A Turkey-less Asian Thanksgiving

I read in the news that the President pardoned a pair of turkeys who would otherwise have landed on the White House dinner table tonight. Well, in an Asian household, we don't really eat turkey to begin with (my mom doesn't like the taste, and neither do all the other Chinese moms). Instead, this is what our Thanksgiving feast looked like:

Hotpot! It was delicious. Here's a picture of the pot itself:

The things floating in the soup are fishballs (the white ones), meatballs (the brown ones) and tofu cubes. The submerged orange things are pumpkin cubes.

I never quite appreciated being home for the holidays until I found myself eating dining hall turkey in college over Thanksgiving. It wasn't too bad, especially since I had friends whose folks lived too far away for them to celebrate Thanksgiving at home, but there's nothing quite like being home with the family. And having tasty hotpot.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Washington Post: Food Truck for Peace

This is such an inspired idea!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/food-truck-will-deliver-message-of-mideast-peace/2013/01/25/b121ea7e-6665-11e2-93e1-475791032daf_story.html?hpid=z1

Throughout human history, the concept of breaking bread has had a powerful hold on our imaginations. Food, and the culture and traditions surrounding it, is one of the original methods of brokering peace. Back in the earliest days of homo sapiens, the acquisition of food was a costly group effort that strengthened the bonds within one's immediate community. In Ancient Greece, offering food and shelter to visitors became an integral part of upholding the honor of one's house. In many cultures, it was considered taboo to bring weaponry to the table, and any harm that befell a guest at one's table brought great dishonor upon the host.

It's time that we brought everyday Jews and Muslims to that table. In the most political city in the melting pot that is America, peace -- or at least understanding and friendship -- might well take root via food.

Washington Post: Ospreys Nest on a D.C. Crane, Halting Construction

An inspiring tale of government bureaucracy pulling together to save endangered animals:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/ospreys-nest-on-a-dc-crane-halting-construction/2011/05/07/AFQeSMKG_gallery.html#photo=1

Sometimes it's the little things for which it's necessary to move mountains.

NYTimes: The U.S.S Prius

A very interesting, ingenious mash-up of the sometimes-antagonistic causes of environmentalism and the Iraq war:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/19/opinion/19friedman.html

It's brilliant, isn't it? It's a perfect argument for reducing our dependence on Middle Eastern oil that appeals to not only the "bleeding-heart, granola-crunching" segment of the American populace (which is often analogous to preaching to the choir), but also to the more conservative, more militarily-minded constituency. Military initiative has historically been one of the greatest catalysts for technological innovation (look at the internet, for example). If the military sticks with this, really pushes it and invests in it, imagine what our carbon footprints might look like in ten years.

It's going to happen, it really is. Yes we can.

NYTimes: Senate Repeals "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

A major victory for civil rights -- on the order of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, some have said:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/19/us/politics/19cong.html?_r=1&ref=global-home

At long last, military honor. It's something to celebrate this season.

Al Jazeera: Amnesty Report Slams Global Abuses

The usual culprits, of course: China, Russia, and the US. It's always those who aren't terribly concerned about repercussions in the international arena -- the US is no exception:

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2010/05/2010527164537464311.html

It's so hard to be an optimist, sometimes.

R.I.P. Senator Robert C. Byrd

Senator Robert C. Byrd (D. W. Va.) died today. He was 92, and had served in Congress for 57 of those years (51 as a senator). He passed on at a time when the people of this country most needed him -- his vote, but more importantly, his wisdom, his indomitable will, and his fierce dedication to the defence of his people.

Byrd was the epitome of the American dream, the self-made man. He came from a coal mining town in the state that elected him to Congress. He was valedictorian of his high school class, but could not afford to attend college; he earned college credit and received his diploma while serving in Congress. He was, however, eminently self-educated; his speeches were peppered with historical and literary references. He was especially well versed in the histories of the republics that spawned the United States, namely the Grecian city-states, Rome, and England. He believed in the power of the people, as exercised by the Legislature -- and was vehemently opposed to those moments when Congress seemed like no more than a catspaw to the President. He was the greatest advocate of the people of his own poorly-resourced state, as he believed each senator should be for his own constituency. If there was any disparity, it was not because he demanded too much, but because they did too little.

He is also a fine example of a man who could admit his mistakes, own his lapses of judgement and his youthful indiscretions, and forge them into something good. He was, in his youth, a member of the Klu Klux Klan; indeed, it was one of the local clan leaders who first encouraged him to run for office. And yet, rather than denying it, he made for himself a brilliant career in politics in spite of it, acknowledging that stain on his conscience and rising above it to become a champion of his people, all his constituency, whatever their color or creed.

He will be missed, and even those who do not know all that he has done on their behalf will feel the weight of his absence. He was a true senator, a true statesman, a man in the make of those first Congressmen to walk the hallowed halls of the Capitol, over two centuries ago.

The New York Times article: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/29/us/politics/29byrd.html?hp

Today

is the 46th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It's a landmark piece of legislation, marking the end of state-sanctioned segregation in the United States. It came at the height of the epic American struggle for freedom and equality in America. It was, in my opinion, one of the few events of Lyndon B. Johnson's presidency that made up for, in some cosmic way, the Vietnam War. His domestic policy was impressive, but his foreign policy abysmal. Today, 46 years ago, was Johnson at his best.

Al Jazeera: US Senators Introduce Climate Bill

Kerry and Lieberman (not your average superheroes, I'll grant), trying to save the world:

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2010/05/201051313748478889.html

Actual serious climate legislation: it's been too long in coming.

It's mostly cap-and-trade; I wish they'd left in some of the subsidies for alternative energy -- but it's still a big step. I hope it passes, this time. Kyoto was really a stain on our record.

This sort of thing is what I meant in the last post, when I spoke of "using" the moment. Capitalize on it. It's a tragedy, but make something good of it.

NYTimes: All the Obama 20-Somethings

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/02/magazine/02obamastaff-t.html?hpw

I remember the Obama craze; I was a freshman in college, and it was just about the most exciting thing to happen that year (yes, even compared to being in college). If I were a little older at the time, I could see myself picking up and moving with these people, pulling crazy shifts in out-of-the-way swing states, sleeping less than I already do, being part of something larger than myself. I'm an idealist, what can I say? As it stands, I voted -- I stood in line for however many hours it took (skived off class, even), and cast a ballot. Seriously, I was more excited to be eighteen to vote than anything else. :)

It sounds wonderful, being there. I'm glad we have a president like this, for all his imperfections.