CD Pick of the Week: The Rough Guide to Flamenco
Yet another wonderful Rough Guide compilation. This is a wonderful exploration of the contemporary state of Spanish flemenco music featuring artists at the top of their game. You can’t go wrong with any track. This delivers flamenco in all its emotional flavors – from absolute exultation to pure misery. Damned good stuff.

For women only
Well the fine folks at the Southwestern Baptist Theolgical Seminary in Tennessee knows what's important for their female students. Knowing how to cook, sew, and raise Christian babies.

They now offer a bachelor of arts program in humanities that includes a 23-hour concentration in homemaking -- for female students only.

According to an Associated Press article, "Coursework will include seven hours of nutrition and meal preparation, seven hours of textile design and "clothing construction," three hours of general homemaking, three hours on "the value of a child," and three hours on the "biblical model for the home and family."

What century are we in again? Sewing??? Who sews anymore? Why not just include a course in butter churning?

CD Pick of the Week: Dobet Gnahore
Artist: Dobet Gnahore (DOH-bay gna-OR-ay). CD: Na Afriki From the Ivory Coast, delicious pan-African vocals ranging from sweet ballads to upbeat African grooves. Backed by a wonderful band and back-up singers, this release is a delight throughout. Fresh, at times funky, always fabulous. She is the real deal and, most impressive, she sings in about 8 different African languages. Read the lyrics, her songs have a lot to say.

Book Review: Suite Francaise
Suite Francaise, by Irene Nemirovsky details life in France as the Germans march in during WWII and what the occupation was like. There's one problem, it's the first draft of the first half of an unfinished novel.
It was never finished because the author (a Russian-born French writer) was Jewish and was transported to Auchwitz where she was killed. Given that tragic story, I feel guilty and petty for criticising this book but I didn't like it. My reason is just what I said -- it's a first draft of the first half of an unfinished novel.
The first part focuses on a group of Parisiens leaving the city before the Germans arrive. In short, it's a group of unpleasant people doing unpleasant things during unpleasant circumstances. Critics have hailed it as a biting satire, but I just found it unenjoyable. I liked the second half better -- set in farming country where the residents learn to deal with having German troops living in their homes. The characters were more likeable, the story focused more on people an less on what everyone chooses to pack while fleeing a war (what is that obsession with linens?), and it was a more polished work.
My short review is that this work has promise, and had the author been allowed to finish it I believe it could have been truly important. But were it not for her tragic end, would thid have deserved to be published?

Firecracker Jazz Band
Their CD "Explodes," truly lives up to the name. It's a total explosion of good time fun. Classic Dixieland that harkens back to the roaring 20s. Great material played with energy, style, and an obvious love for the material. Plus lots of tongue-in-cheekiness. Solid playing throughout with wonderful retro vocals and arrangements. It's the kind of music that instantly improves your mood. Trust me, it's impossible not to smile with this on the stereo.

I'm free!
Well, it's official. I am now unemployed. Having had it up to the preverbial "here" with life in the iPit, I quit my job and am now two weeks into life. Ahh.....

I can tell it's going to take me a long time to decompress. I still have that nagging "I'm sure I'm forgetting a major deadline" feeling in the back of my mind. But it's delicious to wake up in the morning and not dread having to go to the bad place.

So what am I doing? Reading a lot. Doing two radio shows (At the Cafe Bohemian, my regular world music show. Tuesdays from 6-9 pm. And The Hair of the Dog, a blues show on Friday afternoons from 1-3). Catching up on sleep. Going to physical therapy twice a week, and finally getting back into the swing of my daily walks. All-in-all, it's wonderful.

Many thanks to my beloved husband for supporting me in my decision to quit and supporting us while I take some time off.

Quadro Nuevo
This Munich-based quartet takes the tango as their starting point, turns it into jazz with a worldly accents, and creates something delicious with their CD Tango Bitter Sweet.
They expertly play an impressive array of instruments (sax, clarinet, mandolin, vibes, perc, accordion, bandoneon, piano, guitar, plus some vox). Each track is a fresh, new surprise that leaves you wanting to know will happen in the next minute.

It's a win-win situation!
Hate fake words and pointless cliches? Yeah, me too. That's why this article from the London Telegraph struck me as being so funny.

They held a contest to use as many cheesy phrases as possible in one paragraph. The results are cringe-worthy and truly funny.

"Thank you God"
And thank you Fo for pointing me towards the best book ever! It is so hilariously bad, so tremendously awful, so painfully, wonderfully crap that you'll thank me for enriching your life.

So, what's your favorite part? I think mine is the picture of the horse that apparently died from smoking a joint.

Too bad it's not retroactive
The best commercial in Europe? Maybe. But it's pretty damned funny for those of us who have chosen not to breed.

The man with the tiny mind does it again!
Once again George Bush has earned his moron points.

His nominee for surgeon general, Kentucky cardiologist Dr. James Holsinger, wrote in 1991 that gay sex is unnatural and healthy. According to Dr. Tolerant, homosexuality is also a "choice" that can be "cured." (No doubt through prayer.)

Tiny brains think alike, apparently.

Oh, and don't ask me to comment about Paris Hilton's early release -- I'm just too pissed. Spoiled little bitch. (Did I say that?) Ok, one comment....this seems to have succeeded in encouraging rather than punishing DUIs. I mean hell, I'd love to be confined to my home (or, in her case, mansion) for 45 days. 45 days of sleeping late, watching movies, reading, playing with the cat, sitting in the sunshine in my yard -- and not having to go to work, or deal with grocery shopping or errands. Where do I sign up for that? Oh, I just need to drink and drive? In that case, pass the Cuervo.

Not a good sign
Poor London. First they unveil what might be the ugliest Olypmic logo ever conceived. Now their pro-Olympic TV footage has been pulled for causing seizures.

Have you seen the logo? Go look, I'll wait. It's supposed to represent the year 2012. Am I the only one who seems a man (on the right) doing something of an adult nature to a woman (on the left)? OK, ignore my dirty mind...it's just bad. It's about as far from asthetically pleasing as you can get. It's Paris Hilton ugly. And the sad/funny bit? It cost £400,000!

I understand that grapic designers are a high-paid species but that's just ridiculous. That much money and it looks like crap? So far petitions have been started for it to be scrapped and the London Olympic committee have gone on the defensive to say how proud they are of it. Here's a hint, people....when you have to publicly defend a decision, usually it's a bad decision.

This is a bad decision. A bad, bad decision. Hell, I can't draw a stick figure and I could do better than that ... and for a hell of a lot less than £400,000.

Got a match
I love this, from the unofficial website of Jeremy Hardy a British comedian, satirist, and journalist. He read this on the hilarious BBC radio program "The News Show."

"And thanks to David Carr for this, a transcript from the News Quiz. It’s from Jeremy’s friends Emma and Martin, taken from The Winchester and Mid Hampshire Observer, and it’s the editor replying to a reader’s letter (although Carrie Quinlan claims it is from an episode of the West Wing—I know not which came first):

“Good point well made, Mr. Duncan. As you clearly say, it states in Leviticus Chapter 18 Verse 22 that homosexuality is an abomination. Which reminds me—there are a couple of things I need guidance on. Firstly, If I wanted to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7, how much could I expect to make from such a deal? Also, my colleague Pete insists on working on the sabbath. Exodus clearly says he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or is it OK to get some outside help? Lastly, does the whole city really have to be together to stone my brother John for planting different crops side by side. And when I burn my mother for wearing garments made from two different threads, do I torch her whole or just a bit?”

To which I can only say, "bravo!"

Burgers and blues
Or hot dogs and hip hop. Yeah, whatever your food and musical preferences, the most ridiculous iPod accessory ever has you covered.

Behold the George Foreman BBQ grill with built-in iPod dock.

Good lord. Why?

I've got the whole world, in my hands
This weekend I took on the position of world music director at KZSU. I've been assisting Fo (my husband and the previous world director) for a few years. But now the position is mine. Fo has become the new jazz director -- which is just where he should be. Given his encyclopedic knowledge of the genre, he's the perfect person for the job.

The change means that I'll probably have to do more reviewing, but I'm very excited about the role. I'm also still continuing as public affairs director, so I'll be extra busy from now on. But at least I can rest assured feeling like I'm doing all I can to earn my show.

It's amazing. Before I came to KZSU my knowledge of world music was limited to a few random artists discovered during my travels and on NPR. Now I'm the genre director. Cool!

Gee, that sounds like it could almost be a real country
Oh dear. Sweden, bless its scenic little heart, has opened an embassy in the virtual world of second life. No, I'm not kidding.
In addition to just being freaky, this will no doubt cause all sorts of problems to geographically-challenged Americans who will now think Sweden is only a virtual country and not a real place at all.

Spanish Harlem Orchestra - "United We Swing"
Holy crap! United We Swing has got to be the hottest Latin album of the year. The SHO’s 13-piece ensemble delivers fabulous salsa-based tunes with polish and style. Every track is amazing and it’s all totally on fuego. Wicked brass, solid vocals, hot percussion, it’s great -- seriously, seriously great.

Oh bite me
This ridiculous article from the NYT has the insulting tittle of "The Tyranny of the 2nd House." And it's all about those poor, way-too-rich people in New York who have country retreats for the weekend and how difficult it can be to own two houses.

People, and I mean this in the kindest way....SHUT THE FUCK UP!

I just want one, OK. Just one house. Not a mansion. Not a 2500-square foot monstrosity with a hot tub and 75-foot ceilings. I just want a little place, just big enough for me, my sweetie, our cat, and our books and music. But buying a house in the Bay Area, unless you have a trust fund, is impossible.

So forgive me if I just can't muster up sympathy for the fact that it's hard to get a pool contractor in West Chester.

He gets a bazooka for his first birthday
Oh goodie. A 10-month old baby has just gotten a gun permit. As ridiculous as that sounds, here's something even crazier:

The baby's father applied for the card after the baby's grandfather "bought Bubba a 12-gauge Beretta shotgun as a gift." The poor child would be named "Bubba" wouldn't he? And what kind of lunatic buys a shotgun as a gift for his baby grandson?

Early Retirement?
Can you imagine working for 93 years without a vacation? At age 104, this man has decided it's time to retire. Wow...