Napoleon Complex

My French friend Violaine just sent me this picture with the comment: " This picture will hang in all the town halls of France if Sarkozy wins the French elections next week. He is a short man!" No kidding! And does he have a Napoleon complex in addition?
I know for a fact that Violaine would like Royal to win, n'est-ce-pas? So lets all root for Royal! D'accord?

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Women Friends

Women can be the best of friends or worst enemies. If you think that Carrie and her friends in Sex In The City are the norm, think again. Young women especially have a way of competing rather than supporting each other. That's a pity.
I for one was unprepared for the drama surrounding my daughter's all-woman's college. I think, neither was my daughter.
Don't get me wrong. Academically, it has been an incredible experience for her so far. However, the theatrics surrounding a group of women roommates in a women's college would make a perfect reality show for television. This year, my daughter has been sharing a college suite with 8 other girls. As my 15-year old son said dryly after the latest dorm report; " It's like the 'Bachelor' without the bachelor!" Touché!
It is amazing how much time these young ladies spend finding fault with each other: Who is speaking with whom, who is spending too much time with that one, who said what about whom and what...its hard to keep up.
Maybe this is just part of the college experience and an important life lesson. Learning to get along with others may be the most valuable college lesson. I am just shocked at the viciousness of it all. Surprised especially that young intelligent girls play out these feuds as though they were still in an elementary school yard.
I for one have truly appreciated my women friends. They are an important part of my life. I can count on them to be there when I just need to be heard. They seem to know instinctively what I need when life gets me down. And an hour spent in their presence over a cup of coffee or a stiff drink is always a highlight.
My friends and I are past judging each other, past comparing ourselves and our fortunes. We know that life is not a race to be won. Sometimes, all seems to go great for one and not so great for the other, and then life reverses fortune. Back and forth, never the same for long. We rally around the one who needs help. As long as we have each others friendship we can cope.
Dorm room dramatics are such a waste of time. I hope these young ladies realize sooner rather than later that playing games with each other just hurts them individually. Wake up, you are not in kindergarten any more.

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Those Stupid, Stupid People!

I was horrified when I saw this video. Are there really so many dumb people in the States? Wait, before answering, I already know the answer. There are many, many of them here. I just did not know how stupid. Now I know...and after you watch this, so will you.

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Deus mio!

Another great find for your listening pleasures. What can I say...I am trying to keep you in the know here in Brooklyn. There is such good music out there. This is the Belgian (yes, Belgian) indie group Deus from their album "Pocket Revolution."
Great song and hey, they are cute too.

Deus 7 Days, 7 Weeks

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Making The Bed With Martha

I love this little clip of Borat and Martha Stewart on the Tonight Show. I don't know when it aired, but I just came cross it. I needed a funny interlude. I have been painting the husband's office for days. I am using three different colors to bring out the 1870's architectural detail of the room. Don't ask. i know I am insane. But it is starting to come together. Now if only husband would keep his stuff of the floor....

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Dinosaur Barbeque in Harlem, New York

Boy, you will have to forgive me for jumping around from subject to subject, from French elections to fat Germans and crazed gunmen. So today, to confuse you all, I am going to write about my New York B.B.Q. experience in Harlem.
My daughter made reservations for us to try out her favorite chow place in the city. For a while she has been talking about Dinosaur Barbeque way, way up on the West side. Yesterday, after we stopped by at the Apple store on Fifth to drop off Son's laptop for a final tweeking before the warranty runs out, we headed all the way to Harlem.
The place is in a huge brick warehouse, under the surprisingly beautiful Riverside Drive Bridge and across the original Fairway Gourmet market. Once inside, I was instantly transported from Manhattan into the deep South. Made to look like a huge wooden shack, it definitely had a lot of ambiance. And the place was FULL. Thank God we had a reservation.
This is heaven for meat lovers. Pulled pork, pork ribs, pork everything it seemed. The portions were huge. My son was in ectasy. So was husband. Too bad I am a vegetarian. Not quite the best place to eat when meat is not on your radar. But Daughter C. suggested a Portobello mushroom sandwich. Good choice.
Anyway, it was a great week-end and it was nice to have the whole family together on one of the sunniest week-ends in recent memory.

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Allez, la France! Vote!

Today, France is voting for a new President. I have tried to follow the event. Fankly, it seems a daunting task, especially since we are already in full campaign mode here in the States, though of course Americans will only vote in November 2008.
I came across this test on The Economist to gage my knowledge of the French candidates. May I say, I am ashamed I did not do so well. But I was able to answer a few of the questions.
I wonder who will win. I predict Royal. But then again, don't listen to me. I am always wrong. After all, I predicted that Gore and Kerry would win too.

French election quiz
From The Economist link :http://www.economist.com/diversions/quiz.cfm?quizname=frenchelectionquiz
Just show me the answers now »

1)The 2007 presidential election marks the end of Jacques Chirac's long political career. Mr Chirac first served as France's prime minister almost:
15 years ago
33 years ago
41 years ago
24 years ago

2)France's stalling economy is one reason why voters will be heading to the polls in a collective funk. Over the past 25 years, in terms of GDP per person, France has slipped from seventh place in the world to:
17th
10th
12th
9th

3)Nicolas Sarkozy, the presidential candidate of the centre-right UMP, was a protégé of Mr Chirac. In 1995 Mr Chirac booted Mr Sarkozy from his cabinet because:
Mr Sarkozy had an extramarital affair with another cabinet member
Mr Sarkozy backed a rival to Mr Chirac in the 1995 presidential election
Mr Chirac disapproved of Mr Sarkozy's appearance in an advertisement for EuroDisney
Mr Sarkozy was found to have embezzled public funds

4)The Socialist Party's hopes are pinned on Ségolène Royal, president of the rural region of Poitou-Charentes. As part of her "presidential pact", Ms Royal has promised to:
Introduce interest-free loans worth €10,000 for every 18-year-old
Cut France's "unsustainable" public debt, which stands at 65% of GDP
Double the minimum wage to €4,000 a month
Lower the state pension age to 55

5)The presidential race's "third man" is François Bayrou, a perennial also-ran who wants to unite left and right. When not politicking, Mr Bayrou writes history books and raises:
Horses in the Pyrenees
Chickens in Gascony
Money for an agricultural charity in Provence
Cattle in Limousin

6)According to Ifop, a pollster, 59% of Mr Sarkozy's backers and 53% of Ms Royal's say they are sure of their choice. What percentage of Jean-Marie Le Pen's backers say they are definitely behind the candidate of the far-right National Front?
81%
98%
50%
67%

7)Ms Royal says she would send young criminal offenders from the banlieues:
To study at university
For military training to learn discipline
To specially designed prisons
To work on French farms

8)Which country has Mr Sarkozy called "the greatest democracy in the world"?
France
Britain
America
Greece

9)To which mythological figure have the French media compared Ms Royal?
A mermaid
A siren
A fury
Aphrodite

ANSWERS
Mr Sarkozy has published a book combining a diagnosis of the French with a personal pitch to be understood as the man to put things right. What is its title?
"Le Jour de Gloire Est Arrivé" ("The Day of Glory Has Come")
"France, Mon Amour" ("France, My Love")
"Témoignage" ("Testimony")
"La Maladie Française" ("The French Sickness")

The 2007 presidential election marks the end of Jacques Chirac's long political career. Mr Chirac first served as France's prime minister almost:
33 years ago

France's stalling economy is one reason why voters will be heading to the polls in a collective funk. Over the past 25 years, in terms of GDP per person, France has slipped from seventh place in the world to:
17th

Nicolas Sarkozy, the presidential candidate of the centre-right UMP, was a protégé of Mr Chirac. In 1995 Mr Chirac booted Mr Sarkozy from his cabinet because:
Mr Sarkozy backed a rival to Mr Chirac in the 1995 presidential election

The Socialist Party's hopes are pinned on Ségolène Royal, president of the rural region of Poitou-Charentes. As part of her "presidential pact", Ms Royal has promised to:
Introduce interest-free loans worth €10,000 for every 18-year-old

The presidential race's "third man" is François Bayrou, a perennial also-ran who wants to unite left and right. When not politicking, Mr Bayrou writes history books and raises:
Horses in the Pyrenees

According to Ifop, a pollster, 59% of Mr Sarkozy's backers and 53% of Ms Royal's say they are sure of their choice. What percentage of Jean-Marie Le Pen's backers say they are definitely behind the candidate of the far-right National Front?
81%

Ms Royal says she would send young criminal offenders from the banlieues:
For military training to learn discipline
)
Which country has Mr Sarkozy called "the greatest democracy in the world"?
America

To which mythological figure have the French media compared Ms Royal?
A siren

Mr Sarkozy has published a book combining a diagnosis of the French with a personal pitch to be understood as the man to put things right. What is its title?
"Témoignage" ("Testimony")

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Much Needed Friday Humor

Air Traffic Controller Likes Pattern He Has Going

From "The Onion" www.theonion.com

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Germany: Another Fat Nation?

Fat People In Deutschland, Oh my!
I thought that I detected more fat people than usual on my annual trips back to the homeland. Now it has been confirmed. Germans are fatter than their European neighbors. But then the food is so incredibly good there. Especially the sweets and baked goods. However, even with all the rich tempting food, Germans were not particularly fat. Till now.
Sadly,young German kids are eating as much junk food as American kids these days. McDonalds and Pizza have become a way of life there as well as in France.

Der Spiegel

NEW OBESITY RANKINGS
Germans Are Fattest People in Europe, Study Shows

A new study has found that Germany has the highest proportion of overweight people in Europe, partly due to the country's high beer consumption. But Britain, Greece and some Eastern Europe countries have an even higher share of truly obese people.
Germans are the fattest people in Europe according to an international study, but Britain and Greece have a higher proportion of clinically obese people.
The study by the International Association for the Study of Obesity found that in Germany 75.4 percent of men and 58.9 percent of women are overweight, far higher than levels in Italy and France.
The organization classifies people as overweight if their Body Mass Index is greater than 25. The index is arrived at by dividing one's weight in kilos by the squared height in meters. For example a man who weighs 75 kilos and is 1.8 meters tall has a BMI of 23.15 (75: 1.80² = 23.15).
But Germany is behind the Greeks, British and some Eastern European countries when it comes to obesity, classified as a BMI above 30.

Germans top the survey's EU overweight and obesity ranking.

Vojtech Hainer, president of IASO's European section, said Germans had not yet reached US levels of obesity. "Of all industrial states the US is the country with the highest proportion of obese people," he told SPIEGEL ONLINE.
Berthold Koletzko, food expert at Munich University, said there was a correlation between overweight and beer consumption. "Germans and the Czechs are the biggest beer drinkers, " he told Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper. Both countries are at or near the top of Europe's fatness ranking.
Obesity is regarded as one of the biggest health risks in developed countries. Obesity-related diseases include diabetes and heart problems.

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Speak Out, College Kids!

So now that every newscaster has broadcast from Virginia Tech, now that the candle light ceremonies have taken place and the incredibly bad and disturbing writing of the killer has been read by all, lets get real.
Lets stop this gun madness in the U.S. Lets not get intimidated any more by the gun lobby and by the lunatics who say that guns don't kill people...etc.
And College Kids: We need your help. Maybe your generation is saner than your parents and grandparents. Speak up! And help fight this madness. You have a voice and a vote. Use it.
Below are some sobering statistics about gun violence to give you real " ammunition" to fight the pro-gun nutters.


From the U.S. Department of Justice · Office of Justice Programs
Bureau of Justice Statistics
link: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/homicide/weapons.htm

Homicide trends in the U.S.
Weapons used

Homicides are most often committed with guns,
especially handguns

Like the homicide rate generally, gun-involved incidents increased sharply in the late 1980's and early 1990's before falling to a low in 1999. The number of gun-involved homicides increased after that to levels experienced in the mid 1980's.

During this same time period, homicides involving weapons other than firearms have declined slowly.



Gun homicides by teens and young adults rose sharply
beginning with the mid-1980's and fell after the early 1990's

Gun homicides by persons 18-24 years old declined after the peak in 1993 but have not returned to the levels seen prior to the mid 1980's.

The trend in nongun homicides shows little change, declining or fluctuating slightly for all age groups.

Gun homicides by adults 25 and older reflect a general downward trend, although they increased slightly in recent years.

The sharp increase in homicides in the late 1980's and much of the subsequent decline is attributable to gun violence by juveniles and young adults.



Homicides of teens and young adults are more likely to be committed with a gun than homicides of persons of other ages

The percentage of homicide victims killed with a gun increases with age up to age 17 and declines thereafter.


Source: FBI, Supplementary Homicide Reports, 1976-2004.
See also Additional information about the data.

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We all fall down!

Pardon me for asking, but how is the young gunman in yesterday's Virginia Tech tragedy any different from a suicide bomber? Does it really matter to his victims what his motives were or that he used a gun instead of explosives?
Doesn't it matter much more that our government allowed him to buy the explosives legally at his local gunshop or gunshow?
Just asking.

Your thoughts?

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Yertle The Turtle

Over the week-end, I was sitting by the bedside of my 15 year old son who was not feeling well. Under his covers, looking miserable and emitting little moans, he looked more like the little blonde, dimple-cheeked toddler than the tall, lanky teenager he has become. Thus I was transported back to the past. I don't know what made me pick out the dusty copy of "Yertle The Turtle" from his bookshelf. It used to be one of his all time favorites when he was small. It was also the one book I loved reading over and over to him. So I opened it up and started reading.
What a great story. And how political the message. How à propos for today's times.
May I just say that Mack has become my new hero? Read on and you will know why.



Yertle The Turtle By Dr. Seuss

On the far-away island of Sala-ma-Sond,
Yertle the Turtle was king of the pond.
A nice little pond. It was clean. It was neat.
The water was warm. There was plenty to eat.
The turtles had everything turtles might need.
And they were all happy. Quite happy indeed.

They were... untill Yertle, the king of them all,
Decided the kingdom he ruled was too small.
"I'm ruler", said Yertle, "of all that I see.
But I don't see enough. That's the trouble with me.
With this stone for a throne, I look down on my pond
But I cannot look down on the places beyond.
This throne that I sit on is too, too low down.
It ought to be higher!" he said with a frown.
"If I could sit high, how much greater I'd be!
What a king! I'd be ruler of all that I see!"

So Yertle, the Turtle King, lifted his hand
And Yertle, the Turtle King, gave a command.
He ordered nine turtles to swim to his stone
And, using these turtles, he built a new throne.
He made each turtle stand on another one's back
And he piled them all up in a nine-turtle stack.
And then Yertle climbed up. He sat down on the pile.
What a wonderful view! He could see 'most a mile!
"All mine!" Yertle cried. "Oh, the things I now rule!
I'm the king of a cow! And I'm the king of a mule!
I'm the king of a house! And, what's more, beyond that
I'm the king of a blueberry bush and a cat!
I'm Yertle the Turtle! Oh, marvelous me!
For I am the ruler of all that I see!"

And all through the morning, he sat up there high
Saying over and over, "A great king am I!"
Until 'long about noon. Then he heard a faint sigh.
"What's that?" snapped the king
And he looked down the stack.
And he saw, at the bottom, a turtle named Mack.
Just a part of his throne. And this plain little turtle
Looked up and he said, "Beg your pardon, King Yertle.
I've pains in my back and my shoulders and knees.
How long must we stand here, Your Majesty, please?"
"SILENCE!" the King of the Turtles barked back.
"I'm king, and you're only a turtle named Mack."
"You stay in your place while I sit here and rule.
I'm the king of a cow! And I'm the king of a mule!
I'm the king of a house! And a bush! And a cat!
But that isn't all. I'll do better than that!

My throne shall be higher!" his royal voice thundered,
"So pile up more turtles! I want 'bout two hundred!"
"Turtles! More turtles!" he bellowed and brayed.
And the turtles 'way down in the pond were afraid.
They trembled. They shook. But they came. They obeyed.
From all over the pond, they came swimming by dozens.
Whole families of turtles, with uncles and cousins.
And all of them stepped on the head of poor Mack.
One after another, they climbed up the stack.
Then Yertle the Turtle was perched up so high,
He could see fourty miles from his throne in the sky!
"Hooray!" shouted Yertle. "I'm the king of the trees!
I'm king of the birds! And I'm king of the bees!
I'm king of the butterflies! King of the air!
Ah, me! What a throne! What a wonderful chair!
I'm Yertle the Turtle! Oh, marvelous me!
For I am the ruler of all that I see!"

Then again, from below, in the great heavy stack,
Came a groan from that plain little turtle named Mack.
"Your Majesty, please... I don't like to complain,
But down here below, we are feeling great pain.
I know, up on top you are seeing great sights,
But down here at the bottom we, too, should have rights.
We turtles can't stand it. Our shells will all crack!
Besides, we need food. We are starving!" groaned Mack.

"You hush up your mouth!" howled the mighty King Yertle.
"You've no right to talk to the world's highest turtle.
I rule from the clouds! Over land! Over sea!
There's nothing, no, NOTHING, that's higher than me!"

But, while he was shouting, he saw with suprise
That the moon of the evening was starting to rise
Up over his head in the darkening skies.
"What's THAT?" snorted Yertle. "Say, what IS that thing
That dares to be higher than Yertle the King?
I shall not allow it! I'll go higher still!
I'll build my throne higher! I can and I will!
I'll call some more turtles. I'll stack 'em to heaven!
I need 'bout five thousand, six hundred and seven!"

But, as Yertle, the Turtle King, lifted his hand
And started to order and give the command,
That plain little turtle below in the stack,
That plain little turtle whose name was just Mack,
Decided he'd taken enough. And he had.
And that plain little lad got a bit mad.
And that plain little Mack did a plain little thing.
He burped!
And his burp shook the throne of the king!

And Yertle the Turtle, the king of the trees,
The king of the air and the birds and the bees,
The king of a house and a cow and a mule...
Well, that was the end of the Turtle King's rule!
For Yertle, the King of all Sala-ma-Sond,
Fell off his high throne and fell Plunk! in the pond!

And today the great Yertle, that Marvelous he,
Is King of the Mud. That is all he can see.
And the turtles, of course... all the turtles are free
As turtles and, maybe, all creatures should be.

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Know nothing about nothing

My friend Eunice and I just had our little Monday morning political gripe session. We discuss pretty much everything in the news. And boy, are we angry with the knuckleheads in the White House. And all the politicians who lie and break the law just to appear on the news to say: "I am sorry." But at least we try to stay informed by reading from several news publications.
This morning, Eunice pointed me to this article in the New York Times. It confirms what we have both said all along. People who watch Fox News don't know shit about politics.
Or their country. Or the world. Or the people making decisions for them, Or ...so on.

April 16, 2007
Best-Informed Also View Fake News, Study Says

By KATHARINE Q. SEELYE
Americans may have more news outlets today than two decades ago, but they still don’t know much more about current events than they did then, according to a new survey by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.
But here’s one big difference: the survey respondents who seemed to know the most about what’s going on — who were able to identify major public figures, for example — were likely to be viewers of fake news programs like Jon Stewart’s “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report”; those who knew the least watched network morning news programs, Fox News or local television news.
Only 69 percent of people in the latest survey could come up with Dick Cheney when asked to name the vice president; in 1989, 74 percent could name Dan Quayle. Fewer could name the governor of their state (66 percent now compared with 74 percent in 1989) and fewer could name the president of Russia (36 percent now compared with 47 percent before).
In 1989, fully 81 percent of people knew that the United States had a trade deficit; today, only 68 percent knew.
The survey found that education was the best predictor of who would do well on the questions. “However,” it said, “despite the fact that education levels have risen dramatically over the past 20 years, public knowledge has not increased accordingly.” About 27 percent of Americans are college graduates.
The survey of 1,502 adults, conducted in February by the Pew Center (www.people-press.org), was based on answers to 23 questions and had a margin of error of 3 percentage points. Only eight people answered all 23 questions correctly, and five answered none correctly. The average number of right answers was 12.
Half of the people who did the best said they got their news from at least seven outlets a day.
The six news sources cited most often by people who knew the most about current events were: “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report” (counted as one), tied with Web sites of major newspapers; next came “News Hour With Jim Lehrer”; then “The O’Reilly Factor,” which was tied with National Public Radio; and Rush Limbaugh’s radio program. KATHARINE Q. SEELYE

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English Speaking Chinese

I have a fondness for stories about mangled English. Especially because after thirty years in this country, my kids and husband still correct me often. But my language skills are a bit better than the geniuses who came up with the signs above. But hey, lets not make too much fun. At least, they are attempting to speak a second language. That is more than many people can say here.



From: Der Spiegel
WAGING WAR AGAINST 'CHINGLISH'
Beijing Wants to Clean up English for Olympics
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,476689,00.html

Despite massive efforts to eliminate faulty Chinese to English translations popularly known as "Chinglish" on signs and menus in preparation for the Olympics, Beijing officials still have a long way to go to make their English signage tourist friendly.
It comes in many forms and can be found all over the capital city. All over China, in fact. It might be a menu advertising "Terrorized US Pork Steak" or a fashion billboard touting "Pleasanty surprise of groping." At times it can verge on poetry, but more often than not it just comes across as what it is: Bad English. "Chinglish," as the Chinese have come to call the linguistic massacre, even has a mass cult following of fans who troll the Internet for the most entertaining examples of bad English to share with friends or at the office water cooler.But as they prepare for the 2008 Olympic Games, officials in Beijing are waging war on Chinglish. They fear it will distract from the billions being spent to polish the city up for the international sporting event and the coming out of a spiffy new Beijing on the world stage. The city has set its sights on spitting, bad manners, taxi drivers who only speak Chinese, run-down housing and things as mundane as restaurant menus and signs. The city even has translation standards aimed at preventing linguistic disasters. If city official Liu Yang, the deputy head of the "Beijing Speaks Foreign Languages Program", has his way, menus with specialties like "It is small to fry the chicken miscellaneous" or "mixed elbow with garlic mud" will soon be a thing of the past.
"You can't talk in absolutes," Liu told a news conference on Wednesday. "We'll work as hard as possible to extinguish the problem and get more city residents involved. Of course, it will still happen occasionally, but I think we can ensure that once mistakes are found, they are rectified."
With only 500 days left until the games begin, task master Lui and his 35-member team have their work cut out for them if they want to make Beijing's English visitor-friendly. Lui said Beijing's road signs had already been standardized and corrected, and that by year's end the tourist, business, medical and public transport sectors would also be addressed.
The city is also relying on the snitch factor to self-correct its English problems. To speed the process along, officials have encouraged residents and tourists alike to report incidents of Chinglish online or by phone.
"It's much more proactive than before," Lui said. "People pay more attention to image now."

In some areas, significant progress has already been made. Beijing's "Hospital for Anus and Intestine Disease," for example, has now been renamed the "Hospital for Proctology."

More Pardon Me for Asking entries about mangled Engish:
http://pardonmeforasking.blogspot.com/2006/11/do-you-speak-english.html
http://pardonmeforasking.blogspot.com/2007/01/but-wait-there-is-more.html

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Progress Redefined!

This little clip from Jon Stewart's Daily Show would be even funnier if it where not so incredibly true. Like always, Jon is right on with this little sketch.

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Save My Environment.

I just saw Aaanold Schwarzenegger on Good Morning America, discussing his very positive moves to make the state of California greener. You have to hand it to the guy. He sure keeps on reinventing himself, from bodybuilder, to movie star to Republican woman-groping governor, to gentle green giant, fighting for the environment. He is a smart man. And likable.
I wanted to bring you the video of this mornings interview, but found this much more amusing parody of Schwarzenegger doing Hamlet. Infinitely more satisfying, I think.


Pimp My Environment
Schwarzenegger brings green message to New York
by joshua rhett miller / metro new york

UPPER EAST SIDE. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger predicted a “tipping point” in environmentalism, one he boasted will originate in California and will eventually move into mainstream culture.
During a speech yesterday at the Council on Foreign Relations, Schwarzenegger likened the environmental movement to bodybuilding, a sport that had a “very sketchy” image in its early stages. But as physical fitness gained popularity and its positive health effects were realized, bodybuilding became widely accepted.
“Like bodybuilders, environmentalists were also thought of being kind of weird, strange and fanatics,” Schwarzenegger said on the latest stop in his East Coast trip to promote the cause. “They were like Prohibitionists at a fraternity party. But I believe this is about to switch over. It’s about to switch because it’s going to be powered not by guilt, but by something much more positive, by something much more dynamic, by something much more capable of bringing about real big change.”
Schwarzenegger said California is leading the way by imposing the country’s first statewide cap on gases that are blamed for global warming. The law, which was passed last year, requires California to reduce emissions by 25 percent by 2020. The state also refuses to purchase electricity from states that derive it from coal and Schwarzenegger has ordered a 10 percent cut in the carbon content of transportation fuel.
“A tipping point will occur when the environmental movement is no longer seen as a nag or a scold, but it is seen as a positive force in people’s lives,” he said.
When he ran for governor in 2003, Schwarzenegger said he was hounded by environmentalists about his gas-guzzling Hummers. Now he’s on the cover of Newsweek, balancing a globe near the headline, “Save the Planet — Or Else.”
“They didn’t even believe when I talked about that I would protect the environment,” said Schwarzenegger, whose two Hummers now use biodiesel and hydrogen fuel.
Schwarzenegger will host an upcoming episode of MTV’s “Pimp My Ride” in which he and host Xzibit will make over a 1965 Chevy Impala to use biodiesel fuel. The show will air on Earth Day.
“That is what you have to do,” he said. “You have to make things cool, to make things sexy and cutting edge. And so we don’t have to take the cars away from the people — the SUVs, the Hummers and the muscle cars.”
On the team
California cannot solve global warming alone, Schwarzenegger said. It can, however, push other states and nations into action.
This week, Mayor Michael Bloomberg unveiled a report that said the city emits 1 percent of the nation’s greenhouse gases. His administration is working to reduce that.

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Smile For The Camera!

The South is lovely. It was especially beautiful during this last trip. Everything was in full bloom and the weather infinitely milder than here in New York where we are expecting yet another big storm on Sunday.
But there is a dark side to the South. All the religion and conservative thinking darkens the natural beauty of the place. Just when I think that all those Northerners moving down South moderate the right-wing mentality, I come across some insane instance of Southern close-mindedness. The latest instance is the fact that South Carolina is considering a controversial abortion bill. If passed, the state would become the first to require women to view an ultrasound image before getting an abortion.
Now who came up with that bright idea? Do South Carolina politicians really sit around coming up with ways of shaming women into staying pregnant? The decision for a woman to get an abortion is tough enough without being forced to see an ultrasound image of the fetus inside of her. Now pardon me for asking, but is an ultrasound not considered a medical test or procedure? Can the South Carolina government really force a woman to submit to a medical test? That is scary!
May I suggest that a mandatory brain CAT scan be implemented for S.C. politicos to make sure that they have enough brain cells to make decisions for their constituents.
Shame, shame, shame...


http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=65968
South Carolina: The House on Wednesday voted 91-23 to preliminarily approve a bill (H 3355) that would require women seeking abortion to view ultrasound images of their fetus before undergoing the procedure, the AP/Augusta Chronicle reports. House lawmakers voted on the bill after defeating amendments that would have exempted women whose pregnancies are the result of rape or incest from the requirement (AP/Augusta Chronicle, 3/22). The House on Thursday gave approval to the measure and sent it to the Senate (H 3355 history, 3/22). The legislation is supported by Gov. Mark Sanford (R), according to the Columbia State (Columbia State, 2/21). Critics of the legislation consider it a "tool to intimidate women who already have made an agonizing decision," the AP/Chronicle reports. Supporters of the bill hope women will decide not to have an abortion after seeing ultrasound images. Under the state's informed-consent law, which was passed in 1994, abortion providers are required to tell women the likely age of their fetus and provide information about fetal development and abortion alternatives. In addition, women must consider the information for a minimum of one hour before undergoing the procedure. The state's three abortion clinics currently perform ultrasounds to determine a fetus' age. Some other states require ultrasound images to be made available to women, but South Carolina would become the first state to mandate the women see the images if the legislation passes, the AP/Chronicle reports (AP/Augusta Chronicle, 3/22).

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While I Am Driving

glumbert.com - When graphic artists get bored

While I am heading North, I don't want to leave my dedicated readers with nothing to do. Lets face it, this blog may be the only entertainment you will get today, right? At least that is what I would like to think!
But all kidding aside. Take a quick look at this amazing compilation of images created by graphic artists. They are truly amazing and creative. And soon you will be reading some more of my musings. This time from home!

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The Way North!

Lest my New York friends forget about me, I am heading back up north tomorrow. I am not looking forward to the 12 hour car trip, but we have done it before. It will be hard locking the house up again. This place is really quite something. Waking up every morning with the view over the ocean is pure bliss. Sometimes, I stand on the balcony and look out over the waves and see dolphins slowly following a school of fish. Or a group of pelicans fly overhead. Yup, it will be hard to leave....and to get back to the grind.
See you all back in Brooklyn!

The picture above is of the Surfside Pier, about one mile from the house.

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Look At The Pretty F*&$# F Train

The way to our Brooklyn house from Manhattan is to take the F Train, otherwise known as the F*&^%$k train because of the frequent delays. overcrowding and outages. It is also pretty dirty and ugly with orange molded plastic seats. Yesterday, four artists boarded an F train and worked on an installation called " No Train Like Home", which involved decorating an entire subway wagon. The redo included bookshelves, curtains and pillows as well as rugs. I love that idea. Can you imagine if the city commissioned more interior decorators to redesign subway wagons? We sure have enough decorators to do this in Manhattan. That would be really cool.
I wonder what colors would look good on the walls. What elements would you love to see in one of these cars?

From the New York Post
RAILROAD APARTMENT
HOME DECORATORS AMBUSH F TRAIN
By JEREMY OLSHAN, Transit Reporter

WELCOME ABOARD: A straphanger gets a pleasant surprise yesterday while boarding an F train car that had been given a more homely look, complete with welcome mats, by a group of guerrilla artists...


April 7, 2007 -- Interior decorators hijacked an F train yesterday morning, transforming Car 5929 into a cozy living room with curtains, flowers, throw pillows and rugs.
The four artists behind this guerrilla installation, dubbed "No Train Like Home," boarded the F in Coney Island at 7:38 a.m. carrying brown paper shopping bags filled with decorations and lots of double-sided tape.
As soon as the doors closed, the foursome started covering up every ad in the car with Andy Warhol prints and images of bookshelves.
They left the subway maps alone.
Carol Tessitore stepped over a homeless man sleeping in the corner and hung garlands overhead. He slept through the entire installation.
Ellen Moynihan said she conceived the project a year ago as a way to highlight "how much of a second home the subway system can be for millions of commuters."
But mostly, she said, she wanted to see how straphangers and the MTA - which was not told about the project - would react.
At Avenue U, a police officer peered in the car and shouted, "What are you doing?"
When the four women responded, "It's an art installation," the officer seemed skeptical, but waved in disgust and the doors closed.
It took 40 minutes to complete the decorations, including welcome mats that were duct-taped by every door.
The snazzy subway car brought smiles to many riders' faces, but some were displeased.
"This is criminal," a woman said. "It may be beautiful, but that's not the issue. They are obstructing the subway."
Valerie Heldt snapped pictures of the work with her cellphone. "Of all the subway cars in the world, I sure am glad I walked into this one," she said.
Transit officials were amused by the work, but said they could not condone it and it would have to be removed.
"We appreciate the design ideas, but we can't have people taking that into their own hands not knowing our system safety requirements," said NYC Transit spokesman Paul Fleuranges.

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Easter In The Bible Belt!

I am still in the South and Easter is a big deal in the Bible Belt. They go all out here with Easter bonnets, Easter dresses and of course church. Lots of it.
My little family is not answering to a higher authority. We will continue relaxing by the beach, enjoying the ocean, the sand and the sun. That's my religion. Tomorrow, husband will go off to the Masters in Augusta with my father, son will hopefully put a day's work into his report on Batista and Castro and I will putter around the house and take my daily walk on the beach.
A religious bunch we are not. But I am thankful for the days off as well as the excuse to eat chocolate, especially those little Cadbury Easter chocolate eggs with the speckled sugary hard shell. I love those.
But to all of our friends who celebrate religious holidays during this time of year: Happy Easter and Happy Passover to you.

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Ugly Dog Of The Week!

The Ugly Dog Of This Week. Yet another ugly pooch in my endless collection. This time with an Easter theme. How appropriate,no?

Follow the link to the others in the contest
http://pardonmeforasking.blogspot.com/search/label/Ugly%20Dog%20Contest

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Carpe Diem!

καί νύ κ' ὀδυρομένοισι φάνη ῥοδοδάκτυλος Ἠώς,
εἰ μὴ ἄρ' ἄλλ' ἐνόησε θεὰ γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη.
νύκτα μὲν ἐν περάτῃ δολιχὴν σχέθεν, Ἠῶ δ' αὖτε
ῥύσατ' ἐπ' Ὠκεανῷ χρυσόθρονον, οὐδ' ἔα ἵππους
ζεύγνυσθ' ὠκύποδας, φάος ἀνθρώποισι φέροντας,
Λάμπον καὶ Φαέθονθ', οἵ τ' Ἠῶ πῶλοι ἀγουσι.


Dawn with her rose-red fingers might have shone
upon their tears, if with her glinting eyes
Athena had not thought of one more thing.
She held back the night, and night lingered long
at the western edge of the earth, while in the east
she reined in Dawn of the golden throne at Ocean's banks,
commanding her not to yoke the windswift team that brings men light,
Blaze and Aurora, the young colts that race the morning on.

Homer: The Odyssey, XXIII.273-280, trans. Fagles.

These few lines from the Odyssey are taken from the near end of Odysseus' adventure. After a twenty year absence from Ithaca, he's made it home, and is reunited with his wife, Penelope. Odysseus and his wife have twenty years of trials and tribulations, battles and vixens, sea voyages and suitors to recount. One night is just not enough, so Athene, Odysseus' immortal guardian, takes action to prevent rosy fingered dawn from casting her tendrils of light across the earth. Selene's chariot must hoist the moon higher, and allow the starlight to linger, leaving Dawn's horses expectant at Ocean's edge. Time stands still that night.

Why quote Homer today? As I admired " rose-fingered dawn" in all her beauty here at the beach this mornin, It made me think that sometimes, one wants the night to linger, sometimes one cannot wait for daybreak.
This morning at daybreak nothing could have forced me to stay in bed one minute longer. The sunrise over the ocean was so spectacular, that I hopped out from under my covers and enjoyed the beautiful show from our balcony. And a show it was. It made me happy to be alive.
I love seeing the horizon when I am out of New York City. I tend to forget the vastness of the sky. The stars and moon over the ocean, the rising sun, I am in awe of it all. Not that I want to live here at Surfside Beach year-round, but when I spend time outside of the city, a calmness comes over me. And I like it.
So here is to another day, bright and clear ( here in South Carolina at least.) And I am happy...

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Some Slow Dance Moves!

Take a look at this video... I am seriously considering adding these moves to my excercise routine ( if I had one.) Yea, I think I can do that!

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Totally Cool Tuesday-At-The-Beach Song!

This very atmospheric tune is from the totally "happening" Indie rock band Arcade Fire. From Montreal, Quebec, the band is currently touring Europe. So to all my European readers, see if they will be in your neck of the woods and see if you can get tickets. They are coming to New York. Maybe I will try to get tix myself.....

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Green Soup

Disclaimer: I have not tried this Green Spring Soup myself yet, but it sounded like a cool recipe and I like the fact that it celebrates the ephemeral nature of spring veggies. I promise, I will try to make it in the next few days to check out if its edible. If you make it before me, please let me know how it tasted by leaving a comment. You know how I looooooove comments.

Recipe: Minestra Verde From Viana La Place From The Los Angeles Times
http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-encore033007,0,684021.story?coll=la-home-food
This recipe for a deeply flavorful soup originally ran in 1993 with a story about the fleeting moments of an Italian springtime.

Total time: 1 hour
Servings: 4

2 pounds leeks
4 to 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Juice 1 large lemon
1 tender celery stalk, trimmed and chopped
Finely ground sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
1 cup shredded young spinach leaves
1 cup shredded butter lettuce (bright green leaves only)
1 quart water
Mint leaves
Lemon wedges, optional

1. Trim root ends from leeks. Cut slit down length of leeks, then cut leeks into sections. Place in large colander. Run cold water over leeks, separating rings to clean all layers. Place leeks in large bowl of cold water and let stand to allow any remaining dirt to settle to bottom.
2. Place olive oil and lemon juice in soup pot and turn heat to medium. Lift leeks out of water and add to pot along with celery. Stir well, adding sea salt and pepper to taste. Cook 20 minutes, lowering heat as water evaporates. Stir often to prevent sticking.
3. Add peas, spinach and lettuce. Stir few minutes. Then add water and bring to boil. Simmer 10 minutes. Put soup through food mill, or puree in food processor until finely textured but not completely smooth. Return to pot and reheat. Adjust seasonings to taste.
4. Ladle into soup bowl. Tear mint leaves into small pieces, crushing leaves between fingers to release perfume. Sprinkle mint over soup. Season to taste with pepper. Serve with lemon wedges on side. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Each of 4 servings contains about: 166 calories; 99 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 14 grams fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 1.26 grams fiber.

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All-Inclusive Beach Vacation

Hi to all my peeps!
I am at Surfside Beach again with husband and son. My father came for a few days to be with us. The weather is great, the ocean is gently crashing on the shore and we are relaxing in the first time in weeks. I had forgotten what it feels like to start the day without any plans...it's pretty neat. I could get used to this.
What I could also get used to is the fact that we have our own personal chef here. I like to cook. But since my father is here also, I am not allowed into the kitchen. Since he became a widower, it seems that he has made cooking his "raison d'être."
He cooks non-stop. He has created a few signature dishes such as his Paté, Coq Au Vin and "Chicadina?" Goulasch. Then there are his apple tarts. They are very tasty. Just don't ask him how much butter he uses for the crust. As a matter of fact, don't ask him how much oil or butter he uses in any of his dishes. To him, that is not important information. I guess if you are almost 75 and are still going strong, you are not going to start counting saturated fat. Especially if you chase the grease down with red wine.
So anyway, last night's mashed potatoes had a healthy " schuss" of heavy cream. But they tasted good, very good. And rich...
I don't know what is on the menu tonight, but with him taking over kitchen-duty, this is starting to feel like an all-inclusive resort.
The picture below is of my father. According to him, he is not only the best cook, he is also the best looking one. What can I say, he always had a healthy ego.
You can judge for yourself. Below is a picture of him holding a photo of his way-younger self.

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Best New Product

Since I am here in the sun and you are not, I thought I would be nice and let you know about the nifty new products you can use right at your desk, at your office. This way, you have a tan when I come back and you won't be jealous.. it's only 25 bucks.

USB Desktop Tanning Center
Your Desktop Fun-without-the-sun Buddy
from www.thinkgeek.com

Here at ThinkGeek, we fully understand the sun isn't always your best friend. But, unlike vampire rats, the sun is not PURE evil. It does have a few redeeming qualities. Like sunspots and eclipses. It's also used to grow your own 1up Mushrooms. Some people even tunnel sun rays through a magnifying glass to set leaves, insects and ladyfingers in a glorious blaze. One of the strangest qualities of the Sun, however, is that it can make the color of your skin change. And while it is very dangerous to the cells in your epidermis, this practice of changing ones skin color purportedly makes you more socially acceptable in general and desireable to the opposite sex. What geek doesn't want that?
If you get into the deep chemical and engineering science of this process, you'll soon figure out that it's the UV rays that cause this skin color change. And, lucky for you, UV rays are easy to produce in mass quantities of lamps built in China and sold on ThinkGeek. Yay!
Don't let the sun have the monopoly on making people love you more. Get the USB Desktop Tanning center and, in the comfort of your own cubicle, a scrumptiously golden tone can be yours in about the same time it takes you to update your lame blog with another meaningless entry that nobody will ever read. Ever.
Features:
Two base units attach to either side of your monitor
4 WOLFFE Ultra-violet 100 watt bulbs
USB Powered
Variable rate knob features three settings (Powder, Tea, Malignant)
Comes with eyeball cover thingies!

HAPPY APRIL FOOLS DAY!

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