Sister Pearl's World

lessee:impromptu beach day - nothing in the world could make me...

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 19:29:47 -0400

impromptu beach day - nothing in the world could make me happier

Or me, for that matter.

Jewish aid agency arrives in Mason City to help

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 11:59:32 -0400

Jewish aid agency arrives in Mason City to help:

“Nechama, funded by private and public foundations, grants and donations, is a member of the Minnesota Volunteer Organization Active in Disaster (MNVOAD). Its workers contact communities hit by natural disasters and see where they can provide comfort, advice and recovery work. They assess storm damage, stack sandbags, chainsaw and remove fallen trees, pump flood water from homes, remove contaminated building materials, appliances and personal effects, sanitize and dry surfaces to prevent mold growth, and prepare homes to be reoccupied, according to www.nechama.org.”

Nechama came to our area after the 2006 floods destroyed much of our area. I volunteered with them, helping gut ravaged houses. They’re a fantastic organization. If you can help out in any way with them, whether its to volunteer your time to their deployments (if you live in or near any affected areas) or donate money, I highly reccommend.

THE MINIMALIST; Putting Meat Back in Its Place

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:13:19 -0400

THE MINIMALIST; Putting Meat Back in Its Place: “I’m not talking about eating no meat; I’m talking about cutting back, which in some ways is harder than quitting.”

Don't think. Just write.

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:39:08 -0400

Don't think. Just write.:

candywrappers:

Pretty interesting website. Once you click “Go” a word loads at the top of the page. You then have 60 seconds to write about it.

I love this :)

The 11 Best Foods You Arent Eating

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:13:17 -0400

The 11 Best Foods You Arent Eating:

robot-heart:

1. Beets
Dwight would be gearing up for an “I told you so” right about now.

mmm… a mi me encantan las remolachas….

marco:The Big Picture: Mississippi Floodwaters in IowaMuch of...

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 11:25:23 -0400

marco:

The Big Picture: Mississippi Floodwaters in Iowa

Much of my city — including my neighborhood — looked like this exactly two years ago this week. Watching the Midwestern floods on the news has brought back many difficult memories. The folks in Iowa and the like have a long road ahead of them. But they’ll survive. My city came back. It took a lot of hard work and community cooperation, but we came back. And so can they.

It’s also a good idea to help out however you can. Voluteer your time, your money, or whatever, to the people who need it, whether it’s in the Midwest, in Myanmar, or in your own backyard. The feds weren’t much help to us — it was the community who really shined. So be a good community member and help yours out… however you define community.

America's Child Prisoners

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 12:58:56 -0400

America's Child Prisoners:

(via azspot)

“Undocumented children entering the US alone must confront barriers that extend far beyond the border. If apprehended, they’re met with a sometimes-brutal detention period, followed by a trial under a legal system that treats them the same as apprehended adults, according to children’s rights advocates and recent reports by the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General’s Office (OIG) and the Government Accountability Office.”

supernice:This is the sort of list you need taped to your...

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 10:15:04 -0400

supernice:

This is the sort of list you need taped to your fridge so you’re reminded of it all the time. Love. (via pterodactyl : keri)

This is also, in a sense, a checklist on how to be a good Sufi, or any kind of mystic, really.

It all starts with being aware, awake, alive.

A genetic theory of homosexuality.

Sat, 28 Jun 2008 09:43:03 -0400

A genetic theory of homosexuality.:

robot-heart:

Very interesting article.

Yeah, no kidding. Umm, I guess I should be more fertile than I am, then :( Oh well.

Final Score: Germany 3-2 Turkey

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 11:35:33 -0400

Final Score: Germany 3-2 Turkey:

From Wednesday’s semi-final match. (I haven’t been online since.) This was one of the most exciting matches I have seen in years. Truly the stuff great football is made of.

Now, Spain beat Russia yesterday in the other semi-final, which means that Spain will be taking on Germany in the final.

Which also means it’s all-out war in the otherwise peaceful Martinez household tomorrow. We might just have to go to separate locations to watch, and then never speak of the match again in order to preserve our happy union.

Albanian Custom Fades: Woman as Family Man

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 11:24:56 -0400

Albanian Custom Fades: Woman as Family Man:

“The sworn virgin was born of social necessity in an agrarian region plagued by war and death. If the family patriarch died with no male heirs, unmarried women in the family could find themselves alone and powerless. By taking an oath of virginity, women could take on the role of men as head of the family, carry a weapon, own property and move freely.

“They dressed like men and spent their lives in the company of other men, even though most kept their female given names. They were not ridiculed, but accepted in public life, even adulated. For some the choice was a way for a woman to assert her autonomy or to avoid an arranged marriage.

“’Stripping off their sexuality by pledging to remain virgins was a way for these women in a male-dominated, segregated society to engage in public life,’ said Linda Gusia, a professor of gender studies at the University of Pristina, in Kosovo. ‘It was about surviving in a world where men rule.’”

“Two Months Off” by Underworld.‘Cause...

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 11:21:47 -0400

“Two Months Off” by Underworld.

‘Cause that’s what I’ve got now! It’s good to be a teacher.

Lost Loves

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 06:34:00 -0400

Unreal. This is how I feel about Ireland, except I was never able to word it so well. Thank you for putting it together!

robot-heart:

02:: I miss Texas and my family in a way that had previously been reserved for old lovers who never quite took.

Was Jesus an illegal immigrant?

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 07:17:33 -0400

Was Jesus an illegal immigrant?: (via azspot)

Euro 2008 -- the UEFA Cup

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 19:45:00 -0400

Euro 2008 -- the UEFA Cup:

I am an addict.

Go Germany! (See, I can say that here on Tumblr. My Spanish-Argentinian husband is 1. still bitter over Argentina’s loss to Germany in the 2006 World Cup, and 2. of course he wants Spain to win this one. Whatever. Go Germany!)

YAY! I’m having a dress like this custom made for me. Sura...

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 19:20:03 -0400

YAY! I’m having a dress like this custom made for me. Sura is leaving for Jordan tomorrow morning to visit her family for the summer. There’s a woman in her town that makes these, and does all of the embroidery by hand. Sura took my measurements today, and (God-willing) the dress will be ready by August when she returns to New York!

Damn, it’s so nice to have friends from all around the world :)

P.S. Marco and Tiff, what would you (HONESTLY) think if I wore a dress like this to your wedding?

"Do we really believe that the only thing keeping bosses from paying people more is the presence of..."

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 21:25:11 -0400

“Do we really believe that the only thing keeping bosses from paying people more is the presence of low-wage medium semi-skilled labor from South of this artificial border? Is that really what we believe? We know that if that border is closed, it isn’t going to be closed to capital. It isn’t going to closed to goods. If you have a border that can be crossed by capital looking for the highest return on investment, or goods looking for the highest price, but labor is chained to it’s country of origin, how is that going to work to the benefit of working people? By definition it doesn’t. By definition it immiserates the working class. Divide and conquer.”

- Tim Wise Speaks the Truth on White Privilege (via azspot)

robot-heart:Dancer Charisse Dies I was so upset to read this...

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 20:47:47 -0400

robot-heart:

Dancer Charisse Dies

I was so upset to read this today.

Palestinian embroidery.I’m getting a dress custom-made...

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:31:17 -0400

Palestinian embroidery.

I’m getting a dress custom-made with a similar style of stitching, from Jordan.

El Parlamento Europeo aprueba sin enmiendas la directiva de retorno de 'sin papeles'

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:01:37 -0400

El Parlamento Europeo aprueba sin enmiendas la directiva de retorno de 'sin papeles': “Los inmigrantes sin papeles que sean detenidos en suelo europeo podrán pasar hasta 18 meses retenidos en centros de internamiento mientras se tramita su expulsión. Podrán ser detenidos con una mera orden administrativa y una vez expulsados no podrán volver a la UE en cinco años. Los inmigrantes menores de 18 años no acompañados podrán ser repatriados. Así lo ha refrendado el Parlamento Europeo, que ha aprobado sin enmiendas -tal cual le llegó de los ministros de Interior- la llamada directiva de retorno de los inmigrantes, que pretende armonizar las distintas políticas sobre inmigración ilegal de los países miembros.”