Fear of a Black Planet

I believe Obama will eventually end up with the Democratic nomination, though his prospects in November are being damaged by the increasingly toxic primaries. The "Rev. Wright issue" has hurt Obama, though I think it's a lot of huff about nothing. All it's done is show that Obama belongs to a type of activist black church which is not that uncommon in the U.S. (See Brett Grainger's insightful article on "'Damning' America a U.S. Tradition.") In fact, churches like Obama's Trinity United are prevalent enough in the black community that the controversy has revealed something else in my opinion: Perhaps the United States isn't as ready for a black president as it claims to be.

Still Obama has to step up and respond with something that compels us again. The New York Times Bob Herbert has it right in today's opinion piece:

Senator Obama, for his part, seems to have lost sight of the unifying message that proved so compelling early in his campaign and has stumbled into weird cultural predicaments that have caused some people to rethink his candidacy.

While some of those predicaments raise legitimate concerns (his former pastor, his comments in San Francisco) and some do not (stupid questions about wearing a flag pin), he has allowed them to fester unnecessarily. The way for a candidate to eventually change the subject is to offer policy prescriptions so creative and compelling that they generate excitement among the electorate and can’t be ignored by the press.

Voters want more from Senator Obama. He’s given a series of wonderful speeches, but he has to add more meat to those rhetorical bones. He needs to be clear about where he wants to lead this country and how he plans to do it. That’s how a candidate defines himself or herself.

Aztlan - Stolen at Gunpoint

A lot of people I meet in Canada know more about the Chaldeans than they do about the Chicanos. This primer on Chicano Power may help folks understand a little more about where I'm coming from. Your Friday night music.

So Popular!

Amado, at a recent birthday party for our friend Heryka. Looks like he's having a good time, though a bit thrown off to discover paparazzi at the event.

Springin' Swingin'

Snow's gone, it's getting warmer, and it's time to hit the playground! But after the winter we've had, Amado's still not giving up his hat and big jacket.

Now Listening

From Amazon.com:

Imagine you find yourself in the seaside Brazilian neighborhood of Brasilia Teimosa where DJ Dolores is hosting a gigantic, raucous block party. The crowd is a mix of Brazilian youth, rastas, hippie tourists and some funky fishermen. Amongst this crazy mix of humans and street noise, DJ Dolores drops a sound explosion of tracks from his latest release, "1 Real" and the crowd is grooving to its frenetic blend of horns, violin, samples and call and response vocals. You are swept into the fray and chaos of life.

Carrizo Plain

A friend sent this to me today, and it's so beautiful I thought, hey why not spread the love?

The east side of the Carrizo Plain, in the Temblor Range, about 50 miles due west of Bakersfield, California. Photo taken by Barbara Mathews, May 14, 2005.

Where's Waldo?

Hint: Use this: Google Earth and start in Vancouver.

Canadian artist Melanie Coles is revamping an age-old kid's game with satellites, Google Earth and a brightly colored rooftop painting.

Coles's project, Where on Earth is Waldo?, is a twist on the popular series of books Where's Waldo?, but instead of identifying Waldo among pages of cluttered illustrations, players will hunt for Waldo using the popular virtual globe program, Google Earth. Coles constructed a 55-foot long Waldo, clad in his characteristic red-and-white striped sweater, matching ski cap and glasses, on a rooftop in Vancouver, Canada, though she's keeping mum on the exact location.

Washington / D.C.

The other day I was reading over somebody's shoulder on the subway and caught a glimpse of an article on Washington. Suddenly it dawned on me, hey I had lived in Washington. In fact, I had lived there for 8 years! (1990-1998)

Why I was surprised was because I always think of myself as having lived in D.C. Not Washington. And there's a big difference.

Laurel and Hardy meet Santana

Too funny. Also check out Laurel and Hardy Meet the Lowrider video on YouTube.

Opera Warm-Up Routine part 2

This one is for Amado, so please feel free to ignore it if you wish. The little guy loves playing with the YouTube posts on my blog and this opera warm up is one of his favourites (he's going to be a Pavarotti!)

El Brujo

Tijuana's Javier Batiz. This cat and a key will get you cross the border.

Santana

God willing and the creek don't rise, we'll be enjoying Carlos Santana next week at just about this time.

This Makes Me Happy

Heston's Biggest Little Fan

Today seems like an appropiate day to admit this:

When I was seven, I saw the movie Planet of the Apes and it changed my life. For years (it seems like) I had Planet of the Apes on the brain. In fact, I was so taken by Charlton Heston's portrayal of the time-warped astronaut Taylor, that I went around telling everyone that when I grew up I was going to change my name to Taylor. Taking it a step further, I decided I would also get plastic surgery so I would look just like Taylor.

I told this to one of my babysitters, and she said, "Aaron, you don't need plastic surgery, you're wonderful just as you are."

Heston went on to lead the National Rifle Association and become an iconic figure in conservative politics. So, in retrospect, I am glad I listened to my sitter's advice.

By the way, if you would like to pry those cold, dead, hands from his rifle, now would be the time.

R.I.P. Taylor

Lotus Feet

"Lotus Feet" by John McLaughlin, is one of the most spirtually moving songs I've ever heard. He's recorded many versions of it, including this live take with Paco de Lucia.

The most powerful and sublime is the performance of "Lotus Feet" on the Remember Shakti album with master musician Hariprasad Chaurasia playing the lead on bansuri (bamboo flute).

"Lotus Feet" is a reference to the act of devotion in Hinduism that a seeker offers at the feet of his or her guru or teacher, whose feet are rooted in the unfolding enlightenment of the lotus blossom.

For Tibet

Palden Lhamo (Skr. Shri Devi tib. dpal ldan lha mo)

Palden Lhamo is of the major protector deities in Tibetan Buddhism and the only female among the powerful group of the Eight Dharma Protectors (skr. Dharmapalas). She is particularly favored by the Gelukpa, for whom she is a special protector of Lhasa and the Dalai Lama.

She is known to appear at a mysterious lake, known as Lhamo Latso, about ninety miles southeast of Lhasa. This lake is renowned for revealing on its surface the reflections of the future.

[From: Nick Dudca's The Buddhist Art of Thangka.]

26 Months Old!

Ok, so we missed the actual date by a few days...but it was worth it so we could take this picture this morning. There were signs Amado isn't feeling totally well, but he looks great here, in the midst of wrestling with me on the couch. He's a funny little guy - that's for sure!

Jays Win!

Wendy's mom Kathy and I made our semi-annual trip last night to see the Blue Jays. It was a fantastic game (Blues Jays 6, Red Sox 3 ... on an 8th inning, two-run double by Frank "The Tank" Thomas)! It was also the home opener and there were almost 50,000 fans packing the Rogers Centre, which is unusual for most Blue Jay games. Everyone was screaming their heads off and waving white rally towels during the game -- probably the closest it's going to feel like the World Series in Toronto this season!

I Don't Believe in the Lone Gunman

From time to time, I'm shocked to realize so many people simply believe whatever they hear everyone else saying, despite the fact that their own common sense is telling them something different. Most people think Lee Harvey Oswald, Sirhan Sirhan, and James Earl Ray each acted alone just because that's what they've been told. And if you think otherwise, people assume you're a conspiracy nut (as I bet you're thinking about me right now).

In photo at the top, three respected ministers -- eyewitnesses to the killing of Martin Luther King -- are in complete agreement when they point out to police the direction where the fatal shot came from. But as the second photo shows, the window James Earl Ray supposedly shot from was directly across from the Lorraine Hotel, not above and to the right of the murder scene where the witnesses are pointing to.

Why don't we believe what the people there saw? The same can be said about the assassinations of the Kennedys (see my blog post on it here). In spite of the testimony of eyewitnesses, something has convinced us these were simply crazed acts of lone gunmen.

For more on the direction that the shot which killed King came from, see here.

Our House

Above, our apartment. April fools! Har, har, har.

It's just that I like flipping through home and design magazines, just to imagine if there might be some hope for our 888 sq. ft. living space. However, I can't even get through half a magazine without realizing that the folks that put these magazines out come from a very different world than the one I inhabit (even if I was hosted at a BEAUTIFUL lunch at one of Toronto's FINEST resturants with several lifestyle magazine editors around Christmas time :-).

Here are some snippets I found interesting from Canadian House & Home's special Condos, Lofts & Apartments issue (April 2008):

From the Editor-in-Chief: "I have to admit it: condo living is a little foreign to me. When we moved into our current home, I told my husband, Bob...." Yadda yadda yadda.

Best Quote: Cindy Bleeks, Designer -- "Smallest space: A residence room in university, shared with a roomate who insisted on hanging a life-sized poster of the drummer from Def Leppard."

Biggest Rip Off: "All season faux boxwood promises greenery without commitment. 24" h., Plastic leaves on metal frame. $200."

Quote Most Obilvious of World Religions: "...when the sliding screen is completly closed, it gives the den a Zen-like quality, perfect for when the owner practices yoga...."

Then there's Peterborough, Ontario's California Condos.ca ... which are actually located no where near California at all, yet dangle the promise of a "California lifestyle" right here in Canada.

Earth Hour

This evening, between 8:00 and 9:00, is Earth Hour. Thousands of people are turning out their lights in support of the Earth. Toronto is one of the biggest supporters of Earth Hour in North America. All of downtown is supposed to be blacked out.

It should be easy for me to go without lights. Between 8:00 and 9:00 is usually the time when I am falling asleep while putting Amado to bed. The question is, whether I will wake up to turn the lights on again.

UPDATE: Toronto Hydro reported that energy use was down a whole 5% in the city during Earth Hour.

House of the Rising Sun

Music for your Friday evening: "House of the Rising Sun" by the Animals.

Eric Burton (the singer) looks much too inspired in this clip to be wearing a tie.

North of Pearblossom

Sometimes the desert looks so inviting (click to make big). Don't know what those little dibbits are along the road on the bottom. Maybe my brother will go and check 'em out for me?

Inexplicably...

...the short articles I wrote recently for Sojourners have become the cover story of the April issue. I'm uncomfortable pointing this out, but I think this is the first time my name has been on the cover of this magazine. (It's there in the picture above, though you can barely make it out. I'll post a bigger image when I can get one.)

It's just hitting the newsstands now, so watch for it. Or you can subscribe to this leading journal of prophetic, justice-seeking Christianity here. Or you can go ahead and read the articles here.

Thug Life

I downloaded 50 rap songs to my iPod (mostly stuff from the '90s - Tupac, Biggie, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg), but every time I listen to one I feel gross.

I'm intrigued by the gangsterism of the Biggie vs. Tupac, Puffy vs . Surge, East vs. West story and all the unsolved murders which were a result of this supposed hip-hop war. This is the Sopranos episode I would like to see. But I am also drawn to this music because I knew young people in D.C. who were deeply influenced by its (largely) nihilistic message and I miss them. Some, in fact, are no longer with us. Like it or not, this is the real deal.

Here's one of my favourite articles from Sojourners (1996) that offers a sympathetic perspective on Tupac Shakur and gangsta rap, written by Tupac's pastor, Rev. Herbert Daughtry: "Who will weep for Tupac?"

New Testament Cuisine

Kind of puts my humble lamb stew to shame....

From my favourite food blog, http://christinawaters.com/

What would Jesus eat? we asked as we thought about a special Easter dinner this year. Well, obviously lamb, yogurt, onions, rice pilaff, pine nuts, something with lemons and olive oil. Garlic, absolutely garlic. Lamb grilled over wood found in the desert, like mesquite.

With Middle-Eastern spices and ingredients in mind, we pulled together a truly delicious dinner of elements, that with a few exceptions — tomatoes, asparagus and red bell peppers on our skewers, and a Meyer lemon pie with crème fraiche - might have easily been found in the markets of Nazareth.

Okay, so the apostles didn’t have Peeps. But had they, they surely would have enjoyed them. Our pink peeps this year were genuine añejo - aged for over one year in a top cupboard of my kitchen. Just dessicated enough to give a unique depth to each bite.

[Read more here.]

Easter Weekend

There's something in the light that tells you spring is coming. But it's not here yet, even in southern Ontario. Coots Paradise (above), in Hamilton where Wendy's parents live, is still pretty much frozen, though if you look closely you can see a sliver of open water on the far shore. Tomorrow we are scheduled to get another snowfall, inching ever closer to the snowfall record for one season.

One great thing about Canada is that many people get a four-day weekend at Easter. It's a big family holiday here, more so than in the States I think. We had a great time seeing folks and catching up on sleep (and if you don't care to hear the details of what we did all weekend, feel free to stop reading now!):

Good Friday: Wendy went to a service at St. John's Anglican up the street. Amado has been sick and we missed a lot of sleep this past week (actually, I don't think we slept much at all), so I stayed home with the kid and we took a long nap. Later I took him for a stroller ride outside, but he just wanted to jump in puddles, even though he wasn't dressed for it.

Saturday: We woke up early and drove about 30 miles to Guelph for a play date with Simone, the daughter of our friends Beverley and Pat who is the same age as Amado. We had a fantastic Mexican breakfast, then Amado and Simone played in their indoor playground, which I guess is something Canadian kids do when it's cold out. After we got home, Wendy did some laundry, I went grocery shopping - mistakenly ending up at a pretentious rich person's strip mall. I found what I needed, but paid the price. I stayed up late cooking lamb stew.

Easter: We all woke up late, then went to church at Emmanuel-Howard Park United Church. Amado isn't totally comfortable in the Sunday School yet, so I stayed in the nursery with him. Wendy didn't find the service to be what she expected (I think she posted her review on Facebook, for those of you who use it). Afterwards, we had subs and took a nap. Then we went to a great family dinner at Wendy's sister's house. Amado was being a pill though, so we left early.

Easter Monday: We woke up early and took off with the lamb stew to Wendy's parent's in Hamilton. It had snowed a bit on Sunday night, and we had some scary sliding on the ice as we left our neighbourhood. But we made it and had a great visit and great lunch. On the way home, there was a crash right next to us on the Queen E. At home, Wendy went grocery shopping and I played with Amado, who's learning words at a rapid rate. Also, our friend Brett Grainger's new book arrived and Wendy and I both started digging into it. It looks like it's going to be really great. I will post something on it later.

Update: I just had to go soothe Amado back to sleep. There was a single moonbeam shining directly in his eye though a crack in the curtains.

Happy Birthday Sol!

Definitely the coolest brother around. Above, laying it back on the P*Land ramp back in the day. Dude...

Happy Birthday Sierra!

You're the most brilliant, beautiful 8-year-old in the world!

(Above, kicking back, cruising New York City last year in her limo!)

Honestly

Honesty feels heady right now. For seven years, we have lived with the arid, us-against-them formulas of Bush’s menial mind, with the result that the nuanced exploration of America’s hardest subject is almost giddying. Can it be that a human being, like [Obama's former pastor Jeremiah] Wright, or like Obama’s grandmother, is actually inhabited by ambiguities? Can an inquiring mind actually explore the half-shades of truth?

Yes. It. Can.

The unimaginable South African transition that Nelson Mandela made possible is a reminder that leadership matters. Words matter. The clamoring now in the United States for a presidency that uplifts rather than demeans is a reflection of the intellectual desert of the Bush years.

(From Roger Cohen's column, "America's Original Sin.")

I moved from supporting Hillary to the Barak Obama camp because of his consistent ability to raise the level of discussion and transcend politics-as-usual. I was skeptical of Obama early on, but speeches like the one he gave this week on race have shown that there is real substance behind the rhetoric. Whether or not he wins the Democratic nomination or the presidency--or even if he ends up failing us in the end like all other politicians--Obama's campaign has still been a real gift to America and challenges all of us to raise our sights higher.

Amado Dance Party 2008

I just snapped this video with our regular camera, but you can still see that Amado's a little cutie (and already a better dancer than either of his parents!).

SUNDAY SNOW UPDATE

NOTHING YET. In fact, the past two days have felt semi-positively spring-like. I think the temperature almost made it out of the 30sF for the first time since late November! Now it's getting cold again. I've got the thermometer in the right column, so you can check it when you want.

City of Quartz

Now Reading: City of Quartz: Excavating the Future in Los Angeles by Mike Davis (1990).

This book is a must-read for anyone who loves L.A. (Which I think I do, though I may be confusing love with nostalgia, since I haven't spent any time in L.A. in almost 15 years--and that was just for a week.) This one has been on my reading list for about 10 years. I finally found a used copy, so I'm just digging into it.

Mike Davis writes with a lot of energy in this leftist critique of the city. It's a fasinating look contrasting the mythology of L.A. sunshine with the city's noir undercurrent. City of Quartz also looks at L.A. as a postmodern warning of things to come when a megacity falls apart into warring tribes -- a warning that pretty much became reality with the Rodney King riots which happened just a couple of years after this book was published.

A couple of personal connections:

• One of L.A.'s earliest boosters was a journalist named Charles F. Lummis. Lummis' writing in the early 1900s built a romantic image of an L.A. rooted in the so-called harmony of the Spanish mission era. This image drew many of Lummis' East Coast readers to Southern California, in one of the first great migrations of Americans to the city. The personal connection is that my great-grandmother Rita Rivas was Lummis' secretary for 14 years while he was involved in this boosterism.
• City of Quartz opens with a look at "L.A.'s final frontier," a socialist colony which was built in the early 20th century near the high desert town of Llano and collapsed in 1918 (see here and here). In the 1940s, the writer Aldous Huxley lived in the ruins of the Llano colony where he pursued his pioneering psychedelics-aided mystical journeys (see here). It is not far from Phelan where I lived in my teens. The ruins of this colony off of Highway 138 were well known to us back in the 1970s. As far as I know they are still out there. Ironically, in the 18 years since City of Quartz was written, my Mom (who visits the area) and brother (who lives there) tells me "L.A.'s final frontier" has now extended far beyond Llano, deep into the Mojave.

Maybe I'll add more about this book when I finish it up.

Snow Record in Sight

Toronto only needs 20 cm (7.8") more to break the record snowfall of 207 cm (6' 7") for a season, set in 1938/39. There is more snow predicted for Thursday, a couple days next week, and a couple more times later in March... C'MON, WE CAN DO IT! We've had 187 cm (6' 1") so far.

UPDATE: The snow forcast for Thursday only turned out to be a dusting. So we're still waiting.

SUNDAY UPDATE: Nothing yet. In fact, the past two days have felt semi-positively spring-like. I think the temperature almost made it out of the 30sF for the first time since late November!

Being Spitzer

Nice to see a photo with Ms. Spitzer smiling. This one, however, is from 1994.

Amado's Self Portraits

On one of our snow-bound days last week, I gave Amado our old camera and let him go wild. He's pretty good at figuring out which button to push to get the desired effect--which of course is a flash, not necessarily a good photo. The results are pretty neat though.

The White Album

Sometimes you just need to go back to the things that work...

Recently I found a used copy of the Beatles 1968 White Album. It's been about 25 years since I've listened to it. It's still amazing...maybe even more so now. In an era when music comes so cheap, this album will help you remember what a singular joy great music can be.

Snow Removal

I believe the sign says, "Snow Removal Within Next 50 Years." It's referring to the built up of snow piled in the right lanes of the all the streets, making two-way traffic and parking ridiculous in many neighourhoods. However, as you can see, they have nicely plowed this street (next to the subway station), clearing it of the foot of new snow we received since Friday night. How long can this go on??

Grid Lock

Sorry for the lull in my blogging activities... I wandered into the grid of my life and couldn't get out! I'll be back soon.

pedrito martinez and jhair sala warming up

Pedrito Martinez (with the white hat) is one of the best conga players in the world. I've seen him perform a couple times here in Toronto. I don't know who "jhair" is, but he holds his own in this beautiful jam.