Three Stone Steps in Web 2.0

Well, it appears as though I'm catching up! What is it with this Web 2.0 stuff? Anyway, if you haven't had enough of seeing the handbags, scarves, jewelry rolls, messenger bags, mosquito netting and assorted fashion accessories static...well, here you go with a slide version.

And, to think, those kids on myspace have been doing this already for years!

'Tis the Season.....

...but far, far, far too early.

I'm getting ready for my selling season, that is, selling my fine silk scarves, eco-chic bags, silk and cotton bags, and other accessories at home shows and shows at prep schools and even synagogues.

I'm bringing this up far to early, I know.

But, no time like the present to prepare.

I don't want to be part of moving the holiday season earlier and earlier and earlier. But, it's happening all around us. Back in the day, the holiday season kicked off in earnest after Thanksgiving. Quite a bit of time for the shopping and hoopla, to be sure, but really enough time for it. I'm not sure exactly when the holiday season kicked off after Halloween. But, ok, it gives you a three week cushion. But now? This year, Columbus Day is barely done with before seeing the tinsel and balls and big plastic blow up things for lawns up.

What gives?

I once read that since Halloween has become a big (and adult) holiday, major retailers put out their holiday stuff early as a way to remind people that, hey, you'll be spending even bigger money around the corner, so don't go hog wild on the costume, or decorating your house. Save some of that discretionary holiday dosh for the mammoth holiday which'll be here before you know it.

But, can't I just enjoy the fall season without thinking about what is lurking around the calendar corner?

I'll be doing some shows, starting in about a week and a half. Oh, well, I so hope that I am not part of the problem. And, I hope this year, people are more sustainable in their shopping.

Thoughts?

More bags and wallets, and in record time

I'm happy to report that I received a new shipment of the great mosquito net messenger, laptop, and travelers bags and wallets from Cambodia. And, it arrived in record time.

There are great colors for fall and winter, including O's orange traveler's bags, just a perfect accessory as you go trick or treating. Also, laptop bags in green, iridescent, copper, and silver.

It's always so exciting when the boxes arrive. Please take a look!

Blog action day on the environment

Today is blog action day for the environment. Some of us have planned our businesses to be green from the get go (also fair trade in my case).

Anyway, not sure what I can do to draw much more attention to this issue, than has been drawn in the past week, especially with Al Gore and IPCC, splitting the Nobel Peace Prize. Unfortunately, reading analysis of this is mostly about Al Gore, who has been the subject of such right wing vitriol, which I never understood, until I read Paul Krugman's most excellent article, Gore Derangement Syndrome, this morning.

So, what we can we do? I certainly don't have any new answers, but I know what steps I take as a business to reduce my carbon footprint. I buy recycled paper, and recycle myself. I recycle the boxes I use to ship orders. my website is is hosted by a carbon neutral provider (also, employee-owned), and I'm trying to to reduce my flying.

As a person, I've started hanging at least some laundry, if not all, at least the heavy stuff meaning jeans and towels, I have tried as hard as I can to walk places and combine trips, I actually shut off my computer in the evening, I bring my own bag when shopping, and try to shop locally, i.e, at weekly farmers' market. I recycle everything.

Ok. I'm not perfect. Few of us are. Part of the criticism, at least not from the right, of Gore is that he owns big houses and flies around in a private jet. So, maybe not the perfect spokesperson, but it seems to me that he's attacked in a way that the perfect becomes the enemy of the good. Of course, had he decided to be No Impact Man, he'd be criticised for living in a way that was holier than thou, and setting a bar much higher than anyone could even begin to reach.

Of course, it's all about taking the steps you can do to reduce your impact. What can I add to this discussion? I'm really not so sure, but I know that starting to talk about it can do nothing but help it.

So, what are YOU doing?

Seeing the Sites

I'm not talking about travel unfortunately (and that would be 'sights' anyway), but finally trying to catch Three Stone Steps up with what's called Web 2.0.

No one would ever accuse Three Stone Steps of jumping on trends. In fact, in reading about Web 2.0, the term was coined three years ago, in any event, file this firmly in the Better Late than Never Department.

So, I am now on myspace. I have some mosquito net products up there, as well as some silk items, such as the business card holder, and silk bead necklace. And, of course, you can be my friend. Please add me, if you so desire, here.

Three Stone Steps also found a new site called Squidoo. Ok. Of course it's not 'new' but new to me. While still trying to figure it out, I have posted some info on the recycled mosquito net messenger and travelers bag. If you want to check it out, nothing more to do than click this.

Another site that Three Stone Steps has found is This Next. I'm trying, of course, to figure out how to use it, and am, if time permits, going to make a list of eco-fashionista items. Anyway, it's right here.

So, in addition to contacting Three Stone Steps through this blog or through the email on the 'contact us' part of the website, you can find our find eco-fashion and silks and cottons a few other places.

Fair Trade, what is Fair Trade?

I realized that I've written a good deal about 'fair trade' here, and haven't provided any sort of definition. I guess I just assumed that most people already knew, but you know what they say about people who assume....(wait, is that an assumption....?)

Instead of recreating the fair trade wheel, this is the wonderfully complete set of principles outline by the International Fair Trade Association.

• Equal partnership and respect between producers and consumers

• A fair price for socially just and environmentally sound work

• Healthy working conditions

• Fair market access for poverty alleviation and sustainable development

• Stable, transparent and long-term partnership

• Guaranteed minimum wages and prompt payment

• Premiums on Fair Trade products used to develop community projects

• Encouraging better environmental practices

Green this?

I went to my first ever Greenfest, the one in ournationscaptial, on Saturday. I was impressed, and also disappointed. (I must admit, though, that I was not feeling the least bit well, I was coming off of migraine, so that may have colored my views, so please take all this with a grain of sea salt.)

First, to the disappointments I sort of expected more. I don't know what, but it seemed to be lacking a certain essential buzz, or products that make you go, 'wow, that is so clever!' or 'how could one live without that?' Instead I found rather typical products, the organic makeup, the organic juices, the organic chocolates, the green and lefty media.

Of course, I went specifically looking for the 'fair trade' vendors of fashion accessories. I didn't see everything, but, again, I had hoped for more than flax pants, and hemp wallets. (There was more, of course. This is a bit of an exaggeration.) In short, I wonder when 'fair trade,' and 'green,' will grab the public beyond thinking that it's just 'ethnic' 'hippie' stuff; i.e. wallets made by a collective in Honduras, earrings made with coconut shells from some amazing island in the Pacific. Of course, there's nothing wrong with that, but isn't it time to broaden this out a bit?

Plus, I didn't find the food (always of utmost importance to moi) terribly inspiring, but was somewhat impressed with the idea of organic soul food, specifically bbq tofu, served with collards (without pork, of course), some non-gooey and I guess healthy mac & cheese, and yummy yams.

Now, to what I liked: While there wasn't the sort of buzz I had hoped for, people were really great; both the vendors. People seemed genuinely happy to be there. And, while there wasn't 'buzz,' there was good attendance, beyond the white kids with dreadlocks kind. Just people who, if you saw them on the street, you'd never peg them as a 'greenie.' The fact that this 'movement' is moving mainstream can only be a good thing.

I liked some of the samples. I was there for a wee bit of Amy Goodman's speech, and was happy to have the chance to hear her. I will definitely come back next year (sans, headache, hopefully.)

And, speaking of retuning for next year, I also attended Greenfest to try to figure out if it was a good venue for me to sell my recycled mosquito netting messenger bags, and wallets, and some of my silk and cotton accessories. I'm really not sure that's it's the place for my wares, which makes me very disappointed.

But, of course, we'll have to see.

Trade this?

I heard on NPR this morning that the public has lost its enchantment with 'free trade.' They seem to think that it SHOULD be good, but it's not really working for them. Well, I could have told them that. Plus, the news is all abuzz today with Costa Rica joining CAFTA.

Anyway, the way we 'trade' isn't some natural state. People obviously have been trading since countries took their fleets to foreign lands. Whatever.

As an importer who adheres to fair trade standards, there's absolutely no reason at all why this standards were not codified in trade agreements.

If you want to learn more, just google 'fair trade.' (Ok, I know that's a bit lazy.)

Friends and Labors

I hosted two very good friends of mine over the weekend that I know from grad school in Labor Studies at UMASS.

It was great to see them, but it made realize how far away I've been from the 'official' labor movement, which, when I left my last union job two years ago consisted of pushing paper in a cubicle, a beige, windowless one at that, on the sixth floor of an ugly building, about three blocks from the White House.

Now, I don't want to complain about my previous job/s. And, I don't want to diminish any work of the 'official' (read: having an office in DC) parts of the U.S. labor movement. It's just that seeing my friends, who both in different researching capacities in different places for the same very large union, made me realize how far away I am from that world, and how far away much of 'official' labor is from the workers of the world. (Ok, I realized this in the past, too, but there's nothing like seeing it again, from a distance.)

I certainly don't want to bash anything the labor movement does. I may disagree with some macro-strategies, and the entire realpolitik mode that many unions and federations engage in, but there are real problems for workers now. And, I firmly believe in it in theory. I just have had some issues, of late, with some practice.

In any event, I'm too far away from all this to make a cogent argument. Plus, that's too tangential.

However, seeing my union 'brothers,' and explaining to them how Three Stone Steps, selling scarves, handbags, jewelry rolls, and cosmetic bags, etc. etc. etc. has the same ultimate mission as what they do at their union, was really enlightening. I mean, it's the same mission, isn't it? It's about helping workers gain power, because, like the hokey pokey, that's what it's all about.

It's not about charity.
It's not about social work.
It's about power.

In any event, I know that no one really needs another scarf, as gorgeous as they are, and as much as they help the people who made them. And, I know that no one will buy anything that they don't like just because it may be made by landmine or polio victims. I want people to love what they buy, and feel good about it. Ultimately, I'd like to help people think about all their purchasing decisions and the workers who made their handbags.

At this point, I'm not so sure about the 'official' reaction of 'official' labor to 'fair trade.' I know that if I'm buying stuff from Cambodia, I'm not really adding any much needed union members in the U.S., but that's no reason it should be ignored. I know, I know, it's not getting people elected, or servicing or organizing new members, but it's being on the same side in the global economy.

Thoughts on Burma

While I've traveled fairly extensively in South East Asia, I've never been to Burma/Myanmar. Most of this is due to the fact that I never really made up my mind whether travel to Burma is a good thing (i.e., it exposes locals living under the junta to people living in 'freer' societies, and helps with their dismal financial state) or that it really does prop up a truly repressive regime.

Although it seems to have been moved from the front pages, I really can't stop looking for news on the situation. I read in the New York Times blog today that apparently the deaths can be measured in the thousands, and not in the tens. I also read some expert in the region saying that it was "over."

Well, is it?
Is there nothing that we can do to help the situation there. Will traveling help?

And, I look at the photos, and think that I've been to many, many Buddist wats, but none that seem so lovely as the main one in Yangon.

I remain distressed, and helpless. If you can think of anything that regular people can do to help with this situation, please let me know.