Thanks for perpetuating the stereotypes!

So, will Liv Tyler and Royston Langdon dress in black face for Halloween next year?

How lazy is this?

Hehee!  My avatar is spinnin’ around SL on a virtual Segway!

Last night I was visiting the Smithsonian Latino Virtual Museum in Second Life (http://latino.si.edu/education/LVM_Main.htm).  It’s an excellent presentation!  Thanks to Pablo Rangel for giving me the heads up.  The sim includes embedded videos (aka machinima) on Afro-Latino music, Dance & Masks in a Mexican community in the US, and other subjects, and an exhibit on the Olmec (see my previous post re the Olmec in the virtual Mexico sim).  Vistors to the museum can click on images, people, or places and be connected to the extensive collections held by the Smithsonian.  Heads up  . . . there will be a Dia de los Muertos celebration from Oct 29-Nov 2 in the museums placita.

If you’re wondering why I’ve been in SL so much, I ‘m down with the flu, hopefully not  H1N1     ^o^         plus, It’s research!!!!!

Really.

Archaeological tour of Mexico in one evening!

It’s  fall break at UNL which gives me a little bit of extra time to focus on projects and have a little R & R.  So, I headed off to Mexico, courtesy of the Mexican Board of Tourism — all from the comfort of my living room.  Talk about being an armchair tourist!  Of course I didn’t ACTUALLY go to Mexico, I took a VIRTUAL trip via Second Life.  Here are photos from my trip:

First, I did some upgrades to my avatar . . . new skin, different eyes, better piercings.  Vanity, thy name is avatar!  This photo was taken in the colonial section of virtual Mexico.

First stop: La Venta and the Olmec Archaeological Park

I have to say that the builders of this sim did a great job.  I think they must have used photographs of actual monuments which were then copied onto the simulated monuments.  The details are accurate and visually stunning. It is like being there — except no schlepping your luggage around or getting all sweaty in the coastal lowlands of the Veracruz area!

Next stop:  Palenque

The above photo is of the Temple of the Inscriptions, famous for housing the tomb of the great Maya king, Pacal.  In the sim, one can climb up the temple and then down the shaft into the center of the pyramid to view Pacal’s tomb.  I’ve done this in real life and the payoff is outrageous!!  I’m very impressed with this sim . . . again, just enough detail to entice and give the feeling that one is looking at the “real” thing, but not too much detail to make the sim run too slow.

This is the palace at Palenque.  Nice addition of the fire for ambiance!

Shot of a colonial church. The tourism board created a sim that features several archaeological sites, beaches, jungles, and colonial architecture.  It’s pretty amazing! There’s a musical soundtrack, ambient sound, and the discos have preset dance animators that allow your avatar to salsa like a local! Unfortunately, no one has yet found a way for you to enjoy a cerveza con un plato de enchiladas!

No trip to Mexico would be complete with out picking up souvenirs.  I got a free sombrero, but it didn’t fit!

Alas, not all is perfect in the virtual world — but the imperfections reflect real world issues.  The above photo is of a voting booth (you vote which sim you like best).  The prize for voting is a “Beautiful Mayan Inspired Outfit.”  OMG, this is cultural appropriation at its worst!  But, just the kind of sexy, exoticized pastiche of stereotypes to appeal to tourists!

I’m teaching a course right now on the Ancient Maya . . . I’ll have to work these images into my next lecture!

Second Life is truly amazing and this simulation of Mexico presents tourist destinations in a way that entices while not fully satisfying.  I sat through a short tourist board video that showed Mexico and Mexicans — which was a cool way to insert the real into the virtual.  The overwhelming message of the video and the sim was “VISIT MEXICO.”  I’m curious as to the effectiveness of this sim as a promotional device.  SL boasts of +1 million visits per month.  When I log on there are usually 40 – 65 thousand people inworld — that’s a lot of people!  A great deal of time, energy, and expense went into the creation of this sim, but it probably costs less than running TV ads and has the added bonus of giving avatars the opportunity to “experience” Mexico.  Probably for some, this is as much experience as they will want to ever gain . . . but for others, it is an engaging way to test the waters.

From an educational perspective, I can see the utility of sims of this nature.  I can send students inworld to virtually experience walking up the steps of a massive pyramid.  I have in mind the development of a course doing virtual ethnography in SL . . . a great way to learn how to do anthropology without the trouble (and expense) of going into the “field.”

Anyone interested in reading about SL should check out Tom Boellstorff’s text “Coming of Age in Second Life.”  It is an excellent presentation of SL and the possibilities of doing anthropological research in the post-modern/post-human era.  I “met” Boellstorff in SL . . .  it’s kinda funny . . . he’s from Nebraska and teaches at UC Irvine while I’m from Orange County and teach in Nebraska!  Even the virtual world is full of coinkydinks.

So much for blogging today . . . the kitty wants some pate . . . do you think I spoil her?

1st snow proves that Henny & Penny are hardy lasses, indeed!

I was awakened Saturday morning to Tom’s loud exclamation, “Oh, F@#k . . . it snowed last night.”  Needless to say, Mister Man is not favorably disposed to the winter season.  Fortunately, it was just a light dusting.

But, it did require some “farm” chores.   Henny and Penny weren’t too sure what was going on . . . it was their first snow.  So, I raked up the snow from around their yard so their little toes wouldn’t get too cold.  Maybe I should ask Onion Tears to knit them some gloves!  Tom had already fortified their coop with straw bales to keep out the wind and retain heat.

Here’s a video of the chickens enjoying the brisk winter air (and Balam, too).

done

I fortified the “chickie cave” to keep the snow out . . .

The girls seem to appreciate it!

done

The rain barrel had to be drained

So, that was Saturday morning . . . trying to winterize in early October . . . frankly, we were not prepared for snow.  We still had not taken the garden hoses off the spigots and Thursday evening we were out at 11 pm picking green tomatoes in the dark.  Global warming is perhaps a misnomer . . . we should call it global climate change.  Our summer was very cool and winter has made a fairly early appearance.  The cats, however, don’t seem to be too phased by the whole thing

They spend most of the day sleeping

The kitties are best buddies now.

Mister Man enjoying cat company

Cleo and me taking a nap

What better way to enjoy the cooling weather?

Phew, what a day!

Mister Man had a gig with the New Delta Boogie Boys at the 4th Annual Veg Fest held in the “Historic Havelock District”.

This event was organized by several organizations that we support . . . and they invited the NDBB to play.  It was a brisk afternoon, pleasant enough, but hard on the musicians (stiff fingers).  As always, Tom, Stan, Pablo, and Patrick served up some great  blues to entertain young and old alike.

You can keep track of upcoming gigs at   www.ruminentrecords.wordpress.com

Veg Fest also hosted a salsa contest (the condiment, not the dance) with the stipulation that the ingredients had to be locally grown and include melon.  Luckily, our neighbor Keith had just given me a watermelon earlier in the week. So I diced, seeded, chopped, tasted, salted, sawed, scooped, and garnished a recipe I made up for the contest.  Here’s my entry:

Watermelon and Mint Chiffonade Salsa

Judging was by Pepe Fiero (owner of Pepe’s Veggie Mex Bistro), Maggie (owner of Maggie’s Wraps), and Judy a la Carte  (radio host on KFOR).  It was a blind taste test . . . competition was a little lacking . . . only 3 entries until the final minute when two more showed up.

Judging. . . . .

Ta-da!

First Place!!  And there were prizes!

Woohoo!! A Rain Barrel!!

the long view

At the end of Veg Fest a few of us headed over to

to enjoy a few brews with friends.

Dave and Joan were kind enough to schlep the barrel to our house since it wouldn’t fit in my car even if it hadn’t been filled with Mister Man’s guitars, gig bags, guitar stand, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.

Had beer & wine with Dave and Joan.  Ran out to DeLeone’s for quick Mexican food  . . . and then just enough time to powder my nose, touch up my lipstick and drive over to Q to join my BFFs for the Drag review.  We had a great time.  Girls looked great  . . . I was complemented by a couple of performers on my hair and boots !!!  YES!  What we all need sometimes – validation that our internal diva-ness is workin’ it!

A lot of fun packed into one day!  Phew.  I think I’ll take it easy today.

Adios to Detective Bobby Goren :-(

Ah, such is life . . . constant movement and change is needed for us to remain healthy.  Doesn’t mean we have to like it,  I suppose.  Vincent D’Onofrio is bowing out of L&O: CI (although he does hint at possible guest returns).  D’Onofrio is a fabulous actor . . . stretching himself to the limits in very odd roles such as in The Cell, Full Metal Jacket, and Impostor. This last flick is not as well known as his other movies.  But, it is the first role that made me remember D’Onofrio.  I naturally saw Impostor when it premiered . . . it’s based on a story by Philip K. Dick.  PKD stories and novels have suffered and benefited from Hollywood treatment.  Anyone who knows me will tell you what my all time favorite movie is (Blade Runner).  In Impostor, D’Onofrio foreshadows his role as Goren.  He is a government agent trying to track down an alien impostor that has infiltrated earth with the intent of causing much mayhem (isn’t that what all aliens do?).  As the plot pitches, turns, and folds back in on itself, we are sure that D’Onofrio is right, but he doesn’t seem to represent good.  I loved the film . . .

Anyway, that’s my ramble for now.  I’ll miss D’Onofrio  . . . I’d let him interrogate me anytime!

It’s a girl!

We took Cleo for a well-baby vet check . . . Phew!  all test results returned negative for the nasty diseases.  I did ask the vet to check the kitten’s nether regions . . . I checked yesterday, but couldn’t find any external parts.  I thought maybe  I was losing my touch (so to speak) . . . but turns out that Cleofides is FEMALE !  So, now Cleo’s full name will be Cleopatra.  Cleo is NOT a happy kitty right now . . . shots, blood draw, frontline, dewormer, nail clip, and an anal probe >:-(

Teeny tiny Cleo weighs only 1.86 pounds . . . all that trauma has sent her into a deep slumber . . . . .  shhhhh!

New Kitten Redux

Well, we just couldn’t live without a kitten . . . so we adopted a new baby last night. I named him Cleofides – Cleo for short. Here’s our new guy:

Cleo is an orphan . . . his mother died so he was bottle fed.  As a result he is a little on the runty size at 8-10 weeks.  He has a vet appointment tomorrow for his first baby shots.

First contact with Balam went smoothly . . . Amby paved the way.  I think we are all happier now but miss our little Amby terribly still.

Amby – our time together was too brief

Amby lit up our home for less than three weeks before he died prematurely of FIP (Feline infectious peritonitis).  It all happened so fast and there’s no cure.  Two dear pets lost in only a month . . . very very sad.

Domestic Diva and State Fair Winner!

Never thought that I was going to adapt to Nebraska . . .  but I realize now that my upbringing pre-adapted me to Midwestern living.  My grandmother taught me to embroider when I was in kindergarten; I still embroider as means of keeping busy while watching TV [after all, idle hands are the Devil's playthings].  My Mom and Grandmother can/canned, so I learned to appreciate the process of “putting up” food for the winter.  My Mom has recounted her childhood memories of her grandmother drying squash to make calabazitas in the winter.  I vividly remember my Grandmother’s chokecherry jelly.  On a couple of occasions I helped my Grandma roast, skin, and bag Hatch green chilies.  If you check out Onion Tear’s Blog, you’ll see that this tradition has been passed on to my daughter.

[I "stole" this photo from Onion Tears Blog . . . 3 generations of crafty and domestic diva women]

This culinary “herstory” is not the stuff of books, but rather of tradition.  Generations of women, from many different cultures, regions, and walks of life have passed down food preservation techniques, recipes, arts and crafts, and other over-looked domestic tasks.  However, how much do we acknowledge these oral traditions, folkways, and women’s experiences?  For me, cooking, canning, embroidering, and other domestic tasks provide great personal satisfaction.  Now that I live in Nebraska, I have found a means of showing off the skills I learned from my mother and grandmother — the State Fair.

This year I entered four projects:  embroidered tea towel and pillowcase, canned Hatch chiles and escabeche (mexican pickled cauliflower, carrots, peppers, and onion).  I won three ribbons — the escabeche didn’t win (the vegetable colors faded and I think the taste might have been too “exotic”).  So, here’s how things turned out . . .

First Place Ribbon for Embroidered Pillowcase

This is the full view

Second Place Ribbon for embroidered tea towel

Full view

I thought I would take 1st place by capitalizing on the Buy Fresh, Buy Local campaign.

But I was blown out of the water by the first place winner

Very nice work!

My New Mexican Hatch chiles won a Second Place Ribbon.

Mister Man gave me a HUGE pressure canner last Christmas . . . I had to wait until this summer to use it.

Now I am able to can all kinds of things, including . . .

corn.

Here I am in front of my chiles.

Note the western shirt . . . when my sis and I were little, our mom ALWAYS got us new cowboy shirts, jeans, and moccasins for the Monte Vista, Colorado Stampede.  I still love to wear western shirts . . . especially the grotesquely gaudy fringy types!

After checking out the exhibits it was time to get food.  Mister Man and I opted for Polish sausages with onions and peppers.   Following up we had dessert . . . .

Funnel Cakes!!!

Caught in the act!

While we were sitting eating our deep fried dough and probably laying down a coating of cholesterol inside our arteries . . . I noticed this food vendor . . .

Nebraska is a major beef producer . . . but what the heck is a Beef Sundae?????  I didn’t have the nerve to ask.

Regardless, the notion is just gross!

So that was our State Fair experience.  We didn’t stay for the evening’s entertainment: Brett Michaels.  I didn’t care for Poison the first time around, I wasn’t going to be tortured by him cover bad hair band  tunes out of tune.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

More Domestic Diva stuff.  Yesterday I drove out to Martin’s Hillside Orchard to pick peaches and raspberries.  I picked up a small bag of apples since it’s still a tad early for the really good apples.  I spent about an hour gathering this beautiful fruit.  The peaches are DIVINE!  I’ve never eaten a fresh picked peach.  The scent wafting from the fruit in the trees was intoxicating . . . I ended up picking 20 pounds!  We’ll eat some, I’ll make a cobbler or two, and then I’ll can the rest for later in the winter.

Some raspberries will be individually frozen and packed.  But my favorite is raspberry jam, so I’ll load the canner up for that.

Speaking of canning, I’ll be directing a boiling water canning workshop next Saturday for Community CROPS.  We’ll be canning tomatoes.

So . . . that’s some of the recent news from Lincoln, Nebraska.  Henny and Penny are doing well, laying progressively larger eggs.  Balam and Amby (who’s nickname is now Bunny) are getting along very nicely now and chase each other around the house.  All’s right and well in our little home.