The sad state of Texas

Not sure what the real underlying reasons leading to the new Texas abortion law are all about - can't be about saving lives because Texans believe in shooting/electrocutions and other forms of doing away with people. Can it only be about getting votes? Displaying Texas macho manliness? Whatever - it goes hand in hand with other forms of political hypocrisy. The pols claim they're doing this for women's health.....and where did they get their medical degrees? (Guess they don't know that pregnancy comes with its own problems and it means nine months of disturbed body functions - certainly not a picnic of wellness.)
Doctors have to perform in surgi-centers? Have hospital privileges? How come these rules don't apply to all the doctors/staff at free standing emergency type set-ups in Texas?
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists took a full page ad in the Austin, TX newspaper - basically saying to the pols - get out of our exam rooms - what goes on there is strictly between patient and doctor.
Problem is that abortions have been performed since antiquity - and will always continue. Against your religion? Fine. Don't opt for an abortion, and/or have all the babies you want. But don't impose your choice on the women who don't want to carry a pregnancy to term. It's their bodies, their rights and their choices -  not to bring an unwanted child into this world.
BTW: is it possible that eliminating legal abortions is just what the underworld ordered? Mafia-like criminals standing in the wings - ready to collect mucho dinero performing risky procedures under unsafe conditions? Crazy? Far fetched? Hmmmm.

Andy Statman in El Paso!!

                                                                photo by Ruth Taber

Andy Statman performed at B'nai Zion Synagogue in El Paso on May 8 - what a treat!!

Ruth Taber normally writes about food and travel for the El Paso Times. But she's also a former musician who performed and taught in New York. She attended the May 8 free concert by New Yort'sAndy Statman Trio, which fuses jazz, klezmer, bluegrass and folk music. Here's her review:   (from Doug Pullen Blog, El Paso Times)

By Ruth Taber

Beaming on the bima!

A bima, for those of you who don't know, is a platform in synagogues and temples.

About 600 lucky concertgoers were treated to an extraordinary display of  musical creativity by the visiting Andy Statman Trio on May 8 on the bima of El Paso’s B’nai Zion Synagogue.

Statman, one of nine winners of a 2012 National Heritage Fellowship, showed off his virtuosity on an unlikely pair of instruments,  clarinet and mandolin, as he performed with bass playerJim Whitney and percussionist Larry Eagle.

Taking improvisation to dizzying heights, he easily segued – on both instruments  — from the traditional, improvised Jewish music of Eastern Europe, known as klezmer, to bluegrass and jazz, with an occasional bit of American folk music for seasoning.

There was no fixed program or sheet music. On one number, Statman started a “conversation” with a plaintive tune on clarinet. Whitney answered on the bass. Several “paragraphs” later, the trio improvised to the delight of the foot-tapping, hand-clapping audience. At one point, percussionist Eagle walked over to Whitney and began using drumsticks on the bass strings while Whitney fingered the notes. The audience went wild.

When switching from clarinet to mandolin, Statman asked the audience’s indulgence: his finger, recently caught in a slammed car door, was painful and slow in healing. Not sure how long he could play with the injured finger. He said he’d give it a try. Oy! Such phenomenal playing with an injured finger.

Statman has performed with classical, jazz and rock greats, including Itzhak Perlman, Jerry Garciaand Bela Fleck. His latest album, 2012's "Old Brooklyn," features collaborations with a number of outstanding musicians including bluegrass star Ricky Skaggs.

The singer-mandolinist is an evangelical Christian. Statman's an orthodox Jew. They make beautiful music together on a track titled "The Lord Will Provide," an 18th-century hymn. When Skaggs introduced Statman at a concert  several years ago, he said, “deep down, we both pray to the same Daddy,” referring to the “Holy Father of Bluegrass,” mandolin player and singer Bill Monroe.

UTEP professor Ezra Cappell lured Statman to town. Students in his summer class, "New York Through Literary Imagination," experience a week of Big Apple culture, including Statman's trio in Greenwich Village. Cappell has consistently invited Statman to perform in El Paso. With the help of some generous benefactors in this city he was able to pull it off this year.

The National Heritage Fellowships, which have gone to people like B.B. King, is considered the nation’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. They're presented annually by theNational Endowment for the Arts. Their description of Statman:  “The culmination of decades of creative development, his music expands the boundaries of traditional and improvisational forms.

 Amen to that.

 

March already? Savor every day!

Just returned from the March Housewares Show in Chicago - managed to leave on one of the few planes that were not on the cancelled list - over 700 flights didn't leave because of the snowstorm!
Back home - no snow here - just March sunshine - in the 60's - pretty ordinary El Paso weather.
This year is racing by - seems like I was just savoring January with all its goodies:
My buddy, Mari Angeles Gallardo pulled off another one of her fabulous affairs:  the chefs from Biko Restaurant in Mexico City returned to cook up a storm for 100 lucky guests at Coronado Country Club. Biko is in the top 50 of the world's best restaurants on the Pelligrino list pleasing diners with their Basque inspired cooking.

Photo: l. to r.
Chef Gerard Bellver. Honorary Consul of Spain Mari Angeles Gallardo, Octogenarian food columnist Ruth Taber, Chef/Owner of Biko, Mikel Alonso and wife.

A great way to start January - but wait - there's more. After savoring the culinary feast, we were treated to a musical feast. Fantastic musician/comedians Igudesman and Joo came to El Paso to perform at the Pro Musica January Chamber Music Festival. Here's a photo showing Igudesman (violinist extraordinaire) on the left and Joo (pianist/composer/renaissance man) on the right. (Ruthy manages to get in all the photos!)
Think Mozart mixed with broad humor, embellished with Victor Borge, topped with Monty Python - and you begin to understand what kind of a feast we "savored." Look them up on You Tube for a sample taste!
Leaving El Paso after these feasts we flew to Sydney for a bit of their Summer Arts Festival - before boarding the Holland America Oosterdam for a cruise among South Pacific Islands.
Hadn't been on Holland America for a while - and we were very impressed with food, presentation and extremely high level of service. Of course the weather was glorious - (who needs the Caribbean - been there, done that) and the island visits prompted researching more about WWII - since so much of the action took place there. You can read about my trip in the blog I posted for Holland America Oosterdam's website.
All of sudden it was February! Nothing momentous or exciting - just racing by - and  here we are in March. Where have all the days gone? Certainly an auspicious beginning for 2013 - how much better can it get?
Oh yes - the Housewares Show - love the colors - kitchens look like flower gardens. And it appears that we still are looking for the perfect cup of coffee made in a foolproof coffee maker - that doesn't break down, isn't difficult to clean and suits everyone's purse. So many new models displayed for making coffee; have to test a few of the new ones to see if they live up to their hype.
Slightly belated "Happy Healthy New Year" to all my friends.