How “Peter Gunn” influenced Steely Dan
I recently read Eminent Hipsters, and autobiography by Donald Fagen of Steely Dan. I highly recommend it if you are a fan of his music. Like any music biography, it…
Bob Broughton's Blog
A refuge for migrants in Celaya, Guanajuato
ABBA House is a shelter for Central American migrants located in Celaya, in the Mexican State of Guanajuato. It is one of 57 such shelters in Mexico. It has been…
Why “mansplain” is an obscenity
The word “mansplain” is one of those English-language fads that I hoped would quickly go away. It’s hasn’t, and there seem to be some people fueling it. So, I will…
A survey of music biographies
Over the past 15 years or so, my taste in reading has gravitated heavily toward biographies, and one significant sub-genre of them has been musicians. I’ve read a lot of…
Radio station XEPUR, Cherán, Michoacán
Radio is important in rural and less affluent areas of Mexico. A lot of people don’t have computers, smart phones (a lot of areas don’t have 4G coverage), or televisions.…
A guide to the Parícutin volcano
I first heard of the Parícutin volcano when I was in elementary school, somewhere around 1960. There was a story about it in one of the weekly news magazines handed…
A US battle against nature in the Galapagos Islands
An announcement came out on June 12, 2019 that an agreement had been made between the governments of the United States and Ecuador that would allow the US military to…
Book Review: Tone, Twang, and Taste: A Guitar Memoir, by Pete Kennedy
I first heard the term “Americana music” about four years ago, and it’s convenient, because it includes a lot of music I like: folk rock, folk, bluegrass, outlaw country, and…
PEN International observes Day of the Dead in San MIguel de Allende
I recorded and edited this. Includes Spanish subtitles/subtitulo en español.
Why I walked away from Daily Kos
I first thought that something was wrong when comedian Bill Maher was invited to give the keynote address at the University of California Berkeley commencement in December, 2014. A small…
Two Mexican journalists banned from the US for five years
I sent this letter to Rep. Derek Kilmer (WA-06). Similar letters were sent to Washington Senators Maria Cantwell (up for re-election) and Patty Murray. Rep. Derek Kilmer 1520 Longworth House…
Free your vote 2.0
Guest blog by Paul George “Your input will help shape the future of our democracy,” declares a November 17 BC government press release. The release announces the BC government has…
Book review: Private Places, Public Spaces: a woman at home in the world, by Lucina Kathmann
This is a collection of 22 non-fiction essays, written over a period of 20 years, some of them previously published. Some of them are based on the author’s long involvement…
Seven Mexican journalists murdered in first half of 2017
Mexico continues to be the one of the most dangerous place in the world to be a journalist. Martín Méndez Pineda of Acapulco tried to get asylum in the US,…
Book review: One Life, by David Lida
David Lida is an author who found a home for himself in Mexico 25 years ago. He tells the story of his first visit to Puerto Escondido, when he started…
Wine tasting in the Valle de Guadalupe
The Valle de Guadalupe, located in Baja California between Ensenada and Tecate. Is Mexico’s primary wine-producing area. The first commercial winery on the scene was Domecq in 1972. L.A. Cetto…
Sea Shepherd society protecting endangered marine species in the Sea of Cortez
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society ships M/Y Farley Mowat and M/Y Sam Simon are in the Sea of Cortez (a.k.a. the Gulf of California) for Operation Milagro III. The purpose…
Central American migration in Tequisquiapan, Querétaro
Children riding The Beast “La Bestia” (The Beast) is an unofficial name applied to freight trains that start in Tapachula, Chiapas, and go to Tijuana, Ciudad Juarez, or Matamoros. These…
Book Review: I remember horsebuns, by Rafe Mair
Rafe Mair's 13th book can be classified as an autobiography. It covers his life up to the University of British Columbia Law School. However, after the first 150 pages, the…
Book Review: Into the Heart of Mexico: Seeing for Myself: A Political Traveler’s Memoir
The title of this book is totally appropriate. Some people who travel go to the beach, visit museums, birdwatch, or sample the local cuisine. Ginny NiCarthy, who lives in Seattle,…