Vanity of the Taliban

Taliban attack in Kabul

Images: Pixabay

“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the ugliest of them all?”

[Condolences to those who lost their families and friends to the explosion in Kabul Tuesday morning on 4/19/16.]

The Watcher in the Wall by Owen Laukkanen (a book review)

This is the fifth of a book series that features FBI Agent, Carla Windermere, who earned the nickname, Super Cop, because of her arrest record, among other reasons. She’s teamed up with Kirk Stevens, a state investigator, who at one time sat in a Minneapolis precinct in the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) division. In this installment, he is now sharing an office with Carla at an FBI office based in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. Continue reading

Straighten Out

Societal concerns

Image: Pixabay

[Inspired by current events and Straight Outta Compton*]

Back in the ‘80s came a rhapsody at rap city
Straight out of Compton.
Some black dudes introduced a new musicality;
They were inspired from their frustration,
Fighting strong with words
Wrapped in rhythmic chords.

Today their message from then still holds true
Though it’s not just them vs. the men in blue.
There’s more to it than injustices done by one homogenized group;
It’s really all about every one of us that makes this a vicious loop–
To a degree we all contribute our own social and mental ills;
We’re all paying the same big bills.

The list is long,
But it’s time we see all what’s wrong.
Face up to the fact that history can’t be undone,
But we dwell on it and create a rerun
As long as we stay with the same script.
The only difference is another rendition of rehashed bulls_ _ _.

Haves and have-nots are alike,
So one has a bigger bike.
Create your own success story
Instead of living in envy.
The root of all evil is not money,
It’s the lack of self-accountability.

Funny how it really is simple,
Just be responsible.
It is an individual call
But it starts within us all
To make a dent.
To our system that needs a bad re-invent.

*Straight Outta Compton is a movie about how rap music revolutionized the Hip-Hop culture.

Marguerite (a movie review)

This French film stars award-winning French actress, Catherine Frot, who plays the title role, Marguerite. Loosely based on a real life New York heiress named Florence Foster Jenkins, Marguerite is both sad and funny. Set in France during the 1920s, the movie is about a wealthy woman who aspires to be an opera singer. She’s made herself the generous patroness of her town’s music club, which regularly features talented musicians and classical singers. She also inserts herself in the playbill and decimates the audience’s fine musical senses as she performs.
Continue reading

Fat Cat

best life ever

Image: Pixabay

Strolling down the street,
Looking dapper and well fed,
Smug with no cares,
You have food and a warm bed.
No hassle, no bill collectors.
Being a pampered cat can’t be beat.

Chicken Chop Soupy

chicken chop soupy
This recipe is similar to the Americanized concept of Chop Suey; its name based on a province in China where it originated. The dish is simply whatever you have on hand or leftovers assembled in one dish. What I had in the kitchen were white and sweet potatoes and 1 ½ cups of cooked chopped chicken. And so, Chicken Chop Soupy was borne, or made (but not in China). Continue reading