Windy City Raptor

TFA Update, At Institute: Living on Reds, Vitamin C, and Ephedrine

2010-07-04T14:11:00.000-07:00

That is how I feel and look after some days at Institute.

TFA's summer institute is demanding, to say the least. I've finished three weeks of teaching and I'm steadily improving. There's so much to say regarding institute, that I'm uncertain where my point of departure should occur. Emotional? Physical? Intellectual?

From the moment you arrive, you are fed into TFA's logistical leviathan. Besides a few hiccups, I'm bowled over by the streamlined processes that ensure this five week program's success and the uniformity of their approach. (It's no coincidence that most of the comment boards have pluses and deltas.) The folks who staff institute seem largely on top of their responsibilities--a few exceptions notwithstanding--and are here to assist. Staffers know the stresses of institute and meet us where we are to help mold us into teachers in five weeks. No mean feat.

Regarding my school, it's best for me not to discuss it or my students. I'm teaching kindergarten in Phoenix in a collaborative group (referred to and pronounced as co-lab) with three young women. Yes, the gender balance is tipped decisively in favor of women in TFA as a whole. I've been forced to reorient my mind to teach minds that require different needs. And while I knew this before leaving, it's another beast entirely to encounter and adjust on the fly when you've taught highly functioning college students. I am apprehensive as to whether I should be teaching K. I selected early childhood as one of my highly preferred areas and I'm committed to seeing it through with earnest toward succeeding in this role. Nevertheless, the past few weeks led me to realize the full breadth of my content knowledge in what is typically grouped as social studies.

This isn't a pleasant five week vacation. In fact, an eighteen hour day with little free time is not uncommon. I did not come to grips with the demands until we were thrown into the fire. I don't know if it's feasible for CMs to adequately grasp what's coming at you until you've descended into the breach. Someone might roll their eyes at my choice of language, but there are times when institute strains even a strong person's abilities to fight simultaneous emotional, physical, and intellectual fires.

Part of me wants to quip about being institutionalized and mulling over a speedy departure. After a few weeks, a few lingering doubts remain. Diane Ravitch's comments about TFA and the forces it champions doesn't ameliorate those nagging concerns. To be frank, I am uncertain if TFA as an organization privileges team player cohesion over expressing dissension in order to operate smoothly and train (and at times discipline) us to enter this world. Quite possibly this is how they manage to function, and part of me realizes that as a body it must push in this direction in order to thrive and survive. Staffers have always allowed me to state my misgivings. Whenever I have raised some concerns, I cannot accurately gauge the reply and subsequent interactions. Further, I dislike referencing my age and experience as a way to distinguish myself from some of my colleagues, but at times it's painfully obvious as a night out with a few CMs reinforced. Regardless, I have a profound respect and admiration for the staffers I've interacted with, especially my CMA, and I have found some impressive people to chat with and who share some of my viewpoints and personality. I elected not to mention any names, and I think it's the best course of action to allow many people to remain anonymous.

So where do I stand? Anyone who knows me can well understand that flagging certainty and muddled pride are my MO. My academic training has led me to be suspicious of my activities and my personality traits reinforce that skepticism. These comments were carefully articulated and I think my concerns will dissipate once I leave this meat grinder and actually begin teaching in my own classroom once I have my style and experience fixed. The welter of emotions and push-pull factors of home and normal life leave me with mixed judgments. I remain steadfast in my belief that I can foster a great deal of good in the classroom and young people's academic paths. That unites me with my fellow CMs and TFA's vision, and those bedrock similarities bring me into the fold, however reluctant I may be.

2010 Garden

2010-06-07T09:52:00.000-07:00

In my hustle to wrap up any lingering tasks or responsibilities, the garden was one of my priorities. Kate will shoulder the burden of watering, weeding, and watching this year. I cleared a bit more area and expanded the plot slightly. The dimensions are 12'x6' for the larger and 5'x3' for the smaller. The increased space allowed us to distribute the tomato plants better so that we do not encounter the bedlam of last year's close proximity growing. My indoor beet seeds were a miserable flop and we may sow beets, kale, and spinach seeds mid- to late-summer. For now, the garden consists of the following starters we purchased from City Floral:
Basil (2)
Cauliflower (6)
Mint
Rosemary
Tomatoes (1 Abraham Lincoln, 1 Big Beef, 4 Cherokee Purple - all heirlooms)

We also planted two rows of beans and we plan on a large yield if past performance is a guide. Here are some photos of the process from start to finish.

Clearing and trimming back vines and weeds

To everything turn, turn, turn (what a wretched song)

We spread four total cubic feet of compost, one of which was a mix of cow and compost

The plants

Compost added and graded for planting

Planting

Top shot

Cauliflower

Oklahoma Joe's BBQ and the Best Ribs I've Eaten

2010-06-02T16:20:00.000-07:00

My appreciation for bbq often borders on obsession. That's why a trip to the Middle West was rerouted and replanned to meet my fix. We dined at what is considered one of Kansas City's best bbq restaurants, Oklahoma Joe's. Anthony Bourdain numbered OK Joe's number thirteen on his list of 13 Places to Eat Before You Die, which is an awfully strong compliment or burden to prove. (Of note, Hot Doug's also appears on this list.) They are closed on Sundays and in an already crazy trip to see family, what's wrong with supplementing the jaunt with a stop at a place with such lofty reviews? Turns out, nothing wrong at all.

OK Joe's original KC location is housed in a BP gas station. The unassuming front reveals an inside that is largely occupied by the immensely popular eatery. We waited in line and a nice woman answered Kate's questions about the menu. Kate selected an order of ribs (approximately six total), pulled pork, and an order of onion rings. I went for the brisket, pulled pork, and slaw. Add two drinks and you have a total of thirty dollars and high expectations. I'll start with the most disappointing: the brisket. When you have a plate of amazing bbq, not everything can be perfect and the mind easily settles into a comparison of relative quality. The meat was dry and seemed overcooked. It was well seasoned and wasn't insipid. From my eyes and taste buds, it missed a rather crucial element to brisket in general, fat. With that being said, my life would be better--and my waist line wider--if I could locate similar brisket in Denver.

Now on to the stunning. We loved the pulled pork and it was the best I've eaten, bar none. The ribs were the jewel of the plate and the menu. Along with the pork, these are the best ribs I've tasted in my life. The meat is tender without falling off the bone (aka a mess and a half), not drenched with sauce (aka sauce masks bland or absent flavor), and an even blend of smoke and seasoning (aka perfect). They are not to be missed and any deviation from our trip was worth the side trek. Anyone who disparages bbq does not comprehend the time, care, and attention to flavor that the folks at OK Joe's (and many other restaurants) expend on cooking these specimens of beauty. Despite entering with empty stomachs, we could not finish all of our pork, brisket, and onion rings.

By the time we left, the line was approximately thirty people deep of families and singles patiently waiting for some of the best bbq I've had the fortune of eating. On the table, they offer two basic sweet and spicy sauces and a third vinegar, Carolina sauce, sits nearby. Locals flock to OK Joe's and, as we learned, highly recommend the Z Man sandwich. A healthy pile of brisket (which is probably better on a sandwich than as an isolated entree) is topped by provolone and onion rings on a kaiser bun. If I'm fortunate enough to return, I will enter the restaurant famished and proceed to order the Z Man and some ribs to share.

Kate and I forgot to bring our cameras, so, alas, no photo evidence.

TFA Update: Don't Fear the Reaper

2010-05-12T07:49:00.000-07:00

In one month, I will be preparing to leave for five sunny (read: blistering) weeks in Tempe. I'm applying to schools and my anxiety is growing day-by-day as I shift nervously in my seat updating the Denver Public Schools (DPS) site. There are contingencies if I do not secure a position. I am endeavoring to remain optimistic and taking comfort in the knowledge that positions will continue to open. And, no, it's not dissimulation. My next few weeks remain busy as I conclude any responsibilities with K Plus and prepare for induction and institute. Induction begins on 8 June with a week of packed administrative and team-building activities for new corps members (CMS), including dinners hosted by current CMS and a Rockies game on the last day.

TFA structures the five weeks in Phoenix to challenge CMS with an intensive schedule and work load that harnesses their driven, committed tendencies to mold them into teachers. At some point, I will be teaching an early childhood education (ECE) or elementary classroom. My preference remains for ECE even though the realities of the job market may compel me to find a position as an elementary teacher. I received the recognition of excellence from ETS for scoring in the top 15% of test takers for the Praxis II 0014 for elementary education. Part of me dreads the possibility of retaking the Praxis or Place if my endorsement advances from ECE to middle or high school.

My goal now is to post reviews of institute when time permits. TFA has not shared information of institute beside the readings and tasks in the pre-institute readings, so I'm at a loss for specifics. Kate will visit me over the fourth of July weekend for a side trip to the Grand Canyon and Sedona. At some point I will explore the greater Phoenix area when I can wedge time in to what I am led to believe is a demanding period where CMS encounter heaps of work. The dorm experience is entirely new to me. The only remote point of intrigue are the pools and an unlimited meal card. The pools for obvious reasons, and I always found a meal card fascinating since I attribute a fair amount of spending to food.

Oy. My e-mail digest from CO TFA informed me that I need to ready seven copies of my transcripts for licensing in Colorado. Between the readings and activities, I will have a busy month. I wish my allergies would let up so I could find some excitement and motivation rather than this all-encompassing fog that settles on my mind.

Joyce Appleby, The Relentless Revolution: A History of Capitalism [Kicking Ass]

2010-05-08T06:53:00.000-07:00

Joyce Appleby, emeritus historian at UCLA, tackles a mammoth subject with a history of capitalism, and she treats it well in the 436 pages. She tries to restore contingency and insert culture into the rise of capitalism with the logic that "capitalism is a cultural force and not simply an economic one, it cannot be explained by material factors alone" and a capitalist culture could ascend only after wearing down pre-existing/medieval norms pertaining to commerce, land use, and social relations (26). In arguing this cultural and contingent interpretation, she dispatches, to varying degrees, three titans: Smith, Marx, Weber. What follows is a thorough explanation of how capitalism ingrained itself and triumphed by adaption to whatever circumstances arose as it shifted from its origin in England to the US and, one presumes based on the final chapter, China.

England's agricultural revolution--while not necessarily a direct antecedent to its more famous industrial cousin--altered society in a crucial manner by boosting harvests, detaching families from the land (sending them across the seas and itinerantly chasing labor in England), commercializing land, and producing wage labor with an attendant and subsequent appearance of consumption as a robust form of economic activity. From that initial burst, capitalism speedily conquered medieval forms of intellectual, social, and cultural stratification within England that stood as a roadblocks to its dominance. The United States and a unified Germany slid into place when England's capitalist star dimmed, with the American form exploding in a super nova that positioned it as the world's leader before World War I and piloted the unknown growth from the 1950s until stagflation signaled its death in the 1970s. After 1975, she enters mushy territory and powers through much of the 1980s to preach the gospel of the internet and globalization before wrapping it up in hurried fashion with a description of China and India. I presume she tacked on the final chapter "Of Crises and Critics" as an afterthought when the house nearly folded in 2008.

I skimmed a couple of reviews that credited her for a balanced approach that grants equal time to proponents and antagonists alike all the while shedding a triumphalist tack. That's not the book I read. In fact, it celebrates capitalism and its innovators without dwelling on those who stagger under its weight without benefiting from its liberation. Then why, you might ask, do Americans cling to this economic system? In her words, "the American public has resoundingly supported capitalism and its demands on society in part because they have not been exposed to the withering commentary of critics" (311). I would agree with that statement, and bolster it by saying that works such as Relentless Revolution contribute to that trend by neglecting capitalism's critics by portraying a flowery history that precipitated national greatness.

I wanted to like this book and spent far too much time reading it closely. The book closes with two pages answering my questions in cursory fashion on capitalism and democracy, its own inherent democratizing tendencies, or it as an economic and cultural system. I would have enjoyed a bit of theorizing on capitalism in place of the oft encyclopedic chronicling, and I cannot rip Appleby too hard for not writing the book I desired when it wasn't her intention. I am, however, able to target her cheerleading of capitalism and its adherents and innovators. Relentless Revolution would have been better had she explored the duality of capitalism (especially during and after American capitalism's efflorescence in the mid-twentieth century) that provides opportunity and pitfalls instead of dry descriptions of currency, financial innovation, and similar tedious insight into the levers of capitalism.

Appleby made one mistake between that caught my eye, even though I'm sure there are more buried in the text. It's Thorstein Veblen, not Thornstein Veblen, and the quote that follows on 188 is mistakenly attributed to Joseph Schumpeter's Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy in the end notes and not Veblen's Theory of Business Enterprise. In fairness to her, writing 436 pages is a task that most people could not accomplish and mistakes are bound to result.

Appleby's narrative is well known but written with accessible prose, even though it elides the negatives in favor of a sunny retelling. I'm glad I finished the book and I appreciate her infusion of contingency and culture into this discussion. Would I recommend it to friends? Most likely not.

Banksy

2010-05-02T08:09:00.000-07:00

Listening is an Act of Love

2010-04-17T07:59:00.000-07:00

Dave Isay, ed., Listening is an Act of Love: A Celebration of American Life from the Storycorps Project.

Thanks to my mother-in-law, we received a copy of Listening is an Act of Love recently. At first blush I was unfamiliar with the book's contents and the NPR program. I don't drive often and I'm nervously connecting my ipod once I am buckled in rather than skipping around the radio pre-sets and settling on NPR. I can almost hear the gasps dripping with condescension "you don't listen to NPR and have this committed to memory?!?!" Despite that, the stories contained within Listening is an Act of Love reached my ear during the fleeting instances when I kept vigil at 90.1 FM, and I was pleasantly surprised that I had absorbed more of these vignettes than I previously thought.

The Storycorps Project is a stunning endeavor that recorded memories that run the emotional gamut from stirring to joyous to painful. Dave Isay edited a plethora of stories that range in quality and duration. He winnowed them into a tidy 270 pages based around five thematic chapters: Home and Family, Work and Dedication, Journeys, History and Struggle, Fire and Water. The book is, as the subtitle claims, a celebration of American life in all of its manifestations, be they ugly or verdant.

The subjects volunteered their time and recollections in traveling and fixed recording booths across the US that digitally captured an exchange between the subject and a facilitator or friend/loved one. The Library of Congress' American Folklife Center houses the Storycorps' recordings, along with a catalog of inestimable value and depth. Oral history, one could contend, is an example of appreciation for an oral tradition whose sinews connect us to our earliest ancestors and their transmission of history. From the WPA interviews to contemporary projects such as the Storycorps, Americans largely celebrate oral history and Listening is an Act of Love taps into this desire with aplomb. The stories are so disparate that they defy a simple review that I would compose in this space.

I walked away from Listening is an Act of Love with an improved appreciation for oral history as a methodological tool that charts the obstacles faced in every day life and the strategies employed to overcome the peaks and valleys. After wrapping up "Fire and Water," the final chapter covering 9/11 and Katrina, I reconsidered the lens by which I interpreted the first decade of this century for Americans. With the September 11 attacks, Katrina, and the colossal failure of the US' financial and economic system, the decade consisted of bookends and a meaty center where ruin was heaped on the United States with an attendant social cost that will be reckoned with for the subsequent decade or longer. Americans will persist and slog through the ruptures we face, and Listening is an Act of Love reinforces the durability of Americans and, possibly, a nebulous American spirit. After the past year, I'm sick of partisanship and empty-headed screeds warning of communism and socialism, and possibly these nuisances are the product of the shocks from '01-'09. I remain positive in spite of the apoplectic, frothing displays that the US will rebuild a foundation of rational centrist approaches to regulation and taxes, and that politicians will forsake short-term political gain to join a discussion of how to safeguard our country. I trust that a toxic political conversation abates in the near future. If the missives in Listening is an Act of Love reveal anything, it's the ability for Americans to harness renewal and hope to rebuild.

Pizzas with Chipotle Sauce

2010-04-13T07:48:00.000-07:00

Recently, my cooking preoccupations have reoriented toward pizzas. I love pizza and it is, by far, one of my favorite meals. I've eaten fabulous sorts and some pretty disastrous pizza. For example, the disgusting specimen I was served in Abilene, Kansas was the worst pizza I've consumed--worse than the insipid pie sold from a rural Illinois gas station. If pizza is an option, no matter where I'm at in the world, I often try it if the situation permits. So there's little surprise that I enjoy whipping up a dough and firing the oven up to 500. Peaches and a few other ingredients appeared on my forays into grilled pizzas and, in actuality, my first dabbles with the dish.

I am cooking several pizzas in five weeks for a baby shower hosted at our apartment for close friends who are marrying in two and a half weeks. The exact number of guests for the baby shower is unclear, as is the total of pies and varieties. I'll run the grill and oven and will call upon Mark Bittman's easy pizza dough recipe in How to Cook Everything. In a matter of a couple of hours, the recipe produces a reliably tasty crust and base. The question is what to choose for toppings, and the suggestion window is open.

Recently, I added chipotle peppers to the sauce and boosted the tomato paste by a 1/4 of a cup, or so by eye, to boost the volume and consistency. The result has been a spicy sauce that works quite well with chicken chorizo as long as I balance the proportion of sauce and cheese. We topped the pizza with sauteed spinach last night and I was not blown away, to my disappointment. We learned, however, the longer the chipotle sits, a week in this case, the hotter the sauce. In the past, I eschewed a rolled up crust in favor of a standard flat pizza. I opted to alter my approach as the pictures demonstrate, and we've been impressed with the initial returns. I don't have a fool-proof formula and, as you can imagine, we'll experiment mightily in preparation for the baby shower parade of pizzas.

Brandon Eats a Double Down. Diarrhea Ensues.

2010-04-12T07:08:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, to my dismay, I allow a joke to advance from flights of fancy and humor to the realm of possibility. Being snarky has its limits and then there's a time to be silly. That is the case with KFC's new sandwich, the Double Down. For those unfamiliar with this fried behemoth, the add wizards at KFC replaced a sandwich's traditional buns with fillets of original recipe fried chicken. In other words, they opted to forgo bread for maximum cholesterol. In between those golden, grease clogged slabs of chicken one finds the colonel's sauce, two slices of bacon, and slices of monterey jack and pepper jack cheese. I sipped on my A&W root beer while I waited for my name to be called and to peer at the recent darling of dietitians everywhere. The Double Down arrived hot and wrapped in paper to protect the eater from directly handling the greasy, gooey sandwich--a futile pursuit. The predominant flavor, as one would guess, is the fried chicken with hints of bacon mingled with the cheeses. All in all, as long as I neglected the nutrition facts, it was not as deplorable as I...well, envisioned. I can sum it up as anticlimactic.

Official photo

A Double Down's innards (thanks to treehugger for the image)

My brother-in-law, Dylan, visited this week and we snorted about the disgustingly tasty nature of this example of fast food run amok. I worked at a McDonalds and I still have an odd fascination with every unhealthy piece of "food" they and others advertise. For example, after watching Morgan Spurlock's Super Size Me, I left the theater thinking "I really want a McDonalds' cheeseburger." (No, I didn't have the same reaction after completing Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation). My family was no stranger to fast food and I partake in it when I'm at an airport from time to time. I fondly remember driving to Casey, Illinois, with my grandfather to a Kentucky Fried Chicken to feed myself and cousins. Stated another way, I don't turn my nose up at eating fast food once in a while on a lark or for expediency's sake. Some people have a knee jerk aversion toward fast food--for health and I would argue class reasons--and I won't take issue with that sentiment. From a public health stand point, I do not doubt that it is a blight in a country battling an obesity epidemic. I recognize fast food for what it is, and I don't think that a double cheese burger and coke is a gateway drug to a diet comprised solely of unidentifiable fried chicken parts laden with mysterious sauces that run down my chin as I watch re-runs of Hee Haw. Nor will it lead to a stroke tomorrow considering my diet and exercise. Regardless, Kate humored this excursion and my self-punishing side won't offer up expiation on the cheap. And, frankly, neither did my digestive track, which was not a shock.

Capitalism: A Love Story

2010-03-28T11:07:00.000-07:00

Prior to leaving for Morocco, my time was stretched thin and I wasn't afforded the opportunity of heading to the Mayan to view Michael Moore's latest installment. I can think of few documentarians who have ascended to Moore's prominence and polarizing nature. I grew up in a household that valued his mix of satire and gripping portrayals of Americans wronged by social inequities. From TV Nation to Canadian Bacon, I grew up around his films, shows, books, and speaking. (OK, Canadian Bacon happened, by random, to be shown on Comedy Central.) Capitalism doesn't deliver on a variety of fronts.

I'm familiar with the Moore template of campy footage of those halcyon days of the past--imagined and actual--juxtaposed to today's perfidy and error, and the subject matter usually runs along the same lines. Capitalism seemed looser and confuses meaning and intention. Is one to walk away from this with the closing argument that capitalism is unremittingly evil, thus calling for the institution of a new economic system? When the final message is, verbatim, "capitalism is evil," what is the desired outcome for a viewer? I'll return to that question at the end. Another point, Moore's films balance humor and critique. This time around, outside of a Cleveland video not of his making, it was flat and there was a paucity of jokes (dead pan or cheap) from the bespectacled, ballcapped, heavy set chap from Michigan. Of course, there's nothing funny about a massive capitalist economic failure, one could retort. Certainly true. Still, he discovered ways to lace the other films with humor.

For me, it started off oddly with commentary from Wallace Shawn. Who, you might ask? This fella from everyone's favorite 80s film (but not mine):

In fairness to Shawn, he apparently graduated from Harvard with a degree in history and had designs for a career in economics after studying at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. A BA approximately forty years ago doesn't entitle one to postulate as a qualified expert. There are a litany of academic economists who could have explicated our current economic failure and capitalism's flaws: Paul Krugman, Brad DeLong, Simon Johnson, James Galbraith, Robert Shiller, to name a few. Instead you have Vizzini the Sicilian? His use of Elizabeth Warren, on the other hand, was one of the bright spots in the film.

Capitalism tours the scorched landscape left after America's economic fortunes soured and, correctly, before when workers' wages failed to grow. In typical Moore fashion, those watching are treated to disturbing scenes of greed with families tossed out of homes, Dead Peasant insurance scams, and how little people (ie, the majority of Americans) suffer under capitalism's negative ramifications that benefited a fraction of our fellow citizens. I was heartened to see footage from the victorious Chicago Republic Windows and Doors sit down strike and residents retaking a foreclosed home before Moore launched into his theatrics that, to me, was a tired shtick even thought it worked in the past.

Near the end, viewers are treated to a previously unseen clip of President Franklin Roosevelt enunciating his proposal for a Second Bill of Rights before cameras. Moore neglects to mention that had Roosevelt lived, he would have faced the same culture of post-war conservatism that led to Taft-Hartley and opposed Harry Truman's Fair Deal.

He concludes with the resounding charge "capitalism is evil." By blurring the lines of capitalism's inherent villainy, Capitalism elides the past accomplishments of the post-war economic growth that generated a thriving middle class of a sort largely unseen in history. What should have been said, and will be lost on those who aren't familiar with the Cold War era, is regulated capitalism opens the door for opportunity and the implementation of neoliberalism led us to this teetering state of today. I can already hear the derisive, back handed "corporatist" attacks. Regardless, it was a disappointing way to wrap up the movie when he could have adopted a moderate stance that could return us to the prosperity of his youth. As a document of sorts, it's a product of the bubbling energy following Obama's electoral victory, and has yet to confront the realities of lowered expectations. The next few months will reveal the administration's and Senator Christopher Dodd's commitment to safeguarding the economy and finance capital's from its own devices that landed us in this current mess. Hey, at least no one is consulting Robert Rubin.

Obama revives Marx

2010-03-22T08:20:00.001-07:00

Is a Cold Fish Equivalent to a Nurse's Smock?

2010-03-18T06:30:00.000-07:00

Andy Stern, head of SEIU, sent Glenn Beck a care package of SEIU swag, including a purple nurse's smock with an attached note regarding health care. According to a Huffington Post article, Beck hypothesized that Obama wore a purple tie to "signal" Stern and SEIU, both of which are the victims of attacks from Beck on a consistent basis. This nonsense triggered Stern's gifts. Instead of accepting it as a good-natured, whimsical package, Beck compared the gift to the iconic scene in the Godfather when the Corleone family discovers that the Tattaglia family murdered Luca Brasi.

Beck's reply? He created a t shirt with the following message on the front: "I just wanted to overthrow the government in the 1960s and all I got was this lousy t-shirt."

Slow Cooker Chronicles v. 2 Chicken with Tarragon

2010-03-07T08:52:00.000-08:00

For a couple of years, we kept a Real Simple recipe tacked to a cork backsplash with the good intentions of making this piece of paper a reality in our stomachs. The ingredients are straight-forward: chicken (we used thighs that I cleaned), tarragon, white wine, leeks, a bit of garlic, baby new potatoes, peas, and cream. And when your instructions entail throwing it all in a crock pot, with the exclusion of the cream and peas, it's a hassle free meal.

Failure might be feared but there's no fear of admitting failure here at the Raptor Space. The goods: the chicken tasted better than expected and the house was bathed in the delicious smell of leeks and chicken. The bads: it was an uninspired meal and the left-overs were equally disappointing. I mashed the potatoes with the cream in the stoneware, and it never warmed. Transferring it to a sauce pan was the only way to heat the mixture to an acceptable serving temperature, and the peas never cooked thoroughly. I will break out the crock pot for corned beef soon, other than that, there won't be future offerings of the slow cooker chronicles.

So here are some pictures. I return to my otherwise mundane life after the Praxis on Saturday.

Maybe I didn't give the potatoes the credit they deserved.

LEEKS

My shoulder is in focus as I scrape excess fat of the thighs.

Let's roll.

The final stop in an uneventful meal.

Slow Cooker Chronicles: Southwestern Brisket and '77

2010-02-27T07:38:00.000-08:00

I love stumbling across a recipe for my slow cooker/crock pot. And when Smitten Kitchen posted a southwestern pulled beef brisket, I couldn't resist. I had also been waiting for an opportunity to stop in Oliver's Meat and Seafood Market on 6th, and I can't complain about a friendly, jovial butcher who is open at 8 on a Thursday morning. The brisket and Oliver's receive definite seals of approval.

SK's instructions are straight-forward, so I won't bother recapitulating them. Instead, I offer a brief photo journal of the experience from unwrapping to plating. I started the process around 9 and we ate at 7:30. We served the brisket on soft buns with a side of cranberry pecan sweet potatoes. The brisket cooked on low for around ten hours, and pulled apart with ease. The chipotle and molasses layered the beef and sauce with smokey, sweet flavors that merged well with the soft texture of the beef. In other words, it was a winner. I can add the brisket to the pork shoulder recipe as go to crock pot recipes that result in delicious meals. The Talking Heads' '77 played in the background for my soundtrack from the browning until I started the crock pot.

As some of you know, my last experience with the slow cooker was marred by two strong doses of food poisoning. I determined that the pork shoulder was not the culprit, and I didn't have any apprehension of reusing the crock pot. In March, we'll make a chicken tarragon meal and corned beef in the crock pot. Regarding the latter, St. Pat's is one of the few times where I can convince myself to participate in holiday mirth by consuming heaping portions of unhealthy meat.

I decided to strain and reduce the sauce this morning, as per SK's suggestion, while I typed this entry. I will certainly reduce in the future. The volume decreased by half and transformed into a smooth sauce that is neither too syrupy nor watery. She mentioned seasoning the sauce, but I found no need for additions. I can't wait for sandwiches tonight.

Unwrapping the brisket to Weymouth's fat bass of Psycho Killer seemed appropriate

Browning after a generous seasoning of salt and pepper.

Onions, garlic, coriander, cumin, chili pepper sauteing until fragrant.

Molasses, bay leaves, tomatoes, and chipotle peppers en adobo before adding to the mix.

Breaking up the tomatoes by hand. I'm pulled, I'm pulled up.

The brisket with all of the ingredients at the onset of the approximately ten hours in the crock pot.

Final product fresh out of the crock pot.

I posted two photos of the plating as each one showcases the meat in different lights (literally with and without flash) and the sandwiches' composition.

Andy Stern on Obama's Deficit Commission

2010-02-26T09:17:00.000-08:00

Andy Stern, President of SEIU, was appointed to Obama's bipartisan deficit commission. Other members include: David Cote, Honeywell International CEO; Alice Rivlin, former Fed Vice Chairman; Ann Fudge former Young & Rubicam Brands CEO. File that under things that surprised me.

Eno & Byrne

2010-02-26T05:52:00.000-08:00

Praxis studying is gobbling up my free hours for leisure. Between work and everything else, I don't have a glut of free time for reading or paying attention to the news. I am drawing fuel from one of my favorite song-writing duos. Those two genius weirdos above: David Byrne and Brian Eno.

Meeoooowww

2010-02-25T11:35:00.000-08:00

Obama: Let me just make this point. John, because we're not campaigning anymore. The election's over.

McCain: I'm reminded of that every day.

Kings of Kodachrome and the Cincinnati Art Museum

2010-02-20T06:26:00.000-08:00

They give us those nice bright colors
They give us the greens of summers

Oh to be in Cincinnati. The Cincinnati Art Museum is hosting Starburst: Color Photography in America, 1970-1980 with works by William Eggleston, Stephen Shore, William Christenberry, Joel Meyerowitz, Joel Sternfeld, Mitch Epstein, Helen Levitt, Jan Groover, and Eve Sonnemann. OK, I copied and pasted those names, most of which I am unfamiliar with and have not viewed their works. If you're like me and you enjoy photorealism and the stunning creative explosion from the 70s-80s (and I'd like to toss Ed Ruscha's work in the 60s in, for good measure), you can explore the gallery of thirty photographs at the Daily Beast's Art Beast article and the accompanying explanation of the artists and their subjects.

TFA & Praxis 0014 - Update 6 and 2/3

2010-02-15T06:28:00.000-08:00

This is another installment in my TFA series. As I mentioned in a previous post, when I searched for info regarding TFA, the interview day, and subsequent entry into the program, blogs were a prime source of information for positive and negative insight. I weighed the risk of keeping this blog alive when I'm waiting to interview, and I determined that my missives aren't caustic, defamatory, or radical. In the new year, TFA starts in earnest with the first hurdle of passing the Place and Praxis exams, which are remarkably different tests with more on the latter below. The hiring process commenced at the beginning of February and continues until one secures a position before the beginning of the school year. TFA matches corps members with a hiring consultant--a member of TFA--to smooth the process. It is our obligation to find and apply for jobs once they are listed on district HR pages, which was reinforced during a roughly hour and a half conference call last week. The Denver coordinator also sends e-mails with job openings, and I've applied for one position thanks to her efforts. My concerns don't stem from finding a job at this moment, rather the Praxis occupies my time and anxious center.

To teach Early Childhood Education in Colorado, I am required to sit for the Praxis II Elementary Education Content Knowledge, test 0014. ETS divides the exam into four subjects: language arts, social studies, mathematics, and science. Educators are required to know the four areas even though they might not cover more than one in their classes. Or, in my case, I must pass despite not teaching the Mayflower Compact, factor trees, plate tectonics, or homonyms/phones/grams. There are 120 questions split evenly between the four disciplines on the paper-based exam. Unlike the Place's abundance of time, the Praxis limits text takers to two hours and poses markedly harder questions. In other words, it's a demanding exam and requires the usual standardized test skills remain sharp. Mine are, admittedly, dull. The last time they were deployed was five and a half years ago for the GRE.

I purchased study guides from Research & Education Association, CliffsNotes, as well as ETS's e-book. Each one features a practice exams, and I will purchase a retired exam from ETS. The REA and CN consist of details and diagrams, whereas the ETS offering is vague at points. For instance, ETS suggests learning sonnets, and the CN book describes the quatrain and rhyming sequences of Petrarchan and Shakespearean. I might return the REA test prep as I am uncertain it is too broad without ample focus on the questions I will face.

I feel comfortable with the language arts and social studies sections, and the remaining two represent my bigger challenge. For instance, when was the last time one memorized the breakdown of a cell and what conducts DNA? If you want to quiz me on the origins of the Cold War or Civil Rights, I'm game. Twenty-eight days remain before the Praxis, so I have ample time to study and devise patterns or jar mnemonics loose from the recesses of my brain. I must complete language arts and social studies this week, thus allowing me to devote a week to science and math with a final week for review and practice tests. After that, hiring and prep for institute.

Labor Revolt on Democrats' Hands

2010-02-10T10:28:00.000-08:00

Democrats are awakening to the fact that they've let their labor constituents down, notably with the failure to appoint Craig Becker in the Senate. I've stated my opinions that it seems unlikely that the legislative calendar and the political currents allow much room for the Democrats to engineer any feats on behalf of workers and unions. It begs another question, do the Democrats want to open doors for organized labor? A story from the Politico paints a dismal portrait of how union reps are smarting over failures by the Democrat dominated government. Whether in the disappointing impotence in passing a health care bill or Obama's and Duncan's Race to the Top or merit pay that's not appealing to teachers' unions (ie AFT & NEA), labor heavies are voicing their anger. The Democrats are running down an odd path if they want to sustain a coalition that brought electoral victories in 2006 and 2008. A story in the Financial Times pins the blame on the fearsome foursome (Emanuel, Jarrett, Axelrod,Gibbs) surrounding the President and maintaining a permanent campaign atmosphere in the West Wing. The thing about campaigns is that you have to win...at least some, especially for the people who were active members that propelled you to office.

Alexi Giannoulias on EFCA

2010-02-07T08:23:00.000-08:00

The winner of the Illinois Democratic Senate Primary, Alexi Giannoulias, participated in an interview with Adam B from the Daily Kos. Of course, Giannoulias backs EFCA. Now that card check is obviously dead, he points to one of EFCA's stronger provisions to protects workers' rights: binding arbitration.

I would like to highlight one measure in the bill that I don’t think gets discussed enough: binding arbitration. Under current law, if a newly formed union does not come to a contractual agreement with an employer within the first year of the union’s existence, employees must hold a second election to keep the union. In that second election, a majority of employees must vote in favor of keeping the union in order for the employees to remain unionized. Binding arbitration would ensure that workers who wish to form a union are able to obtain a contract and that their first vote is honored.

EFCA opponents recognize that as a stalling technique, resisting a contract opens the door for crushing a union with anti-union education seminars, intimidation, bribery, and dismissal or reassignment. I don't know if Giannoulias has a shot in this political climate, especially if Massachusetts elected Scott Brown. Regardless, I'm pleased with his stance on labor and if he can marshal or energize Democratic voters...somehow.

Groundhog Day

2010-02-02T05:55:00.000-08:00

He's got to be stopped. And I have to stop him.

2, 4, 10! Heritage Dr. Pepper With Real Sugar

2010-01-30T12:25:00.000-08:00

There are few treats in life I enjoy more than a cool Dr. Pepper. Coke or Pepsi don't thrill me at all, but nothing lifts my spirits like Dr. Pepper. So when I stumbled upon a case of Heritage Dr. Pepper made with real sugar, I couldn't resist. Normally, I shun all pops, including my beloved Dr. Pepper, since I'm uneasy with all of the sugar and, curiously, regular soda pop triggers an acne reaction. (And I completely disagree with the talk of "there's no way that pop causes acne" since I know from experience that it's a direct factor for me.) After drinking Coke with real sugar in Morocco, the prospect of real sugar mixed with Dr. Pepper's twenty-three flavors weakened my resolve and I found myself trudging home with a fridge pack. And, folks, I'm here to tell you, it was like a sneak peak at the rapture.

If you look at the cans, you'll notice the numbers 2, 4, 10. According to the Dublin Dr. Pepper website (see below), the numbers "represent the times of day when the human body needs a little “pick-me-up” to avoid an energy slump." I have no idea why it's heritage rather than throwback, which is the marketing term Pepsi is using. I presume, therefore, that the name difference is a marketing gimmick. What you might not know is that you can find Dr. Pepper with Imperial Cane Sugar bottled out of the oldest Dr. Pepper bottler located in Dublin, Texas. Although invented in Waco, Dublin produces and retails original formula Dr. Pepper. I might take the plunge and by a couple of extra fridge packs and pray that self-restraint carries the day so that I don't find myself paying for Dublin Dr. Pepper at ten dollars a case and five dollars shipping.

Neil MacFarquhar, The Media Relations Department of Hizbollah Wishes You A Happy Birthday

2010-01-29T07:07:00.000-08:00

Neil MacFarquhar's 2008 The Media Relations Department of Hizbollah Wishes You A Happy Birthday: Unexpected Encounters in the Changing Middle East is a fun jaunt through the contemporary Middle East. MacFarquhar grew up in Libya on an Esso oil company compound before Qaddafi and his eccentricities seized power and booted the Americans. After a fairly elite upbringing--attending Deerfield and Stanford--he was an AP and NYT correspondent in the Middle East mastering Arabic and sloshing around the region encountering Islamists, the Ikhwan, mukhabarat, and men and women yearning for reform and openness. The 359 pages of text delve into a host of topics, even though Israel-Palestine, Algeria, and a few other countries are absent from his narrative. Even though it's a mouthful, the title is one of my favorites besides Brad Simpson's Economists with Guns detailing a sordid relationship between Indonesia and US development machinations and experts.

This isn't a conventional scholarly book and, as such, it's difficult to review its chapters apart from their journalistic bent. I'm impressed with MacFarquhar's ability to marry anecdotes and interviews with trenchant criticism. He relegates the bulk of his pique to the repressive regimes in the Middle East and the young leaders whose initial burst of promise faded rapidly and was replaced with the iron fist of the state, even if it was wrapped in a new, softer velvet glove. With contacts across the region, he stocked the book with revelatory chapters that portray a vibrant amalgam of people who seek the chance to provide opportunity to women, poor, and the working-class.

All of this serves another purpose in his epilogue, where he offers policy prescriptions to improve America's poor standing in most Arab speaking countries. Among several meaningful suggestions, one of the most salient is his encouragement for Americans to listen to the people he depicts, for they offer keys to grasping the intricacies of each country's unique challenges and hope for the future. In fact, he rejects the idea that technology's rosy potential isn't the US' greatest trait to share. On the last page he states "I would argue that there is an even more powerful export that has been uniquely American for decades. It is an export that no other country has been able to duplicate, and cheap knock-offs just don't exist. That export is hope" (359). If there was a contest, "hope" could win in spades as the single over-used word in 2008.

As I read the book, my mind drifted to an annoyance I've had with speaking on the contemporary Middle East among scholars, graduate students, or those who shun facile stereotypes. They are gun shy when the question shifts to criticizing Islam, Muslims, or regimes in the Middle East. I'm guilty of hemming and hawing when this topic arises, more often than not in reply to someone who proposes an essentialist vision of Islam as repressive, backwards, totalizing, and ancient. It's difficult to strike a balance when discussions meander toward Islam, terrorism, or foreign policy. Most people can't appreciate nuance, won't commit to understanding the faith, and are willing to generalize when it comes to Muslims from Morocco to Malaysia. The fact of the matter, as MacFarquhar points out, is that some people use Islam to preach a message of intolerance that enables or is manipulated to justify repression. One could easily retort with questions of normative behavior, Western cultural mores, Horky and Adorno, etc. One of MacFarquhar's strengths lies in his even-handed resolution to this dilemma by distancing Islam as the thorn in the side of development or freedom while still pointing out that it can be and is fashioned to oppress. Yet the faith also instills confidence in its adherents that an alternate, equitable vision of the future and society is feasible.

All in all, it's a fun book to read that opens a door to a Middle East that I don't know. Unlike hacks writing on the state of the region and directions for US foreign policy, he speaks Arabic fluently and has a insightful awareness of social and cultural currents across a wide spectrum of countries. There are a couple of chapters that an editor could have eviscerated. Despite its length and few a throw-away chapters, it's an impressive account and worth reading if you're inspired by human rights or desire to grasp the modern Middle East outside of the media drum beat of war, intolerance, and terrorism.

Ford's Resurgence

2010-01-28T08:27:00.000-08:00

Detroit's standard bearer, Ford Motor Company, is uniquely poised to return to its prosperous days of yore. When its US competitors pulled their empty pockets out and accepted TARP funds, Ford plugged ahead without resorting to bankruptcy court thanks to smart business decisions before the economy went pear shaped. Motor Trend bestowed the Car of the Year award to Ford for the 2010 Fusion, and Ford reported its first annual profit in four years of 2.7 billion and predicted sales of 12.5 million for 2010. In the wake of Toyota's sticky gas pedal problem, the once leader is looking a bit tarnished at a time when Ford is shooting to regain its position as the leader in the automotive industry. In fairness, Ford halted production from the same Chinese plant that delivered the faulty gas pedals to Toyota. While Chinese products appear cheap, their durability and safety are still in question.

Ford is slated to commence production of the Ford Explorer in a Chicago plant on Torrence Avenue. With the Explorer comes 1,200 new jobs and increased orders for the Chicago Heights stamping plant. Thanks to tax cuts in Illinois and sacrifices by UAW members, the Explorer was lured away from Louisville, KY, which will shift to manufacturing cars. The new workers's wages will be cut in half from regular wages--a move the UAW did not oppose. It doesn't appear that Ford workers objected. According to NBC Chicago, Debra Green, a Ford employee for ten years, greeted the news by exclaiming "my heart is racing...I’m really happy to have a job. I can't believe we're going to two shifts." Her sentiments were echoed by John Orlando, who interpreted the announcement as evidence that a position with Ford is more than a simple job: it's a legacy and long-term relationship. "I'd be happy for my kids to work here now and do like I did....Everyone wants to come back to Ford." During this period of economic uncertainty, as I noted in my Labor in 2010 post, workers and unions are eschewing a course that might threaten their employment and the future of production and recovery. It's awfully difficult for me to advocate for romanticized labor radicalism from my chair. Still, EFCA is an important step forward for the rights of unions to compete with companies on an equal stage.

The Atlantic on TFA and What Makes A Great Teacher (According to TFA's Data)

2010-01-23T05:42:00.000-08:00

The January/February issue of the The Atlantic features a three page electronic spread on Teach For America and teaching, in general. The story centers on twenty years of TFA's story and the coming release of its internal investigations on what characteristics makes a great teacher. For TFA, there are core traits, however--as the piece reveals--the process of discovering these aspects took TFA through winding courses of trial and error. For instance, earlier on, interviewees were asked nebulous questions such as "what is wind?" After reviewing the data, the TFA staff realized that past experiences in low income areas or presumed teacher qualifications (a master's degree in education, ivy league attendance, self-reflection, constant learning) did not determine an accomplished corps member. They boiled down their findings to several merits:

Perseverance with attention to long-term goals that is labeled "grittiness," which is exactly how I like to describe myself (humor, folks, humor)
Impressive or improved GPA in the last two years of college
Measurable past performance in GPA, life goals, or leadership roles
Life satisfaction

TFA interviewers quantify those indicators into thirty data points, then the information is forwarded to TFA's admissions center where a hiring recommendation, subject, placement are decided. As the article states, TFA received 35,000 applications in 2008/2009 and admitted 4,100. I can only presume that there will be a marked spike in the 2009/2010 submitted figures, although I believe the number of accepted will remain static or rise slightly.

There was plenty of hand-wringing in Denver and Rabat as I weighed my performance during the interview day, especially on the sample teach (the day's first activity) that establishes a tone. The article sheds light on the five minute sample teaching exercise and TFA's expectations. In contrast to a charismatic young man, the TFA representative praised a young woman that the author considered dull or formulaic with her lesson that was direct and lacked pizazz. Those elements, however, are the criteria TFA searches for in potential corps members. "What matters more, at least according to Teach for America’s research, is less flashy: Were you prepared? Did you achieve your objective in five minutes?" As a point of reference, I allocated a week for planning and testing of my five minutes on why the United States entered World War in 1917.

If you're considering TFA, the Atlantic piece is, simply put, revelatory and introduces you to the challenges corps members encounter from the moment when you submit your application until you finish.

Jefferson Cowie, Capital Moves: RCA's Seventy Year Quest for Cheap Labor

2010-01-18T13:04:00.001-08:00

If you're looking for a work that weaves transnational history and theoretical inquiries, you've come to the right place. Jefferson Cowie revised his North Carolina dissertation into a fantastic book. Under the direction of Leon Fink, Cowie wrote a dissertation that became an intriguing work of history that is emblematic of the new methodological directions occurring in the field. Starting in Camden and wrapping up in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, RCA loaded up the family and moved to...well, certainly not Beverly, but in search of cheap, docile laborers. In each spot, however, RCA discovered that unions and workers' demands for fair treatment (ie, dignity) cut into their profits and production over the course of seventy years of boom and bust. RCA settled in Ciudad Juarez where ample labor pools of young women, pliable unions, and state sponsorship awaited their shiny, new TV factories.

Capital Moves is a book worth emulating. Cowie speaks Spanish and utilizes Spanish language materials, drew upon approximately forty interviews (in-person and via archival collections), and bridged disciplinary bounds to fashion a concise chronological narrative, all in the space of 210 pages. Rejecting the concept of labor peace between capital and unions after World War II, he reveals how RCA consistently sought to undermine solidarity and boost its profits through the pursuit of low-cost labor. In other words, the concept of a corporatist utopia is in doubt. Cowie states "most historians date the disintegration of the pact [between labor and capital] in the mid-1970s or beyond, but RCA's plant location decisions in the 1930s and 1940s suggest that management may have been significantly less committed to its end of the bargain than many analysts presume" (6). RCA moved south and, along the way, nurtured communities and a sense of culture, which is one of the author's strong contributions.

In the acknowledgments, Cowie thanks Fink for allowing him to cross disciplines in his dissertation, and historians should be grateful he did. Geographers, along with anthropologists, are producing exciting work, and Cowie hints at their ideas throughout the book and their influence is on full display in chapter seven, "The Distances in Between," where he examines the concept of community, place, space, and the influence on solidarity. In addition to Karl Marx and Pierre Bourdieu, georgraphers Gordon Clark, David Harvey, Edward Soja, Michael Storper, and Richard Walker appear as he charts what RCA's southward march meant for those along its path. Fascinating stuff, and content you won't find among most labor historians or, for that matter, historians.

I think Cowie's introduction could have benefited from a discussion of neoliberalism and its derivates. As it stands, he peppers the chapters with the term and concept without delving into any of its roots. Thus it seems divorced from the broader conversation of it as an economic policy with considerable social and cultural ramifications. One could rebut this criticism with the standard "he's writing for specialists who know this scholarly terrain." But do they? I would wager a bet that a fair proportion of historians are unfamiliar with Harvey, who is the most prominent of neoliberal scholars, or neoliberalism's manifestations. Certainly some are fluent in this matter or at least cognizant, however, I think the book could have been on stronger footing had he broached the concept at the onset.

A related criticism stems from the focus on Latin America, and this isn't a pointed criticism of Cowie per se. I don't understand labor historians' preoccupation with Latin America. Jana Lippman, Julie Greene, Cowie, Fink, Beth McKillen, and Dana Frank wrote fantastic scholarship that is a credit to their subfield. Regardless, I am stumped for an answer when I ponder the effect or intention of this geographic focus. It was once related to me that some Latin Americanists view this attention with skepticism and question if it's another example of American(ist) hegemony in academia. I'm not qualified to venture into this territory, so I'll abstain from wading into this topic.

These criticisms notwithstanding, I think Cowie wrote an impressive book that well deserved the 1999 Philip Taft Labor History Prize. Chapter seven is an intellectual contribution--along with the book as a whole--and historians could do well to tackle the issues he raises and integrate his interdisciplinary approach in future works. In other words, a sterling example of history that is readable and intellectually compelling.

The National Security Archive Blog

2010-01-17T14:24:00.000-08:00

For those serious about declassification and research, feast your eyes upon the National Security Archive's blog Unredacted. Unredacted offers news on government secrecy, tips for filing and pursuing pesky Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, as well as strategies to wind through the maze of accessing classified documents. For instance, here's a diagram breaking down the FOIA process, step by step. A neat blog worth your time if this sort of jazz tickles your fancy.

For those who are unaware of this organization, the National Security Archive is not a government agency or publication arm. Instead, the National Security Archive is staffed with academics, lawyers, and journalists based out of George Washington University. They rely on prodigious researchers and are not afraid to use their rights to documents with FOIA requests and lawsuits to confront government secrecy. Working on historic and contemporary issues, the National Security Archive is a conduit of knowledge and, in my opinion, unparalleled in their accomplishments.

Labor in 2010

2010-01-15T10:56:00.000-08:00

This week I've been focused on resuming employment with my Chicago job and the disaster in Haiti, as most folks have been. I started this post last week and, since, my perspective on labor's status in the US improved thanks to the health care morass. Who would have considered that anything positive could emerge from this contentious, ridiculous debate? Rich Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO, assumed a prominent role in negotiating taxes on Cadillac health plans. Even though Haiti justly dominated the news cycle, Trumka and others worked closely with the executive and legislative in hammering out differences in order to speed a finalized bill. (The one name that's absent from these news stories is Andy Stern, especially considering the role of SEIU in electing President Obama.) It appears that working-class households and employees who have collectively bargained contracts stand to gain in the future when the tax is levied.

Who is Trumka? Thus far, outside of Stern, he's using his office and prominence to fight for the working-class. He's steeling the movement and giving it some spine, and the LAT credited him with retaining an activist's passion. He realizes that it's now or never on some key matters, such as health care or EFCA, and is urging Democrats to seize the moment and avoid squandering their position. In another sign of the AFL-CIO's augmented national role, the labor giant is preparing to join the on-line degree crowd with virtual classes for union families through the National Labor College. The curriculum focuses on a wide-variety of subjects and the degree-granting program will begin with BAs and, according to Steven Greenhouses's piece, build to Associates and Masters.

So is labor poised to arise from the ashes of the last thirty years of reversals and a shrinking base--both in human and economic terms? I wouldn't break out the booty wax just yet. The poor economic news, unemployment, and potential electoral setbacks for Democrats in the fall will make legislative and executive allies reticent to champion EFCA or measures that are seen to pander to "Big Labor," a favorite conservative cudgel. Considering the level of GOP intransigence and obstruction to the Democrats' legislative efforts, it seems unlikely that EFCA can appear and pass into law before November.

As Jeanne Cummings of Politico writes, for Labor, there's always next year. As of now, the Democrats' and President's legislative calendar and agenda are full. I guess EFCA could slip in should employment and the economy perk up in tandem with Obama's approval rating, but I won't hold my breath. Even the hotbed of labor radicalism and wild cat strikes of UAW Local 1112 at the GM Plant in Lordstown, Ohio, see their survival linked to corporate success. Captain Wendy Morse of United's pilot union is also approaching management with reserved demands, a marked difference from the past. In these economic times, to ensure survival, the course of radicalism is eschewed in favor of one that guarantees employment and safety. I think it's a little misplaced to presume that Americans and their elected representatives will authorize a bill that provides for sweeping alterations to organizing practices in this climate. The thrust for jobs, jobs, jobs may offer a window of opportunity for EFCA or a similar bill. However, considering the willingness of the administration to shed the public option, EFCA could fall victim to political exigencies.

Regardless, it's important to balance pessimism with appreciation of how labor, under the leadership of Trumka and Stern, is scrapping back into the corridors of power. Hilda Solis, labor's number one ally, is striking a definite tone to reverse former Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao's lackluster enforcement and equitability for workers in regulation of workplace safety measures, contract bargaining, and wage disputes. The National Association of Manufacturers and the Chamber of Commerce, with little surprise, oppose the course Secretary Solis has plotted thus far and yearn for her predecessor's pro-business policies. Of course, as the final death throes of debates over health care demonstrate, President Obama recognizes labor's relevance to his own success and as members of a coalition to preserve his power. It's not all bad and there's reason to appreciate that the environment for labor dynamism in politics is improving. EFCA might have a shot. Maybe, just maybe.

China's Rising Power and Workers Abroad

2010-01-11T09:54:00.000-08:00

In a recent story in the NYT titled "China's Export of Labor Faces Scorn" in the Uneasy Engagement series, reporters examined China's policy of filling foreign commercial and industrial ventures with its own workers. In Asia, Africa, and the Middle East (notably in Iraq), state-owned and independent enterprises draw on China's elastic labor pool rather than hiring local workers. Countries that suffer from endemic unemployment feel the sting of this policy and it fosters resentment. Of course, with a labor glut, the Chinese government can insist on employing Chinese laborers and easily deport workers and replace them with little difficulty. It's a resourceful strategy to limit labor unrest that threatens production or, in many cases, extraction. China does not deserve a free pass. Its drive centers on natural resource extraction and neoliberal capitalism, which is no better than previous imperial dalliances.

Historically speaking the treatment of indigenous workers by colonial authorities--or how they were shaped by colonial dictates on labor--facilitated the birth of a vibrant and organized working-class in many parts of the world. That working-class rallied its members to oppose colonialism and laid claim to independence politics in the twentieth century. One can question the effectiveness of working-class resistance to a colonial power if they do not have the advantage of acting within the workplace. In other words, without presence in centers of industry and production, strikes and other forms of protest lose their power in crucial ways. At the dawn of a new empire, it's fascinating to analyze how China approaches the working-class and natural resources in developing countries as it speeds expansion.

(This post was written before I left for holiday travel and I'm publishing it today as part of a blogging blitz.)

Preparing for Colorado's PLACE Exam

2010-01-11T07:19:00.001-08:00

The Program for Licensing Assessments for Colorado Educators (PLACE) exam is one of the first licensing tests a prospective teacher in Colorado must pass, followed by PRAXIS II. The early childhood education exam consists of one hundred questions that range from situational queries (eg, you're a teacher and this happens, what next?) to topics of professionalism. Due to two bouts of food poisoning last week and my return to the States followed by holiday travel, I could not prepare as adequately as I would have preferred and, as a result, I am uncertain if I will retake the exam. Here are some useful links to pdfs and websites for anyone who might begin preparing as I did: in the dark.

The official study guide - Despite the twelve practice questions, this study guide lists topics one should know with no exposition. From this, however, one can research these topics or read about them at length via other resources.

Denver Public Schools curriculum site

Colorado Department of Education Unit of Academic Standards

Colorado Model Content Standards: Reading and Writing

Building Blocks to Colorado's Content Standards: Reading and Writing - a multi-page pdf with the standards and how early childhood educators should approach the standards.

Building Blocks to Colorado's Content Standards: Mathematics - the same style as the above.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children's (NAYEC) Position Statements - especially relevant for PLACE is the Code of Ethical Conduct.

Bowen Theory - is a theory of human behavior that views the family as an emotional unit and uses systems thinking to describe the complex interactions in the unit. (descriptive text copied from website)

There are more links out there and study guides, as well. The above linked sites, however, are starting points and foundations for grasping the contours of your expected knowledge.

Julie Greene, The Canal Builders: Making America's Empire at the Panama Canal

2010-01-02T15:00:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, I intended to bring Julie Greene's book, The Canal Builders, with me to Morocco. A friend's advice and limited space merged, resulting with the book sleeping on my shelf until I returned. Julie taught at CU and trained me to appreciate and strive for transnational and international history. She led a readings and research class in comparative labor history and labor history, respectively, and was one of my PhD oral examiners. Now that the caveats are out of the way....

The Canal Builders provides, at a basic level, a detailed examination of those who built the canal. However, that description simplifies her impressive accomplishment. In reality, the subject is those who constructed the literal and metaphorical world of the canal and the canal zone--from the imperious director, George Goethals, to West Indian laborers to Progressive Gertrude Beeks. An underlying concept Greene employs is that of "boundaries." She charts the boundaries produced and traversed by the white Americans (those on the higher gold pay scale), the mass of non-white or non-American laborers (those on the lesser silver wage rate), women who accompanied their husbands to the canal zone, Panamanians, American military officials, and hosts of workers and civilians who inhabited the conflicted imperial project. It was in the world of imperial, transnational, and gendered boundaries that construction transpired, and an imperial project thrived.

The book clocks in at 388 pages of text (with impressive notes following) and is filled with anecdotes from the above listed groups of actors. Greene weaves the rich, diverse voices with a narrative that interrogates and illuminates the processes of building the physical as well as social and cultural canal and canal zone. She rescues the stories of those who traveled far and wide (ranging from American steam shovel operators to Indians and Chinese) and who survived the perils of building the Panama Canal and the task of living under the Goethals' repressive regime that hurdled toward a singular pursuit: maximize labor output to complete construction; all resources diverted to build the canal. Although I skimmed the book quickly, I did not detect any gross repetitions of the anecdotes, which is a common error when an author employs this methodological approach. For instance, rather than repeat a story that would illustrate her point, she acknowledged its previous usage without retreading the same ground. I found that chapters two, "As I am a True American," and three, "Silver Lives," best display her research and analytical focus, as well as the human element of segregation and racism present in the canal. Also owing to her expert as a labor historian, chapters two and three explicated the labor dimension as well as the struggles to control and express labor rights.

What would a review be without criticism? The Canal Builders is a feat of research and writing, and does not suffer from the near tedium of Peter Way's Common Labor: Workers and the Digging of the North American Canals, 1780-1860. Still, canal building for 388 pages can be a tad long, even though the subjects shift and Greene avoids redundancies and dwelling upon one particular group. My principal complaint centers on Goethals' and others' aspiration. That is, the grander story of the canal's progress is oddly absent. In fact, until the final chapter, "Hercules Comes Home," the canal and steps in the direction of the Pacific float in a distant ether. The simple rebuttal is that David McCullough's book The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1914, among others, recite the much-ballyhooed paths of the American ascendancy and triumph in Panama. Regardless, brief synopses of the chronological advances through the jungle could have supplied her narrative and the thematic chapters with a sense of cohesion. With that said, the complaint is minor for such a solid work of history.

The Panama Canal continues to be a stunning engineering and logistical feat. Greene's book eviscerates the easy narrative that romanticizes the intrepid rising imperial power's conquest of nature and geography. A model of transnational, labor, and foreign relations history, The Canal Builders reveals the messy steps and missteps that occurred in Panama, itself a product of US imperialism, as Goethals and workers from across the globe drove to the Pacific.

William S. Burroughs on Objectivity

2009-12-31T09:11:00.000-08:00

“Your knowledge of what is going on can only be superficial and relative.”

Final Morocco Thoughts - You Don't Have to Go Home but You Can't Stay Here

2009-12-31T03:12:00.000-08:00

Rabat Souq

It almost seems customary to compose a post of what I will or will not miss about Morocco. I am leaving with a plethora of memories, good and some bad. (That's right, there are enough that I feel compelled to use that word.) Living abroad was a fascinating experience, even if the six week duration was short and did not forge a thorough impression of Moroccan culture. I can fall back upon tired gripes regarding Morocco (or, insert country here) that often do nothing more than portray my own society and culture as rational and higher than the one I'm departing. In all honesty, I started writing exactly that post before I realized what I was spitting out. I'm not singling out anyone in particular, instead I'm avoiding a facile approach to summarizing my brief experience in Morocco. Above all, I want to avoid the snobbery on display from a British tourist I met in Casablanca who crowed about the cultural supremacy and moral righteousness of British and Western culture.

Without trying to don my former academic hat (ie, pretentious, probing intellectual), there were aspects of Morocco and its culture that intrigued me. Namely, space and auditory space are occupied differently than in the States. While I'm not a Muslim--although I wear a t-shirt that says I'm one--the muezzin's call applies different boundaries to a day and time, especially if you're someone who wakes up earlier by nature. It was hard to miss the unemployment protests and marching in the center of Rabat, small bands of kids walking and signing/chanting near my apartment, and the occasional drum and flute (or a woodwind variant) duo.

I composed this post in a flurry of posts on the day or two before I departed my apartment in Rabat for thirty hours of door-to-door travel. Following a couple of weeks reflection and story-telling, I'm thrilled when recounting my time in Morocco. It's unlikely that I will be availed of that opportunity in the future. The strain on my marriage is not worth it at this point and I have a difficult time envisioning a time in the future where it will be OK. I think I can preserve my Arabic until summer 2011, even though it will be a difficult slog.

Punched in the Head by a Fistful of Glass on a Moroccan Train

2009-12-20T11:40:00.000-08:00

Ever wondered what happens when an object, say a stone, hits a train window at high velocity when you're seated next to it? Me, too, and I found out the hard way. In short, someone threw or sling-shot a rock that hit the window next to me. I absorbed the brunt of the small glass explosion and it left me dazed as it walloped my right temple and side of my face. The rock did not penetrate the glass, but its impact shot large shards of glass at my head and shoulders in a concentrated area above my ear. I've been knocked around a few times in my life, and I don't believe my head has ever been hit this hard. I was showered and coated with glass. My understanding is that glass of this sort, as in cars, is produced so that it won't shatter with jagged edges as with windows or mirrors. Even after a day, I was a bit shaken up when thinking of it, and it reminds me of the film Babel except I wasn't shot and left to die in a Moroccan village. ETA: After 36 hours, I still managed to pick two pieces of glass out of my scalp.

I debated on whether I should record this on the raptor space. I decided that it was acceptable as long as I stated that I do not believe this incident is representative of Morocco, the Arab speaking world, or Africa. It was a fluke and I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Think of the odds.

When I boarded the train headed to Rabat, I picked a compartment and settled in across from a quiet man who stared out the window from the majority of the trip. Our window, however, was fractured from a hit at the bottom of the window. I thought that it was a neat image and, like a silly boy, I thought up foolish metaphors for my life, the trip, and the spider webbed window. Eventually, we were joined by several women, including a young woman named Hind who taught English to high schoolers in Meknes. Thanks to her flawless English, we struck up a conversation. We heard a thud on the rough shortly after she boarded and as we zipped past small villages. She explained that it was local kids throwing rocks at the train, and at that point I realized what precipitated the fragmented window. We continued our chat, for we had no reason to believe that the thud foreshadowed what would occur.

At a lull in our conversation I leaned forward and glanced down at my shoes. Seconds later I heard a loud crack that was followed immediately by a large wallop on my right temple. My head swung violently to the left as I felt as though someone had walked up and punched me in the side of the head. In a daze, I looked around amid the screaming and wondered "what in the hell happened." I didn't see any blood but my first thought was that it was a gun shot, and then I became aware of the immense pain on the right side of my head. I looked at the window and the woman screaming next to me and felt the glass on my face, head, hands, back, and neck. I checked all those surfaces for blood as Hind repeatedly asked "are you okay? are you OKAY?" I nodded and said yeah, yeah, I'm okay as I started to brush off the glass.

The women and some teenagers in the walkway stood me up and started brushing, picking, and wiping glass off of me from the shoulders up. I noticed that I had the majority of glass as I looked around at all the people in the compartment. There were several apologies and an explanation ensued that someone threw a rock and managed--by some stroke of luck--to hit our window. I took the brunt of the glass explosion. Although I wasn't closest to the window, the woman next to me was sitting back and thanks to my lean forward my head was almost even with the impact point and nothing more than a foot away from the window. (We were all packed in tightly.) It appeared that the glass was similar to buckshot or birdshot as it leaves the barrel. In other words, the shards were concentrated due to my proximity, which is why I had large and fine pieces of the window lodged in my hair and down my neck and back, and almost no one else had similar levels of glass coating them.

The conductor showed up later and claimed that there was nothing he could do, according to Hind. I couldn't help but be struck by the difference in how this incident would have been met in the US, partially courtesy of a litigious society. I'm a bit perplexed as to the explanation and treatment, yet I thought it was better to not throw a fit and be the demanding American. Even though I felt disjointed and foggy, I thought I was good enough to hop in a cab and call my father-in-law for reassurance as to my condition. He said that since I wasn't knocked unconscious or hit by the rock or object, a concussion wasn't likely even though I might feel limited physical effects from the hit.

So that's my war story. I seem to have the strangest luck when traveling. I'm not sure what it was that hit the window, and it's plausible that a rock thrown or aimed correctly with a sling shot could have generated the explosion of glass. The only certainty that I'm left with is that I was hit incredibly hard in the side of the head and feel very fortunate to return to the US and for my life, whatever problems I face.

Fes: A Couple of Photos and a Paragraph

2009-12-19T05:48:00.000-08:00

My trip to Fes was brief. I strolled around the city and dove into the sprawling souq. Fes was small and quiet in comparison with Marrakesh, which isn't too surprising since Marrakesh is stimulus overload. Admittedly, I awoke with stomach problems and did not sleep well the previous night. Thus my time in Fes was not as active and impassioned at it could have been. And the way home? Well, that's a story in and of itself and I will post it once I return to normal living patterns in Denver. My flight leaves Casa at 2 AM Sunday morning and I've grown tired of pumping out blog entries today.

You'll notice a shortage of photos. Thanks to weariness, I was not in the mood and I felt as though some of the photos might mirror those I've already shared. Photos of the souq are nice and all, but there's a limit to how many I want to snap. Again, the train station impresses.

Pastries, Pastries, Pastries

2009-12-19T02:44:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the joys of French colonialism, Morocco is blessed with numerous patisseries. And for all of those post-colonial scholars, you can start revising your vitriol for colonialism. The French gave the people bread and cakes so people such as myself could maraud the country in search of exotic food and sweets. And if that ain't civilization, then I don't know what is.

So what else do I have to show from this trip? An extra inches. (You needn't worry, faithful masses, diarrhea helped shave those pounds.) I walked past two patisseries every day on my way to and from school, and I surrendered to temptation at least once a week. I snapped photos whenever possible. Unfortunately, I cannot dazzle with descriptions of their nutty texture, crispy crusts, or opulent creams. Select details rattle around in my hurried mind, but I think the photos will suffice for this round.

Qalam wa Lawh Write Up and Photos

2009-12-18T07:59:00.000-08:00

I've finished my Arabic training at Qalam wa Lawh (QWL) and I'm pleased with the quality of instruction, facilities, and the helpfulness of the staff. As I noted in earlier entries, the staff, especially Malaika, went out of their way to help us explore Morocco and its culture. From finding me a home for Eid to providing cheap laundry service, I can only commend them on easing my stay.

Arabic is a difficult language that requires diligence. At this point, you might be thinking "thanks for the news, Bill Curtis. What other late breaking news stories or mysteries do you have for us?" I have toiled with Arabic for years, often retreading the same ground with plodding advances. I'm determined to continue. Trips of this sort will not occur again, however, so any future advances will come slowly and will test my perseverance. The honest approach is to acknowledge that all of this might not reach fruition. When TFA kicks in my intentions might weaken as I face the onslaught of early childhood education.

Regardless, here are some photos of QLW that are worth sharing.

Dining area

Add a boiled egg, this raiff, sugary OJ, a shot of tea, and you've got a breakfast going
Looking out on the gardens and patio
Typical view from the patio in mid-December
Bernardo, my roommate, and I on my last day

I should add that Bernardo made my stay enjoyable. I wasn't wild about the other kids who stayed there--including the one who stole my food and didn't have the integrity to admit it. Bernardo's fluent in English and picked it up from American film and entertainment (ie cultural production) in Brazil.

Marisa Biaggi on Elvis

2009-12-18T02:05:00.001-08:00

On Musicology Smackdown last week, Dr. Biaggi tackled a new collection of Elvis' music to commemorate his 75th birthday. I will admit that I have an odd respect for Elvis, especially fat, bloated, pharmed out Elvis. I can't find the embed code, so here's a link. As usual, her stinging commentary nails the image and career of Elvis while sinking her canines into the myth and quality of his work. Here's the money quote:

By the end of his life with a glittery, tacky Vegas show, a drug habit, and a totally distorted appearance, Elvis had become a grotesque caricature of his former self. And we wonder why his daughter married Michael Jackson? Creepy daddy issues aside, Elvis was the shit before the shit was the shit. So this is Dr. Biaggi telling you it's one for the money, two for the show, and if you know what's good for you, you'll turn it the hell up.

Best Damn English Blog on Indonesian Labor

2009-12-16T07:28:00.000-08:00

Working Indonesia, as the title of this post says, is the best damn English language blog on Indonesian labor. With a monstrous list of resources and regular updates, it's a font of insight.

Marrakesh

2009-12-16T01:47:00.000-08:00

After deciding to skip traveling in Spain, I booked a train ticket to Marrakesh. The five hour train ride was rather uneventful outside of my traveling companions in the compartment. All Moroccans, they chatted and a little girl and I babbled back and forth in some Arabic. I mostly wrote in my journal, tried to communicate when possible, and absorbed the scenery flashing past my window. The landscape shifted from fertile farming grounds to sparsely populated, craggy areas reminiscent of the US southwest.

Often on a trip or vacation, I'm of the opinion that one of the days, excursions, whatever will work with blinding synchronicity. I think of our stops in Berlin, Istanbul, Machu Picchu, and Arequipa, and they had that similar quality. The Marrakesh trip, from beginning to when I returned home, clicked as though it was a series of dominoes falling in place. (I know, I know, couldn't I have picked a better allusion?) I walked out of my apartment and almost immediately found a taxi at 6:30 on a Saturday--a time when the streets are hardly busy--airing up his tires at the Shell station near my apartment. From that auspicious starting point, the trip flowed almost seamlessly and was the best of my experiences in Morocco. Johnny Cash described writing "Flesh and Blood" as a moment when "it was like one of those magic days, you know, with the sun just right, the temperature just right 'n' the breeze was just right 'n' she was just right." That's how I would characterize my trip to Marrakesh.

Marrakesh cracks with energy and life. It's a tourist destination for Europeans, and I hadn't seen so many white people in one place since leaving the US. Of course, prices are inflated as the city's industry centers on tourism. Still, one isn't forced to hang around Djemaa al Fna and the terraced restaurants, snake charmers, monkey men, and barkers of all sorts and stripes. Diving into the souqs is entertainment in and of itself, and it's easy to find affordable, delicious food or snacks in the twisting mazes of shops. At night, Djemma al Fna fills up with food stalls with aggressive waiters who practically pull you into their stalls. (I rescued the same young Asian-American woman three times in thirty minutes from waiters/barkers. On the third occasion, she literally pleaded "help me" as the man had grasped her hand tightly and wasn't releasing her.) With billowing smoke from grills and bright incandescent lights, the stalls serve as a center for the carnival of sounds, sights, and smells that comprise Djemma al Fna's chaotic, fascinating whirlwinds.

I stayed at Riad Massine II, just inside the medina walls. Although nearly impossible to find, by a stroke of luck I found it without paying a local boy to direct me, which was the fate of most people who stayed there. RMII is nothing more than a hostel. The staff, however, were inviting, friendly, and exceeded expectations in directions and answering questions on real prices for goods. As far as attractions, Marrakesh has a few options inside the city as far as museums or historic destinations I visited. I hit the four main sites in one day, due to their central location, with ample time to spare lollygagging around Djemma al Fna.

If I wanted to return to Morocco, Marrakesh would be my primary destination or at least concluding point. Crazy and frentic? You bet, even it's not characteristic of other Moroccan cities. It's also a fascinating cross-section or array of Moroccan culture in and out of the touristy areas.

Marrakesh's dazzling train station with a McDonalds and a alluring McArabia sandwich that I almost sampled

Lamps and lanterns in the souq

Delicious almondy sweets wrapped in honey-crusted phyllo

Kefta meatball dinner

An example of the night-time entertainment. Side note, should this PhD gig not work out for Doug Snyder, I see a dynamic future running one of these games.

A crowd gathering around a man in Djemma al Fna pointing to a diagram of the body while simultaneously pointing and powders

Riad Massine breakfast

The center piece of the Marrakesh museum and various shots from inside the small yet decent museum

A Moroccan samovar

Spices by the bag and horns o'plenty

Medressa

Cistern and well

Olives, olives, olives

Covered souq

Djemma al Fna by day

Sheep stomach soup with a spicy olive dip

I chose the sheep stomach mixed with a butter bean-esque soup

Food vendor near the soup with a variety of sheep and chicken meals

Spices, spices, spices, and an orange juice cart. The latter offered refreshing orange or grapefruit juice cheaply.

Saadian Tombs

Kasbah door

Ornate roofs from inside the Bahia Palace

Bahia Palace was home to an amazing contemporary art exhibit. The coordinator used the space to its maximum by drawing attention to the art without distracting from the grounds' splendor.

Orange you glad I didn't say....

Djemma al Fna at dusk as the stalls start and traffic swells

Snail soup vendor

Djemma al Fna at night facing the food stalls, and an image I will keep with me when remembering Marrakesh at night.

Chellah Photos and Brief Review

2009-12-08T14:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I attended a school-arranged outing to Chellah, amazing ruins in Rabat. Originally settled by the Phoenicians, the Romans moved in and out dubbing it Sala Colonia, and the Merenids succeeded the Roman site several centuries later. The Merenids built a defensive wall and a necropolis (cemetery) with a small mosque, zawiya, and madrasa. (This chronology is simplified.) Now, it's a tourist destination that is lorded over by flocks of storks that click and clack as they nest and swoop overhead. Cats, unsurprisingly, stroll the grounds meowing and nestling themselves underfoot. Chella also features a small pool where women throw coins, wash with the water, and feed eggs to eels to improve their fertility or ease child birth.

I planned to visit Chella solo and it would have been a mistake. Without a guide from the school, I would not have understood the intricacies and function of the site. Also, an archaeology PhD candidate (ABD), Cori, accompanied us and she supplied fascinating insight into Chella as well as similar ruins in and around Morocco. It's one of my favorite attractions in Rabat and Qalam wa Lawh provided the transport and guide (an employee) for free. One might wonder why I'm expending time while I'm in Morocco on blog entries describing these trips. My logic is that the task is much simpler and the details less likely to be forgotten if I surrender a bit of time now. Shortly after I return, we leave for Chicago and then I being preparation for the first of two licensing exams. I sit for Colorado's PLACE exam on January 9, so I prefer to write these entries as they happen rather than wait and potentially abandon it.

Chellah as we walked in with the bright afternoon sun

Closer focus on the arch

The minaret and the Bou Regreg and bluffs in Sale

A wider shot of the Roman ruins

Stork nest with live action stork

Minaret and the Muslim addition and wall

Half of a statue. The remaining half is in Rabat's archaeological museum

Half of a brandon

All of the white specks are storks, and that might represent about half

Hammam

Minaret, mausoleums, storks

Looking down on to the orchard

Northern-facing wall

Ablution room shots

Minaret with stork and plaque

Arch

Royal graves

Wall behind the royal graves

Another grave. Why not? This grave is from 1956

Eels live in this shallow pool. They have the taste for man and cat flesh.

Chella closes up as the sun sets

"Blast you, Martin Kramer" and the Common Cold

2009-12-07T10:55:00.000-08:00

I prepared for the worst case scenario of diarrhea. Short of adult diapers, I packed everything I could to remedy the cause or symptoms of defcon two diarrhea. My toiletry bag contained an array of pills akin to Hunter S. Thompson's case in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. I failed, however, to adequately anticipate catching a common, yet nasty, cold. I've been sidelined for several days and I'm stuck with a nagging cough/wheeze that probably won't dissipate soon. I whipped up a decent chicken noodle soup and have been waiting this out, resting, drinking plenty of fluids, and sacrificing virgins. Classes end this Friday and I leave for two nights in Marrakesh Saturday morning, with further travel next week. I'll snap plenty of photos.

When ill, my genteel facade crumbles and I devolve into misanthropy and spewing of hatred in every direction. I now turn my ire to Martin Kramer and the blog Middle East Strategy at Harvard. Kramer has every right to disagree with the administration, and he makes a salient point or two every once in a while. For anyone who ever complains about liberal academia, I would gladly point them to MESH as evidence of how academics tied to the world's leading university espouse a line of thinking that is contrary to liberal or left wing thinking. Outside of an occasional post by Gal Luft, I'm not sure why I read the blog any further when they offer space to Mark Moyar, some jackass who practically advocates bombing Iran, and some old codger whose work drones on about the specter of monolithic Islam and the Middle East's tribal DNA that limits or drives all decisions.

Eid al Adha and Ovine Sacrifices

2009-11-28T10:19:00.000-08:00

(Since I've left the States, blogger has never worked properly and thus there are often gremlins that alter my text. For instance, several functions do not appear to work and adding photos is a task in and of itself. I don't always have time for proofing and formatting is a haphazard process, so I'm doing my best.)

This post does not contain any photos of dying, butchered, or otherwise dismembered animals.

Eid al Adha is one of the most important days on the Islamic calendar, and thus it's a major holiday in Morocco and across the world. Apparently, in the US, some people think it's heresy for Best Buy to acknowledge an event that up to a billion people celebrate. Based on my limited conversations with Moroccans, the number of sheep I saw in Rabat, and the nature of the sacrifice, I don't believe that a current of opposition to sacrificing animals is running with any noticeable force, in case anyone is curious. In fact, national television showed Mohammad VI slitting the throat of an immaculate ram on the nightly news program.

Thanks to the generosity of a Qalam wa Lawh staffer, Loubna, I was set-up with a host family for Eid al Adha with Loubna and her husband Hassan. The day started early with an 8:30 pick up near my apartment, followed by another stop to retrieve Feriha, an Indiana ME Studies PhD student. I purchased a pretty cake yesterday and brought it with as a token of my appreciation and an attempt to contribute something. Hassan and Loubna, along with Hassan's family, secured two sheep for the sacrifice and meal. The sheep are expensive and it's not easy adding two guests into a family event with little notice, so I am appreciative of their kindness.

I won't belabor the issue with grizzly details of the killing, caping, or gutting. A butcher ran the knives and efficiently killed five sheep, and there was nothing approaching cruel practices. (One could object that the entire process is cruel and thus relative cruelty or concern for suffering is inconsequential. I might disagree.) There was no chanting, laughing, or any boisterous mirth. It was reverential, especially if you compare it to US slaughterhouses. In fact, I would characterize it as businesslike. Following the sacrifice of five sheep, the group moved downstairs for tea and cookies. Of course, what's a better post-slaughter snack?

A freshly butchered animal doesn't move from knife to oven in one fell swoop, so we did not consume the bulk of the meat. Loubna and her mother-in-law prepared the liver, heart, and, possibly, gall bladder along with fresh bread. The eating was spread over several hours and finished with a lemon chicken with a cascade of french fries. The liver is wrapped with fat and grilled as brochettes (aka shish kabobs) along with the heart. I enjoyed the heart and most of my fatty liver was a delight, but a few a pieces tasted a bit unusual. Overall, especially with fresh baked bread, Loubna's cooking left me quite satisfied. What I presume was a gall bladder (they weren't sure about an English translation), was prepared on the stove with cumin and a couple of other spices that I could not place. Although Loubna cooked it thoroughly, it retained a spongey consistency. I followed Hassan's lead and cut a piece of bread in two and fashioned a sandwich of olives and organ. The olives' flavor along with the spices of the gall bladder merged amazingly and was, by far, one of my most favorite meals of the day.

In some ways, I regret missing the chance to eat the head and hooves. Feriha wanted to leave by four and I could not arrange another ride, plus I was stuffed and I found the prospect of continued eating daunting. In fact, as I write this the next morning, I'm still not hungry. Loubna, Hassan, and Hassan's family welcomed me and seemed to enjoy having us present. At one point, someone even handed me a two or so year old girl to hold after meeting me for all of twenty minutes. I'm thrilled to celebrate Eid as this was most likely a once in a lifetime opportunity and a cultural event that is hardly available to me in the States.

Thanksgiving at the American Club in Rabat

2009-11-27T00:56:00.000-08:00

The day before Thanksgiving, a staff member at Qalam wa Lawh, Malaika, popped her head into my classroom and asked if I wanted to eat a Thanksgiving meal at the American Club for a paltry 120 Dirhams. I wavered for a couple of seconds and then replied in the affirmative, and she instructed me to e-mail my passport number and name to an embassy contact for security clearance. Over the course of the next twenty-four hours, however, it seemed questionable if the meal would become a reality. Thanks to Malaika's decision to pick us up and appear at the door, we transferred through the security doors and entered the green, pretty compound.

We found our way upstairs to the bar to order a drink. Shockingly, they sell Sierra Nevada Pale Ale! Sierra Nevada in North Africa!!! The American Club is home to a variety of American and European activities, including the Rabat Hash House Harriers meetings, yet I'm still amazed that they sell Sierra's Pale Ale. We all ordered one and quietly sipped the four or so dollar bottle of beer and watched Eddie Murphy's The Nutty Professor on the Armed Forces Network. We polished off our drinks and went to the patio to order our plate of Thanksgiving vittles.

The meal came with unsweetened iced tea, which pleased me considering that nearly all teas served here are saccharine overload. As you can see from the plate, they provided the standard, iconic meal. Turkey (or ham), cranberries, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, stuffing, and corn pudding. I can't explain the cherry on top of the turkey and gravy. Once you factor in that you're in North Africa eating a Thanksgiving meal, it's difficult to criticize the cooking, flavoring, or overall composure of the meal. I would even go so far as to say that it was good meal that left me filled and content. And if that isn't the point of a Thanksgiving meal, what is?

The meal finished off with a slice of pumpkin pie. The crust was edible, but not the best. Still, it's pumpkin pie in North Africa and beggars can't be choosers. Overall, the experience was relaxing and without pretension or the demands of laboring over a turkey and mounds of sides. I miss Kate and my family, but I was able to skype with all of them and relax after a demanding week of Arabic training for the first time in fifteen months in a classroom setting. We all went around the table voicing what we're thankful for, and it's a new experience for me realizing what I take for granted in life and the multitude of options and possibilities available to me as an American and in my life. Piquant cliches such as "distance makes the heart grow fonder" cause my stomach to turn ever so slightly. At this point in my life, I am thankful for how fortunate we've been despite the past two troubling years to have loving, supporting family and friends. Tomorrow marks the half way point of my trip, with ten days of class remaining, and I can't be happier to return home.

Arabic in Morocco, Qalam wa Lawh, and the Fits and Starts of Learning Arabic

2009-11-22T01:04:00.000-08:00

Note: I’m writing these entries in a word document and the format does not always transfer as easily as I prefer. I opted to stay around the apartment this weekend to study in advance of an exam and a ten minute presentation next week. I want to say a special thanks to John Willis (who may not read this due to the fact that he’s in India currently) for all of his consult and advice through the years. He was an indispensable part of my graduate education, along with a few select other members of the CU faculty, and CU is fortunate to have him as a faculty member. His capacious intellect, wit, and commitment to improving the graduate experience deserves praise that he might not normally receive through standard channels.

I completed my first week of Arabic at Qalam wa Lawh (QL) in Rabat. In the months leading up to my departure, I reviewed my book and grammatical structures and prepared as best as I could at home. Fifteen months, however, is a long time to not use Arabic and I was rusty. Once I hit the ground I’ve found my planning useless. The classes are structured entirely different from those I thrived in at Chicago or those I observed at CU. Instead of a heavy focus on translation, reading aloud, and grammar—all taught in English—QL privileges oratory/spoken with very little to no attention to translation or reading aloud. For instance, we spend two hours every morning speaking, then move on to grammar after a tea break.

My speaking is moving forward, even if through fits and starts. I’m pleased that I’m able to strengthen my poor ability to engage with people on the most minor questions, and I grasp why they emphasize spoken as part of the immersion experience. Part of me, however, wants to build on my translation and grammar skills. That side stems from the nagging historians’ training that I cannot seem to shed. Nevertheless, I’m taking it all in stride and working diligently at home. Thirteen days of class remain thanks to Eid al Adha. When I return home I will write a lengthy appraisal of the state of my Arabic as well as the school at large, but here’s a sketch.

QL is situated in the Souissi neighborhood. When I walk to school every morning I pass numerous embassies and I often see plenty of non-Moroccans. The school building is fantastic, and, thus far, the instructors and staff proved remarkably kind and patient. My hopes for the school were low, and with expectations of that little weight it’s easy to impress. However, even if I entered with moderate expectations I would express the same opinion. As I’ve mentioned in status updates and in e-mails, the students formed cliques and some have no interest in anything more than a fleeting hello. I was annoyed at first but I’ve come to terms with it and understand that some of this is the product of design and part of it’s natural. I will add photos later of the pretty school garden and impressive building with a kitchen, dining area, patio, computer lab, and comfortable classrooms. In general I’m quite impressed.

Moroccan Arabic, darija, sounds like a collage of syllables entering a blender running coolly on high. Due to France’s colonial presence in Morocco, my pearly white skin, and my longer hair, people speak with me in French. I don’t know a lick of French. If I reply in broken and hapless Arabic, I receive quizzical glances with an occasional look of slight understanding. Often, Moroccans who know fusha, Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), correct my mistakes or offer a suggestion. They approach this pleasantly and I would describe these interactions as funny and filled with smiles. No one glares at me for botching word order or butchering their language. I found that if someone can decipher what I am trying to say, they want to help and patiently explain their suggestion.

Some of you will question why I am bothering to share this recounting of my struggles with Arabic on a street level. I have not felt any animosity as an American or a Westerner, and generally I would depict interactions as welcoming. Due to negative stereotypes, I feel that it’s my responsibility to communicate the story of my first couple of weeks in Morocco. And it’s one that I can describe as comfortable and smooth.

Rabat and Apartment Photos

2009-11-17T08:29:00.001-08:00

I always enjoy a photo of doors, paths of light, or disparities in dark and light, a particular style that characterizes Edward Hopper's oeuvre, and it comes through in how I snap photos (with no intention of imitation). The first three are of my apartment bed room.

Ever wonder what "stop" looks like in Arabic?

Meals in Morocco

2009-11-17T05:49:00.000-08:00

The transition from a word document to the blogger compose box was not easy and thus the formatting is off.

So what have I been eating? Mostly sandwiches or shwarma, which is somewhat similar to a doner kabap, with chicken and lamb, and always served with fries. This shwarma is closer to a panini, but I’m not about to lecture anyone on proper names for their food. I tried a Sicilian pizza topped with tuna and olives. Eh, ok with a delightfully refreshing citronade.

The big ticket item is the tajine. Thus far, I’ve eaten two wildly different tajines. It’s is

considered a Moroccan national dish and it varies. The first was a kefta meatball tajine

delivered to me in a steaming ceramic pot of sweetened tomato soup/base covered

with an egg and cheese topping kefta meatballs absorbing the flavors of the tomato

and spice. My second tajine was a delicious chicken, carrot, and potato dish cooked in an olive and citrus sauce.

I wish my experience with couscous was overflowing with superlatives. The two dinners were decent, yet not as rich as the tajines. I cannot chart too much difference between good couscous grains in the states and what I’ve consumed here. The photos is of a beef dish with stewed potatoes, carrots, and onions. I ordered a grilled chicken couscous the night before, and the chicken brochettes were a step above the rather bland beef.

I also scarfed down some fried eggplant, fish with cilantro, and a ball of potato rolled with a sweet, herb dough. I am eyeing a snail soup that I will try before leaving. Breakfast thus far consisted of bread, jam, butter, tea, and orange juice. It took several days to return to form and eating three meals again, which dipped to one a day.

The tea is saccharine overload with hints of mint served burning hot. It’s taken a bit of time to adapt to the café culture of Morocco, and more time is in order for a khawajjah such as myself. At an amazing cafe, Comedy, I sat down for journal writing and an opera cake, which is the photo you see at the left. Decadent does not adequately describe the sweet, soft layers of chocolate ganache with the subtle hints of coffee. The hostel denizens have been a motley assortment of folks from anarchists to globe trotting kids. All have been incredibly friendly and a nice Libyan fellow has been kind enough to speak slowly and engage me with in Modern Standard Arabic. More updates are coming along with continued saltiness from your reporter on this corner of Africa.

Assorted photos of Casa and Hasan II Mosque

2009-11-17T05:20:00.001-08:00

Initial Morocco Thoughts

2009-11-16T10:29:00.000-08:00

So far so good here in Morocco. I finally moved into my Rabat apartment. Living in hostels was unpleasant, and I realize I’m getting too old for these reindeer games. There were nice perks to the Casablanca and Rabat hostels. The former had reliable internet, the latter a warm shower. The neighbors at both sucked and I did my best to sleep through their snores, late night gab sessions, and peregrinations.

Casablanca offers little to crow about outside of the Hassan II mosque, which is gargantuan and stunning. In fact, if someone asked me if they should hit up Casablanca, I would be reluctant to suggest a visit. Still, it has a gritty charm that is slightly endearing. Yet only in the slightest fashion.

Rabat is miles apart—literally and figuratively—from Casablanca. Rabat exudes a relaxed pace that suits me and one that I find welcoming, which is appropriate considering that it’s the city I will inhabit for the next few weeks. It’s easy to say that I feel safer in one city over the other. However, my concept of safety is colored by my guidebook and any “feeling” I pick up from walking. The problem with a feeling of safety or relative threat is that unless I’m hassled or attacked, it’s not something that I can verify. Thus I hesitate to offer a generalization of safety in Rabat over Casablanca. I’ve felt danger in parts of Chicago greater than what I felt in Casa, so I want to dispel any ideas of an African or Arabic speaking city as inherently more dangerous than another urban area elsewhere.

Also of note, since arriving in Rabat, students have taken to the streets marching to voice their complaint over the heightened unemployment. The hostel manager shared the source of their discontent with me, but it’s impossible to miss the large numbers of people chanting slogans with sings and neon vests.

I will be the first to admit that I do not favor traveling alone. Some flourish under those conditions. Me, on the other hand, I prefer to have a companion and I must admit my loneliness and that I miss Kate. I always try to avoid sentimental or mawkish claims—which one could interpret as a coldness of personality to loved ones—but I’m experiencing a sense of loss that was unbeknownst to me until these past few days. A couple of research trips don’t parallel an absence of this magnitude. (And if anyone is contemplating a comment such as “how can you be lonely when you’re hanging out in a foreign city, buck up, blah, blah, blah” you can spare me the nonsense because I don’t buy it unless you’ve attempted something similar.) We keep in touch via skype twice a day, which should be easier now that I’m no longer navigating internet cafes.

Casablanca Photos: Palm Trees and Hassan II Mosque

2009-11-15T13:53:00.000-08:00

Teach For America

2009-11-15T07:36:00.000-08:00

I was lucky enough to secure a position with Teach For America. I am filling out the paperwork soon to accept, which isn’t terribly surprising. My sense of self-criticism is usually dialed up to high/self-flagellating, so one can comprehend why my initial blog post after the interview was more of a negative appraisal. While I don’t know the specifics, the offer was for early childhood education in Colorado. TFA is still filtering applicants and the specific assignment will come into focus this spring and summer, even though I presume reading and spelling will be my responsibility. From an early age I loved reading and I could be found with my head buried in a book, and the idea of sharing the joys of reading is an ideal task for me.

Despite my conviction to accept it and enter the classroom with as much energy and passion as I can muster, I am still left to wrestle with the question of why TFA? Growing up poor and working-class, I can identify with the socio-economic—yet not racial—circumstances of the communities TFA addresses. Still, there is the larger question of evaluating if TFA helps or hinders, and I think there is room for ambivalence among teachers.

When I first shared my desire to apply to TFA with a high school teacher and labor-minded history friend, she attacked the program, concept, and value to students and teacher solidarity. Her stinging opinion can be viewed from the perspective of a tenured educator who rejects the idea of seemingly unqualified teachers temporarily joining the ranks of public school teachers. For my friend, it’s a black and white issue, however, one could reject her commentary as symptomatic of the problems that afflict teachers’ unions and entrenched teachers. My opinions on organized labor are transparent and I feel that a strong labor movement is the best for the country and the bulk of its citizens. However, I cannot disagree with the idea that education’s centrality in developing and socializing children requires flexibility in the labor market. I would not support the belief that the solution is the end of tenure, private schools, vouchers, or whatever host of neoliberal solutions one touts.

My good friend Katy Plechaty, a spectacular educator and person, shared her positive and negative thoughts on TFA, as well as dashes of confusion or doubt. I think her comments accurately reflect my own opinions and I anticipate sharing them with her and soliciting her advice. Along with my brother, mother, and aunts, I have a store of advice and decades of experience to call upon. Even though I won’t face grading, classroom discipline (of one sort), standardized tests, intense lesson planning, and the rigors of a high school or middle school teacher, the challenges of early education will require discipline, passion, and drive. I am grateful for this opportunity and will enter the classroom with the realization that I cannot change the world in two short years, but I know that I am presented with an opportunity to facilitate the development of a child’s mind at a formative stage.

2009-11-07T03:59:00.001-08:00

China Digs into a Lucrative Afghan Copper Mine

2009-11-03T05:55:00.000-08:00

China was awarded a contract over the Aynak copper mine, and, predictably, the selection contributes to the chorus of graft complaints in China. The Chinese state owned company, China Metallurgical (MCC), beat American and Canadian companies in the 2007 bidding process. The story is back in the news as the mine is preparing to open and conduct extraction. The United States' war enabled this process, and I wouldn't ever contend that we are "owed" first rights to strip a country's national resources. I wanted to post this to illustrate how China's rising is tied with resources and the US's sacrifices, as I pointed out in Trading Sanctions for a Missile Shield.

The Chinese are adept capitalists and most likely its resource diplomacy will run aground and increase disenchantment with China's growing power, as it already has for Iraqi oil workers. The Chinese favor importing their own workers instead of relying on indigenous workers, as the Newsday and NYT articles claim, which can only add to doubts over China's extractive efforts. US's companies record on exploiting local workers is hardly sterling, and the level of US companies' benefits to foreign workers and their environment is debatable. However, the Chinese strategy of avoiding labor strife and discontent by employing Chinese workers in foreign ventures could possibly backfire and foster nationalist resentment toward China and its businesses that seem intent on mining, drilling, or otherwise removing natural resources.

Why Children Don't Belong at Phish Concerts

2009-11-01T18:49:00.000-08:00

Photo from Festival 8, with thanks to Michael Mahle

One Week from Departure

2009-10-31T07:37:00.000-07:00

This time next week, I will be snaking my way through Denver International Airport as I leave for Morocco. After stop overs in Newark and Lisbon, I land in Casablanca where I'll stay for a few days as I acclimate to my new surroundings and escape from what I expect to be punishing jet lag. I'm bringing a laptop and I envision photo updates here and on facebook. As one can guess, this week is filled with appointments, drinks, and time at home with Kate.

Playing Ball for Organized Labor and EFCA

2009-10-31T06:08:00.000-07:00

By all appearances, organized labor is quieting what many considered it's number one priority, the Employee Free Choice Act, in favor of comprehensive health care reform. With the release of the White House guest logs, I was surprised to learn that Andy Stern visited 1600 Penn twenty-two times, which was more than any person whose name was requested. SEIU and Change to Win were vital elements in Obama's coalition that propelled him into the White House. Of course, there's no guarantee that Stern met with the president or any ranking cabinet-level officials. Trumka entered the White House seven times. I would not be surprised to learn that EFCA is still a possibility next year or two after Obama's big ticket agenda items pass.

With that in mind, the AFL-CIO released a snappy flyer with a roster of baseball players who support EFCA. With the title "A Level Playing Field is as Important in the Workplace as it is in Baseball," the advertisement grouped photos and positions of Heath Bell, Dave Bush, LaTroy Hawkins, Torii Hunter, John Lannan, Andrew Miller, J.J. Putz, Jimmy Rollins, Mark Teixeira, Justin Verlander, Shane Victorino and Adam Wainwright to express their support for EFCA.

One Image that Encapsulates a Phish Festival

2009-10-30T20:41:00.000-07:00

Mark Sanford's an Intellectual Conservative (!?!) & Ayn Rand in Newsweek

2009-10-28T06:02:00.000-07:00

Mark Sanford (you know, the governor from South Carolina that managed to disgrace his family, office, state, and party) is waving and waving in an attempt to stay relevant and position himself as an intellectual conservative. In a pitiful attempt, Sanford beats a well-worn conservative path on Rand and why she and John Galt kicks mega ass in Atlas Hugged. Hugged is a poorly titled article that reeks like an 0p-ed of a person who's fighting for his political career yet fails to recognize that his indecency has pushed him far from the great white hope of the GOP. Blatantly wrapping himself in the ridiculous garb of compassionate conservatism, the piece is nothing more than a soapbox for Sanford's conservatism by beating the "government is the problem" drum.

Of course, what would the article be without a closing paragraph on the fallen nature of man? Sanford links limited government with man's sinful tendencies and salvation is lurking around the corner, presumably for his stupidity and the bogeyman of big government. "Men and women are imperfect, or "fallen," which is why I believe there is a role for limited government in making sure that my rights end where yours begin....In that sense, this is a very good time for a Rand resurgence." Weaving religion and limited government induces vomiting and his feeble shot at salvation is reprehensible.

ETA: Although Sanford mentions Jennifer Burns's new Rand bio as well as Rand's works, there's no semblance of a book review in this pointless "article."

Bernard Lewis is Still Kicking It

2009-10-28T05:10:00.000-07:00

One often forgets that Bernard Lewis still has hand in the academic cookie jar. Even though the previous administration called upon his ideas and his personage, and with fan boys such as Reuel Gerecht tout his intellectual legacy, I often presume that Lewis is no longer a mover and shaker in academia. To your right, you will see a link for the Harvard Middle East Strategy Blog (MESH). By academic and popular standards, it shares a predominantly conservative line of thinking on the Middle East. (Every once in a while a post breaks from that pattern.) Which is why I wasn't too surprised to see an entry for WINEP book prizes or one celebrating the second meeting of the Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa (ASMEA)--aka Lewis's MESA counter organization.

With the rise of Edward Said and a host of political economists, social historians, and cultural historians, Lewis's intellectual hegemony slipped from his grasp over the study of Middle Eastern studies. Historians bandy around Lewis's name and his philological approach as a synonym for antiquated methodologies or assumptions on life in the Middle East. Along with his sidekick Fouad Ajami, Lewis formed ASMEA to "to defend free inquiry, expand the boundaries of scholarship, and respond to the growing need for a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary approach to studying the cultures, histories, and issues of the Middle East and Africa," according to the MESH post. ASMEA exists to preserve a tarnished academic legacy and further similar lines of study by empowering academics who need funding, publication, and conferencing. And who can blame them? Why not head up to your next ASMEA meeting to hear Bernie Lewis and cool, dispassionate luminaries such as John Bolton. At the very least, the ASMEA website pointed me to a review of Jon Kraus' Trade Unions and the Coming of Democracy in Africa.

Travel Reading for Morocco

2009-10-25T12:41:00.000-07:00

I have eleven days before I depart. I have a laundry list of tasks that await completion before I leave. Fortunately, I have picked my books and most are resting on my bookshelf. So that's one less bump. Here is the list:

Julie Greene, The Canal Builders
Michael Chabon, The Yiddish Policemen's Union
Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell To Arms
Michel Foucault, The Order of Things An Archaeology of the Human Sciences
David Harvey, The Condition of Postmodernity
Mel Leffler, For the Soul of Mankind: The US, the Soviet Union, and the Cold War

Some of these I've started, skimmed, or wanted to tackle for quite a while. In addition to those six, I have my Lonely Planet Morocco book and a few more Arabic instructional books. For six weeks, they should keep me occupied.

TFA Interview Day Recap

2009-10-24T06:19:00.001-07:00

When I left yesterday morning, I thought it would be entertaining to write a blog post entitled "Anatomy of a Failure: How to Flop on Your TFA Day." After I finished yesterday afternoon I had no desire at all to take a risk and joke. I don't believe in jinxes, really, but I could not muster the energy to try and be funny and have a rejection possibly happen. Although I was never presented with a form, I'm bound by a confidentiality agreement that I won't divulge the questions and interview content I encountered during the interview day. As one could guess, broadcasting them on my puny blog and facebook won't happen. I can say that it was a taxing day and I left with mixed feelings. My interviewer likened it to finishing the GRE, which wasn't a bad comparison.

The day started promptly at 9 and we broke at 1:00. I volunteered to go first and I thought my teaching lesson went well and I accomplished everything I set out to achieve. The twelve other applicants--three total males--were as prepared or less than myself. Some never finished their lessons and hurriedly concluded after being informed of the time. One young woman taught an entertaining African-American dance, one attempted a world history lesson over an esoteric incident and minor war that was in actuality closer to European history, yet no one taught any mathematics. I returned at 3:30 for my 3:45 interview, which ran around 45-50 minutes. Through reading the TFA website, blogs, message boards, and chatting with TFA corps members, I prepared for several topics including my graduate and teaching assistant experience. None of the questions were too surprising and my interviewer seemed to follow, quite faithfully, a form. For instance, when I mentioned that I'm traveling to Morocco in two weeks to study intensive Arabic, she had no spark or intrigue other than a perfunctory "oh, interesting" before advancing to another topic.

It's easy to say "I did my best." Looking back on my twenty-eight years, there are a few times where I can say I legitimately put forth my best effort and tried my hardest. Yesterday was one of those occasions, and I feel OK. Just OK about the whole day. Maybe I'm too hard on myself and it went better than I'm allowing right now. Either way, I will know the decision when I wake on November 11 in Morocco.

This is how I envision my TFA interview proceeding

2009-10-21T06:46:00.001-07:00

I can find a mermaid for a position.

Dylan's Christmas in The Heart

2009-10-19T09:36:00.000-07:00

Dylan's new holiday offering is quite possibly the worst Christmas album I've ever heard. However, I find it remarkably entertaining. Fortunately, Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot eviscerate the charity album--both labeled it a trash it--with DeRogatis rather humorously spearing Dylan's singing and presence as the raspy voiced uncle who ruins Christmas with his antics. Although both dub him a living legend and claim that he is one of the most important artists of the last fifty years, they cannot bring themselves to insist that the album sustains any redeeming qualities. The Sound Opinions duo paste Christmas in the Heart as campy and sloppy. A more accurate truth cannot be stated. Despite that fact that album could be named Dylan Murders the Christmas Classics, I foresee several playings around the holidays. Hear the review.

Vonnegut's New Collection of Short Stories: Look at the Birdie

2009-10-19T09:12:00.000-07:00

Kurt Vonnegut's second posthumous work, Look at the Birdie, is slated to appear on bookshelves soon. It is a collection of short stories from KV's career, and I believe they were composed early in his career. Armageddon in Retrospect was a bit of a disappointment as the stories seemed hurriedly assembled to coincide with the market for his material following his death. While I know I cannot expect Monkey House with every collection, I'm a bit more hopeful for Birdie. "Look at the Birdie," the title story, is offered for free via the LAT. The sly, artful use of language is present and the story ends in typical Vonnegut fashion after odd twists and turns with a conclusion that neither settles nor awards.

Marisa Biaggi Answers My Queries on Bubbles the Chimp

2009-10-15T06:15:00.000-07:00

Ayn Rand Bio

2009-10-13T08:28:00.000-07:00

The New Republic's senior editor Jon Chait assessed a recent biography of Ayn Rand, titled Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand and the American Right by Jennifer Burns. I'd be lying if I claimed that the article was an honest book review rather than describing it more accurately as a third review, a third attack on Rand, and a third editorial on the hysteria of conservatives over tax matters and governance. With that being said, Wealthcare is a fantastic yet long read that exposes Rand's vicious, imperious personality and how her ideas took hold in modern conservatism. Her acolytes adopted a cultish following where Rand wielded a totalitarian-esque cudgel within the group that demanded strict adherence to her writings and thoughts as well as unflinching loyalty to her as a person. Excommunications and personal attacks followed those who committed minor transgressions or questioned her will. All in all, a fascinating article with, for me, agreeable commentary on how the right's concern on taxes for the rich is unfounded. I'm tempted to purchase the book for my trip, but I'm uncertain if I need additional history luggage.

Winning the Nobel and Renewed Faith in the US

2009-10-10T07:26:00.001-07:00

I am proud that our president received the Nobel Peace Prize. Like everyone else, I do not believe that his actions so far merited the award. Obama does not deserve the enmity directed at him by select Republicans and members of the conservative media junta. I doubt Obama wanted this now or at any time in his presidency. Politically, it's a wonderful honor, but a sticky one that carries positives and negatives.

Nevertheless, as I flipped through various news stories, I couldn't help but think that saying "he didn't deserve it yet" sees this from a limited perspective. I think we, as Americans, need to be clear on a few characteristics of the US's role in the world. Our country engaged/engages in unnecessary wars and has put its economic and social interests above those of every other country in the world. The developing world suffered disproportionately and continues to bear a greater burden as legacies of colonialism and neocolonialism hinder growth and peace.

With that being said, it would be foolish to not recognize the US's impressive power and basic fact that the US piloted the Western world through a long period of peace, stability, and prosperity. Despite prickly relations with France at points and several other states, since entering the Second World War, the US assumed and was invited to adopt a leading position in the world. I'm dismayed whenever I hear people claim that the US should remove all of its troops abroad and focus solely on the US. Rejecting a history of American responsibility as a global hegemon (imposed and invited) is dangerous and blind to the nature of international relations. Does that imply that the US should persist in supporting policies that magnify suffering? No, not at all and we as a country could do much more to alleviate hunger, war, etc. Still, it's an imperfect system with players who consistently attempt to one-up other states for material gain. As I mentioned in my reviews of John Perkins' books, there is no proof that an equitable set of global affairs or states will replace a receding US.

Quite possibly, the Nobel committee and certain states have restored faith in the United States to lead, and the peace prize should not be seen as a testament to what he has accomplished, rather his potential as well as renewal of faith in the United States. I think it's disingenuous to believe that the award was given as a reflection on Obama's score card and not as a hope to encourage the president on the part of the committee. Of course, one could discuss ideas of Western normative modernity and what the award represents from a handful of Scandinavian lefties.

Certainly he's not George Bush, however, I think it's simplistic to say that he received the award for simply not being Bush. All the political bluster of a year ago aside, John McCain wouldn't have been Bush. Would the Nobel committee have selected McCain? Unlikely. Obama reached out to the world in a fashion that many presidents never attempted, especially in such a narrow window. His early diplomatic efforts that occurred from the nomination in February until the voting in September should be praised. Still, it puts the onus on him to generate results from his initial successes. Although the Nobel bolsters the diplomacy of the past few months, it lands at an ironic time as the White House contemplates increasing troop levels. So Obama has to earn it and persevere regardless of Afghanistan. Even Michael Moore encourages the president to earn the award. It will be tricky, but I believe he won't languish and it's counterproductive for the US's stature to wish that he fails.

Orson Wells, Master Thespian

2009-10-08T07:58:00.001-07:00

The Problem of Christopher Hitchens and Islam

2009-10-08T05:30:00.000-07:00

I will give Hitchens some credit. He's intelligent, his work on Henry Kissinger is scathing, and it's entertaining to read his contrarian articles. Hitchens' behavior led to a recent ass whooping in Lebanon when he chose to deface a political poster. What is more endearing than a fleshy, arrogant white man acting on a condescending impulse in Middle Eastern politics? He's up to his old antics in a recent comment on the slaughter of pigs and Egypt and how it stems from Islam and anti-semitism.

When the swine flu started appearing on the world's radar, the Egyptian government foolishly decided to slaughter Cairo's pigs last May. As Michael Slackman pointed out in the NYT recently, the decision eliminated Caireans' primary source of trash collection and decimated the livelihood of some Christian Copts known as the zabaleen. The aftermath? Trash piled up and the fetid mounds of garbage generated a public health crisis. Garbage men from one of the Western multinationals striked, which only contributed to the mess.

So what was all of this? A silly policy decision on the part of bureaucrats? Not according to Hitchens. Although Slackman's article never mentions religion as a catalyst for the pig massacre, Hitchens uses his critical eye and continuing hatred for religion to find a story that isn't apparent, or real. He links unrelated comments on swine, Jews, and Islamic loathing of pigs to weave a story of how Islam was responsibl e. Forget any question if scorn for pigs originates from a pre-Islamic or other cultural legacy, as that's counter productive to his agenda of attributing blame to religion. Even though Hitchens doesn't speak Arabic nor does he produce any evidence from clerics, imams, or anyone at Al Azhar that advocated killing pigs and directed policy, he cannot locate any other culprit than Islam. He warns at the end "Leave it to people of faith. Leave it to them if you dare …"

Hitchens' shallow base of knowledge on Islam permits him to scream hysterically about non-existent threats and specters of religion. His ignorance contributes to erroneous opinions on Islam that ignores the reality of life, political economy, and culture in the Middle East. In favor of a nuanced grasp, he fancies generalized opinions that sustain the foolish myth of backward, monolithic Islam that pervades society at every level. Leave policy and cultural understanding to people like Hitchens. Leave it to them if you dare.

Final Harvest

2009-10-05T17:19:00.000-07:00

Before we departed, the weather indicated a likely freeze was on its way for Denver, so I opted to collect all of the green tomatoes of decent size for indoor ripening. I collected them in a fabric grocery bag. The bulk were green with a few ones with bits of color dotting the bottoms of a few. Since pulling them, several ripened and we will slice them for grilled pizzas on Wednesday.

I placed the bag unevenly on a scale and it registered thirty pounds. After picking it up several times, we concluded that the bag weighed more than thirty, and closer to forty. Our total produce, then, totaled to approximately fifty-five pounds, with the obvious bulk from the green machines on the left. My goal this week is to pull the remaining vines and clear the area now that crisp fall days are here and my allergies are less likely to bother me. All told, we are happy with our garden, with clear improvements for next year if we're around.

Is that a steel frame from '88?

2009-10-05T09:42:00.001-07:00

John Perkins' Confessions of an Economic Hit Man and the Secret History of The American Empire

2009-10-05T07:49:00.000-07:00

Shortly after they were published, I wanted to read John Perkins' books recounting his past as an economic hit man. We flew to Rhode Island for a wedding this weekend, and I took the opportunity to check the books out from the DPL. Confessions (2004) and Secret History (2007) offer insight into Perkins' past as an economic hit man. In short, he believes that the NSA or another shadowy government organization guaranteed his employment and training to build an economic empire for the US and to create massive networks of debt and economic subservience for the third world. In fact, the latter is not difficult to believe. I question whether he received some form of government training through a mysterious, vanishing woman named Claudine. To me, it strains credulity and introduces a conspiratorial element that I doubt and he cannot support outside of his reminiscences.

As I read Confessions, I kept thinking of James Frey's A Million Little Pieces. I do not question if Perkins participated in a process of economic warfare for private sector gain, rather if he received orders to carry the weight of empire building. Could he realize it well after the fact and express remorse for his actions? Certainly, and it appears that one of his motives for writing the book was to expose the sordid tale of American economic policies since the 1970s that produced little wealth for few except those in key positions in the private sector.

After reading Confessions, I was curious if Secret History departed from the script he laid out in his first book and contributed a new level of analysis. Secret History reeks of an author who pumps out a second book to build on the success of the previous work while providing stale insight. It continues his travelogue of rape and pillage capitalism with more sex, exotic locations and people, and dubious historic claims. His vision of American history is cloudy and, at times, wrong. He embraces the mythology of the Revolution for the purposes of drawing a distinction between his utopian vision of government and the current nature of domestic and international policy. I don't know where or how he settled on the conclusion that President Dwight Eisenhower acquiesced to anyone to oppose the British, French, and Israeli aggression against Israel. The transparent historical record disproves that wild-eyed claim, as well as others on the Middle East. (We never invaded Iraq twice, which he struggles understanding.) Then there's his prose and structure. The book is clunking and poorly edited. For instance: it's disdain not distain as he uses it; one loses a job, not looses; scorporatocracy is not a word, whereas corporatocracy is. Those three examples are the ones that I noted, but the book was not limited to those few instances. Too many chapters are inchoate missives that often fail to offer more than glimpses of ideas without fully developing them or tying them in a cogent manner to larger themes.

One of my primary complaints is that there's a larger question he nearly touches, but neglects to address. For all his pleading to reform American business practices and international capitalism, he doesn't propose an alternate vision that will improve the plight of developing countries. Is it feasible to reform American corporations while allowing them to maintain their hegemony? My guess is no, which begs the question of who or what will replace our titans of capitalism? The US launched a global campaign at the turn of the 19th century to spread its version of commerce and business arrangements, and I doubt anyone would say that the mission was a failure. In fact, one could argue that the story of the 20th century is how American policy makers convinced the rest of the world to adopt its economic structures and order. Due to that, however, it's foolish to believe that weakening American companies to make them less profit oriented would convince similar entities to pursue the same strategy. Capitalism is a no holds barred game and reforming the Americans doesn't guarantee that Chinese or another state's corporations won't take advantage of weakness and exploit the channels dug by Bechtel, Halliburton, etc. If Perkins wants to recast the function as well as form of the US business and economic practices, I applaud his efforts, no matter how fruitless I find them. I simply would not turn to his books as guides.

Sarah Palin and her Accessory Baby

2009-10-01T07:14:00.000-07:00

Juan Cole's Top Misconceptions on Iran

2009-10-01T06:24:00.001-07:00

Juan Cole is one of the most reliable and prominent bloggers on Middle Eastern politics. His purpose remains to dispel ideas on the Middle East, Arabs, Islam, and their danger to Americans. His recent post, top things you think you know about Iran that are not true, offers several pointed examples of false ideas on Iran that are propagated in the US. Here are two of my favorites:

Belief: Iran is aggressive and has threatened to attack Israel, its neighbors or the US

Reality: Iran has not launched an aggressive war modern history (unlike the US or Israel), and its leaders have a doctrine of "no first strike." This is true of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as well as of Revolutionary Guards commanders.

and

Belief: Isn't the Iranian regime irrational and crazed, so that a doctrine of mutally assured destruction just would not work with them?

Actuality: Iranian politicians are rational actors. If they were madmen, why haven't they invaded any of their neighbors? Saddam Hussein of Iraq invaded both Iran and Kuwait. Israel invaded its neighbors more than once. In contrast, Iran has not started any wars. Demonizing people by calling them unbalanced is an old propaganda trick. The US elite was once unalterably opposed to China having nuclear science because they believed the Chinese are intrinsically irrational. This kind of talk is a form of racism.

Consumerist

2009-10-01T05:50:00.000-07:00

I'm spending my week trying to step back from my computer and read a little in my free time from work. We leave early tomorrow to fly to Rhode Island for a wedding, and then I'm counting down the days for Morocco and furiously revisiting my Arabic. Apparently, Moroccan rail fares are quite cheap. For instance, it costs around twenty US for a round trip ticket from Rabat to Tangiers and the ferry crossing to Spain. I'm toying with the idea of spending Thanksgiving in Seville so I can finally visit Spain and get a bit more traveling under my belt. If Algiers wasn't fraught with danger, I might consider more African trips.

Regardless of that, I wanted to share a site I like to check. One of the websites I check daily includes the Consumerist. They collect a small sampling of deals as well as stories that relate to consumer fraud as well as other subjects that pertain to the motor of our economy. The site follows a typical formula of exposing the comedic ignorance of corporations and merging it with important consumer information. It doesn't do everything, but it's not a bad place for deals.

Troubling Revelations on the Velociraptor's Hunting Skills

2009-09-28T12:00:00.000-07:00

It turns out the raptor wasn't as deadly as Sam Neil led us to believe in Jurassic Park. From the Raptor Fact of the Day:

So you know those large sickle-shaped claws Velociraptors have on their hindfeet? Of course, everyone does. Well, once upon a time paleontologists thought the claws were used to disembowel the raptors' prey—certainly that was the working theory in Jurassic Park. But now a new study by Phil Manning of the University of Manchester has found that, sadly, no, the Velociraptor's claws simply weren't sharp enough to tear rip open dinosaur flesh. Instead, biomechanical analysis suggests the raptors used the claws to scale trees, from which they'd pounce down on other dinosaurs and cling tight with their sickle claws, biting and killing all the while.

Trading a Missile Shield for Sanctions

2009-09-26T05:25:00.000-07:00

Obama launched an eager push at the United Nations and at the G-20 gathering in Pittsburgh to foster international resolve on punishing Iran for its nuclear energy and purported nuclear weapon program. Even though US intelligence failed to locate any evidence of a weapons program, the disclosure of a new uranium enrichment facility in Qom scares the bejesus out of the Americans, British, French, and Israelis. As Juan Cole points out, however, the Qom installation is suspicious but should not be regarded as a sure sign of a nuclear weapons program. Nor should it it swell the drum beats for war. At Foreign Policy, Marc Lynch believes that the Obama administration engineered a successful first diplomatic strike at the UN and in Pittsburgh that will fast-track sanctions or other international efforts to dismantle Iran's quickening pace. A WINEP fellow and FP Shadow Government contributor, Michael Singh, offers guarded praise for the initial efforts. Despite some sun, he forecasts red skies at morning if Obama and the US' allies cannot rein in Iran over the course of the next few months.

If Obama can draw Russia into agreement on imposing new sanctions, then he plucked a thorn from the bear's paw and demonstrated why an effective diplomatic agenda requires compromise over issues that threaten your dancing partner. (As an aside, my friend Nate Matlock commented that I could have been more explicit in the thorn post. Poland and the Czech Republic are NATO member countries and thus are shielded by a collective security agreement and have little to fear from a direct Russian attack. Thanks, Nate.) The question centers on China's support or rejection of the American, British, French, and Israeli movement. After the tire tariff, the US and China are in a minor spat with President Hu Jintao voicing his displeasure with the US trade decision. The Daily Beast's Mark McKinnon--a self-avowed free market and radical free trader--is fretting over the Obama administration's precedent and worries that an impending trade war will result from Obama's bows to scary big labor. Oh, you innocent free traders. Similar to those who apotheosize neoliberal free trade, McKinnon attacks organized labor (how can we shackle the free market? do you hate freedom?) and neglects to shed light on Chinese policies that might disagree with his unblemished ideals of free and fair competition. I've stated my opinions on these utopian flights of fancy, so I won't beat a dead horse.

The Obama administration will need to organize an effective diplomatic coalition in the P5 if they don't want the Chinese to veto sanctions. The Chinese are unlikely to jump on board without some inducement or pressure. Gal Luft, writing for the Harvard Middle East Strategy blog, suggests that the Chinese won't be plied away easily as they stand to gain from a proposed natural gas pipeline named Nabucco. Even though I'm not wild on his political views, Luft's writing on energy are fantastic. The Chinese have demonstrated their keen aptitude in natural resource diplomacy and leveraging their resources. (McKinnon and his orthodox pals don't seem to register any indignation with Chinese actions in such cases, apparently. But that Employee Free Choice Act, it's a sure sign of economic ruin.) Luft's cautionary rhetoric aside, he delineates the steps the US should take to prevent the pipeline from crossing Pakistan into India and through to China. It's worth questioning if the US has the power to accomplish that goal as its position in Afghanistan grows more precarious by the day, and it's worth wondering if the US can convince the Pakistanis--and by extension India and China--that it's not in their vested interest to push for the pipeline. (Luft says no in an August FP piece on the foolishness of gas sanctions for Iran.) We're entering a new, exciting period of resource diplomacy, and energy concerns will assume a center spot in any discussion on sanctions over Iran's nuclear program and if President Obama can swing President Hu onto the bandwagon.

Tire Tariff and Free Trade, Neoliberal Economics

2009-09-23T08:54:00.001-07:00

The steelworkers union scored a coup recently with the tariff on Chinese tires, and the United Steelworkers have a large appetite for leveling imbalances in the facade of free trade. Pointing out that Chinese companies receive lucrative subsidies and a host of state support, the steelworkers convinced the commerce department and the executive branch to place a thirty-five percent tax on Chinese tires. Obama recognizes that, in some ways, he owes his victory to unions and if he wants to win in Ohio and Pennsylvania, he will back their requests. As United Steelworkers president Leo Gerard pointed out, Chinese companies benefit from state intervention and support. To further illustrate this point, the final installment in the NYT's series Uneasy Engagement--which reports on the "stresses and strains of China’s emergence as a global power"--found that state companies and corporations headed by influential politicians or their relatives were linked to corrupt business tactics in Africa. Far from relying on fair strategies, the Chinese government and its businesses (the same as the Americans and most world powers) utilizes its leverage and financial resources to enrich itself and state companies regardless of the cost. It's silly to believe that they play the game with any other intention.

As one could guess, economists are decrying the tariff and warning of protectionism battles that threaten the inviolable doctrine of free trade. It's all well and good if you're preaching free trade in an economics classroom or from an executive's chair in a conference room, but the utopia of neoliberal free trade doesn't pay off for millions of Americans and hundreds of millions more across the world. My complaint about macroeconomics is that they fail to address the social cost and how free trade can eviscerate the working-class. Recently, in Paul Krugman's piece in the NYT Magazine, How did Economists Get it So Wrong, he blasted macro econ profs for, ultimately, their ignorance and reliance upon faulty quantitative models that distanced economists in academia, government, and the private sector from reality. While it won't surprise anyone, he lumps the majority of blame on neoclassical economists from the University of Chicago school ("freshwater economists") who dismissed Keynesian economics roundly. (As an aside, in a blog entry on Conscience of a Liberal, Krugman shares that Chicago economists did not enjoy his jeremiad. In typical fashion, Krugman doesn't give a rat's ass.)

Krugman credits the saltwater economists--the camp which he falls in as well as Brad DeLong--for keeping the Keynesian flame alive, and he advocates for dropping byzantine Planglossian modeling and a shift toward behavioral economics to grasp how and why economists function. Behavioral economics might offer a path to reduce volatility and put a necessary end to dreamy concepts such as credit derivative swaps.

I'm not an economist and I don't play one on TV or popular press outlets. I agree with Krugman and I think he's correct for pointing out that the profession as a whole requires an intellectual overhaul. However, his article never mentions how people encounter the Great Recession and similar horrific contractions. People appear as abstract, generalized concepts rather than individuals who suffer, lose, or marginally benefit. Economists are divorced from social consequences, which is why I'm pleased that the Obama administration acted in concert with the Steelworkers' requests. The obvious rejoinder is that macro economic methodology doesn't permit for such a narrow focus, which is the preserve of micro economics or social scientists. Fine, but it fails to explain why America's leading economists advance theory and policy that benefit a small section of a population and neglects to help the majority of people and often hurts them in pursuit of lofty ideas of streamlined free trade and GDP increases.

The question returns to a simple inquiry: who benefits and at what cost?

Labor and Changing of the Guard

2009-09-20T08:47:00.000-07:00

John Sweeney retired from his post as the head of the AFL-CIO, and former AFL-CIO Rick Trumka will steer the nation's most prominent labor organization. As Harold Myerson writes in the WaPo, Sweeney presided over a period where labor faced setbacks and declining numbers, some of which produced SEIU and other unions to split and from the AFL-CIO. Sweeney, as Myerson points out, deserves credit for repositioning labor as a central player in the Democratic Party and a liberal coalition as well as the initial gains on EFCA. If EFCA passes--and it has a better shot of doing so now that card check is gone--Trumka's priority must be to be swing the AFL-CIO's field operations into action and commence one of the largest organizing movements in recent history.

If EFCA makes it through Congress and to the president, it will come at a crucial moment. As I commented in conservative opposition to teabag central, the working-class' income shrank during the Bush years and unions represent a powerful way to restore the flagging earning potential of those in many industries which are now working-class that exist outside the traditional conception of the industrial blue collar man. In a piece blasting the Tea Party and its appeal to the working-class, Timothy Egan asks why none of the self-proclaimed patriots opposed the Bush tax cuts, corporate greed and perfidy, the Bush decision to save finance capitalism, or why the majority of Americans failed to benefit after eight years. In essence, Egan ponders why the working-class votes against its interests and empowers politicians and trashy talk show hosts who advocate a system that advances an economic system that limits their ability to prosper. It's a fair question and one that defies an easy answer when anti-government drums are beaten and laced with populist resentment for ratings.

Crappy Taxidermy

2009-09-17T09:37:00.000-07:00

Once again, internet, you never fail to amaze with gems such as Crappy Taxidermy.

CHUPACABRA!!! RUN FOR YOUR LIFE

Pulling the Thorn from the Bear's Paw: Terminating the Eastern Europe Missile Shield

2009-09-17T07:02:00.000-07:00

The Obama administration announced today that it is formally ending the Eastern Europe anti-ballistic missile shield with planned installations in the Czech Republic and Poland to intercept potential Iranian missiles. According to the NYT, the administration will base missiles in Turkey and in seaborne craft after recent intelligence indicated that the Iranian government chose to develop short-range and intermediate missiles rather than long-range missiles.

This story first appeared a couple of weeks ago, so it's not terribly surprising. Even though this policy correction will please Putin and Medvedev, it sends a clear signal to Ukraine, Georgia, the Czech Republic, and Poland that the US is placing it's national security priorities higher than the fears of a new iron curtain, even in the wake of last year's Georgian/South Ossetia conflict. However, it's doubtful that the Obama administration is leaving these states high and dry without any arms or potential security commitments.

Nordin Top Dead?

2009-09-17T06:58:00.001-07:00

Another report from Indonesia that police killed Nordin M. Top last night. The national police chief referred to his death as a Ramadan blessing. It's a relief for the US after the raid in Somalia that resulted in the death of Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan.

He'll never allow her to forgot this moment.

2009-09-16T06:52:00.000-07:00

Roger Federer Makes Impossible Shot

2009-09-14T08:31:00.000-07:00

He could work for a carnival if this whole tennis thing doesn't work out.

Conservative Opposition to Teabag Central

2009-09-14T06:48:00.000-07:00

(Admittedly, the cartoon doesn't relate solely to this post.) Somewhat to my surprise, a faction inside the GOP are voicing their rejection of the anti-Obama and anti-government fervor. Peter Wallsten in the LAT reports that a smattering of Republicans view the fringe elements as irresponsible. Then again, there are those who draw the wrong conclusions, such as one of McCain's former spokesman during the campaign, Michael Goldfarb. Drawing parallels to 2006 and 2008, Goldfarb asks "'do we look crackpot? Yes' and he misses the point by alleging "but that's how the left looked to me in 2004, and in 2006 they took back Congress. Then they started marginalizing the lunatics." The leftest wing of the Democratic party didn't mobilize the voting populous. It was Bush's failed foreign policy and his economic policies. A story in the Atlantic plumbs the census records from the Bush administration and finds:

"While Bush was in office, the median household income declined, poverty increased, childhood poverty increased even more, and the number of Americans without health insurance spiked. By contrast, the country's condition improved on each of those measures during Bill Clinton's two terms, often substantially."

Goldfarb is walking away with the wrong lesson and seems oblivious to the nature of the teabag protests. That's not to say that some of the issues raised aren't troubling to Democratic hopefuls in 2010, but waves of people aren't going to switch their voting habits due to fears of czars, racist claims, Nazi detention camps, a wildly hysterical birth certificate pursuit, and other crazy ideas promulgated in the bowels of Glenn Beck's ratings-driven crusade. As the Daily Beast's John Avalon discovered this weekend after inquiring why a woman carried a Confederate flag:

"I asked her why she was carrying the Stars and Bars to the rally. 'Because I’m from the South…It has nothing to do with slavery. People think it means slavery. That’s not what it stood for. It stood for the Union.' Somewhere, Lincoln just threw up."

If that isn't scary and something to walk away from, I don't know what is. McCain showed some responsibility last year by denying a woman's claim that Obama was an Arab, which drew boos from an audience along a campaign stop. It's time for the GOP to do the same thing. It's doubtful that it will occur as they tend to view this through Goldfarb's prism of short-term political gain rather than a cancerous lesion.

Look at the Happy Teabaggers

2009-09-13T08:42:00.001-07:00

An article in today's NYT covers the protests held yesterday in DC to oppose the Obama administration and government at large. Jeff Zeleny's piece, Thousands Attend Broad Protest of Government, wavers between exposing the disgusting aspects of the protests and calmly disarming the teabaggers with pats on the head: "While there was no shortage of vitriol among protesters, there was also an air of festivity"; "...still many demonstrators expressed their views without a hint of rage." The paragraph following the latter quote starts with a benign, blithe quote that illustrates the protesters' passivity, "'I want Congress to be afraid.'" Another example in the same story told of costumed teabaggers that donned Revolutionary era garb "calling for revolution." Dick Armey's FreedomWorks and Glenn Beck's 912 Project publicized the gathering and trumped the number of people that came out to listen to speakers and blast the president with cries of "liar, liar, liar"--voicing the refrain made popular after Joe Wilson's insulting heckle to President Obama during the health care speech.

I find the comparisons and likenesses of Obama and Hitler particularly odious. However, folks on the left weren't above trotting out the same analogy with Bush, so I am reluctant to categorically admonish the teabaggers as aberrants that crossed an uncrossable line. However, to treat the demonstrators as happy-go-lucky folks who dispense homespun, folksy wisdom in a peaceful fashion waters down their negative potential. A wealth of evidence from gun-toting protesters, racist signs, and those advocating bloody revolution doesn't paint a sunny picture. Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols--my neighbor to the south at the Supermax in Florence--demonstrated how a small cell of radicals can perpetrate a massive crime that murders innocents in the name of freedom and fear of the government.

Nothing will, hopefully, come of this outburst of hysteria and this trend will fizzle as the economy rebounds and people (in and out of government) accept Obama's presidency. Wilson's scream prompted Maureen Dowd to acknowledge the root cause and settle on a disappointing truth: "some people just can’t believe a black man is president and will never accept it." Although Dowd targets the fine track record of South Carolinians of late, her comments extend to cover some of those in the teabagger movement and the GOP who seem content to fan the flames for political gain.

In case you want more photos to sate your desires, here's a flickr page that features a hall of shame and several other appropriately named galleries. You won't be disappointed with gems such as these:

The Passion of the '97

2009-09-08T12:56:00.000-07:00

From 8/6/97 Riverport Amphitheater, St. Louis. This is the second clip of that night's You Enjoy Myself. This version wasn't the best of the tour or hardly the year. It reminded me, however, of what I saw in the band that night and how I left the show inspired and craving more, more, more. Even though the video isn't the best quality, the audio doesn't disappoint.

Meet at the Union Hall: Labor Day 2009 & EFCAs Chances

2009-09-07T07:12:00.000-07:00

In the wake of Great Railroad Strike of 1877 and Chicago's 1886 Haymarket Affair, labor affairs in the United States encountered fierce opposition courtesy of federal, state, municipal, and corporate forces that linked the working-class to radicalism. Turn of the century labor unrest initiated waves of anti-radicalism and fears of communist/socialist encroachments in the working-class that fueled suppression by national guards, police forces, and corporate hired thugs. So in 1894 when President Grover Cleveland and Congress enshrined a holiday for the working-class, they did not select the day recognized by workers around the world (May 1, to commemorate Haymarket). Instead, he opted for the first Monday in September, which was also proposed by several labor unions. Cleveland's and Congress' decision is one part in the long history of anti-radicalism in the United States.

Since, the plight of the American working-class and organized labor reached dizzying yet fleeting heights and, largely, pits of suppression. Neoliberalism, recessions in the 1970s and early 1980s, and President Ronald Reagan's PATCO firing eviscerated the working-class and its traditional support of organized labor. Corporations and politicians stripped the working-class of any political power with a skillful propaganda campaign that altered the debate by sullying the idea of a working-class (instead we have an amorphous "middle class" that consists of the working-class) and sharpening the tools of union busting. The result? The top 20% of Americans own 80% of the wealth in this country and the bottom 80's wages have moved negligibly from the 1970s. With wealth comes political power, as William Domhoff argues.

SEIU, AFL-CIO, and a host of labor allies recognized the singular opportunity they face with a Democratic Congress and an ally in the White House--the latter of which raked money in from SEIU. So this coalition pushed Congress to reckon with the Employees' Free Choice Act (EFCA) and card check. Card check is dead and won't return. A friend and I discussed card check and he voiced the fear of an anti-democratic procedure foisted on workers, which is a legitimate concern. However, as he and most others don't know, employers are the ones who undertake a deliberately un-democratic tack. They receive fines for obstructing union drives and have the clear upper hand to use pressure in the work place through firing, suspension, forced attendance at anti-union classes, and intimidation, unlike organized labor. By all accounts the future of EFCA will alter the speed at which elections are held and unions' rights to meet with workers, as well monitoring of employers' tactics to prevent a unionization drive.

However, after a bloody August for the administration and Democrats, what is EFCA's fate? As Gallup found in a recent poll, support for organized labor took a substantial dive in the past year.

In 2008, Gallup reported a 59% positive view of unions. Their recent poll found that level at 48%.
The poll found that 46% of Americans view unions as mostly hurting companies, and 45% believe they mostly help.
Even worse, 51% of respondents said that unions hurt the economy, and merely 39% said they helped. For comparative purposes, the totals were flipped in 2006.

These figures are troubling for unions and their democratic allies as they prepare for the 2010 mid-term elections and the possibility of passing EFCA. Health care will pass--even if it's denuded of actual reform. EFCA is questionable in these economic times with horrible employment figures projected for the future and as pundits such as Charlie Cook portend doom for the Democratic Party next year. As I've said on here in the past, this is the working-class' opportunity. Neither Presidents Jimmy Carter or Bill Clinton stood up for labor and, if history is a guide, it's doubtful in times of prosperity that labor reform will pass.

And if you need a refresher on why conservatives despise unions and the working-class, read Jerry Agar's column on Townhall: Labor Day - I'm not Celebrating.

One last addition: President Obama delivered a Labor Day speech at the AFL-CIO picnic in Cincinnati. He comments on EFCA at the very end with five sentences voicing his support of EFCA, which is less than he spoke on Lilly Ledbetter.

If You Believe that it's Somehow Unhealthy for the President to Say Work Hard and Stay in School, You're Stupid.

2009-09-04T11:16:00.000-07:00

I don't know if I have anything to add.

Matthew B. Crawford, Shop Class as Soulcraft

2009-09-04T10:24:00.001-07:00

Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry into the Value of Work, 2009.

The University of Chicago tradition of training scholars is alive and well, as Matthew Crawford's book demonstrates as he bends and dips between an esoteric philosophical exegesis on labor and his gear head biography. I doubt he would react in anger with the latter description of his book. Indeed, one of the goals of this little book (clocking in at 210 pages on such a nuanced topic) is advocating for the restoration of trade-based education, even if the skill does not determine a person's occupation.

Crawford borrows on Martin Heidegger and a slew of other philosophers to examine what "work" or "labor" consists of today as well as in the past. Stepping back to the scientific management of Frederick Winslow Taylor, in short order he traces the contours of American labor history before slicing apart contemporary jobs that departed from a skill-based profession. Knowing a skill or trade is not only lucrative, it restores agency and infuses our lives with meaning. Unlike his deadening job as an abstract writer or the head of a DC think tank, repairing motorcycles infused his life with purpose in the recognizable way that he hears in the motorcycles he fixed or the jocular rapport of a work shop. A culture that glorifies report card As and the knowledge worker is one of his principle enemies, and he persuasively explains why they've generated nothing more than people who fashion hollow products such as a grade or a promotion.

I'm stuck wondering if this work is dialectical or a simple exploration of a dichotomy. He achieves his goal of explaining why we should restore shop class to the nation's education portfolio. In doing so, he rescues mechanics and the working-class from an economy and learning environment that privileges the knowledge worker as the highest plain of professions. He picks that argument apart and reveals its bankruptcy, partially with his own story of being employed as a knowledge worker. He doesn't romanticize working, rather he celebrates the opportunities it brings to learn about yourself and the way of the world.

Now on to the problems. I find myself agreeing with Crawford rather than disagreeing, so my complaints don't target his argument. In fact, I know plenty of people who would agree with this book if he stated his thesis simply. This isn't a simple book. It's a philosophical treatment of labor and the value it instills. The prose is chalky at points and he veers a bit before arriving at a conclusion. It wasn't an easy read, despite the limited page count, so I think it bears questioning who is the audience? If he is reaching out to middle-class parents who want nothing more than their children to succeed and have fewer professional options than to send their kids off to college, then his approach is troubled.

Finally, for all the negative comments on academia and knowledge workers, Crawford is a fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture at the University of Virginia. I believe he still runs his motorcycle shop, and everyone needs to find gainful employment to survive so I don't think this smacks of hypocrisy. Nevertheless, he's gone back to the warm waters of academia that tend to shelter rather than an expose one to the unpredictable employment winds of working-class life.

My criticisms aside, his general elevation of trade based learning and professions is well argued, even if I question its accessibility. It certainly isn't for light reading and shouldn't be a vacation book.

Tomato Line Up

2009-09-02T20:07:00.000-07:00

Here are photos of all of our tomatoes except the Black From Tula, which we ate earlier and are back in green.

Left to Right: Green Zebra, Brandywine (x2), Cherokee Purple (x3)

Green Zebra: with few seeds and robust meat, they are packed with flavor and it's fun to eat a ripe green fruit. This is the second Zebra that was snipped from the vine and the jury's still out with ten to fifteen on the vine.

Brandywine: these are the first two, and the right one will reach its peak on the window sill. We've been battling bug and slugs and I chose to pull it rather than risk losing one of our only two Brandywines.

Cherokee Purple: our favorite. Bursting with tomato goodness, the Purples reach decent- to large-size with purple hues and dark reds. Their fragrant smell is everything you want from a ripe tomato that defines how a tomato should taste, feel, and smell. In other words, it's a sensual experience. And, admittedly, one that I'm romanticizing, but with good reason.

Sugar Cookies

2009-09-02T07:28:00.000-07:00

Max and Benny's in Northbrook is baking cookies with famous faces from Chicago and nationally that taste quite good. My mom sent us to these but she reported that Sarah Palin, Ozzie Guillen, and a few Bears personalities grace the popular cookies. If I'm choosing cookies, sugar is one of the last options I select unless they're fresh. Haunting memories of dry, insipid Jewel sugar cookies with disgusting frosting still linger as I age. Fresh sugar cookies are a delight, but hard to come by unless you're present at the creation. The Obama and Lou Piniella were phenomenal and survived the thousand mile trip in immaculate shape and retained their flavor. I don't know if this is some form of a product endorsement--since no one I know will drive to Northbrook for cookies unless you're already there--but I felt like sharing since I can't scare up other ideas to keep the Raptor Space from devolving into the internet representation of a super-market sugar cookie.

Michael Pollan on the Whole Foods Boycott

2009-08-30T09:38:00.000-07:00

Author and foodie extraordinaire Michael Pollan weighed in on the Whole Foods boycott over CEO and Libertarian/Free Market enthusiast John Mackey's opposition to a public option or health care reform. Mackey also opposes labor reform, which will be an issue next year if labor has any shot of improving the ability of American workers to organize. Pollan's judgment on this whole brouhaha? Bunch of hooey hooey:

So Mackey is wrong on health care, but Whole Foods is often right about food, and their support for the farmers matters more to me than the political views of their founder. I haven’t examined the political views of all the retailers who feed me, but I can imagine having a lot of eating problems if I make them a litmus test.

ETA: I stumbled across this blog Obama Foodorama with recipes (including a Kennedy family lobster stew) and analysis of food politics under the Obama administration.

Grilled Pizza Diaries

2009-08-25T18:25:00.001-07:00

Tonight was peach, prosciutto, goat cheese, and rosemary pizzas, recipe courtesy of epicurious. They turned out well and certainly didn't disappoint after a stressful day of obsessing over insurance for the missus. There is, however, always room for improvement:

1. I tend to use too much flour on the bottom when rolling out the dough and then transferring it to a baking sheet. In essence, it gets floured twice and a slightly gritty bottom develops. The taste of grilled flour isn't my favorite. Don't get me wrong, it doesn't inhibit the meal. I need to work on that misstep and it seems rather easy to remedy for the future.

2. The pizzas needed more ingredients. I brushed the pizzas with olive oil before applying the toppings in the following order: rosemary, prosciutto, peaches, and goat cheese. The result was a sparser pizza than I preferred, and more of everything would round out the pizza as a meal.

3. Possibly adding pepper and a dash of salt when coating the tops with olive oil could've brought out some further flavor. Maybe, maybe not. Uncertain on this one.

2009-08-25T15:40:00.000-07:00

Is HRC Revolutionizing American Foreign Policy?

2009-08-25T08:09:00.000-07:00

Secretary of State Clinton is a lightning rod for criticism and praise as she commandeers the levers of US foreign policy. She's now seven months into the job and some are starting to score her work so far. If there was an A++, David Rothkopf would assign HRC such a lofty grade. Leaving little to the imagination, Rothkopf writes that she's quietly revolutionizing foreign policy. I like Secretary Clinton, and her choice of Anne-Marie Slaughter was impressive. When I read the article on Sunday, however, I rolled my eyes at his saccharine review of her first few months at State. He's correct on several points, especially how the media focuses on her attire and attitude rather than some of her accomplishments. I'm troubled by several elements of his article. Notably, I don't believe that the Obama administration is reinventing the diplomacy wheel, regardless of how well I think HRC might be performing. Rothkopf isn't winning me or a variety of people as fans when he praises this strategy: "In the same vein, she has opened up Cuba to American telecommunications companies and reached out to India's private sector on energy cooperation -- showing that this administration will seek to advance national interests by tapping the self-interests of the business community." ETA: On Monday, Rothkopf participated in a chat based on his article. You can read the transcript here.

From the other side of the aisle, enterprising Christian Brose obliterates Rothkopf for his head in the sand stance on the Bush administration's foreign policy. Writing on the blog Shadow Government at ForeignPolicy.com, Brose sinks his canines into Rothkopf's millennial article. In an appropriately titled post (What is David Rothkopf Smoking?) Brose picks apart the paen to Hillary and, with sufficient evidence, demonstrates how the Obama administration is in part picking up where Bush and Rice left off. (Of course, one could say that Bush utilized networks Clinton created, and Clinton capitalized on the Bush I admin's work at the end of the Cold War...but that could be a stretch.) With Bush and Rice, the US led the way on significant multilateral efforts to bridge the gap between the United States' long-term waning power and what Fareed Zakaria dubbed the "rise of the rest." It would be disingenuous to ignore the Bushies' accomplishments, some of which Bose helped foster.

In the closing paragraphs, he questions whether Obama and Secretary Clinton will elicit more progress than Bush due to the nature of international politics consisting of nation-states who fervently press their own interests over neighbors or allies. And while he's got a point, the administration he worked under embarked on those initiatives after thumbing their nose at world opinion, and there's room to question how seriously the folks on Pennsylvania Avenue and in Foggy Bottom took multilateral or UN endeavors to broker peace or prosperity abroad. Possibly Bush and Rice helped to create the scaffolding for a multipolar direction of US policy in the future. Nevertheless, they didn't do much to strengthen the foundation and accomplish lasting improvements thanks to the militaristic thrust of US diplomacy under Bush. No one wanted to and few could work with Bush, which was the product of the Bush administration's demeanor and not the zero-sum game that is international affairs. When one of your biggest fans is Mikheil Saakashvili, you've got problems.

It's too early to pass judgment on the Obama administration's diplomacy. It's obvious that contradictions exist as well as legacies from the Bushies persist despite Obama's and HRC's out with the old rhetoric. And what Bose neglects to discuss is how State suffered losses to the Pentagon, and it appears that the Obama administration is returning (albeit slower than I would prefer) the rightful control of diplomacy to the professionals and not the generals, as even Defense Secretary Gates proposed. So where are we?

Tomatoes and theTotal Eclipse of the Summer

2009-08-22T07:19:00.000-07:00

One of the greatest pleasures of late summer are, for me, fresh tomatoes, peaches, and apples. (Product endorsement coming at you.) Ela Family Farms' western slope peaches and apples are the delight of this time of year. They aren't the cheapest peaches you'll find, but the taste more than makes up for the initial cost. The same goes with their apples.

We're happy to report that our tomatoes--the ones that exploded and took on the form of an invasive, aggressive species--produced a decent initial yield. Judging by the number of green and small tomatoes on the vine, we're hopeful that the next few weeks will bring us an abundance of fruit. Thus far, the Cherokee Purple remains our favorite. The Black from Tula have a subtle taste that is fine and dandy, yet not as overflowing with flavor. We're waiting on the Green Zebra and the Brandywines. When we call it quits, I will write on different approaches and aspects we would change next year.

We visited my family in Chicago last weekend. The wound, as expected, annoyed me throughout the trip and walking proved difficult under the slightly strained circumstances. Even though the Cubs' season is over, and possibly still-born in March/April, they walloped the Pirates 17-2. The game was, in essence, completed by the second inning. Practice runs for the Chicago Air and Water Show lived up to expectations as various jets zoomed, zipped, and buzzed the crowded Wrigley--the highest attendance of the season.

In other news, I bought airfare to Morocco for 7 Nov - 20 Dec. I'm enrolling in an Arabic language institute in Rabat for approximately four weeks. The blog won't settle into a moribund state, I hope, and I will try to update as time permits with photos. In the next few weeks my goal is to return to a bit more analytical posts. Other than that, all's quiet on the western front.

Barney Frank Shoots Down Ignorant Comparison of Obama to Hitler

2009-08-19T07:23:00.001-07:00

Comparing the President to Hitler for reforming health care. Seriously? From thinkprogress and John Willis,

QUESTION: Why do you continue to support a Nazi policy as Obama has expressly supported this policy? Why are you supporting it? [...]

FRANK: On what planet do you spend most of your time? … You want me to answer the question? Yes. You stand there with a picture of the President defaced to look like Hitler and compare the effort to increase health care to the Nazis. My answer to you is, as I said before, it is a tribute to the First Amendment that this kind of vile, contemptible nonsense is so freely propagated.