When Suburbs Move Downtown

Columbia Heights is where I like to call home. It's active and bright, close to downtown, metro-accessible, and relatively still affordable (which is saying something in the world of DC rental property). Apparently these features are not enough, though. The Post decided that the new Target has inherently changed the face of the neighborhood, The Target of Their Ambivalence.

While the article is interesting in its play on the local kitch, it addresses only one crowd. Columbia Heights is historically a community of strong diversity. Monica Hesse only writes to the young (white) singles in the neighborhood, clearly missing the strongly rooted black resident and immigrant families that give the area its life. On any given summer afternoon walking down the street, young kids are running past playing with friends, hip teenagers stand outside the 7-Eleven socializing, and older folks sit on their stoops watching the world go by. The mix of these ages and experiences interacting with one another on the street represents the quintessential city life. Target has not changed that.

Sure, the apartments and condos are getting a face lift, increasing rents. There are lots of young, upwardly mobile college kids now moving in too. But the families and long-term inhabitants are still around. The group houses are springing up more frequently where subdivided rentals used to sit. So maybe Target has changed the neighborhood, but less among the group house types who could have done the same shopping by jumping on the metro and heading 4 stops down to the Bed, Bath, and Beyond in Gallery Place. The real change has not been among the young singles, but for the families who've been here all along.

Idiocy

I'm trying very hard not to un-friend someone on Facebook. I know this person casually and of course he requested that we be Facebook friends. Sure, fine. Only he posts the most infuriating information. It's ignorant and illogical and I'm fed up with it.

Only, it's sort of my source of what stupid people out there really think. Because there's no way you'd get to these conclusions using any kind of logic or reason. It's pure sophistry.
This unnamed person posted a link to an article: Obama Extols Koran.

I saw this and his comments and just couldn't even make coherent thoughts this morning I was so outraged. Not necessarily at the article, because I just don't expect much from "Christian" news. (Quotes denoting self-identification when they hardly represent any of Jesus's teachings.)

No, what really drives me up the wall is how people really believe this shit. As if praising a religion other than one's own is somehow heresy. Moreover, the implication that our president doing such things is somehow un-American, when in fact it represents probably one of the most American ideals of inclusion. Pure bigotry.

What also burns me is how this is so tightly related to some notion that America is a "Christian" nation. If you wanted to argue that America is a nation founded on representing Christian ideals, then I would agree. But the Founders were very clear about providing a country where individuals were protected by the freedom of religion-- ANY religion.

If you know your basic 3rd grade American history, you would understand that the Puritans (Christians) were escaping Catholic and Anglican (yup, both Christian) abuse. The Holy Inquisition wasn't so far in the past that people weren't still scared of its reach. And if you think that Christians don't war with each other or create internal religious blood baths, I have only one word for you: Ireland.

I am proud to live in America, where I may freely practice whatever religion I chose. Perhaps that is Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, or snake-handling Pentecostalism. Whether my choice be Christianity or Atheism, no government or sovereign authority may impinge my rights. I heartily support a president who upholds these values domestically and around the world.

The Trouble with Torture

As we approach Memorial Day this month, I started reflecting on the irony of our current security debate. The fact that we are even discussing torture as a possible means of information-gathering is appalling. People (Congress, military officials, and media) are getting into the nitty-gritty of whether waterboarding is actually torture, and even if it is that maybe it's ok when it's justified as a means to an end.

Are you kidding me?

We may think of ourselves as "civilized" or an "advanced society," but this conversation has all of the trappings of tribal war-lord tactics and can not be justified--no way, not ever. We hashed through all of this in the first two world wars and thus borne the Geneva Conventions. Because all agreed that torture was a bad thing for everyone involved. So have we really slunk so far in the last 60 years that we have to readdress this basic premise?

I realize that the last 8 years have followed the progressive path to fascism, but it's time for a turn-around. If you wanted a playbook of how to become a fascist dictator in a democratic society, George Bush sure stole from Mussolini and Hitler. What's worse is that now that he's out of office, we are still discussing this policy.

Getting All Worked Up

Sometimes it's nice and relaxing reading the paper in the morning, and other times Dana Milbank likes to write about issues that just get me all riled up. Rush Limbaugh is inherently one of these issues. There used to be a joke about "think of a man, then take away logic and reason" and that would be Rush. What really gets me is not his crazy antics, but his scary followers. Most all of them live in my hometown. Trust me, they are very, very scary.

The irony of reading this article today was how much it contrasts so starkly with a conversation I had last weekend. A friend of mine's little sister just graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill and we were all out celebrating. Not that celebrating would ever bring up these kinds of conversations, but something reminiscent about college and philosophy had us discussing Plato's The Republic. My friend was arguing how much fun it is to relive the conversation with his Libertarian friends. So you believe in NO government, "oh really?" It was such a delightful tête-à-tête that it made me go dig up my copy of The Republic.

It might be because I'm going to visit my hometown in a few weeks or just realizing how much I enjoy being in a city with complex, cognizant human beings. It might also be because my book club is discussing American Wife this weekend and I'm just highly attuned to the nuanced hypocracies that exist in our world. For whatever reason, I just couldn't let it go.

The only true Tea Party sign

Finally Done

My crazy month is finally over. It was fun and a little exhausting. But it sure was pretty.

Love Will Guide Us

If you cannot
sing like angels,
if you cannot
speak before thousands,
you can give from
deep within you
You can change the world
with your love.

Love will guide us
Peace has tried us
Hope inside us
will lead the way.
On the road from
greed to giving
love will guide us
through the hard night.

Thank you Rob Hardies for a much needed reminder of love not fear in a time of uncertainty. There is a man outside the metro that I see every day who will receive my $5 grocery store gift card. I hope that it will help him this week. And what is another $5 on my weekly shopping trips? Where it's a bag of chips or block of fancy cheese for me, it could be a day's only meal for someone else.

While I'm hesitant to give cash to people asking for help, the grocery store cards can be a good aid. It's not the best solution, but in times like these, we cannot wait for the best. I'm reminded not to refuse from doing the something that I can do.

I need a metal spork

Or maybe even a set of four. After all, who doesn't want to eat off a spork once in a while.

I was making ramen last night and was just entirely indecisive about whether to use a fork or spoon. A fork grabs the noodles, but misses the warm, filling broth, while a spoon gets the broth, but all the noodles fall off. Which is when I uttered my desire for fine spork-ware. I've yet to find it through Oneida or any other flatware retailer, but I think I've stumbled on to something brilliant. Imagine just one utensil at the table for that home, quick meal. Little clean up and all scrumptiousness. I also think it would work particularly well for mac-n-cheese.

So what led up to this late-night ramen meal was my first USDA grad school class of the semester: Microeconomics. It's such a wonderful thing to actually experience intellectual stimulation in a day. I was a little worried about how I'd last through a 3 hour class on Monday evening. Surprisingly, I found myself so much more awake and engaged for that three hours than most of my previous 8/9 hour day. It's a wonder what interest and engagement can do for my energy and stamina.

What's even more exciting is my professor. He's got this wizened, older gentleman feel about him and he talks in a very deliberate, slow cadence. It's great for taking notes, but it also gives this air about him that he's in no hurry and you can take a little time to understand what he's saying. Sometimes it's funny, others take a second to go through some disagreements and apply his reasoning to them. The one thing I've always been frustrated about in economics is how you tend to learn in this bubble of theory. The assumption that people are rational and will do what's in their best interest (buy at a lower cost) just doesn't play out in the real world. The fact that he not only addressed this, but made a joke of "no, no one has ever seen two gas stations across the street from each other with different gas prices," just made my heart warm. I really have no problem learning the theory and bubble rationality of economics, but sincerely admire the admittance that it's just not the case in the real world.

I raise my spork to learning in a bubble.

Proud Ticketholder

I got tickets to one of the Obama Inaugural Balls!! Can I just say how ecstatic I am. I hope I get to go to the DC Neighborhood Ball-- so excited that it's being included. The tickets are available through the Presidential Inauguration Committee for a donation. Because I only made the minimum, I get placed in a ball based on my zip code. Well, that's fine with me. Maybe I'll even meet some neighbors.

I'm so excited I can hardly contain it. Now I have to go pick out which of my 18 gowns (no joke) I'll wear!

The Truth Revealed

One Lucky Australian.

If you want to get technical,

VODKA is practically a health drink if you just call it potato juice. . .
which it really is, anyway.

~New Year's card from my mom

Hubris

There are lots of stories about how Obamas have moved into the Hay-Adams hotel so their kids could start school at the beginning of the winter term. What remains an understated point of fact is that they were rejected from staying in the Blair House, the traditional residence of president-elects before the inauguration. They will finally be let in on January 15, only 5 days before they will be moving in to the white house.

What astounds me is the blatant display of Bush hubris. He's already been deemed one of the worst US presidents of American history. But just to rub it in a bit more, the rudeness displayed in refusing a man to take up residence for the sake of his children astounds me. And this from a "good ol' values" man just proves how disconnected he is from true Southern hospitality.

So now that the elections are over and it seems Bush will "retire" on a few boards of directors, the true New Englander returns. I wonder if the accent will disappear as well.

Resolution

I'm not normally one to make new year's resolutions. I'm very bad about keeping them. I therefore have a hard time coming up with a good resolution until around March or April and usually don't commit to it then because I've missed so much of the year already.

I've been toying around with a few things in my head lately. Of course the usualy food and fitness goals are there, but I've been bad about fully committing myself to either. But today I had a good focus on putting myself in the attitude for new year's resolutions.

I've already committed myself to slowing down and taking things easy, not let stress overwhelm me and not agreeing to do everything I'm asked and then regretting it later. I am doing pretty well on that front, picking and choosing how I want to spend my time and NOT scheduling something every night of the week and weekend.

So I picked my new year's resolution to go in line with that. I want to start journaling. Not an every day journal of daily activities, but a more occassional, personal, and emotional journal of my internal struggles and concerns. Blogging is a great way to vent on issues or share exciting ideas, but not really how I want to open myself up. I sometimes think of great things I'd love to blog, but don't really want to divulge that much or don't think anyone else would really care to read it. However, none of these things are great worries for me with a journal. Then I can take a look at what I've written over time and review how far I've come in the year, what I need to work on, or just let go.

So at last, I have a comitted, attainable new year's resolution! Now I'm looking forward to many other great things in 2009.

Jabberwocky

Isn't language a funny thing? It helps us communicate a whole range of emotions to one another. Albeit, not our only means of communication, nonetheless a vital one. Scholars have remarked on how languages change and adapt. Recently, these scholars bemoan the shrinking of the average person's vocabulary. While I would argue that the average person in modern society is far more educated and therefore truly has a much greater vocabulary than the counterpart of a century or so ago, I must admit that this brings me to another query.

Does language define our thoughts or do our thoughts define our language? Sadly, this is not my own brilliant question, but one that was raised in a particularly amazing history class that I can no longer remember it's real title and refer to it merely as "the meaning of life class." Anyway, I would tend to side with the former version of the question, having spent many instances writing a paper and trying to pull the word out of thin air. And yet, I am drawn back to my favorite poem ever since I had to memorize it for my 8th grade English class. It may be mostly nonsense, but you sure do know what it means.

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

--Lewis Carroll

Presidential Campaign Review

According to the experts, it was the economy and the environment that led to Obama's victory. At least to the 5 panelists from both Republican and Democratic camps who were talking at the Smithsonian event this evening. It was a pretty exciting sold-out event.

I was probably the only person under 30; maybe one of 10 under 50.

It was funny sitting there and hearing about how my parent's generation described mine. According to them, I am multicultural, tired of political fighting, and more focused on issues that can be accomplished than arguing about the same old things time and again. Not a bad depiction, I'd say.

One thing I was surprised about was the vehemence about women's representation. I have to admit that I'm not much of a feminist when I look around me. Howard Dean felt more passion and exuberance for representing women than I felt. I am all for the issues: equal pay, birth control, owning my own property (did you know that women in the South couldn't open their own bank accounts even into the 1960s?).

But as far as being represented in intelligent spaces in government and business, I'm just less worried. Having been a graduate student and hearing PhD candidates planning out how to space having babies between dissertation and initial placement so that it doesn't impact achieving tenure was pretty harsh. I guess working in the more nonprofit side of things, though, I don't feel underrepresented. And I'm not all that torn up about fewer women ravagers on wall street and in board rooms. Perhaps I have my own built-in sexism, but I think there are brilliant women in some of the much more important jobs than what men consider: secretary of state, director of the Red Cross, hell even Carly Fiorina got into a tech company (a strongly male-dominated area, and maybe it didn't work out so well, but it was a significant move).

I think rather than asking why there aren't more women in high positions, we should look more to women excelling in math and technical fields, provide more support for working mothers, and teach college graduates to negotiate their starting salary (which is the number one reason for women making less than men in the long term of their career).

No matter how you look at it, I just don't see a woman in the White House as a particularly significant accomplishment. We have accepted women presidents across the world, women are often favored in gubernatorial races than men, and women executives are no longer characterized as man-eating bitches like they once were. Yes it's important to break the barriers and commit to promoting smart people who happen to be women, but then let's look at the causes for why the divergence exists instead of just asking why the results don't change.

I was a brownie.

This weekend I went with friends to the Hershey Chocolate Spa. It was a fun indulgence and we had LOTS of chocolate. My favorite thing of the whole weekend was the chocolate fondue wrap. I was a brownie for an hour. I had mud and chocolate oil all over me and relaxed under a warm heat reflecting blanket.

Sadly what came to mind while I was under the blanket, was how great of an idea would it be to offer similar blankets to the homeless. They reflect your own body heat and keep you surprisingly warm and don't get saturated by rain and such. I sort of laughed at myself for thinking about such things while I was in a super luxurious environment feeling the height of self-indulgence. I guess I just can't help it sometimes.

So after floating home like a wet noodle, I'm dreading work this week which will be lots of work in a very tight deadline. It's not dreadful, and it's needed, but it's totally going to undo all my hard relaxation work. Somehow I'll have to manage.

Watching History

Today made headlines all across the nation and around the world. High turnout at the polls, excitement across the nation--makes me so proud to be an American today.

I did go vote on election day. I know, I live in DC, so it's pretty predictable. But I was still excited to stand in line for an hour and a half.

Just for a point of reference, this is my block. My polling place is about 100 yards away. I stepped out and had to walk down to the opposite end of my street, go around the corner and then stand in line. This was at 7am when they opened. Everything was moving and organized well, there were just more people than any school could reasonably handle.

Of course on my way home there was no line, but it was also raining by that point and I was glad I voted early.



So the excitement in town last night was unavoidable. People were literally dancing in the streets. Horns were honking, people were shouting "Obama" and "Change We Can Believe In." Whole groups of people just started walking the two miles down to the white house. This was all in the drizzly rain at 1am.


So today I realized just why I love living in this city so much, especially at this time. Part of it was the spontaneous excitement and celebration that happened last night, but also just the knowledge that we are living history.

We are living history in such a special way here in Washington, DC. We get to enjoy it while it's happening. It suddenly dawned on my at about 2pm this afternoon that the Newseum on Pennsylvania Ave. displays the front page of newspapers across the country and some from different nations of the world. The sight was just incredible. Here are a few images.

It's pretty remarkable.

Democracy Wins!

I just finished watching the presidential debates. My first impression-- how refreshing to hear two smart men talking about real issues. I haven't heard it in so long! I feel all elevated and challenged in the conversation.

Jim Lehrer did his darndest to create a more authentic Lincoln-Douglas, which was surprising since the media is the one who has worked so hard to get away from the candidates actually talking to each other. He's still an amazing moderator and kudos to him.

Oh the issues. There was so much to cover, and I honestly heard myself agreeing and disagreeing with both candidates. I can't wait to see the fact-checker reviews tomorrow.

So what everyone is really asking is: who won? I think the winner here was definitely democracy. Let's talk about issues and the distinctions of our candidates in depth and not just through snipes and sound-bites. Hooray for democracy, the freedom of speech, and the free press!

Locks of Love

Alright. I went and did it. I decided to cut my hair for locks of love today. It's unreal how quickly all that hair disappeared.

Of course I went to Beth at Fiddlehead's. She was great. I was so excited and she had fun with my bob. It's definitely a lot shorter than I was expecting, but hair will grow out.

I was asked if I'd start growing it out again. I said no. Let's keep it at my shoulders from now on. That is, once it gets back there, which may be a while.

On another note, I got my Dyson DC 18 today! I had so much fun playing with it (also known as vacuuming). You wouldn't believe how much cat hair came up in the first run. My carpet feels all new again now, though. It's small and pretty light and totally makes the wretched chore fast and easy-- so it's totally worth it to me. Oh yeah, and I got it for less than half the price on woot.com! I'm just all about the deals today.

National Book Festival

I didn't think I could get any more excited about the National Book Festival on the mall Saturday, September 27. Then I saw the list of authors and NEIL GAIMAN is going to be there!! Now it's just made my day. A totally frustrating week is vindicated by the mere fact that I will get to see and meet Neil Gaiman. I'm already excited to go back and read all his books, maybe even twice.

All the info is on the Library of Congress website http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/.