Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it's off to Meme we go...

I have been tagged by the charming and irrepressible Utah Savage. Memes are interesting if I'm reading someone else's, but for me to do one is a pain in the ass a great honor. So here goes nothing.

One: What was I doing ten years ago? You're kidding. I can barely remember what I did this last weekend, let alone ten years ago. Oh, well, I'll try. I was living in Chicago with my adorable Doberman/Shepard and working as a travel agent in Evanston. I won my first Opal Award for Excellence as an Aussie Specialist. And I lived in a world where there was a Democrat as President. Oh, and I was training to do the Twin Cities to Chicago AIDS Ride, a 500 mile bicycle ride that raised money for AIDS-Care facilities in and around Chicago and Minneapolis/St. Paul.

Two: Five thing on todays to-do list.

Was I supposed to have a to-do list? Yikes. I KNEW I forgot something.

Pick up my Lipitor. Okay, THAT'S boring, but I have to get it today.

Finish a huge itinerary for the new Australia/New Zealand client, which I really don't want to do because they won't listen to my suggestions.

Pedicure, manicure, eyebrows. I need a visit to the spa, but it ain't gonna be today, so that's on tomorrow's list as well. And the day after. And the day after that, too.

Work on finishing the tank top for Beanie. Yes, I knit. Wanna make something out of it?

drink more water. I never make to-do lists. This is so hard challenging, trying to organize my inner alcoholic.

Three: Things I'd do if I were a Billionaire. I love being a billionaire. Can I be a billionaire forever?

okay, so but I have unlimited money, here goes nothing

I would set up a scholarship at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where I got my BFA. This would be for aspiring female sculptors. I say this because sculpture has been such a Boy's Club for so long, despite some amazing women sculptors.

I would set up a foundation to end world hunger, and would build affordable housing. And if people could not afford that affordable housing, I would let them live there in exchange for work - like, you can't pay the subsidized rent? Okay, then make the garden grow; keep the grounds clean. Live here for free, but help maintain the grounds.

Okay, I would hire a personal trainer, and a cook, and have a tummy tuck. If Oprah can do it, so can I.

I would contribute mightily to AIDS Care, Prevention, and attempts to find a cure. Rather than set up a new foundation, I would fund the best of the existing choices.

and since my funds are unlimited, I would go back to school - I don't know, to learn screenwriting, or something. Hell, it's my fantasy money, right?

Four: Three bad habits?

How to limit, how to limit?

I like to isolate. Yes, it's true. I can go into hiding at the drop of a hat. It's not that I don't like people, it's that I don't like making the effort all the time.

I blog while I should be working. Yes. I do. When I should be paying strict attention to clients, I happily type away, paying no attention to which airline went bankrupt today.

I eat way too damn much, don't get enough sleep, and hate to exercise. So. I have to balance this, so I go boogy boarding, and walk.

Five places I have lived. Hmmmm.

My dad wanted to move us to a Turkey Farm in Zion, Illinois, when I was a kid. Didn't happen.

Glencoe, Illinois

Ithaca, New York

Kibbutz Kfar Blum, Israel

Or Yehuda, a suburb of Tel Aviv, Israel

Chicago, Illinois

Los Angeles, California

Five Jobs

An embarrassment of whatever

I was a waitress for a day. Twice. Got fired both times. Different restaurants.

I worked as a maid and cook at the Guest House on my Kibbutz. My first job in the Travel Business

I sorted and graded apples.

Political Action Coordinator for various Chicago political campaigns

Travel agent

Now comes payback the fun part:

Tagging five unsuspecting bloggers.

Fran

Dusty

Betmo

Coffee Messiah

Lulu Maude

That was painful DELIGHTFUL.

Obama and the Jews

There was an outstanding Op-Ed piece by Thomas Friedman in Sunday's New York Times. Friedman begins by listing several statements attributed to Barack Obama: Obama once said there has to be “an end” to the Israeli “occupation” of the West Bank “that began in 1967.” ; and that any peace agreement “must establish Palestine as a homeland for the Palestinian people.” and “the establishment of the state of Palestine is long overdue. The Palestinian people deserve it.”

These statements circulate as an attempt to show that Obama is anti-Israel, and pro-Palestinian. The statements are all accurate, however, they were not spoken by Obama. They are all statements made by George W. Bush over the last two years. George W. Bush, the friend of Israel.

Friedman's editorial states correctly that America now has a bi-partisan approach to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict that can only be satisfied with a two-state solution. He states, correctly, that most American Jews ask NOT whether a Presidential candidate is good for Israel, but whether that candidate is good for American interests. For me, this includes health-care; the environment; human rights; the Supreme Court.

But to use statements made by Bush in an attempt to undermine Obama's campaign is ludicrous. It is another example of how the Right Wing spins truth into something frightening. It is another example of mis-information and obfuscation, and I am sick to death of it. I am sick of an Administration that uses fear as a weapon against its own people.

There is another ongoing argument people use against Obama. That is his lack of experience. In my opinion, that argument is codswallop, because it holds no real weight. That particular spin is akin to saying that unless you've been President, you can't be President. If you think you can, or if you think you can't, you're right.

I think Obama can.

Another WTF moment

Hat tip to Betmo for this lovely bit of insanity. Turns out, if you need an organ transplant, don't fess up to your use of Medical Marijuana. It is considered to be substance abuse. Really.

At the University of Washington, the transplant committee said it reviewed "behavioral concerns such as a history of substance abuse or dependency. If such a history exists, then the committee looks at the period of abstinence the candidate has demonstrated to date," as well as the patient's efforts to maintain abstinence and potential to abuse again.

And here is where I say WTF? Medical marijuana is used to treat glaucoma - relieves the pressure in the eye. It is used in diabetes, AIDS, high blood pressure, and to relieve the nausea associated with chemotherapy.

Nevertheless, two recent organ transplant cases were taken off the list because they said they'd used medical marijuana UNDER A DOCTOR'S SUPERVISION, BY PRESCRIPTION. Timothy Garon died earlier this month after being turned down for a liver transplant. He admitted using Medical Marijuana, and this in part made him ineligiable. Jonathon Simchen is a diabetic, and he's also been turned down. His kidneys and pancreas have failed.

There are any number of factors that determine a person's eligiablity for a transplant. Among those are smoking anything, let alone Medical Marijuana. But to consider this substance abuse is a form of insanity.

Yesterday, I received a text message telling me that a friend of mine in Chicago just got a kidney transplant. I know this gentleman through AA, we are both sober nearly 20 years. He is diabetic, and he's got a whole lot of other things wrong. He was a serious drunk back in the day. But he got his kidney and I'm thrilled for him. And then I read the article today and said a silent prayer. Thank the powers that be that he never told anyone on the transplant committee his drinking and drug use history.

And here's the deal. I'm clean and sober; yet if a doctor were to prescribe marijuana to treat an illness, I would take it and not consider it to be substance abuse. My goal is to live a healthy(ish) life, and a long one, despite certain chronic conditions that effect my day-to-day. But if I were in the above described situation, I would not admit to using medical marijuana. If I used it, and needed a transplant - no way would that go on my form.

Sometimes, ommission is the best policy.

We are Stardust, We are Golden

Lake Daisetta open for Wildlife Tours

Enigma4Ever alerted me to this exciting new travel experience. I suggested to Fran at Ramblings that we should corner the market on all tours going to the sinkhole. Some minor details:

On May 7, this itty bitty sinkhole (20 feet wide) opened up in Daisetta, Texas. Now it is over 900 feet long and 260 feet deep. And growing! That's the exciting part, it's growing. Now called Lake Daisetta, Danny Diaz, a Texas Parks and Wildlife game warden pointed out the aligator swimming around. He said that ole gator knows enough to avoid the crude oil floating at the top, which might irritate the gator's already rough aligator skin. Personally, I think Shea Butter helps, but who am I to suggest such a thing.

Meanwhile, the cause of all the excitement is a company that sits near the edge of a massive sinkhole in Southeast Texas has been accused of violating permits for disposal of saltwater, which some geologists suggest may have caused the crater. But this li'l old permit violation is opening a whole new segment for us Travel Professionals.

Mayor Lynn Wells is offering Guided Tours of the lake. Here is where we travel professionals fit in. Fran has asked if the guides are fluent in English, rather than merely East Texan. I want to be sure that tours include round trip transfers. We want it to include lunch. I'm worried about the souvenier shop slipping into the gator's mouth, but perhaps souveniers can come with final tour documents. You know, things like a bottle of salt waste water with some crude oil floating in it; a tee-shirt saying "I watched the Gator swim Lake Daisetta and all I got was this lousy shirt; that sort of thing. A full day tour should include pre-paid gratuities, and we're only going to charge $125 per person. Payable in full, up front, upon booking. Because, if you fall into the sinkhole, I am NOT going to pull you out.

Friday Granddaughter Blogging

I like Minnie Mouse dress. It cute.

My gramma sent a email to the pretzlenet in the white house telling him he made her real mad about what he said yesterday in Israel. Thie pretzlenet is digutsing. If you go to J-Street you can send a letter too.

Bye bye, I hafta go to school now.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

UPDATE: Cinema Verite, take two, a musical:

MOMMY: (Driving the car, Beanie in the backseat in her car seat) What shall we sing?

BEANIE: O Mick Donnal

MOMMY: (sings, with BEANIE prompting each animal, each possible pet, and then making that sound until they've all been sung) What animal now, Sweetie?

BEANIE: Gramma!

MOMMY: (Singing) Old MacDonald Had a Farm, E-I-E-I-O, and on his farm he had a Gramma, E-I-E-O, with a:

BEANIE: Snore snore snore snore snore

(MOMMY LAUGHS SO HARD, SHE HAS TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. BEANIE IS QUITE PLEASED WITH HERSELF.)

END SCENE

How I learned to Drive Manual Transmission

Yesterday, I spoke with my ex-husband about his upcoming trip to Israel with our son. They needed a car, they needed trip insurance, they need some hotels, and he needed my professional help. Yes, I'm a travel professional. Don't try this at home. We talked about what kind of car he wanted to rent, and he said "Not a Fiat 500" and we both burst out laughing. We'd met on Kibbutz, in Israel, and that Fiat played a part in our story.

In May, 1969, I moved to Israel. I was 20 years old, a college drop-out, and an idealist who felt shattered by the direction the United States had moved: Richard Nixon was our President, we were enmeshed in a horrible war in Viet Nam, our nation was torn apart. What better thing for a young Jewish girl to do than move to a new nation, become a pioneer, farm, get my hands dirty. My parents dropped me at the airport, and off I went on my new adventure.

I met my ex- on the first day I arrived. He literally grabbed my art portfolio out of my hands and carried it to the housing block I was assigned. He was on a bicycle. He thought he was dashing. I thought he was an asshole. So began 22 years of ragged togetherness before it ended in divorce. Hell, we get along better divorced than we ever did married, but that's a whole nother story.

This story is about a four cylinder Fiat 500, a car that was manual transmission and only had two cylinders working. It wasn't our car. It didn't really belong to anyone, exactly. This girl purchased it in Spain for $500, drove the hell out of it until she appeared on the Kibbutz one day, parked it, and stayed for a month. She left, and somehow the car (and the keys) stayed. Somehow, we had those keys. So, we just sort of decided we had right of first whatever.

Israel in 1969 was very much a country on defense. Still bearing the swagger of the Six Day War, when the Golan Heights, East Jerusalem, and the West Bank were captured, there was a bravado that defied the constant sense of looking over one's shoulder. We were not far from a small border town, and that town was constantly being shelled by Katusha rockets launched by Palestinians in Lebanon. It didn't stop us from hiking the hills - in fact, we felt in more danger from the wild dogs than from the rockets. Kids in their twenties feel immortal.

I cannot describe how beautiful this region was. The light, the colors of the land, the Jordan River - all of this begged for exploration. And we had a car at our disposal, so explore it we did. But there was the issue of the two cylinders - we would pull into gas stations not to fill up with gas, but because the radiator was about to overheat and we needed to add water, or coolant, or whatever it is you put into a car to keep it from blowing up. The other issue was that because Israel was at war, there were roadblocks set up all over the place. My ex- was without a driver's license; I didn't know how to drive stick. He decided there was no time like the present to learn.

Oh, there is a third issue. I don't like to take direction much. And one of the reasons he's an ex-husband is because he was a bit over-bearing. (I love it when I understate.) And I am a natural blonde.

So we pulled over into a secluded area to teach me the workings of manual transmissions, and clutches, and forward, and not grinding gears, and when to shift, and "GODDAMNIT, STEP ON THE CLUTCH AND THEN EASE IT INTO GEAR", and then it was time for my first roadblock. It did not go well. I lurched the car forward, I jerked it and it stalled. I tried again. Stalled again. The soldiers told my ex- to get me out of the drivers seat or they would run me in. We decided that my driving was not so good, and we'd be better off with him driving without that pesky credential. License? We don need no stinking license. Thus ended my driving experience in Israel.

I eventually taught myself in an emergency back in the States. My son spiked a sudden fever at age 4. My ex- had my car, I had our VW Bus, which was manual, and I needed to take my son to the doctor. I somehow managed to get there without a problem, except I couldn't figure out reverse. Later that weekend, I learned.

But we lived in Israel for a year before we moved back to the States. It was in Israel that I listened to Neil Armstrong's voice as he took his first steps on the Moon. The night of July 20th was hot, sticky and cloudless as we gathered around the radio - staring up at the moon - the first steps toward extraterrestial colonization after we completely fuck up Earth.

I was in Israel when my beloved Cubs folded to the vile, loathe and disgusting New York Mets. Not the Miracle Mets, no, nay, never: The MALEVOLENT Mets, forever evil in my book. I was in Israel when everyone was going on down to Yasgur's farm for the Woodstock Nation. I was in Israel for a year, and it changed me forever.

Last night, I was watching Neil Jordon's film, "Michael Collins." In the extras on the DVD, Jordon writes that Michael Collins developed new strategies for the independence of Ireland. His tactics include what are now recognized as urban guerrilla tactics - Jordan is firm in pointing out that Collins was a soldier, a politician, and would deplore terrorist tactics. In fact, in the 1940s, the underground Jewish militia, the Irgun, patterned itself after the Irish Republicans. Yitzak Shamir so admired Michael Collins that he took the nickname "Michael."

I believe that Yassar Arafat was of this ilk: he was a soldier, and his PLO employed the kinds of urban guerilla tactics that Collins developed. Not so the terrorist group, Hamas. Hamas straps explosives onto the bodies of young, disenfranchized men and tells them to go blow up a coffee house. Attack civilians. And then Israel behaves like the British did and bulldozes houses; cuts off water, electricity; builds a fence. Our world has gone insane.

This morning, Dusty sent me a link to this article from the New Republic. The article goes into depth about J-Street, the new lobbying group and political action committee that says it will represent the interests of liberal American Jews.

The group, according to its website, favors "diplomatic solutions over military ones, including in Iran; multilateral over unilateral approaches to conflict resolution; and dialogue over confrontation with a wide range of countries and actors when conflicts do arise." Perhaps most controversially, its founder favors negotiating with Hamas.

"It's true that American Jews are overwhelmingly liberal on most issues; the problem for J Street is that Israel simply isn't one of those issues." My own family is an example: my ex-husband and son support Israel and Israel's actions completely. My ex-husband speaks of Palestians as though they are less than human. Sort of the way Jews were talked about in the past. My daughter and I support a two-State, diplomatic solution and to me, this means that Israel must talk to Hamas. They must. To pursue a military stance will ensure the destruction of Israel. The only way for Israel to survive, nay, thrive, is through diplomacy.

What the Palestinians need is a Michael Collins, an Eamon de Valera, a Yitzhak Rabin. What Israel needs is some restraint, and a lobby like J-Street to make the Government listen. Most Israeli citizens support a two-state, diplomatic solution, as do a growing number of American Jews. J-Street supports peace, a two-state solution, security for Israel, and using diplomacy, rather than military force, to deal with countries like Iran and Syria. It is only the far Right wing (the millenialists, the Religious Right, the Rev. Hagee) who want Israel to keep Gaza and the West Bank.

Perhaps, as my ex-husband and our son drive around Israel in the car I've secured for them, they will come to terms with a more even-handed point of view. I can only hope.

The Empire Strikes Barack

Hat tip to The WIZARD,fkap for this bit of brilliance:




With correct spelling.

A Gap In The Space Between Life And Art

Robert Rauschenberg, a true 20th Century Master, died Monday May 12 at 82 years of age. The critic Robert Hughes once said that Rauschenberg "showed America that all of life could be open to art." Still, people fail to look, fail to see.

Rauschenberg used to say that he worked in the gap between life and art. I can say without question that his works fill that gap. There was a joy in his work, a playful seriousness that never failed to amaze me. Rest in peace, Mr. Rauschenberg.

Chicago Cubs Baseball

This makes me happy. Yes, that Sam Zell will not let former Illinois Governor Jim Thompson and his Illinois Sports Facilities Authority turn Wrigley Field into another U.S. Cellular Field (a disaster of a park if I ever saw one) and sell equity seat rights, which requires a person to sign a long-term contract to buy a specific seat for a price that is either fixed or rises in an agreed-upon way, much like a fixed or adjustable-rate mortgage.

I can imagine it now - selling sub-prime seats to a baseball game. No money down. And a balloon mortgage at that. What happens if the buyer defaults? Does the bank forclose on the seat? "Sorry, jerk. Give up that popcorn and hot dog. You're outa here."

Maybe there will be some kind of insurance clause to go with it - like to purchase seats, you have to get pre-authorization from your insurance company. And if you are lucky enough to get a generic seat, it will cost only $10; but if you have to have something that's non-formulary, well, it will cost you your first-born. But you can see the game, right?

Maybe the seats will only be available to people who have never thought about recycling their plastic, and drive Hummers (don't they still get subsidized gasoline?)

I digress. I love the Cubs. I'm glad that Thompson won't get the park. I like this bit of history. But frankly, I think that the greed that's involved ruins the game.

Around the "Internets"

Around around around the world wide web. I'm finding so many interesting sites. Here are a few that have my attention now:

Simply Wait is a writer's blog. She is thoughtful, and raises interesting questions. I just found her via New Dharma Bums.

Anitazanaxnow is an eclectic mix of thoughts. She also writes beautifully. Found Anita through Utah Savage who I found through Redheaded Wisdom.

And the aforementioned Utah Savage, who is quite eloquent and quite political. Interesting stuff, these writers. I have nothing more to say about it, other than go visit.

Israeli Center Against House Demolitions

It's the government, not the people. Another Israeli organization that actively opposes the Olmert Government's policies toward Palestinians is The Israeli Center Against House Demolitions. Their current project is to rebuild 18,000 homes that have been demolished by the government. Peace WILL prevail.

Reflections on family

My mother died in 1984 from ovarian cancer. The year was hellish on many levels. My mother and I had never been close; she was cold, a hypochondriac, paranoid, fearful. She self-medicated with pills and alcohol, and did not get the help she so desperately needed. There were circumstances that drove her to the mental state she lived, but suffice it to say that, as one of ten children, she struggled for attention and never had the tools to properly nurture. Far from it; at one point, she told me that if I had been a better daughter, she would never have gotten ovarian cancer.

My father died in 1996 from pulminary fibrosis, a calcifying of the lungs which causes suffocation. He'd had lung cancer 25 years before, and this pulminary fibrosis developed eventually because of the aggressive treatment he'd had for the lung cancer. Pa was one of seven, but not as cleanly as my mother was. My father's mother and father were divorced when he was four; she eventually remarried, and her second husband (grandpa) had five children with his first wife, Molly, who had died from cancer. Then grandma and grandpa had one more child, rounding out the seven.

My father was a fun guy; he was the classic "hale fellow well met", a screw-up in business, and a drinker. He was unhappy in his marriage, but refused to divorce because it just wasn't good for the children. I don't think he ever forgave me for divorcing, but that's another story.

While I was in Chicago, my mother's sister Sally died at age 98. This leaves only two of the ten left, and they are both in their 90s. And yesterday, I received an email from one of my cousins telling me that my father's sister Anne died May 8th. He had a link to the obituary, and the shock of all shocks: since Anne was one of grandpa's five from his first wife, the obituary only listed those siblings - a complete erasure of my father and my aunt Junie. Aunt Anne was the last of my father's siblings - so now, my brother and I, and our cousins on Pa's side are the older generation. We're it. And I feel adrift in a world of chaos.

My upbringing was not easy. Still, with the tools of recovery in Alcoholics Anonymous, I feel that I've made strides in forgiving my parents for their mistakes - my mother did not have any tools, and frankly, what she experienced was pretty awful. I know that she did the best she could with absolutely no tools for living. I know that she was not intentionally cruel, but that she really thought she was doing her best. I know that I did NOT cause her ovarian cancer. And I know that I've become a better mother even though I didn't have an example of good mothering to follow.

Still, I feel that I lack something, some deep ability to make a real connection with others. I live alone, and I am happy to isolate. I have friends, and I do see them with regularity, but am equally happy to sit at home without contact with others. That's so weird! Even I know it's peculiar. But reading that obituary yesterday put me in a very dark place.

At any rate, Beanie and my daughter called me yesterday morning to wish me happy Mommy's day. Beanie talked a lot, she's really exploded in her language skills, and she's having a field day making fun of my snoring. Then my son called in the evening to wish me happy Mother's day, and I had a great conversation with him. He's so funny, and he's brilliant. I am very proud of my kids, despite the fact that they don't get along with each other. My fault, I know it. I don't know how to fix it, as they are 37 and almost 35. I'm done raising them.

Life is messy. Family is messy. We all do the best we can, and we all muddle through. But today, today I feel a bit blue, and lost, in a sea of chaos.

Random thought for Mother's Day

Found this by way of Anitaxanaxnow:

Your Brain's Pattern

Your mind is a firestorm - full of intensity and drama. Your thoughts may seem scattered to you most of the time... But they often seem strong and passionate to those around you. You are a natural influencer. The thoughts you share are very powerful and persuading.

What Pattern Is Your Brain?

Friday Grandbaby Blogging (Cinema Verite)

SCENE ONE: GRAMMA'S HOUSE, THURSDAY, 4 AM. BEANIE IS ASLEEP ON HER ELMO FLIP OUT SOFA BED AT THE FOOT OF GRAMMA'S BED. GRAMMA IS ASLEEP IN BED.

BEANIE: (CRYING, SHOUTING) Mommy, Mommy, I needa go poopie!

GRAMMA: C'mon Beanie, I'm here, let's go potty.

BEANIE: I needa go poopie. (SHE HOLDS GRAMMA'S HAND, GRAMMA PUTS POTTY CHAIR ON TOILET, HELPS BEANIE CLIMB UP.) Gramma, you vait. (HUMS A BIT) Gramma, I done.

GRAMMA: Good job, Beanie. Let's clean up. (GRAMMA HELPS, THEN THEY WASH HANDS). Okay, it's still night, let's go back to bed.

BEANIE: It still night. I seep in Gramma's bed.

GRAMMA: (MELTING) Of course you can. (HELPS BEANIE CLIMB IN.) It's still dark, Mommy's sleeping, so let's go back to sleep.

BEANIE: Still dork. Mommy seeping. Gramma seeping.

(THEY GO BACK TO SLEEP. THIRTY MINUTES PASS.)

BEANIE: (POKING GRAMMA) Gramma, stop making noise! (GRAMMA IS BUSTED.)

SCENE TWO: BACK IN CHICAGO, AT BEANIE'S HOME. MOMMY IS READING GOOD NIGHT STORY TO BEANIE, AND AT END OF STORY, LITTLE BEAR GOES TO SLEEP. BEANIE SMILES. SHE LIES DOWN, PRETENDS TO GO TO SLEEP.

BEANIE: Mommy, Gramma seeping. (BEANIE BEGINS TO "SNORE" LOUDLY. MOMMY STARTS LAUGHING, BEANIE LAUGHS TOO.)

-30-

Slow Day at Work

What does it mean to be Pro-Israel?

I recently joined J-Street, the political arm of the pro-Israel, pro-Peace movement. J-Street was founded to create meaningful American leadership to bring a peaceful end to the Arab/Israeli and Palestinian/Israel conflicts.

J Street represents Americans, primarily but not exclusively Jewish, who support Israel and its desire for security as the Jewish homeland, as well as the right of the Palestinians to a sovereign state of their own - two states living side-by-side in peace and security. We believe ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is in the best interests of Israel, the United States, the Palestinians, and the region as a whole.

Today, I received an email from founder Jeremy Ben Ami, with the text of an article he'd written in a recent Washington Post issue. I print it in full:

5 Myths About Being 'Pro-Israel'
By Jeremy Ben Ami

Six decades ago, my father fought alongside Menachem Begin for Israel's independence. If you'd have told him back then that politicians in the world's last superpower would be jockeying today to see who can be more "pro-Israel," he would have laughed at you. Grateful as I am for decades of U.S. friendship to Israel, I have to wonder, as the state my father helped found turns 60, just who is defining what it means to be pro-Israel in the United States these days.

Some purported keepers of that flame claim that supporting Israel means reflexively supporting every Israeli action and implacably opposing every Israeli foe -- adopting the talking points of neoconservatives and the most right-wing elements of the American Jewish and Christian Zionist communities. Criticize or question Israeli behavior and you're labeled "anti-Israel," or worse. But unquestioning encouragement for short-sighted Israeli policies such as expanding Jewish settlements in the West Bank isn't real friendship. (Would a true friend not only let you drive home drunk but offer you their Porsche and a shot of tequila for the road?) Israel needs real friends, not enablers. And forging a healthy friendship with Israel requires bursting some myths about what it means to be pro-Israel.

1.American Jews choose to back candidates largely on the basis of their stance on Israel.

This urban legend has somehow become a tenet of American Politics 101, which is why politicians work so hard to earn the pro-Israel label in the first place. But it's a self-serving fable, cultivated by a tiny minority of politically conservative American Jews who actually are single-issue voters. Most Jewish voters make their political choices the way other Americans do: based on their views on the full spectrum of domestic and foreign policy issues.

Moreover, the American Jewish community still has a markedly progressive bent. Exit polls suggest that nearly 80 percent of Jewish Americans voted for John F. Kerry over George W. Bush in 2004; some 70 percent of them were opposed to the Iraq war in 2005, according to the American Jewish Committee; and polls show that most American Jews say they favor a more balanced U.S. Middle East policy that's aimed at achieving peace.

2.To be strong on Israel, you have to be harsh to the Palestinians.

Wrong, and counterproductive to boot. One popular way for members of Congress to earn their pro-Israel stripes is to come down as hard as possible on the Palestinians, by using economic and diplomatic pressure or giving the Israelis a freer hand for military strikes. That may satisfy some primal urge to lash out at Israel's foes, but it does Israel more harm than good.

As Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has argued, Israel's survival depends on offering the Palestinians a more hopeful future built on political sovereignty and economic development. As long as Palestinians despair of a decent and dignified life, Israel will be at war. And as long as the only channel for the Palestinians' ingenuity is building better rockets, not even the Great Wall of China will protect Israel's cities from their wrath. Helping the Palestinians achieve a viable, prosperous state is one of the most pro-Israel things an American politician can do.

3.The Rev. John Hagee and his fellow Christian Zionists are good for the Jews.

Hardly. Are Israel and American Jewry really so desperate that we must cozy up to people whose messianic dreams entail having us all killed or converted to Christianity? Hagee, the founder of Christians United for Israel, and his ilk believe that Israel dare not cede any territory in the quest for peace, claiming that the Bible promised all of the holy land to the Jews. In other words, Christian Zionists look at the trade-offs that Israel must make to achieve peace -- and hope to thwart them. Then again, peace is not what these folks have in mind; they hope that Israel will seek to permanently expand its borders, thereby goading the Arabs into a war that will become the catalyst for Armageddon and the second coming of Christ. Do your ambitions for Israel extend beyond turning it into the fuel for the fire of the "End of Days"? Then Hagee and company are not -- repeat, not -- your friends.

4. Talking peace with your enemies demonstrates weakness.

You don't need an advanced degree in international relations to recognize that pursuing peace only with people you like is pointless. Most Israelis know this; a recent poll in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz found that two-thirds of Israelis favor cease-fire negotiations between their government and Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement that controls the Gaza Strip, exactly because Hamas is such a bitter foe. But in Washington, we self-righteously refuse to engage -- even indirectly -- with Hamas, Iran or Syria.

Hamas won the most recent Palestinian national elections in a landslide. Do we seriously think that it can be erased from the political landscape simply by assassinations and sanctions? Precisely because Hamas and Iran represent the most worrisome strategic challenges to Israel, responsible friends of Israel who'd like to see it live in security for its next 60 years should be engaging with them to search for alternatives to war.

5. George W. Bush is the best friend Israel has ever had.

Not even close. The president has acted as Israel's exclusive corner man when he should have been refereeing the fight. That choice weakened Israel's long-term security.

Israel needs U.S. help to maintain its military edge over its foes, but it also needs the United States to contain Arab-Israeli crises and broker peace. Israel's existing peace pacts owe much to Washington's ability to bridge the mistrust among parties in the Middle East. So when the United States abandons the role of effective broker and acts only as Israel's amen choir, as it has throughout Bush's tenure, the United States dims Israel's prospects of winning security through diplomacy. The best gift that Israel's friends here could give this gallant, embattled democracy on its milestone birthday would be returning the United States to its leading role in active diplomacy to end the conflicts in the Middle East -- and help a secure, thriving Israel find a permanent, accepted home among the community of nations.

It is time for Democrats to unite

In California, it's 9:50 PM. Indiana is still being counted, and Obama has closed the gap with Clinton in that primary. Clinton is out of money, in debt. And as she said in her speech, it is time for Democrats to work together.

She cannot win the nomination at this point. Obama looks to be the Democratic nominee. At this moment, we have a real opportunity to come together in ways the Liberals, Progressives, and Democrats rarely are able to do. The 2008 election is, without doubt, the most important election in recent history. We cannot survive another Republican administration at this time. We cannot, not morally, not financially, not emotionally, not spiritually. But if, as we usually do, we break ranks and argue or sit on our hands because "Obama isn't experienced enough" or "Obama is too elitist" or "Obama is (you fill in the blank)" - then we effectively allow John McCain to walk into the White House.

Republicans fall into lock step when it comes time to vote. We do not. We write in candidates. We vote for fringe candidates. We Stand On Principal just to make a point and then we wind up with all kinds of disasters. When Hubert Humphrey was the Democratic Nominee against Nixon, my brother wrote in Donald Duck. He was not alone in his "protest" vote, and the end result was Richard Nixon. His "gesture" was irresponsible.

We must move forward. And successful politics is very much about forming coalitions and making workable compromises. Compromises are not inherently bad; they are not "selling out." Compromises are about finding a common ground and moving forward. Please, please: let us move forward.

Friday Granddaughter Blogging

Wednesday we flew. Thursday we went to visit Mickey Mouse. Today we are going to see Tide Pools and play with doggies. I like California.

The Price of Gas Gives Me Gas

As prices at the pump continue to soar, I thought I'd share this image I took as we sailed out of Brunei (the wealthiest little nation in the world.) Yes, oil wells off the shore, pumping, burning, polluting, generally making the Sultan of Brunei richer than he already is.

Still in Chicago. Much improved. Beanie remains adorable. She thinks that when I laugh, I am a spektickle.

Decision '08 - my thoughts

The upcoming November election is the most significant election in recent history. We must decide if we are going to move forward toward solution, or remain in a climate of fear.

The last 8 years have been a culmination of over 35 years of fear and hate-mongering which really began with the Nixon Administration. The Republican tactics over the last 3 1/2 decades has been to dismiss educated language as elitist and unnecessary - authoritarian personalities who embrace secrecy, intolerance, obedience, and a complete eradication of checks and balances.

So what are our choices? On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton still clings to the inflated belief that she can become the Democratic nominee - her logic appears to me to be based on fuzzy math, but oh, well.

Barak Obama is accused of being "elitist" and "inexperienced." Why? Elitist because he is well-spoken, highly educated, and intelligent? That's a problem? I ache with the realization that this nation abhors clear thinking, intelligent discourse and creative solutions. But the real bee in my bonnet is the charge of inexperience. To me, the "experienced" politicians bring more of the same old same old, and Obama's approach is reasonably fresh. He is well-known in Illinois as a coaltion builder - he has a great capacity to bring people together to effect positive change. He has a solid health care plan, which, to me, is essential.

And then on the Republican side, there is John McCain who appears to stand for more of the Bush Administration's policies. He now supports tax policies he once opposed. He wants us to stay in Iraq for the next hundred years - if that's not a holy war, please tell me. Oh, and I loved this headline: Violence mars Rice's visit to Iraq. She was expecting maybe a garden party?

To me, the choice has become clear. I support Obama for President. I believe we will be at the end of our experiment with Democracy if McCain is elected.

Friday Granddaughter Blogging

Poopie accidents are digutsing. I am a good co-pop-a-prater. I like my Elmo chef things. My gramma gives me booper kisses. I'm three. Everything is mine turn, like it is mine turn to put on my shoes but I let gramma put on one of them. I like to brush my teeth.

More from Chicago

My daughter is in a tough situation. She and her husband are separated, and she's full time with Beanie. This is because her husband makes choices that are heartbreaking: he would rather watch American Idol than have Beanie overnight. He would rather play golf than have Beanie on his normal weekend time. He would rather drink beer until he's blind drunk than be a father. So my daughter does it all, and frankly, she is wound tighter than a top.

Beanie, meanwhile, is incredibly smart. I mean she's shockingly smart, and hilariously funny, and stubborn, and sweet, and sensitive. Therein lies the rub. She feels the tension. She knows something is rotten in Denmark. But she doesn't quite know what caused it. Daddy yells at her. Daddy then tells my daughter that there is something wrong with Beanie - why? Because at 3, and in a big girl bed, she no longer naps. This is the truth for all parents - put the kid in a big kid bed and kiss nap-time goodbye. But if she doesn't nap, how can he have an afternoon snort?

So I got to town, and my daughter was down with the flu - partly from stress, partly because she had the flu. And she's demanding - and in that place where NOTHING I can do for her is right. Whatever it is, I've done it incorrectly. I'm sleeping on the sofa, and I'm not putting the dishes in the dishwasher the right way. I clean up the kitchen and I'm not paying enough attention to Beanie. I try to play with Beanie on her level, and I'm not reminding her to go potty enough. Yesterday, while I was theoretically working (I am working from my remote desk), I also wound up with Beanie at home because (no surprise here) her Daddy could not be bothered to take her. So Grandpa (my ex) took her to the zoo in the morning, and I had her in the afternoon, and we had a bit of a tantrum, and I told my daughter I lacked the skills any longer and didn't know what to do. My daughter's response? I don't have to come back here again. WTF?

I adore Beanie, but really, it's been 30+ years since I've dealt with little kids on a full time basis. It is NOT like riding a bicycle, you do forget. I adore this child, but I don't remember what 3-year-olds are like. She's work. Real, honest-to-god work. And I keep thinking I'm screwing it all up, and she's got my number. She out-thinks me. I raised one of those (my son) and believe me, there is a difference between a gifted child and a smart one. I've had one of each, and I sense that my daughter has a gifted child. This is not bias, it is some level of experience.

Meanwhile, because my daughter was ill, I wound up taking Beanie to my ex-husband's for both Passover Seders. I have to tell you that at some level, my life is often funnier than the best situation comedies - it was a complete comedy - me, in the house I designed, with my ex, and his wife, and first night my brother and cousins; second night it was my ex's cousins. Just so bizarre, and funny, and messy, and with Beanie as center of attention - oh, my god.

But I am tired, really. Partly because the situation for my daughter just breaks my heart, and partly because Beanie is a bundle of energy. She's at school today, but we've made big plans for the weekend. Gorgeous weather, so far. The expected rain has not materialized, so this is good. Wish me luck.

Greetings from Chicago

I'm visiting Beanie. She's three. She's all energy and personality. I am in need of a vacation, or possibly oxygen. Today she's off to the zoo with her grandpa so I can work from my remote desk. I adore her, but she's like the Eveready Bunny on Speed.

Help. Help help. Help.

Friday Grandbaby Blogging

Okay, here's the math:

No more binky + using potty + big girl bed = TODDLER.

New Drug

I went shopping yesterday!

Because a girl who lives near the ocean can NEVER have enough hoodies, really!

Sweet Crude

A man carrying a machete walks by a burning oil pipeline last month near a farm in Kegbara Dere, Nigeria. The fire burned strong for 45 days, raining ash down on the village.

Documentary filmmaker Sandy Cioffi entered Nigeria legally on April 5, along with Tammi Simms, her producer; and photojournalists Cliff Worsham and Sean Porter. They were accompanied by Nigerian citizen Joel Bisina, who is the founder of a Warri-based NGO, Niger Delta Professionals for Development.

Cioffi is in Nigeria making a documentary film, Sweet Crude, about the impact of the petroleum industry on the economy and environment of the Niger Delta. On April 12, the five were taken into custody by the Nigerian military and so far, have not been charged with anything. They have been denied outside contact, nor have they been formally charged with a crime. The four US Citizens had Visas to enter Nigeria, issued by the Nigerian government, and were returning to the Niger River Delta to complete the film WITH PERMISSION FROM THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT. (emphasis mine.)

Nigeria's petroleum industry is well-known for corruption, pollution and injustice. As the largest producer of oil in Africa, apparently Nigeria doesn't want the world to know too much. We in America import a tremendous amount of oil from Nigeria - is our government complicit in this arrest?

That we depend upon foreign oil is at core of this issue. And it takes the courage of Artists (these filmmakers) to shine the light on this industry. Apparently, their crime is to simply point a camera. So far they've not been charged, and according to Nigerian law, they must be charged within 48 hours or released. It has been over 48 hours. Let's make some noise.

The War for The Presidency

Diebold Accidentally Leaks Results Of 2008 Election Early

A Liberal on a Luxury Cruise

Sailing out of Sydney Harbour, past the Sydney Opera House - this is shot from the balcony of my stateroom. It was midnight when we left. I was hosting a segment of the World Cruise on Crystal Serenity, and I was a liberal among conservatives.

The Sydney Opera House is one of my favorite buildings. On the cruise, I started a series of watercolors with the Opera House as my subject, and now that I am home I've actually gotten serious about my paintings. When I finish, I will photograph them and put them up on Flikr, or Picassa, or something - but right now, I am just doing them. But this image, taken at night, without a tripod, while on a moving ship - well, it has the energy I wanted.

The cruise segment was 17 days, with five ports and 12 days at sea. Those were my favorite days, the sea days. Those were the days for relaxation, reflextion, Yoga, painting, spa, pool, walking. However. I went to the library one day, after I'd finished my book (No Country For Old Men by Cormac McCarthy). They had every book that Ann Coulter has written - they had books by every current neo-conservative author, nothing by any liberal, and the fiction was all Clive Cussler genre. Yikes. The travel books were decent, but I'd read them all, so I sort of backed out slowly...

It was a funny experience for me. I met lovely people, as long as the topic of conversation was superficial - clothes, food, the cruise, men, dancing, the casino. One woman discovered I was a Democrat and she said she would have to reconsider being friendly (until we all decided to chip in on the last day's bingo game. We won the grand prize. She liked me again, thought I was lucky.)(I was lucky. I won big bucks in the casino at Black Jack, Craps, and, yes, even Roulette.) But greed is a strange and powerful motivator. And greedy people tend to be suspicious of others. I spent a lot of time just observing others.

I also found that people who cruise don't really want to get to know a destination in depth. They want convenience over anything else. I prefer land travel, when all is said and done. I want to break bread with local people, to hear about their day, to experience their culture. Do I dislike cruises? Not at all - but I'd just be happy to use a cruise as a means of transportation - I love sea days - I love being afloat on the ocean with nothing but water and the open sky around - the power of the sea is mesmerizing, and it makes my heart sing.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Well, Cows By The Fence is an interesting blog that Betmo pointed out. Cows By The Fence posted THIS article about the growing food shortage globally. The article talks about planting a "Victory Garden,"

a program started by the US (and Canadian) governments during the war years to encourage people to grow food at their homes to ease and reduce the pressure on the food supply during the course of the war. Citizens grew food on their lawns,on apartment rooftops, and wherever possible. Victory Gardens ceased to be when the war ended and things went back to their old ways, being dependent upon supermarkets and grocery stores for our food.

There are additional things we can do: rather than supermarkets, we can purchase fruit and vegetables at local farmers markets - supermarkets truck food thousands of miles, contributing to pollution and rising fuel costs. Local farmers provide fresh produce, and it supports local economy as well. I admit, in Southern California, there are local farmers markets every day of the week, some of which carry mostly organic produce. Cold weather climates are not so lucky.

Still, we have gotten out of the habit of buying seasonally, cooking seasonally. Supermarkets show summer fruits year round: meally, tasteless excuses for peaches or strawberries; cardboard tomatoes; a travesty. We've opted for convenience over nutrition.

I think, this summer, I will do a balcony garden with lettuce, tomatoes, and other yummy container treats. Since I am not the world's best gardener, I will need a lot of luck. But it's worth a shot.

A Perfect Day in Sydney Australia

I've been to Australia almost 30 times. I've been to Sydney at least 20 times, and had never before been to the Taronga Zoo. My thinking was this: I've been to many zoos, and would rather see animals in the wild. However, I forget that zoos have an important educational mission; they also care for the health of animals, and in some cases, they actually help keep certain animals from extinction. So, that said, , I arranged a private visit to the zoo with one of the zoo-keepers. This is actually a tour that I can arrange for my clients, and so I decided to experience it to determine if it's worth doing.

In a word: Youbetcha! Amazing experience. She took me into various animal enclosures, beginning with the Koala enclosure. Koalas in New South Wales suffer from 4 diseases caused by the chlamydia organism: conjunctivitis which can cause blindness, pneumonia, urinary tract infections and reproductive tract infections, which can cause female infertility. While the diseases won't manifest if the Koalas have unlimited resources, the reality is that their habitat has been severely compromised, and so their numbers have been affected drastically.

We went into the Australian Nocturnal Habitat - the keeper took me into various enclosures (which caused a bit of surprise for other visitors to the zoo. No, I am not a new kind of Australian Nocturnal Animal! I promise. Don't throw food at me, really!) Then we went into the kitchen where they prepare all kinds of foods for a majority of the animals - from live food (creepy crawly insect kind of thingies) to frozen mice and rats to chopped fruits and vegies - all in very sanitary conditions.

The experience was fun, and highly educational. I've decided that I am going to send all my clients on a back-stage visit to the zoo! It was amazing.

Where have I been?

Where oh where have I been? I spent three weeks on a cruise from Sydney to Hong Kong, that's simple enough. But the real silence has been longer than three weeks. I've been experiencing a deep quiet and a need for clarity. I've probably lost all my readers, so sorry about that. But my heart has been heavy since July , and I've had little to contribute that felt positive.

Bean turned three in March. She's now in a toddler bed, she gave up her beloved binky and she happily uses the potty. She calls me on her toy cell phone and chatters away. I will see her in a week.

I snagged a copy of My Name Is Rachel Corrie. This is the play based on Rachel Corrie's journals and emails - she was a young American woman who was killed in Gaza by Israeli bulldozers. The Israelis say accident; the Palestinians turned her into a Martyr; Katherine Viner and Alan Rickman edited her words into a play because they felt she was a young woman who had a story to tell. I've not seen the play performed, but the press surrounding it and the controversy that surrounds it has taken on a life of its own.

Two young people I know have died from overdoses - both were at one time sober, both went out. A powerful disease, alcoholism and drug addiction. Both of these people lived in a world of hurt, and hopefully their souls are at rest. At peace.

I did not blog against theocracy this Easter. I will not blog against anything ever again. I need to be for something, rather than against. I need to be for peace, for transparency, for a life that tries to heal the world. I'm just so tired of anger, and angry people. To quote Bob Dylan, "you are right from your side, and I am right from mine, and it's one to many mornings and a thousand miles behind."

But I think I am back. Maybe. We'll see.

Friday Grandbaby Blogging

My unka Aman is making me laugh. He's funny. My gamma isn't happy about poltiks because she says there aren't really any choices. I like my pretty bow in my hair and I like to paint and play piano. If you vote for a Democrat even though that Democrat is part of the Corporatrocy, at least they won't mess up the Supreme Court too bad like that Mr. Huckleberry or Mr. Strangelove McCain.

It's cold and snowy out so I am going to go paint now. Bye bye.

Obama '08

Kuchinich dropped out, but he had a snowball's chance in hell. Edwards dropped out, but he was always going to finish a strong 3rd. Gore won't run unless Clinton really badly stubs her toe. So it's down to Clinton and Obama.

This is not a stunning endorsement at all. I haven't the enthusiasm some of my friends have for Barak Obama, but I do like him better than Mrs. Clinton. I do know he believes in building coalitions, and bringing people together in the best sense. But reality leaves me jaded. We have devolved into a one-party system and we have, as a nation, become as insulated and xenophobic as we were in the 1950s. We are a nation that prefers to watch trash, that searches for palliatives and sound bites. We don't investigate issues, and we let others shoulder responsibility. I'm not immune, I'm not above this, I am not sitting in my Ivory Tower pointing fingers - I am as addicted to junk as the next person, I admit it.

But I really want a Democrat as President, because I do think of the Supreme Court. At issue are health care; the environment; Roe v. Wade. We need to recreate discourse in America, we need to raise the bar on conversation rather than belittle intelligence.

So, there it is. I'm voting Obama on Super Tuesday.

Friday Grandbaby Blogging

I like to change Elmo's diaper but he doesn't like it because he likes to use the potty I see it on his DVD and on his website and he sings.

Bye bye I have to play now.

A Delicate Balance

L to R: Earl (of Old Town); U. Utah Phillips; Tom Dundee

Coffee Messiah asked me if I knew Tom Dundee. I heard Tom play a lot over my years in Chicago; an old friend of mine used to rent out his Condo on Juneway Terrace because he was on the road so much and so I met him, hung out with him a bit in the late '90s. He was a lovely guy, and a terrific singer/songwriter. I had no idea he'd died - motorcycle accident in April 2006. Two years before, his friend Fred Holstein died - another staple in the Chicago music scene. And before that, Mike Jordan, and before that Steve Goodman. It is all so fleeting.

"And its all such a delicate balance
Takes away just as much as it gives,
To live it is real,
to love it is to feel
You're a part of what everything is.

And its all such a delicate balance
As it turns through the circles of air,
To worry does nothing
but steals from the loving
And robs from the pleasure that's there."

A Delicate Balance, by Tom Dundee

The Western Wall

My cousin recently went to Israel for the first time. I call her my evil twin, which, oddly, is what she calls me. We constantly egg each other on to adorable levels of snarkiness and we laugh till we drool or have to run to the loo. She's hilarious.

During her trip, she got to go to the Western Wall in Jerusalem. The Wall was part of the Second Temple, and is a holy place for Jews. People go there to pray, and they put prayers on notes and stuff them into the cracks between the stones. She managed to get this amazing, spiritually loaded, photo:

"Yo, God? This is Phil. Can I have mustard on that Pastrami sammich? Hold the pickles, they give me gas."

You Don't Need a Weatherman to Know Which Way The Wind Blows

Hat tip to Dusty for getting this information out.

The SDS is waking up after a 40 year nap. Pat Korte, a sophmore at The New School in Greenwich Village, is a co-founder of the newly revived group. He feels that the new incarnation of SDS benefits from hindsight: the original SDS was highly factionalized and eventually fell apart because of that factionalization.

And while the new incarnation of SDS has not come up with anything as compelling as The Port Huron Statement of 1962, Mr. Korte does recognize that while revolutionary change is essential, "blowing up buildings is not going to get us anywhere. Nor is joining the Democratic Party.”

We lack a sense of urgency today which we had in the '60s. Perhaps this rebirth of student activism is lighting that essential sense of urgency. I hope so. We need social change. The original Port Huron Statement said "A new left must start controversy across the land, if national policies and national apathy are to be reversed." I do not advocate blowing up buildings, but I do advocate blowing up old ideas. Like Dusty, I was a member of SDS in the 60s. Perhaps it is time to rejoin.

My other blog!

Okay, I've done it. I now have a second blog, Luxury Adventures, strictly devoted to travel. That way I can keep politics and personal away from selling adventure travel, and this makes all the sense in the world to me.

So visit. I've JUST started it.

I Think It's Going To Rain Today

Let's tell Betsy Ross how good we feel

Not bad for a guy who used to be a postal worker in a Chicago suburb, eh? I love John Prine.

Friday Grandbaby Blogging

Okay so but I like to paint and it is more fun than watching the Iowa Caucus which is really starting to scare me because if someone who doesn't believe in science might be President then maybe they will make me have to be a Christian and I don't want to be a Christian I want to paint and eat cookies. Its a funny name, Huckabee. Didn't they make a movie called I Heart Huckabee? and it wasn't really very good, my Gamma didn't like it much, but she did like No Country for Old Men but I didn't see that movie because I'm only almost three. I like Finding Nemo. Okay, I have to go play now. Bye bye.

Election Coverage

Given The Wall Street Journal's incisive take on Dennis Kuchinich (with a very big hat-tip to Dusty), I thought I would provide the following election coverage:


Poll: Bullshit Is Most Important Issue For 2008 Voters

Imagining the Iowa Caucus

Reading about the escalating violence in Kenya, I can't help but envision this kind of tribal fighting wending its way toward our shores. What stops us from killing each other when our chosen candidates don't win? What stops us from burning down buildings, or upending automobiles?

Yesterday, as an alternative to football, some of us went to a movie. In the pre-movie onscreen noise, there was an infomercial for TruTV: "it's not reality, it's actuality." Huh?

I wonder, at the end of the day, what possible difference it's going to make who wins the Iowa Caucus. What difference does it make? I'm still going to face gasoline prices that are inching toward $4 per gallon. I'm still going to have drug copayments of $50 a refill. I'm still going to get up and go to work every day.

No answers, just more and more questions.

Happy New Year

May 2008 bring peace, joy, and the fulfilment of our wildest dreams. Thank you all for remaining readers while I got re-grouped. It was an odd year for me, with some painful losses. Ellie Bean is a joy, and I adore her. As for politics, I think I am going to endorse Donald Duck for President.

Peace, love and joy to all.

Fiber Retreat in New Zealand

Here's a thought: A creative retreat in New Zealand for knitters, or fiber artists of all kinds. Space is limited to ten, but they offer three dates. Cost is not bad, either, about $1600 USD for the five days plus airfare.

Day 1
Arrive, meet the staff and tour the factory
At the Mill House classroom with Jo Reeve learn secrets of carding, building a rainbow, and blending fibres
Home stay for dinner
Evening party.

Day 2
Mill House classroom with Cindy Begg learn wool classing, and novelty spinning
Home stay for dinner
Pedicure and massage pampering.

Day 3
Back Country Adventure
Arrive Inverary Station and watch musterers and shearers at work then board 4-wheel drive vehicles to go across country for lunch in a musterer’s hut
On the journey home view the agate jewellery and woodland garden at Rangiatea farm and the alpacas at Homestead farm.

Day 4
Mill House classroom with Priscilla Lowry learn about silk, creating luxurious yarns and dyeing techniques
Home stay for dinner
Illustrated talk on silk and the world of the Geisha.

Day 5
Mill House classroom with Rowena Hart using your beautiful yarns weave a fashion garment.

Take home new skills, new experiences, the warmth of new friendships and a fibre adventure you will never forget!

Friday Grandbaby Blogging

Brunei

Long House on the Temburong River

This is one of the reasons I love what I do: in a couple of months I am hosting a segment of a World Cruise. One of the ports of call is Bandar Seri Begawan, in the Sultanate of Brunei Darussalam. Brunei is on the northern coast of the island of Borneo: an oil-rich, peaceful enclave with one of the most diverse eco-systems in the world. Nearly 80% of Brunei is tropical rainforest. When you consider that the entire nation is just under 5800 sq km, that's a lot of forest. And most is easily accessed from Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital.

Honest to pete, this is not a place that sort of comes to mind quickly. I do not get a lot of calls from clients saying "Hey, I've got an idea! I want to go to Brunei Darussalam!" But because I am going to get there, I have to read up, learn all I can, and prepare for my new adventure. More to come.

Tips for Spiro!

Since Commandante Agi asked so nicely, I'm going to make some suggestions for Madrid, Barcelona, and Paris. Let's get the annoying stuff out of the way: Security at the airports in Europe is quite tough. So when you pack, if you're even remotely in doubt, don't carry it on the plane. ONLY ONE CARRY ON, not a carry on and a small personal bag, per person!

Madrid: Visit the Prado Museum which contains the world's best collection of Spanish painting, including works by El Greco; Velazquez; Goya; Ribera; Zubaran; Murillo. The Prado also contains works by Van der Weyden and Hieronymous Bosch; it houses the most complete collection of Titian's works as well as other painters from the Venice School; and also houses a collection of first class work from English, German, and French artists. And visit the Centro de Arte Reina Sofia National Museum, which has a collection of 20th Century painting and sculpture: works by Picasso, Juan Gris, Miro, Dali, Chillida and Tapies. Finish the visit with Picasso's Guernica - the most compelling visual reminder of the horrors of war I have ever seen.

I can arrange a day of private cooking lessons in an atelier in a private home, if you would like.

Visit the Malasana quarter, and witness how a middle class neighborhood is being "discovered" by Madrid's hip, younger generation. Taberna Lardosa supposedly has the best draft beer in Madrid! This quarter is loaded with off-scene theaters, modern shops, hip restaurants and cafes, intermingling with history: the Church of San Antonio de los Alemanes is an 18th Century Baroque building with lavish frescoes.

Or, you can do a day trip to Toledo, the city of three cultures. Christians, Arabs, and Jews lived here successfully and peacefully, for centuries during the Golden Age. Churches, Mosques, Synagogues make the Old Quarter a virtual museum of diversity of architectural styles (and a testement to how people can indeed live in peace with each other.) This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Barcelona: The heart of Modernism probably lies in Barcelona. The movement had its heyday in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, and embodies the most innovative creations in art, literature, theater, architecture, decoration, and furniture design. Gaudi, the master of Modernist Architecture, lived in Barcelona - his works are part of what makes this city breathe. Visit his masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia Church, and also Park Guell. And visit the Picasso Museum (also the one in Paris).

I can arrange a private excursion out the the Montserrat and Penedes Wine Regions, if this is of interest.

Paris: There is a line from a movie that says "Paris is always a good idea." I could not agree more. Paris is divided into 20 districts that spiral out like a snail shell from the first, centered round the Louvre. I always walk in Paris, although the Paris underground is quite easy to navigate (and it's clean, and compared to other cities, quiet.) I walk in Paris because it's how I discover things: places like the Place des Vosges, the oldest square in Paris and a virtual oasis of calm in this bustling city. Located in Le Marais, it has a history - it was the first example of "urban planning" and dates from 1612. You can visit Victor Hugo's house for free!

Once you're peaceful, go to Musee Carnavalet (23-29 rue de Sévigné 75003): this is Paris from the Roman times to 1900… If you see only one museum, see this one! It goes on and on and on and on and on and on! I quite love it. Dine somewhere in Le Marais. You can't miss. Actually, dine anywhere in Paris. You can't miss.

I can create private tour experiences in each city that will give you an insider's view in each city, or the surrounding areas. Feel free to email me with questions!

This is first, and foremost, a travel blog

My blog is about travel. That's what I originally intended it to be but somehow I got sidetracked into the despair of all things political. It isn't that I don't care, it's that I believe that the surest way I can help create peace is to help people travel.

I'm also talking about experiences, where you can rub elbows with locals and really get to know a place. When you break bread with someone, and conversation flows, your heart and mind opens. When you hold hands with a child in a local village, your heart and mind opens.

So this is where I am, and this will be my focus. Nothing more, nothing but travel.

Breaking News: Scientific Study!

Study Finds Working At Work Improves Productivity

Join me in fighting poverty

Subject: Join me in fighting poverty!

Hi,

I've just signed the ONE Declaration committing myself to help fight the emergency of global AIDS and extreme poverty.

I'm asking you to make that commitment, too, by adding your voice.

I think your name belongs on that declaration, too. You can put it there by visiting:

One

ONE is a new effort by Americans to rally Americans - one by one. So far, over two million have signed the declaration in support of a historic pact for compassion and justice to help the poorest people of the world.

Together as ONE we can make a difference!

Thanks!