She Is My Favorite

I know Esperanza Spalding has been the subject of a post before but she's going to be on a rerun of David Letterman tomorrow night and I just love this song and her music!!

She will be a Grammy nominee/winner. You heard it here first.

Her performance starts at 20 seconds and ends just around 4 minutes. This song will carry you away. Enjoy ~

Congratulations . . . (Part Three)

Scroll down for parts One and Two of Liz interviewing Tevita . . .This is part three.

Liz: So I noticed there were a lot, I mean A LOT of tears at your graduation from almost everyone in attendance! Were there any specific times of the weekend you remember getting emotional about and do you feel like sharing?

Ti: I think the most emotional I got was when we (PhD graduates) were walking into the stadium. I could feel Grandpa's presence and I just started balling because I knew 30 years of his work had finally come to fruition. Grandpa had been involved in my education from when I was 7 years old and I knew he was there and was proud of me. He was able to finally see me graduate with a PhD.




Ti: The 2nd time I got really emotional was after the graduation when you came down from the stands and you and I hugged. They were playing, "I can see clearly now" and we were both just crying. We were crying because while everyone was proud of me, only you and I knew what I went through to get to this point.

Ti: And I would say the last emotional experience I had was when there was the standing ovation for me.

Liz: Ah, yes. That was awesome. Just to give the readers (and our posterity) some context, the Anthropology Department had a dept. graduation the Friday night before the University ceremony. At that Friday ceremony, the advisers of the Master and PhD graduates gave a summary of the research done by students. Your advisor, Mimi Kahn, talked about your work and accomplishment.
Why did you get that standing ovation?

Ti: Because Mimi let the audience know that I was the first Tongan-American to get a PhD in Anthropology. I noticed that my professors were the first to stand and I think they did so because they knew how hard it is to get this kind of degree and I think also because they were proud that they were able to be part of producing this "first".

Liz: And a first you are. America's first Tongan Anthropologist, ICS's first Polynesian professor, and my first love.

Stay tuned for the final installment of Congratulations Dr. Ka'ili!

CONGRATULATIONS DR. KA'ILI!!! (Part Two)

Don't forget to read Part One of my interview with Tevita!

L: So Ti, your graduation weekend was crazy fun, wouldn't you say?
T: Definitely. I'm so so glad I went.
L: Me too. What would you say was your favorite part of the graduation?
T: There were several favorites actually. One was when my Aunties wrapped traditional Tongan mats around me before the department graduation ceremony and I got to wear them for my hooding.

They brought several mats from Salt Lake City and while they were in Tonga a couple of months ago, they had royal leis made especially for this occasion.
L: Oh yes, I must say, your hunkieness wearing fused Western and Pasifik regalia had my stomach all a flutter. You looked great.

T: Thanks Liz. I felt great wrapped in the tradition of my forefathers combined with my own doctoral robes. It meant something to wear the symbols that honor the past as well as my present experience.

The other favorite part was when I got hooded by the Chair of my committee, Mimi Kahn.
Wow, come to think of it, all those directly involved in making my graduation possible were women. You, my Aunties, and Mimi.
L: Are you just saying that because your wife is a big fat feminist?
T: Totally.
L: HA HA HA
T: Seriously though, I just realized now, that I've done so well in academia because of all the strong, smart women in my life.
L: True dat, Tevita. Truuue dat.
To Be Continued

CONGRATULATIONS DR. KA'ILI!!! (Part One)

For the last couple of days I 've been trying to talk Tevita into letting me interview him for this post. Since he experienced graduating with a PhD from a fantastic university, I thought his perspective would be more enjoyable than an outsider's point of view.

It took some convincing because anyone who knows my husband knows that he does not enjoy attention in any way, but he finally agreed after I pulled the "it's for our prosterity" card. Ha!!


L: Once again, Ti, congratulations on getting your PhD.
T: Thanks Liz
L Are you ready for this awesome interview?
T: Yes. Let's do it.
L: Hey now, this is a family blog.
T: Liz!
L: Ok, let's begin. Was getting a PhD THE BEST thing you've ever ever done in your whole entire life?????????
T: NO.
L: Good answer. So what was?
T: Finding you. You know, having someone that loves you and that I love-
L: awwww.
T: It all began with our 3 hour talk in August of...
L: all right, all right
T: I still have emails that ...
L: Ti!
T: No seriously, I never ever had a conversation like that with anyone before, I never connected with any of my other girlfriends like that . . .We connected spiritually, intellectually, emotionally . . . and still do. . .
L: Speaking of ex-girlfriends, out of all the girls you dated, who was your favorite?
T: Baby!!
L: Answer!
T: Elizabeth Joanne Rago
L: aawww, you shouldn't have! Ok, back to the PhD. The other morning you shared a fun observation about your graduation. Can you tell me again?
T: the one about other students eating their lunch, in their gowns, while sitting in commencement?
L: although definitely a fun observation, not the one I'm thinking of.
T: the one about how bad you wanted to buy me a pair of purple and yellow UW crocs to wear with my robes, that when I said no, tears rolled down your cheeks, smoke blew out your ears, and snot ran down your nose?
L: no, but I do believe your refusal to wear such crocs will be a lifelong regret.
T: Right. Oh yeah! The one about Pou?
L: YES! Tell us.
T: I was looking through all the photos on our camera and Pou is in almost as many as you! I'm in all of them, then you're in a lot with me, and then Pou.
L: Really? I hadn't noticed!

Are you sure?
Ti: Yeah, I'm pretty sure. She was with me a lot.


L: She was totally attached to you. Even when she was a baby, she came to you. Why do you think that is?
T: I don't know. I think Uncles and Aunties have a special relationship with certain nieces and nephews. I noticed when she got the chance, she would hold my hand.
L: I think she feels safe with you.
T: Me too.
L: Is it because you both share the same birthday?
T: Um, right Liz, we're both Pisces. That's it.
L: Thought so.
To be continued

Umm . . .

This button was sold at the Republican State Convention in Texas.

I hesitate to post it since it may only bring attention to the kinds of nastiness that some Americans are capable of, but I also know that some readers of my blog are of the republican persuasion.



While I know this kind of hate does not represent all members of the GOP, I must take this opportunity to implore those of you who are considering a non-democrat, to study the issues very carefully, look at all sides, and do the right thing.

If "white" still represents purity and righteousness (which geez, aren't we beyond that!), then 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. has never seen the likes of "white" this black man will bring.

Oh, and details on Tevita's very inspiring graduation are coming. Still deciding how to post what I want to post. Let's just say it has to do with a black turtleneck in 90 degree weather, florescent shoes, cool runnings, purple gowns, lots of tears, and a possible white supremacist. Oh, too much material to choose from!!!

p.s. Vote Obama.

p.p.s. Or at least consider it.

p.p.p.s. Please?

p.p.p.p.s. Thank you.

A Quickie

Off to Seattle to see the soulmate graduate. PhDs have become a complicated phenomenon for me in the last 5 or 6 years. Is the dehumanizing process worth it?? My husband would say YES! I would just say, "Pass the Capt'n Crunch cuz all this learnin' is real hard and I need a snack!" But since I wasn't the one writing a dissertation (and I'm also not the one who perpetuates the juxtaposition of level of education and southern pidgin, who was that girl?), I guess Ti's perspective served him well. His committee said the diss was "superb".

So in the interest of time and my wanting to post all the haps of the last little while, but haven't since my obsessions have been elsewhere. Read: Change vs. Experience vs. Right vs. Left vs. Fred vs. Barney . . . oh wait, I digress.

Here's the news and views in a nutshell of what's been going on in my small town.

Foodfest.

Twenty food booths representing twenty different countries and this is what we had for dessert. Poop with cream. But addictive as crack. Next!

Laie Elementary Kindergarten Graduation

Dang! That was a mouthful!

But the sweetest day. Little Celeste with her little buddy, Ku'ulei. Those two were inseparable.
How cute!!! One would never imagine that I would have to mediate the heated discussion which occurred that afternoon about what kind of eyebrows the Mii should have. Awesome.

Laie Elementary Sixth Grade Graduation

Celeste's sister Camille. She and 3 of her classmates won the Presidential Scholar Award. Top four in the school. So proud of her. Almost died actually!
Not unlike the time when she was 6 hours old and lying safely on a pillow. The hospital bed shifted a bit and she rolled from the pillow to the bed. She stayed asleep, it was that gentle.

But I died. And so did her mother. In fact, her mother probably just died again reading and remembering this. Come back alive, Anna! Camille is all grown up and getting awards from George W. Bush!

Break A Leg

Is the length I would've gone to in order to abruptly end the play tonight.

I missed my entrance in a scene.

In fact, I missed the whole scene.

No, really, it's a BIG deal.

I have about 3 PAGES of lines in that scene. In fact, my monologues are some crucial set ups to the rest of the play!

So when I finally got to the stage, we improvised. and improvised. and improvised until we made our way to a place that we could comfortably pick up and move forward. What a nightmare!

It's 4:17 a.m. and I can't sleep. hmmmm . . . I wonder why????

So as I was surfing the net, I came across this clip from CNN's The Situation Room.



Yes, it's another political video. What can I say? I'm in the zone, baby! But this is not a fun one.

The information in it is very concerning.

And there is little comfort in knowing that I'm not the only one who'll go to great lengths to end a self-inflicted disaster.

Now THIS is an OP-ED!

Written by Rebecca Walker, Alice Walker's daughter.

She wrote it from Maui too! Who knew?

Email of the Day

Subject: Sorry, we won't be able to use this op-ed

"Thank you for your recent op-ed submission. The column was carefully reviewed, but unfortunately The Post is not able to publish this piece.

You can submit future articles using our web submission form at
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/opeds/submit/.

Thanks,
Alex Remington
Editorial Aide
The Washington Post"

This in response to the letter I wrote to Hillary Clinton. (that link is the first draft)!

Hey! At least they responded! My first ever op-ed!!

Thursday Funny

Where Have I Been?

I only just heard of Esperanza Spalding! (Thank you Late Night)



She plays the cello while doing vocals.

June 4, 2008

7:00-8:00
Made leis and watched CNN

8:15-9:30
Camille's 6th grade graduation (more about that soon)

9:30-11:00
More CNN, made plans with Ti for Election Day

11:00-3:00
Babysat Celeste and Ku'ulei

3:00-3:15
Sat at computer. Read articles on Obama.

Right now:
Weeping.

It finally hit me. Our country has made history.

Dear Hillary

Today you lost the most important fight of your life for the Democratic Presidential nominee.

As I write this, CNN is reporting that Obama only needs 4 more delegates to clinch the nomination and as a Barack supporter, I am feeling a surprising amount of sadness about your loss.

Because the truth is, Senator Clinton, I was your strongest supporter.

I remember running into a neighbor, Linda, at our small town grocery store in Hawaii just after your first debate as a candidate. Linda and I don't have much in common. She's a grandmother, I'm an Auntie. She's loves to scrapbook, I just love to scrap. She's a colonial settler, I'm indigenous to the Pacific.

So we usually don't have much to talk about but at that moment in the local Foodland, when we would normally nod with a warm small town smile and keep walking, we actually stopped this time and stood. Toe to toe. We had things to say to each other. We had a secret.

You see, Linda and I live in the most wonderful small town in the world. Population 5,000. A town that boasts a 90% Republican voting record. The only district in the state of Hawai'i that voted for Bush. Both of them. In all six elections. We are both devout Mormon and would not trade our conservative lifestyles or loved ones for anything in this world. We are also lifelong Democrats.

So it came as no surprise, Senator Clinton, that when you showed such grace, dignity, and smarts during those early days of running, that Linda and I finally had a common thread. The common thread were the tears of joy we shared that day in the grocery store when we realized the possibility of you becoming our next Commander in Chief.

In a town where comments such as, "I don't care who's president, as long as it's NOT Hillary" pervades many political discussions, I am sorry to say, before the campaign started, I remained silent.

I did so because, unfortunately, it wasn't socially acceptable or safe in my town to outwardly oppose those views. But I also did so knowing that unlike them, I actually educated myself about you, Senator Clinton.

I knew that, while your fellow law school students obtained sought after internships at high powered law firms, you spent a summer going door to door finding out that physically disabled children had no access to schools and then writing policies that are now integral in the current ADA laws.

I knew that you never stopped caring about children and worked to ensure the possibility that health would truly become a right and not a privilege in this country. In fact, I looked forward to wrapping our children in the arms of an administration lead by you, knowing that their future was safe in your hands.

I knew that you worked hard to ensure that civil rights in the great country are upheld as well as those in our working class, the very foundation this country is built on.

But during the campaign, I found out that there are many things I did not know about you. So early on, with some trepidation at first and then with growing enthusiasm and confidence, I began to support Barack Obama.

I could go on now about our Democratic Presidential Nominee and future President of United States of America, but this letter is to you, about you, Senator Clinton.

As all the pundits and analysts tell you and the American people what you did wrong, I am writing this to tell you how personal those wrongs were.

My first disappointment came when you lost Iowa. You were visibly shocked and annoyed that a newcomer to a presidential campaign would have the gall to run and then win against you. There was arrogance in your loss, Hillary. And that was the beginning of your end in my eyes.

Your tears in New Hampshire. Tears for this country, or tears because you were still recovering from a loss of a state you felt sure to win? I felt manipulated, Senator, that you did not display the kind of dignity you had in past debates and speeches.

The racial bigotry displayed in South Carolina. Beneath you and beneath the voters. The most desperate act of all. That was your saddest day.

There seems to be many other incidents along with Ickles's veiled threat at the DNC Rules committee, McAuliffes' constant spin and lies, and now your attempt to manipulate our current presumptive nominee into choosing you as his running mate so I needn't say more.

But in spite of all this, I know there is more work for you to do yet in our country, and maybe the VP slot is that work. But there two things I hope you have taken away from this experience. First, I hope you have learned that honesty, transparency, and respect is becoming the new spin. You shoud have remained the smart, honest, compassionate, beautiful leader you were born to be. Second, know that every time your supporters state that you are "the most qualified", I would like you to take a look at mine and millions of other voters who beg very much to differ. This wasn't your time, Senator, not in the way you wanted it to be.

Sincerely and Respectfully,
Elizabeth J. Rago-Ka'ili

p.s. I read somewhere that a woman puts all of her husband's underwear in the freezer every time he behaves badly. I suggest you do the same. Bill needs to chill.

Everyday is Columbus Day

You can imagine how mortified a liberal like myself must have been to find this:

in our snowman mug/pen holder.

Having no recollection of where it came from and why it's been sitting there for so long, I've decided to see it as the proverbial middle finger.

After years of translating for Lewis and Clark, Sacagawea is finally having her say in souvenir shops across the country.

Fast Sunday

thinkin' about how grateful I am for this . . .


(Dobash Cake recipe)