS TO SIGN THIS PETITION. Do it for your fellow country women.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/131375038

Or if you wish you can,

Write to Michelle Obama to get involved and make a statement asking that Euna and Laura be granted Amnesty.  You can write to her at:

Mrs. Michelle Obama
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington D.C. 20500

Thursday, July 16, 2009 – 6 pm 

Bleu Boheme
4090 Adams Street
San Diego, California

$45 pp – includes all costs

Advance rsvp and pre-pay required by 7/13/09
rsvp@baldgirlsdolunch.org  800.578.5332 or 914.945.0245 to learn more.

RSVP securely online with “Donate Now” button at baldgirlsdolunch.org or PayPal to info@baldgirlsdolunch.org
If you can’t be with us, we value and appreciate gifts of any size. Your tax-deductible gift helps us reach more women faster!

“Fun”, “practical” and “life-changing” are what women say. A chance to talk about things you might never have talked about before. We value comfort greatly – so wear a wig or come without. It’s special when everyone at the table has alopecia areata.  Live a beautiful and successful life whether your alopecia is old or new. No hair? Some hair? Regrowth? All are warmly welcomed and you’ll feel renewed!  I look forward to meeting you!

Thea Chassin, BGDL founder

Mail a donation/ or check to:
Bald Girls Do Lunch, Inc.               
P.O. Box 9122
Scarborough, NY 10510
 
We are the only not-for-profit 501-c3 organization specifically dedicated to improving the quality of life of women with the autoimmune skin disease, alopecia areata. Founder Thea Chassin, has had alopecia areata (universalis) since 1997 and has extensive experience as a support leader for women.  She provides positive media impressions for alopecia through her interviews for major newspapers, TV, and radio across the US.
Please note: BGDL lunches are for women 18 and older with any form of alopecia areata.
www.BaldGirlsDoLunch.org

Want to know what has been going on in the US over the past 5 years?

Doug Levitt renews his Greyhound Pass and takes us on a journey, of real people and real lives. And shows us what is going on in the US through song, story and images.

Thursday, June 18th, 2009 at 8pm.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Auditorium

At the Santa Monica Public Library

601 Santa Monica Blvd at 6th Street

(Underground Parking available)

http://www.greyhounddiaries.com/

All profits from Shop & Pamper will go to Los Angeles Family School.

C&C, Corey Lynn Calter, Eva Franco, Linea Pelle, Trina Turk, Tucker Paisley, and more…

Cheesy yes. But my need for purging some of my clothing from a decade ago trumps the cheese factor…

Oddly now, I am craving nachos.

So, what do I do with old handbags that I don’t need anymore?

Swap, switch, sell, or buy gently loved handbags.

What to do with your old clothing? Gather your friends together and have a clothing swap. A cheap and fun way to hang with your friends and maybe score a new outfit for your next hot date.

I’ll never forget the look in my patient’s eyes when I had to tell them they had to go home with the drains, new exercises and no breast. I remember begging the doctors to keep these women in the hospital longer, only to hear that they would, but their hands were tied by the insurance companies.

So there I sat with my patient giving them the instructions they needed to take care of themselves, knowing full well they didn’t grasp half of what I was saying, because the glazed, hopeless, frightened look spoke louder than the quiet ‘Thank you’ they muttered.

A mastectomy is when a woman’s breast is removed in order to remove cancerous breast cells/tissue. If you know anyone who has had a mastectomy, you may know that there is a lot of discomfort and pain afterwards. Insurance companies are trying to make mastectomies an outpatient procedure. Let’s give women the chance to recover properly in the hospital for 2 days after surgery.

This Mastectomy Bill is in Congress now. It takes 2 seconds to do this and is very important. Please take the time and do it really quick! The Breast Cancer Hospitalization Bill is important legislation for all women.

Please send this to everyone in your address book. If there was ever a time when our voices and choices should be heard, this is one of those times. If you’re receiving this, it’s because I think you will take the 30 seconds to go to vote on this issue and send it on to others you know who will do the same.

There’s a bill called the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act which will require insurance companies to cover a minimum 48-hour hospital stay for patients undergoing a mastectomy. It’s about eliminating the ‘drive-through mastectomy’ where women are forced to go home just a few hours after surgery, against the wishes of their doctor, still groggy from anesthesia and sometimes with drainage tubes still attached.

Lifetime Television has put this bill on their web page with a petition drive to show your support.. Last year over half the House signed on. PLEASE! Sign the petition by clicking on the web site below. You need not give more than your name and zip code number..

http://www.mylifetime.com/community/my-lifetime-commitment/breast-cancer/petition/breast-cancer-petition

On Thursday, April 30, 2009 join us at these restaurants thoughout LA for Dining Out For Life. Where 25% or more of your bill be donated to Project Angel Food, which delivers food to those that are homebound people with life threatening illnesses.

A few of the participating restaurants include: Cliff’s Edge, Chaya Brasserie, Damon’s Steakhouse, The Farm, iL Cielo, Jar, The Little Door, The Little Next Door, Mr. Chow, Nirvana Lounge, Nook Bistro, Tiara Cafe, and Whist at Viceroy.

http://diningoutforlifela.org/