Nonogirl Radio

Nonogirl Radio by PQ

Nonogirl Radio by PQ
Originally uploaded by nonogirl.

I'm late in cashing in on birthday gifts from April, but this one was so worth the wait! My artsy friend PQ created this crafts-y radio from scratch.

I can add this to my collection of Peas and Cues creations.

African Americans in Mainstream Media

Tonight the Bay Area bid farewell to KTVU's anchor, Dennis Richmond.

Not having grown up in SF and not being a regular TV news watcher, I don't feel a special allegiance to him, but I did watch the 10 o'clock news to witness the sign off.

While it's a major accomplishment for Richmond to have secured this prestigious position in a prominent media town while being African American, the person I'd really liked to have seen sign off is Petey Greene.

From what I can tell from the few Youtube clips and the film based on his life, he spoke his mind and he connected with the people.

Same-Sex Marriage

My office is in tears. Why is the right for two loving people to be able to marry even in question?

To celebrate, I dug up one of the first pieces I produced on my own after attending Women's Weekend at the Russian River.

Sunny Skies Make Me Sing

It's skirt weather in San Francisco and I felt like singing. It's the first time in a while that I skipped rather than walked with a tune in my head. And which tune? "Showboat Angel"

Have a listen and tell me if it doesn't put a skip in YOUR step.

The Sea and Cake – Showboat Angel

Myanmar’s Hidden AIDS Epidemic

If you listen to the news about the cyclone relief in Burma it's hard to believe the military dictatorship cares about the Burmese people.

But this is not only apparent in crisis situations. Just listen to Orlando de Guzman's two-part documentary on the AIDS epidemic in Burma and you won't be surprised at the inadequate government response to the cyclone.

As you can hear in part two, this is not the first time aid for the Burmese people has been stalled or lost:

de Guzman: The Global Fund's Jon Liden (which approved a series of grants totaling 100-million dollars for Myanmar) says it became clear that his organization could not operate effectively as the government's attitude became increasingly obstructionist.

Linden: It has gone from an attitude that basically says, 'We don't mind if you help our people, although we are not very concerned about helping them,' to 'We don't want anyone around'.

de Guzman: So last August, the Global Fund announced it was backing out of Myanmar.

Hmong Continuum

I've been on hiatus as work became busy and I can't even begin to backtrack the great cultural works I've witnessed over the past month.

Instead, I share this great video from the NY Times on contemporary Hmong life.

I first learned about the Hmong through Anne Fadiman's book, The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. The book's moving prose focuses on one family and the challenges they encounter in Merced County, particularly after their daughter is diagnosed with epilepsy. Fadiman details the nomadic and rebellious history of the Hmong, their C.I.A.-supported war against  Communism in Laos, and their spiritual and cultural practices that conflict with western medicine.

Fadiman spoke recently to a standing-room-only auditorium filled with  medical professionals at SF General. Her reporting on the this book began over 22 years ago. Since then, both the medical community and the Hmong community have evolved.

Cultural competence, or "cultural humility," a phrase used by a spiritual counselor at SF General, is now emphasized in medical school to be more sensitive to different points of view a patient may have on their illness.

This video produced by the NY Times demonstrates how the next generation of Hmong are integrating American culture, like hip hop, with their traditions.