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Thursday, December 31, 2009

Norris McDonald: Diary Of An Environmentalist

PRESIDENT'S CORNER

By Norris McDonald

Ah the 21st Century. You can publish your own autobiography. So I did. See excerpt below:

I started as a young man in his mid twenties and now I am a man in his mid fifties. I went looking for a job on Capitol Hill in 1979 after I graduated from Wake Forest University. I answered an ad in The Washington Post to work for an environmental group. It was two blocks from Capitol Hill so I figured it would be a good stepping stone to getting a job in a congressional office. I was just delighted to be in the political power center of the world. I had no idea at that time that I would make a career out of working on environmental and energy issues.

Now I have been working as an environmentalist for over 30 years. I have been committed to being a good steward to our planet and to work for improvements in local neighborhoods. It has been gratifying and I am delighted to have found my calling in life. Of course, life throws you curve balls that makes it interesting. I did not anticipate becoming a chronic, acute asthmatic and a single parent. Plus, my personal worldview has probably limited my success, but I would not change it because it is rooted in my belief in God.

12 Days of Christmas Quiz - Day 8

Scripture Verse. No. 2.
1. It contains a command of God.
2. The command was given to one mentioned by our Lord with "the prophets"; the scribes and Pharisees were said to sit in his seat. and Stephen was accused of speaking “blasphemous words” against him.
3. The command is strange, and seems a dangerous one to obey.
4. It alludes to a living creature which had a very short existence.
5. One particular part of the creature is mentioned.
6. The command is obeyed, and the danger disappears.
7. The command had been preceded by a question and a. miracle, and the obedience is followed by three other miracles and a promise; yet complaint, not faith, is the result.
8. The first six words are very often repeated in the same book, and frequently stand at the head of chapters.
9. It contains mention of a common possession, which afterwards became a sign of great power associated with the name of God.
10. It contains thirty-three words, and is in the early part of a chapter of more than thirty verses.

Answer tomorrow in the comments.

NY Mayor Bloomberg to promote immigration reform

Immigration reform will need lots of help, NYC's mayor will be a good supporter of President Obama's plan. - - Donna Poisl

by Daniel Trotta

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg pledged on Friday to promote a more open U.S. immigration policy during his third term, much as he made a campaign against illegal guns a hallmark of his second term.

"With leaders from across the country, we will assemble a bipartisan coalition to support President Obama's call for comprehensive immigration reform that honors our history, upholds our values, and promotes our economy," Bloomberg said upon being sworn in for his third term as mayor.
Click on the headline to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.

Obama Readying Immigration Overhaul Despite Political Risks

Immigration reform is still on the agenda for 2010, a brave move for a political party. A path to citizenship is part of the plan, let's hope it passes and does not prove too costly for the administration. - - Donna Poisl

WASHINGTON - The punishing battle over healthcare is still unresolved, but the Obama administration is quietly laying plans to take up another issue that could generate even more controversy and political division--a major overhaul of the nation's immigration system.

Already, senior White House aides have privately assured Latino activists that the president will back legislation in 2010 to provide a road to citizenship for the estimated 12 million undocumented workers now living in the United States.
Click on the headline to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.

Births, international immigration key to Iowa’s slow population growth

Low birthrate and low immigration means Iowa will lose a congressional seat. - - Donna Poisl

By Lynda Waddington

From July 2008 to July 2009 Iowa’s population increased by only 13,869 residents, most of them newly born Iowans or immigrants from abroad, according to new estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Politically, this spells bad news for the Hawkeye State, as it stands to lose one of its five congressional seats during the 2010 redistricting that follows the census.

Despite the fact that Iowa is growing, its rate is slower than the U.S. overall and most other states. Nevada, the fastest growing state, is estimated to have a 32.3 percent increase since the census. Iowa, with its current state estimated population of just over 3 million, increased by only 2.8 percent.
Click on the headline to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.

'Complementarity' & 'Circularity': New Words Fuel Immigration Debate

Immigration reform and economic recovery are connected, this will be an interesting debate. Let's hope it is civil and successful. - - Donna Poisl

New America Media, News analysis, Marcelo Ballvé

With a national debate on the impact of foreign workers on jobs and the economy heating up for 2010, it’s time to brush up on some relevant policy jargon. Two words in particular – “complementarity” and “circularity” – seem to have caught the attention of experts, as legislators prepare to consider a new immigration reform bill introduced by Rep. Luis Gutiérrez, D-Ill.

“Complementarity” refers to an immigrant workforce that fills niches and roles that complements rather than competes with what U.S.-born workers are offering. For immigration advocates, it’s a fancy way of saying that, even in economic hard times, immigrant workers perform jobs that Americans prefer not to do.
Click on the headline to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.

The Life Antarctic: Crossing the Continent


Jon Bowermaster continues his journey through Antarctica, sending back dispatches to his blog, sharing his thoughts on the place that has become quite important to him on a personal level.

A few days back, Jon posted a story about his first journey to Antarctica, 20 years ago as part of an assignment for National Geographic. Jon joined Polar legend Will Steger and Jean-Louis Etienne, as they completed an epic 3741 mile journey across the frozen continent by dog sled. It would become the first successful journey of its kind and the last by dog sled.

Of great interest are a couple of journal entries from Will from the last week of 1989, exactly 20 years ago, in which he discusses some day-to-day issues with the expedition, including his flagging dog team and thoughts on acclimatizing to the conditions. His December 25th entry marked the team's 152nd day out on the ice, a true testament to the endurance necessary to complete such an amazing journey.

Jon notes that they are preparing a book on the expedition to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the crossing. It sounds like it'll be quite the interesting read, so keep your eyes open for it in the near future.

Also, a big thanks to Jon for reposting one of my Antarctic expedition updates from a few days back. It is much appreciated! :)

Thoughts on Everest: Beyond The Limit Season 3


Discovery Channel's third season of Everest: Beyond The Limit began airing this past Sunday, and subsequently finished up last night. The show did offer some amazing views of the mountain, and showed aspects of high altitude mountaineering, but personally I felt that it was mere shadow of its former self, and mostly ended up being a disappointment for me.

In the previous two seasons of the show, Discovery followed teams that were led by Russell Brice's Himex guide service on the North Side of the Mountain, located in Tibet. With the third season, the focus shifted to the South Side of Everest, found in Nepal. Brice's team returned, but the show also added climbers from Eric Simonson's IMG squad to the mix too.

All of this was well known before the show began airing, and it all seemed rather promising, but that was because I kept thinking of the possibilities in reference to the previous two seasons. I thought it would be great to see an in depth, multi-episode show centered around the very different approach to the South Side, with two teams giving us plenty to watch. What we got instead was Everest: Beyond The Limit Lite, a show lacking the depth and focus of the previous seasons, and in many ways it seems that Discovery gave up on the program before it ever aired.

I remarked in a previous post on this blog that it was disturbing that Discovery did little in the way of promotion for the show. I could barely find any reference to it on their website, and debuting the show during the week before Christmas and New Year seems like ratings suicide. Looking at what we ended up getting, I think that was a fairly accurate assessment. I can't imagine fans of the previous two seasons being satisfied with what we've been given this year.

For example, in seasons past, we really got to know the climbers well over a series of episodes that showed them making the entire climb, including acclimatization treks up to each of the established camps on the mountain. Watching this season it seems that a climb up Everest is merely five days of incredibly challenging climbing, rather than the month plus spent preparing for a summit bid. The producers of the show really glossed over the process, focusing instead on a different climber or two each episode who are making their assault on the summit, all the while the narrating reminding us that they are moving into the most dangerous part of the mountain. We're suppose to forget that it is a different "most dangerous part of the mountain" than the last time they mentioned it.

I will commend the show for it's solid camera work, which seemed to get better as the episodes went along. It also did a decent job of breaking down the climb into easy to understand sections, accurately indicating when climbers were on the Lhotse Face, the Yellow Band, or the Hillary Step. They also did a fine job of explaining the basics of mountaineering to a mainstream audience, even if they were a bit overly dramatic at times.

Where the show really dropped the ball for me was with building any kind of chemistry with the climbers, which was previously a strength in seasons past. In Seasons 1 and 2, you really got to know, and care about, the climbers, as you watched them work really hard to go after their goal of the summit. This year, it was a brief introduction of the climbers, and then off they'd go on their climb, with little regard to connecting with the audience.

It's a shame that the show has fallen to this level. While it is still interesting to watch, it is a far cry of what it once was, and has pretty much left me disappointed in the end product. I very much doubt we'll see a Season 4.

Tragedy of Past Decade, Hope for the Next

I was 11 years old, and it was my first time back to Israel since my family had left, when I was five. We decided to visit the [Western] Wall, and I remember, clearly, being surprised by how many soldiers were there, by the flood of olive green around the ancient, cool sandstone. I asked my parents about the soldiers and they shrugged and responded, “That’s just how it is in Israel.” It was 11:00 in the morning, and the date was September 28, 2000.

I began my personal struggle to understand and make sense of Israel and the conflict with the Palestinians in what was arguably the worst decade in the history of the conflict. True, they have all been pretty bad, but what made this past decade so painful was that it followed the 1990s, its glow of optimism and potential and hope shattered by violence---and not only violence, but violence laced with despair. But, that confusing September day at the Wall prompted me to begin to learn more, and to care more; my hopes for peace were born right about when much of the world’s had died.

The past decade was marred by the blood and brutality of military raids and suicide bombs, by men with guns and murdered infants, by hopelessness and fury. The past decade was torn by war: war with the Palestinians, war with Hizballah, threats of war with Syria and talks of war with Iran, seemingly incessant war culminating in the horrors of the Gaza crisis, one year ago.

The past decade was one of desperate half-fixes, of incomplete withdrawals, of separation barriers, and of flawed reliance on the fake panacea of democratic elections. The past decade was one of international polarization, of increased talking and decreased listening, of formulas of right and wrong, at fault and blameless.

The past decade was one of American complacency, of Israeli repression, of Palestinian radicalization. The past decade was one of misery and of tragedy. And yet I refuse to believe that “That’s just how it is in Israel.” Or in Palestine. Or in our world.

We must enter this new decade not swaddled in nearly giddy hope, as many were at the beginning of the past decade, but rather cautiously hopeful, tentatively optimistic. Allow me, in a burst of such tentative optimism, to paint a picture of the potential for the next decade:

Obama and Mitchell are preparing for a new, revised and strengthened effort to get the process moving in January. Bibi, to the surprise of many, seems somewhat serious about making peace. Talks between Hamas and Israel over the release of Gilad Shalit could progress and lead to a landslide of potential: Gilad would be released in exchange for about 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. With his release, the Israeli government would lose their central rationale for the morally odious and strategically blind blockade of Gaza.

Moreover, chances are high that Marwan Barghouti would likely be released as one of the Palestinian prisoners. A reformed revolutionary with immense Palestinian street cred, there is a high chance he would take the reigns of the faltering Fatah. Barghouti also has a better shot than perhaps any Palestinian leader at forging a unity government between Hamas and Fatah. Only with such a unity government could Hamas be brought into the process as a negotiating party, and not a deal-breaker.

Avigdor Lieberman, arguably the most internationally loathed figure in the Israeli ruling coalition today, is currently on trial for complex corruption charges: his removal would have an impact both symbolically and politically, as he is the beating heart of his rightist, nationalist party. Negotiations with Syria, under already existent frameworks, could lead to peace between the two countries, and shift the dynamics of the region greatly. The Israeli-Palestinian peace process could get back underway, and perhaps this is the decade in which the dream of an independent Palestine and a safe, non-occupying Israel could finally be realized.

Let nation not lift up sword against nation, may we learn war no more. Happy New Year and may this decade be better and more peaceful than the last!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Yuengling would like to wish everyone a safe and Happy New Year. In 2009 we celebrated our 180th Anniversary year, and what a great success it was! Successes in 2009 included the seasonal return of Yuengling Bock Beer, a historic partnership with Martin Guitar, and the addition of West Virginia to our distribution area. In the marketplace there were some great promotions and events and we are looking forward to more fun with some great programs in 2010!

Everyone at Yuengling is greatly appreciative of the continued support from our loyal consumers, retailers, and wholesaler partners. As you ring in the new year tonight, raise your glass of Yuengling, and get ready for another exciting year with America's Oldest Brewery. Please enjoy the night responsibly.

DMK Burger Bar Chicago - Slick But Good



The blizzard of Dec.19th had us snowed out of NYC on our return trip from Wichita so we ended up with a 7 hour delay in Chicago. Not one to sit still, I rented a car (for $19) and we hit the city for lunch. The plan was a Chicago Triptych - Wiener's Circle for a char-dog, Superdawg Drive-In for shakes, and the new DMK Burger for burgers.

I'll dispense with the dog and shake, which were excellent of course, since this is a burger blog. I had to get to DMK after many Chicagoans told me the burgers were solid. I was also interested in DMK because 3 separate friends in Chicago informed me that the new burger hotspot was looping my film on flat-screen tvs (though no one at the restaurant asked for my permission).

The place is slick, the crowd is young, and the staff unbelievably friendly. No film of mine was on the big screens when we took a seat at the enormous bar. The burgers? Really amazing. Someone did their research for sure. The menu contained a few odd burger concoctions that I avoided but I knew the burger for me was the No.4 - A Roasted Hatch Green Chile Cheeseburger. It's no secret that when it comes to green chile I'm a stickler for details. Outside of New Mexico and Colorado no one seems to understand green chile. A green chile cheeseburger is just that and nothing more - green chile and cheese on a burger. Would DMK get it right? The burger, griddled and loose-pattied (smashed burger?) was an interpretation of said burger that included a fried egg and bacon. I asked for mine sans-egg so I could taste that green chile (Kris B's burger is pictured above with an egg).

The burger was amazing, the green chile hot, but then I noticed chopped, stewed onions in the green chile. I asked the bartender if there were onions in the green chile and got a definitive 'no'. Really? Hatch Green Chile does not need any flavor enhancers. Like an apple or a lobster, its basic taste should not be improved upon.

I'll be back, but for a straight-up cheeseburger and a beer (DMK has the best selection I've ever seen in a bar.)

DMK Burger Bar Chicago - Slick But Good



The blizzard of Dec.19th had us snowed out of NYC on our return trip from Wichita so we ended up with a 7 hour delay in Chicago. Not one to sit still, I rented a car (for $19) and we hit the city for lunch. The plan was a Chicago Triptych - Wiener's Circle for a char-dog, Superdawg Drive-In for shakes, and the new DMK Burger for burgers.

I'll dispense with the dog and shake, which were excellent of course, since this is a burger blog. I had to get to DMK after many Chicagoans told me the burgers were solid. I was also interested in DMK because 3 separate friends in Chicago informed me that the new burger hotspot was looping my film on flat-screen tvs (though no one at the restaurant asked for my permission).

The place is slick, the crowd is young, and the staff unbelievably friendly. No film of mine was on the big screens when we took a seat at the enormous bar. The burgers? Really amazing. Someone did their research for sure. The menu contained a few odd burger concoctions that I avoided but I knew the burger for me was the No.4 - A Roasted Hatch Green Chile Cheeseburger. It's no secret that when it comes to green chile I'm a stickler for details. Outside of New Mexico and Colorado no one seems to understand green chile. A green chile cheeseburger is just that and nothing more - green chile and cheese on a burger. Would DMK get it right? The burger, griddled and loose-pattied (smashed burger?) was an interpretation of said burger that included a fried egg and bacon. I asked for mine sans-egg so I could taste that green chile (Kris B's burger is pictured above with an egg).

The burger was amazing, the green chile hot, but then I noticed chopped, stewed onions in the green chile. I asked the bartender if there were onions in the green chile and got a definitive 'no'. Really? Hatch Green Chile does not need any flavor enhancers. Like an apple or a lobster, its basic taste should not be improved upon.

I'll be back, but for a straight-up cheeseburger and a beer (DMK has the best selection I've ever seen in a bar.)

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

12 Days of Christmas Quiz - Day 7

Scripture Enigma No. 2

1. It is better than gold and rubies; it was given specially to one royal personage; it has its dwelling-place with the lowly; and men are encouraged to pray for it.
2. A tree to which the Jews were compared. To the same tree in its wild state the Gentiles were afterwards likened.
3. This it is which exalteth a nation. A town in which there was a street called Straight.
4. Because of this virtue special blessings were promised to the descendants of Jonadab the son of Rechab.
5. The figure by which Christ's cleansing from sin is indicated in the prophecy of Zechariah.
6. Of two women thus employed, one shall be taken and the other left.
7. A mark of respect paid, in Joseph's dream, to his sheaf by the sheaves of his brothers; and afterwards actually paid to him by them.
8. The name by which the chief priests and Pharisees spoke of Christ when they asked. Pilate to secure His sepulchre.

The, initials form a name given to the Saviour in the Revelation, when represented as clothed in a vesture dipped in blood; and also used in the gospel and epistle of the same author the finals give a title by which Malachi prophesies the coming of Christ and that of John the Baptist.

Answer tomorrow in the comments.

Best Hike Goes To The Himalaya: Day 17


Yesterday Best Hike site editor Rick McCharles posted the final update to his ongoing series on trekking independently through the Khumbu Region of the Himalaya. Over the past few weeks, Rick has taken us from Kathmandu all the way up to Everest Base Camp, and well beyond, and it has been an enjoyable series for anyone interested in making the trek for themselves.

On Day 17 of his trek Rick makes the descent from Namche back to Lukla, where he can catch a plane back to the capital of Nepal, where he started. The highlight of the post are a series of great photos of the suspension bridges that are quite common throughout this area, but Rick says he'll miss the Buddhist monuments the most.

He also offers up some great advice with things to keep in mind if you want to hike independently in Nepal as well. Here's what Rick has to say:

•you need a minimum of 14 days. More is better.
•acclimatization to altitude is the most serious danger
•Oct-Dec weather is cold and clear
•Mar-May the weather is warmer, but skies may be overcast
•best hike is the 3 Passes, next best Everest Base Camp, third best Gokyo
•if you fly, buy your flights Kathmandu-Lukla return in Kathmandu. You can change the date of your return, if necessary.
•no need to bring camping gear, but warm clothing and sleeping bag are essential


This has been a fun series to follow and it inspires me to go even more. Hopefully in the spring! Who's with me?!? :)

Bonington Going Back To Annapurna!


British mountaineering legend Sir Chris Bonington is heading back to Annapurna, the mountain that arguably cemented his reputation as one of the preeminent high altitude climbers of his generation. He'll go back in 2010, a year of anniversaries for the mountain.

According to this story over at Wide World, which has just relaunched with a new snappy new site design, Bonington will be trekking the Annapurna Circuit with his son Joe. This will be his first trip back since 1970, when he was the expedition leader for a team that made the first successful attempt on the South Face of Annapurna. While Bonington didn't reach the summit himself, he did plan and orchestrate the expedition that did claim that new route. He did, however, top out on Annapurna II back in 1960 as part of a British Army expedition.

In the article, Sir Chris tells Wide World that the trekking route will be much the same as the one they used back in 1960, although things have obviously changed a lot since then. There was only one main road in the entire country back then, and much of Nepal remained mountain wilderness. Bonington is obviously looking forward to revisiting the place that played a huge role in his mountaineering career.

The Annapurna Massif is actually made up of a series of peaks, with Annapurna I through IV being the most prominent. The jewel of the Massif is Annapurna I, the tenth highest peak in the world at 8091 meters (26,545 feet). It was first climbed by Maurice Herzog back in 1950, making 2010 the 60th anniversary of that first ascent. It'll also be the 40th anniversary of the Bonington's team making that first ascent on the South Face, and the 50th anniversary of his first visit to the region.

Hopefully, Sir Chris will share some of his thoughts while trekking or upon his return. It would certainly be an interesting read, especially with his keen sense of history. Better yet, you can join the trek yourself! Head over to BoningtonTreks.com for more info, and pricing.

Also, if you'd like to learn more about Chris, I highly recommend the book The Boys of Everest, which is a great read about Bonington and the elite group of climbers that he climbed with. Great stuff.

New Ski Jacket Includes iPod Controls, Recco Rescue System


Outdoor gear continues to improve in a variety of ways. It is now warmer, lighter, and more durable then ever. We've seen jackets and boots that charge our devices while warming us with built in heaters, but the RLX Aerotype Jacket from Ralph Lauren may be the most practical of all.

The jacket, which generally runs $1290 but is currently on sale for $780, is not only stylish on the slopes, but also includes integrated controls for your iPod, so you always have easy access to your tunes. But perhaps even more interesting, is the inclusion of the Recco Avalanche Rescue System, which means you can shred the hill all day, in bounds or out, without fear of being lost.

The Recco System uses a special set of detectors and reflectors that allow rescue groups to pin point the location of someone buried in an avalanche in a very fast and accurate fashion. The system is employed by more than 600 organizations around the globe, and those reflectors are integrated into this jacket, ensuring a quick rescue should the need arise.

Of course, the price point of the jacket puts it well out of the range of most people, and while the integrated technology does add to the price, I get the feeling the logo on the front doesn't help either. ;)

Outside's Top Ten Adventure Stories of the Decade


With the end of 2009 now just a couple of days away, I'm sure we'll see a few more of these "Best of the Year" and "Best of the Decade" lists. The Outside Blog gets things started today with their selection of the Top 10 Adventure Stories of the Decade.

The list spans a lot of different and unique stories ranging from the likes of Aron Ralston's dramatic and controversial survival tale to Lance Armstrong making Yellow a cool color. You may recall that back in 2003, Ralston rose to fame after being trapped in the wilderness under a boulder for several days, and then cutting his own arm off to escape, and while Lance spent many days in the Yellow Jersey of the Tour de France, his iconic "Live Strong" bracelets may have been the real reason the color became so popular.

Other stories that make their list include Dean Potter's literal rise to top rock climber to BASE jumper, the continued debate in mountaineering circles about a number of issues surrounding Everest, and Kelly Slater's 41 ASP victories in surfing. The list is far reaching and covers a multitude of areas, most of which were front and center in the pages of Outside over the past ten years.

So, what do you think of their choices? A number of those wouldn't make my list, but they are interesting selections none the less, and very fitting with the magazine's audience.

Antarctic 2009: Kaspersky Team Reach The Pole!


As predicted a few days back, the first teams are now arriving at the South Pole, finishing off long and demanding journeys, while marking the beginning of the end of the Antarctic season.

The Kaspersky Commonwealth Team finished their expedition yesterday reaching the Pole as expected. The girls completed their 550+ mile journey in about 39 days. They are now resting at the South Pole Research Station, and enjoying warm beds and hot meals. The aim of this expedition has always been to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the formation of the Commonwealth, but also to celebrate the abilities of women. In the case of these seven ladies, they are hoping to serve as role models for girls in back in their home countries, and having completed this arduous journey, I'd say they have accomplished multiple goals at once.

In other arrival news, ExWeb is reporting that the Danish team of Morten Grundsøe and Jens Erik Nielsen have also reached the South Pole. The pair made their expedition in an unsupported fashion, completing the last 33.5 miles in a single 22 hour push.

Ryan Waters and Cecilie Skog posted an update two days back with the news that they are now within the last degree of the Pole. As of that dispatch, they were just 40 nautical miles from their goal, which means they are likely to finish up sometime today or early tomorrow. Looks like they'll be celebrating the New Year at the bottom of the world.

Eric Larsen's Save The Poles Expedition has moved to 88.3ºS and continues to make good time with the weather remaining clear and calm, although temperatures have been quite cold, reaching as low as -30ºF. The team is trying to conserve as much energy as possible as they head into the home stretch, as it sounds like the grind of the continuous days on the ice has begun to take its toll. On their current pace, Eric and the boys should reach the end of their journey by early next week.

Meagan McGrath reached a milestone of her own within the past few days, reaching the half-way point of her journey by crossing the 85ºS mark. She still has a long way to go yet, and she's going to be racing the clock to a degree, but she sounds like she is in great spirits and enjoying the expedition so far. Lets hope Meagan gets the opportunity to reach the Pole. She's worked hard to do so, and she still has some time to complete the journey, but she'll have to work hard to make it.

Finally, the Shackleton's Unfinished Journey Team is also closing in on the Pole. They are now within 20 miles of their goal, and are hoping to celebrate the New Year with the other teams arriving as well. Upon successful completion of the trip, 17-year old Katie Walter will become the youngest person to ski to the Pole.

Looks like it's going to be crowded at the research station over the next few days.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

12 Days of Christmas Quiz - Day 6

Scripture Character No. 2

1. He received “a present of silver and gold.”
2. He accepted a suggestion made to him to break a promise.
3. He prevented a town from being finished.
4. A wicked king sent him a very wise warning.
5. He fell into a sin mentioned in Gal. v. 21.
6. He escaped from danger on horseback.
7. He acted upon a rash proposal and suffered for it.
8. His enemy said of him, “He is my brother.”
9. He suspected treachery among his servants.
10. He sent a handsome present to a man whom he had tried to take prisoner.

Answer tomorrow in the comments.

Monday, December 28, 2009

Wichita Is A Burger Town

In advance of an official word that the revised edition of Hamburger America is in the works I took it upon myself to start poking around in some uncharted territory (at least by me). A filming job had me on a plane to Wichita last weekend so the research began. What I found shocked me. Small town, small burger culture right? Wrong. I had my work cut out for me.


Wichita, Kansas, the birthplace of the fast-food burger model through White Castle, is a burger town. I was totally overwhelmed by the options that Wichita had to offer. And worse, I'm embarrassed that not a single joint in the town made it into the first edition of my book.

At first glance Wichita had at least 10 good lookin' roadside burger spots but as I dug deeper the number was more like 25 or more. The 2 days I had for research would clearly not be enough. With a need to prioritize I selected 2 obvious winners (in taste and character) and one other that seemed to fit the Hamburger America criteria (fresh ground beef, 20 year+ burger on the menu, and a great place to visit).

Our first stop (Expert Burger Taster Kris B was along for the trip) was a Wichita classic - the Nu-Way Cafe. Just when I thought the loosemeat phenomenon was limited to Iowa along comes this gem. Since this 'burger' is a Wichita tradition anyone in town I mentioned my visit to said, "Oh, you have to have a Nu-Way." And that's exactly what what they called it, the NuWay, as in, "I'll have a Nu-Way." While in town I also heard it referred to as a "crumbly burger." There are 5 locations around town but we opted for the original 1930 diner on West Douglas.


At Nu-Way the options were strange and plentiful. Ask for the "original" and get the classic - a large scoop of crumbly, moist beef on a soft white bun with mustard and pickle. An "original deluxe" adds cheese. Other sizes were available like the "medium" which is served on a smaller bun and a "medium double meat" which adds more crumbly goodness (but wouldn't you just order an original at that point instead?). The beef is prepared the exact same way as their doppelganger in Marshalltown regardless of what you've read - it's just crumbled, steamed beef with nothing added.


After our stop at Nu-Way we stumbled up another great find, Jack's North Hi. Perfectly situated directly across the street from a huge high school Jack's has been serving up thin patty wonders since 1951. I had the most popular burger on the menu - the tasty double with cheese. Onions are standard, chopped and pressed into the patty. Unlike Town Topic in Kansas City or the great onion-fried burgers of El Reno, Oklahoma the onions are chopped square, not sliced thin. The result is a pile of grilled onion bits that don't really make it into the patty but add to the burger's overall oniony flavor.

We made it to one other burger joint before leaving, Bionic Burger. The kitchy old-timey interior was a turn-off but the tater tots a major turn-on. Bionic served up larger patties (below) than Jack's but used the same chopped-kinda-pressed-into-the-patty onions. A toasted white squishy was the prefect vehicle and the fresh beef sealed the deal. Damn tasty. We were the last customers of the day at Bionic and were accidentally locked into the restaurant, nearly a dream come true, then someone found the key.


A repeat trip to Wichita is imminent because we missed a few talked about greats like Ty's and Walt's. As I stood on the spot where Walt Anderson opened his first burger stand on Douglas Ave (which is now a parking lot) I felt the weight of hamburger history. I can guarantee that Wichita will be well represented in the revised edition of the book.

Wichita Is A Burger Town

In advance of an official word that the revised edition of Hamburger America is in the works I took it upon myself to start poking around in some uncharted territory (at least by me). A filming job had me on a plane to Wichita last weekend so the research began. What I found shocked me. Small town, small burger culture right? Wrong. I had my work cut out for me.


Wichita, Kansas, the birthplace of the fast-food burger model through White Castle, is a burger town. I was totally overwhelmed by the options that Wichita had to offer. And worse, I'm embarrassed that not a single joint in the town made it into the first edition of my book.

At first glance Wichita had at least 10 good lookin' roadside burger spots but as I dug deeper the number was more like 25 or more. The 2 days I had for research would clearly not be enough. With a need to prioritize I selected 2 obvious winners (in taste and character) and one other that seemed to fit the Hamburger America criteria (fresh ground beef, 20 year+ burger on the menu, and a great place to visit).

Our first stop (Expert Burger Taster Kris B was along for the trip) was a Wichita classic - the Nu-Way Cafe. Just when I thought the loosemeat phenomenon was limited to Iowa along comes this gem. Since this 'burger' is a Wichita tradition anyone in town I mentioned my visit to said, "Oh, you have to have a Nu-Way." And that's exactly what what they called it, the NuWay, as in, "I'll have a Nu-Way." While in town I also heard it referred to as a "crumbly burger." There are 5 locations around town but we opted for the original 1930 diner on West Douglas.


At Nu-Way the options were strange and plentiful. Ask for the "original" and get the classic - a large scoop of crumbly, moist beef on a soft white bun with mustard and pickle. An "original deluxe" adds cheese. Other sizes were available like the "medium" which is served on a smaller bun and a "medium double meat" which adds more crumbly goodness (but wouldn't you just order an original at that point instead?). The beef is prepared the exact same way as their doppelganger in Marshalltown regardless of what you've read - it's just crumbled, steamed beef with nothing added.


After our stop at Nu-Way we stumbled up another great find, Jack's North Hi. Perfectly situated directly across the street from a huge high school Jack's has been serving up thin patty wonders since 1951. I had the most popular burger on the menu - the tasty double with cheese. Onions are standard, chopped and pressed into the patty. Unlike Town Topic in Kansas City or the great onion-fried burgers of El Reno, Oklahoma the onions are chopped square, not sliced thin. The result is a pile of grilled onion bits that don't really make it into the patty but add to the burger's overall oniony flavor.

We made it to one other burger joint before leaving, Bionic Burger. The kitchy old-timey interior was a turn-off but the tater tots a major turn-on. Bionic served up larger patties (below) than Jack's but used the same chopped-kinda-pressed-into-the-patty onions. A toasted white squishy was the prefect vehicle and the fresh beef sealed the deal. Damn tasty. We were the last customers of the day at Bionic and were accidentally locked into the restaurant, nearly a dream come true, then someone found the key.


A repeat trip to Wichita is imminent because we missed a few talked about greats like Ty's and Walt's. As I stood on the spot where Walt Anderson opened his first burger stand on Douglas Ave (which is now a parking lot) I felt the weight of hamburger history. I can guarantee that Wichita will be well represented in the revised edition of the book.

12 Days of Christmas Quiz - Day 5

A City of Scripture No. 2

1. A fugitive passed through this city, when flying for his life.
2. Another fugitive started from it.
3. It was in the inheritance of Simeon.
4. Two defenceless travellers were once in great distress close by it.
5. A large party of travellers came there and offered sacrifices to God.
6. A grove was planted there.
7. A patriarch lined there.
S. Another patriarch saw a vision there.
9. A well was dug there.

Answer in the comments tomorrow.

In Our Schools: Chinese Academy in Parsippany gets state award

These Chinese schools in New Jersey are very successful teaching Chinese and non Chinese children more about Chinese language culture and language. - - Donna Poisl

STAFF REPORTS

PARSIPPANY — The Morris Chinese Academy, one of 12 Huaxia Chinese schools statewide, was recently honored by Gov. Jon S. Corzine for its contribution to preserving Chinese culture in New Jersey.

The academy, founded by Parsippany resident Diana Zhang in 1997, received a letter from Corzine during a presentation by state Public Advocate Ronald K. Chen at the headquarters of Huaxia schools in Essex County.
Click on the headline to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.

From Mexico to law enforcement

This immigrant from Mexico became a decorated military officer and now is in border law enforcement, his version of attaining the American Dream. - - Donna Poisl

By DEBORAH HIRSCH • Courier-Post Staff

Like so many immigrants, Ricardo Cobian came to the United States for the job opportunities he didn't have in Mexico.

While many of his fellow countrymen set about earning money to improve their lives back home, Cobian dreamed of becoming a U.S. soldier.

The 46-year-old Voorhees resident not only realized his dream, but worked his way up through the ranks to become a decorated lieutenant colonel.
Click on the headline to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.

Obama Quietly Changes U.S. Immigration Policy

Another controversial enforcement policy, enacted during the last administration, has been overturned by the Obama administration. - - Donna Poisl

New America Now, News Analysis, Edward Alden

The Obama administration quietly announced last week that it would overturn one of the harsh immigration enforcement measures enacted by the Bush administration following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Beginning next month, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said, those who arrive in the United States fleeing torture or persecution abroad will no longer automatically be welcomed with handcuffs and months in a jail cell. Instead, many of those seeking protection will again be permitted to live freely in the country while their applications for permanent asylum are considered by an immigration judge.
Click on the headline to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.

Best Hike Goes To The Himalaya: Days 11-16


For those interested in the details of a trek through the Himalaya, Best Hike Editor Rick McCharles has continued to post a day-by-day account of his recent journey through Nepal, which saw him hiking to Everest Base Camp, and other areas of the Khumbu Valley.

On Day 11, Rick set out to conquer the Kongma La Pass, a hike that would require nine hours on the trail, but he says is a moderate hike once you're well acclimatized. The hike is punctuated by amazing views of glacier fed lakes and very remote wilderness.

When Days 12 and 13 arrived, Rick found himself sick once again, but still had needing to continue his trek, this time heading towards Lobuche. Upon arrival, amidst spectacular weather, he stayed in a local tea house, and was forced to spend a day of rest and recovery, while getting over his sickness.

Rick was feeling much better on Day 14, when he set out to cross the Cho La Pass, which he describes as "seriously dangerous". It is a place that often requires the use of an ice axe to make progress and even the Yaks have a difficult time crossing. It was another beautiful, and scenic hike, but also very demanding and difficult, and the second of the Three Passes of Everest trek.

Day 15 was spent preparing for the Renjo La, the third and final pass of the trek. Rick met a guest at one of the tea houses named Doug Benn, a professor visiting the area to study the effects of climate change on the glaciers there. He also took a side trek that day that would take him up to the Sacred Lakes of the Gokyo, a place that is holy for both Hindus and Buddhists alike.

On Day 16, Rick spent a long and grueling day on the trail to return to Namche, by passing the Renjo La in the process. The long trek brought him back to what passes for civilization in the Khumbu, allowing him to pass the night in a tea house, and in a room that was used was once used by former American President Jimmy Carter.

Each of Rick's entries includes a set of great photos from each day of the trek and of course his personal insights into what each day was like on the trail. For long distance hikers considering a go at the Everest region, these posts are very insightful and helpful in preparation for the trip. Great stuff as always from Best Hike.

Embracing immigrants would help economy

This report show many reasons why Wisconsin needs its immigrants and that the economy will benefit as they succeed here. - - Donna Poisl

By Phil Hauck

A new report this month from the American Immigration Council focusing on Wisconsin highlights why embracing immigration is so important to our state's future.

The September report of the local Bay Area Community Council emphasized that immigrants are critical to both improved economic development as well as innovation, and that our needs in expediting their integration must focus on faster provision of English Language instruction as well as adult/parent cultural assimilation (www.bayareacommunitycouncil.org.)
Click on the headline to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.

The Life Antarctic: Baby Penguins!!


While we're on the subject of Antarctica, Jon Bowermaster is continuing his journey at the bottom of the world as well, and sent back another dispatch via his blog.

Jon has now made his way to Petermann Island, where they have spotted their first penguin chicks of the season. The island is home to a unique place, where Gentoos and Adelies and blue-eyed shags all live together and hatch their young together. But Bowermaster says that the number of Adelies on Petermann is dropping by roughly 10 percent each year. This year, they number around 300 mated pairs, but just a few years ago, that was more than 500. The birds love cold weather, and the island just isn't cold enough for them any more, but where exactly they are going, remains a bit of a mystery, even amongst the scientists that study penguins.

Petermann Island is just another location in the Antarctic that is feeling the direct impact of global climate change. The birds that are a hallmark of the place have begun to abandon it, and in large numbers. There are still plenty of tiny penguin chicks there again this season, but those numbers are dropping quickly, and it won't be long before the Adelies are no longer spotted on the shores of this special and unique place.

This most recent dispatch from Jon came on the 23rd of December. Expect more from the frozen continent soon, with great insights on how climate change is directly effecting the place, from a man who has watched it change every year over the past decade.

Antarctic 2009: The Pole in Sight For Several Teams!


While the rest of us celebrated the holidays with friends and family in the comfort of our homes, the Antarctic teams spent the days on the trail, heading due south, and closing in on their goal - The South Pole.

The most recent update from Antarctica come from the Kaspersky Commonwealth Team, where we learn that the girls are a mere 20 nautical miles from the Pole. The ladies have been out on the ice for 36 days, and it appears that they will hit 90ºS tomorrow. The team was hoping that they would be able to see the polar research station located at the Pole on the horizon today, but so far they've had no luck in spotting it, which is adding a bit of frustration on the final days of the expedition. The girls also say that they will never take hot, running water and flush toilets for granted ever again.

The last update from Ryan Waters and Cecilie Skog haven't sent a dispatch since Christmas Eve, when they were within 100 nautical miles of the Pole, and it is quite possible that they have arrived at their destination today or tomorrow at the latest. They celebrated the holiday with a half-day on the trail, and some time in the tent, but since then, nothing has been heard.

Similarly, Eric Larsen, and his team haven't sent a dispatch since Christmas Day, which was their 39th day out of Patriot Hills. Eric and the boys spent the day locating their final supply cache, before turning South once again. With their sleds full once again, it was slow going throughout the day, which was mostly up hill. They're now within two degrees of the Pole, and they hope to reach their destination within eight or nine days, which would put them in on the 2nd or 3rd of January, if everything goes according to plan.

Meagan McGrath also sent an audio dispatch on Christmas Day with updates on her progress as well. She says she had a fantastic day out on the ice, and is covering great distances in the past few days, and spent much of the holiday thinking of her friends and family, who she is missing badly, but is still enjoying her journey so far. There was no update on her location, but because she was forced to restart early on, Meagan is still a good distance away from the Pole.

Finally, the Shackleton's Unfinished Business Team have wasted no time in their journey to the Pole, and according to their latest dispatch today, they are now at 89.2ºS and covered 9.3 nautical miles today. At this rate, they'll finish off that final degree in the next few days, and they'll stand at the Pole for the New Year.

It appears that the next few days will be a busy one at the bottom of the world. Watch for updates from all the teams as they begin to arrive at the South Pole. The Antarctic season for 2009 will begin to wind down in the next few weeks, but not before plenty of action on Mt. Vinson as well, where the climbers will be looking to claim one of the seven summits.

LA homeowners fight the glare of digital billboards

(photo: Jay L. Clendenin/ Los Angeles Times/ December 17, 2009)

The Los Angeles Times covers the unfortunate consequences of digital billboards in Los Angeles. As one member of a neighborhood group fighting three digital billboards laments about lowered property values, "would you buy a home with one of these things in your backyard?"

CAPITAL ONE BOWL - ORLANDO

Yuengling and the Lucky Leprechaun in Orlando, Florida are getting ready for the Capital One Bowl with some great Yuengling specials. If you will be in the Orlando, FL area this week to cheer on the Lions at this bowl game, then you will definitely want to stop in and enjoy the experience with fellow Lions fans. The Lucky Leprechaun will be especially packed with Lions fans both during the game, and following a pre game pep rally in the area on December 30th. For more information on the December 30th event, check out this article from FightOnState.com.

Hope to see you there!
The Lucky Leprechaun Irish Pub
7032 International Dr.
Orlando, FL 32819
407-352-7031

Sunday, December 27, 2009

12 Days of Christmas Quiz - Day 4

Scripture Verse. No. 1

1. This verse describes a journey very unwillingly undertaken.
2. The unwilling traveller was one of a large company, but he parted from all his companions on arriving at his destination.
3. When he returned the same way it was on a sad errand, and with a large attendance.
4. People of three different nationalities are mentioned in the verse.
5. One of the persons named makes enquiry afterwards for "men of activity." He had very large property in land.
6. Another, who was very handsome, once made use of this expression, “Am I in the place of God?"
7. A business transaction is described in the verse.
8. A military office of some importance is also mentioned.
9. One of the persons named, though a heathen, received “the blessing of the Lord” on his house.
10. Some of the people mentioned had just come from a country named in Jer. viii.; their great ancestor had been promised Divine blessing and God was with him as a child. He had married a wife from the country named in this verse and his sons had towns and castles.
11. Quantities of golden earrings were taken, years after, from the descendants of these people.
12. The country spoken of is compared by Jeremiah to "a very fair heifer." The same prophet also threatens the destruction of its idol-temples with fire. Isaiah prophesies woe to it, but foretells that in the end its people “shall know the Lord."
13. The grandfather of one of the persons named in the verse was forbidden to go into this country.
14. The verse is the first in a chapter, and contains thirty-three words, six being proper names.

Answer in the comments tomorrow.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

12 Days of Christmas Quiz - Day 3

Scripture Enigma No. 1
1. This was sent by David to Joab; was spread out before the Lord in prayer by Hezekiah; was sent out in great numbers by Ahasuerus, first to condemn a nation and then to reverse that command.
2. One of two brothers who drove the oxen when the Ark of God was being brought back by David.
3. An expression of gladness and rejoicing. It is mentioned. on Saul's return from battle; in the service of the Temple; and at the worshipping of Nebuchadnezzar's image.
4. A king of Moab who sent for a soothsayer offering great promises of reward.

The initials and finals form two of the titles of Christ: one being the type of His sacrifice for sin in the Jewish dispensation; and the other that of His life-giving power.

African American Environmental Justice at COP15

The Copenhagen climate change conference sought to draft a binding follow-up treaty to the Kyoto Protocol. It is generally accepted that such a treaty would be based on cap-and-trade. Although AAEA supports cap-and-trade, virtually all other environmental justice groups oppose cap and trade. Moreover, environmental justice NGO representatives from developing nations believe the industrialized world created the climate crisis and is not doing enough to reduce pollution. They want developed nations to commit to significant cuts in greenhouse gas emissions along with the allocation of billions of dollars to poor countries. AAEA agrees with these positions.

During a press conference at COP15, the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance, a coalition of organizations in 43 African countries, presented a letter for delivery to the Obama administration. The letter implored President Obama to consider the impacts of a 2 degree temperature rise on Africa, describing this target as a death sentence for millions of Africans.

American groups, such as the Environmental Justice and Climate Change Initiative (EJCC), which is hosted by Redefining Progress, joined with African countries in an appeal for a fair, ambitious, and binding agreement. We wonder how they reconcile opposition to cap-and-trade with their support of the industrialized nation emission cuts and the financial support. African nations accused rich countries of reneging on promises to cut greenhouse gas emissions and walked out of the negotiations at one point in the conference.

EJCC worked to include the Principles of Environmental Justice in a final document. EJCC joined over 100,000 people from around the world in a rally and march in support of a legally binding global agreement on emissions cuts. EJCC is a national coalition of over thirty environmental and climate justice, advocacy, faith-based and other social justice organizations. The nonprofit, nonpartisan, grassroots organization is also committed to informing youth of color about the issue of global warming and climate justice. AAEA is not a member of the EJCC Initiative. (California Newswire, 12/15/09)

L.A. attorney confirmed for federal judgeship

The first Chinese American woman has been confirmed to serve on the U.S. District Court. Her mother came here from China and worked hard in low paying jobs to make it possible for her to get an education. - - Donna Poisl

Ten years ago, Los Angeles attorney Dolly Gee was nominated by President Clinton to serve as a United States District Court judge. But Clinton's term ended without a confirmation.

On Christmas Eve, the Arcadia resident -- nominated again by President Obama -- heard from the office of Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.). Gee called her 81-year-old mother to break the news that the U.S. Senate had confirmed her.

"She said, 'Finally!' " Gee said on Friday. "It's a huge breakthrough not just for me and my family, but our entire community."
Click on the headline to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.

Families separated by miles, years and immigration laws

This is a good example of why we need immigration reform, it is long overdue. The reason many people come here illegally is that they get tired of waiting. - - Donna Poisl

Immigration rules for close relatives to be re-examined By Antonio Olivo, Tribune reporter

When Peter Aldeza first arrived in Illinois from the Philippines, he filed U.S. Immigration paperwork to allow his older brother and sister to join him. That was 26 years ago.

Just last month, his sister, Sionie Sales, finally arrived to live in the U.S., in what has been a bittersweet reunion of once-close siblings now trying to become reacquainted. She was an exuberant 26-year-old when he left home. She is a grandmother now.
Click on the headline to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.

Somali immigrants: face of local taxi industry

This story shows how immigrants manage in a new country, using their own social hiring network. - - Donna Poisl

By Leslie Berestein, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

A few days after about 300 San Diego taxi drivers went on strike to protest the amount of money they pay to lease cabs, organizers gathered the drivers in a City Heights meeting hall to rally them. The impassioned speeches were in Somali.

In San Diego, Somali immigrants are nearly synonymous with the taxicab industry. Since Somalis began settling here in large numbers as refugees in the early 1990s, fleeing a civil war at home, they have come to dominate the business as drivers. While there is no official figure, it is estimated by groups who work with African immigrants and by drivers themselves that at least three-fourths of San Diego cabbies are East African, the vast majority from Somalia. Others are from Ethiopia and Eritrea, and a few are from other African countries.
Click on the headline to read the rest of this story! This is only a small part of it.

Friday, December 25, 2009

12 Days of Christmas Quiz - Day 2

Scripture Character No. 1
1. He was born in a city which had been given to a brave soldier.
2. He was very handsome.
3. A question in three words was asked him by a woman; it was precisely the same as that which once greeted a prophet at Bethlehem.
4. He made a great feast, with captains, princes and a priest among the guests.
5. A friend of his once said to a king: "Thou lovest thine enemies and hatest thy friends."
6. He made two requests of his relations, the first of which was granted.
7. One of his brothers was defeated by the army of a "man of war."
8. Another received a present from a queen.
9. The son of a priest brought him alarming news when he expected good tidings.
10. His father lived for a time with a prophet at Naioth.
11. He went to the tabernacle, but not to worship.
12. A prophet complained of his conduct.
13. He was killed by a “man of rest."
14. At the time of his death a prophecy was fulfilled, spoken when Samuel was a child.

Answer in the comments tomorrow.

Merry Christmas from Hamburger America



Don't end up like this guy. Happy Holidays!


Merry Christmas from Hamburger America



Don't end up like this guy. Happy Holidays!


Thursday, December 24, 2009

12 Days of Christmas Quiz - Day 1

This Christmas I will be uploading 12 Bible quizzes from the magazine Sunday at Home first published in 1889. One question will be placed on my blog each day and the answer the next day in the comments. My wife and I enjoyed trying to answer them and we hope you do to. You may need a King James Version for some of questions. There are no prizes – just the fun of pitting your wits against Christians from 1889!

A City of Scripture No. 1

1. This city had two names; another city was built by an old inhabitant and called by one of the names.
2. “The terror of God” fell on some cities near it.
3. Before the temple was built, a feast to the Lord was held yearly in a town just to the north of this city.
4. A famous judge visited it, and two friends passed through it together.
5. Sacrifices were offered there, both to Jehovah and to an idol, and idolatrous priests dwelt there.
6. When a company went up against it "the Lord was with them "; one of its citizens betrayed it to the enemy.
7. A vow was made there.
8. A woman was buried there, and h famous palm-tree grew near.
9. A young king met three men on their way thither and received a gift from them.
10. Spoil from the Amalekites was sent to the elders there by a king.
11. Three miracles took place there, on the same day.
12. A priest from Samaria, who had been taken prisoner, came and dwelt there.
13. A traveller sat down to rest under a tree near it.
14. Forty-two people were killed there in one day, but not in battle.
15. A prophet was sent there who foretold the birth of a good king.
16. One who had just visited the city met with sudden death.
17. The ashes remaining from idolatrous vessels that had been burned, were carried there.

Happy Holidays!!

I wanted to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very happy holiday season. It has been another great year of adventure, bot for me personally and for the outdoor community as a whole, and I'm already looking forward to some interesting and exciting developments and opportunities for 2010.

Over the next week and a half or so, I'll be enjoying some down time from work, and hopefully getting out to enjoy some hiking, while having fun with friends and family. Because of this, updates will most likely be sporadic in the next few days. I hope that everyone else will enjoy the holidays as well, and will have the opportunity to have some fun and relaxation as 2009 comes to and end.

Happy Holidays everyone!

Fate

Dear Friends:

Merry Xmas to you all. Here's something to think about in the New Year.


One film I keep returning to–I must have seen it at least five or six times now–is Damage, by Louis Malle. The story is a kind of Greek tragedy. Jeremy Irons plays a successful British civil servant whose inner life is empty; Juliette Binoche is his son’s fiancé, with whom he gets involved immediately after they meet. By chance, his son comes to the flat where they are having a tryst, and catches them in bed. Thunderstruck, the young man backs out of the room and falls backward over the bannister, plunging several stories down the center of the apartment building to his death.

His life thus destroyed, the man retires from the world. He takes up residence in a small town in an unidentified country, perhaps Greece or Italy. Life consists of shopping, cooking, and washing up, along with spending entire days sitting in front of a blown-up photograph of the fateful triangle–himself, his son, and the girl–which is mounted on the wall. He has, in effect, constructed some sort of shrine; but to what?

The man ponders what happened to him–events that were (or seem to have been) completely out of his control. He never knew who the woman really was, and yet the attachment went way beyond sex. As a high-level bureaucrat, he experienced his life as totally meaningless. He gave TV interviews and public speeches that were perfectly turned out–he said all the right things–but in reality, he was a shell. The girl, for some unknown reason, promised to fill that void (or so he believed, on an unconscious level), and so the chemistry was instantaneous, ferocious. Now, in the aftermath of it all, the man spends his time staring at the photograph, trying to decipher what it all meant.

What makes us, he says to himself, is beyond knowing. We surrender to love because it gives us some sense of what is unknowable. Nothing else matters, not in the end. I saw her only one more time, at an airport while changing planes. She didn’t see me. She was with a man, and carrying a child in her arms. She was no different from anyone else.*

She was no different from anyone else. This realization–perhaps only momentary–means that the “shrine” was not dedicated to the woman, nor even to the love that they shared, but to love itself. But perhaps much more than that. The purpose of the shrine, the need for it, is to worship that thing that is beyond knowing, the only thing that matters in the end. So what is it?

If human life is finally a mystery, the key in the lock is not that hard to figure out: it’s the sense of a Presence larger than oneself, and beyond the grasp of the rational intellect. For hunter-gatherers, this was a presence with a small “p”: their reality was immanent, was the environment itself. (The “great spirit” of the Plains Indians was typically the wind.) With agricultural civilization and the rise of religion, the Presence became transcendent, exalted to a “vertical” reality: God. Yet this presence, or Presence–this irreducible otherness–is finally within us. In Damage, the central character projects this “divinity” onto a perfectly ordinary person, which he comes to understand only years later. Yet the photo remains on the wall, and the daily “worship” remains the central activity of his life. Love gives us some sense of the unknowable, and the unknowable–even though it arises as an interaction between the self and the outer world–is unfathomable, as is the interaction. Hence, the enormous fascination, born out of the conviction people have that the experience embodies some great truth; which it does. Yet no amount of analysis or contemplation can resolve it; it just is.

Damage can be framed in many ways. I have already referred to Greek tragedy, but we can see it through the lens of Christian allegory as well. We have a man–say, Saul of Tarsus–going through the motions of a meaningless, ritualistic life. Suddenly, he is blinded on the road to Damascus, and that vision, or apparition, redefines his reality. In so doing, it tears up the old life, lifts him on transcendent wings, and finally deposits him in a chair in front of a photograph, bathed in the light of Christ. It’s not likely that the central character of Damage, even beyond the death of his son, would ultimately have it any other way. After all, he went from No Meaning to Total Meaning–not exactly a trivial adventure. As he says to himself at the end, as he walks the streets of his new home, “I found a life that was my own.” Who of us doesn’t want that?

Of course, much of a political nature could be added at this point. Mesmerization by the cross, no less than by the swastika or the hammer and sickle (to name but a few), has caused many millions of deaths. This is just a matter of historical fact, and I don’t mean to treat it lightly. But it seems to me that it has a larger context, an anthropological one: namely, that the need to feel a part of something greater–even if immanent, as in the case of hunter-gatherers–has been with us for at least 100,000 years, when the first light of self-conscious awareness glimmered in the brain of Cro-Magnon Man. The birth of the self, in a word, may have been coincident with the desire to immerse the self, and thereby to endow it with meaning. This is the very essence of Homo sapiens sapiens, and it is not likely to leave us any time soon.

Viewed from this perspective, the “damage” of human relations, if not quite forgivable, is at least explicable. How much of our lives is driven by this archaic impulse? A good bit of it, I would guess; maybe even most of it. It is tempting to say, of course, that the solution is then fairly obvious: we have to get a “handle” on this impulse, to channel or control it in some way. This is the path (ideally, at least) of organized religion or psychoanalysis, and it is not completely in error. But it does tend to omit the central point, that of the need to experience the phenomenon–to be “taken” by life, to let life “come and get you” and make of you what it will, so that you might get washed up on the shore of some small town, staring at a picture on the wall–if that should happen to be your fate.

How many of us are willing to take that chance?


©Morris Berman, 2009



*This text does not occur in the novel by Josephine Hart, on which the film is based, but in the screenplay of the movie, by David Hare.

Season's Greetings

Click here for a scenic Season's Greetings slide show from Scenic America.

Israeli films, and 2 in particular

Israel's film industry has made remarkable strides in recent years, as has its related arena of television production. I only saw two offerings at this year's 24th Israel Film Festival in New York a couple of weeks ago, but they were both memorable.

"Bruriah" is a somewhat enigmatic feature that involves a contemporary religious family in Jerusalem, on the cusp of Modern Orthodoxy and the more rigid "Black Hat" world of ultra-Orthodoxy. The attractive wife in a youthful 40-ish couple, Bruriah, searches for the last remaining copy of a book her father wrote about 35 years before, which was banned by a renowned rabbi for exploring an off-color little story in the Talmud.

Her father expanded upon a brief commentary by Rashi, the great medieval Talmudic authority, who had recounted the tale of Bruriah, an intellectually sharp and self-confident woman brought low by her scholarly husband. This man had recruited one of his students to seduce her---supposedly proving that a woman's intellect is shallow and her character inferior to that of men.

The modern-day Bruriah's father was excommunicated for refusing to renounce his work, and copies of his book were publicly burned. The Talmudic tale intertwines with flashbacks to the book-burning incident years before and the contemporary struggles of today's Bruriah and her daughter---who wants to enroll in a religious seminary that trains young women seeking to break the Orthodox ban against female rabbis.

On the surface, Bruriah's struggle is to find that one unburnt copy of her father's book; more fundamentally it's about her quest for fulfillment as a person, which includes her need to express physical desire. This last part plays out boldly, but not as one might think.

The second film, "For My Father," is a more usual story for addressing the conflict with the Palestinians, but in a fresh way. It will begin a commercial run in the US shortly.

Terek is driven to Tel Aviv by his handlers to explode himself in a crowded market place. But his detonator malfunctions and he finds a small electronics shop that will order the part he needs to repair it. The cantankerous but kindly shopkeeper has no idea what he needs the part for; in the meantime, Terek agrees to repair his leaky roof in exchange for the part. During the course of his weekend wait in their home at the back of the shop, he discovers the tragedy of their lives---the fact that their son, their only child, died in a recklessly mishandled army training exercise.

Terek also meets Keren, a hip young person replete with body piercings and provocatively revealing clothing,
who has fled her rigidly religious family. They become almost inseparable.

And we learn what has motivated Terek to become a suicide bomber. His father discovers that his son is talented in football (i.e., soccer) and gets him on the soccer team representing the Israeli-Arab city of Nazareth. But he must struggle against closures, as the Arab-Palestinian conflict deepens, to get his son into Israel from their native Tulkarem on the West Bank. By hook or crook he succeeds, only to arouse the suspicion of local Palestinian nationalists who threaten him in the belief that he is a collaborator with the Israelis.

Terek volunteers for his fatal mission to redeem his father's name. Hence, the film's English title; the actual translation from the Hebrew is "Weekend in Tel Aviv."

This is a deadly serious movie that plays largely as a comedy. See it if you can.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

USCIS To Process Applications of Widow(er)s of Deceased U.S. Citizens

This law finally allows widows and widowers to continue with their application for permanent resident status when their spouse dies. Previously they were deported if they were married less than two years. - - Donna Poisl

USCIS Fact Sheet

Introduction

On October 28, 2009, the President signed the FY2010 DHS Appropriations Act into law, allowing eligible widows or widowers of U.S. citizens to qualify for permanent resident status regardless of how long the couple was married. The new law amends the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by removing the two-year marriage requirement previously necessary for a widow(er) to qualify for permanent resident status as an immediate relative of his or her late U.S. citizen spouse. Additionally, when a widow(er) qualifies as an immediate relative under the law, his or her unmarried minor children will also qualify for the same status. The law applies equally to widow(er)s living abroad, who are seeking immigrant visas and widow(er)s in the United States, who want to become permanent residents based on their marriage.

These provisions of the FY2010 DHS Appropriations Act relate only to the impact of the citizen’s death on a widow(er)’s eligibility for classification as an immediate relative. All other requirements for approval of a visa petition remain in force. Specifically, the widow(er) must still establish that:

  • He or she was the citizen’s legal spouse.
  • The marriage was bona fide and not an arrangement solely to confer immigration benefits to the beneficiary.
  • He or she has not remarried.
  • He or she is admissible as an immigrant.
  • In an adjustment of status case, that he or she meets all other adjustment eligibility requirements and merits a favorable exercise of discretion.
    Click on the headline to read the rest of this new legislation! This is only a small part of it.
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