Asa

Check her music music out. I dig her song Fire On The Mountain. This  interview of her starts with an interesting discussion about the importance of language and identity for artists.

Lead

Every day, millions of women could be putting their health at risk as they unknowingly expose themselves to toxins. The laundry list of toxins commonly found in cosmetics goes on and on. According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, of all the chemicals used in cosmetics, nearly nine hundred are toxic. In fact, 450 ingredients that are used in the United States are banned for use in cosmetics in the European Union. (“Give Lead the Kiss-Off“)

I was curious and looked up what lead is, a material that may be found in cosmetics from lipsticks to eyecream :

What is does :

It is known to cause cancer, has reproductive/developmental toxicity, can cause allergies, is harmful to your immune system, can build up in your body with continued exposure, is easily absorbed into the skin, is a neurotoxin and may affect your endocrine system.

Lead, which may be an impurity in nearly 3 percent of all products in
the Skin Deep database, is a proven neurotoxin – linked to learning,
language and behavioral problems. It has also been linked to
miscarriage, reduced fertility in both men and women, hormonal changes,
menstrual irregularities and delays in puberty onset in girls. At
puberty, boys’ developing testes may be particularly vulnerable to
lead. Pregnant women and young children are also vulnerable because
lead crosses the placenta and may enter the fetal brain (v). (“Heavy Metals“)

I thought it was interesting to find that car batteries can be made from lead. It makes me wonder what is put in hair dyes and products in countries with lax restrictions on products.

Les Tortilles, une coiffure :

I like this video with styling ideas especially for short highly textured natural hair.

Thanks to this French blogger for the link!

Poster Series – San Fran

Did you know that Martin Luther King was just 26 years old when he began preaching at the start of the Montgomery Bus Boycott? Decades later he is still a part of our nation’s consciousness.

Mr. Brain Wash’s MLK poster series is currently up in San Francisco. The images below are from Tourist of Life on Flickr. This Fall I noticed a bunch of his pop-art prints around 3rd Avenue.. Visit Mr Brain Wash Dot Com to get more.

Mr Brain Washes MLK Poster Series

At Last

President and First Lady’s  First Dance of the Inaugural Balls to Etta Jame’s classic song “At Last,”  gorgeously sung by Beyonce.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/20/washingtons-inaugural-bal_n_159515.html

Kiara Kabukuru

She has graced the cover of Vogue Magazine, Vogue Spain, and Amica Italy and has done several editorials.  She has been signed to several different model agencies and had a long illustrious career.  Not bad for someone in an industry where the lifespan of a career barely makes 5 years. (Alusa-Brown, 01-15-2009)

Yey

Flight of the Conchords new season starts at 10 PM tonight on HBO. Kristen Schaal who plays the wacky FOTC fan Mel on the show, did a hilarious rewrite of Esquire Magazine’s photo shoot of the women of Flight of the Conchords which she was inexplicably excluded from.

Western Caribbean

COSTA MAYA

Belize is one of the most enigmatic places I have ever been to. It shares the second largest reef in the world with Roatán, an island off the coast of Honduras. These are absolutely beautiful but also fragile places. As I noticed along the coast of Mumbai, trash is a huge problem. In any place where people live in significant numbers disposal of plastic is especially difficult and potentially toxic. Land development does not necessarily mean progress.

The diversity in the Western Caribbean along the Mexican coast reflects European, African and Native roots. English is spoken widely as well as Creole and Spanish. I did a zip line and rappelling tour of the mountain forest canopy in Belize. The guides were mainly young people of both sexes.   Overcoming fear begins with the belief that it is possible. Their  competence and confidence made it easier to get over the height.

Tours that protect the environment by educating people like myself and employ local people are important. I recommend the Jolly Rogers in  Roatán.  A downside to tourism is that newcomers with means sometimes buy a lot of land for private use so that people who live there year-round get squeezed by higher prices.

ROATÁN

Edward Steichen

Photographs by Edward Steichen from his years as a fashion photographer for Condé Nast  preceding World War II are currently on exhibit at the International Center of Photography in NYC. Discovering him from a book in my parents library a few years ago I was particularly captivated by his black and white portraits. My favorite is of the actress Gloria Swanson in 1924 :