Monday, December 21, 2015

Helping Syrian Refugees


Thank you Emily Cherkin for saying it so well. The only thing I'll add is that when Emily and I taught together the reading of "Night", the kids doing projects, as if they were in one of the prisons, Emily playing her violin as one prisoner did while force marching in knee deep snow away from the Russians and most importantly were the times Bronka visited. Bronka asked a simple question. "Would you speak up for me?" I said yes, as did everyone else. We have made a donation The Compassion Collective.
"I have felt deeply troubled for a long time now about the crisis facing Syrian refugees. As a middle school teacher, I taught a unit on the Holocaust, and the stories facing these modern refugees calls to mind many parallels. A former teacher and mentor of mine, and a survivor of Auschwitz, Bronka, would come and share her story with my students, and the most important thing she taught me (and my students) was that hating the Nazis solved nothing. Even after all the unspeakable things that were done to her and her family, she did not hate them. In other words, Love wins. Today, another hero of mine is Brené Brown, and she, with other leaders, have started The Compassion Collective, a plan to offer aid to Syrian refugees by asking all of us to make small (under $25 donations) to show that even in small amounts, we can make a difference and show that Love can triumph over Fear. So today, I am choosing Love. I am choosing not to give into the fear that generates hatred. I am remembering Bronka. If you feel so moved, and would like to learn more, please follow this link and share on your own pages:”

Friday, November 20, 2015

Shame on you America

Its too easy when your voice is buried within the mob.
Are you the person, the very person, who is willing to speak to this child's parents and tell them there is no help in America for them.

If you're not willing to look these people in the eye and tell them to stay out than do something to reverse the shameful decision to destroy their hopes.

"Get up - stand up for your (their) rights!"

Man-of-War

Please, before you go to sleep tonight, think of ways you can reach out and help all the creatures out there-----humans as well. 
Portuguese Man-of-War. Okay, you better be paying attention if you're in the water with these beauties as your goofing around with one could be the last thing you ever do. We may not "like" every creature in the world but we can respect their role in the big picture leaving them alone to do their thing. "The Man - of - War has an otherworldly appearance—especially when illuminated by the rising sun—is perhaps not the most bizarre thing about the Portuguese man-of-war. The animal is actually made up of a colony of organisms working together, with the gas-filled bladder, or pneumatophore, "sailing" above. Below are three more separate polyps, including tentacles that in some cases can extend 165 feet."
Let Kids Be Kids advocates for the rights of all those in the animal kingdom. Yep, humans too-----And, in particular, all those Men of War out there.
Photograph by Matthew Smith, National Geographic

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Initiative 1401 Passes with 70% Approval

I
Initiative 1401 wins in Washington state with 70% Approval

Thank you Washington voters for passing Initiative 1401, making Washington the first state in the country to help save 10 endangered animal species groups from extinction by a vote of the people.
Thank you for all your support towards our advocacy on this important issue.
“By creating tough new penalties for trafficking products made from these animals, Washington joins other major port states like California, New York and New Jersey in passing laws that close loopholes allowing the black market to thrive for endangered species products.  
With I-1401, Washington state does its part in the fight to save elephants, rhinos, tigers, lions, leopards, cheetahs, pangolins, sharks, marine turtles and rays. Starting December 3, parts and products from these animals will be illegal to sell, including ivory trinkets, tiger pelt rugs, and traditional folk medicine made from rhino horn or pangolin scales. Truth is an elephant needs its ivory tusks more than we need an ornament. A tiger needs its fur more than we need a floor covering and a pangolin needs its scales more than we need medicine proven to be ineffective.
I-1401 establishes a model for citizens, legislators and leaders across America – and around the world – to end the demand that fuels the extinction of animals in the wild. Other states now have the opportunity to build upon what Washington has started by achieving victories of their own. In 2016, Oregon voters will be faced with a similar initiative, and when it passes, three major west coast states will have laws banning the sales of endangered species products. With each victory, we’re one step closer to ending extinction.”
Fred Koontz, PhD, Vice President of Field Conservation, Woodland Park Zoo

Friday, October 9, 2015

Get up - Stand up for your rights!"



ATTENTION: all College/High School students.
Walk off campus and refuse to return until the country makes sure you are safe. Do not return until sane gun laws are passed!!
Seriously, your financial impact "may" be what it takes to get these greedy self serving bastards off their asses to protect you, and the rest of us.
"Get up - Stand up for your rights!"

Monday, August 24, 2015

Our plant friends...




 Please, before you go to sleep tonight, think of ways you can reach out and help all the creatures out there-----humans as well. 
Never forget these other creatures that bring us so much while we go about doing whatever it is we do all the time. A different view of Woodland Park Zoo, the critters tht .bring so much peace, beauty and tranquility
Let Kids Be Kids advocates for the rights of all those in the animal kingdom. Yep, humans and plants too-----
And, in particular, all those Beautiful Plants out there.
Photos: MBarrettMiller/©Connemara Productions

Who was that Masked Man?









"Why do I write? It's not that I want people to think I am smart, or even that I am a good writer. I write because I want to end my loneliness."
(this book was written so the little pugilist would know what the other guy cared about at the time of its compilation...)

Memories








Memories of those that were and are not -

Monday, August 3, 2015

Cilla Black





R.I.P
Cilla Black
Paul McCartney said Black's 1972 interpretation of the "Long and Winding Road" was how he always intended the song to be sung.
Cilla singing a Long and Winding Road.





Friday, July 24, 2015

Animal personhood in Trigueros del Valle

Animals as non-human residents!!! Maybe, with all the American shootings, we could extend this to people animals!!??
"A Spanish town has become the first in the world to give human rights to animals.
In the town of Trigueros del Valle, which has a population of just 300 people, politicians have voted overwhelmingly in favour of giving cats and dogs rights.
The town council voted to define the beloved pets as “non-human residents”, which gives them similar rights to its citizens.
Pedro Pérez Espinosa, the town’s Socialist mayor, said: “Dogs and cats have been living among us for more than 1,000 years.
“And the mayor must represent not just the human residents but must also be here for the others.”
The Renedo Declaration consists of 13 articles, including "all residents are born equal and have the same right to existence" and "a resident, whether human or non-human, is entitled to respect".
The new pet protections were welcomed by animal rights groups.
Campaigners, Rescate 1, said: “Today, we are closer as species and we are now more human thanks to the sensitivity and intelligence shown by the people of Trigueros del Valle.
“This is a great day for humans and non-human citizens alike.”
It is a landmark decision in Spain - a country which still allows the controversial “sport” of bullfighting.
There are hopes that the monumental ruling could lead to an end to bullfighting, which has been banned in certain regions, but still attracts audiences in areas such as Madrid and Seville.
Bullfighting will not be allowed in Trigueros del Valle, which now forbids “any action that causes the mutilation or death of a non-human resident”.
Yet while areas, including Catalonia, have banned the blood sport, the Spanish government is considering a new law that could make bullfighting part of the country's national heritage.
The move could prove disastrous for animal rights advocates as it would provide tax breaks to promoters and allow them to ignore local authority bans.
International animal rights groups have welcomed Trigueros del Valle's “milestone” decision, which they hope will influence other authorities.
PETA UK Director, Mimi Bekhechi, said: “Trigueros del Valle's legislation marks an important milestone and shows that times are changing for human understanding of who, not what, animals are.
“Our society is evolving, and history shows that the law evolves with it. Not that many years ago, many human beings were treated like 'things'.
“Married women and children were simply the property of men, and many people of African descent were also considered to be property.
“Thankfully, today, other forms of discrimination and prejudice are being discarded as people come to realise that all animals, human or otherwise, are emotional, intelligent beings who experience pain, love, joy and fear.
“Eventually, it will be understood that legal rights cannot rightly be decided by species any more than they can be determined by gender, age or skin colour.
“PETA are pleased that Trigueros del Valle has advanced the cause of respect for others, and we hope the influence of this legislation will spread. One day, we will look on our treatment of these animals with shame, as many of us already do.” #yeson1401
Photo: M Barrett Miller

Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Trump as Yosemite Sam





Hey Republicans!!! 
(pardon my mirth) 

You Wanking Thorny Devils created Trump by NOT SPEAKING up when he went after the President for being foreign, kinda black, not a citizen, a socialist, a communist, lazy, dumb, stupid, privileged etc.

So, NOW you complain!?!!

You deserve whatever he brings to you...


Sunday, July 19, 2015

Wolf

Please, before you go to sleep tonight, think of ways you can reach out and help all the creatures out there-----humans as well. 
Wolf. When at the Woodland Park Zoo I always wander by to say hello to the four wolves who live rather contently not far from the Grizzlies, Elk, Porcupine, Sea Eagle and all sorts of visiting birds. The cool thing is the four can move away from any prying eyes should they want some deeper peace. Some time I'll tell you about my encounter way up in Grand Prairie, Alberta, hours off the path, when I came on a Grizzly tearing up an Elk while a Black Wolf sat watching about fifty feet further out - a great moment.
Let Kids Be Kids advocates for the rights of all those in the animal kingdom. Yep, humans too-----
And, in particular, all those Wolves out there.
(Photo: M Barrett Miller).

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Beyond the Black Stump

The sale of my books help support the work of Let Kids Be Kids, Inc.

'Beyond the Black Stump" will arrive soon on Lulu Publishing, iBooks, Barnes & Noble, Amazon etc ( Oh, I'll let you know-- )

"…All things in the world are two. In our minds we are two, good and evil. With our eyes we see two things, things that are fair and things that are ugly…We have the right hand that strikes and makes for evil, and we have the left hand full of kindness, near the heart. One foot may lead us to an evil way, the other foot may lead us to good. So are all things two, all two…”

                                                Letako-Lesa (Pawnee)

How to take action...


I am proud to share that we, Let Kids Be Kids, Inc., are listed under the footing, "How to Take Action" at the bottom of this very informative, moving and positive article about a man changing the world for many.

HOW TO TAKE ACTION ;
Let Kids Be Kids Inc. brings people together with various organizations committed to solving challenges. Take action: Help fund phone calls for death row inmates.

See article:  http://tinyurl.com/pl3fduj

Sunday, May 17, 2015

God's Little Acre!



At noon the Seattle Mennonite's hosted an Open House/Dedication Ceremony of their new coffee shop for those needing a little respite. It's aptly named "God's Little Acre." GLA, as its' referred to, offers coffee, whatever food has been donated, an impressive cooking area for those wishing to cook what they bring in, 2 showers, lockers, 2 washer/dryers, and as one man said his "kick back lounge" where he can feel good about himself. 
Thats the point. 
Underscoring the message that "you deserve it" by creating a great space for many not feeling so great about themselves. (photo of the fella on the street is the not so desired option).

See Let Kids Be Kids website links for more information.


Saturday, May 16, 2015

Ants - Our Friends

Please, before you go to sleep tonight, think of ways you can reach out and help all the creatures out there-----humans as well. 
Ants. Yep, where would the world be without them? They seemingly hold much of it together for the rest of us in all sorts of cool ways. Through moving of soil by nest building activity and by collecting food they affect the level of nutrients in the soil. This can indirectly impact the local populations of many animal groups, from decomposers such as Collembola, to species much higher up the food chain, like us. More than 10,000 known ant species occur around the world. They are especially prevalent in tropical forests, where they may be up to half of all the insects living in some locations.
Let Kids Be Kids advocates for the rights of all those in the animal kingdom. Yep, humans too.
And, in particular, all those Ants out there.
(Photo: photo National Geographic )


See Let Kids Be Kids for more info.


Thursday, May 14, 2015

Increase in HIV

 

Unless we urgently re-vamp up our curriculums we'll see the same here in those areas of the country that have their heads buried in the sand.

All the recent stats show increases in STDs in the most conservative states.


                                                

                                                  Please read this article!

Russia’s top Aids expert has lambasted the Kremlin’s increasingly conservative agenda, saying the HIV-Aids epidemic is worsening and at least two million Russians are likely to be infected in about five years.
Vadim Pokrovsky, head of the country’s state Aids centre, said the Kremlin’s policies promoting traditional family values had failed to halt the spread of the deadly virus.
“The last five years of the conservative approach have led to the doubling of the number of HIV-infected people,” he told Agence France-Presse.
“It has not justified itself,” Pokrovsky said, noting that the official number of Russians with HIV has grown to some 930,000 people from around 500,000 in 2010.
President Vladimir Putin, who enjoys unstinting support from the Russian Orthodox church, has over the past years been promoting increasingly conservative values in a bid to rally support from his core constituents of middle-aged Russians and blue-collar workers.
Pokrovsky said that some 90,000 people contracted HIV in Russia last year, compared with fewer than 3,000 people in Germany, which has one of the lowest rates of HIV infection in Europe.
He chalked up Germany’s success in fighting Aids to drug replacement therapy for addicts – banned in Russia – as well as the legalisation of prostitution and sex education in schools.
“Children are taught to use condoms there,” Pokrovsky said, indicating that was hardly imaginable in modern Russia where the Orthodox church is growing increasingly influential.
Russia has registered more than 930,000 people with HIV, of whom some 192,000 have already died, said Pokrovsky.
Pokrovsky said he expected those numbers to rise to about one million people by the end of the year or early 2016 as the virus increasingly affects the heterosexual population.
He estimated that there would be about two million people registered as HIV carriers and about three million Russians with HIV in total in about four to five years unless tough measures are taken to halt the spread of the virus.
“This means that the measures being taken now are ineffective,” Pokrovsky said, noting that even if the government takes drastic measures to curb the epidemic now the HIV rate would still be rising for the next two to three years “by inertia”.
This year the government plans to spend 21bn rubles (US$418m) to fight the disease, up from 18bn rubles a year earlier.
Pokrovsky said that the lion’s share of that amount is spent on antiretroviral therapy, stressing that authorities are not paying enough attention to preventive measures including education. He said the Russian health ministry did not have a single expert in charge of HIV prevention.
“This is an infection that affects people aged 25-35,” Pokrovsky said. “They die when they are around 35. And they could have worked for a long time.”
“It’s a serious cause of death for Russians, young Russians,” he added.
More than 60 per cent of those affected are believed to have used drugs at least once.
But Pokrovsky said that heterosexual intercourse appears to be the most common route of HIV transmission in Russia, drawing parallels with Africa, the epicentre of the HIV-Aids epidemic.
Nationwide adult HIV prevalence is around 1.0 per cent in Russia. Some of the worst affected locales include the Volga city of Tolyatti with a whopping 3.0 per cent prevalence, and the Irkutsk region in Siberia with 1.5 per cent, Pokrovsky said.
Since the start of the worldwide epidemic, about 78 million people have been infected by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which can destroy immune cells and leaves the body exposed to tuberculosis, pneumonia and other opportunistic diseases.
Thirty-nine million people have died, according to UN estimates.
Antiretroviral drugs, invented in the mid-1990s, can treat infection, but cannot cure it or prevent it.





Saturday, May 2, 2015

Sister Helen Prejean & Megan

Sister Helen Prejean & Megan. Photo by MBarrettMiller
Last night Sister Helen Prejean shared how she got involved with visitations, advocacy and eventually to being spiritual advisor to those on death row. When she spoke of her first visit to death row I had to take a deep breath as my daughter Megan ( in photo with Sister Prejean ) made her first visit to death row not too very long ago. 

Of course I was afraid for her when she made that first visit asking her all sorts of questions to ensure she would be safe. She was completely safe and has returned a half dozen times to spend two days visiting the men on the row. I couldn't be more proud of her and how she shares her heart with those that need a touch of love so very much.

 If you want more information or want to ask how you can help reach out to me at Let Kids Be Kids or directly to The Washington Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty.


Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Winter Shelter 2014/2015


Winter Shelter
2014 - 2015

Thanks to a kinder gentler Mother Nature our recent winter in Seattle was relatively mild. Mild for those who have indoor amenities and plenty of resources to buck their way through anything that winter delivers.
For the thousands of people who live on the streets, in tents in the woods, in the back of tractor-trailers or flop under the freeway even a mild winter can take their life.
The city of Seattle has various programs that help, but without the ongoing generosity of neighborhood groups, service organizations, school programs, NGO’s, and churches we would be faced with hundreds, or perhaps thousands of deaths a year on our streets for lack of shelter.
Imagine if that bleak news interfered with our morning “cuppa joe.”

In the NE area of Seattle, a stones throw from the University of Washington, and affluent lake front hugging houses, is a little area referred to as Lake City.
Lake City, to be kind, is in transition from being an endless strip of car hustlers, fast food joints, low end service shops into what may become a more pleasant community for those who live close, drive by, or walk the streets hoping for a different outcome than the one they faced yesterday.

Seattle Mennonites, Prince of Peace, Lady of the Lake, Lake City Baptist and the George Center for the Community all opened their congregational community doors last December, on a rotational basis, for those who wanted a warm meal, a kind word and a floor to sleep on rather than the reality of what they know so well.
The shelters closed a couple of weeks ago with high hopes of repeating their service this winter. The hidden hope is they will be able to offer more people, in the greater Lake City neighborhood, space for longer periods of time.
The unsaid hope is society will ask for the end of this ongoing challenge and demand better for all of our citizens by providing adequate shelter for all.

The five church congregations mentioned above, their communities, and volunteers offered significant help to the 132 different people who braced their doors.
More than 2,707 shelter beds were offered along with 4,990 meals happily delivered by 335 volunteers. All this was shepherded by the Union Gospel Mission that stepped forward to be responsible of all the logistics, legal frights, transportation efforts that the churches could provide.
Along with a warm safe place to sleep people garnered additional help in totally changing their lives. Great news to all that 34 “homeless” people started new jobs, 25 were preparing to move into housing and 6 started classes at the Salvation Army, Goodwill or at various Community colleges.

Thanks from all of us to all of you who reached out a warm helping hand...

Contact us at Letkidsbekids@mac.com for any questions, or more insight, to the challenges of poverty and homelessness.

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Elephants Never Forget!!



This story was shared with me yesterday by a lady who has been involved with wildlife rescue in Africa for most of her life.
I was at the Van Gogh Coffeehouse in Wedgwood, Seattle, having a cup and jawing with the fella at the next table, when a lady stopped by to say hello to him. He told her in his introduction of me to her about my interests with various wildlife organizations and my training at the Woodland Park Zoo.
Without a pause she asked us. “Did you hear what happened with your elephants when they arrived at the San Diego Zoo?”
Bamboo, 48, and Chai, 36, after years at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle are being re-located to the Zoo in Oklahoma City. On the way to Oklahoma the threats of severe weather made the journey potentially perilous so the decision was made to head to the San Diego Zoo until it was safe to proceed to Oklahoma.
We both responded negatively.
“Well, I can’t remember the name of the man but he was a volunteer at the Zoo here in Seattle for years and years, decades I guess. He had particular interest in the elephants and spent time everyday with them. Over the years they would recognize him by occasional trumpeting when he approached them. As I said, this went on for years. I don’t recall when, but he retired and moved to San Diego a few years back. Apparently he is a docent with the Zoo there.
When he heard about the rerouting from Salt Lake to San Diego he made calls requesting approval to be at the gate when his old friends arrived.
Well, when they pulled up he walked out calling to them. They both trumpeted!”
She stood there for a moment with eyes brimming with tears.
She wasn’t alone-
(Photo by Sluníčko Sedmitečné to National Geographic)

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Sierra Club



Let Kids Be Kids, Inc. has proudly donated to the Sierra Club. We have also extended our membership (s)...

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Cinderella - the Tiger

Cinderella
Please, before you go to sleep tonight, think of ways you can reach out and help all the creatures out there-----humans as well.
       This is a GREAT story.
 3 Tigers coming to Seattle on 1 May 2015.

NEW YORK (Feb 21, 2015)—The Russian Far East is the setting for a Cinderella story.  In this case, Cinderella is a tiger. An orphaned, starved, frost-bitten cub was rescued in the winter of 2012, rehabilitated,  released, and now is possibly mating and re-colonizing former tiger territory, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society.

The full Cinderella story and the state of the Amur tiger in Russia is the cover story in the February issue of Smithsonian magazine. The full issue, which goes online today at 2pm, will be in homes starting Friday, and on newsstands January 27.

The female tiger known as Zolushka (the Russian equivalent of “Cinderella”) seems to be thriving within the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, a region where tigers had vanished some 40 years ago as a result of habitat loss, direct poaching, and loss of prey. Scientists note she has already met up with a resident male tiger and are hopeful that cubs may follow.

“Zolushka appears to be thriving in her new home, and represents the spearhead of a process for re-colonizing habitat once roamed over by her ancestors,” said Dr. Dale Miquelle, Director of the WCS Russia Program. “This story is good news for Cinderella but also for tigers overall as she and her prince appear to be consorting in formerly lost tiger habitat. Since her release, an additional five more orphaned cubs have been rescued, rehabilitated and released also into this westernmost range of historical tiger habitat. All but one of the cubs seems to be doing well in their new environment. ”

Zolushka first came to the attention of conservationists working in the Russian Far East in the winter of 2012. She was found alone, the likely result of the death of her mother at the hands of poachers. On the verge of starvation, she was brought by hunters to a wildlife inspector of the regional Primorskii Wildlife Department and treated with veterinary treatment regional Agricultural Academy, including amputation of a third of her frostbitten tail.

For the next year 15 months, Zolushka’s home was a Russian federal tiger rehabilitation center, designed with technical assistance from WCS's Bronx Zoo General Curator Dr. Pat Thomas. Dr. Thomas made recommendations on facility design to improve safety and reduce the need for direct interactions between tigers and humans. The key to this rehabilitation was ensuring that the tiger’s natural fear of humans would remain intact and that she learned to hunt live prey before being released by into the wild. After growing significantly in size and strength, Zolushka began successfully capturing her live prey, including wild boar.

Zolushka was released back into the wild to Bastak Reserve in the spring of 2013. Scientists followed her movements with GPS and camera trap technology. After checking locations in the field where she had been, there was clear evidence of successful predation on wild boar, badgers, and red deer.

After the GPS signals faded, scientists became uncertain of Zolushka’s fate. WCS and staff of Bastak Reserve used camera traps to re-establish contact with the big cat, successfully capturing her image multiple times in the Bastak Reserve. While following Zolushka’s tracks, scientists discovered the presence of a recently arrived male tiger in the same territory, giving rise to the hope that cubs may soon be on the way.

“If cubs are born, it will be the ultimate sign of success in returning tigers to this once empty landscape,” said Miquelle.

The exact population size of Amur tigers is difficult to estimate, but the official estimates suggest that tiger numbers have dropped to 330-390 individuals (from 430-500 in 2005). This decline was likely the result of increased poaching of tigers and their prey between 2005-2010, a period when poachers took advantage of wildlife management restructuring and the confusion associated with those changes. A full-range tiger population survey, conducted every 10 years, is scheduled for February 2015.
The WCS Russia Program plays a critical role in monitoring tigers and their prey species in the Russian Far East and minimizing potential conflicts between tigers and human communities. WCS works to save tiger populations and their remaining habitat in nine range countries across Asia.

Let Kids Be Kids advocates for those seeking a Voice, even those who can't speak!!

WCS’s work in rehabilitating, releasing, and monitoring Zolushka was made possible through the generous support of the Liz Claiborne and Art Ortenberg Foundation, Columbus Zoo Conservation Fund, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Rhinoceros & Tiger Conservation Fund, Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund, International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), and the AZA Tiger Species Survival Plan Tiger Conservation Campaign. Collaborators for this project included the A. N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution from the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Russian Geographical Society, Inspection Tiger, IFAW, and Phoenix Fund.

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Lobo, the Wolf

Okay, some cool stuff on Wolves. One (1) of a number of Cameras watching various groups of wolves. http://nywolf.org/…/mexican-gray-wolf-f613-and-ch…/enclosure
At the bottom is the link to the main web site. Contribute to them, or us, and we’ll make sure to see you have a voice in protecting these incredible animals.
http://nywolf.org
"The Wolf Conservation Center participates in the Species Survival Plan (SSP) and Recovery Plan for the Mexican gray wolf (Canis lupis baileyi) – North America’ most endangered gray wolf. Prior to the Mexican wolf’s return to the wild 17 years ago, the species was completely extinct in the wild. But under the aegis of the Endangered Species Act, reintroduction efforts in the past two decades have established a small, wild population of 109 between Arizona and New Mexico.
Presently, there are approximately 400 Mexican gray wolves remaining in the world, the majority living in captivity within the network of facilities like the WCC participating in the SSP.
We hope you enjoy our story as we carry out the work of their recovery.”
Let Kids Be Kids Advocates for those seeking a voice inclusive of our non speaking fellow creatures. http://www.letkidsbekids.org

Pope and Environment

Pope Francis: "A Christian who does not protect creation is a Christian who does not care about the work of God"
Perhaps he needs to pull out the old "You're Excommunicated" arrow from his quiver and aim it at his Catholic Supreme Court members/Senate/Congress who fall all over themselves in their "love for G-d."
Take 'em down Francis.......
Your friend
Earth-

Saturday, March 14, 2015

White Tailed Eagles

Please, before you go to sleep tonight, think of ways you can reach out and help all the creatures out there-----humans as well. 

These White-Tailed Eagles are native to Poland where they are a protected species. Fortunately for them, and us, their numbers are steadily rising. Brutal mid-air fights are the main cause of death for the young birds as they fight over food during winter. Wildlife photographer Sylwia Domaradzka travelled to her Polish homeland, from London where she lives, to take these photos.

Let Kids Be Kids advocates for the rights of all those in the animal kingdom. Yep, humans too-----
And, in particular, all those White Tailed Eagles out there. 
Powodzenia dla wszystkich młodych egles w Polsce. 

                       

Zebras

Please, before you go to sleep tonight, think of ways you can reach out and help all the creatures out there-----humans as well. 
Zebras. If you'd never seen one you probably wouldn't believe such an amazing looking creature exists. So whats with the stripes? Ah, National Geograpic to the rescue! "Why do zebras have stripes at all? Scientists aren't sure, but many theories center on their utility as some form of camouflage. The patterns may make it difficult for predators to identify a single animal from a running herd and distort distance at dawn and dusk. Or they may dissuade insects that recognize only large areas of single-colored fur or act as a kind of natural sunscreen. Because of their uniqueness, stripes may also help zebras recognize one another."
Amazing, huh!
Let Kids Be Kids advocates for the rights of all those in the animal kingdom. Yep, humans too-----
And, in particular, all those Zebras out there..

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Help Support Washington Talking Book & Braille Library

AN URGENT REQUEST
WASHINGTON TALKING BOOK & BRAILLE LIBRARY
WASHINGTON STATE LIBRARY

Dear friends,
Please  send a message to your legislators, or call them, (legislative hotline 800-562-6000) to push for funding for the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library. You can look up your specific legislators at leg.wa.gov.
This unique library is facing potentially huge cuts!
If the State Library doesn't get a $2.4 million dollar backfill the library will be in big trouble.


Here are a few facts you might not be aware of that the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library does for so many washington state residents


1) WTBBL is the ONLY library providing service to blind, visually impaired, deaf-blind, physically disabled, learning disabled Washingtonians. WTBBL services  are one of the only ways there is equal and fair access to information for these people.
2) Over 12% of Washington's population has a qualifying disability for WTBBL services. As diabetes increases, more people will need special access to materials due to blindness, amputation, neuropathy. As people live longer, they will lose their sight. Its just that way.
The larger the Hispanic population in WA gets, the more patrons the library might have because Hispanics have an extremely high incidence of diabetes. And, WTBBL  provides audio and braille in Spanish, and many other languages.
3) Blind kids who don't have access to braille will never be truly literate which means they won't be successful in school, go to college, or get a professional living wage job. Currently unemployment for the blind is 76%, the bulk of those people are not braille readers. WTBBL partners with schools, teachers, and families to provide critical accessible material, support instruction, works with birth-5 for early literacy, holds events, reading programs and more for children, teens, and families around the state.
4) Whatever district a legislator represents, the library has  patrons there. WTBBL users live in all 39 counties and rely on the library for services.
5) WTBBL is not simply arts and culture. WTBBL is education, literacy, employment support, technology training, and a matter of health for many elderly patrons. A large number of older people are alone, put in homes, can't get around or participate in the world and WTBBL audio books are their lifeline, their companions, and a resource that keeps them physically, mentally, and emotionally going.
6) 43% (probably more) of WTBBL patrons do not have access to a computer or the internet. They are living in disability because they are unemployed, they are living on SSI, they have minimal income, they are unable to use that resource do to health or physical reasons, or they are old enough they don't feel it is an option. The digital divide for people with disabilities is enormous and WTBBL is one of the only ways they can get accessible books delivered to their doorstep completely free of charge, wherever they live, whatever they need.
7) WTBBL participates in government by producing the state voter pamphlet in audio format.
8) WTBBL partners with schools and work training programs to provide job training for people 16-21 years old who are developmentally disabled.
I could go on and on. But basically, the Washington Talking Book & Braille Library is a one of a kind resource that is truly important to residents of this state and we need to be funded.
Please ask your legislator to fund the state library the $2.4 million in order to support WTBBL, or to provide funding specific to WTBBL.
Thank you very much.