X is Known

At this point in the book, Malcolm X has make quite a drastic change in his lifestyle. The main reason is because he can't keep up his regular hustling life while in prison. When his brother introduces Malcolm to Islam, he plants a seed that grows exponentially over a relatively short period of time. This time allowed Malcolm to formulate his own beliefs about what being a Muslim means, and gave him the opportunity to educate himself. He took the latter very seriously and eventually became a very well read person. Malcolm's interaction with Elijah Muhammad really motivated him to look further into the nation of Islam and make the journey his own. After a while of reading and exploring, Malcolm came to the point where he had strong convictions about how the modern world had been formed and had his own opinions about the condition of the black American. This is actually the point where Malcolm has made a 180 degree change in his thinking. It's amazing to think that only years before, Malcolm had never put any thought into books, let alone reading about religion and faith. He was only about hustling and living life as dangerously as he could. The reformation that Malcolm is going through in prison brings out the Malcolm X that is known and remembered now, the Malcolm that risked and gave his life to change the condition of the black American. For this reason, I could say that at this point in the book, X is known. X is known for both Malcolm and the reader.

X Marks the Spot

I'm having trouble deciding what this topic actually means, but the first thing that came to my head was the idea that the Autobiography of Malcolm X is probably one of most influential and powerful books ever printed. This means that it is a book that everyone really need s to read, maybe even more than once. In this context, I suppose the title of this blog can mean that out of the millions of books out there, this book is one that really stands out and can make people rethink their beliefs and their view of the world around them. In more specific terms, this topic could be referring to how all of Malcolm's actions up to this point in the book are leading up to some climactic point where he learns something significant about himself and his outlook on life. Right now, Malcolm is just getting deeper and deeper into the trouble that was to be found in Harlem at that time. Eventually, all of this must lead Malcolm to a point where he decides to completely change his lifestyle and beliefs. Maybe, without even knowing it, Malcolm has picked out a point of crime, drugs, and alcohol that he won't go past. This could be the point at which all of the negative things he has done come to a head, and he is faced with a choice: change his ways, or end up facing serious jail time or maybe even death.

Album/Track Review

Now that we have just finished a movie on the topic of sampling music and creating new tracks and albums, I'd like to bring up the song, "Dark Fantasy" from Kanye West's newest album, "My Dark Twisted Fantasy". This song is one of my favorites off of the album, but one little bit of the song had me thinking about sampling copyrighted materials, and what portion of that sampled music is "OK" to use. One line of the hook is, "Can we get much higher?", and this line was taken directly from another song. This song is Mike Oldfield's, "In High Places". The line sounds exactly the same in Kanye's song as it does in Oldfield's. I bring up this particular instance because it occurs in a relatively recently released album, which I think should receive recognition as one of the best albums of 2010. This obviously means that I really like this album, but the movie that we just watched had me thinking about the fact that West directly took someone else's idea and sound without actually recognizing that person. I suppose I'd be completely ok with it if Kanye actually included the names of the artists whose works he sampled. I definitely respect Kanye as a producer, but I'm somewhat apprehensive to recognize his genius without recognizing all of those who added to his album.

I Know This Means Something

I don't really want to write about religion for this blog; I'd rather write about something that I am a bit more certain about. That subject would be the help and support my Mother and Father have provided me with for the past 18 years and the fact that I will have to thank them in a tremendous way someday. They may say that I have repaid them already because of who I have become and how I have done in school and everything, but I don't really think that this is enough. They have been there for me countless times and I definitely wouldn't be where I am today without them. For this reason, one of many motivations to become successful is to attempt to show my parents how much their support meant to me and how large of a role they played in nearly every step of my life. I'll have to show them that the minor arguments that we've had over the years meant nothing next to trust and reliability of our relationship. At the end of the day, they are the only people I know that will have my interests on their mind even before they think of themselves. As time passes, I think that this concept should flip the other way around. One of my biggest wishes is that my parents can live life exactly how they want to when they are older and I'm on my own. I would love to call them in the future and hear that they are taking a trip to the Caribbean or to Europe. If I can be part of getting them to that point, I'd be a much happier person. Right now, I see the best way of returning their tremendous favor to me as helping them get to where they want to be, once I can of course.

Ultimate Recipe

This is the recipe that I use to make pizza dough. I've enjoyed cooking for several years now, and pizza has become one of my favorite things to make. It is a time-consuming process, so I don't get the chance to make it too often, but it's great whenever I do. I would really like to have a wood-fired oven to bake the pizzas, but those are a bit expensive. I'll settle for a regular pizza oven for the time being, I suppose. Here's the ultimate, hand-made pizza dough recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 package yeast
• 1 cup warm water 
• 2 1/2 to 3 cups flour 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

In a large bowl, combine yeast with water, olive oil, salt and stir well to proof. After 5 minutes, add half of the flour and mix well to thoroughly incorporate. Add all remaining flour except 1/2 cup and mix well with your hands. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead dough for at least 5 and up to 7 minutes, adding enough additional flour as necessary to form a smooth and elastic dough. Dough should not be sticky. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled 2 or 3 quart bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, usually at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. and if you have one, place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of the oven.

Divide dough into 2 portions and form into balls. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and cover with a damp towel. Let rest for 15 minutes, then transfer to a lightly floured surface, shape as desired and roll out to a thickness of 1/4-inch. Transfer dough to a pizza peel and top with toppings of choice. Transfer to the preheated pizza stone and bake until crispy and golden brown, usually 12 to 18 minutes (depending on the toppings). Remove from the oven with a metal peel or spatula and serve immediately.

Good Food Review

Last night, my Mother made the best fajitas that I've ever had. Obviously, this was not food that came from a restaurant, but it was very good food. The key to these successfuk fajitas was Rick Bayless' seasoning marinades. We had used them before for just seasoning chicken, steak, or seafood, but we had never tried the fajita mix. The packet takes care of the flavor for the fajitas, but the chef has to add all of the other components. These include poblano, red, and green peppers, all of which are mixed into the meat and the marinating sauce. Of course, this is not where it stops. You can't just take that mixture and wrap it in tortillas and call it dinner. Whenever we have tacos or fajitas, we have to have the real deal. This means guacamole (homemade if I have time), pico de gallo, chihuahua cheese, fresh limes, fresh cilantro, and sour cream. I wouldn't have it any other way. All of these things have unique flavors and, along with the delicious tortills, combine to make an amazing taste. I've been searching for the perfect tortilla for a long time now and I finally found it at Hyde Park Produce. They have a great taste and don't require that you double them up. Overall, Hispanic foods are amongst my favorite food because of the how the textures and flavors of all the different ingredients mesh together. Although I enjoy making foods and seasoning those foods myself, Rick Bayless has created a great product with the seasoning packets. They make for quick Mexican dishes and turn tacos and fajitas into something closer to what you would get from a Bayless restaurant, as opposed to Taco Bell.

King Still King?

When I think of King, I think of Martin Luther King. As th day dedicated to the civil rights activist approaches, I imagine that he is the topic of this blog entry. If the question is if Martin Luther King's presence and impact on society is still existent, there is no doubt that the answer is not quite. Dr. King chose a life to lead that would affect the world for centuries. Every public action and word of his has been analyzed since his untimely death and this is because he was and still is a figure that people look to for inspiration and strength. Unfortunately, Dr. King's legacy has faded a bit over time, mainly for high school students who treasure every minute that they have to be in school. Another reason why his presence is fading is because we were born into a time when the impact of Dr. King's actions had been set in history for quite some time. We aren't truly able to fully recognize what Dr. King did for civil rights because we were not around to see, step for step, the progression of his work. Our grandparents, or parents, probably appreciate Dr. King and the day off much more because they may have suffered from prejudice and felt that Dr. King was fighting for them. The closest this generation will get to that is sitting in history class and learning about the marches and speeches. Fortunately, the day that is dedicated to Martin Luther King, Jr. is also dedicated to service so that we do not forget that Dr. King's main purpose was to create societal change and serve the people. The idea is that he gave his life for this cause, so we are expected to uphold it by serving at least on our day off.