Ward Churchill--Professor, Indian, Artist or Plagiarist?

Perhaps the famous scholar/activist/victim Prof. Churchill made a mistake when he tried to create his own art...as the original story goes,

An exclusive report by CBS4 News indicates embattled University of Colorado professor Ward Churchill may have broken copyright law by making a mirror image of an artist's work and selling it as his own.Placing Churchill's work beside that of renowned artist Thomas E. Mails and the two look like mirror images. But one is a copyrighted drawing. The other is an autographed print by Churchill.When BS4 News reporter Raj Chohan tried to talk to Churchill about a possible copyright infringement, he received an angry response.

Um....err....whoops. Perhaps it's time for "Professor"Churchill to swallow his towering pride (and rage) and quietly retire.

Food of the Month--Cuban Mojito

We are quite fond of our nearby Trader Joe's. Until a couple of months ago the closest one was 20 minutes away by freeway--too far for regular visits. But now there is one very close to us, about 4 minutes away. So now we can go more regularly and stock up on goodies like the topic of this entry--Trader Joe's Cuban Mojito Simmer Sauce.

I don't know much about Cuban food other than the one Cuban restaurant I used to go to from time to time in college (all you can eat lunch buffet...mmm!). But this mojito is good!
According to the jar, it is a "tangy citrus sauce and marinade." In the jar is a coludy mixture of orange and lime juice, containing finely chopped onions, garlic, olive oil, cilantro, vinegar, cumin and oregano. I have tried this on chicken--superb! I have tried this on pork chops--lovely! I have tried this in black beans--excellent! When I open the jar and sniff it, I almost want to eat it straight out of the jar--no kidding! I have become very fond of Mexican Mole sauces recently, and this reminds me of a mole in its richness, but not the heat. This isn't a hot sauce (like many Jamaican sauces tend to be) but it is spicy.

The citrus and spices together make it a tangy sauce with a touch of sunny Caribbean tropical sweetness. I will have to try some more of this in the summer grilling season. It should prove to be fantastic.
I will have to try more of their sauces and give a report on them.

Making a Statement about Iraq

I met a young college-age girl the other day who was talking about Iraq. She was somewhat upset by the fact that Americans were bombing people in Iraq (apparently for no reason), and so it was only right that the beleagured Iraqis should rise up against these vicious soldiers. I engaged her in a brief conversation that went something like this:
"So all Iraqis are against the United States occupation?"
"Yes!" she said.
"Do you know what "Sunni" and "Shi'ite" mean?"
She looked at me blankly and said, "Ummm...no."
I then proceeded to tell her the difference, and why it pertains to events in Iraq.
I then asked her, "Do you know where these insurgents are coming from?"
She quickly replied, "Iraq, of course!"
I asked, "You heard the name Zarqawi, the current "ringleader" in Iraqi terrorist circles?"
She nodded.
"Did you know he is not an Iraqi?"
She had not known that.
I then proceeded to explain that many insurgent/terrorists/homicidal maniacs do not come from Iraq at all (although many do.) Thus, I pointed out, "How can these people be fighting for the occupation of their country if they aren't even citizens of that country?"
She didn't really have a reply, other to say that war just wasn't fair, and that because it wasn't fair, we shouldn't be over there killing Iraqis.
I told her about the story I read about an Iraqi man who was going to join the insurgents. This was the unlucky fellow who got his house searched by American troops. They found his stash of contraband cheesecake magazines (not porn, but close) and stacked them on his bed (possibly next to his Koran, or possibly not.) That wasn't so embarassing, but this guy's mother found out about this. After the Americans left, without stealing anything, without arresting anyone, without blowing anything up or killing anybody, this slime starts beating on his mother to make sure that she won't tell anybody about his girly magazines. It is this that made this true son of Islam want to join the insurgents.
I asked the girl, "So, what did the Americans do to this guy that justifies him making a bomb and blowing up some Americans and some unlucky fellow Iraqis?"
She mumbled something about how we would feel if somebody invaded our house, and how it isn't fair.
Anyway, she had to head off to class, so the conversation ended there.

But I thought it was an amazing thing--how can you condemn something about which you know so little? But of course, in America the most important thing you can do (as indicated by most celebs, pop singers, and other celebs) is "make a statement." That's the American way--free speech, to say whatever I want, and thus to prove to the rest of the world that I am an idiot (and I'm so sorry, and whatever I feel good about is good, and whatever I feel bad about is bad.)
Where do kids learn this?