tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42473482457551553282011-09-11T08:00:44.394-04:00Once I went to an Ethiopian restaurant and ordered alecha. I thought it would be like the alecha my family always has...carrots, potatoes, and cabbage or Swiss chard. It was cabbage with hamburger meat. My uncle suggested that Ethiopians really like meat and that the next time I ask for alecha ye tsom. <a href="http://mamazisalecha.blogspot.com/2009/06/just-what-is-this-blog-anyway.html">Alecha</a> is a mixture and sometimes you just don't know what you'll get.Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.comBlogger761100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-21780470149436355922011-05-28T07:01:00.003-04:002011-05-29T19:23:10.012-04:00

Since I last blogged, quite a bit has changed in my life. The biggest change is that I became a parent. I now have my Booba who toddles madly around the house, wreaking havoc. Other than the fact that a baby's reach is always farther than you think it is, the biggest lesson for me has been that people constantly feel the need--the right? the obligation?--to question others' parenting judgement.

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-39213075411922390552011-05-27T22:57:00.000-04:002011-05-28T07:00:41.981-04:00

Well. It's been a long time. I haven't blogged regularly for nearly two years and nothing at all for about six months. I think I'm starting up again.var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));try {var pageTracker = _gat._

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-89099291783011716802010-12-14T20:35:00.001-05:002010-12-18T17:06:28.189-05:00

One of my favorite songsvar gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));try {var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-9269729-1");pageTracker._trackPageview();} catch(err) {}

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-29461040049292704812009-09-29T08:21:00.006-04:002009-09-29T14:53:26.927-04:00

The Majestic Theater, in the face of community pressure, canceled a Buju Banton concert that was to held tomorrow. The Zainea family (owners of the Majestic complex) claimed to not have known that Banton has used his music to advocate violence against gay people. They reported trying to get out of the contract for a month and finally deciding to break it and accept the financial

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-33158893330672943592009-09-22T19:10:00.002-04:002009-09-22T19:16:21.724-04:00

Hey Beautiful People (and aren't we all???),I don't think I'll be adding to this blog that frequently anymore. I have really enjoyed blogging, but I can't keep it up at the current time. The change in season brought my summer vacation to an end and I had a bit of a health setback last week. While I'm fine and hopefully there are no ramifications to it...well, I've gotten behind on quite a few

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-64901052818317899772009-09-13T10:42:00.004-04:002009-09-13T11:09:39.483-04:00

Thursday the city announced the changes to the bus lines. According to an article in the Detroit News, when the ridership data from the fareboxes shows less than 15 riders per hour, the route is considered to be "failing." Two routes (the Grandbelt and Holbrook) are being eliminated completely. Other routes are having weekend services cut or overall time between buses increased. See the official

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-45676268301568145652009-09-08T22:58:00.006-04:002009-09-08T23:28:14.788-04:00

The city is expected to announce what changes are to be made to the bus system on Thursday. Bing has now backed away from the idea of ceasing all service from 6pm Saturday until Monday morning. An article in Workers World claims this as victory of the masses (Mass outrage stops Detroit bus cuts). I am cynical. I wonder if the plan all along was to rile people up about impossible to survive cuts

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-3544544626035271892009-09-02T10:05:00.002-04:002009-09-02T10:32:20.436-04:00

Yesterday Bill Cosby knocked on doors, trying to get parents to bring their children to Detroit Public Schools. He then led a rally Henry Ford High School. He went with Robert Bob, the school district's installed emergency manager. Cosby was drawn when he heard Bobb say that he would put his own mother in jail if she stole from the district.Um...yeah...if there are legitimate reasons I don't send

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-15772211389718080482009-09-02T07:10:00.007-04:002009-09-02T07:24:31.910-04:00

I've said for years that if I could find a reputable matchmaker to arrange me a marriage, I'd go for it. Yeah, I dislike dating that much and yet very much like the idea of marriage (a friend thinks that I'm just lazy). Still, as much as I don't like dating, I have never had as bad an experience as the woman whose date stole her car:From Fiddler on the Roof...var gaJsHost = (("https:" ==

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-46838970205549438742009-09-01T06:28:00.006-04:002009-09-01T20:25:46.031-04:00

I just was reading a few news items before getting ready for work and I came across a Reuters article entitled " Obama more successful on terrorism-security adviser." The blurb accompanying the link was:WASHINGTON, Aug 31 (Reuters) - The United States is having more success fighting terrorism under President Barack Obama partly because of his "radically different" approach to foreign policy,

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-45309326553261163762009-08-30T23:32:00.002-04:002009-08-30T23:37:47.573-04:00

The weekend bus service is safe, for now (see news blip on Michigan Public Radio site). The jobs of the 113 bus drivers scheduled to be laid off as of last Friday still exist. The city has cut 205 other jobs. I do not currently know where these jobs are, but according to Michigan Messenger, they are not with Police, First, Water or DDOT.var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-32295824682459445322009-08-27T08:56:00.009-04:002009-08-29T17:05:04.708-04:00

I attract missionaries. I don't know what it is about me. Maybe my eyes say that I am open to their proselytizing. Maybe I look like I am searching for a path. Or maybe they try to convert everyone.I have been approached by Protestant Christian missionaries, Muslim missionaries, a Rastafarian missionary, a Quaker missionary, and even an atheist missionary. I find this really interesting.

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-38544649947365659862009-08-26T23:05:00.007-04:002009-08-26T23:56:45.766-04:00

When I planted my seed potatoes, I really had no idea what I was doing. I cut the around the potato eyes and had little one inch chunks that I let dry and form a "callous" to avoid rot. Then I planted them. I had little hope for them. I placed sticks in the ground to mark where I planted them, convinced that nothing would come up and knowing I wouldn't recognize them if they did.Then I stopped

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-32582941392257827022009-08-25T22:58:00.013-04:002009-08-25T23:52:00.382-04:00

If I had to guess, I'd say about 300 filled the Rosa Parks transit Center for the public hearing on "proposed" changes to the DDOT bus schedules. U.S. Congressman John Conyers showed up early on and was given a chance to speak. His recommendation? If Bing doesn't change his position, citizens should begin a recall petition. (You know, I like Bing as mayor even less than I did when I voted against

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-13602588429699826352009-08-24T21:11:00.008-04:002009-08-25T10:25:50.586-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I decided that I should carry around my camera at all times. I think it was a good decision. Unfortunately I haven't managed to put it into action yet. Last Friday, at Northland Mall, I happened across some random beauty and was left with nothing but a cellphone camera to capture it.The first was a rainbow. A beautiful, full arc of a rainbow that stretched across the whole

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-76388171024550887962009-08-23T07:47:00.022-04:002009-08-23T22:43:45.732-04:00

I rode by a group of folks waving signs on Woodward in Birmingham yesterday. We were turning a corner so I only saw one end of it, but I did see a few signs: one railing against "Obamacare", one that read "Healthcare for All," and one that pleaded for HR676 (the House bill that would enact single payer and that no one seems to be taking seriously) to be brought into the debate. I hadn't heard

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-86032225030559988482009-08-20T08:17:00.017-04:002009-08-20T18:39:30.233-04:00

My kohlrabi: a gardening casualty.Well, this has been my first year with the garden. I worked hard: removing sod--that is, digging up the grass from an area that's at least 12x15 feet and then constantly weeding for the first two months. Then I just kinda stopped. I mean, I still water and weed on a weekly basis, but there's no pampering going on. After I harvested the kale and collards I planted

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-16305183184331225652009-08-17T21:47:00.022-04:002009-08-18T14:38:30.941-04:00

As usual, it was wonderful. Friday I caught Amp Fiddler and Ras Kente performing together--I'd never seen either individually, but they were great together. It started with Ras Kente playing Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing on electric guitar (think Jimi Hendrix's version of the Star Spangled Banner).On Saturday there was a parade down Woodward from Mack to Hart Plaza. I'm sure it was wonderful, but I

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-62228720152171994692009-08-15T00:33:00.010-04:002009-08-18T10:19:34.985-04:00

You know, I'd just assumed that Mayor Bing would win in November. After all, even among those who voted against him in the special election in May, who really wants the city to have four mayors within 12 months? Now, I'm not so sure. Less than one month after the grand opening of the Rosa Parks Transit Center, the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) is suggesting cutting back 12 routes,

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-83584617356630492972009-08-12T17:00:00.002-04:002009-08-12T17:00:01.118-04:00

Dear Congress,You may raise my taxes. I figure I could still manage to pay bills and eat if you took another couple percent of my pay in taxes. No, I don't make over $250,000, but I want universal health insurance. I mean I want it in that way that makes me willing to give something up to get it. I have this crazy notion notion that it makes sense to sacrifice something I have for something I

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-30641772772990642122009-08-11T20:27:00.004-04:002009-08-26T23:44:47.453-04:00

It will be going on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. There's a schedule available at the African World Festival website (http://www.awfdetroit.com/).try {var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-9269729-1");pageTracker._trackPageview();} catch(err) {}

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-82404924977575861262009-08-11T19:45:00.007-04:002009-08-11T20:25:53.328-04:00

"The Plenty", local currency in Pittsboro, NC, where15,000 are in circulation. (The Abundance Foundation)A while back, in one of my first posts, I blogged about why I think Detroit needs a local currency. Today, on one of the mailing lists I follow, someone forwarded an article from the LA Times, Local currencies cash in on recession. The article describes several examples in cities and towns

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-87322487531460733372009-08-10T22:59:00.007-04:002009-08-11T00:05:19.395-04:00

I'm not a fan of rainbows. Well, actual rainbows, yes. They rank up there with waterfalls for me. What I'm not a fan of is the crayola-colored type of rainbows that have been adopted as a symbol of LGBT pride. They just don't really match my sense of style (or, maybe non-style would be more accurate). But sometimes I feel like I should wear a rainbow pin on my sleeve or maybe just tattoo a

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-74817184064622793082009-08-05T22:43:00.007-04:002009-08-11T22:35:22.557-04:00

So this past weekend I was on mad dash to gather information about the candidates in the primary election that was held yesterday. Which is why there's hasn't been much blogging lately. I'm going to try to do better. On both counts.I was really impressed by one of the candidates for the charter commission: Jenice Mitchell Ford. I really appreciated her answers to the questions posed to

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-86238152488627960512009-08-04T23:52:00.007-04:002009-08-11T00:02:33.214-04:00

..though apparently not the blogging. I've been trying to write this post since Friday. A little last minute marathon candidate research got in the way (but that, dear people, is another post).It's amazing! I've actually had enough time to get in some pleasure reading. For the last six weeks or so I've been able to read strictly for the joy of reading. Free time is such a beautiful thing.I

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-45999021160344616372009-07-30T22:22:00.012-04:002009-08-12T11:16:43.559-04:00

This evening I went to a physics talk for non-physicists ("Einstein's Biggest Blunder: A Cosmic Mystery Story"). It was given by Professor Lawrence Krauss and fairly interesting. Opinionated as I am, I had a lot of reactions towards certain things he said, but one thing is sticking with me. He related how he wished that all students have the experience of having some cherished belief proved wrong

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-11743229690296969612009-07-29T09:39:00.007-04:002009-09-01T06:59:24.720-04:00

During primary season, I was a supporter of Dennis Kucinich. One of the major reasons was that I wanted a Department of Peace (in 2008 and 2004 and now). I want to know what is possible outside of the violence we currently operate under. I worry about its effects: on the enemy, on us, on the world. Even in the case of "just" wars and revolutions, somehow even the "right" side always seems to

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-2942082196118241862009-07-28T16:48:00.017-04:002009-08-01T18:38:04.194-04:00

Audre Lorde wrote: "...I am myself -- a Black woman warrior poet doing my work -- come to ask you, are you doing yours?" Alas I fall short of that. I am not doing my work. I haven't quite figured out what my work is. So I am drawn to stories of people who most certainly have found their work and are doing it.On NPR today there was a profile on a couple in Karuchi, Pakistan (interesting: the way

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-15994990600807897882009-07-27T22:50:00.008-04:002009-07-27T23:40:35.751-04:00

Ah, the sights of Hotter than July....Such as the folks who, like me, probably belonged at home, resting with their feet propped up:I also saw one more person on crutches, but I hadn't started snapping pictures yet.And of course there were the couples. Mostly I left the anti-romanticism at home and just went "aw." Below are two I spotted. The first hammed it up for a picture (not mine). The

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-75311476136490521032009-07-24T09:25:00.006-04:002009-08-11T22:34:12.520-04:00

I have health insurance. Woohoo!I had minor surgery yesterday and I did not have to decide to stop paying my mortgage to maintain my health. I did not have make a plan for which bills I would no longer pay. I did not have to delay the surgery until my relatively small issue became a major one and I had no choice but to make my way into an emergency room for treatment. All because the surgery was

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-37619147868481816592009-07-23T19:35:00.001-04:002009-07-28T22:24:17.196-04:00

var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));There is this segment of the U.S. population that believes that only white people are worth anything.I really don't understand them, yet they exist. These are the people who will

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-29990433409774426892009-07-23T19:31:00.003-04:002009-07-26T07:48:27.309-04:00

var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));1. Is it just me or does Elon from TWiB look like of Lemont from the comic Candorville?2. I swear that every time I see Rachel Maddow's show, she gets a little more feminine. Hmm.

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-69650475096747023882009-07-21T22:07:00.003-04:002009-07-21T22:33:18.678-04:00

var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));I'm in the midst of reading Static by Any Goodman and David Goodman and reflecting upon the ACLU report and thinking about torture and a thousand other things. And I thought how

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-64824946625493861152009-07-20T22:39:00.006-04:002009-08-06T16:34:47.513-04:00

I'm a card carrying member of the ACLU. Okay, that's not technically true. I have no card (are there really cards?) but I remember some Republican politician (the first George Bush?) treating the phrase as if it were a high insult and I remember having no idea why. I actually still don't get it. Who thinks defending civil liberties is a bad thing?You might ask what the ACLU of Michigan has been

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-20193790845557860552009-07-18T22:42:00.005-04:002009-08-20T09:41:14.591-04:00

var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));I almost forgot...the broccoli flowers are pretty good. They gave the broccoli a lemony taste. I'd advise that if you let the flowers bloom that you not also try to eat the largest

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-16322069418328917342009-07-17T21:24:00.006-04:002009-08-20T10:19:26.469-04:00

var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));I was sitting at the bus stop today and a woman was trying to get signatures on a petition. The young brother sitting next to me signed it for her. He then asked a really good

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-63510792498468002762009-07-16T14:40:00.007-04:002009-08-11T20:38:59.425-04:00

If only I could be in more than one place at time...In my list the other day, I forgot to mention a few other things coming up in the next two weeks:The 17th annual Concert of Colors is this weekend. It's a "free diversity-themed music festival." It's going on Saturday and Sunday around the Max M. Fisher Music Center at the corner of Woodward and Parsons in Midtown. Check out their website.Also

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-9587002618741071132009-07-15T10:00:00.004-04:002009-07-15T10:06:13.385-04:00

Kimberly Anyadike few across the country and back. The 15 year old pilot is believed to have set a record as the youngest African American female to fly a plane coast to coast. She learned to fly in an after-school program at Tomorrow's Aeronautical Museum in Compton, CA. When the museum's founder warned her that the flight would be a huge undertaking, she insisted: "'Put it on. I got big

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-36868079658183088102009-07-14T23:04:00.005-04:002009-08-11T20:38:59.425-04:00

var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));I had this idea that I was going to create a calendar of Detroit events. Well, people, there is a lot going on! And I have less and less hope of finishing it. So instead, here are a

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-64679350016950919072009-07-13T21:43:00.004-04:002009-07-13T22:19:45.977-04:00

var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));There was an interesting story on NPR about an attempt by Flint to downsize. Just 60 miles from Detroit, another casualty of the auto industry is reeling. According to the article,

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-79817926646575719072009-07-10T00:08:00.003-04:002009-07-10T00:14:46.321-04:00

Today I was waiting for a bus. Not unusual at all. Today I was waiting for a bus. And there was a couple under the bus shelter. At first I didn't realize they were together. His beard was scraggley and he looked bit older than she was and and vaguely homeless. In his right hand was a tall can wrapped in a brown paper bag. Her clothes were neat and if her wig was off-center, it was just by a

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-42015139050662927852009-07-09T23:14:00.004-04:002009-07-16T14:49:29.028-04:00

var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));try {var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-9269729-1");pageTracker._trackPageview();} catch(err) {}I do like my Youtube:

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-362556270488050192009-07-08T14:13:00.003-04:002009-07-08T20:59:29.303-04:00

Someone forwarded me a link that I found really interesting. The Great Lakes Urban Exchange (GLUE) "is a growing network of young leaders who are committed to the revitalization of the cities of the Great Lakes region, through building a constituency, sharing information, telling our stories, and advocating for what our cities need." They are collecting images of people with posters that say "I

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-35823385305846999332009-07-07T22:48:00.005-04:002009-07-07T23:17:58.308-04:00

var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));I am naive. If the legally elected president is forced out of a country by the military, I think that is clearly a coup. So I would think that the proper course of action is to

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-6059228668211164372009-07-06T23:30:00.004-04:002009-07-08T20:59:59.067-04:00

There's an op-ed column in the NY Times, Bike Among the Ruins, that describes an incident in which the writer crashed his bicycle and flew across Woodward. He states that anywhere else he would have been quickly hit by an oncoming car, but "this being the Motor City, the street was deserted, completely motor-free." From there he suggests that Detroit can be reborn into a bicyclists' utopia with

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-53717856368496463172009-07-02T23:28:00.002-04:002009-07-08T21:00:44.161-04:00

Tuesday two young men with machine guns fired on a crowd at a bus stop, hitting seven teenagers. Thankfully all are still alive. See story on WYXZ news, also which also includes a statement from Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy. City Councilwoman Monica Conyers resigned after admitting to selling her vote (story on AP...I wouldn't link to the major local papers because the comments make my

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-52933746329301375532009-07-01T22:57:00.006-04:002009-07-02T19:35:34.139-04:00

People, the world does not need to know all your business. Really. I swear. I know that this is hard to believe, particularly given all the water cooler discussions on Jon and Kate, but it's true. (And really there needs to be a Nonproliferation Agreement for reality shows. I'm just sayin')Why is Mark Sanford still talking? He left the country for five days, not bothering to let anyone know where

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-56145085080513526482009-06-30T20:52:00.006-04:002009-08-19T22:14:41.845-04:00

var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));Yesterday's post was lazy, I admit. I didn't make any connections or delve deeper. It be's like that sometimes.I could have elaborated and said that there have times that I've felt

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-50324450223390914112009-06-29T21:22:00.004-04:002009-08-19T22:14:41.845-04:00

var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));My family believes in gender roles. Strongly. Which you think would be a little difficult to do since we are a family of primarily women, but nevertheless true.The Mucha (my

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-37314070156522999882009-06-27T13:21:00.006-04:002009-08-20T09:41:14.592-04:00

var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));I learn something new every day. Most of these lessons, I don't seek out. They just come to me on their own. Today I learned that broccoli is a flower, that those little green knobs

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-87702725611360175922009-06-26T22:47:00.006-04:002009-06-26T23:31:32.414-04:00

var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));Last week I went to the India Arie concert at Chene Park. And it was a great concert...it was so good that even though she was forced to wrap it up mid-song due to rain that

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-7908517342990103492009-06-25T22:21:00.003-04:002009-06-25T22:29:38.768-04:00

var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));Someone said that when we transition and become ancestors, we become more than we were and what remains of us is not faults, only our greatness. I don't know if I believe this on a

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-1847820535712686382009-06-25T09:09:00.003-04:002009-07-08T20:59:59.068-04:00

I spoke with the supervisor this morning. She confirmed that there was no policy prohibiting passengers from using headphones. Additionally she was really interested to learn that the driver had been on his cell phone. It turns out that DDOT has a policy that drivers should not use headphones or cell phones. I was able to give her all the necessary information (bus number, route number, direction

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-47458232561360653162009-06-24T23:17:00.006-04:002009-07-23T20:14:21.793-04:00

So yesterday just really was not my day for customer service. In addition to my fun at the bike shop, I got to have fun on the bus.I had to wait 20 minutes for a bus, but it was a good 20 minutes. I had beautiful weather, a radio on my cell phone, and a pleasant enough stranger waiting at the stop with me. My easy contentment was squashed by the bus driver.Before I could even greet him, he

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-70356779805940330672009-06-23T15:10:00.003-04:002009-06-23T20:28:43.050-04:00

I am very serious about customer service. I do not like to spend money. I try to spend the least amount of money that I possibly can. Don't ask me what I think will happen, but I just like feeling like if I needed or even just really wanted to buy something I could, without hesitation. So when I do spend my money, I like to give it to vendors who treat me well.I went into the bike shop down by

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-52383416465290435632009-06-22T22:22:00.004-04:002009-08-11T22:35:22.558-04:00

e've got yet another primary coming up in August and I'm wondering who will come out and vote.We will be having yet another primary in August.In the special mayoral election in May, we had 95,477 votes counted (about 15% of registered voters). Many people may have decided that voting for someone to finish mere months of another's term was not worth the effort. And yet, even in the historic

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-84996728243525814762009-06-21T01:36:00.008-04:002009-06-23T11:11:36.056-04:00

var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));Friday I caught an NPR broadcast of StoryCorps segment about an adoptive dad and his son. The piece truly resonated with me. I really enjoy the StoryCorps segments. The mission of

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-52763053656762579892009-06-20T23:59:00.004-04:002009-08-26T23:46:27.500-04:00

var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));I love my neighbors. I just do.There's my 70-something next door neighbor who talks to me through her window if she sees me outside. She puts up quite a unique Christmas tree each

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-15158469833292194152009-06-18T14:34:00.007-04:002009-06-18T15:00:49.430-04:00

var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));I love NPR. Not as much as I used to, but I still listen to Morning Edition most days. Wednesday there was an interesting pair of stories.The first described how thousands of public

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-78347765569105634482009-06-13T20:50:00.003-04:002009-07-01T06:58:18.498-04:00

var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www.");document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E"));Homeowners in Detroit pay high property taxes. I understand this: we have an ever-shrinking population yet still need to maintain infrastructure and city services (such as they are).

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-71728822668011635672009-06-12T21:54:00.005-04:002009-06-22T23:39:49.282-04:00

It's been over a month since I began this blog and I still don't know. I have yet to figure out what I'm blogging about. Which is, I suppose, in keeping with the alecha theme. So, how about a recipe?The measurements are random guesses, sorry. And it really tastes a little different each time. That's the best part. One time, throw in some ginger for fun. A tiny, tiny pinch of berbere sometimes.

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-31790388584423738012009-06-09T22:18:00.006-04:002009-08-20T10:18:48.058-04:00

I probably had the deepest thought I'll ever have when I was four. I was waiting for my mom to pick me up from school; she was late and all my little classmates were gone. I began pondering time. I was particularly struck by its transitory nature and the elusiveness of "now." I was amazed by the fact that I couldn't hold a thought in that now...that that moment was gone as soon as I registered

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-49225829848864387382009-06-08T22:49:00.010-04:002009-08-11T20:41:21.879-04:00

Apparently Michiganders are slowly coming around on gay rights. There was an article in the Free Press that reported that a recently polls showed some interesting tidbits:63.7% support civil unions (only 46.5% accept same-sex marriage, with 48% opposed to it)57.5% support adoption rights65.5% support same-sex partner benefits for government employees70.9% support inheritance rights for gay and

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-28047447544586181662009-06-07T22:37:00.008-04:002009-08-20T09:41:14.592-04:00

My grandfather was a farmer (in miniature), with a half a city lot dedicated to his garden. He had his own tiller and at least twenty tomato cages. I remember the deep freezer in the basement, full of gallon-sized freezer bags of tomatoes. Once I dug a hole that was about five feet deep and began a compost pile. He preferred chemical fertilizers, but he let me tilt my windmill. One year we built

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-85199791793194222532009-06-06T12:38:00.007-04:002009-08-06T16:33:50.017-04:00

First off, I will admit that I think too much. Now that we have that out of the way...Last night I went to see Slumdog Millionaire (I recognize I may have been one of the last people to see the movie, which won eight Academy Awards and has already been out on DVD for a good long while). I thought it was a really good movie and really thought-provoking. What I was especially struck by was how the

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-26986618173344935622009-06-04T22:26:00.002-04:002009-06-04T22:31:44.591-04:00

I'm trying to blog everyday, but today I'm a little more contemplative than usual and not quite sure where to go with it...instead I'll share an article from FLYP media (a multimedia web magazine) about Detroit, called Breath of Hope. It focused on efforts by various groups to reimagine our our city. Enjoy.

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-78561316713131161612009-06-03T19:56:00.000-04:002009-06-03T19:56:42.525-04:00

Detroit is a pretty good place. We've got our issues and our struggles, but it is a good place. I suppose home should always be.Anyway before I get all carried away with the hometown love, I wanted to post a link to the schedule for Midsummer Nights in Midtown, a series of free cultural events in Midtown Detroit (the area around Wayne State/the Cultural Center...no idea when it became "Midtown").

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-72914212244188549102009-06-02T21:11:00.004-04:002009-06-02T22:45:11.607-04:00

It's been 13 years since I owned a car. While I sometimes miss the convenience of a car, overall I like contributing less to the emissions of greenhouse gas; I enjoy being able to read or knit during my commute; I feel enriched by that slice of life you get when you ride the bus. The other day one of the 204 people running for Detroit City Council was on the bus trying to talk to voters. Not

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-11435004338461297192009-06-01T21:40:00.003-04:002009-09-01T06:59:24.721-04:00

I want to be a pacifist. I'm not there yet, but I want to be. I'm currently reading a biography of Fannie Lou Hamer and am in awe of the nonviolent movement that was waged for voting rights in face of the violence of Mississippi. But I feel the sense of Ida B. Wells's advice "a Winchester rifle should have a place of honor in every black home." The question, I guess, becomes at what cost do you

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-52336147475801340552009-05-30T22:04:00.003-04:002009-09-01T06:59:05.451-04:00

It seems quite clear to me.In an interview on Fox News, General Petraeus stated that we need to "live our values" and that we as a nation have been rightly criticized when we have violated the Geneva Conventions (see video clip on John Amato's blog). He further stated that the techniques in the Army Field Manual work.I'm not sure what more people (such as a certain former vice-president) need.

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-1176410653702851162009-05-30T09:48:00.002-04:002009-06-02T22:46:36.154-04:00

Howard Zinn has a thoughtful piece in the Progessive. It begins with the sentence I used as the title of this blog entry. In it he reminds us of the reality that our president is a politician and if we want change, it is our responsibility to show him the way.If we care about change, President Obama's election was not the end of our work. We must appauld the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-43482824467855954212009-05-28T15:31:00.002-04:002009-06-03T20:25:39.516-04:00

Next Wednesday (June 3rd) starts the farmers market at Wayne State University. This makes me smile. I work nearby so every Wednesday between 11am and 4pm I'll have the chance to go pick up produce grown in Detroit. The market was piloted last year. Once I bought some acorn squash that had been harvested less than an hour earlier.Here's a flyer. Seed Wayne hosts the market on Cass Ave, across from

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-57208966931476839032009-05-23T18:25:00.001-04:002009-06-02T22:47:12.217-04:00

I happened to see a copy of the WSU Southend the other day with a story about Detroit Cheers. These seem to be a gimmick from downtown business owners--something like Monopoly money that can be spent at their shops.It was interesting to me because it reminded me of a email conversation I had a few years ago. Someone was telling me about Ithaca Hours, a real local currency: people agree to receive

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-30471158955978539392009-05-23T11:20:00.002-04:002009-07-01T06:59:51.064-04:00

The Senate voted 90-6 to withhold from the Administration the funds necessary to close Guantanamo (see post at Truth Out). What?!? They further specified that no previously allocated money could be used to "to transfer, release or incarcerate any individual who was detained as of May 19, 2009 at Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to or within the United States." Um, Senators, where are these

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-87292365067822701942009-05-16T20:08:00.002-04:002009-09-01T06:59:05.451-04:00

The White House has decided to reverse course and attempt to block release of photographs that show U.S. soldiers abusing prisoners in Afghanistan and Iraq (see reports from AlterNet, MSNBC, and Huffington Post).No, President Obama, releasing pictures documenting the torture does not make Americans less safe. Being a nation that tortured and abused human beings is what inflames anti-American

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4247348245755155328.post-6326399503882042712009-05-11T21:15:00.002-04:002009-07-01T06:58:41.730-04:00

Okay, I admit it. I'm a fangirl. I watched Star Trek when it was in syndication when I was kid. In undergrad I wrote an anthropology paper comparing the original series to The Next Generation. And I liked the movie. I watched it on opening night in IMAX. Woohoo! Here's a secret: I am a geek.Between Kirk and Spock, it has always been Spock. Between Scully and Mulder: Scully. Give me the brain over

Mamazihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08338527569164287504noreply@blogger.com0