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Tuesday, 10 November 2009

Martha Stewart...in Brooklyn!

Martha Stewart finally aired her special show on Brooklyn today! Its so fantastic to watch my neighborhood come alive on T.V. Brooklyn is more about just the people and places, its about being the epicenter of a cultural revolution. A revolution that is focused on being healthy and helping mother nature. I love it!

So far she's covered:
- Organic restaurant and butcher shop Marlow and Sons in Williamsburg. I love that the butcher shop only uses meat which have been raised cruelty free.
- The many food vendors, many of whom use only organic ingredients and/or locally produced ingredients, and of course local crafters at BROOKLYN FLEA!
- and papusa's!

You can check out more here: The Brooklyn Show

Tuesday, 03 November 2009

Almost there...

- visit factories and negotiate prices
- buy domain name and put online catalog up
- order business cards / hang tags
- compile list of retailers, online retailer, boutiques, etc.
- start selling!
Overall Baby

Etsy
Buy Handmade
OverallBaby

Tuesday, 27 October 2009

Handmade Nation: The Rise of DIY, Art, Craft and Design

So I had the pleasure of watching a screening of the documentary over the weekend in Hungtington, NY. (here) The audience also had the pleasure of meeting the filmmaker Faythe Levine. She introduced the film prior to playing and even gave a Q&A section aterwards. The film was inspiring, educational, informative and absolutely amusing to watch. I really enjoyed it. I have photo's I took of the event which I need to put up. I also had the opportunity to meet the filmmaker Faythe and exchange business cards. I've offered to make her a bag as a thank you for the awe-inspiring work she's been doing.

In the film, she brings into light what many are calling a "cultural revolution". Sort of a backlash to mass production by corporations and the unfair social effects their practices have. Apparently, a similar crafting movement took place during the 60's, a time which I wish I could have lived through. There are some similarities with then and now, most apparent being war. I'm proud to be a part of the current movement and hope years from now people will consider us the hippies of our generation...just cause I think hippies are SO COOL and I wish I could've been one in the 60's. haha. Another poignant point came when a crafter mentioned how over the years we've lost a bit of our culture, largely due to mass production. There's this constant barrage by corporate america constantly telling us how to be, what to buy, what's cool, what's hip, what you need now! Its sort made us all robots and clone's in a sense. I think a large part of culture is passing down skills from one generation to another, something that's not really done anymore because everything is mass produced.

I wish I could talk more about the film but I'll let you watch and decide what you think for yourselves. I'd be interested in hearing feedback from others that have seen the film however!

HANDMADE NATION:

The Rise of DIY, Art, Craft, and Design

Monday, 26 October 2009

The Public Option

So everyone and anyone alive and watching the news knows about Obama's plan to make Health Care Universal. Also known as the "Public Option" plan. Now I'm no expert on the matter. I do know a few things however. I do know 2 basic things. That he wants to make healthcare available to everyone and wants healthcare records to go on computerized systems. Oh, and I also know there is a similar systems in place in other countries, such as the UK.

Well, last week I spent a couple days in London for vacation. I have Crohn's Disease (an autoimmune disease of the intestines) and am permanently on medication. I realized a few days into my trip that I was running out of medication. Without medication I start experiencing severe abdominal pain. Initially I thought "oh no!". I panicked at first. I spoke to the reception at my hotel and was told to just swing by the nearest hospital, go to the emergency room and get a prescription written by the doctor.

To make a long story short, because of my experience, I am thoroughly convinced that universal healthcare is the way to go. I entered the emergency room, immediately spoke to a woman at the desk, filled out 1 PAGE OF PAPERWORK, waited for 20 minutes, saw a doctor, and finally had my prescription filled...FOR FREE. That's right. In 30 minutes, I received the best "health care" ever in my 30 year existence.

More on the non paper work. It only asked for my name, dob, sex, address, and emergency contact info. I realized later why the lack of paperwork when I met the doctor. As he asked me his questions, he typed my responses into a computer. Medical records are computerized in the UK hence no need for paperwork. (something Obama is pushing for)

As for the medication I purchased...without insurance I pay $550 for a month's supply. With insurance I think the medicine is about $100 or so. In the UK, I paid $5 for a week's supply. Which works out to $20 a month. Mind you...I'm a foreigner and I don't even live in the country.

As for the free service, it was the best free anything I received. The hospital was clean. I was at a relatively busy hospital and yes there were a good number of ppl waiting but the wait was NOTHING like what I've experienced at hospitals in NY...even on odd days and late nights. The last time I was admitted to the emergency room, I waited 8 hours to even hear a prognosis, and was later wrongly admitted. When I visit my doctor, I usually wait on average 2-3 hours, and this is with an appointment. Ridiculous.

So Obama. I support your idea. Reform is definitely the way to go.