Dia de los Muertos Exhibit

Today I went tot he Dia De Los Meurtos Altars Exhibit at the Harlingen Arts and Heritage Museum. They've invited local community leaders and artists to create ofrendas or altars in memory of the dead. The sign at the door to the exhibit explains that some Hispanic folk teachers say that there are three ways to be dead. You can be dead physically, you can be dead spiritually, and you can be dead in the memory of those who continue to live. The altars or

One of several calaveras used in the exhibit. I don't know if she is laughing, yawning or just plain hungry.

Some of the ofrendas on display.

I so wanted to steal these two!

This was one of the most spectacular altars.

This altar featured a quilted representation of a heart and lungs. It was called "Respiro". Maybe it had to do with the "breath of life"?

I really liked this altar. I believe it was called "Chiclets para Los Ninos". The imagery, the commercial message and the repetition all remind me of Andy Warhol.

Details of the woodcut images surrounding "Chiclets para Los Ninos".

Here you can see many of the elements of the ofrenda. The cempauchcitl, or Mexican Marigolds, the food, the relics, and the representation of death as something strange, maybe even amusing, but definitely not scary.

I've decided that because these two life-size calaveras are wearing red sashes they must be ambassadors from the land of the dead.

Part of the exhibit were these three paintings of skulls. I liked them because they reminded me of graffiti art with a definite link to much older traditions.

What is it with these Republicans?

GOP Leader Faces Charges for Sexual Encounters With Minor
A noted Wisconsin Republican leader could face up to 52 years in prison if found guilty of enticing a minor with drugs and alcohol last year. Donald Fleischman, chairman of the Brown County Republican Party, is accused of fondling a 16-year-old runaway from a juvenile facility, according to the Green Bay Press-Gazette. The preliminary hearing is set for October 29.
The teen told authorities that Fleischman took him to a hotel and then a cabin in 2006. When he tried to sleep, he said, Fleischman would fondle him. On one occasion, according to the youth, he awoke to find Fleischman masturbating on the edge of the bed.
Police went to Fleischman's home on November 19, 2006, where they found the boy hiding in a closet, wearing nothing but a T-shirt and underwear.
The GOP leader appeared in court on September 28 and is free on a signature bond. He faces three misdemeanor charges and two felony ones, including contributing to the delinquency of a child. Fleischman's attorney, Jeff Jazgar, said his client is innocent.
"Our plan is to get some witnesses to testify and present enough information to dismiss the case," he said in the article.
Fleischman has stepped down from his post as the county's GOP chair. (The Advocate)

Elderly Care for Gays

Here's an interesting and thought-provoking article in how many elderly people are forced to go back into the closet as they enter nursing homes and assisted care facilities.


http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/09/us/09aged.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin