On the Movies

"Whether we realize it or not, movies often tell us what we think about ourselves. There's a contradiction in the way that we, as an audience, approach movies. They're made primarily for fantasy and yet we look to them to reflect our reality. They become a sort of wish fulfillment, a representation of a life that doesn't necessarily exist but one which we've been taught to want. On the one hand, you can always say 'It's only a movie.' On the other hand, it's a barometer of what we, as a people, think and believe about the ways in which we live."-- Film historian Vito Russo (1946-1990), from The Celluloid Closet (documentary, 1995).

Rick Bayless's Must-See Mexican Food Show

If like me you love Mexican food, then Rick Bayless's , "Mexico: One Plate at a Time," is a must-see TV show that blends history (social and culinary) and cuisine. I discovered the show on New York station WABC-TV's Live Well Channel. Before seeing the show, I had never heard of Rick Bayless. And now I've become a Bayless fan.
I'm looking forward to reading his cookbooks and trying out some of the recipes in my own kitchen.
One interesting aspect of the half-hour show is how each episode has Bayless alternating between Mexican locales and his home kitchen in Chicago.
The Mediabistro interview with Bayless (June 23, 2010) is a good introduction to anyone unfamiliar with him. However, I wish the interviewer, Blake Gernstetter, had asked him how he became interested in Mexican cuisine and whether or not he spoke fluent Spanish. http://www.mediabistro.com/articles/cache/a10919.asp?c=mbennf

Black Atheists: A Minority Within A Minority

Black atheist Jamila Bey's theroot.com article about the increasing visibility of black atheists is worth reading, even if you're a devoutly religious person. Knowing what others we disagree with think broadens and deepens our knowledge of world events as well as other humans and gives us more food for thought.http://www.theroot.com/views/black-women-who-use-word

A Few Words From Jeffrey Lilly

"It would be better if people had a healthier fear of death rather than an inflated fear of death. Acceptance of one's mortality is an important part of growth. It would be better if there were not so many sexphobic and homophobic people. We are battling [the AIDS] virus--not our very natures."--Jeffrey Lilly, San Francisco-based poet.