-> reason why becoming a Census taker is a last last resort for me. as much as i love ‘population’, the census bureau, and what counting all the numbers can mean for so many other parts of America: the economy, race, wedding trends, immigrant status, etc. after the summer of 07 experience, i can’t conceivably go back to door-knocking unless something or someone close to me was in immediate danger. i’d also like to stay in DC for a bit, though my travellust is getting so insatiable, i almost wouldn’t mind doing field work if that meant i got to go around america, meet people, take in all the americana tourist sites and culture (think: chicken-fried steak, and grand ole opry). but living out of a suitcase and encountering the bad/frustrating of america would also get me down rather quickly, if i can develop/redevelop the chops to take the bad with the good and optimistically have the good outweigh the bad, maybe i will pack up my stuff and head out of DC onto the road. it’s a position my director at MPI highly recommended, if anything just for the potential good blog posts.
in both of their holiday messages, President Bush and President Obama recalled back 200 something years ago when the patriots were losing the war, and General Washington led his troops across the Delaware River on Christmas night, surprised the Hessians and turned the war back into our favor. without that act, America may not even exist today, Obama said “they faced impossible odds” and Bush said “Washington’s legacy lives on our troops serving in Iraq, etc”. throw in some more about fighting for freedom, protecting American ideals, an act of courage – during this political/economic/military climate, washington crossing the delaware seems to be one of the most patriotic things you can do for your country. even before it was a country.
i live in washington crossing, pa. the decision to cross the delaware at night and surprise the hessians was so pivotal and important, it has a ‘town’ named after it. there’s debate about whether it’s ‘washington crossing’, or ‘washington’s crossing’ – it takes up more ink when filling out paperwork. but every christmas around noon, revolutionary war reenactors gather in period garb, along with wooden rowboats. general washington does a grand speech, there are drums and horns, and his men step into the boat and they row the 50 feet across the Delaware River from Pennsylvania to New Jersey. EXCEPT many years they do not make it across, due to snow, windy wind conditions, bitter cold, ice in the water – a number of reasons. and while it’s usually meant in good spirits, hecklers from the crowd will yell “did george washington not cross b/c it was too cold?!?”, “not crossing the river is not what won the revolutionary war!”, “without crossing, america wouldn’t exist!”. haha, it’s the only source of drama this town gets. last year, they barely crossed. the year before that they tried to cross, but got caught in a wind current and the river patrol had to catch their boats. and this year, even with bush and obama drawing attention to the event, they did not cross but walked over the bridge, instead. at least they tried. it could be argued that’s pretty american, in itself. or not american at all.
how true, and as if we didn’t already know this. the ladies reading the small, thick paperbacks with a shirtless, and wind-blown hair Fabio might as well also be the ones who go home to 5 cats and knit afghans during their Oprah bookclub session. last night, i watched 30 Days Until I’m Famous b/c it’s on my Netflix instant play queue and i was in the mood for a cheesy, predictable romantic comedy.
i picked the right movie – it followed the cinderella story line, “My Fair Lady” makeover or pygmalion-adaptation, this time a hot-shot music producer picks up the messenger girl, has to turn her into a smoldering pop star who can also sing… in 30 days, or else he will lose his job. with such a tight deadline, cole (who probably also has the cole haan shoes to match his slickness… hah) has maggie move into his place, so they can be around each other 24/7 and of course, fall in love. to a sane person unphased by romantic comedies, the movie would be painful to watch. scene after scene – pain, losing brain cells, wasting my time. there were definitely parts so cheesy and already-been-done that made me want to just stop and watch something else. (more…)
getting my daily dose of DCist, i came across Food and Drink editor Jamie R. Liu’s personal blog. she posted her own Imbibers 100, which led me to the original Art of the Drink post that was inspired by The Omnivore’s Hundred on Very Good Taste. that list will be a bit more difficult to complete – lots of meat and lots of things that aren’t readily available in smalltown USA. but drinks should be easier. here’s my list.
Instructions:
1) Copy this list into your blog, with instructions.
2) Bold all the drinks you’ve imbibed.
3) Cross out any items that you won’t touch
4) Post a comment here and link to your results.
OR
If you don’t have a blog, just count the ones you’ve tried and post the number in the comments section.
List of Drinks You Must Try Before You Expire
Manhattan Cocktail
Kopi Luwak (Weasle Coffee)
French / Swiss Absinthe
Rootbeer
Gin Martini
Sauternes
Whole Milk
Tequila (100% Agave)
XO Cognac
Espresso
Spring Water (directly from the spring)
Gin & Tonic
Mead
Westvleteren 12 (Yellow Cap) Trappist Ale
Chateau d’Yquem
Budweiser
Maraschino Liqueur
Mojito
Orgeat
Grand Marnier
Mai Tai (original)
Ice Wine (Canadian)
Red Bull
Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
Bubble Tea
Tokaji
Chicory
Islay Scotch
Pusser’s Navy Rum
Fernet Branca
Fresh Pressed Apple Cider
Bourbon
Australian Shiraz
Buckley’s Cough Syrup
Orange Bitters
Margarita (classic recipe)
Molasses & Milk
Chimay Blue
Wine of Pines (Tepache)
Green Tea
Daiginjo Sake
Chai Tea
Vodka (chilled, straight)
Coca-Cola
Zombie (Beachcomber recipe)
Barley Wine
Brewed Choclate (Xocolatl)
Pisco Sour
Lemonade
Speyside Single Malt
Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee
Champagne (Vintage)
Rosé (French)
Bellini
Caipirinha
White Zinfandel (Blush)
Coconut Water
Cerveza
Cafe au Lait
Ice Tea
Pedro Ximenez Sherry
Vintage Port
Hot Chocolate
German Riesling
Pina Colada
El Dorado 15 Year Rum
Chartreuse
Greek Wine
Negroni
Jägermeister
Chicha
Guiness
Rhum Agricole
Palm Wine
Soju
Ceylon Tea (High Grown)
Belgian Lambic
Mongolian Airag
Doogh, Lassi or Ayran
Sugarcane Juice
Ramos Gin Fizz
Singapore Sling
Mint Julep
Old Fashioned
Perique
Jenever (Holland Gin)
Chocolate Milkshake
Traditional Italian Barolo
Pulque
Natural Sparkling Water
Cuban Rum
Asti Spumante
Irish Whiskey
Château Margaux
Two Buck Chuck
Screech
Akvavit
Rye Whisky
German Weissbier
Daiquiri (classic)
53/100 – just barely half. i’m dying to try a caipirinha. i’m headed to the bar, there’s more work that needs to be done on my list.
humans aren’t the only ones who practice homosexuality. studies of the bonobo chimpanzees show they use a “make love, not war” philosophy and engage in all sorts of sexual activity when initially greeting each other or to solve conflicts – wet kissing, masturbation, oral sex, female/female and male/male couplings, group activities – behaviors that would turn our human world upside down if we decidedly took a similar approach to resolving our problems.
now here’s a story from China about 2 gay male penguins who were so desperate for a family of their own, and couldn’t apply at their local penguin baby adoption agency (ha!) that they decided to start stealing eggs from straight couples. the story of gay male penguins wanting to be father is apparently nothing new -> Tango Makes Three, a children’s book about 2 male penguins who carry a rock back to their nest, and when that fails to hatch, they are given an egg by the zookeepers to care for, and roy, silo, and tango become an adored family at the central park zoo. that the China zoo is considering using artificial insemination to let the couple become biological parents soon, and Despite being gay, it is understood the three-year-old male birds are still driven by an urge to be fathers. interesting that the biological pull of these penguins to become fathers is understood and respected by the keepers who care for them. i can already hear the arguments against – they are animals who have no conception of sexuality, and parenthood. hell even as ‘enlightened human beings’, we barely have a conception of these identities we can all agree on. this is a sweet and hopeful story, perhaps we should be looking to the animals for answers to our own conflicts.
obama’s healthcare plan was infinitely better than mccain’s. and now that he is president-elect, what are the specifics of how he’s going to alleviate the problem of having practically 25% of the US population uninsured. my coverage under my parents’ plan is about to run out, and looking at individual plans for $75-90/month, i think i’ll just have to forgo insurance for awhile -> don’t get hurt and hope for the best.
but like immigration, and education issues, healthcare looks like it’s going to be taking a backseat to the current economic crisis. while healthcare costs are more and more expensive, and it seems that we cannot afford to reform the system now, the editors @ The New Republic suggest otherwise – doing so would help the economy. it’s promising to hear experts say that out of all the obama healthcare initiatives, one that is the most feasible, and likely to happen soon is the expansion of SCHIP: healthcare for uninsured, low-income children. as much as universal health coverage makes some people shudder at the thought of “socialism”, the argument loses ground when it comes to children. why shouldn’t all of our children be covered? they have no control over their situations (though one man in NH says then they shouldn’t have been born) , they are not yet old enough to provide for themselves, like we give them “access” to schools, so should the same be for healthcare. like the prison system, immigration system, and education system, the healthcare system is broken, with the new administration, and tom daschle for secretary of HHS, hopefully we will see improvements very soon b/c we need help and practically anything is better than what it is now.
wow, as if quilts weren’t complicated and layered enough. i love the seemingly abstract, but completely logical and practical look of Ian’s work. like the gee’s bend collective that had an exhibit at the whitney, quilts aren’t necessarily ‘kitchy patchwork, they are and can be beautifully complex. if only i wasn’t such a slow hand sewer, or i could borrow my parents’ sewing machine – think of the creations! the possibilities!
i interned for Domestic Workers United during the summer of 06. it’s an organization that is completely grassroots, and really about giving domestic workers the agency to take on their battles for justice. along with jacob blumenfeld and company, DWU was a huge part of why the summer of 2006 was so inspiring, to see these immigrant women who came for a better life, but were stillcaught in a disadvantaged position to speak up for themselves and each other that they are hard workers, what they do as nannies or housekeepers is actual work, and they deserve proper respect was incredible.
i recently saw an editorial cartoon on slate that had a guy holding an umbrella that was failing to keep him dry from this huge rainy, stormy cloud titled “the economic crisis”. the word bubble said “finally, i am feeling the trickledown”. HOW TRUE. lately there’s been so much talk about how when business and capitalism was good, the rich didn’t want to spread the wealth around like socialism, but now that there is trouble, they are all asking for help and a bailout. and this whole situation has become something that’s really affected everyone, even the ones at the bottom or outside of the system.
alarm is set for 7AM, snooze for 30-45 minutes. roll out of bed (literally -> my air mattress is less than a foot off the floor), use bathroom to stick contacts into my eyes – unless housemate JE is using it, then i just stumble around the house half-blind. walk into kitchen to make breakfast. carry my oatmeal or cereal back up to my room, watch an episode of recess (10 minutes of saturday morning cartoons to fully wake up). go through my 3 suitcases of clothes and decide what to wear, and then put on the same stuff i always do. brush my teeth, pack up my lunch, head out and be either on time, or somewhat late to work via walking or bike.
act of courage – during this political/economic/military climate, washington crossing the delaware seems to be one of the most patriotic things you can do for your country. even before it was a country.
such a tight deadline, cole (who probably also has the cole haan shoes to match his slickness… hah) has maggie move into his place, so they can be around each other 24/7 and of course, fall in love. to a sane person unphased by romantic comedies, the movie would be painful to watch. scene after scene – pain, losing brain cells, wasting my time. there were definitely parts so cheesy and already-been-done that made me want to just stop and watch something else. 
hatch, they are given an egg by the zookeepers to care for, and roy, silo, and tango become an adored family at the central park zoo. that the China zoo is considering using artificial insemination to let the couple become biological parents soon, and Despite being gay, it is understood the three-year-old male birds are still driven by an urge to be fathers. interesting that the biological pull of these penguins to become fathers is understood and respected by the keepers who care for them. i can already hear the arguments against – they are animals who have no conception of sexuality, and parenthood. hell even as ‘enlightened human beings’, we barely have a conception of these identities we can all agree on. this is a sweet and hopeful story, perhaps we should be looking to the animals for answers to our own conflicts. 
i think i’ll just have to forgo insurance for awhile -> don’t get hurt and hope for the best.
caught in a disadvantaged position to speak up for themselves and each other that they are hard workers, what they do as nannies or housekeepers is actual work, and they deserve proper respect was incredible. 
eyes – unless housemate JE is using it, then i just stumble around the house half-blind. walk into kitchen to make breakfast. carry my oatmeal or cereal back up to my room, watch an episode of recess (10 minutes of saturday morning cartoons to fully wake up). go through my 3 suitcases of clothes and decide what to wear, and then put on the same stuff i always do. brush my teeth, pack up my lunch, head out and be either on time, or somewhat late to work via walking or bike.
