Hello Again! I'm alive!

Wow! my last post was July 10th!...been busy! Here is one of many things worth mentioning about my last few months:

Thanks to my brother Thomas' recommendation, I read Stieg Larsson's trilogy! and all I can say is WOW! Amazing books, I really enjoyed them. I found them to be suprinsingly feminist. I say surprising because I find that it is rare to find popular novels like these, best sellers of the New York Times, to have such a strong theme about social justice and how women continue to be discriminated against today.

In his books, Larsson illustrates again and again how this struggle continues to happen to women, from the high paying corporate world to the enslaved sex workers brought to Sweden from East Europe. Don't be afraid though! The wonderful thing about these novels is that they are extremely entertaining and absolutely thrilling. Larsson is brilliant! he is able to bring up all these issues in a very natural and life like setting. As the novel develops, he presents his muse to you and main character Lisbeth Salander and seduces you. These novels deserve five stars!!! Highly Recommended.

Oh, What a World...

Human kind is something else. I can't help but wonder, How is it that we can come up with the most amazing technological advances and yet we continue to struggle so much to keep the earth a healthy place?

So far, this year hasn't been exactly a happy one in terms of world affairs. First we got Haiti's Earthquake in January, then Chile's earthquake, then we got the ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Irak, not to mention the crisis between Israel and Palestine...to top it off, one of the worst enviromental catastrophes is taking place in the Gulf of Mexico with BP's oil spill. We can't seem to get a handle on the emission of air pollutants that are slowly but surely changing our world's climate forever.

How is it that we can't seem to get that we're not only killing each other in wars, but killing the planet we inhabit as well. Unscrupulous greed, individualism and sheer excess of wealth and power, are a few things that come to mind when I think about what's happening in Louisiana's coast. When it comes to wealthy people and powerful corporations, such as BP, there always seems to be little to no accountability towards such groups. The rampant deregulation from the government have enabled these small group of greedy men to perform such a devastating disaster.

When I see how so few can screw up things so big I feel really discouraged and loose hope in us. Then I try to think of ways I, a mere peasant, can make a difference. I guess there's not a lot I can do but there are definitively some things...little daily things that can help the big picture look less grim. The more of us do these, the bigger impact we can have.

For the Big Picture we can:

- Be inclusive, progressive, embrace and celebrate cultural diversity.
- Drive less, walk more and use public transportation.
- Reduce, reuse and recycle.
- Compost and plant a garden, even a little one.
- Buy local and in-season vegetable and foods.
- Buy organic beef, chicken, pork and dairy products.
- Do our homework when shopping for stuff. Read all the labels and read about the businesses we're buying from.
- Demand our government to hold all corporations accountable (no matter how big they are).
- Educate ourselves and spread the word as to how we can all help (even if it's just a little).
- Vote, not only thinking in our own individual interests, but in the interest of our community/country/earth as a whole.
- Hold ourselves accountable and realize that we all are responsible for a better world. It is in our hands.


Did I miss something? More Ideas? Please share!





To help with the Gulf Oil Spill...

• To report oiled wildlife, please call 1-866-557-1401.
• To discuss oil related damage, please call 1-800-440-0858.
• To report oiled shoreline or to request volunteer information, please call 1-866-448-5816. This is the BP Community Support Team Hotline, which is being used as a hub by nonprofit organizations to coordinate volunteer inquiries. Leave a message with your contact information and your questions about how to help or information on oiled shoreline.
• National Wildlife Federation is working with the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program and the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana to coordinate volunteer efforts in southern Louisiana. You can register to volunteer with the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana here. They are looking specifically for people with HAZWOPER training, or experience operating boats, handling wildlife, or photographing or monitoring oil movement. The National Wildlife Federation is also encouraging anyone looking to lend a hand to visit its website. It offers a variety of ways to help from volunteering to online advocacy, and is asking people to contact their senators to demand legislation for cleaner and safer energy choices. NWF is also accepting donations via mobile device. Text "WILDLIFE" to 20222 to donate $10 to help wildlife affected by the spill.
• International Bird Rescue and Research Center has sent a team of specialists to the region to help with any oiled wildlife. The center's site has a comprehensive Spill Response FAQ for those who want to help clean and treat oiled birds. They ask anyone who has spotted oiled wildlife to call the Wildlife Reporting Hotline at 866-557-1401. It is important to note that oiled birds should NOT be captured, but reported using the hotline.
• National Audubon Society is recruiting volunteers to be trained to respond to the oil spill. The group is also encouraging the public to contact the Interior Department and ask it to halt the expansion of offshore oil drilling in the eastern United States. Register to volunteer here.
• OilSpillVolunteers.com is also coordinating volunteer efforts in the Gulf Coast region. Register here.
• Mobile Bay National Estuary Program is asking interested volunteers to contact Alabama 211 at 1-866-421-1266.
• Mobile Baykeeper is asking interested volunteers to contact them at 251-433-4229 or e-mail info@mobilebaykeeper.org and provide a name, address, phone number, e-mail, and available resources such as boats. They don't need volunteers at the moment, but they are collecting names and will be in touch when they have a better assessment of the needs.
• The Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board is connecting BP with fishermen willing to help with the cleanup effort. If you have a boat and are able to help, contact 281-366-5511 or HorizonSupport@OEGLLC.com.
• Save Our Seabirds is a Florida bird rescue group that is looking for volunteers and donations as its response team prepares to help wildlife affected by the spill. Donate through the Save Our Seabirds site or register to volunteer.
• The Greater New Orleans Foundation has set up the Gulf Coast Oil Spill Fund to help with cleanup and environmental protection efforts. To learn more about the Gulf Coast Oil Spill Fund, please call Josephine Everly at (504)598-4663 or josephine@gnof.org
• Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary, the largest wild bird hospital in the U.S., has 300 trained staff members on call to help with the response. They are also organizing volunteers and supply donations. They are in need of linens, kennels, towels, sheets, Dawn detergent, paper towels, bottled water and gatoraid. Items can be dropped off at the sanctuary at 18328 Gulf Blvd., Indian Shores, Florida. For a complete list and more information, please see www.seabirdsanctuary.com or call 727-391-6211 for more information. To volunteer, please email jessicag@seabirdsanctuary.com or call 727-392-4291.
• Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research has been asked to oversee the wildlife rehabilitation response along the gulf coast and is working closely with many collaborating organizations. They are calling for donations to help.
• Louisiana Bucket Brigade has produced an Oil Spill Crisis Map that lets Gulf Coast residents report endangered wildlife, oil on shores, health impacts, and other problems from the oil spill. They are calling on citizen journalists to report any information by submitting it through the site, texting (504) 27 27 OIL, sending an email to bpspillmap@gmail.com, or through Twitterusing the hashtag #BPspillmap.
• Deepwater Horizon Response Unified Command is soliciting the public's help in monitoring the 1.2 million feet of boom that have been deployed throughout the Gulf. To report an incident, call 1-866-448-5816. In addition, the group is soliciting the public's ideas for stopping the flow of oil, containing or recovering it, or cleaning it up. Click here to submit your suggestion or call 281-366-5511.
• Oxfam America is working to help vulnerable communities affected by the spill. A tax-deductible donation can be made here.
• Sierra Club is gathering volunteers to help with the cleanup efforts on the Gulf Coast. Sign up online to volunteer and Sierra Club will place you with an opportunity.

Until contacted by any of these organizations, would-be volunteers should steer clear of affected areas so as not to interfere with current cleanup efforts. Again, if you find oiled wildlife, don't try to rescue the animals yourself; report them to the Wildlife Reporting Hotline at 866-557-1401.

Did we miss a way to help? Please let us know in the comments below.

Editor's Note: This post was updated May 25, 2010.

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Full Coverage: Gulf Coast Oil Spill

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Quick Study: Ocean Pollution

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Source http://www.takepart.com/news/2010/04/30/the-gulf-coast-oil-leak-how-to-help

You must watch! Food Inc.

Vote for my band Obbini Tumbao!

Obbini Tumbao @ Regattabar May 1st!

Saturday May 1st, 7:30 pm & 10:00 pm
The Regattabar at the Charles Hotel
Harvard Square, Cambridge MA
Buy Tickets

Pianist Rebecca Cline joins forces with Venezuelan percussionist Anita Quinto to produce a compelling new sound. Winners of the Phoenix Best Music Poll "Best World Music Act", Obbini Tumbao delivers a double-shot of high-energy music that brings the audience to the dance floor!
________

Rebecca Cline - piano
Anita Quinto - timbales
Manolo Mairena - lead vocals, percussion
Michelle Walter Palmieri - backup vocals
Gerry Rollock - baby bass
Paulo Stagnaro - congas, vocals
Little John Repogle - trumpet
Paul Perfetti - trumpet
Mondongo - trombone
Nate Perez - trombone
___________ "One of the hottest Latin jazz outfits on the Boston Scene."
--Bob Young, Boston Herald

"If Mambo Kings Poncho Sanchez and Tito Puente got together to jam with Herb Alpert and Ry Cooder of the Buena Vista Social Club, it might sound something like Obbini Tumbao."
-- Liza Weisstuch, Boston Globe

Jammin' for Justice!

I will be performing a duo with Daniel Day on bass for this event. If you're in the Boston Area please stop by!

Celebrating ACE's
15th Anniversary!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
6:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Admission is free!

Hibernian Hall | Roxbury Center for the Arts
184 Dudley Street | Roxbury | MA | 02119

food | live performances | DJ | silent auction

The Doctor Who Would Be President

Click here to watch the NYTimes video

With the hospitals in Port-au-Prince overwhelmed with trauma patients from the earthquake, Dr. Guy Theodore is picking up the slack in a remote mountain village.

I invite you to watch this video report from Haiti by the New York Times. This guys seems to have the right values and leadership skills to help Haiti move forward. If I was Haitian he would have my vote.

Retired Brandeis professor brings clean power to African villages - The Boston Globe

Retired Brandeis professor brings clean power to African villages - The Boston Globe

What an inspiring story... "From a desk in his Cambridge apartment, Lange runs a minuscule nonprofit that literally trades the dark smoke of a wood stove for the clean power of sunlight."

This is such a great way to both, help with the climate change crisis and make a very tangible impact in the quality of life of people who need it the most. I invite you to read this article and consider make a donation to this very valiant and Worthy cause.

Make a donation today! and visit the ICSEE website (International Collaborative for Science, Education, and the Environment)

ACE: Building Power for Enviromental Justice

I found out about ACE yesterday.

Why is it important for you to know about ACE?

ACE's Mission: "ACE builds the power of communities of color and lower income communities in New England to eradicate environmental racism and classism and achieve environmental justice. We believe that everyone has the right to a healthy environment and to be decision-makers in issues affecting our communities."

If you're like me and believe we all deserve to live in a clean and healthy environment, please support ACE and make a donation here today.

To give you one example of what ACE is about. Roxbury is a neighborhood in Boston and it's community is comprised of 95% low income African Americans. The elevated Orange Line train that used to go through Roxbury was torn down in 1987 and replaced by a bus service along Washington Street. The goverment promised the community a better replacement. The replacement never came. All those buses that replaced the train were run by Diesel fuel. As it turns out, Roxbury has the highest asthma rate in the city of Boston.

According to the Office of Enviromental Office Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) "Exposure to diesel exhaust can have immediate health effects. Diesel exhaust can irritate the eyes, nose, throat and lungs, and it can cause coughs, headaches, lightheadedness and nausea. In studies with human volunteers, diesel exhaust particles made people with allergies more susceptible to the materials to which they are allergic, such as dust and pollen. Exposure to diesel exhaust also causes inflammation in the lungs, which may aggravate chronic respiratory symptoms and increase the frequency or intensity of asthma attacks.

Diesel engines are a major source of fine-particle pollution. The elderly and people with emphysema, asthma, and chronic heart and lung disease are especially sensitive to fine-particle pollution. Numerous studies have linked elevated particle levels in the air to increased hospital admissions, emergency room visits, asthma attacks and premature deaths among those suffering from respiratory problems. Because children's lungs and respiratory systems are still developing, they are also more susceptible than healthy adults to fine particles. Exposure to fine particles is associated with increased frequency of childhood illnesses and can also reduce lung function in children."

This is just a small example of how certain government polices can have a major impact in the overall health of a community. People don't realize that a simple change in something as mundane as your daily transportation, can pollute the air and have harmful long term effects for entire communities. So...

This is what ACE has done to help:

1. In March 2002, ACE and its partners won 100 clean fuel buses in regional transportation plan. They publicly launched a Transportation Justice and Livable Communities agenda and forced the regional transportation planning body to add a $40 million project for 100 additional clean fuel buses in its 25-year plan.

2. ACE and its partners pushed Massachusetts to enact its first Environmental Justice Policy. After more than 2 years of pressure from ACE and its partners, Secretary Of Environment Robert Durand passed an Environmental Justice Policy in October 2002. This policy reorients all of the state's environmental agencies to increase outreach, involvement, and resources to environmental justice communities and provides for heightened scrutiny in environmental impact reviews.

3. ACE and its partners successfully persuaded the MA Department of Environmental Protection to install a comprehensive air monitoring station in the Dudley Square area. After years of raising awareness of high asthma rates and the dangers of diesel bus and truck exhaust, residents will now have a new tool in their fight for environmental justice. ACE's youth interns are helping to build 24-hour access to the data from this monitoring site through a telephone hotline and website.

So, to you I say...

These are only a few of ACE's major achievements since it was founded in 1993. I believe ACE is an essential organization. It is a sad reality, organizations like ACE need to exist in order to advocate for the low income minorities communities. I wonder, How is it that these diesel buses are not running in the financial district? or Brookline Village?

If you're like me and believe we all deserve to live in a clean and healthy environment no matter what, please support ACE and make a donation here today.

Out of Africa: A movie review

Last night I saw for the first time "Out Of Africa". Filmed in 1985, it won 7 Oscars, including Best Picture, starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. The film's photography and costume design are both pretty stunning, and I suppose the acting is well done considering the stellar cast. If you want to see beautiful shots of the African landscape and 1920's aristocratic fashion, go ahead and watch it. Other than that, I have to say I thought it wasn't worth my time. I though it was one of the most euro centric, paternalistic, materialistic and neo-colonialist films I've ever seen.

The story takes place in Kenya, from the protagonist's marriage and departure for Kenya in 1913, until her return to Denmark in 1931. A wealthy dane, Karen Blixen (Meryl Streep), moves to Africa to marry her second cousin for convenience (she marries for his title and he marries her for her money). They start a coffee plantation together and hire an entire local tribe to work on it. Their marriage predictably fails. Karen develops feelings for another man, a safari hunter called Denys Finch-Hatton (Robert Redford). From then on the film seems to be about their luxurious lives, going on safaris together, listening to their newly invented phonograph and flying in their plane. At this point, this is where the film turns as interesting as watching paint dry. Why should we care about this people's lives? Don't ask me. Even the romantic scenes are way too long and way too slow. Lastly, I thought the few unfortunate scenes where the film attempts to show Blixen as 'caring' towards the natives were absolutely paternalistic and condescending.

It is interesting for me to see and I ask myself, How is it that this film was, and is still, so popular? How is it that all these racist and paternalistic themes didn't offend the hell out of people? After all it was released in 1985. Oh wait..."The Blind Side" is nominated for Best Picture and it's 2010... never mind.

Boston en Marzo...

Como extraño el sol incandescente de mi tierra natal! y como en ciertas ocasiones los mediodías caraqueños te ciegan al salir a la calle y tu vista toma un par de minutos en incorporarse a su normalidad. Ese verdor peregne de mi país tropical, es algo que indudablemente anhelo de sobremanera. Las palmeras, las trinitarias, los helechos y la mata de mango en casa de mi abuela. Extraño los grillos arrullándome en la noche, las luciérnagas iluminando el jardín de mi casa y los aromas impúdicos del monte, esa mezcla de barro fresco con hierbas.

Al lado de mi casa en Caracas, casi todas las mañanas se escuchan las guacharacas con su cacareo incesante. Tengo esos recuerdos grabados en mi memoria como si fuera ayer. Parece mentira que ya tengo 12 inviernos viviendo en Boston. Hay veces que me pregunto, Como diablos termine aquí? Estamos a principios de Marzo y aquí la naturaleza todavía se encuentra en estado de latencia. Los árboles parecen tristes estatuas, grises sin hojas, estáticos como pidiendo auxilio. La tierra esta dura, compacta. Al lado de mi apartamento hay un pequeño lago el cual se encuentra absolutamente congelado. Si no fuera porque es ilegal, cualquiera pudiese caminarlo de un extremo al otro sin problema. Tengo un par de plantas en casa que sin duda agregan un poquito de clorofila y calor a mi pequeña morada. Sin embargo, confieso que cuando salgo cada mañana a trabajar y mis pulmones se llenan de aire gélido, siento como mi pecho se acongoja y me dirijo a vivir el resto de mi día con algo de resignación. La falta de luz tampoco ayuda. Como acá nos encontramos al norte, durante los meses de invierno, el eje del planeta hace que los rayos del sol nos rocen en ángulo. En otras palabras, no hay sol. El poquito sol que hay es tímido, débil y cuando te pega nunca te pica la piel...nunca.

Ahora, no vayan a pensar que no hay cosas del invierno que no valoro. Hay algo definitivamente mágico en el aire después de una nevada. Especialmente cuando el sol sale y el contraste del blanco contra los árboles te encandila. Recientemente hubo un par de nevadas que dejaron a todos los árboles cubiertos de nieve y el en el paisaje se veían como si estuviesen frondosos llenos de flores blancas. La nieve, en su belleza intacta, ofrece una escena sencillamente espectacular.

Es curioso, aunque por lo general me siento afortunada de presenciar la magia de las estaciones de Nueva Inglaterra, gran parte de mi me dice que todavía representan algo extraño, ajeno y desconocido. Me siento como en otro planeta. Pareciera que mi inconsciente se rehusa a aceptar mi realidad actual y me tortura al recordar el mar y la arena. Bueno, que más puedo decir, soy caribeña y Boston en Marzo, se siente como Júpiter.

Playa Manzanillo, Isla de Margarita
Venezuela

Chile's Quake 2010

Chile Toll at 700; 2 Million Are Displaced
(Link to Article from the NYTimes)

Hermanos Chilenos, reciban un abrazo fraterno en estos momentos dificiles.

Nos han dado una leccion a todos los latinoamericanos. Es admirable ver como estaban preparados para recibir tal catastrofe. Ojala en mi pais Venezuela sepamos seguir su ejemplo y se empleen las mismas medidas de precaucion que ustedes tan sabiamente han tomado.

Omara Portuondo Rocks the Sanders Theater!

Last night I was lucky enoungh to witness a historical performance by living Cuban legend Omara Portuondo. She was outstanding! A consummate performer, she had the audience at "hello". Her opening number, which is also the title of her latest CD "Gracias", was so full of energy that the Cambridge crowd was on it's feet almost instantly! The concert was the first of a series that will promote her album awarded recently with a Grammy. The repertoire was a mix of classic bossa novas, boleros, son montunos. Even though the majority of the musicians were Cuban the music had a clear and distinctive Brazilian tinge under the musical direction of Brazilian guitarist Swami Jr.

The performance had some pretty stunning highlights. One of them being a beautiful version of "Dos Gardenias" that featured a duet of Omara accompanied by Swami Jr. on guitar. She dedicated the piece to the late Ibrahim Ferrer. In addition to the heart wrenching ballads, and mellow bossa nova arrangements, Omara's show had plenty of Cuban Timba riffs and Coro sections that were hard to sit still to.

Her band, a sextet, had some stellar players. On piano, Harold Lopez Nussa, a young 24 year old winner of the Montreux Jazz Festival Piano Competition in 2005. Felipe Cabrera, on double bass, has had an extensive performing career, including being part of Gonzalo Rubalcaba's firt quartet "Proyecto". Rodney Barreto on drums, has played with Bobby Carcaces among others. And last but not least, Andres Coayo on percussion.

Omara proved to be an amazing entertainer. Her stage presence, energy and voice were all right on. As and audience member one can easily forget she is 80 years young. There were plenty of comedic moments and had so many wonderful interactions with the audience and her musicians, who she lovingly referred as "los Bebes" (the babies).

This was to say the least, a once in a life time treat. I'm very grateful to have been there and to Omara I say Gracias!

"Lento pero viene" de Mario Benedetti

lento pero viene
el futuro se acerca
despacio
pero viene

hoy está más allá
de las nubes que elige
y más allá del trueno
y de la tierra firme

demorándose viene
cual flor desconfiada
que vigila al sol
sin preguntarle nada

iluminando viene
las últimas ventanas

lento pero viene
las últimas ventanas

lento pero viene
el futuro se acerca
despacio
pero viene

ya se va acercando
nunca tiene prisa
viene con proyectos
y bolsas de semillas
con angeles maltrechos
y fieles golondrinas

despacio pero viene
sin hacer mucho ruido
cuidando sobre todo
los sueños prohibidos

los recuerdos yacentes
y los recién nacidos

lento pero viene
el futuro se acerca
despacio
pero viene

ya casi está llegando
con su mejor noticia
con puños con ojeras
con noches y con días

con una estrella pobre
sin nombre todavía

lento pero viene
el futuro real
el mismo que inventamos
nosotros y el azar

cada vez más nosotros
y menos el azar

lento pero viene
el futuro se acerca
despacio
pero viene

lento pero viene
lento pero viene
lento pero viene

Diblo Dibala & Loketo ~ Soukous

This style of music is called Soukous from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and, what can I say, it just makes me smile. I find it absolutely intoxicating and I can dance it for hours. The artist is Diblo Dibala & his former band Loketo. Diblo is one of the best Soukous guitar players. He is also know as the "Machine Gun" for his speed on the guitar. You can buy some of his music here. Oh boy, gotta love that video footage hahaha!!

Climate Change

Got this quote from a "Letter to the Editor" of the New York Times and I agree 100% with it. What do you think?

"The basic science of global warming is really relatively simple. As the oceans and the air above them become warmer because of increased carbon dioxide, more water evaporates into the atmosphere. As we know, what goes up must come down — hence the increased snowfall in Washington (which probably deserves it) and Pittsburgh (which most certainly does not).

It would be nice if the increased precipitation fell in arid areas, but there are reasons of nature why these are arid in the first place, and global warming will only worsen, not alleviate, that situation.

The heavy snowfalls most certainly do not confirm the absence of global warming. The only thing they confirm is the ignorance of the politicians who make that claim."

Zvi J. Doron
Pittsburgh, Feb. 17, 2010

The writer, a retired nuclear engineer, is co-author of a book (in German) about energy and climate, published in Switzerland in 2008. Here's a link to the article.

______________________________________

What We Can Do At Home:

According to the EPA, making a few small changes in your home and yard can lead to big reductions of greenhouse gas emissions and save money. Explore our list of nine simple steps you can take around the house and yard to reduce greenhouse gas emissions:

1. Change 5 lights
   Change a light, and you help change the world. Replace the conventional bulbs in your 5 most frequently used light fixtures with bulbs that have the ENERGY STAR and you will help the environment while saving money on energy bills. If every household in the U.S. took this one simple action we would prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions from nearly 10 million cars.
2. Look for ENERGY STAR qualified products
   When buying new products, such as appliances for your home, get the features and performance you want AND help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. Look for ENERGY STAR qualified products in more than 50 product categories, including lighting, home electronics, heating and cooling equipment and appliances.
3. Heat and cool smartly
   Simple steps like cleaning air filters regularly and having your heating and cooling equipment tuned annually by a licensed contractor can save energy and increase comfort at home, and at the same time reduce greenhouse gas emissions. When it's time to replace your old equipment, choose a high efficiency model, and make sure it is properly sized and installed.

4. Seal and insulate your home
   Sealing air leaks and adding more insulation to your home is a great do-it-yourself project . The biggest leaks are usually found in the attic and basement. If you are planning to replace windows, choose ENERGY STAR qualified windows for better performance. Forced air ducts that run through unconditioned spaces are often big energy wasters. Seal and insulate any ducts in attics and crawlspaces to improve the efficiency of your home. Not sure where to begin? A home energy auditor can also help you find air leaks, areas with poor insulation, and evaluate the over-all energy efficiency of your home. By taking these steps, you can eliminate drafts, keep your home more comfortable year round, save energy that would otherwise be wasted, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

5. Use green power
   Green power is environmentally friendly electricity that is generated from renewable energy sources such as wind and the sun. There are two ways to use green power: you can buy green power or you can modify your house to generate your own green power. Buying green power is easy, it offers a number of environmental and economic benefits over conventional electricity, including lower greenhouse gas emissions, and it helps increase clean energy supply. If you are interested, there are a number of steps you can take to create a greener home , including installing solar panels and researching incentives for renewable energy in your state .
6. Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
   If there is a recycling program in your community, recycle your newspapers, beverage containers, paper and other goods. Use products in containers that can be recycled and items that can be repaired or reused. In addition, support recycling markets by buying products made from recycled materials. Reducing, reusing, and recycling in your home helps conserve energy and reduces pollution and greenhouse gases from resource extraction, manufacturing, and disposal.
7. Be green in your yard
   Use a push mower, which, unlike a gas or electric mower, consumes no fossil fuels and emits no greenhouse gases. If you do use a power mower, make sure it is a mulching mower to reduce grass clippings. Composting your food and yard waste reduces the amount of garbage that you send to landfills and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. See EPA’s GreenScapes program for tips on how to improve your lawn or garden while also benefiting the environment. Smart Landscaping can save energy, save you money and reduce your household’s greenhouse gas emissions.
8. Use water efficiently
   Saving water around the home is simple. Municipal water systems require a lot of energy to purify and distribute water to households, and saving water, especially hot water, can lower greenhouse gas emissions. Look for products with EPA's WaterSense label; these products save water and perform as well or better than their less efficient counterparts. There are also simple actions you can take to save water: Be smart when irrigating your lawn or landscape; only water when needed and do it during the coolest part of the day, early morning is best. Turn the water off while shaving or brushing teeth. Do not use your toilet as a waste basket - water is wasted with each flush. And did you know a leaky toilet can waste 200 gallons of water per day? Repair all toilet and faucet leaks right away. See EPA's WaterSense site for more water saving tips.
9. Spread the Word
   Tell family and friends that energy efficiency is good for their homes and good for the environment because it lowers greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. Tell 5 people and together we can help our homes help us all.

"New Slang" by The Shins

This is a song by The Shins that I really like. Here's a link to their website (pretty cool site). In fact I like it so much that I transcribed the changes and been playing it on bass. Feel free to capture/copy them if you feel like it.

I first heard it as part of the soundtrack of the movie "Garden State" which I loved also. Within it's simplicity the song evokes a lot of bitter sweet and nostalgic feelings in me, and I found the movie to be a lot like that as well. I'm posting the a link to the song as well as the movie trailer below. I highly recommend it!


Lyrics:

Gold teeth and a curse for this town, were all in my mouth.
Only, I don't know how they got out, dear.
Turn me back into the pet, that I was when we met.
I was happier then with no mind-set.

And if you'd 'a took to me like
A gull takes to the wind.
Well, I'd 'a jumped from my tree
And I'd a danced like the king of the eyesores
And the rest of our lives would 'a fared well.

New slang when you notice the stripes, the dirt in your fries.
Hope it's right when you die, old and bony.
Dawn breaks like a bull through the hall,
Never should have called
But my head's to the wall and I'm lonely.

And if you'd 'a took to me like
A gull takes to the wind.
Well, I'd 'a jumped from my tree
And I'd a danced like the kind of the eyesores
And the rest of our lives would 'a fared well.

God speed all the bakers at dawn may they all cut their thumbs,
And bleed into their buns 'till they melt away.

I'm looking in on the good life i might be doomed never to find.
Without a trust or flaming fields am i too dumb to refine?
And if you'd 'a took to me like
Well I'd a danced like the queen of the eyesores
And the rest of our lives would 'a fared well.

Here's the trailer...

"Pollo A La Manolo"

Mi buen amigo y colega Manolo Mairena, aka Manolitz, tiene una larga lista de extraordinarios talentos. Uno de ellos es que se destaca en la cocina. Una tarde nos invito a comer a su casa y nos preparo este pollo. Tuve la suerte de poder tomar nota, asi que aqui les dejo este regalito. Si quieren algun dia impresionar a sus invitados, les garantizo que esta receta no falla porque es para chuparse los dedos.

Como nota aparte, si quieren apoyar a la buena musica, aca les ofrezco el link al CD de Manolo, el cual es excelente! Se los recomiendo altamente, esta buenisimo!

y ahora, A comerrrrr!

"Pollo A La Manolo"

Ingredientes:
- 2 Pollos (picados y sin pellejo)
- Hongos Babybella
- Alcaparras al gusto (Manolo usa medio frasquito)
- 8 o 9 Baby White or Russet Potatoes
- Can of Stewed Tomatoes in Juice
- Cooking Wine or Beer
- 3 o 4 Dientes de Ajo
- Sofrito casero o Goya funciona tambien
- 2 Cubitos de Pollo
- 1 Paquetito de "Sazon Goya"
- Cilantro fresco
- 1 Tomate Fresco picadito
- Sal y pimienta al gusto


Preparacion:

1. Poner en el food processor, los 2 cubitos, la lata de tomates, medio frasquito de alcaparras, y los ajos.
2. Freir el sofrito y la mezcla. Agregar la sazon goya y distribuir bien.
2. Agregar el pollo.
3. Agregar el vino o cerveza.
4. Agregar hongos.
6. Agregar el tomate fresco.
7. Cocinar en medium heat hasta que el pollo este cocido por completo.
8. Acompanar con arroz blanco, platanos maduros, algun vegetal verde y ensalada.

Happy Friday!

"My Kind of Woman!!!" ~ Animal

Is life, Stranger than Fiction?

Also from my MySpace Blog.

Sunday, March 25, 2007

Movie Review: Stranger Than Fiction.

I just love that feeling a good film sometimes gives me. That certainty of how ironic and unreal life sometimes seems. This movie brought up so many questions about life, death, purpose and humanity. In my opinion, a work of art. I am a huge fan of good cinema and this movie has a little of everything. If you enjoy magic realism of the likes of "Being John Malkovich" this movie will be an absolute treat. The script was pretty funny, not to mention the amazing cast: Maggie Gyllenhal, Will Ferrell, Emma Thompson and Dustin Hofman.

I truly enjoyed this film. I really liked Maggie Gyllenhaal's performance, but then again, I'm biased because after I watched "Secretary" and I just melt with her performances everytime. This was a pretty good film with a remarkable cast, and even though it's premise is very similar to Kaufman's films, I loved it. Will Ferrell's performance was excellent. If you are like me, a sentimental fool who enjoys surrealism and magic realism, you will enjoy it!

Any other surrealism lovers out there? Any other film of this kind I should watch out for?

Here's the preview....

"Travesuras de la niña mala" de Mario Vargas Llosa

(Encontre este archivo en mi Blog de MySpace y decidi transferirlo a mi Blogger, a ver si algunos de Uds han leido este libro tambien)

Friday, April 13, 2007

Book Review: "Travesuras de la nina mala" by Mario Vargas Llosa I just finished reading it and was hoping to find people to discuss this novel with anyone who read it and wanted to share their ideas about it. I loved it. I think it is brilliant. While reading it I just couldn't put it down... jesus matta Jesus matta siii travesuras de la niña mala se me hace una novela genial llena de todo..desde drama ,sufrimiento,pasion,sexo,amor,desamor a ti te gusto??? ami me cambio la vida marca una etapa en mi vida el antes de leer ese libro y el despues .. Posted by jesus matta on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 - 4:16 PM [Reply to this] [Remove] [Block User] Anita Quinto Ah! que bueno encontrar a otra persona que disfruto ese libro. Es interesante porque aunque el protagonista era Ricardo la verdadera historia de la novela era la nina mala...que tristeza me dio cuando muere al final, y que divertidas y locas todas las aventuras de esa mujer Posted by Anita Quinto on Tuesday, June 16, 2009 - 9:37 PM [Reply to this] [Remove] [Block User] jesus matta Jesus matta el libro me hizo llorar...reir...y pensar...cada esenario..fue recreado en mi mente....:) es para mi por mucho la mejor novela que e leido.. Posted by jesus matta on Wednesday, December 02, 2009 - 5:58 PM [Reply to this] [Remove] [Block User]

Temple Grandin: Living with Autism

I heard this piece on NPR's Science Friday "Talk of the Nation" and I though it was fascinating. They where interviewing a woman called Temple Grandin. To give you a little background, Temple Grandin revolutionized the cattle business in this country and a lot of her ideas and designs became standards in the industry. In addition to the fact that she's exceptionally good at what she does, she was diagnosed with Autism at the age of four and has written a bunch of books, one of them being "Thinking in Pictures". For those of you who are into education and psychology, this woman's life story is absolutely inspiring.

If you have the time, I encourage you to listen to the interview. After I listened to it, I googled her and found a video (posted below) on youtube, where she talks about her experience being a highly functional person with Autism.

HBO just released a movie called "Temple Grandin" starring Claire Danes, based on this woman's life. I still haven't had a chance to see it (Don't have HBO) but I can't wait for it to come out on DVD to order it on Netflix. Has any of you out there seen it already? Would love to hear your reviews.

Here's a really cool video of Temple... I watched the whole thing...she's amazing!

My New Bass!

Isn't it gorgeous! I'm in love with it...bought it Saturday. Still need to name it...I feel that it's a boy bass. Any name suggestions?

Here's a video of one of the most amazing solos I've ever heard. I think I'll be able to play it by mid-next week ...(yeah right)

Enjoy!

Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity | Video on TED.com

Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity | Video on TED.com



Ok, so this video was shown to us at BCDS, the school where I teach.

It is absolutely brilliant and hilarious! Enjoy

Addicted to Pandora!

A confession, I'm addicted to Pandora. It is essentially a tailor made free radio for your different tastes in music. I'm now listening to "Peruchin Radio" it is SO GOOD!! It is currently my favorite. If you're into old school Cuban pianists you will be pleasantly surprised with the variety that Pandora has to offer.

So, to you I ask, Which is your current favorite Pandora Station? Who are you listening to? Any recommendations?

If you're unfamiliar with it, here's an excerpt from their site describing what they have to offer...you will not be sorry, I guarantee!

"With Pandora you can explore this vast trove of music to your heart's content. Just drop the name of one of your favorite songs or artists into Pandora and let the Genome Project go. It will quickly scan its entire world of analyzed music, almost a century of popular recordings - new and old, well known and completely obscure - to find songs with interesting musical similarities to your choice. Then sit back and enjoy as it creates a listening experience full of current and soon-to-be favorite songs for you.

You can create up to 100 unique "stations." And you can even refine them. If it's not quite right you can tell it so and it will get better for you.

The Music Genome Project was founded by musicians and music-lovers. We believe in the value of music and have a profound respect for those who create it. We like all kinds of music, from the most obtuse bebop, to the most tripped-out drum n bass, to the simplest catchy pop tune. Our mission is to help you connect with the music YOU like."

Cool Widget

I just wanted to share this cool Web 2.0. thingy called Worldle.

I made this image with it. It essentially let's you input any text and it arranges it according to how many times you repeated a word. Click on the link and start creating your own!

HeLa: the little cells that could

Book Review: "The Inmortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

After listening to this interview on NPR, I just had to order it. What an amazing book! I just finished it and it is such compelling work. I highly recommend it! I just couldn't put it down.

One striking thing about it, is that even though is non-fiction, it is written in such a way that is absolutely fascinating and entertaining. Skloot is a superb writer and, in my humble opinion, she takes creative non-fiction writing to a new level. Her journalistic approach and her novelesque writing style makes it so easy for one as a reader to get lost in the story. There are so many compelling scientific and social issues that this book brings up that I don't even know where to where to begin.

As a Venezuelan living in the USA, this book has given me an opportunity to look at another way of how the ripples of slavery continue to have an effect in the Health Care System of this country. It has also lead me to reflect on my own culture and how social, racial and economic status continues to define whether a person has access to quality care or not. I was particularly shocked to learn how only until recently health providers haven't had any restrictions as to what they could do to patients. There just weren't any laws to protect them. The concept of Informed Consent was created much after a lot of invasive medical studies and experiments where performed in patients. Most of these terrible cases where of course, practiced on the African American community.

I am still processing a lot of the information that I learned from the book, but one question that keeps popping in my mind is: How far is it too far? I'm all for science moving forward and finding cures for deadly diseases but, At what expense? and most importantly, At who's expense?It is clear to me that in a lot of these cases, the physicians had no sense of respect and treated their patients and families like disposable rag dolls...

Oh! muy importante! Here's a link to the Henrietta Lack's Foundation. Please consider making a donation. If you're not convinced, here's an explanation of what the proceeds are for. I got this from the author's website:

"The Henrietta Lacks Foundation, [is] a non-profit organization founded by Rebecca Skloot, author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Henrietta was a poor black tobacco farmer whose cancer cells, taken without her knowledge, became one of the most important tools in medicine, with disastrous consequences for her family. Today, her family can’t afford the health care advances their mother’s cells helped make possible. The Henrietta Lacks Foundation will, among other things, provide financial assistance in the form of scholarships to the descendants of Henrietta Lacks; it will also work to provide the Lacks family aid in covering the cost of health insurance, giving those who have benefited from HeLa cells — including scientists, universities, corporations, and the general public — a way to show thanks to Henrietta and her family. The foundation also hopes to offer assistance to other African Americans in need who are pursuing education in science and medicine."

That's it for now, I will continue to post about this topic as I continue to read the book...

Hasta luego,

Anita

My First Entry!

Hello World,

So this is my first entry. I'm attempting to connect with people with similar interests, so I encourage you all to comment/subscribe and share ideas about the different topics. If you wish to learn a bit about me, here's a link to my website. If you prefer the short version, I'm a professional musician that lives in Boston. I was born an raised in Caracas, Venezuela. I moved to Boston in 1998 to go to College and even though music is a huge part of my life, I have a variety of other things I feel passionate about. This blog is in part an exploration of all those other things.

I'm going to be playing it by ear and see where this blog takes me. Two important disclaimers, first, I am not a good writer and I'm not pretending to be one. Second, I might be posting things in Spanish since, after all, it is my first language. Within reason I might try to translate stuff to English but there are just certain things in Venezuelan Spanish that just don't translate well, trust me. No worries though, for the most part I'll try to write in English and avoid cryptic Venezuelan slang like "Esa vaina está mollejua".

Looking forward to this new blogging thing...bare with me.

Anita