i'm excited for IPAD 2. glad i waited.

I'd be interested to know how many people bought/ will buy an IPAD for their child's use. 

I plan to get it so that my son can learn his ABC's on something more dynamic than flashcards... and it'll play YO GABBA GABBA for him wherever we go!

my cousin's account of Election Night - Nov 4th, 2008

for those who know me well, you know i'm not the best of writers - i choose instead to share my feelings through music or imagery. my cousin, Antonio, encapsulated last night better than i ever could. his email to our family and to his friends is below. enjoy.

From the early morning, as Cheryl and I were some of the first people to vote at our polling place, I saw excitement and hope on the faces of so many people I'd never seen come out to vote before. This was my 3rd presidential election living in my current house and 5th presidential election I could participate in. In all of those elections, I had never seen so many people out and voting. So many Americans inspired to do what so many other Americans have often taken for granted - participating in our election process with a feeling that their actions would mean something and their voices would be heard.

All through the day and into the evening as polling places began to close, I could sense the truly palpable feeling of joy, just under the surface as everyone began to celebrate the unthinkable happening. Myself, I walked around in a daze much of the day and early evening. Unlike my wife, I wasn't moved to tears in the voting booth, thinking about the historic moment I was participating in. Unlike my friends and coworkers I wasn't practically dancing on air as I went about my day. I couldn't get past the divisions brought out in the last 2 elections and the unethical lengths people have and continued to go to, trying to undermine our democratic process.

I wouldn't let my hope and adulation overtake the feelings of dread and fear as I heard in the last days of this election, the terrible things that some people were doing. The fliers being handed out in urban areas urging Democrats to vote on Wednesday, the day after the election. The phone calls that were being made to first-time Latino voters telling them they could just vote over the phone. The calculated, un-American actions of some, gripped my emotions and kept me stoic.

So as I made my way to Grant Park in Chicago it was in small steps that my fear and unease were washed away.

4 miles out I began to see clusters of police officers on every block. Not Chicago's 1968 police officers, but happy men and women casually waving to passersby, laughing with each other. I hoped we'd have a pleasant, peaceful celebration this night. I felt a little better.

3 miles out I encountered throngs of people waiting at bus stops, riding their bikes alongside mine, walking all eastward towards the lake. Joyous people, cheering, high-fiving everyone, and waving flags. I felt a little better.

2 miles out I could see search lights lighting up the sky next to Chicago's skyline. Car horns were blasting, city buses 50 deep, were parked along the roads waiting to help with the crowds. The energy around me was like the victorious post-game euphoria I felt at Soldier Field after a recent Chicago Bears football game. I felt a little better.

1 mile out and all the roads were blocked to motorized traffic. Crowds burst the boundaries of all the sidewalks and were filling the lanes of the street. Young and old, in strollers and wheelchairs, people of every age, race, and color made up the massive wave of humanity. People in elegant evening wear next to whole families in giant fuzzy Uncle Sam hats lit up with red, white and blue lights. Everyone coming together. I felt a little better.

As I began to walk up Michigan Avenue from Roosevelt, just across from the Field Museum and Soldier Field, I was taken aback by the sheer enormity of the celebration. The lengthy downtown park was filling up with people. The length of Michigan Avenue, for as far as I could see northward, was full. As I passed block after block, I'd look westward and see for half a mile that all the roads were closed and completely full of people. An endless wave was washing into Grant Park. In a true Democratic capitalist fashion, people were selling tee-shirts, flags, blinking pins, photos, anything to commemorate the moment. People were dancing, shouting, laughing, hugging. I walked my bike around in a daze for quite a while, unsure of where to go and just taking it all in. It was incredible.

Eventually I locked up my bike and followed everyone up the Congress Parkway, over the bridge and into Grant Park. Columbus drive was closed and filling up with people. There were massive television screens in every direction with tens of thousands of people gathering in all corners of the park and everywhere in between. I milled about and settled into a spot that afforded me a nice view of a couple large screens showing live CNN.

In almost too short of time, CNN announced Barack won Virginia and and people everywhere around me were cheering ecstatically. Thousands of cameras and cellphones were raised in the air, recording the moment American politics changed. In a flash they project Obama the President elect of the United States of America. While the quarter of a million people around me went crazy, I sat stunned. I still couldn't believe it was happening. I still couldn't believe that this was possible. I didn't cheer yet. I just looked around me confused.

That's when I noticed near me, 3 generations of African American men standing together. The youngest a 8 or 9-year-old boy next to what must have been his father. On the other side was his grandfather, an elderly black man with white hair, wearing a full tuxedo with tears in his eyes. In an instant I imagined the incredibly different lives they've had and will have. I got goose bumps as I understood in a way, how this marks a change in America and the American experience for each of them. More personally I came to the stark realism of what has been helping hold my enthusiasm back and how this affects me.

In that instant I was taken back to being a 3 grader in a working class neighborhood in Lansing, Michigan. My 2 best friends, a boy who's family recently immigrated from Mexico and an African-American boy who's grandparents came to Michigan from the south. My friends would often repeat what their father's told them about racial injustice. They would look at my white skin and my friends would parrot their father's anger over the history of the US and Mexico or the history of slavery and segregation, and they would blame me. I'd come home in tears confused about complex situations I had nothing to do with and little to no understanding of. As I entered high school and struggled with a divided family, I was forced to struggle with a divided sense of self. In my new rural school, I was no longer the minority white kid battling my friend's parent's racial misunderstandings, but the minority latino kid, singled out for being a foreigner and different. No intellectual argument about my family's American story, education or achievements could stop the taunts or ridicule. Even my "friends" took to calling me "bean dip," "wet back" and "taco bender."

Thankfully I was able to put my childhood behind me and as I went to college and into my adult life I have defined myself as I chose. Over these last couple of decades I've worked and lived in communities and with a generation of Americans that don't see the world in the black and white terms that still plague some parts of the US. I look around at my friends and coworkers and we aren't so quick to see anyone as one racial group, ethnicity, or social group. Like Barack Obama and myself, so many of us are made up of multiple cultures, religions, ethnicities and beliefs. We are the emerging America that is rising above the baggage of the Baby Boom generation and taking the reigns of government, business and community leadership. A generation that is looking to the American Millennial generation, which came out in such force this election and more then 40% of which is comprised of a ethnic minority, to help us all move into a post-racial era. An era when the latinos, black, asians, people of different religions, and cultural groups can all work together to create an America that is really for all humanity. Where all men and woman ARE created equal. I look forward to coming generations of ethnic or religious minorities feeling as much a part of America as the descendants of once ridiculed and persecuted Irish, Italian or Catholic immigrants now feel.

I felt all of this in that moment in the park, looking at 3 generations of an African American family besides me. The realization that the young black boy won't have to live in the same America that his grandfather had to, gave me chills. While I still struggle with racial intolerance and anti-immigrant feelings with people I know and love, in that moment I felt joy. Hope and joy that my son won't grow up experiencing what I've experienced. He'll grow up in a better America even closer to the ideals set out in the Declaration of Independence.

As I struggled with all of this, the Star Spangled Banner began to play. All I could do was stand and cry. Even now I'm moved just writing this.

twenty-six point two

my pops ran the nyc marathon twice - both times when i was in grade school. i believe it was truly one of his biggest accomplishments (1st time his time was 3:56:09 -- the second time, slightly over 3:30). running 26.2 miles is an awesome task, no doubt about it.

today, two friends of mine were off to the races. Colin is straight up a gifted runner. he finished in 2 hours :53 minutes :44 seconds. ridiculous pace! only 550 finished ahead of him out of over 40 thousand. (his splits are listed below - in 5k increments until the 16th mile - then mile-by-mile). dooley has run several marathons, and i'm sure has many more in him. (pictured in the purple tank)



Gabe (the big guy in the grey cut-off sleeveless tee on the left) was running his 1st marathon ever! props to him for embarking on the torturous journey and finishing strong. gabe ran approx a 9 minute mile for the twenty-six... very impressive - as i run a 9 minute mile but must stop after my 3rd mile for fear of death. ha!



anyhow, CONGRATS guys! you are an inspiration - my dad told me after completing the NYC marathon, he felt all other obstacles could be tackled with relative ease. may you jump over your impending hurdles, as well as those yet unseen / unknown.

dad's visit

my dad has been visiting the states with his wife for the last few weeks. whenever he comes, we try to get together for dinner and events, as much as our schedules will allow. this trip - we've been out to some lovely meals at cafe deville, atlantic grill, vezzo, le colonial and buddakan -- and we got the opportunity to go to a yankee game, in this, their last season at the current stadium. (thanks, Al!!!) it was great hanging with him - especially since now that i don't travel internationally for work anymore, we see each other only once or twice a year. fun times, though - no doubt!

...on the road again.

this past week was reminiscent of my life while working at old navy. you see, i was a marketing manager concentrating on grass-roots efforts in the midwest of the US. at the time, i was living in san fran - which made for a whole lotta non-direct flights to towns like dayton ohio. i don't mind travel - as long as it runs relatively smoothly.

so... this week, the nba d-league took me to tulsa, ok -- and erie, pa. 6 flights total -- and 5 of them were delayed. the trip featured my running thru the cleveland airport to have the door being closed as a ran up to the gate (impromptu 3 hr lay over)... and a 5 hour mechanical delay in tulsa, from which i got an unexpected free night to see my aunt and uncle in detroit....
and WOW; i ate horribly. good thing i bought a 6-pack of protein bars, or else i'd have been sunk. ok - so back in the gym this weekend - will try to play some volleyball in central park - and try to get some sleep. nice to be back in the big apple. no doubt.

a dessert for all peoples

if ever i'd doubted that my sweet tooth was genetic, i put that doubt to rest yesterday at christmas dinner. after a lovely dinner of shrimp bisque to start -- beef tenderloin, yams, green beans, corn, russet potatoes and some other stuff i did not eat -- we finished with -- i swear to you -- 9 desserts. almost an individual dessert for each person there. (14 of us)

the run down:
-fruit cake
-dates, dried apricot, nut plate
-christmas cake (yellow cake dyed green and red)
-(4) types of cookies
-pound cake
-merenques (santa-hat shaped)
-a yule log
-german chocolate pie
-some kind of parfait

i came home with a plate of sweets, suffice it to say - and have been eating since i awoke this...yum afternoon. i weighed 175 lbs on Dec 15, let's see how i hold up.

a park in soho?

today, my mom and i walked around soho and nolita. when we both got hungry my mom spotted a place i'd wanted to check out for months but hadn't yet - so, perfect opportunity. the place is called SOHO PARK - but it's really a garden -- a beer garden -- and an eatery. we chowed on belgium frites with garlic aioli and curry mayo dipping sauces to accompany our '0 grams of trans fat' hot dogs. yum! i'll go back for beer another time. de koninck is my new favorite belgium beer. what's yours???

a sunny saturday of shopping and eating

my mom and i wandered to the upper west side today. i have been procrastinating on doing my renovation, and tasked my self and her with coming up with solidified plans for bathroom and kitchen and actually buying stuff. so, in the past few days we've found bathroom faucets and some fixturing, kitchen appliances and strategized on how to re-do the rooms in the cheapest way possible, while maintaining our high standards. :) we got some great ideas today at Gracious Home. tomorrow we choose tiles. on the back-end of our excursion, i treated mom to lunch at a lovely restaurant, with a lovely little garden in back - called Bello Giardino. as many of you are aware, i'm no foodie - but this place is good. check it out. the tiramisu was magnificent. additionally, our waiter had the same Tibetan ring as i -- and reminded me what it said, since i'd forgotten. OM MANI PADME HUM - "hail to the jewel in the lotus" - a buddhist mantra - written in sanskrit.

jazz on the north sea

mccoy tyner
Originally uploaded by djtakefive.

for the 4th year in a row, my dad and i met up in holland to attend the north sea jazz festival. it is a 3 day festival -- a jazz extravaganza! and real jazz -- not like the concerts we have here in the States, where Dave Matthews and Cream perform and they still call it a "jazz" festival. last year, due to the scheduled performers, we chose to only go 2 of the 3 days. it was nice and manageable -- but this year it was unavoidable to go all 3 days. plus, for the first time, we went to a few venues where an additional fee is required -- they are more intimate and a seat is assigned - so no pushing and fighting to get a good view.

Ok - so here goes:
DAY 1: (jam-packed)
1) TERENCE BLANCHARD played the scores that he wrote for SPIKE LEE movies thruout the years. Spike took the time to cut footage from each of the featured films to show while Terence and crew played - brilliant stuff. Bilal, Patti Austin & Jamie Cullum each performed 2 songs to accompany Blanchard. the highlight, both from a visual and lyrical perspective was Cullum's rendition of Sam Cooke's 'change gonna come'. the closing song and sort of anthem for Spike's 'X' - about black leader Malcolm X. the fact that we went to a paid venue to start the whole festival was a great move -- civilized before the crazy crowds.

2) McCOY TYNER quartet - WOW! we saw them last year as well. this is just straight up INCREDIBLE real jazz. the mean age of the performers was 60 - and their experience showed. wonderful stuff.

3) THE ROOTS - there are 2 really big venues at the festival where they book more mainstream acts. I dragged my dad to go so the "LEGENDARY ROOTS CREW FROM PHILLY" -- and as usual - they were great. they played their, now signature, ode to hiphop today and yesterday, by skillfully mimicked 30 different songs by other artists. they delved into rock and jazz and performed some of their hits. my dad actually really enjoyed their set.

4) WYNTON MARSALIS and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra - I flew 7.5 hours to see the guys that play a 10 minute subway ride away here in NYC.. hahahahahaha. they were great though.

5) BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB - we ended the night at a paid venue too. when you've started your day at 6pm - and its now midnight, a seat is a wonderful thing. the Cubanos did not disappoint. a stellar end to the day.

DAY 2 : (more dancing, more singing, less acts)
1) TRIBUTE TO JAMES BROWN - Instead of going to see a live act, my dad was really excited to see DJ Manga play james brown hits. he had some wonderful live tracks that i've never heard before -- and he also rocked some other great soulful dancy tunes.

2) RAUL MIDON - I've written about him before, and suffice it to say -- go out and buy his album STATE OF MIND. just buy it - he's freakin' amazing. India Aire who performed later on at another stage surprised him for one song - he had no idea what was going on... my dad and i went to see her briefly on the big stage, but opted to get food instead of listening to her seemingly 10 minute introductions for each song.

3) DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER - She is normally a lounge singer - who went to Mali (africa) to discover her roots and returned to perform some great african inspired tunes with a wonderful group of musician from Mali and around the world. Again, a seat in the paid venue at night's end was lovely.

DAY 3 : (amy no-show)
I, along with many other attendees, was most excited to see Amy Winehouse on sunday -- however, she cancelled at the last minute due to exhaustion - understandable as she's been globe-trotting on her tour -- but disappointing nonetheless.

1) We wandered in and out of littler venues and saw some nice straight-ahead jazz -- very chilled -- as we have done historically on sundays.

2) SLY STONE - a shadow of himself at nearly 60 years old, it was nice to see him get out there and try to do his thing -- but disheartening to see his staggering declining health.

3) JOSHUA REDMAN trio - in a word INCREDIBLE. he made a few references to his latest album "Back East" - especially poking fun at the fact that he was competing for audience with Snoop Dogg - who was performing on the main stage for the festivals conclusion simultaneously - saying "i feel bad stealing some of his crowd -- Snoop and I basically share alot of the same audience" -- and "the next song is from my newest album BACK EAST - no offense to Snoop -- i still love the West Coast." Josh brought on two friends, with whom he belted out phenomenal alto/ tenor sax collaborative "solos".

My dad and I again had a great time. It is a nice chance for us to reconnect like the old days, just he and i sharing our love of jazz and of each other's company. more photos on my flickr page.

mom arrives - and is beat

are you ready for this one?! my mom was was supposed to fly out of la paz - headed to miami - then eventually nyc on monday morning. that didn't happen. el alto (the highest portion of bolivia) got a severe snow storm and all flights were grounded. the airport in el alto is the highest in the world. when i was there 2 years ago, i witnessed the sun rise from beneath the airport - no joke. anyhow, no flights on monday -- tuesday flights completely booked -- but we got her on wednesday's flight - thankfully. so now - here's the kicker. i was planning to be in miami for a meeting wed anyhow, and had booked that trip about 10 days ago. turns out the connecting flight for my mom from bolivia was the same flight i'd booked myself on to return from my meeting. crazy - right?!?!?!? so -- long story short :: today i saw my mom for the first time in a year, and we embraced at miami int'l airport, of all places. i was able to use miles and upgrade us to first class, so we chatted about the family, her flight and our plans for her visit while sipping on frosty beverages - eating warmed mix nuts - and scarfing down our ravioli dinner.

my mom had awoken at 5am to catch her flight, she you might surmise she is exhausted. thus, after minimal unpacking, she collapsed. pictured above. :) tomorrow i fly to see my dad for the weekend -- don't worry mom is here for 3 weeks, so we'll see plenty of one another despite my jaunting off for a few days for the jazz festival.

one cool mustache, baby, design & the internet

my cousin anthony (pictured above with the super cool 'stache), and his wife cheryl are having a kid. follow the developments on the blog. 10 weeks away now. anthony started at upshot, a chicago based marketing agency as a graphic designer, but has risen to creative director. along with being a future papa and ad wiz, anthony also spends a bunch of time on the net researching some of his side projects. find below some great music-based footage he found on youtube:

Herb Alpert
Tijuana Taxi - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb2ztCY5smg
Rise - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHgTp3oYbUg
Red Hot - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nuAIP08y9A


Archie Bell & The Drells
Tighten Up (crappy video, but good to see) -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0n7C1AyU-9Q

Stevie Wonder
For Once In My Life - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4-7okZxuHw
Yester Me, Yester You, Yesterday -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_wiIaIkcSs&mode=related&search=

Al Green
Let's Stay Together - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxESSLYUXDs
Belle - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owPq9zlh3b0

the bestest birfday card ever!

this is my favorite birthday card of all time. i'd first seen it on a mug someone gave my father -- many years ago. it's so simple, and so clever. my dad and i, to this day, still call each other with the 'hippo birdie two ewe' greeting on our respective birthdays. classic!

Easter in the NJ

today i went to NJ to my grandma's house for Easter. as a city-dweller it is always interesting to be in a house with approx. 15 people. multiple conversations, tv's blaring, kids running around... it's also strange to have sooo much food around. my apartment has water, cereal and occasionally some chips in the cabinets. the spread today consisted of : mini quiches, pigs in a blanket, shrimp cocktail -- turkey, corn, rice & beans, terrific mac & cheese, and phenomenal sweet potato souffle. note: i have not even gotten to dessert. gatherings at my dad's side of the family are always filled with laughter, intelligent conversations, and your usual dose of gossip -- but always strange that my dad is not there.

hat-i-fied

hat-i-fied
Originally uploaded by djtakefive.

hats in the winter. essential! this one was crafted by my uncle Joe in Michigan. the only thing cooler than home-cooked food is homemade clothes.

jazz + beer + dad = great sunday in belgium

my dad and i went to HOPPER, a local jazz cafe here in Antwerp this sunday. the jazz was good. a belgian singer with a small combo. always an interesting crowd at these places. older and VERY eclectic. but here's the big news : local Belgian beer : 1Euro 90cents!!!!!!!!!!!! needless to say, dad and i were a little tipsy walking out of there after 2 hours! the beer was excellent - almost too good. ask for it by name. (it's on the glasses in the photo). i really dig how in europe they serve the beer in its own branded glass.

mami loula - my Terminator grandmother

grandma week

so apparently, it's grandma week on my blog. a few days ago i posted a card i made for my mom's mom - for her 90th birthday. today my aunt and grandma (dad's side) came to visit. my aunt, dyliane, made me some nice green pillows to go with my new green, black and white color scheme. anyhow, we chatted and went to lunch. my grandma looks good, huh? kinda like the terminator with the sunglasses -- but she won't hurt you. promise. though she did say "i'll be bahck." as she left. :)

nana = 90

nana = 90

my nana turns 90 on tuesday.
she is an amazing woman.
here is the card i created for her. (in 2 parts)