we're internet sensations

This is silly:

Kinda Fonda Wanda?



Why doncha come on over Valerie?



What is so maybe about Katie?

cinco de mayo

Maria (former roommate) and Roel came to visit this weekend. We celebrated Maria's birthday at Pancho Villa on Saturday night (Parilla Combo a.k.a $40 meat pot, and 2 kinds of shrimp and octopus coctels, YUM!!!)

Sunday night we hit Cinco de Mayo on Lake and 27th for some Elote. Elote is perhaps the most delicious food you will ever eat. Grilled corn on the cob, lime juice, mayonaise, parmesean cheese and chile pepper.

I love this, we all look so happy, well, Roel either looks like he's got the "don't mess with me face" on or he is in a lot of pain, (he was actually in a lot of pain and left almost as soon as this photo was taken in order to go to the hospital).

I want to write more about how the Latino community in our neighborhood has blessed and shaped me, but I've got three papers to write before I go to class tonight so that will be a later post. Happy cinco de celebracion.

Thanks Theresa for taking the picture, and Wanda for the use of the camera.

Shalom,
Katie

Emily

Emily, our former roommate, professor and author has launched a blog full of book reviews, reflections on human rights and teaching. I've included some of Emily's poetry here before.

Emily is one of the most talented writers you will ever meet. I am looking forward to reading her thoughts.

Swine Flu

I went home from work early today with a headache, I've been asked by 3 people since then if I have swine flu? Seriously!?

Anyway, in case you're wondering, here's a website that will help you decided if you have swine flu or not.

And here's a joke that made Noel fall out of his chair at the coffee shop last night:

They once said that a Black man would only be President when pigs fly. 100 days into his administration - swine flu.

In a more serious direction, friend of the Stevens House, Richard, asked this question the other day on his site:

Has anyone seen anything about sending aid/medicines or in any way helping Mexico deal with the outbreak. Right now they seem to be the only country seriously affected, and in being a pretty tourism-dependent country, is probably also hitting the resources that they will need to deal with it

So far no one has commented. Have any of you seen anything?

Ok, now back to homework.

ICE CREAM!

The Stevens House went out for Ice Cream last night. We used some of the penalty money that people contribute when they don't do their chore for the week. We're so lucky to be able to live with people who can just have fun with each other from time to time. I came home feeling sick, but it was deliciously worth it.

links - race, education and the environment

Happy day after Earth Day!

Noel, Bethany and I are getting a double plot in the community garden this year, this morning I planted pepper seeds and onions on our porch that I'll transplant when they get big. I'm really looking forward to this!

Here are some links that came up in my google reader, on facebook this week:

• Newsweek had an article last week comparing the experiences of African American Princeton alums from the 1960s with those of their daughters at Princeton today in a "post-racial bubble."
  

• Ed G. shares his take on it on the reconciliation blog.

• Speaking of Princeton, The Kitchen Table, a blog by two African American Women professors at Princeton, Yolanda Pierce has an article about the micro-aggression of racial profiling while shopping with her daughter. Seeming to contradict the idea of a "post-racial bubble" (let alone society).

• Also on The Kitchen Table, Mellisa Harris Lacewell has an interview with Majora Carter, on environmentalism in the South Bronx, and what racial oppression has to do with environmentalism.

• And speaking of environmentalism, César J. Baldelomar has an article on God's politics on the Social and Religious Effects of Global Warming. Among other things, I hadn't considered the effect Global Warming might have on global poverty and therefor immigration before. It's worth a read.

• Related to Global Poverty, my students, volunteers and I will be participating in the 30hour famine this weekend, or as one of my students likes to call it, "That Starving Thing." Pray for us, the students are raising money to fight hunger overseas, and collecting food for Simpson Food Shelf, here in our neighborhood.

• Finally, on our topic of race and earth day Fox 9 had a story about Popeye's offering an Earth Day Special on fried chicken. The Minneapolis franchise (the only Popeye's in MN, and just a few blocks from our house) didn't honor the promotion. Is it just me, or does this story seem to be set up so that others can laugh at stereotypes of African Americans in the city? Should I send channel 9 a letter? (Also, I'm not sure what fried chicken in plastic bags, served with rice in styrofoam containers has to do with Earth Day, but that's not my point.)

We're gonna win Twins!!!!

One of the fun things about living in our house is that we're just minutes from Downtown.

Saturday Night, as part of Katie and Michael's wedding celebration a group of their friends and family went to celebrate at the Twins game. MN won, and it was fun. I grew up going to games with my dad and my sisters. I used to know how to keep score, I've since lost those skills, but it was great fun to go to a game.

Here's Katie, showing off her wedding ring, while Rosita, Angie and I celebrate with her!

No deep thoughts today, just that I enjoy baseball when I remember that I enjoy it, and I enjoy my friends too.

Photo is from Angie McKinney.