Archive for August, 2008

« Older Entries

Plantain, Language and Democrats

Friday, August 29th, 2008

Next time you get harassed by mosquitos, look around for some plantain. It is shown here. Just be sure the leaves have noticeable spines. Chew up one leaf and press it onto your bite. Guaranteed the bite will disappear within minutes. I used my body for the experiment. The plantain-soaked bites–poof! Those ones left alone are still red and itchy.

Last weekend, the New England Women’s Herbal Conference reminded me of why I cozy up to my house plants and go to Central Park when I’m in a funk. This is plant medicine and I think it’d be nice if we made it more prevalent in our lives. You don’t have to live in the far pristine lands of Alaska or Belize to benefit from plants. You also don’t have to be obsessed (like me) with this topic. As one elderly herbalist so wisely put, “This isn’t for the chosen few; this for everyone.” It’s our birthright. I can walk into most New York City parks and find plantain. If you live anywhere in the world near a sidewalk, the cure-all dandelion also pokes up at you from the cracks.

But I’m most intrigued by how this message can reach a broad swath of people. Not just hippies. Not just potion-brewing mamas. Not just city bohemians trying to look cool. If a businessman on his way to Wall Street started chewing on plantain for his bee sting, I would do a wild celebratory jig. If a gun-toting gang-member made plantain her friend, my smile would spread up to my ears. Unfortunately, the knowledge hasn’t quite hit the grapevine and I think it’s a language thing.

Why do languages isolate us? (more…)

Posted in Environment, Health, Orienting | 7 Comments »

The Power of Choice

Thursday, August 28th, 2008

___
Kimmi
Therapy Thursdays

Tags:
Posted in General, Random, Relationships, Therapy Thursdays | 6 Comments »

First House First Guest

Thursday, August 28th, 2008

It’s 6:30 a.m. here in Buffalo, and my dog can’t sleep, so I can’t sleep. Ever heard an 180 lb dog whine? It’s not quiet. And rather than groan and attempt to ignore, about an hour ago I began to obsess over the fact that we have friends and family visiting in three waves this week and how will the seven of them feel about waking up to the sound of an orka at 5:00 am?

There’s also a toilet in the front yard. (Having lived in Buffalo for about 3 weeks, we followed the leader down the street and misunderstood that our bulk trash pickup was Sunday. It’s in October.)

And a bed that was supposed to be delivered in time for the arrival of these guests has been delayed. All this with a kitchen rehab underway might be the source of the prehistoric beast’s whining. I know in my heart of hearts, having been a guest many times, that people visit other people to see those people– not to sleep in or even to sleep in a bed. But my gene pool screams for the chance to make people feel at home.

(more…)

Posted in All The World, Relationships | 2 Comments »

Steak Bomb, Cardiolates Mini Tramp, Latin Line Dance; Truck Stop Vernacular

Wednesday, August 27th, 2008

Before making the long run to the Canadian line Interstate 95 cuts east across Maine’s midsection.  Along this beltline near Bangor there’s a famous truck stop called Dysart’s. (more…)

Posted in General | 1 Comment »

30 Years Ago

Wednesday, August 27th, 2008

What more can I say today than happy 30th birthday to my husband, Christopher Vu Mai Gandin Le? He is one of the deepest, most joyful examples of beauty in this world. His wild generosity with the people he loves and respects, his compassion for those he doesn’t even know, his cellular-level instincts to make the world better and safer for everyone, his unabashed love for movies about overcoming adversity through dance/cheerleading/sports/etc…

This man was clearly put on this planet to bring light, which he does every day. And I get to hang out, laugh, celebrate, and co-conspire with him while he does. I feel blessed.

Happy birthday, Vu! Your thirties are here. It is ON.

—–
Beauty in a Wicked World is a weekly column by Jennifer Gandin Le. It appears on Wednesdays.

Posted in Beauty in a Wicked World, Career/Life, Health, Music, Relationships | 1 Comment »

Necessary Barriers

Tuesday, August 26th, 2008

I’m in Santa Fe spending time with my family, laying in a hammock reading Wallace Stegner’s Crossing to Safety, going on hikes that snake through Aspen groves and Pinon trees, eating lots of cheese. So I just give you this today, a picture I took when I was here last winter:

Posted in General, Generation Overwhelmed | Comments Off

What Do You Do If A Little Leaguer Is Too Good? Ban Him, Of Course.

Monday, August 25th, 2008

Remember that school that banned kickball last year? Now we’ve got a Little League that won’t let a nine-year-old kid pitch because he’s too good. Is this really a problem, parents? Worst to worst, your kids will get to say they batted against a future major leaguer. And it’s not like the kid is pulling a Danny Almonte on us. (Remember him? The 14-year-old that pitched a perfect game pretending to be 12? This ESPN.com feature is a great follow-up.)

Posted in General | 1 Comment »

Brag Round-Up for Monday, August 25

Monday, August 25th, 2008

Kate Torgovnick

Posted in Brag Round-Up | Comments Off

Citizen, a conversation: Obama and Young Black Teenagers

Monday, August 25th, 2008

Several months ago, Courtney proposed an idea for our blog. The premise: each week (or knowing me, every few weeks) we would pose a question for the other to answer. The dialogue is called “Citizen” and we will be thinking and writing about questions of civic life, public responsibility and politics. Here’s the first installment. I wrote it, so it’s too long. Thought the opening of the democratic convention proved an appropriate occasion to finally get this started.

Courtney,

As a way of beginning this dialogue, you asked me: “how much do you think Obama’s election will change circumstances for young black men?” You proposed some other questions as well, but I want to begin with this one because I see it as a way of thinking a bit about Obama – what he is trying to do, what the consequences of his election may be, and why I am both inspired and skeptical about his candidacy and (fingers crossed) election. I want to start with the specificity of this question because it asks for hard thinking about what an Obama presidency means for the country, in particular what it may mean for the unfolding story of how we as a nation reckon with the legacy of slavery.

(more…)

Tags:
Posted in Politics, Race | 2 Comments »

Eduwonkette Unmasked!

Monday, August 25th, 2008

New York magazine has a great profile of Jennifer Jennings, a sociology student at Columbia who shook up New York City Public Schools with her terrific blog, Eduwonkette.

Until yesterday, no one knew Eduwonkette’s super-secret identity. Now that I know she’s a graduate student, I feel simultaneously inspired and inadequate. Seriously though, hats off to Jennifer for having the brains and stats to muck the rake.

Check out her super powers when you get a chance.

Posted in Education | Comments Off

Mr. To-Be President, Where Are You From?

Friday, August 22nd, 2008

Turns out that if you aren’t still living in the region of the country (or world) you grew up in, well, you are disjointed and therefore…. incapable of any sort of leadership. According to Peggy Noonan’s Wall Street Journal op-ed last weekend, neither of the presidential candidates is fit for the task because they both lack placeness.

Obama settled in Chicago in his 30s, but apparently that doesn’t given him the right to call it his home. The fact that he was schlepped as a kid from Hawaii to Indonesia, to the American west coast and the east counts against him (despite the fact that he didn’t have a choice.) But maybe, along the way, he actually developed a sense of tolerance. As a Navy Brat who moved all time, McCain apparently doesn’t belong anywhere, doesn’t have once little root to stand on. But maybe, in that constant up and move, he learned about commitment to a cause.

I’m not sure what Noonan wants. She lists those presidents who were actually from a place: Jefferson, Lincoln, FDR, JFK, George Bush being from Texas (not completely) and Bill Clinton being from Hope, Arkansas. I mean, honestly, is that how we want to judge people today? Oh, you’re from ______, therefore, you’re in or you’re out. Noonan writes that Obama is “from Young. He’s from the town of Smooth in the state of Well Educated. He’s from TV.” About McCain, she says, “He’s from Military. He’s from Vietnam Township in the Sunbelt state.” She’s right, but…

(more…)

Posted in Environment, Orienting, Politics | 2 Comments »

One Day at a Time

Thursday, August 21st, 2008

shawn johnson“One day at a time,” Shawn Johnson said through a giant smile. It was the day after she won her gold medal on the balance beam, and Bob Kostas was already asking whether or not she had any plans for the 2012 Olympics in London.

Could it be that a 16 year-old, only 4′9″ tall, is as wise as she is flexible? In her quest for the perfect full backflip with a twist, she somehow also discovered that achievement grows from steadfast, daily determination– and maybe even from enjoying this first great success as the world watches on.

Super-human feats are often preceded by big dreams. These long-term goals convinced a single mom to continue paying for her son, Michael, to take swim lessons and persuaded the Johnsons to double mortgage their house to keep their daughter in the gym. They believed that what was next could be astounding.

(more…)

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in All The World, Career/Life, In The News, Music, Random, Sports | 1 Comment »

Bird on a Swing

Wednesday, August 20th, 2008

We got a new cage for our canary, Merrell, and it came with a swing. It turns out he really enjoys it and it’s highly entertaining to watch him. Following on Courtney’s awesome kitty Googling, here’s Merrell hanging out on his swing:


Bird on a Swing from Jennifer Gandin Le on Vimeo.

—–
Beauty in a Wicked World is a weekly column by Jennifer Gandin Le. It appears on Wednesdays.

Posted in Beauty in a Wicked World, Random | Comments Off

Where Were You When Phelps Did It?

Wednesday, August 20th, 2008

I was in the bar at the Hyatt hotel in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Both times. My girlfriend Jen and I were driving up from Baltimore to New York and dropping off two other wedding guests along the way. Jen and her friends sat down for some food at the end of the catered dinner, but I scarfed mine and headed for the bar. It was 10:10, and I knew I was going to see history.

This was the 100m butterfly, one of Phelps’ toughest tests. His qualifying time had actually put him 2nd to a swimmer named Cavic, not the 1st that he was used to. 100m means you only go up and back, and after the first 50m he was trailing pretty significantly. I had thought no one else in the bar cared, but as Phelps made the turn the sound started to rise. A pretty significant roar saw Phelps home in the last 50m, where he outtouched Cavic by the pencil width of .01 seconds.

But that was nothing compared to the next night.

(more…)

Tags: , , ,
Posted in In The News, Pop Culture, Sports | 3 Comments »

Days With My Father

Tuesday, August 19th, 2008

A beautiful, moving site by Phillip Toledano that mixes photography and words to lovingly depict the complicated bond between a father and a son later in life. Doesn’t need much introduction, just click towards the bottom of each image to go to the next:

Posted in General | 1 Comment »

Google: Kitties

Tuesday, August 19th, 2008


The other day, tipsy off a little white wine afternoon on Central Park, I actually sat down at a friend’s laptop and googled “kitties.” More than the amazing videos and pics I discovered, I got enjoyment out of later reflecting on how totally hilarious it was that I did such a thing in the first place.

So I have a question for you–what’s the craziest, silliest, knee-slappinist thing you’ve ever googled?

Posted in General, Generation Overwhelmed | 2 Comments »

Fun with commercials.

Tuesday, August 19th, 2008

Sure, it’s a little trite to get up in arms about an ad. (Flashback to 7th grade “Media Literacy” class where we had to give five-minute presentations analyzing commercials. I think I found a phallic symbol in a Crest ad?) But I saw two ads this weekend that really baffled me. First, was a new commercial for Secret’s Clinical Strength deodorant. It showed a woman in a wedding dress rolling around in a bed with her groom in his tuxedo—presumably this is after hours of champagne guzzling and intergenerational dancing at their wedding. As they stare adoringly at each other and nuzzle, piano music in the background, of course, a female voice says, “It doesn’t take much to ruin the moment.” Really, Secret? All I have to say is, if you’re worried about a little sweat on your wedding night—you have much bigger problems than BO.

(more…)

Posted in General | 2 Comments »

Brag Round-up for Monday, August 18

Monday, August 18th, 2008

Courtney Martin

  • “The Naked Truth: Young, Beautiful, and (HIV) Positive” by Marvelyn Brown and co-written by Courtney hits stores tomorrow, August 19th, and is now available on Amazon.com
  • “The Teen Moms of Gloucester: What the Media Didn’t Tell You” (co-written with Elaine Tyler May) at AlterNet
  • A clip of Courtney’s appearance in June with the Women’s Media Center

Ethan Todras-Whitehill and Theo Gangi

  • “Blood Brothers” in Inked

Kate Torgovnick

Posted in General, Relationships | Comments Off

The Distractions

Sunday, August 17th, 2008

“Do you want to come out of your room?” a nurse asked a young boy. “The distraction is here.”

By distraction, she meant the four of us who entered the hospital, bearing drums, guitar, shakers, ukulele, and the bowed psaltery. Could be a cool band name, right? The Distractions, on tour in a healing venue near you!

I may think of myself as a writer, but as an Artist in Residence in Healthcare, I have already been a musician, a visual artist, and a dancer. To say the least. On Monday, I was an alien and on Wednesday, I was a monster. Anything to amuse. How can one prepare for this? For the last two weeks, I have been in an intensive training program, graciously led by artists from the Arts in Medicine program at Shands Hospital and the University of Florida in Gainesville. We painted with water colors, filled mandalas, made crowns from pipe cleaners, danced to tribal beats. If that doesn’t sound intensive, you have to imagine the lectures, filled with heartbreaking stories of patients, family members, medical students, and caregivers who dipped their toes– or whole selves– in the arts while in a hospital bed or waiting room. Did you know that you can dance with your eyes? Do you believe that a pen can heal?

(more…)

Posted in All The World, Art, Health, Writing | 12 Comments »

The Naked Truth: Young, Beautiful, and (HIV) Positive

Friday, August 15th, 2008

As many of you know, I spent much of last fall helping an amazing young woman, Marvelyn Brown, write her memoir about contracting and living with HIV. The book is hitting stores next week and Marvelyn has a couple of readings in the New York area that I wanted to let folks know about:

HUE-MAN BOOKSTORE
AUGUST 20TH – 6-8PM
Harlem, NY

AND

BARNES AND NOBLE-COURT STREET
AUGUST 21ST – 7-9PM
Brooklyn, NY

Posted in General, Generation Overwhelmed | Comments Off

« Older Entries