A community-oriented art & graphic design collective. We make graphic apparel, hand-crafted accessories and produce events. And most importantly, spew randomness about important and non-important topics.

Friday, September 30, 2011

BouGhettaDiaries: N'Kale's Slawlad

For years I've been gently (and life-threateningly) coerced to post recipes of food and drinks that I make. This is hard because I'm a little bit of a careless mad scientist; I generally just go with my intuition, use whatever is available and most times things come out delicious, other times an acquired taste and the a few time just downright meehhh. But usually I generally find it hard to document and then subsequently share my recipes because I make them up as I go along.

This post is dedicated to my cousin who recently requested a recipe. I have some recipes that I've managed to somewhat document but I have only shared with close friends who ask. And now I'm sharing with the world!! mauahahaha. By the way these recipes are written in a not very precise manner...you have to guess some things and do it your own way. No rigid cups or teaspoons or western-culinary-correct terms of measurement or food preparation (okay maybe a few).

No promises or anything but maybe I'll do this regularly. We'll call it the Chef BouGhetta Diaries:
Recipes from a struggling health-conscious African with a hint of Hippie and broke. Never purist. My mantra: eat more veggies, some fruit, lean proteins and whole grains and never compromise on flavor.

And here we go

nKale's Slawlad
Ingredients
  • 1 big bunch of fresh Greens (Kale or Chards work better than Mustard or Collard because these have strong tastes)
  • 1-3 fresh carrots
  • Raisins
  • almonds (or any nuts you like)
  • 1-2 each Plums, Apricots, Nectarines (firm)
  • Apples if you want or have (can be used in place of stone fruits or in addition)
Dressing
Fresh lemon juice (1 lemon)
Olive Oil (about 1-2 tablespoons)
apple cider (or any fruit based) vinegar (about same amount as lemon) (you can substitute vinegar for a fruit juice that is sweet but a bit acidic i.e. pineapple/orange)
honey (about a table spoon to sweeten)
Black pepper (pinch)
Salt (pinch)

How to prepare
Julienne/Shred all the vegetables and fruits and mix in bowl
Chop nuts and add in; add in raisins
Douse with the dressing and let it sit for at least 30mins to 'cook' (longer is fine...)
It is ready when all the ingredients seem mixed in and relaxed...or the flavor of the greens is way strong


Send me a photo of you enjoying it!

-n

Friday, September 23, 2011

Thelonius Monk’s advice to saxophonist Steve Lacy (1960)

This is old (duh) but the music and design hag in me has a doublemint appreciation for it. My pleasure is definitely doubled. It's on the list of Top things that can make my day.

 

Friday, September 16, 2011

Visual Inspiration: Art by Anneli Akinde




I'm constantly amazed by the artwork our resident artist, Anneli Akinde creates. I don't care if she ever tires of me saying: Anneli, your work is amazing! I will still say so anyway because it really is. Check out some of her print work available for sale at anneli.one3snapshot.com

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Chinua Achebe forces 50 Cent to rename movie

"You know, sometimes it's not the actual story/publication but the comment box that tells you what's really going on in the world"-N


Things fall apart for rapper as Nigerian writer makes him change forthcoming film title to avoid conflict with 1958 novel

50 Cent has been undone by one of Africa's greatest novelists, Chinua Achebe. The rapper's latest movie has been renamed ahead of its release, due to a conflict with Achebe's most famous work.
Things Fall Apart, published by Achebe in 1958, is Nigeria's most famous English-language novel. It has sold more than 8m copies worldwide. Unfortunately, 50 Cent was not aware of this. He spent much of 2010 shooting a film of the same name, the story of an American football player diagnosed with cancer. "It's a project that I wrote, produced and financed myself," he explained last year. Directed by Mario Van Peebles, it premiered at the Miami film festival in March and is expected to be released soon.
Read More..

 -p.s. I stole the title of the blog post

Friday, September 9, 2011

How Facebook Ruined My Life

If I didn't suspect that my mom, family members and possibly impressionable youth that I work with read this blog, this post might have been titled 'Fuck Facebook!'. But as they probably all do it has the above title.

Side note: Between griping about Facebook and Beyonce I can't possibly think of what else to write about. I need to reel it in. Or else by the time I die that's all I'll have to my name.
"Our beloved N, she spent her life hating Facebook and Beyonce."
But in the spirit of my originally intended title I shall now I proceed.

Many or (one) of you may remember my TGFF (Thank God for Facebook) post. Where I described the conflict between members of the TGFF and FGRM Facebook ga a raputa mmadu (Igbo for Facebook will destroy a person). Well I'm pleased to announce to you that the FGRM has now split and a  2nd generationer: the 'Fuck Facebook Fam' (very hip) has now formed.

Another thing you may need to know is that I'm considering joining this group, although I was one of the original founding members of the TGFF group and aslo the FGRM group as well (don't ask me how, I just got it like that).

You want to know why I am thinking of joining the FFF?

Okay sure I don't have to be on Facebook. I know. I don't know why I still am. I don't really want to go into any of the reasons personally, professionally or otherwise that I am but that's just the case. Using Facebook is like doing every sin. You feel dirty, nasty, you swear never to do it again. The next day, hour okay minute you find yourself doing it again. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

EVERYTIME Facebook introduces a new 'Privacy' setting method, all they are saying is that they have 'removed' some privacy features that you possibly took comfort in by fooling yourself that you were keeping things private. Yes. There are two ways I could go with this I could go the STIMW (semi-techno-intellectual modern woman) route and actually write down concrete things about what I mean, or I could go the ABG (Angry, not Awkward, Black Girl) route and just ramble about how wack Facebook is.
Basically here's the deal according to an FFF representative that I interviewed the other day.
"Facebook is wack. It will steal your money. Get you fired. Cheat on you. Dump you. Get you arrested. And take all your friends. Everyone will know your business, some business that you don't know they know and some that you didn't even know yourself.

Before you could just hide your page and only add friends if you wanted and only the people you wanted could see things (not really but let's just say). Now as they 'update' their privacy options they take each of those things out one at a time.

So yes what I'm trying to say is, the only way to not have your business out is to leave Facebook Actually that's a lie. It's too late sucker, your business is already out there. It knows where you live and it will come and sleep with your wife and then post the pictures on Facebook and then tag you but hide it from you so that all your friends will see and tumblr tweet it and then you will finally find out and get depressed and then call in sick. But because you checked into 'places' it will know what you're not really sick so it will call your boss and tell your boss that you were not sick but that you were at the mall, so you get fired. And then you can't pay your rent so you get evicted and now you have to crash on your friends couch, you're hungry and broke so you 'borrow' your friends EBT card and get some popeyes and the police finds out and they arrest you. On Friday. And now everyone has tweeted that you're a thief so your friends won't talk to you anymore.

See? I told you Facebook will ruin your life.

So yeah FF!!"

Wow. Well that was a mouthful!

Until next time

N
(Founder TGFF & TGRM and newest inductee of FFF)

Sunday, September 4, 2011

The Murmur of Oakland...A Place to Be

First Friday of the month just went by and I can't believe it has been a month since I went on my first First Friday Red Bike & Green ride.  This post could be very long but I'm not able to do that these days, but I just want to say that some of my thoughts and feelings that color this post are very well written by Chinaka Hodge in this blog post. Where she talks about Red Bike and Green and some of the things it opens up for her.

Well last night I went out on my first Oakland Art Murmur stroll (*collective gasp* from the people). I love living in Oakland and for the past few years have been internally passionate about creating a social connection here mostly in the form of trying to get my SF friends to come out this side of town to party, and hosting parties and other events in Oakland. I still am not up to par as far as really being immersed in the political, youth development, and art world that is unique to Oakland. I wish I was...but as a lot of my work and connections are in SF right now...well that's the way it is.
Artwork by Scott La Rockwell from the Smashbox Contemporary 1st Year Anniversary
ANYWAY so I went to Art Murmur because ms Tossie called and made me aware that it's possible to actually get dressed and go out and be involved, and see, and talk. Gosh. Sometimes I forget that. I am really such a homebody it's ridiculous.
 Oakland is changing y'all...or trying at least. And I'm still in the 'I don't know how I feel about it' phase. I'm not a native, nor have I lived here long enough to say 'I am Oakland'. But for the past four going on five years I've paid rent here, partied, thrown parties, have a lot of friends and 'community members' that also live here, and more recently ride my bike to the BART station. The look and feel of it has radically changed even in just the past 2 years.
Can't wait to get my Los Rakas Cd!
 Art Murmur was awesome, the persuasion being the inclusion or increase in display of Art from Black people and other people of color, hence increase of color in the stroll.

I went late (haha), and I'm still so shy with taking pics so there are not a lot of photos but I connected with some old and newly acquainted folks doing 'things'.
Anyka of www.bettiono.com celebrated the one year anniversary of Smashbox

Tossie and I ran into Alanna of www.uptownrunway.com who is hosting an event at Mosswood Park on Monday Sep 5.
 All in all it was a lovely time out. I didn't do the First Friday ride but I did bike to the Art Murmur...
Check out the rest of the photos on good ol' fb