Wednesday, June 13, 2007

From San Francisco, more serious social and political analysis

Again, I can't say enough good things about janinsanfran of Happening Here.

Every day this past week, she has written and posted a piece on national or international politics, including human rights and the presidential race in the U.S. She presents both facts and commentary and helps her readers ask questions that even the better news programs don't put before us. She's been doing this long before this week, of course, but this week has been particularly rich. I have yet to catch up on my reading at her blog, but I've skimmed her entries of the last ten days and I recommend them all. Do have a look.

Recent posts include:

**Two posts on Rwanda based on Canadian Lt. General Romeo Dallaire's recent book Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda: here and here.

**A book review of Mike Davis's book Planet of Slums and Jan's related reflections, with a reference to the work of Franz Hinkelammert, whose work I know a tiny bit in relation to both U.S. Latina and Latin American (and other Third World) theologians.

**Presidential qualifications: the "authenticity" test and other matters, like calm in the face of terror. (That's presidential as in POTUS and the U.S. presidential campaign.)

**Also re: the presidential campaign, the place of the English-only issue. And of the war in Iraq.

**A tribute to recently deceased --at far too young an age-- political blogger Steve Gilliard of The News Blog.

**And then there was the imam held at the U.S.-Canadian border. Read about him here.

**Just a little farther back, there was a post on something called the Global Peace Index. There are some interesting comments there, too.

As her name indicates, janinsanfran also posts on local culture, society, and politics here in the Bay Area, particularly in the city of San Francisco where she and her partner live. (Some examples: here and here.)

Once in a while, there are bird pictures and other beauties of nature, too.

Also adventures in clearing logs and taking care of trails.

This is a lot of material, but you can keep it around as a reference or read it bit by bit. You won't regret it.

4 comments:

johnieb said...

From Hartford,

music, prayers, and the joys of grazing with fresh-roasted Sumatran, Organic Bloodorange Spritzers, Organic (Oh, hell, all the rest is, or traditionally made) Bran muffins, a fresh Rustica, the remains of a Pecorino Grana, a Petit Basque, and a Nealsyard from England or Scotland: not sure which. Oh yeah, and a board covered with big sweet Strawberries. I tasted a nice Prosecco (sp? I wasn't paying attention.) a few weeks ago with a friend which would be nice, if y'all are so inclined; shoot far, a jug of Gazpacho and y'all all come on over! We'll sit around and tell lies, or maybe dance. (Fogie alert: high school dance music from Br. Sam Cooke, "Another Satu'day Night" is on now.)

You did say you were a Foodie, didn't you? Where else was I gonna say it: MP's? Yeah, right. Later, more book shopping (not exactly a cross to bear): retirement is cruel, sometimes.

The Contrary 'un

Jane R said...

Johnieb, I am drooling. Now go read your political articles. (The Proseco might help.)

Jane R said...

Prosecco, sorry. But the other spelling works too.

johnieb said...

I bought *Out of the Depths* at Hartford Sem's bookstore just now (and mentioned I was posting on the Lectures--got a nice chance to thank Dr. Amoah again in the Bookstore; I had thought she was leaving earlier, but ???), didn't buy McFague's GodBody (?) wanna read it first; the average floor joists can only stands so much, like Popeye. I brought home Vols. 1 & 2 of Wink's *Powers*; wow: what an Introduction (& dedication?).

Chatter ya want? Honey, we're not the hair place, but we do our humble best. Marge, who does my hair and chatter, bought a copy of Sun Tzu at my suggestion.