Bur-days, getting relief and posing a question.

Major kudos to my friends for making my birthday bash what it was. I love you guys and gals. Your willingness to dance uncontrollably makes it all worth while. I appreciate y'all coming out to celebrate.

In other news, today marks the girlfriend's niece's first birthday. We are heading to see her family and get Thai food. I was in the hospital room after she was born and it's been a pleasure to watch her first year. The girlfriend's family are generous on birthdays so besides cake I'm sure to get something thoughtful, something meaningful.

Also, I learned today that one of my friends I met while in Israel is safe after the earthquake in Christchurch. He's been traveling the world and was in the city when the 6.3 magnitude quake hit. With a rising number of casualties, I was worried to say the least. Then, he wished me a happy birthday and informed me all is well. I suppose well as it could be for such a natural disaster. If you're reading this man, get home safely.

Lastly, I had a thought. With protests, revolts and revolutions making headway across the globe, would Saddam Hussein been overthrown? Given today's movements, would he had suffered the same fate as Hosni Mubarak and Zine El Abidine Ben Ali? I'm not seeking an in depth discussion or stating a political agenda. Rather, if the United States did not attempt to implement a democratic society would the people of Iraq taken such measures to dethrone their dictator?

Would you take it?



I want to revisit this. If you’ve studied journalism you’ve probably seen the above photo and know where I’m going with this. If not, here’s your hypothetical for the day.

Kevin Carter, a South African photojournalist, took this photo during famine in Sudan in 1993. The starving child collapsed attempting to reach a food center as a vulture waits for the child’s death. According to Carter, he waited nearly 20 minutes hoping the vulture would fly away. It did not. He took the photo before chasing it away.

Carter came under intense denigration because he didn’t help the child. Many people wondered if the child had survived in such a weak state. The photo, which was sold to the New York Times, got heaps of mail and ran a special stating the child had enough strength to escape the vulture, though the definitive fate was unknown.

Carter received the Pulitzer Prize for the photo in 1994. He later committed suicide.

Try to envision yourself in that situation: Is it your moral obligation to help the child? Is being on assignment all that matters? Where is the line between work responsibility and human responsibility? Was chasing the vulture away enough in terms of ethical duty? Did Carter simply seize the moment?

Every journalist wants the Pulitzer.

Would you take the photo?

"People can't live without this, people can't move without this"

A few pictures from Barefoot Truth's show at Brighton Music Hall - Februray 20, 2011

doing the weekend synopsis...hello BFT!

What a full weekend it's been and will continue to be. For some reason, I'm up unnaturally early this morning so I wanted to do some writing and reading.


After work on Friday, the girlfriend and I went to Il Capriccio for an incredible dinner. We dined on short ribs, calamari stuffed with clams, lobster risotto and braised rabbit. What's more, I would later learn from a friend (who spent months in Italy) that Il Capriccio's cuisine is better than most in Italy. I'll take her word for it because not only is she a hardcore foodie, but the meal was that good. It was accompanied by delicious wine and even better cocktails. It's everything a birthday dinner should be. 


We ventured to a less classy establishment after that in which we met up the the crew. We marinated in scorpion bowls, mai tais and Kirin while simultaneously listening to painful karaoke. Considering there was 15 of us, it made it socially acceptable to be lounging in the basement of a Japanese restaurant with a disco ball. 


Saturday brought Dim Sum, something I've posted on before with great admiration. This time, however, friends joined the experience and displayed a willingness to try it all. A few dishes take a brave stomach and acquired taste, but the beauty of Dim Sum is there's something for everyone. We ended up getting 12 dishes for $40.


Then, with a satisfied palate and full belly, it was time for day drinking. All the fellas met up in Faneuil Hall to catch up, reminisce and share news. We worked our way to two watering holes before cashing in and heading back to Cleveland Circle to settle. We did work, though.


And now it's Sunday. I accept that fact I do not have tomorrow off because of the Barefoot Truth concert at Brighton Music Hall this evening. I have been aching to see BFT. It's been a long few months of waiting for this show. I'm hoping to get some great pictures and videos from it and post them at a later date. As for now, the girlfriend wants breakfast in bed so I have eggs to crack and fruit to cut up. 


I leave you with music to bring in your Sunday.

Barefoot Truth - OK

BFT

artistically beautiful, lyrically beautiful.

I am officially hooked on Justin Nozuka. Give this a listen, hear the story.

Weekend things: Radin, V-Day menu and Marzipan

The past weekend started my quest for live music as a packed House of Blues was the setting for Joshua Radin. The girlfriend got me tickets months ago for my birthday and we were both anxious to hear how Radin would transcend his acoustic style into a live show. We discovered that only a few heavy riffs were played through the course of the set list, while the majority remained acoustic. Radin's lyrics speak of love, heartbreak and looking ahead. Absorbing his words to a generally quiet atmosphere was a good fit. The show was intimate. The girlfriend conveniently pointed out that there were many young girls in the audience and that I was surely outnumbered. That being said, the show was full of soul, highlighted by Radin belting two songs away from the microphone so the audience could hear his booming voice. He also played my favorite song, "No Envy No Fear" and the girlfriend's favorite, "Today." Here are some pictures, and videos will added shortly.

Radin doing this thing:

The opening act: Justin Nozuka

Nozuka combines acoustic guitar with R&B/Soul

Other highlights from the weekend included Irish beers and grub at a local pub, having lunch with mama Byer (thanks for the plethora of groceries/laundry) and shopping with the girl. We scoped out a few stores near our apartment (Newton Highlands on Walnut Street to the locals) and simply browsed, picking up things here and there. I found marzipan at a confectionery and could not resist. Now it's time for Valentine's Day. I am cooking for the girlfriend and we'll surely enjoy a bottle of Merlot together. She is my guinea pig when I go exotic and try new dishes in the kitchen. However, this meal is more on the comfort side of the spectrum. 

V-Day Menu:

Bruschetta: rubbed with garlic, fresh tomato and sprinkled with parmesan cheese

Chicken breast stuffed with herbed ricotta and apple, finished with a squeeze of citrus.

Roasted new potatoes with olive oil, herbs and sea salt.

Happy Valentine's Day to those partaking, and I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend!

"Then get up girl and let them know you're free"

Nancy Gibbs’ essay in the latest edition of TIME discusses the investment in girls, or lack thereof. The essay, which explodes with numbers pertaining to boys’ rights compared to girls’, is a mindful report of inequality. The bedrock of the essay veers away from revolution from an extremist standpoint, a play off the recent Egyptian uprisings. Those uprisings, which stem from unemployment, aspirations for a new government and economic imbalance, are an escalated event of revolt with powerful demonstrations.  Gibbs’ piece expresses that bloodshed and traditional forms of revolution will undoubtedly occur, but it's not the only revolution worth paying attention to from a global perspective. On the contrary, Gibbs writes that quieter revolutions are slowly progressing as in providing more attention to girls. What’s more, these revolutions can be effective. According to Gibbs, this movement is pivotal to “fight poverty, fuel growth and combat extremism," especially from an activist viewpoint.

Giving more aid to girls is the smart thing to do, says Gibbs. It can boost their wages, escape from marriage at 15 and then getting pregnant in certain parts of the world. Gibbs is preaching development: Give a chance to girls, listen to them.  Instead of pushing aside, which is culturally acceptable in numerous countries, hear their stories and dreams.

A few nuggets from the story:

1-Less than 2 cents of every developmental dollar goes to girls.

2-Roughly 9 of 10 youth programs are directed towards boys.

3-In sub-Saharan Africa, fewer than 1 in 5 girls make it to secondary school.

Gibbs

Gibbs is a wise writer. In using a large platform like revolution – as seen in Egypt, Tunisia, and Jordan – she is shedding light on an important subject. This revolution is just as important though atypical in archetypal nature.

There are other thoughts that come into play: Is Gibbs only pointing out failed regimes built by male dictators? Is she insinuating that a female leader could avoid such revolts? Or, perhaps, is she simply saying that because young females do not receive the same treatment (namely, education) they do not have the opportunity to   make a difference? That is a much larger scale and more based on thoughts I had.

Regardless, her writing on revolution and equality being different in methodology is a valid point.

harping on the Mets.

I was pondering the messy affair between the New York Mets and Bernie Madoff’s epic ponzi scheme. It’s arguably the biggest story leading up to pitchers and catchers. I sifted through statements from Irving H. Picard, the bankruptcy trustee (who sued the Mets) assigned to compile assets to compensate Madoff’s victims, and from Saul Katz and the Wilpon’s, the owners of the Mets. The connections between the current changes and what transpired with Madoff are fascinating and difficult to ignore. It’s like dominos. I wondered why all these changes had such a quick turn-around time, particularly if it stems from lackluster seasons or money problems. The baseball fan in me wants to believe the former while the latter is all too prevalent.

Things to consider:

*Sandy Alderson was hired to be the new general manager. Rumor has it he was brought in to deal with the financial aftermath rather than contributing on-field baseball knowledge from a personnel standpoint.

*The Mets spent less than the Pirates this offseason. Their payroll in 2010 was the fifth highest at $133M. Are they preparing for the worst? Is their frugalness an aberration?

*Bud Selig is more than worried.  Selig cannot have instability from an ownership perspective. Furthermore, if we’ve learned anything from the chaotic divorce between Frank and Jamie McCourt, it’s that hard line money is not flexible. Ownership mishaps in baseball don’t occur often because it only perpetuates itself when Selig does not intervene. He has already met with Mets team officials.

Now, the team’s brass said they need to sell a portion of the franchise to raise capital. They need it now.  It was reported they owe anywhere from $400M-$1B while subsequently, as the New York Times reported, they could be involved in a separate problematic hedge fund scheme. Ultimately, that has not been proven and it will probably go to court. Nonetheless, it appears team owners had no idea their investments with Madoff were faulty and not a soul could blame them for that. That is the sad part of it. The fans deserve better.

The Mets are such a profitable franchise as well. In pure economics, they are the third most valuable franchise in baseball, trailing only the Yankees and Red Sox. What happens next is unknown. It's scary for the Mets and for the sport as a whole. The aforementioned tidbits are mere pieces of an explanation. The only reason I write about this is because I love the game and now it's suddenly impacted by one of the largest frauds in history. Indeed, many have and will continue to suffer from Madoff's deceitfulness, but It goes to show that immunity -- regardless of how large the entity -- can be hindered in the quickest of fashions.  We could be witnessing the overhaul of a major franchise; the unfolding of an organization entrenched in financial distress and transition seemingly out of reach for the time being. I hope they find their course.

And our hearts, heart of hearts divine

An ode to Bob Marley on his 66th birthday. We speak of Marley in the same breath as the living. The icon's profound drive for equality, unity and happiness, and aspirations for love echoes in musical loire. His bedrock principle of a better tomorrow continues to grow. This birthday, however, is special because of www.1love.org. The social awareness project allows followers and fans to give a virtual drop of water in which $1 is donated to charity for every drop. Simply plug in your name, email address and unique message. It's a tribute that epitomizes everything Marley stood for and preached in his lyrics.

Rest easy, Bob Marley

pictures of the elements

A few pictures near and around...

Weighted tree

Snowy Henshaw Street

Mounds to mountains

Narrow entrance post shoveling

Blanketed Henshaw Street