Tell Obama to keep his promise, save the #whales

I’ve signed, have you?

Dear Friend,

In an altogether shocking move, President Obama’s delegation to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) has decided to back a plan that would legalize commercial whaling — including in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary — for the first time since the international ban was passed over 20 years ago.

We only have until the start of the IWC meetings in June to convince the President that this plan is a horrible idea. And that’s exactly what we’re going to do.

Join me and tell Obama to keep his promise, save the whales.

Greenpeace will be delivering all the names and messages to high-ranking officials in the White House on June 3rd. I’ve already added my name. Add yours today.

Party – Night of Mayhem, May 1st, Sydney

Party – Night of Mayhem
Start Time: Saturday, May 1, 2010 at 9:00pm
Location: Sydney Park, St Peters, right near the train station

Description. A celebration of International Workers Day, a Celebration of Free Party Energy and the spirit of altruism. A Free Party For Everyone. A free party in Sydney Park. Meet at 9pm sharp in the brick pits in Sydney Park, and follow the crowd at 9.05pm towards a 12 volt powered party. OR FOLLOW THE MUSIC….
Seven sound systems, spontaenous stalls, weird installations in the middle of a circle of sound systems, a vego BBQ and all kinds of music from Breakcore to gypsy mashups. Or maybe we’ll chalk some arrows towards the party. Come one come all…. A Free Party for Everyone!

Social media for sustainability gatherings – free sessions with #Melbourne SM guru Keren Flavell

A recent addition to the networking events calendar is the Social Media for Sustainability meetup run by Keren Flavell. It happens every Thursday evening from 6-7pm at CERES Education Centre (Lee Street entrance), Brunswick, Melbourne.

Get together with people to discuss how social networking sites can help promote sustainability and other social causes.

It’s free to attend and a great way to meet like-minded people and learn something new.

Contact: keren.flavell@gmail.com

Join the meetup crew: http://www.meetup.com/Social-Media-for-Sustainability/

Burning Man Open Day #Melbourne – April 24th

Start Time: Saturday, April 24, 2010 at 2:00pm
Location: Pipemakers Park Melbourne

Description.MELBOURNE REGION ‘OPEN DAY’ SAT 24TH APRIL 2010

Wanting time to reconnect with the good energy left over from ConFest or Every Picture Tells a Story? Love Burning Man or want to know more about? Or just want to have a fun day with a great group of people? Then this is the event for you!!

Burning Man’s newly created ‘Melbourne Region’ is putting its name right on the Map, on Saturday 24th April 2010, with a wonderful afternoon and evening of activities at the Future Art Research Studio which is located in Pipemakers Park at the Living Museum of the West.

The day will be running from 2pm to Midnight with an entry of $10.

All money will go toward supporting regional activities and the upcoming Regional Burn in June.

Come and participate in a diverse range of entertainment and activities where you may find, Performers, Drummers, Comedians, a Burn School, Fire Twirlers, Movies, Costumes, Exhibitions, Musicians/Acts, DJs, Workshops & Talks, all gifted in the true Burning Man spirit.

Bring out your creative side and dress in your funkiest costumes!!

The day is a mini showcase of what you may find at Burning Man or any of the Regional Burns worldwide.

Everyone is a participant and there is always a space to welcome the stranger.

To be involved and placed on the program or even be part of the organising team, please contact:

Email: melbourne@burningmanaustralia.com
Website: http://burningmanaustralia.com

To Write Love on Her Arms Day – April 21st

To Write Love on Her Arms Day That’s right, another TWLOHA day!!

To Write Love on Her Arms is a “non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide.” The idea of a TWLOHA day is quite simple: write the word “love” on your arm on April 21st. The goal is to raise awareness of those who are hurting as well as promote TWLOHA’s work to provide hope, help, and support. Please join us as we come together to support the love movement and invite your friends.

Excerpt from TWLOHA’s vision statement: The vision is that community and hope and help would replace secrets and silence. The vision is people putting down guns and blades and bottles. The vision is that we can reduce the suicide rate in America and around the world. The vision is that we would learn what it means to love our friends, and that we would love ourselves enough to get the help we need. The vision is better endings. The vision is the restoration of broken families and broken relationships. The vision is people finding life, finding freedom, finding love. The vision is graduation, a Super Bowl, a wedding, a child, a sunrise. The vision is people becoming incredible parents, people breaking cycles, making change. The vision is the possibility that your best days are ahead. The vision is the possibility that we’re more loved than we’ll ever know.

The vision is hope, and hope is real. You are not alone, and this is not the end of your story.

To view TWLOHA’s full vision statement and learn more, visit http://www.twloha.com/vision/

Duck Season – stop these lame shooters from killing our waterbirds #fb

DUCK SEASON

Despite much opposition to Victoria’s recreational duck shooting season it is still going ahead opening on the weekend of March 20th/21st (2010) across Victoria.

You still have time to write to John Brumby and let him know how you feel about it.

Please write, email or phone
Premier John Brumby
john.brumby@parliament.vic.gov.au
Level 1, 1 Treasury Pl, Melbourne 3002
Tel: 9651 5000

Primarily politicians need to hear from Victorians (provide your address) saying that this brutal activity must be stopped.  Interstate and overseas supporters could say that Victoria should follow the other Labor states which have banned duck-shooting and that the issue is now one of national environmental significance.

Thank you from the Coalition Against Duck Shooting CADS

Help Rocky the Red Kangaroo to escape his living hell! Please sign the petition. #fb

You may have already read or heard about Rocky, a big red kangaroo who’s life is spent performing with a clown who goads him into boxing, but then is pulled back by a harness and tether.  It is truly saddening to see these magnificent animals being reduced to a side show spectacle.  If you don’t know about Rocky’s story please visit the story.

Please support this petition to free Rocky from his living hell and send it on to your friends.

http://www.gopetition.com/online/34525.html

Thank you from the Australian Society for Kangaroos.

Body Canvas 2010 helping the National Breast Cancer Foundation #Melbourne #geekgirl

Saturday 27th March 2010 – Body Canvas invites you and your guests to celebrate a spectacle of art and colour in an extraordinary event brought to Melbourne for the first time.

Body Canvas is Australia’s largest body paint festival. The event features artists from around Australia who come together to showcase their talent and support a charitable cause. This year’s event is proud to support the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

The festival is organised as a competition that will include professional and amateur artists fighting it out in front of a packed crowed and panel of celebrity judges for thousands of dollars in cash and prizes. Artists will create their masterpieces in the public forum at the St Kilda Sea Baths, followed by an exhibition and a catwalk parade. There will be a range of category winners announced from most creative to the most outrageous which will be decided by recognised judges from within the entertainment, fashion and artistic community.

Body Canvas festival is open free to public from 12pm to 6pm. The finals will run at the St.Kilda Sea Baths from 6pm to 1am, tickets for the finals cost $35.

Tickets can be purchased on the website http://www.bodycanvas.com.au/.

World Naked Bike Ride – Australia

At least 7 Australian towns and cities will participate in the next southern hemisphere leg of the World Naked Bike Ride in March 2010. More cities may be added to the list if volunteers are found to organise the ride in new towns and cities. The official southern hemisphere ride date is Saturday 13 March 2010.

The dates and locations are:

Saturday 13 March 2010: Sydney and Adelaide
Sunday 14 March 2010: Newcastle
Sunday 21 March 2010: Canberra and Melbourne

WORLD NAKED BIKE RIDE MELBOURNE 2010
The Union Club Hotel, 3:00pm – 8:00pm

Corner of Gore and Webb Streets FITZROY, Melbourne

http://wiki.worldnakedbikeride.org/wiki/Australia

Ada Lovelace Day, March 24 #geekgirl

Ada Lovelace Day is an international day of blogging (videologging, podcasting, comic drawing etc.!) to draw attention to the achievements of women in technology and science.

Women’s contributions often go unacknowledged, their innovations seldom mentioned, their faces rarely recognised. We want you to tell the world about these unsung heroines, whatever they do. It doesn’t matter how new or old your blog is, what gender you are, what language you blog in, or what you normally blog about – everyone is invited. Just sign the pledge at Finding Ada and publish your blog post any time on Wednesday 24th March 2010.

Who was Ada Lovelace?

Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace (10 December 1815 – 27 November 1852), born Augusta Ada Byron, was an English writer chiefly known for her work on Charles Babbage‘s early mechanical general-purpose computer, the analytical engine. Her notes on the engine include what is recognized as the first algorithm intended to be processed by a machine; as such she is often regarded as the world’s first computer programmer.