This afternoon, hundreds, if not thousands, of angry parents, teachers and their supporters will march on Daley Plaza to voice their opposition to Mayor Emanuel’s planned school closings — currently slated at 54, which would make it the largest school closing in the nation’s history. Today’s rally is the culmination of three days of marching ahead of the Board of Education’s vote on Wednesday.

That all of the school closings are taking place on the city’s South and West Sides — well, except for the two on the North Side — has prompted many of the mayor’s opponents to label him a racist for what they deem to be a flagrantly racist campaign against the city’s black and Latino neighborhoods.

While calling the mayor a racist may seem a bit much, it’s unfortunately dead on.

Admittedly, when Mayor Emanuel had his people come up with a list of schools to close, the motive wasn’t to target black and brown Chicagoans intentionally. The Rahminator didn’t order his minions to devise a plot that would lower the city’s education budget while simultaneously gutting black and brown neighborhoods.

What he did demand is that they do it in a way that wouldn’t affect the people who helped him win City Hall two years ago.

Sure, a lot of black and brown Chicagoans naively voted for Obama’s man back in 2011, but they’re not really the ones who put him behind the mayoral desk.

Emanuel became mayor of Chicago thanks to money — hella money, to be exact. And last I checked, black and brown people in Chicago don’t have a whole lot of it.

If race and class are said to be joined at the hip in America, then they make up a two-headed dragon in the city of Chicago. Race is class in Chicago.

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you this — at least, I hope I don’t — but a map of the poorest neighborhoods in the city is virtually identical to a map of the city’s black and Latino neighborhoods.

So, though I’ll give Rahm the benefit of the doubt by saying that he isn’t targeting blacks and Latinos with his school closings, by targeting the lower classes — the classes that didn’t get him elected mayor — his school closings are inadvertently, but directly, racist.

Horace Mann once wrote, “Education … beyond all other devices of human origin, is the great equalizer of the conditions of men, — the balance-wheel of the social machinery.”

The planned school closings, concentrated in black and Latino neighborhoods, threaten to eliminate the only escape route from poverty that black and Latino kids have.

And in a city like Chicago — where the poor and colored masses are under the most vicious system of segregation since the 1950s, to the point where “poor” and “colored” are now synonymous — we need as much equalizing as we can get.

[Photo: tbfurman via Flickr]

Photography by Sir

Theaster Gates is going to fuck around and change the world. The idealist community has been talking about this monumental event happening for a long time now, but the changing of the world might finally actually be underway. And we have Theaster Gates and his challenging, no his redeveloping, of the status quo to thank for that. The changing of the guard has occurred, and occupying space and time from Chicago to Kassel, Germany is all it took. Go figure.

12 Ballads For Huguenot House, Gates’ exploration into creating value in forgotten-by-society places, shows us how buildings live and what they do, all the while reinventing their roles in the neighborhoods they occupy. Accomplished through creation of “temporary” economies, Gates has extended the project to juxtapose Kassel, Germany with the South Side of Chicago. A connection exists between a German past and a black present. Not to get too into the past though, because Theaster wants us to focus on the present potential of the future, but Kassel housed Henschel, a manufacturer of tanks and bombs during World War II. They relied heavily on slave labor. Huguenot House was bombed around the same time Gates’ current South Side Chicago neighborhood of Grand Crossing shifted from a predominantly Irish and German population to a 90 percent black population. Closer in cultural mindset and societal makeup than its geographical proximity of over 4000 miles would suggest, Theaster Gates has connected these two places by rebuilding through the use of ethnic labor, more specifically black labor. He has freed these two locations by working hard to restore their significance in a world that has left them to rot.

“I insist on the autonomy of architecture.” -Theaster Gates

The MCA’s current exhibition, The 13th Ballad, is a Chicagoan extension of the project that started here, migrated to Germany, and found its way back into our eagerly anticipatory embrace. You’ve heard of the tipping point. Well, if you get to the MCA for this exhibition, hell if you see any of Theaster Gates’ performances anywhere internationally, you’ll witness the tipping point firsthand. And you’ll find yourself extremely inspired. If you don’t, then there might just be something wrong with you.

The 13th Ballad is a brand new work, “an exhibition and project rich in information, concepts, and themes,” according to Michael Darling, co-organizer of the exhibition.  Offering new narratives that intertwine religion and spirituality with labor practices and forced migration, the show is an “opportunity to both be reflective and implement new work,” according to the artist, activist, and epitome of avant garde himself.

Hearing Theaster use words like “migration,” “industrious,” and “accumulation” to describe the show and sum it up so succinctly, his ability to articulate the relationship between religion, labor, and migration is no simple task. Yet there’s Theaster elaborating on his themes and bringing it all together. He’s bringing the viewer to another level of consciousness, another level of understanding with every project and every word spoken, every performance, every waking of every building. Theaster Gates is changing the world by incorporating ideas we all find ourselves entangled in and/or involved with: Labor. Religion. Transformation. These ain’t no new thangs, but the ideas are even finding themselves shifted and tweaked in Theaster’s grand scheme.

Repurposed pews on the MCA’s Marjorie Blum Kovler atrium leading up to the complexity of Theaster’s double cross, whose triple and quadruple meanings are impossible to lose on anyone, greet you upon entry and immediately immerse you into the thought process behind The 13th Ballad, offering a symbolic gesture of religious tolerance while stimulating the stigmas that sometimes stifle our ability to connect with one another on a daily basis. Theaster Gates is killing that stifling noise by offering a symbolic gesture of religious tolerance.

If you’ve had the opportunity to take in a Theaster Gates performance, you know that they are as powerful as they are meaningful. They are as inspirational and intriguing as they are entertaining and insightful. They leave you with a feeling unknown anywhere else. Performances at the MCA will take place with brand new material from Theaster and his team, and that elusive feeling can be felt all through summer and into autumn. The same way street art can’t really be duplicated in a museum setting, I get the slight feeling that this exhibit might fall short of duplicating its own impact the way the actual restorations and processing of materials happened in Kassel and on Dorchester. The impact in those communities is something that can not be communicated in an exhibit of any nature. The idea can be conveyed. The performances will happen, and they will inspire on another level. But the raw, real nitty gritty of going into Kassel, going into Grand Crossing and transforming urban decay into something beautifully meaningful is where Theaster Gates’ significance sets him apart from his contemporaries. With his ambitious performances, his transformations, his reappropriation of sex and drugs, if you will, a community is born that wouldn’t have existed otherwise. It is in this magnificent creation we find importance. We find a portion of Utopia.

“Who determines who’s important in a place?” The restoration of 6901 S. Dorchester set out in 2006 to redefine what it means to live, to exist on a higher level, in a world so quick to pin types of people to a quadrant of the city. Chicago has notoriously pigeonholed types of people to types of neighborhoods, not to imply this as an exclusive practice here by any means. But having Theaster Gates firmly plant himself in the terra firma of Grand Crossing, setting up his studio and home, is an expression of connection that does not end there.

During the restoration and processing of materials from Chicago to Kassel, the undertaking became “ecumenical and spiritual.” It is in this sense of universality that we all become connected through Theaster’s work. It is here where the world is changed.

After attending the MCA’s media preview on Friday morning, we decided to take a trip over to 6901 S. Dorchester to see just how far the project has come, how the community has been affected by the work of Theaster and his team. The Dorchester House in Chicago has become an important place the same way the Huguenot House in Kassel did. Sadly, the streets are still pretty much in the ruins Theaster references. The drugs that were peddled in and around the building for the last 15-20 years are still very much prevalent, but the building is in pristine condition. It bears repeating that the most beautiful building on the block was used for 15-20 years as a means to distribute drugs. A known den of thieves, den of drug activity and denizen behavior. As a means to wake up the house, myriads of music and performance took over; to offer the house a gift.

Reflections on the idea of labor, of god, of art to transform the space and perform acts of redemption in order to transform an abandoned building in Chicago to an important one.  It’s time to awaken, and the 100 days of music woke the building up from its sleep. More importantly but less immediately, Dorchester is the jumpoff for the changing of the world. And this is something only the most important man in the world can accomplish.

No pressure, though…

Theaster Gates: 13th Ballad, May 18-October 6 Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago

If you haven’t heard, chia seeds aren’t just for pets anymore.

Rich in Omega-3′s, fiber, protein, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, niacin and zinc, and the seeds help to regulate blood sugar—basically chia seeds are the superfood of super foods. Chia seeds, once they’re soaked in water or other liquid, are similar to tapioca ball, just smaller. They don’t really have a flavor, except for maybe leaning on the nutty side, so I like to think of them as a vessel to carry other flavors while delivering a super healthy and filling punch.

So the question then is what to do with these power-packed seeds? How about a real simple, healthy treat that can be breakfast or a snack?

For this recipe, I made my own coconut milk. You can use store bought, but you might be shocked at how easy it is to make (5 minutes), not to mention it’s cheaper and free of the extra sugar and preservatives that can be found in store brand versions.

Pets aside, put some chia seeds into your diet for a Fat and Happy nutritional boost.

Coconut Chia Seed Pudding with Nuts and Berries

• 1 cup unsweetened, organic coconut flakes
• 2 cups water
• 1/3 cup chia seeds
• 2-4 tablespoons maple syrup
• good dash of cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• Toppings: berries, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, goji berries

If you are making your own coconut milk, start here: Heat the water to just below boiling. Place the coconut flakes and hot water in the blender and blend on high for 3 minutes (I use a Blendtec blender. You may need to blend a bit longer if your blender isn’t quite as powerful).

Strain the milk using a fine mesh strainer set over a glass bowl, pushing on the coconut to remove all the liquid. Or use cheesecloth, twisting to remove all the remaining milk out of the coconut. Discard the coconut or lay out to dry for use in other baking recipes.

If you are using prepared or store bought milk, start here: To the coconut milk whisk in the cinnamon, maple syrup, vanilla and chia seeds. Cover and set in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Serve with the mixed seeds and sliced berries..

Fat and Happy Food Blog Tips and Techniques:  Substitute your preferred milk for the homemade coconut milk.

For more recipes, go to Monique’s blog: FatandHappyBlog.com

Pl-zeñ │1519 W. 18^th, Chicago│Brunch Sat/Sun 11am – 4pm, Dinner Nightly 5pm-12am, Fri-Sat to 1am│312.733.0248│Average tab: $24

Photos credit: Pl-zeñ

Dining in Chicago’s greatest neighborhood, Pilsen, just keeps getting better, and it’s not a case of the old guard being changed. It’s a case of new and old restaurants living side by side in perfect culinary stasis. Pl-zeñ represents a new crop of restaurants mixing Chicago’s diverse cultures into a culinary adventure sharable by all who dare to venture south of Taylor Street.

The first time that I paid a visit to what would eventually become my local haunt, I was on my way home from the gym looking for something fast and vaguely nutritious. I found all this and more in their scrumptious fig salad, which combines dried figs, spinach, pistachios, pomegranate bits, a light sprinkling of goat cheese—all tossed in a garlic and je ne sais quoi dressing creating a dining experience that can only be described as a mouthgasm. After this experience, I was sold. I needed to return to this magical place where my taste buds danced the Lindy Hop with each other all night and then made out till the sun same up. The salad was that good.

My next visit was the first that I had a chance to sample what Pl-zeñ was truly all about, at least in my mind. On this visit I tried something that is surprisingly rare in Pilsen: a damn good burger and a beer. Their selection of both left me impressed. As variety is truly the spice of life, this is one spicy place. The first thing to jump out at me on the burger menu was The Diablo burger, an all-beef patty seasoned with cilantro and red onion, served on a pretzel roll with grilled jalapeño and the regular burger fixin’s. I have to note that I’m militantly against cilantro and all that it represents—its shitty flavor, ugly leaf shape and how as a Mexican it’s imposed on me. That being said, the accommodating staff substituted the cilantro ridden patty with a nice hearty bison patty. El Diablo was served with shoestring-cut truffle fries, which was the perfect touch. As an appetizer I sampled the Habanero Chicken Wings served on a bed of bleu cheese potato salad. My dining partner who isn’t deathly allergic to the little mermaid and her compatriots had the cab cake burger, which was apparently awesome as well.

Now to prove the versatility of this restaurant I’m going to reference the fact that I have been here on a proper date, which means actual non-burger food was ordered. On these occasions, I had the Steak Frites. Tender, bloody pieces of steak, just how I like, served on a pile of truffle fries. Don’t you just love it when a dish is so simply named? Needless to say I was happy with it. My date had grilled chicken. We shared the Sliders for an appetizer, which is essentially a tour of their meat dishes in convenient bite-sized baby burgers. We were both impressed with it.

I have since returned multiple times to this casual haute-gourmet spot nestled in the heart of Pilsen and found that the food is good if one orders the right things. The selection of craft beer is impressive, and their brunch service is a beautiful and rare thing in Pilsen. All I have to say is DUCK BACON.

Pl-zeñ only serves farm fresh foods, an attitude reflected in their decor as well as behind the bar. The entire subtle philosophy behind the place is give the client something delicious, sustainable and comforting all in a very Pilsen gallery setting.

Earlier this year, I was listening to NPR in the morning and heard Tarentaise (tar-en-tayz) mentioned. Spring Brook Tarentaise. It placed in the “Class 42: Smear Ripened Hard” category of the First Runner Up of the 2013 United States Championship Cheese Contest. I took note because I love this cheese, and I love NPR. It was a good morning and a sign that I need to write about this.

Appearance

You can see this in the photo that aside from the flaking on the rind, it looks firm. This means it’s a bit toothy and a bit creamy.

Tastes Like

Textbook flavors include nuttiness, caramel and earthy. True to form, these are all represented. But there’s more, if you want it.

To begin, this cheese presents potential alarm because it’s made from raw milk. At its worst, raw milk stinks like barnyard, cow poop and almost beef stink. I grew up on a dairy farm. I know this smell very well, and it says home to me. Yet, sometimes, I can get a little too much barnyard.

As you read the liner notes, as it were, you also notice that the milk is from Jersey cows. This milk is incredibly fatty. Translation: “Jersey” is shorthand for naughty, creamy and luxuriant. Everything your mother warned you about…but in a milk. Er…

Raw milk also promises grass. Not smokable but literally, fresh-cut grass. Slightly watermelon-esque, herbal, citrus, yada, yada, yada.

With the lack of pasteurization, this also means it’s better for your gut. If you have no idea why you should give a crap about your gut bacteria, listen to this episode of Radiolab or read Michael Pollen’s new book, Cooked (or listen to this podcast).

Moving on, the word “earthy” here means, to me, cellar. And this is one of the most enchanting powers about food, that it can take something like the damp, dusty smell of a cellar and make it edible, in a really good way. I can’t get enough. It actually tastes like dusty cellar. While I might be developing pica remains to be discovered. Until then, I’ll eat Spring Brook Tarentaise.

Politics

Vermont’s Spring Brook Farms educates kids. Even their website address begins with “farms for kids.” There’s much more on their website on this. It’s important to attend to the politics behind this because it combines doing good while feeding your trap. More and more, food, clothing, everything is political, yes? Also, Vermont’s Senator Bernie Sanders rocks. He rocks. He should wear a cape. He’s cranky, has bad, crazy-awesome Doc Brown hair, is a freakin’ socialist, is one of the most progressive senators ever and is brilliant. His talking filibuster was so good, it was worthy of printing and binding into a book. I bet he eats Spring Brook Tarentaise by the pound.

This is not exotic cheese but call ahead before you go on a cheese run to your local cheese counter.

El Machete Illustrated: Cutting Through the Bullshit is a weekly series by political cartoonist Eric J. Garcia.

An almost fairer immigration system

A month after the Senate’s “Gang of Eight” released its immigration reform proposal, the House’s “Gang of Eight” is telling reporters they are on the verge of releasing their own.

The details of their plan are still under lock and key, though anything approved by the likes of Rep. Paul Ryan is bound to be draconian. (Remember: He made Ayn Rand required reading among his staff.)

Early in the week, Sen. Lindsey Graham threatened to back out of the original Gang of Eight if a provision respecting same-sex couples is added to the Senate plan.

Because everyone knows there’s nothing scarier to a Republican than gay immigrants — except maybe gay Muslim immigrants.

Bachmann’s new homo state

Speaking of same-sex couples, kudos to Minnesota on becoming the 12th state in the Union to recognize marriage equality.

That’s right. Minnesota — the home state of the goggle-eyed bride of Satan herself, Rep. Michele Bachmann. As a state senator in 2005, Bachmann even pushed for a constitutional ban on same-sex marriages.

But the events of the past week should come as good news to husband Marcus, who may finally have the courage to divorce his entomic wife and hook up with the mailman.

Godspeed, Mr. Bachmann. Godspeed.

Speak American!

And speaking of immigrants, have you heard the insanely offensive radio ad put out by ProEnglish, the conservative group that supports English as the United States’s only official language?

Admittedly, the ad is a clever, lighthearted way for ProEnglish to spread its sinister, wholly un-American message.

But I have just one thing to say to people who want to make English the only official language of America — and, please, pardon my French: ¡Vete pa’l carajo con sus mierda, pinches brutos!

Just a pile of rocks

On Monday, officials at the Belize Institute of Archaeology confirmed that construction crews have destroyed a Mayan pyramid dating back to at least the 4th century BCE.

The crew have been using the rock extracted from the government-protected pyramid to build a road.

Let’s hope the road doesn’t lead to where the pyramid previously stood. (Lamest. Tourist site. Ever.)

Not so fast, America

Finally, Puerto Rican Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi introduced a bill on Wednesday putting Puerto Rico on the road to statehood. The bill calls for another plebiscite that would ask the people of Puerto Rico, in simple up-down fashion, whether they want the island to become the 51st state.

The only problem is, in the recent plebiscite conducted last November, the statehood option won just 45 percent of the vote, if the 480,918 blank votes (26 percent) are included in the results. If the blanks are left out, then statehooders made up 60 percent of the vote.

Clearly, statehood is a popular option on the island, but sheer dissatisfaction with the current colonial status is the most popular sentiment.

And just because your girlfriend’s unhappy with the way your relationship is going, that doesn’t mean you should start getting down on one knee.

Puerto Rico just wants America to start treating her better — and that goes for her sister Diaspora, too.

[Photo: Finding Sunshine via Tumblr]

Last week, Charter Parents United and supporters rallied at Federal Plaza to protest what they say is unequal funding of charter schools by Chicago Public Schools (CPS), in reaction to a moratorium on charters signed by 35 aldermen. The protestors marched to CPS headquarters and delivered 35,000 postcards (one for each charter student) to the office of CPS CEO Barbara Byrd Bennett. The group say that charters give parents more choice than traditional public schools and provide a higher quality education for youth. They say  that state legislation creating limits on charters creates long waiting lists. The majority of the protestors were African American and Latino parents, teachers, parents of kids on the waiting list, and middle school and high school students. At the rally, charter school students performed ballet, cheer-leading routines, and marching band songs.

Based in Barcelona, Spain, Cuchillo was formed in that city by Israel Marco and Daniel Dominguez and most recently joined by Henrik Agren from Sweden. Showcasing at SXSW as part of the Sounds of Spain selections, this trio of highly talented artists shared with us insights as to how they create their luminous and enchanted ambient pop grooves

In the independent film “Filly Brown,” actress Gina Rodriguez plays Majo Tonorio, a budding L.A. hip-hop artist who is trying to break into the music industry to raise money to hire a lawyer to get her mother (Jenni Rivera) out of prison. Oscar-nominated actor Edward James Olmos (“Stand and Deliver”) plays the criminal lawyer who is working with Majo, much to the chagrin of her emotionally exhausted father (Lou Diamond Phillips). “Filly Brown” was co-directed and co-written by Michael Olmos, one of Edward’s four sons.

What was it like reuniting with Lou Diamond Phillips for the first time since “Stand in Deliver” 25 years ago?

(Laughs) It was a dream come true. It was a great way to move forward and see him and rejoice in our lives. He gives a tremendous performance in this film. It might be his best performance since “Stand and Deliver” or “La Bamba,” I’m not sure.

Does it feel like 25 years has gone by?

Nah, it went by pretty quick. (Laughs) It doesn’t feel like it. Time just goes by so fast.

This is your son Michael’s third film as a director and the second time you’ve worked with him on one of those films. Over the years, how have you seen him evolve as a filmmaker?

He’s grown an awful lot. His writing has grown. He helped write “Filly Brown.” He’s grown a lot as an artist.

As a father, was there a specific time in his life where you sensed that the film industry might be something he wanted to be a part of?

I think all my kids looked at this lifestyle and kind of liked it. [Michael] came to me right out of high school and said, “Listen, I want to go to college.” I said, “OK.” He did all his prerequisite work for two years and then came back to me and said, “I’d like to graduate from Columbia and be a director.” I said, “OK. Learn how to write. Take the writing program.”  He said, “But I want to direct.” I said, “That’s great, but learn how to write first. Directing is easy. Writing is hard.” So, he did and he came out of Columbia a wonderful writer. Now, his directing is catching up to his writing, so I think he is going to be right on schedule.

Would he ever go with you on movie sets when he was younger?

Oh, yeah. He went on almost all the sets. All my sons did. Bodie’s in the business. He’s an actor and producer. He worked with me on “Battlestar Galactica.” Then Mico, he wrote and performed the music and produced “Filly Brown.” My other son [Brandon] is a documentary filmmaker and musician. So, they’re all inside of it.

Were you at all worried that all four of your sons wanted to get into what I’m sure you know is a cutthroat industry?

No, because I brought them up knowing that there is no security in this business. It’s consistently fluctuating. Sometimes you’re working and sometimes you’re not. They grew up knowing what that world was like and what those sacrifices were. They could go their whole life and never make a penny.  They know that, but it’s the life they chose.

Is the music in “Filly Brown” something you could get used to listening to while driving? Is that a genre we’d find you playing on your radio?

Oh, yeah. (Laughs) I really like it. A lot of the actors that are in the movie are really strong rappers. Chingo Bling is fantastic in the movie. He’s a great rapper, songwriter and entrepreneur.

Part of the film deals with how women in the entertainment industry have to sometimes use their sexuality to get people to take notice. We saw the same thing in “Selena.” Do you think much has changed in 16 years when it comes to that issue?

No, it’s gotten worse. Not just for the [Hispanic] culture, but for women in general. The sexuality in our communities is just growing and growing and growing. Of course, we have the moral majority telling us that it’s not right. What happens is that we don’t have any balance. We don’t have what Europe has. Europe has a very strong and wonderful way of looking at its sexuality. It’s much more understanding of itself. It’s more normal. Here, it’s like, “Whoa!” It’s the same way with men, too. They have to be sexier or they’re not going to make it. You have to be good-looking, suave, cool, all of that.

My favorite line in the film is said by actor Daniel Mora. He says, “You’re a real asshole, but we’re family.” Do you think family tolerance like that is exclusive to the Latino culture?

Not exclusive, but it does prevail in our culture sometimes more than in the Caucasian or African American cultures. But I think our culture definitely does have that more consistently. It’s unconditional love.

I know you don’t have any scenes with Jenni Rivera in “Filly Brown,” but can you talk to me about what she brought to this film and what you felt when you found out about her passing last year?

It’s still one of the hardest situations that has ever hit me because of the sheer shock of it. I mean, Selena was bad enough, but I didn’t make a movie with her. Here we are at our first press junket for “Filly Brown” and the movie is coming out and everyone is happy and Jenni isn’t here. There’s a huge hole. We’ve finished this little movie and it has become a very strong film and now it’s about to go out into the world and she’s not with us to rejoice. When you’re working on a real intimate film like this, you really do become family. The very last scene of the movie, when [Jenni] stands up to leave, has become a very iconic moment. She puts her hand on the window and walks away and her handprint stays there and you know it’s going to dry up and fade away. It riveted everyone in the audience so much when we saw it. No one could’ve imagined that when she turns around and walks away, it would be the last time you see her. It’s still very emotional. It brings a tear to my eye right now just talking about it.

Well, let me lighten things up a bit before I let you go. I’m wondering, has anyone has shown you the episode of “Portlandia” yet where Fred Armisen plays Jaime Escalante in “Reverse Stand and Deliver?”

(Laughs) Yes, I saw it. (Laughs) “Portlandia” did “Battlestar,” too. Of course they’re going to jump on “Stand and Deliver.” A bunch of people have done skits on “Stand and Deliver,” even Jim Carrey. It’s one of the classic teacher-student films that has ever been made.

What can we expect from your character Papi Greco in your new film “2 Guns” with Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg?

Oh, boy. Well, Denzel and Wahlberg and those guys called me up and asked me if I would help them out. If it wasn’t a direct call, I wouldn’t have been a part of that movie. It’s a very strong movie. It’s an action-packed movie, but it also has a lot of truth in it. The CIA is at the helm of narcotic drug trafficking. (Laughs) It’s very true! It’s fun and you’ll laugh and there are a lot of car chases and things blowing up, but when you get down to the nitty-gritty it’s about the inner workings of the highest covert military people we have in this country. This isn’t a fantasy. This is right on the money.

What about your new film with director John Salles, “Go For Sisters?”

Man, what a movie. Wow. Now, there’s a film that has no car chases.  It has a lot of drama and great character work. John is a genius when it comes to character work. It’s about as good as “Lone Star.” The nuances are superb. Thinkers are going to love the movie.

Sometimes you accidentally create a dish so delicious, you gobble the whole thing down and then for days and weeks after you keep thinking about. Recreation is a must.

Using leftover grain and a leftover roasted sweet potato, I mushed them together and formed patties. A little crunchy crust comes from flaxseeds. Where this really goes over the edge is the basil dressing and kale salad, completely flavor explosion against the warm sweet potato patties.

Use the leftover grains you have in the house or follow my recipe, brown rice, quinoa, lentil recipe. While you can substitute grains, definitely keep the sweet potato over any other type of potato.

Accidents happen for a reason….for a tasty Fat and Happy reason!

Flaxseed-Encrusted Sweet Potato Cake with Basil Dressing over Kale Salad

• 1 cup cooked brown rice and quinoa (see recipe below)
• 1 1/2 cups mashed sweet potato
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• good dash of cayenne pepper
• 4 tablespoons flaxseed
• 1-2 tablespoons Olive or coconut oil

Mix together the rice mixture, sweet potato, cumin and cayenne pepper. Form into 4 thick patties (the mixture is a little loose so handle the burgers lightly). Sprinkle flax seeds on the top side and gently pat them in so they stick.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place the patties flaxseed-side down. Sprinkle remaining flaxseed over the second side of the patties and gently pat in. Cook until the bottom side is golden brown — about 3-5 minutes — flip and cook on the second side.

Serve warm over the Basil Vinaigrette-Dressed Kale Salad.

Basil Vinaigrette

• 2 cups fresh basil
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 cup olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt and pepper
• Kale/spinach/sliced radishes

Blend all ingredients until well combined, taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Toss with kale, spinach and sliced radishes. Serve with the sweet potato burgers above.

Fat and Happy Food Blog Tips and Techniques: Mix the patties up to a day ahead of time and place in the refrigerator until ready to cook to help the patties hold their shape better.

For more recipes, go to Monique’s blog: FatandHappyBlog.com

Disney’s Dia de los Muertos

This week Disney did the unthinkable. And that’s saying a lot, because since its inception, Disney’s been known for imagineering some of the most fiendishly diabolical plots (like founding two American cities that are outside the jurisdiction of the U.S. Constitution).

But Disney’s abjection sank to an all-time low this week when it tried to trademark an important Mexican holiday, one honoring the dead to boot. That’s right — Disney tried to trademark “Dia de los Muertos.”

Disney was forced to withdraw its application after a media firestorm.

Disney Trying to File Trademark on “Dia de los Muertos” to Peddle a Bunch of Crap blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/20… via @ocweekly

— LatinoPolitics (@LatinoPolitics) May 7, 2013

Our culture is NOT for sale. Stop Disney from trademarking Day of the Dead. fb.me/A1Y9g38v

— Latino Rebels (@latinorebels) May 7, 2013

I get the widespread gasps over social media, but it’s difficult to find fault with the soon-to-be 90-year-old American institution.

In a nation as financially driven as ours (little ol’ Disney is a 75-billion-dollar company), very little isn’t for sale.

Maybe it’s my Chicago sensibility. Everything seems to be on the cusp of a corporate takeover in this city of the grand Democratic machine. Soon the city’s official name might be “Chicago-Chase & Co.”

So even though Mickey tried to make a buck off the remembrance of abuelitos, you have to admit, that mouse has balls.

[Watch Mr. Mouse keep one of his musical acts in check]

“Feriners Is Some Stupid Folk”

Here’s the Heritage Foundation’s Jason Richwine on why allowing more Latino immigrants to enter the United States is a bad idea:

“The average IQ of immigrants in the United States is substantially lower than that of the white native population, and the difference is likely to persist over several generations. The consequences are a lack of socioeconomic assimilation among low-IQ immigrant groups, more underclass behavior, less social trust, and an increase in the proportion of unskilled workers in the American labor market. …

No one knows whether Hispanics will ever reach IQ parity with whites, but the prediction that new Hispanic immigrants will have low-IQ children and grandchildren is difficult to argue against.”

Get that? Most Latino immigrants, most of their children and most of their children’s children are dumber than the average ‘Merican.

Being the son and grandson of Honduran immigrants, I find myself entirely dumbstruck by my ability to form so many complete sentences in a row.

As much fun as it is to make fun of such people, their silly organizations and their idiotic “findings,” unfortunately, a great chunk of ‘Merica believes in these asinine reports lockstep.

That’s why mediocrity has never been enough for the newcomer or the outsider. They’ve always had to be better than those inside the club.

For centuries, immigrant groups have come to America  looking to work hard and study hard in hopes of proving themselves worthy of a place at the table.

Today’s Latinos are no different, as a recent Pew Research study showed that, for the first time, Latino high school graduates are enrolling in college at a higher rate than their white counterparts.

Which begs the question: what’s the average IQ at Heritage?

Not All Puerto Ricans Are Kidnappers

Cleveland’s chief prosecutor, Victor Perez, wants to put your worries to rest:

“As the chief prosecutor for the city of Cleveland, born and raised in Puerto Rico, I want everyone to know that the acts of the defendant in this criminal case are not a reflection of the rest of the Puerto Rican community, here or in Puerto Rico.”

On Monday, three young women who had been missing since the early 2000s, were discovered living with their kidnapper in a Cleveland home. With them was a 6-year-old girl, whom one of the girls had given birth to while confined to the home.

Prosecutors look to charge Ariel Castro, of Puerto Rican descent, with rape, kidnapping and even murder, for the pregnancies he ended when he beat one of the women during her pregnancies.

The chief prosecutor’s comments came amid worries within the Puerto Rican community and among Latinos in general that the case would spread animosity toward Puerto Ricans, just as the Boston bombing was followed by instances of ill treatment toward Muslims and Chechens.

It’s a sorry state of affairs when a group of people has to come together and offer a resounding “We’re not all rapists” plea to the American public.

I, for one, am relieved. My Honduran side was growing suspicious of my Puerto Rican side.

A More Perfect (And Gayer) Union

On Tuesday, Delaware became the 11th state in the Union to embrace marriage equality for all of its citizens

Congrats to all who were successful in their advocacy efforts – marriage equality is a reality in #netDE. #DE4M #lgbt #de @eqde

— Gov. Jack Markell (@GovernorMarkell) May 7, 2013

Don’t hold your breath for Mississippi and South Carolina just yet.

Is “Mexican Catholic” Redundant?

Finally, Gozamos’ own Claudio Alberto Cortés asked our Facebook fans on Wednesday if “to be Mexican is to be culturally Catholic.”

Mexico, of course, is home to the second largest Catholic community (the largest living in Brazil). An overwhelming majority of Mexicans, nearly 83 percent, consider themselves Catholics.

Now, I’m not Mexican, but because Mexicans make up 63 percent of the Latino population, as a Latino and an atheist, I beg you, my Mexican cousins: give up your silly superstitions.

While I don’t give any credence to claims that Latino immigrants have lower IQs than the rest of America, our incessant rubbing of rosary beads and praying to alters of a brown-faced virgen surely isn’t convince outsiders that we’re not a backward people.

Some of Gozamos’ Facebook fans seem to understand that our European ancestors used their religion as a justification for conquering our indigenous and African ancestors, and then used Catholicism as a means of controlling them afterward.

When Colón, Cortés and Pizarro arrived, they found millions of brown people whose lives were rooted in superstition. After finding themselves completely defenseless against the men from across the sea — shielded with metal skin and carrying sticks that shot fire — the natives concluded that the conquistadors were no men, but powerful gods.

And if a mighty god lands on your shores and says, “Worship this,” you better start worshiping.

And also, because the conquistadors were outnumbered, they told the natives that there was a man in the sky watching everything they did, ready to punish them for breaking a set of universal laws written in an old book the natives couldn’t read.

Admittedly, their deceit was brilliant. As Ricky Gervais once quipped, “Jesus is like an unpaid babysitter.”

In the case of Latin America, Jesus was like an imaginary, omnipresent colonial governor.

Yet, aren’t we past all of that, now that we’re in the 21st century? Don’t we now realize there was never any difference between Jesus and Quetzalcoatl, the Virgin Mary and la Virgen de Guadalupe, or Moses and Muhammad?

I shutter to think we’re no better, no less ignorant, than when Colón “discovered” us and brought us civilization.

[Photo: sbwoodside via Flickr]

Photo Credit: Alyssa Stone

I don’t need to dress nice, right? Alyssa texted me as I got on the Pink line. I looked down at my scuffed boots, the jeans I’d been wearing for two or three days, and the T-shirt that could be called, at best, relatively clean. Or so it had been when I’d picked it up off my floor that day.

Hope not, I texted back. I’m in jeans and a dirty t-shirt. I was on my way to the Key Ingredient Cook-Off directly from my job at a bookstore, and there was no time for me to stop at home and change. My Friday nights are often an unwinding ritual of takeout, beer and enjoyably bad movies. This week, however, I had gallantly offered (read: begged) to go to the Key Ingredient Cook-Off.

Key Ingredient is a James Beard Award-winning column in the Chicago Reader. Each week, one Chicago chef challenges another to make a dish using some strange, rare, gross ingredient: this week, Jonathon Zaragoza dared John Asbaty of Panozzo’s Italian Market to do something with honeycomb tripe. On May 3, the Reader hosted a cook-off of epic proportions, inviting 26 of Chicago’s best and brightest chefs to try and make something amazing out of something sort of gross.

Though I never found any kind of pamphlet or program, I sussed out that the 26 chefs participating in the cook-off had been assigned one of five ingredients: durian, celery, millet, Malört and dried shrimp. With the exception of Malört, these are all ingredients that are commonly used in cooking, though some are less common in North America. They do, however, all have flavors or textures that make them a little bit edgy. Durian, for example, smells and tastes like a mixture of ripe feet, honey, sewage and onions. Malört, as I found out, tastes like every medicine that you would have cried before swallowing as a child.

When Alyssa and I got inside, I was starting to wonder if maybe we should have dressed up. We were greeted by men in ties escorting guests into a huge freight elevator. I glanced around: we were’t the only ones in jeans and cardigans, but there were more than a few glammed-up gourmands. It was an interesting mix of older folks in cardigans and sensible heels and the hip and the restless in smoking jackets and retro dresses. There were a lot of serious people there, who admired my foresight in taking notes about each dish and a lot of people who were flippant in their love for food and foodie culture (I’m looking at you, Dude in the Crazy Smoking Jacket).

We entered the top floor to the sound of remixed Leonard Cohen’s “Take a Walk on the Wild Side,” which I took as both a good sign and good advice. I immediately challenged myself to try one of everything, knowing full well I would fail. Within half an hour, I had eaten dried shrimp brandade with chanterelle mushrooms and foraged ramps, durian crème brûlée, frog salad with pickled quail’s egg and green curry relish and pig tripe and bone marrow sausage and pickles served in a nasturtium leaf.

I have something of a restraint problem at these kinds of things. Scofflaw was offering free cocktails (“Feel free to get hammered!” one of the bartenders said as he passed over my and Alyssa’s drinks.) And everywhere, chefs were pretty much shoveling food at passersby. By the end of the night, my notes were littered with stains and water rings from where I set my drink down on them.

Most of the chefs tried to walk a fine line between showcasing their ingredients and not blowing people’s taste buds. Considering the talent there, a few chefs made some weirdly uninspiring dishes: one served up a creamy celery soup with lamb. It was good, something I’d happily eat under most circumstances, but…soup? Where’s the fun in that?

The folks competing in the Malört category seemed to have this problem as well, adding Malört to deserts and barbecue sauce that mostly hid its signature bitterness. Or so it seemed to me: despite having heard rumors and tales of the drink since I moved to Chicago, I had never actually tried it, and I wasn’t sure what to look for. To get some info on the infamous liqueur, I went over to Three Aces‘s table, staffed by Matt Troost and another guy whose name I completely failed to get.  I chose their table based on the name of their dish: “Malört face,” thin slices of pig face braised in Malört, with Malört mustard and Malört-ramp vinaigrette. Also, their display bottle of Malört was half empty. It was a good choice.

“I wanted to put [the dish] on plates with pictures of people’s Malört faces,” he told me, “but couldn’t find a printer to do it.” Troost is a Malört evangelizer, and he described it as “your taste buds getting punched in the balls,” a paraphrase off of the official Malort slogan of “It will kick your mouth in the balls.” His cohort was more poetic: “It tastes like calling your ex in the middle of the night from a phone booth in the rain.” Which is to say, it’s bitter. You start to regret it before you even finish swallowing it, but there’s nothing to do but power through the pain.

While there were many good dishes at the cookoff, ones that I would happily eat again, they often seemed to work by pushing the assigned ingredient into the background. The one exception was from Marianne Sundquist at Mess Hall and Co. She created a tiny white-chocolate candy filled with frozen celery mousse and a sherry-soaked raisin. I bit into it, not sure what to expect, and was shocked at the burst of celery flavor. It was incredibly delicate, both the dish itself and the tastes that worked in conjunction with each other.

The ballsiest dish, by far, came from Fat Rice’s Abraham Conlon, who used all five ingredients, and for shits and giggles, added in epoisses, a French cow’s milk cheese that has a washed rind and is smear-ripened. It’s an awesomely rank cheese. Conlon made durian epoisses with a shrimp and Malört rind, making a gooey, creamy mixture to spread over the toasted millet bread, and topped it with a celery and grape salad.

The weirdest thing was how well Conlon’s concoction worked. The crisp texture and the bright acidity of grapes and celery balanced out the intense flavors of the cheese and durian, but it was still intense, about as subtle as bludgeoning someone with a brick. “It’s like a horror movie,” I drunkenly slurred to Conlon. “Have you seen the remake of Evil Dead? It’s like that. It’s amazing, but I never want to do it again.”

I meant it as a compliment. I think Conlon got that, because he started telling me about a movie called Hobo With a Shotgun before he got called away again. I looked up the trailer for it, and yeah. It’s exactly like that. A work of art, but not the kind of pleasant art that goes up in a bank or boutique cafe. The flavors and textures of these ingredients aren’t easy on the sensibilities of privileged Westerners. They’re violent on the palate.

Western aesthetics, until very recently, were mostly focused on things that were pleasant, non-disruptive, and yearning after some kind of lost paradisaical ideal. Think about the kind of vocabulary used in food writing: heavenly, glorious, sublime, ambrosial. Durian, Malört, dried shrimp: these aren’t the nectars of gods. They’re flavors that are firmly of the earth (or sea, in the case of dried shrimp). There’s an echo of something primal.

I think what I was drunkenly trying to tell Conlon is that his durian epoisses inspired the same heights of emotion as Hobo With a Shotgun is bound to do. I may cringe, cover my eyes, wince in sympathy, but I’m fully present during the show, and the inner monologue that carries on in my mind–reciting my to-do list, analyzing social interactions, pondering random memories–competely ceases. All I’m doing is experiencing the movie, uttering profanity without regard to who might hear, because sometimes, a good “Holy fuck!” suffices when all other words fail.

When I smeared the orange-tinted epoisses onto the tiny slices of millet bread and topped it with thin slices of celery and grape, when I slid it into my mouth, as careful as if it were a live explosive, it was like the entire room went quiet. I chewed, and all I could think was holy fuck, HOLY FUCK.

Featured photo by Chago Akii-bua and Brian Jones

2013 is definitely a great year for the ladies to try out different shoe styles. This year’s trends are perfect for those who want something edgy yet comfortable. From classic pointed-toe to glamorous architectural shapes and futuristic metal accents, spring fashion trends this year will surely have something to suit every woman’s taste.

If you’re planning to shop for new shoes this year, the first thing you should do is discover what will be available and in this season. Sometimes it’s hard to decide what to buy from a wonderful selection, so just go for something that will reflect your own personality and lifestyle.

However, following the trendy styles doesn’t mean you need to go for name the brand shoes or from famous labels. If you’re not into splurging with your whole month’s salary, you can also look for more budget-friendly but still trendy shoes as an alternative. All you need to do is keep yourself abreast with what is in season and find something similar that is available in your favorite shoe stores. This way you can buy all kinds of shoes and walk with style all season. Spring should be full of fun, color and adventure—so grab the shoes that will let you enjoy it as much as you want!

Colorful Footwear

Adding color to your everyday outfits with a is a fun way to enjoy spring. Affordable Bamboo shoes in coral, sea foam and mint green are here for you this season. Other shades of color that will be making appearances in shoe stores are baby blue, light yellow and aqua. Grab these shoes and wear them on your next vacation, getaway or for any occasion.

Transparent Shoes

For your office shoes, a pair of pumps with transparent sides can be work-appropriate. Wedges with transparent heels or subtle clear straps are also out in the market. If you love to flaunt your flawless feet, this is definitely a fashionable way to do it.

Metallic Accents

Another office-friendly trend this season is the metallic shoe. Wear a pointed, high heeled metallic pumps with your knee length skirt and be trendy but professional at the same time. These shoes can be worn from daytime meetings to nighttime dates.

Chunky or Artistic Heels

Although spring is best enjoyed during day time, you can still enjoy the best of shoe fashions on your nights out and at parties. Shoes with decorated wedge platforms and chunky, artistic heels make your outfit more glamorous and edgy.  Turn heads and let your feet shine with these fabulous shoes.

Scarlett Lee Rios is a fashion writer and blogger for MakeMeChic.com, from Fullerton, CA. She has also been doing part-time modeling for almost four years.  Follow her on Twitter, @scarlettleerios.

According to Fox 32, Senator Mark Kirk wants to spend tens of millions of dollars and arrest 18,000 people in an effort to bring down the Gangster Disciples. No, really, apparently that’s what he said.  Let’s hope this is one of those instances Politicians making statements that are not intended to be interpreted as fact, because what Kirk is proposing sounds like a dangerous and unconstitutional infringement on Civil Liberties- and it wouldn’t work anyway.

The Bill of Rights guarantees the right of the people to peacefully assemble, which is often interpreted as including freedom of association–your right to be part of a group or a club. Sure, not every meeting between Gangster Disciples is peaceful, but sometimes GDs just hang out, crack a few beers, barbeque, maybe smoke a blunt, like the rest of us. Being a member of even a sometimes violent organization is not necessarily a crime in and of itself, and not all gangs and gang affiliates are involved in violence.

The U.S. Constitution also protects us from unreasonable searches and seizures, and guarantees the right to a speedy and fair trial. All this means that the government is not supposed to simply arrest a person for saying they are a Gangster Disciple any more than it should be allowed arrest a person for being a Communist. In order to arrest a GD, that man will have had to committed some sort of crime and there has to be evidence of that crime to hold him. It’s a good thing that’s the law because if it wasn’t any kid who is rumored to be a GD could be locked up forever, even if the kid was really an innocent honor student.

Kirk has only talked of targeting one specific gang, but the GDs certainly aren’t the only gang causing problems in Chicago. Any shooting involving a GD generally involves members of another gang. Taking out the GDs isn’t going to destroy the gang problem citywide…if taking out the GDs is even possible to begin with.

Cook County Jail is among the largest prisons in the U.S. with a daily population of about 9,000 inmates awaiting trial or transfer, with just 3,800 staff to wrangle them.  Conditions at the prison are reportedly poor. Some of the many allegations of abuse of prisoners (some of which are stunningly detailed in Chicago Reader reporter Steve Bogira’s book Room 302)  have met with settlements, including “roughly 80 female plaintiffs” who had been pregnant. Kirk may have “talked to some federal judges” about “handling hundreds of defendants,” but I find it hard to believe that it’s a good idea to try to cram twice the population into an already overcrowded and apparently mismanaged prison.

Growing up on the South Side of Chicago, half the kids I went to school with claimed some sort of affiliation to the GDs; they dominated the marijuana trade, their tags could be seen carved into many school desks. Across the city, GD-affiliates are the fathers, brothers, cousins, friends, and neighbors of thousands of people. Their graffiti covers entire blocks. Like it or not, being a GD is a way of life to many in this city, and if you cut some of them down, more will rise up to take their place. Not every single one of those men and boys are Bad Guys who need to be Locked Up. Sure, some of them are, but others just need some guidance, a job, a hobby, a hand up and a way out.

The passion of Senator Kirk (who is, incidentally, recovering from a recent stroke like a champ, and we sincerely wish him good health) for safety on Chicago’s streets is admirable and shared by the people of Chicago, many of whom may well read what he said and jump to their feet shouting, “Yes! Get them all off the street!” He should be cautioned, however, that many good people have inadvertently done wicked things driven by such passions.

In an interview, Senator Kirk brought up that while traveling abroad, Chicagoans sometimes hear “Chicago? Bang Bang!” in reference to Al Capone. He’s right, that is our rep. I had that exact exchange in Amsterdam a few years ago. I replied that in my new neighborhood, we only had gunshots once in awhile.

Senator Kirk would do well to remember how Capone rose to power–through well-meaning legislators (responding to the cry of the people) trying to reduce crime by making alcohol illegal.

The road to true salvation from gang violence is a long, hard one; it involves putting Chicago’s poor first in the tax budget rather than last. Putting more, better trained cops on the street. More jobs and job training. Improving the schools. Encouraging business and lightening the tax burden on the little guy. Killing the black market by legalizing marijuana and debatably other drugs. Encouraging integration in neighborhoods. Perhaps improving regulation of guns (as opposed to returning to the ban, which never worked). Opening mental health centers instead of closing them down. We don’t seem to be on that path.  Even little things like picking up the trash in North Lawndale once in awhile don’t seem to be happening.

I believe Senator Kirk is sincere about stopping gun violence on Chicago’s streets. I think we all are. But putting yet more men of color in prison is not going to help and will ruin the lives of good and even innocent people. America has the most black men in prison in the world, Chicago is a big contributor to that, and it hasn’t done anything to stop the violence–though it did leave many boys without fathers and convicted felons without job skills on the streets. The only way to get those men off the streets for good is to make a serious commitment to uplifting Chicago’s poor.

The infamous Sorority Letter has caused a craze amongst all the Regina Georges of the world. The following letter depicts a real-life fashion crisis.

If you’ve just opened this, you had better hope you’re not wearing an outfit that screams “I blend in with the forest.” I’M TALKING ABOUT CAMO, PEOPLE. CAMO.

If you look down at your outfit this freaking instant and what you see staring back at you is a grody little camo ensemble, take it the fuck off.

I’m happy to be the bearer of bad news when I say—no, scream—CAMO IS DEAD. If you’re still wearing camo, I expect you to do what camo’s supposed to help you do, and disappear…from the face of the earth. Blend in with the trees. Live in a jungle. Do whatever you have to do. Just don’t be seen in public.

If you’re sitting there dazed and confused and saying, “but camo looks soo cute, and everyone still wears it,” then here’s a newsflash for you: NO… JUST NO.

In case you live Antarctica or Indiana: spring is here. It’s been here. It’s knocking on your door shouting,“Bitches, stop with the fall trends!” Sure, camo was one of the hottest trends at the end of last year, but, girl, like your trainwreck relationship, you need to let that go.

Instead of walking around looking like the chameleon from Monsters, Inc., stand out. Not only are the obvious florals, spring whites and pastels something you need to jump on if you haven’t already, but there are literally a million-and-one other fashion trends that I could help you out with, IF you want to look like you’re part of civilization and not like a complete savage.

The ‘90s are definitely in. And I’m not talking about the tacky, obnoxious outfits either—don’t you fucking dare. Subtle things: crop tops, boyfriend jeans. Think “Chili in her TLC days” and knock it down a few levels.

You want to wear print? WEAR IT THE HELL UP. Floral print bombers are huge this season, too. It’s about being bold. If you’re more on the timid side and like to stick to the basics, fine. But you don’t have to LOOK basic. Throw on a maxi dress, maxi skirt, pull an Angelina with a thigh high slit (or a smaller boring slit, whatever). High waist anything: jeans, shorts, skirts, look awesome paired with crop tops and bodysuits. Stripes are also a subtle yet fun way to play up a simple outfit.

My point is, WHY are you people not burning all your camo fits yet?!

If you’re still sitting saying, “I like those trends, but, geez louise, I simply just looove to wear my camo!” then re-fucking read this letter from the top. Camo, over. Like your social life, if you plan on still rocking forestwear.

In the words of the great Young Jeezy, ”RIP, RIP,” kill your camo.

Man or Astro-Man?’s ninth full-length album Defcon 5…4…3…2…1 will be released on May 21st from Communicating Vessels/Chunklet Records. They will be performing at the Empty Bottle on June 14 and 15.

For the better part of two decades, Man or Astro-Man? have been known for their unique brand of sci-fi themed surf-punk. Spanning from their inception in 1992 until 2001, the band churned out eight full-length albums and countless EPs before going on an extended hiatus. While they have resurfaced a few times since then, Defcon 5…4…3…2…1 is their first new release in years—and it shows that the unfailingly unique surf-punk stalwarts haven’t missed a beat.

Defcon is a mostly instrumental album—in fact, one of the prominent features of this album is how it’s structured. Five completely instrumental tracks (appropriately named “DEFCON 5” through “DEFCON 1”) are spread out through the album and act as interludes between the other songs.

Check out the album’s first single, “Disintegrate”.

Even without lyrics, Defcon is really effective at creating an atmosphere. It is noticeably darker than their previous work. While Man or Astro-Man? have always been good at using strange, 1950s sci-fi-esque sound effects (many of which were taken from films featured in Mystery Science Theatre 3000, which also inspired a spin-off band, Servotron), it sounds like now they’re taking advantage of the advances in noise-making technology since the last time they released an album. Tracks like “DEFCON 4” and “DEFCON 2”, for example, feature granular textures and other synthesized sounds that would not be out of place in the current EDM (Electronic Dance Music) wave which has proved to be widely influential. These textures are very effective at establishing an almost sinister feel to the album.

The lyrical content matches this dark atmosphere There’s a distinctly dystopian, apocalyptic feel to the lyrics—alien abduction, science experiments on humans, mind control, post-humanism and other themes abound. While previous Man or Astro-Man? albums offered clear moments of levity that emphasized the innate, unavoidable campiness of sci-fi themed surf rock, Defcon seems less deliberate in doing so. It consistently maintains its dark atmosphere, reminiscent of bands like The Paper Chase or Black Heart Procession.

The interesting thing about Defcon as an album is that it avoids the pitfalls most albums—especially ones with a deliberate concept—fall into. Instead of growing tired and trailing off as the album goes on, Defcon actually gets stronger in its second half. Songs like “Arc” in particular pulse forward with a persistent beat and the deep groove of grainy synth waves, accompanied by an undeniably catchy hook. Man or Astro-Man? have always excelled at balancing chaotic, aggressive, sometimes dissonant songs with their striking pop sensibilities. “Cocoon” captures this juxtaposition perfectly, and helps bring the album to its climax.

Defcon 5…4…3…2…1 shows that Man or Astro-Man? have grown since their long hiatus began in 2001. Their music has always been unique, but it’s refreshing to see their ability to pick it back up and be as relevant and interesting as ever by maturing their sound and bringing fresh ideas and new methods to the table. Even a decade after their last release, they’re staying true to what made them so original in the first place.

News coverage of Pres. Obama’s recent trip to Mexico and Central America tends to focus on the drug-war violence ravaging much of the region.

The negative press is for good reason, too. Over 60,000 Mexicans were killed in the country’s drug war between 2006 and 2012, and the murder rate is a bit north of 20 lives per 100,000.

But that’s peanuts compared to most of Central America, which has become the main conduit for organized crime.

The worst is Honduras, my maternal homeland, where the murder rate is more than four times that of Mexico and 10 times higher than the global average (a Honduran is killed about every 70 minutes). San Pedro Sula, Honduras’s industrial epicenter, is now the “murder capital of the world,” with an astronomical 169 killings per 100,000 residents.

I was aware of the violence before my trip there in June 2011— I also knew about the golpe that took place in 2009. But being from Chicago, I thought San Pedro Sula or Tegucigalpa couldn’t be any more dangerous than Auburn Gresham or Sedville.

My grandma, a proud golpista, did her best to convince me that the reports were all lies invented by a left-leaning sensationalist media.

Fortunately, I never witnessed any crime whatsoever during my week-long tour of the country, finding it no more hazardous as I imagine other places around the world are.

Sure, there was the hotel manager in La Ceiba who pointed to the south and then into town, warning us not to go in either direction after dusk. And the family members we stayed with in the capital told us not to pull out anything of value (especially our phones) and suggested we stay indoors at night.

Now, nearly two years later, I find myself planning another week-long trip to another drug-war hot spot — this time, Juárez, Mexico.

My wife, the former DREAMer, was born in Juárez, and her father lives there now after being deported in 2004. I’m going with her to Juárez to introduce myself as his newest (and only) son.

While we’re both excited for the trip — my wife’s a daddy’s girl — we realize Juárez won’t be a walk in the park.

Yes, the city’s come a long way from just a few years ago, when its murder rate (2,738 in 2010) made it the murder capital of the world. Now it’s not even the murder capital of Mexico (“The city has now passed on the unfortunate distinction of being Mexico’s most violent to Acapulco,” writes Mexico specialist Shannon K. O’Neil).

Yet, while Juárez has around 600,000 fewer residents than Chicago, it still had close to 150 more murders last year than Chicago did.

Given the figures, my wife and I understand we’re traveling to a warzone.

But people trek nervously even in Chicago.

In celebration of Cinco de Mayo, I invited a few friends and family members to spend the day with me in La Villita (“Little Village,” for the uninitiated). Nearly all of them expressed more than a little trepidation in going to a part of the city they deemed “ghetto.”

Before I convinced her, one friend told me she didn’t “feel like getting shot today.”

When the day turned a bit too chilly for a festival, we headed over to 18th Street in Pilsen — again, at my suggestion. But after receiving a few catcalls and spotting some tattooed cholos, another girl in the crew pleaded, “Can’t you ever take us someplace safe?”

Before you write me angry letters saying that’s what you get for taking suburban güeras to the Mexican part of town, you may be interested to know that I was the only non-Mexican in the group.

And it’s not a Mexican thing either. I know plenty of Puerto Ricans who avoid El Paseo and Logan Square like swine flu.

The point is, while white America is weary about drug-war violence spilling over the border, death and crime has long since made the jump for many Latinos. The media has us worried about going to places like Juárez and San Pedro, when the places we come from —the places where Latinos live in America — are just as plagued.

It’s like rapper Yasin Bey once quipped: “I’m from the projects — I know danger.”

Candidly, there’s no concluding plan of action to this bit of commentary. I’m not pointing these conditions out to then say here’s what we do. I don’t know what we should do.

But what I do know is that what’s happening in Latin America abroad and in Latino communities at home is the result of decades of U.S. foreign and domestic policies.

Violence, crime and poverty are crippling Honduras and Mexico because the U.S. government doesn’t want them crippling America. The same levels of violence, crime and poverty are crippling La Villita and West Humboldt Park because the government doesn’t want them crippling Lakeview and Wicker Park.

So if there’s any definitive first step that can be discerned, maybe it’s that Latin Americans and Latinos decide that they will no longer live in fear of the places they come from.

Your parents’ or grandparent’s homeland might be dangerous, and your neighborhood might be a warzone, but if enough people are willing, they won’t be for long.

[Photo: Señor Codo via Flickr]

You decide to have a party for Cinco de Mayo, yet your southern friends want to know if they can view the Kentucky Derby as well? Could be a fun mix of cultural exploration. But how are you going to pull off the the food and drink to satisfy both?

Margaritas and stuffed pork quesadillas versus mint juleps and Benedictine cucumber sandwiches. Of course, we all know each event has an immense more to offer than tacos and bourbon, but today we are seeking one recipe that can tie them together seamlessly.

This Spicy Strawberry and Mint Grilled Cheese Quesadilla Sandwich is a crazy exploration into marrying these two festivities through one recipe. Imagine you are walking around the party while munching on a warm, cheesy quesadilla, and you trip but catch yourself by landing your cheese filled hand into a fellow party goer’s mint julep, which proceeds to knock into a bowl of fresh strawberries. Yup, that’s what this is. Cue the fireworks.

Sure it’s far fetched, but it could happen. More important is the how the warm Grand Marnier-kissed goat cheese envelopes the sweet strawberries and fresh mint. Simple toasted walnuts add a touch of luxury and refinement to the sandwich while the spicy jalapeno jelly lingers on the tongue. I know it sounds odd, but it’s a fun little appetizer. Could even be a light lunch on the right day.

It’s a fancy sandwich that that resembles a quesadilla and has all the makings of lip smacking and finger licking. Breathe easier knowing you have your party bases covered… unless a Sox game is on at the same time!

Spicy Strawberry and Mint Grilled Cheese Quesadilla Sandwich

• 1 package fresh Strawberries
• 2 ounces Goat cheese
• 2 ounces cream cheese
• 1/4 cup Grand Marnier
• Fresh black pepper
• Fresh mint
• Raspberry jalapeno jelly
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• White bread
• 1 tablespoon butter

Begin by toasting the walnuts then crush them into smaller crumbs. Slice the strawberries and mix the cheese as noted below while the walnuts are toasting.

Whip together the goat cheese, cream cheese, one tablespoon of the Grand Marnier and a sprinkling of fresh black pepper, set aside. Pour the remaining Grand Marnier in a small, shallow bowl (you will be dunking the strawberries in this.)

Assemble the sandwiches: Spread a spoon of the goat cheese mixture on one side of the bread. Tear up one medium sized mint leaf over the goat cheese and then sprinkle with a spoon of chopped walnuts. Dip the sliced strawberries in the Grand Marnier and lay on top of the goat cheese. Spread a spoon of the jalapeno jelly on the remaining bread slice and bring the two halves together. Repeat for each sandwich.

Brush a hot griddle or large fry pan with butter. Place the sandwiches on the griddle and cook until lightly golden brown. Flip over and repeat on the second side. Enjoy while warm.

Fat and Happy Food Blog Tips and Techniques: Let the goat cheese come to room temperature for easier spreading. For a fancier looking sandwich/quesadilla, use cookie cutters to cut shapes out of the white bread.

For more recipes and more photos, go to Monique’s blog: FatandHappyBlog.com

A couple weeks ago, Monique Costello, the woman behind Fat & Happy, returned from a trip to Peru. She wrote about her experiences as well as riffed on some of the local fare in Fat & Happy: A Visit to Peru and a Peruvian Causa Recipe.

She included several photos. Here are many more. From danger to more details about the drinks and foods and people in the photos, I asked Monique to elaborate.

Butterflies mating on your hat?! That seems like a religious experience.

It really was amazing; I feel it has special meaning too. A friend did a journey for me a few months ago and the butterfly was a powerful symbol for me at the time.

All the mushrooms? The red ones — were the poisonous?

The red ones are the psychedelic ones- he didn’t let me pick any.

Were you ever in danger?

The only real danger was when we over-indulged in pisco drinks and found ourselves stumbling home on the tricky cobblestone. But seriously, we did all take one giant step back from the tarantula after we found out it could jump 1.5 meters.

What was the guide motioning when he looked like was saying, “The trunk is thiiiiiiiiiiiiis big!”? That was the oldest tree in the area. We stood inside one of the trees- you can see the spirits in the photo I took inside the tree. The tree information is fascinating. Fig trees take over and kill other trees. Even baby banana trees will take all the nutrients from the mother tree (which will die) if you don’t transplant it.

Did anything fall on you while you were in the jungle?  Does a lizard count?

Do they have ticks there? Or worse? Lyme Disease? No ticks. Malaria rather than Lyme.

Did you use insect repellent? YES! We brought three different kinds. I made the mistake of going to the farm in shorts and a t-shirt without much bug spray on. I’m guessing that was the day I landed all my bug bites though I never felt them.

Were there any amazing fruits just dangling close by that you could pluck and eat? We did pick up quit a few fruits at the Polyfarm. My favorite was the grapefruit lime. So sweet and delicious.

Speaking of edible leaves, I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts—Splendid Table—and they were talking about using radish leaves in a salad. I started thinking of unconventional choices for your salad. For instance, there are some dandelions growing right now on my lawn, and I’m wondering if I should eat them. I’m wondering if you encountered a lot of strange salads there. Oddly, we didn’t get a lot of salad. The water is undrinkable outside of Lima, so we were warned to stay away. But also I didn’t see much in the way of greens, even at the markets.

Are any of the beer drinking photos you took involving the coldest, thirst-quenching beer you’ve had (post jungle hike)?

Oh shoot, no. I’ll check with my friends, but I’m fairly positive we don’t have that photo.

Were those glass jugs of liquid and different ingredients the infused Pisco?

YES!

Can you go into detail about one that you had that was amazing?

Yes, I have a photo of that one, but it’s not great.  They infused the pisco with hot chili peppers. Keep in mind I like spice. So we asked our super fabulous waiter to suggest drinks for us.  He suggested the “lesser spicy” one. That had two, spicy and not-so-spicy,  pepper-infused pisco. I pushed for the more spicy one until he gave me a sample. Ay carumba! I hung my head and agreed to the less spicy, which turned out to have more than plenty of KICK. So they designed a drink around that for me, muddled with berries, a hint of simple syrup and garnished with mint. Favorites drink of the weekend. Actually came home and made a spicy simple syrup to use in our pisco sours for the pasta party. Huge hit!

Were any of your other drink photos pisco drinks?

All of them. J I could come up with names and base flavors if I dug in a bit.

Also (an aside) why don’t we have pisco here? Binny’s has it.

It sounds wondrous. The Wikipedia page notes that in its pure form, it tastes of reeds. I want to taste that! I also found this webpage of a restaurant in Hong Kong that is all about Peruvian foods and drinks. I’m very fascinated by this. I wonder if there are any restaurants in Chicago that specialize.

Have you tried Grappa? It’s similar. I drank the pisco straight one night. It’s not for everyone. However, pisco is technically brandy, made from muscat must and only the first press is used.

Another aside: The more I read about grapes in Peru, the more I’m fascinated. I’ve never thought of wine grapes grown in Peru. It’s a lovely thought.

right? Great terrain for it.

What was in the river water in a couple of your pics? It looks like you threw a fruit in there, and some river critters immediately starting eating it. It also reminded me of the oil slick monster in Creepshow 2. Very scary.

I love silly sci-fi shows. Those were piranha!

What was the fried critter with the chile in its mouth??? Was it good? …(sorry…) Did it taste like chicken?

Cuy! Guinea pig. Tasted more gamey and wild. Not everyone was a fan.

I’m mesmerized by the women knitting. From looming the wool (I’m sure I’m saying that wrong) to dying it from plants they grow (!!!!) and other sources of dye, it seems so incredible. Given that the garment industry has been in the spotlight as of late concerning the Bangladeshi factory collapse, seeing these women from llama to sweater (or hat…) seems so romantically lovely.

I loved this visit, especially the using local plants to dye the wool, I found that fascinating and was stunned by the colors they produced. We all bought several items to help support them. Our travel company was helping them. Learn these old trade to support themselves.

Did the llama spit on you?

No, but I think he wanted to

Was that lovely breakfast pic snapped at Jack’s Place? What is that? It looks like a Peruvian take on huevos rancheros.

Yes, exactly. So delicious. Not better than what we get here, but real good.

And were those typical pancakes? Do they use maple syrup there?

Yes and yes.

It looked like there were exotic, large rodents, parrots and monkeys (etc) just outside your hotel window (on that leg of your trip). True?

Yes.

If so, did you have any encounters?

Yes. We were enjoying a drink one afternoon on some chairs just outside the main ‘lodge’ and playing cards. The raccoon looking thing scurried right under our feet! We freaked a. little. Then it did exactly as raccoons do—Got into the garbage!  Then the rat like rabbit showed up. Then the parrot showed up. It was like our own little jungle zoo

Noises in the night? I saw the one pic of your husband with the parrot. Is that one of them?

Lots of noises. Crickets, monkeys, tree frogs and then a bunch of indistinguishable noises. Somehow I felt safe under our tiny, flimsy, little mosquito netting.

What of the surfers? Did you swim in the ocean?

That water was cold. This wasn’t summer for them, but we did lay on the beach of 15 minutes just to say we did.

And concerning all the ruins you walked amid, did you have any profound thoughts you’d like to share? I’ve never been there, but I find even thinking about those places a haunting enterprise. Their civilizations were so advanced, and yet, they didn’t survive. On your guided tours or while reading the guideposts (signage, as it were), did you get a sense that there was any historical whitewash? For instance, the new George W. Bush Presidential Library seems to be a great example of historical revisionism as well as an attempt to rehabilitate his image.

I think the sense you get, or that I got, was that the Incans were an extremely civilized, organized, healthy, all working towards to greater good, kind of people. … Except for all of the slaughter and offerings (mostly animal). Until the Spanish invaded, they did not have war amongst themselves; crime was unheard of. And they lived off the land and made the land work for them. For instance, Peru has over 4,000 varieties (most unknown to the rest of the world) of potatoes. Small farms with isolated plots have trouble connecting to larger distributions options, creating biodiversity.  Peru also has purple corn. Would love to get my hands on some here. It’s made into a very popular drink or dessert and is said to have incredible healing properties.

Walking among the ruins also gave me such a sense of overwhelming collaboration in what it took to build these cities, even one wall. And a bit of sadness that with our modern technology, we could not accomplish what they did by shear strength and passion.

You went to a chocolate museum. Anything notable?

My exposure to notable chocolate in Peru was pretty limited, but would be open to exploring the chocolate path more. Especially in the raw cocoa bean itself rather than the final “chocolate” product. The smell of the roasting cocoa bean was intoxicating!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gozamos/sets/72157633408318055/show/

We’re supposed to refer to it as “value priced”—the cheap wine. Not a lot of money. Under $15 and most likely, under $12.  

Often, this translates to metallic, thin, ambiguously sweet and unambiguously disappointing. Sip after sip, you reacquaint yourself with this unfortunately familiar mélange of flavors and aromas. It’s wine, it’s drinkable, but it’s oh, so tragic.

Yellow Tail, Beringer, Gallo, Two Buck Chuck—there are certain labels that embrace and thrive in the cheap. Needing to bring wine to a party full of people who don’t really care? Apathetic? Desperate? These are the wines you buy. I’ve been to some of the swankiest country clubs around and chuckled to myself as I noticed they were pouring crap that, at cost, is around $4 a bottle. They get away with this because these types of wine aren’t available retail. Distracted by the glamour of being in a country club or fancy restaurant, what’s poured in the glass seems to always taste real, real good.

A similar spellbound uplift ensorcelled me when it comes to French wines. I’ve put them on a pedestal. I have. I do this with Italian wines as well, but there’s something about France with it’s terroir, it’s classification system, its history. It wasn’t until The Judgment of Paris in 1976 that the US was even considered a bona fide quality wine producer.

So when I heard about the wine lake, I was shocked. There was even a little schadenfreude seeping in as I thought, “Ah ha! Those French bastards! Serves them right with those French labels and silent letters and three-hour lunches and their cheeses and their kisses….”

The wine lake is not a real “lake” per se but a euphemism to describe something that’s not at all mildy amusing or funny. Millions of gallons of wine, bought back by the French government, are turned into rubbing alcohol every year. Enough to fill a lake, as it were. Bloomberg explains that in addition to the labels, unruly, independent grape growers who are reluctant to not only change with the times but work together as well as a glut of admittedly lackluster wines are to blame. And with France being the world’s largest producer of wine, well, this phenomenal situation exists. Until last year when, after years of pulling vines, vintners going under and a terrible, terrible growing season (read “The Wine Lake Is Decisively Drained” for more on this), the market for French wine might be improving.

Having said all this, the French wine section sparkles with treasure. Just because there is less supply doesn’t mean that demand will be increasing anytime soon. Here are two value-priced selections. Cheap, really. And oh, so lovely.

2011 La Levraudiere Muscadet, Sévre & Maine ($11.99)

Immediately apparent is that this is a full-bodied wine. Think cough syrup versus water; this is closer to the cough syrup. We all know that full-bodied whites exist. We’ve all had a full-bodied white. But I’ve had so many lithe, thirst-quenching whites that I’m still taken aback when I drink one that not only tastes a little creamy but actually feels creamy. And I love light-bodied whites. A hot day in the summer? Yes, please. A cold day in the winter? That, too.

The name of the grape (or varietal) is Muscadet (mus-kuh-DAY). The other two words – Sévre and Maine – are in reference to the sub-appelation or vineyard location.

Typical of this grape, as with many white grapes: melon, white floral and citrus. I always feel like a schmuck when I say things like orange blossoms because I’ve never smelled an orange blossom. But here I go. I smell something like a very mild orange and a very mild floral. In something that feels more akin to addition than extrapolation, orange blossom makes sense to me. Just as silly is to point out the minerals and funk. But we’ve all stepped outside just as it starts to rain. We can smell something released in the air that’s earthy and…minerally. I get this when I smell and taste this wine. And then, all of this is creamy. And so, if you’re a fan of Chardonnay, you will also love Muscadet.

2011 Charles Brotte Grand Vallon Syrah ($8.99)

I love The Washington Post and love it even more when I found that they gave a shout out to this beauty. What’s important to know is that it’s Syrah. Grown in Australia, for instance, this is called Shiraz. But grown in France, it’s Syrah. It’s also much more brooding and tastes less like dessert in a glass and more like something meant to accompany your meal.

Nose: It’s not often I encounter a plume of lavender, herbs and dark berries. Just as evident is a funk, something I much prefer over sugary sweet.

Mouth: As they say, the nose is realized on the palate. I’m not good enough to distinguish just what type of dark berries make up the fruit portion, but they’re there. Keeping things from getting out of control are shimmers of dry cocoa, dried herbs (I swear, I could taste oregano) and more of that funk, albeit subtle. This wine has also seen some oak. Nothing gratuitous, thank the gods.

These are not obscure wines, but call around before you go out on a wine run.

Le Cheers!

The President & El Presidente

Pres. Barack Obama is on a three-day trip to Latin America, having first visited Mexico on Thursday to meet with the newly inaugurated Enrique Peña Nieto.

The two major issues, of course, are the looming debate over immigration reform and efforts to stem drug-war violence south of the border, or at least keep it from spilling over.

I’m sure Pres. Obama was excited when he first learned he’d be in Mexico during the first week of May, but unfortunately the president won’t be in Mexico for Cinco de Mayo, since he’ll be meeting with Central American leaders on Friday and Saturday.

That means the beer summit he’d planned for Sunday will have to be postponed – unless Air Force One has to make an emergency stop on the way back to the States.

(Read Mexico specialist Shannon K O’Neil’s recent article, “Five Myths About Mexico”)

A major Mexican newspaper reported this week that more than 7,000 police, soldiers and Secret Service agents from the United States would accompany Pres. Obama on his trip to Mexico.

Leave it to America’s first black president to roll with a posse.

Chicago & Its Discontents

Wednesday marked 122nd May Day, an international socialist holiday that commemorates Chicago’s infamous Haymarket massacre in 1886.

Nowadays, people from all over the left with various of gripes and grievances come together in solidarity to demand change  by screaming, marching and chanting.

But I gotta tell you, the left in this country needs to get better organized. It’s like they don’t even know who they’re with or what they stand for anymore.

I even saw one sign that read, “Keep your Commie hands off May Day!”

In fact, there was only group present at the march that showed any type of organization. They marched onto the field in orderly fashion, all wearing coordinated red-and-black outfits with the same black bandanas covering much of their faces. It turns out they were anarchist.

Speaking of commies, I saw a member of one of the many socialist groups there passing out issues of the group’s newspaper, and I asked her if they were printed on recycled paper. She said she had no clue because she didn’t control the means of production.

A Day Without a Mexican Immigrant

On Monday the Supreme Court rejected Alabama’s appeal to reinstate parts of Arizona-style immigration law. A federal court initially threw out the parts of the law that were written in crayon.

Then, on Wednesday, the LA Times became the most recent medium to drop its use of the term “illegal immigrant.”

The paper goes a step further, however, by also banning the use of “undocumented immigrant” when describing, well, um, the people from another country who either crossed the border illegally or overstayed their visas and are now living in the United States without proper authorization.

Now I hear The Washington Post plans on banning the terms “Mexican” and “Muslims,” because it says both words have gained a negative connotation during the past few years and many Americans take offense to being called either Mexican or Muslim.

Whatever you do, don’t call someone an illegal Muslim Mexican, because then you’re just asking for trouble.

1) Open Mouth 2) Insert Foot

Speaking of name-calling, Think Progress posted a video of the term “anchor baby” being uttered repeatedly by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) — you know, one of the House of Representatives’s own “Gang of Eight” working on a comprehensive immigration bill.

In a related story, it seems Sen. Ted Cruz might be forced to postpone his presidential bid indefinitely.

Interestingly enough, the fire-breathing freshman senator from Texas was actually born in Canada to an American mother and a Cuban — which would make Cruzy Boy half American, half anti-American, and 100 percent “dirty syrup guzzler,” as Jon Stewart said on Wednesday night’s episode.

The Buena Vista Terrorist Club

The U.S. State Department announced that, after earlier indications it might ease its stance on Cuba (and after Havana condemned the Boston bombings), the island nation will remain on its list of “state sponsors of terrorism.”

Although Cuba gives sanctuary to Basque and Colombian militant groups, it should be pointed out that this is the same list from which North Korea and Libya were removed a few years back.

But I guess all that Cuban music and food can really terrorize a white guy’s ears and stomach.

Never mind Kim Jong-un polishing his missiles in the corner.

Meanwhile, Mariela Castro, the daughter of Cuban Pres. Raúl Castro, was given permission to attend an LGBT rights conference in Philadelphia, after her request for entry was initially denied by the United States — yes, the country that brought you “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” (unless you’re a Spanish-speaking pinko, otherwise, you can starve to death in a crumbling apartment complex).

A Gay Day for the NBA

Sports Illustrated published an article this week by Washington Wizards center Jason Collins in which the 34-year-old NBA player announced he’s gay, becoming the first athlete in a major American sport to do so.

Some of the reactions were heartwarming:

Pres. Barack Obama

Charles Barkley

Then, there was this:

It seems religious people only preach tolerance whenever they want you to tolerate their intolerance.

But for those of us whose parents hugged us when we were little, Collins’s announcement comes as just another magnificent milestone along America’s road toward progress.

It was great to see the wide acceptance and praise for Collins’ coming out by athletes from different sports, but especially in the NBA, where Commissioner David Stern just announced “power bottom” as a new starting position. And on the NBA’s Gay Nights, free wieners will be given out every time a player commits a reacharound foul.

I know, I know. Happy Cinco de Mayo, everybody!

[Photo: Hector Luis Alamo, Jr. for Gozamos.com]

The good weather arrives with May, and so the live tunes. Before entering a summer filled with music festivals, Chicago is hosting a large amount of electronic music shows and of course, three shows by Their Satanic Majesties, the Rolling Stones.

James Blake – Saturday, May 2nd at Metro »

This exciting British producer gained fame after the dubstep outbreak at the beginning of the decade but he has managed to set a new path for the genre, more laid back and with a profound R&B influence that makes his work unleash many more emotions than the dubstep we are used to hear on the radio.

Purity Ring – Friday, May 3rd at Metro »

Montreal synthpop-duo Purity Ring has been one of the most acclaimed groups in the recent burst of dream-pop with just a handful of singles and one album. They will perform two shows (8.00 p.m. and 11.30 p.m.) due to the high demand. Blue Hawaii will support them.

Daughter – Thursday, May 9th at Lincoln Hall »

Daughter is a London-based band led by singer and guitarist Elena Tonra. They come to Chicago to present their first album, “If You Leave,” which is filled with mesmerizing pop songs that contain lyrics and arrangements studied down to the last detail. The show will be a good and cheap opportunity to see the beginnings of what looks like an amazing band.

Kurt Vile & the Violators – Tuesday, May 14th at Lincoln Hall »

Kurt Vile has been slowly forging a must-listen career for any fan of alternative rock genre, both his solo work and his role as the guitarist in the War on the Drugs. The show is sold out, but he will come back to the city in June and there are still tickets available.

Youth Lagoon – Wednesday, May 15th at Metro »

Trevor Powers is the 23-year-old producer behind Youth Lagoon. He began producing his music between classes and recorded his first album in his house. He has been in the scene for only two years, but his two albums hint good times for this young artist.

Rodriguez- Friday, May 17th at Lincoln Hall »

The life of this Mexican musician has become ​​famous due to the Academy Award winning documentary “Searching For Sugarman.” Rodriguez belongs to the songwriters’ golden age (late 60′s-early 70’s) and although he did not gain commercial success at the time, there is now a cult fandom behind him.

Foals – Saturday, May 18th at Vic Theatre »

This British indie rock group has created a significant buzz back home, but has failed to create it in the U.S. Still, Foal’s elegant compositions have been well received by the critics. They will be at Lollapalooza this summer. Surfer Blood and Blondfire will start the show.

Flying Lotus – Saturday, May 19th at Metro »

Flying Lotus is an electronica producer with an exceptional capacity to experiment, seeking to embed in each of his works different ideas but always leaving his recognizable feel. In his latest album, “Quiet Until Comes,” Lotus has added a free jazz vibe which once again succeeded in its purpose.

A Tribe Called Red – Sunday, May 26th at Mayne Stage »

A Tribe Called Red is Bear Witness, DJ Shub and Dee Jay NDN. They create an eclectic sound made up of a wide variety of musical styles ranging from Hip-Hop, Dance Hall, Electronic, and their own mash-up of club and Pow Wow music, known as “Pow Wow Step”.

John Talabot – Sunday, May 26th at Lincoln Hall »

After the LP ƒin and performances all around the world, John Talabot is probably the Spanish producer with more international recognition in the last years. Moreover, the work by this producer from Barcelona has been used by renowned artists like James Murphy and Aeroplane.

Rolling Stones – Tuesday, May 28 at United Center »

Some people think that the Rolling Stones are just old people looking for some good money and the last drops of fame, but at the end, they still the Rolling Stones. I might be making the same mistake as many other music journalists did in the past, but this is probably the last time we will be able to see a (stadium) tour by these veterans. Also, some ex-Stones’ legends such as Bobby Keys and Mike Taylor will be performing in these three shows (May 28, 31, June 3).

Photos courtesy of DDLT Facebook Page

Dia De Los Tamales ┃939 W. 18^th St, Pilsen ┃312.496.3057┃Hours: Tues-Sun 11am-7pm

“Mmmm! This is so chocolatey, so soft and so delicious. What a yummy Chocolate Peanut Butter Tamale! Wait, what? Did I just say that? Yes. Yes, I did.”

Catering company, Get Off The Couch, has done it; a soft opening for their Dia De Los Tamales (DDLT) storefront in Pilsen, and I did not let a thing keep me from it, not even a hangover!

The three brains behind DDLT — Jeni Wahl, Sam Wahl and Chef Keith Carlson — decided they wanted to be involved within the community of Pilsen, and having a storefront seemed like a perfect way to interact and share their artisanal tamales.

The DDLT brand has been circling around the city for about a year now. From special requests, to the Pilsen Community Market, their uniquely flavored tamales are creating a buzz.

So there I go, with absolutely no idea what to expect. Oh! Let me add: I took my favorite food critique, my father. That man is one curious, outspoken, TRADITIONAL Mexicano with a heart for food.

We walk into DDLT, and I smell all sorts of goodness. It’s hard to define. I look at the menu and understand why. I was blown away! Chicken Curry Tamale? CHICAGO ITALIAN BEEF TAMALE? I looked at my father, and I swear it looked as if his eyes were going to pop out of their sockets.

We finally ordered and began tasting. As I ate, I noticed how diverse their clientele is. I also noticed how generous the menu is towards the vegetarian and vegan community. Back to the tamales, let me say, my taste buds were confused but very content. I tried about five non-traditional flavors, all with a soft texture and full of flavor. My ultimate favorite ended up being the Chocolate Peanut Butter Tamal! This dessert tamal is beyond amazing to me, and they serve it with a cup of chocolate sauce! I’m certainly returning for more of that. As I eat this beautiful creation, I overhear my father speaking with Jeni.

“What are you trying to do to the Tamal?!”

Before I could throw my fork at him I thought, Wait. That is a very good question. Deriving from a very traditional man, my dad wanted to know what exactly inspired her to mix up the recipe most of us are accustomed to. So what exactly is DDLT’s mission? They wanted to do something creative, something out of the ordinary, all while honoring a traditional food.
“There are just so many endless possibilities and ideas. One season we brought out a pumpkin pie tamal at the market, and people loved it! We are very inspired by seasonal items and make everything from scratch,” says Jeni. “My favorite is the Juicy Lucy. It tastes just like a cheeseburger. It’s definitely a guilty pleasure.”

As Jeni spoke, she said a few words that caught my dad’s attention: Key Lime Pie Tamal. This hardcore traditionalist had fallen. Just like that my dad counted himself in for the grand opening May 10^th.

Not everyone is brave enough to have tamales that are not made by their mom or abuelita, but Dia De Los Tamales certainly has a tamal for anyone. Don’t be afraid to try something different. You will be amazed. And if tamales aren’t your thing? Pffft! Don’t you worry. They have heavenly garbanzos. It was love at first spoonful!

Come by and support Dia De Los Tamales located at 939 W. 18^th St in Pilsen! The storefront will be open for regular business hours after Tuesday April 23, 2013 and Alderman Solis will be cutting their ribbon at the grand opening May 10^th. Let me know if you see my dad stuffing his face in Key Lime Pie tamales!

Feature photo by Nicolás Carlos

We find ourselves in Austin, Texas, standing next to Roberto Musso of Cuarteto de Nos from Uruguay, when we realize the awe-inspiring global impact of the South by Southwest music festival. With the Sounds of Spain stage right across the street from us, and artists from all over the world walking casually by on their way to the next gig, an interview or lunch, we are beyond thrilled to be a part of this week-long event.

Musso, coming off a well received performance the previous night, is as cheerful and engaging as we’ve been witness to through the band’s many music videos, features and interviews. The showcase his band was a part of, a first of its kind at SXSW, also featured Daniela ‘Tatita’ Marquez, Malena Muyala, Franny Glass, Max Capote, Campo and Martin Buscaglia, some of Uruguay’s most talented artists. Musso is the lead vocalist and guitarist for legendary alternative rock band Cuarteto de Nos whose multiple award-winning albums have provided them with over 20 years of amazing memories.

Cuarteto de Nos formed in Montevideo, Uruguay, in 1984. Many of their albums, over a dozen recorded thus far, have reached gold, platinum and double-/quadruple-platinum status. They are the first band from Uruguay to receive such accolades. Also, after including Juan Campodonico to their project as producer and adding new visual/sound elements, the band has gone on to receive Latin Grammy and Grammy nominations, which adds to their list of firsts. Their 2012 release, Porfiado, won a Latin Grammy for Best Pop/Rock album as well as Best Rock Song for their single, “Cuando seas grande.” The band continues to work with Campodonico, another brilliant mastermind of Uruguayan-influenced hits. Cuarteto de Nos has the distinction of being the first artist from Uruguay to receive a Latin Grammy and Grammy nomination.

Currently, the band continues its successful journey touring in promotion of Porfiado, and we’re hopeful their travels lead them to Chicago soon.