Overlooking the Obvious

Internet poster Hal Straus asks, "In response to the Christmas Day attempt by a passenger to blow up a Northwest Airlines flight...What steps do you think officials or passengers should take to improve airport security?"

The most obvious answer is to ask ourselves what we've done to inspire such hatred in the first place. In my view, it's because we are the biggest hypocrites on the planet.

We invaded Iraq allegedly because of its violation of a UN resolution. Yet we turn a blind eye to Israel's violation of some 66 UN resolutions. We "liberate" an oil-rich country from its evil dictator (causing the deaths of 150,000 of its people in the process), yet we embrace other evil dictators and ignore their human rights abuses (e.g., Saudi Arabia, China) when it suits us, all the while touting our values and morality to the rest of the world. We vehemently condemn Iran's budding nuclear program, while an unstable, terror-ridden country like Pakistan harbors bombs with our blessing.

But the most egregious of our hypocrisies is our unconditional support of Israel, even as its government commits illegal occupation, apartheid, war crimes and atrocities against the Palestinian people. Our financial backing of Israel's war machine -- used to inflict oppression, suffering and death on Palestinians -- fuels the agenda of terrorist groups like al-Qaeda and enables them to recruit followers, who perceive their enlistment as a moral obligation, delivering justice to the unjust.

All the clever, high-tech security measures in the world won't be enough to protect us, as long as we continue to ignore the root of the problem and bow to the demands of Israel and its AIPAC lobby at the expense of our national security.

America's biggest terrorist threat is the hatred it generates by uneven foreign policies and unconditional support of Israel.

Wake up, Washington.


Photo: Holocaust and Gaza

Radio Radio

I don't own a TV, and people often ask how I survive without one. I read, I surf, I chat, I nap, but mostly I listen to music. I'm fussy about my tunes, and ok - I'm stuck on '60s-'70s AOR, hold the hits and adverts, thank you.

Last Christmas, I subscribed to XM satellite radio. I pay for 200 channels but listen to only one: Deep Tracks Channel 40. Bands like Traffic, Genesis, the Moody Blues, Strawbs, and Ultimate Spinach, beamed down from thousands of miles in outerspace in all their original, full-length, obscure-album-cut glory. It's like modern-day pirate radio. You won't hear this stuff anywhere else.

My best friend these days is my XM portable satellite radio (pictured here). It's a first-gen Pioneer Airware which lets me listen at home or on the go. One of these days I'll buy a newer model. But for now, this one feeds my head just fine.

snow snow snow snow SNOW

Awesome snowstorm. Views out my window. The gargoyle looks like a snowman.

Birthday

December 17 is a birthday that often gets lost amid the holiday chaos. If it's remembered at all, it's usually in the form of a combo b'day-xmas card or gift. One exception is the annual bouquet of flowers I get from Scott, a friend I've known since 1981. Even though we live on opposite coasts with separate lives and rarely keep in touch, his bouquet arrives each year on my birthday like clockwork. Sometimes it's a challenge for him to locate me, as I often escape or go underground during the holidays. But he always manages to get the flowers to me eventually.

For reasons known only to him, it's important -- for 28 years and counting -- that my birthday not pass unacknowledged, that I know there is at least one person who cares and remembers. For this I am amazed and grateful, more so as the years pass. There have been dark times when his bouquet was the only remembrance from the outside world.

Today I give thanks for Scott, the flowers and mylar balloon, and the ray of light they beam through my overcast sky.

It Was 29 Years Ago Today...

...and you are still missed.

Prince of Petworth

I want to give a plug to a great community blog, Prince of Petworth. It covers the DC neighborhoods of Petworth, Columbia Heights, U Street, and Mt. Pleasant and many others. You'll find news, happenings, real estate and development posts, restaurant reviews, and awesome photos. PoP was created by Dan Silverman in 2006, and this year Washingtonian Magazine deemed it “the King of Neighborhood Blogs.” Check it out:

http://www.princeofpetworth.com

Paisley

                      Some researchers believe that babies form certain likes and dislikes while still in the womb.
 I believe them. There are many things I already loved when I popped out. Paisley is one of them.

Where's my public option?

I am a seriously disillusioned Democrat.

As a strong - yet realistic - advocate of single-payer health care, I was willing to accept a public option as a first step toward the ultimate goal of universal coverage. What I was NOT ready to accept was that members of my majority political party would oppose a public option, even though polls show that 60% of Americans want one.

I was also shocked and dismayed that Obama did not insist on a public option, as he promised in his campaign. Instead of telling Congress to get it done, he should have told them to get it done RIGHT.

Legislation that mandates everyone to buy insurance without giving us a public option is like forcing us to buy a defective product. And it's a dream-come-true for the insurance industry.

Will we hold these legislators accountable? Please say yes...

Dickey Betts

I trekked out to Falls Church last night to see Dickey Betts (co-founder of the Allman Brothers Band and writer of some of their best songs) and his band, Great Southern. It was worth braving the cold to catch this guitar legend (ranked #58 on Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time) and enjoy some of the masterpieces of the ABB catalog like High Falls and In Memory of Elizabeth Reed.

Welcome to U Street Universe

Here's a recipe that's easy and delicious and you can substitute, tweak, add or subtract to your taste. As I write this, they are broiling in my toaster oven and filling the air with the luscious aroma of rosemary.

Herb-Roasted Potatoes

1/3 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp coarse salt
1 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper
3 cloves minced garlic
2 Tbsp chopped rosemary leaves
2 Tbsp chopped Italian Parsley
1 bag of small red potatoes, scrubbed and diced

Preheat oven (or toaster oven) to 450° F. Combine all ingredients except potatoes in a bowl and mix well. Add potatoes and toss to coat thoroughly. Dump the contents of the bowl onto a baking sheet and spread out the potatoes. Bake until potatoes are fork-tender, turning occasionally, around 45 minutes.

Yum.