Variety bites Archives - Page 15 of 16

Of weeds and Michael Jackson

After five months of having family over, my husband and I are finally alone with our newborn daughter. You'd think I'd be exclusively preoccupied with her care, but instead, I find myself worrying about other rather mundane things, namely: Michael Jackson: Why? Why? Why did he have to die so young without getting a chance to come back and offer more of his music, maybe heal his tormented soul a bit? I find myself so saddened by Michael's death it feels as though I lost a loved one... and I was never really that big a fan. Not that you…

How to clean a microwave with no chemicals

I found this really useful: How to Clean a Microwave - wikiHow Fill a microwave safe glass or bowl half way with water with a tablespoon of white vinegar and place inside the microwave. Turn on for 5 minutes. The idea here is to steam up the walls of the microwave and loosen the dried-on gunk. When it is done, remove the glass container and wipe down the inside of microwave with a clean towel or paper towel. The loose gunk should come off easily now, and without chemical cleaners inside the microwave. Take out the glass tray or turntable…

Living with less: is your lifestyle recession-proof?

For about a year now, I've been hearing about the likelihood of a big economic slow-down, a recession or even a depression; first from a family member and for the past six months, from the news. The economic shit hit the fan last month, when several major and seemingly stable financial institutions either failed, were bailed out by the Fed or bought by more solvent corporations. The chant that I heard from just one person has now become a choir, as everyone has finally woken up to the fact that we are in deep trouble. As I write this, I…

Every drop makes a ripple: How your life can impact others

I met a friend for BBQ and wine this evening. I hadn’t seen him much in close to three years. Out of the blue, he mentions how in the brief time he'd met me, he’d learned how to make rice "the right way"; and I considered how I have actually heard that from a few other people before. While in college, I remember running for Diversity Chair in the student senate. I had actually not made much effort to make many friends up until that point, and I hardly thought anyone was paying attention to the campaign. Then, one day…

Rant: the cleaning lady

Words repeated ad nauseam in this post: perfect stranger, cleaning lady, god forbid. It's not just that I'm fundamentally against a perfect stranger going through my most personal things, but also that I resent the colonialist aspect of paying someone to clean my house. That said, those of us with office jobs have better things to do than mop the marble tiles, bleach the bath tub or dust the oak furniture twice a week, because god forbid someone visits you and the place is not impeccable! So, my mixed feelings about cleaning ladies are something I usually keep to myself…

Dejavu – reflections on leaving the town you grew up in

I now remember why I left. I lived among grown people who had their lives made. Their projects were set, their goals clear, their dreams local, and their roots grown. The older ones. The four columns that held the fortress. The younger ones, triad for finish and decoration. I wanted to see what I could accomplish outside of the shadow of that luscious tree, grow my own roots and be my own tree. I wanted to not be at the mercy of, the nickel of, the clock of, somebody else. Unscrutinized to explore the smarts and the dumb. The freedom…

La Marchanta

Every week, she shows up at my mother's kitchen door with a big bag of Casabe and a wide smile. A flat, mildly tasty and rare bread, Cassava bread is one of the few truly authentic meals Dominicans inherited from our long extinguished native ancestors, the Taino Indians. Dulce, who is as sweet as her name, travels over 20 km on foot every day, selling Casabe around my hometown. She is happy and plump like an Italian mama, except she's not Italian and her life is far from happy. But who can really tell when you look at her picture?…

EVICTED are those who have to leave home, to go live in a different culture

Terrorizing is not the way. Marin County Responds to Immigration Raids : Indybay In the wake of two days (Tuesday and Wednesday) of 5:00am raids by I.C.E. (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) teams in San Rafael and Novato, numerous Marin County groups felt called to respond. The Marin Interfaith Council, in cooperation with numerous local civic and community groups, announced that vigils will be held each morning from 5:00am to 8:30am in solidarity with immigrant neighbors in the Canal District of San Rafael. The first vigil of witness and solidarity took place on Friday, March 9th, at Medway and Canal Streets…