Desert Flower

Liya Kebede, the Ethiopian-born supermodel, will soon begin work on her third film, an independent-film directed by German-American Sherry Hormann entitled "Desert Flower," a $16 million adaptation of Somalian supermodel, Waris Dirie's autobiography of the same name. Kebede previously had film roles in "The Good Shepherd" and "Lord of War."

Liya Kebede plays the lead role, starring as Waris Dirie in the film - set to launch in September 2009 in Germany. It chronicles Dirie's rise from a childhood in the Somali desert to the catwalks of the international fashion community and her role as a United Nations spokeswoman against female genital mutilation/circumsion - elements of which Kebede can relate to as a World Health Organization Goodwill Ambassador and founder of The Liya Kebede Foundation.

Hundreds of young women were invited to casting calls in London, Paris, Kenya, South Africa, Los Angeles and New York before they decided on the Ethiopian supermodel to play Dirie as an adult.

Also, British Golden Globe award-winning actress Sally Hawkins (best known for her performance as Poppy in "Happy-Go-Lucky") is said to star in the film as well.

P.S. 3 fun facts about Waris Dirie: she was the face of Chanel Allure perfume, she appeared in the Pirelli calendar twice and she's Somalian supermodel, Iman's cousin.

Go Go Green

"Nature provides a free lunch, but only if we control our appetites."
- William Ruckelshaus.

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Right now, "going green" is a huge trend as well as a prodigious environmental concern.

Recently Motorola released a "green" phone exclusive to T-Mobile customers called the "Motorola Renew." It's made from plastics comprised of recycled water bottles, which means 20% less energy is needed to create the phone compared to standard plastic processes. Designed for eco-conscious users with calls as their #1 priority, providing 9 hours of talk time which means less charging and reduces energy usage. Also, CrystalTalk technology amplifies the conversation and helps reduce background noise.

All materials inside are printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper. In addition, a postage-paid recycling envelope in the box makes it easy to return a previous mobile phone for recycling at no cost.

Through its alliance with Carbon Fund, Motorola offsets the carbon dioxide required to manufacture, distribute and operate the phone during its lifetime through investments in renewable energy sources and reforestation.

So I suppose I should admit I'm promoting this product because I believe in it and I have purchased it after much research. It isn't fancy, but it's simple and it delivers. I don't like anything/anyone ostentatious! I don't want to take photos/videos with my cell phone [[I have a camera for that]] or access the web [[I have a computer for that]] or whatever else new technology says that technology should be. I just need a cell phone that's affordable and keeps up with how much I talk+text.

{Simplify your life!}

P.S. Don't forget to recycle! If you need to find a recycling center near you and/or learn the fundamentals of recycling, visit Earth911.