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swamp jazz box set said:
Hey! Being a sincere version of myself on a public message board makes me super anxious and shy but I'd like to invest that stress cost into something worthwhile.

So far in 2019, I've been doing a personal project called 'Doing Good' where I use my existing platforms and projects to do a tiny bit of good in the world. To make it 'real' and build momentum, I launched it under the umbrella of my pin company Mint Plus Plus. In February, I auctioned off a rare Scott McMicken record for charity and raised a little over $100 for the Southern Poverty Law Center. Later this year, I'm releasing a 90s themed tape compilation and donating all proceeds to RAICES Texas to help their work with separated families at the US/Mexico border (I'm accepting submissions for the remaining slots if you're a musician and want to help support RAICES).

With the recent coordinated efforts in the US to limit access to reproductive health services, overturn abortion policy, and criminally prosecute some of the most vulnerable people in the country, I have now been moved to donate to the National Network of Abortion Funds and similar organizations. I've made a personal donation and I am also using Mint Plus Plus to raise more.

Today and all this weekend (5/17-5-19), I am donating $4 from every pin sold to the NNAF. I have some Captain Marvel, The Simpsons and Beavis & Butthead mashup pins in stock and also a cool tape themed tote bag and a bunch of regular and holographic stickers. Here is a direct link with instructions on how to order (we're on Etsy and we also do direct mail-order).

To share some personal information that connects to this issue...a few months ago, my wife had a miscarriage. On it's own, it was a devastating and traumatic thing to experience. Unfortunately, on top of that, her body didn't recognize that the pregnancy failed so she also required additional medical intervention in order to remove the dead cells that were no longer growing inside her body. She chose one of the least painful and safest methods offered which is the very 'abortion' procedure that some state legislatures are attempting to outlaw with varying degrees of strictness and lack of exemptions. The procedure went smoothly with no side effects and she had access to a great hospital and medical staff. As we've learned the last few months since my wife began sharing her experience publicly, her case was not rare. Almost everyone who reached out to us shared that they themselves or a family member had also miscarried. Add to that list everyone in our families, neighborhoods, and country who have had an abortion and you have a large group of loved ones who are being put at risk by what's been going on. Every woman, person, human, loved one deserves access to safe, good reproductive health care–not just fortunate, well off people who live in pro-choice-leaning states.

If you feel moved by this issue, I strongly recommend supporting through time or donations to pro-choice and reproductive rights advocate groups. Here is an article from The Cut that lists some good groups to start with and which greatly helped me to focus my energy and get active with Doing Good. That 'name' might be the one I've given my personal project and the charitable wing of my pin company but I encourage others to co-opt it and use this thread for drawing attention to issues that need support or any use that makes this world a little bit better.

Thanks for reading my novel! Now, I will go experience anxiety from typing so much on a public forum.
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On the early 2000’s, my wife had two miscarriages, thus two D&C’s, aka “abortions”. These two events were some of the most difficult situations we have ever been in, totally devastating. We then discovered the issue, and now have two boys, 9 and 13 years old.

Thank you for doing what you’re doing!
 
swamp jazz box set said:
It helps a lot to hear people talk about their own experiences with miscarriage. It’s an especially valuable antidote to the very specific images of pregnancy that are all over ads, media, and our outward facing social media posts. I really appreciate it. And thank you for your pin order & note. You made my and my wife’s morning!
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I’m glad to forward the message, but full disclosure, I didn’t order any pins....though I plan to. So I’m not sure who sent you the note, but I’m thrilled it helped you both.
 
swamp jazz box set said:
Bumping this thread to announce that my (first ever!) cassette tape release is finally here!

View attachment 28503

All proceeds from every sale go to RAICES Texas to help separated families, detained families, unaccompanied minors, and others who are seeking asylum in the United States. I started donating to RAICES back when attention first started to build about the horrific policies and conditions being enacted toward immigrating families and individuals at the US/Mexico border and this was around the same time I first started producing this tape, so I decided to go make RAICES the official recipient of all proceeds collected from sales of this tape.

Music wise, I was very fortunate to receive 10 new and unreleased tracks–many written specifically for this release–from some very rad musicians from the US & Canada. I've been obsessed with Baby Dayliner since I saw him open for the National circa 2006 and he very graciously shared an unreleased track from his short-lived early 2000s band Body Talk, which were a part of the buzzing NYC scene that produced all the cool hipster early 2000s bands like Interpol, YYYs, and the Strokes. Fishboy is a veteran indie rock band that are really rad and Eric from the band contributed an unreleased track he wrote, recorded, and produced during his long drives to work. My little sister recorded an awesome '90s-inspired track that gives me 3EB and some strong non-dude alt-rock vibes from that era. Lots of other great folks too.

You can hear the first 3 songs streaming below at our BandCamp page!

mintplusplus.bandcamp.com

Records Rancho Label Sampler 1997, by Various Artists

10 track album
mintplusplus.bandcamp.com mintplusplus.bandcamp.com

This is also the first 'physical artifact' in a long-in-the-works sci-fi/horror series called Unreliable Visions of the Past, which tells a long-form story through physical mediums like tapes, enamel pins, story booklets, etc etc. I actually designed and produced the first two enamel pins in this series...in 2018...but have been waiting to release them until I got this tape and the first story booklets finished (I'm getting there). Each tape comes with the very first pieces of the story, in an adorable tiny document envelope!

View attachment 28504

If this sounds at all interesting, check out the shop page here and grab a tape! Or, if you aren't a tape person but you are interested in donating directly to RAICES, go to www.raicestexas.org and make a gift! Thank you for reading and donating!
Click to expand...

This is very, very cool. I ordered a copy! Long live the indie scene, and fuck ICE! 🤘

Just please enter this into Discogs so I don't have to 🤣
 
swamp jazz box set said:
Bumping this thread to announce that my (first ever!) cassette tape release is finally here!

View attachment 28503

All proceeds from every sale go to RAICES Texas to help separated families, detained families, unaccompanied minors, and others who are seeking asylum in the United States. I started donating to RAICES back when attention first started to build about the horrific policies and conditions being enacted toward immigrating families and individuals at the US/Mexico border and this was around the same time I first started producing this tape, so I decided to go make RAICES the official recipient of all proceeds collected from sales of this tape.

Music wise, I was very fortunate to receive 10 new and unreleased tracks–many written specifically for this release–from some very rad musicians from the US & Canada. I've been obsessed with Baby Dayliner since I saw him open for the National circa 2006 and he very graciously shared an unreleased track from his short-lived early 2000s band Body Talk, which were a part of the buzzing NYC scene that produced all the cool hipster early 2000s bands like Interpol, YYYs, and the Strokes. Fishboy is a veteran indie rock band that are really rad and Eric from the band contributed an unreleased track he wrote, recorded, and produced during his long drives to work. My little sister recorded an awesome '90s-inspired track that gives me 3EB and some strong non-dude alt-rock vibes from that era. Lots of other great folks too.

You can hear the first 3 songs streaming below at our BandCamp page!

mintplusplus.bandcamp.com

Records Rancho Label Sampler 1997, by Various Artists

10 track album
mintplusplus.bandcamp.com mintplusplus.bandcamp.com

This is also the first 'physical artifact' in a long-in-the-works sci-fi/horror series called Unreliable Visions of the Past, which tells a long-form story through physical mediums like tapes, enamel pins, story booklets, etc etc. I actually designed and produced the first two enamel pins in this series...in 2018...but have been waiting to release them until I got this tape and the first story booklets finished (I'm getting there). Each tape comes with the very first pieces of the story, in an adorable tiny document envelope!

View attachment 28504

If this sounds at all interesting, check out the shop page here and grab a tape! Or, if you aren't a tape person but you are interested in donating directly to RAICES, go to www.raicestexas.org and make a gift! Thank you for reading and donating!
Click to expand...
This sounds awesome. Love the cause, love all the details. May not be a huge tape person but this is very cool so I had to grab one from you.
 
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