Not a Sincere Bone in His Body

Once again Marion Barry has embarrassed D.C. with his careless, racist attitude.  While expressing apologies for recently insulting Korean Americans, he managed to do the same to just about every other immigrant group.

I used to be able to give him a little slack because I believe his brain is addled from (past?) drug use.  No more.  He has yet to give up his Black Panther/ black-supremist leanings which will keep him on the outside looking in.

The man isn't stupid.  Somehow, he maintains a loyal following of voters.  I fear that he and they all refuse to recognize that the world is moving on and that the 1960s are long over.

African-Americans have suffered horrifically and too many still do.  Nevertheless, many others do not consider themselves victims of racism and have overcome obstacles to earn both personal and financial success.

Sadly, people like Marion Barry play the victim card because it's an easy excuse for their own personal faults and failings.  He needs to move on.

Another Slap in D.C.'s Face

Suburban Phoenix, Arizona is light years apart from the District of Columbia socially, economically, politically and just about any other “lly” way one can think of. Republican Trent Frank represents such an Arizona district in the U.S. House. Yesterday he also chaired a committee hearing on a very sensitive issue for District residents: funding abortions for low-income D.C. women.

A majority of District residents have voted in favor of using some of our tax dollars to help these women. Certain members of Congress are utterly and completely determined to prevent that from happening.

Ignoring legitimate local legislative decisions is onerous enough. To treat our one and only, duly-elected, NON-VOTING representative to Congress, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton with the same contempt is inexcusable. She had a front row seat (where she belonged) for the hearing and was not even allowed to speak on this important issue, much less cast a committee vote on it.

More than half a million U.S. citizens who happen to live in Washington, D.C. have consistently been treated like chattel and poker chips by Congress. Speaker Boehner coerced the President into agreeing to eliminate D.C. funding for abortions in hopes that Congress would cede control of the District’s budget back to the District. In order for the city to control its own budget, we must impose a permanent ban on abortions for our residents, something we, the people, have voted down.  In other words, to hell with what the tax-payers want.

Confession time: I am firmly on the fence about abortion. I do, however, believe that a woman has the right to make her own health decisions. I don’t wish to debate the sentient or non-sentient nature of a fetus. That and the debate about being compelled to raise a child with severe disabilities is none of my business. These must to be addressed by and lived with by the parent/s, not the public at large.

I’m grateful that I have never been faced with having to make such a monumental decision. I honestly cannot tell you how it might have come down. What I can tell you, is that certain members of Congress and their supporters need to get off their high horses and recognize the basic political and human rights that they are denying to a population they do not represent.

They also need to apologize to The Honorable Eleanor Holmes Norton for the disrespectful and undignified way she was treated yesterday and many more times that go unreported.

Just what we don't need. . . .

. . . a reconstituted Three Stooges.

Yes, it would appear that someone thought it would be brilliant to bring back those three abusers. I know, guys get a big kick out of watching the Stooges beating up on each other, but the other, more enlightened half of the population can’t stand them.

Bullying is the basis of their comedy. I see nothing humorous in bullying. To make matters worse, Moe is unmercifully cruel to Curly who seems to be a bit lacking of intelligence and is rather childlike. Larry, on the other hand seems timid and completely overwhelmed by Moe, unable to fend-off his abuse. These traits often serve as excuses for bullies to do their worst. [if I’ve confused these guys, forgive me; I never spent more than a few minutes watching the original trio.]

Do we really need more lessons in violence? Aren’t some of the video games and movies enough to misguide our young into thinking that bashing, beating, shooting, knifing, bombing and mauling are the norm? Why, the evening news often provides enough gory detail about real events to make me cringe.

Equally troubling for me is that the Three Stooges don’t need sophisticated, cool weapons to inflict pain and suffering. Using only words, hands, heads and feet might make kids think that they, too, can overpower and intimidate their peers with ease.

Bullying is a national shame and crime. Too often it goes unreported because victims fear retaliation or have been convinced that snitching isn’t cool. Our kids need more examples of appropriate behavior, not how to hurt one another. I hope the Stooges bomb and never make it to DVD.

Fighter Jets over Foggy Bottom, again

By the time we hear their great roaring, they're long gone.

Minutes ago what sounded like an entire squadron of military jets flew over us, rattling pictures and nerves alike.  We immediately went out on our balcony and encountered our wide-eyed neighbor on his.  He travels alot for work and, I guess has not been here during previous flyovers.

As we told him, most likely someone in a private plane mistakenly entered restricted airspace.  A wide swath of the skies miles and miles out from the District have been restricted since 9/11.

Commercial planes with transponders have no problems because they are automatically identifiable by air traffic control.  Every now and again, someone piloting a private plane slips into the controlled area and is pretty much instantly surrounded by scary, armed fighter jets which then escort the plane to the closest airport where the plane is inspected and the pilot questioned.

As unnerving as these powerful planes are, they are also reassuring as they protect Washington from another attact.

Go Caps!!

The red and blue splotch on the roof is an inflatable Caps player.

It's OK if your not a Washington Capitals fan, but for those of you who are, a pilgrimage to this holy site might be worth your while.

I captured this the moment the light from the Whitehurst onto Canal Road changed and some guy in a big ole SUV honked impatiently at me.  I wish I could have included "The Exorcist" stairs, but I was lucky to get this much.

Our hockey team is driving me to distraction.  Spouse gets so completely into their games that I could set his hair on fire and he wouldn't notice!

Teachable Moment

I'm not sure who took the above picture, but is struck me as a reminder of how blind persons are "mishandled".

I'm not talking politics here -- that situation is bad enough.  Rather, I'd like to suggest that if a sighted person wants to offer assistance to a blind person to first ask if help is wanted.  If it is not, back-off.  If assistance is accepted, offer an arm for the blind person to hold onto -- don't grab a hand or shoulder in an attempt to steer him.

Note to the wise:  blindness is a physical challenge that many handle with ease and grace.  Insisting on helping someone bruises their pride and may actually piss them off. 

Body Language

A recent experience reminded me that I have to control my tendency to be open and friendly with everyone, including strangers. Even though I’ve lived in the “big city” of D.C. for 40-odd years, my innocently friendly Midwestern roots sometimes trip me up.

Doing laundry in our complex’s laundry room, I sat down to wait for the machines to fill and start chugging away, before returning to our apartment. In walked a worker who helps keep our building clean. I smiled and he smiled back. I turned my attention back to the washing machines. Then . . . .

With a bright smile on his face, he started chatting in Spanish. I admitted I had studied it in school but remembered very little anymore. Since he spoke no English I thought that would be the end of it. Then, chatting away, he propped himself onto a table next to me, putting his crotch at eye level. I had to suppress a snicker.

I don’t think men are always aware of it, but this position reminds me of dogs who present their backsides to each other in greeting. If you watch any of the YouTube welcome home dog videos, the dogs nearly always turn their backs to their owners to “prove their identity.”

Women have an equally unsubtle way of attracting attention to themselves. Lowering her eyes to peer up at a man through her eyelashes, she draws attention to what I call her “chestal area.” She unconsciously props her boobs up a little higher and squeezes them slightly with her arms to accentuate her cleavage. She KNOWS how much males love mammary glands.

It’s really a matter of spreading one’s pheromones; those subtle, powerful fragrances our hormones produce to attract the opposite sex. If you ever people-watch, see if you don’t notice these subtle shifts in behavior, particularly among the younger, unmarried set. We humans really haven’t evolved all that much.

Happy Weekend, Y’all!

Boys will be boys . . ....

Will men ever really, truly grow into adults? Recent behavior of men hired, vetted and trained by the U.S. Secret Service and some of their military colleagues make it appear unlikely.

Thank goodness there are far more exceptions to these guys. Otherwise the lives of our national leadership would be even more endangered than they already are by cranks and crazies.

It’s quite warm in D.C. today. I’m guessing that some of the heat is emanating from red-faced, angry, humiliated officers and agents who actually take their work seriously. Even though I am in no way affiliated with the federal government, I was terribly embarrassed when President Obama had to oh-so-publicly address the shameful behavior of some members of his advance security detail to Colombia.

Perhaps more women need to be hired for these important security jobs. Maternal instincts fit in quite nicely with a job that requires thinking of others’ safety before one’s own. That, and I cannot imagine women agents putting themselves into compromising positions like drinking and partying with sex workers.

“Mama Grizzlies” has been overworked, but it is an apt description of the ferocity a woman (whether or not a mother) feels when confronting anyone harming a child or weak adult. What we might lack in brute strength we more than make up for in intelligence, intuition and integrity. Am I wrong?

"The Dressmaker"

Everyone knows the story of the sinking of the Titanic, 100 years ago this week. What I didn't fully grasp was the shocking, scandalous aftermath. The blame game, and recriminations started even before the survivors made it to shore.

In "The Dressmaker", by Kate Alcott, some of the characters are real and others are incorporated to add interest to an already compelling story.

A central character is one, Lady Lucille Duf Gordon. Her mannerisms, attitudes and actions could make one believe she was a fictional character. As it turns out, she was notorious before boarding the Titanic and even more so after surviving it's sinking.

Lady Lucy was a famous designer of women's clothing, funded in large part by her second, aristocratic husband, Lord Duf Gordon. Tess, a created character, manages to get herself hired as a maid to serve Lady Lucy during the crossing. Only later does she reveal her real aspirations: to become a fashion designer to rival Lady Lucy.

Love interests develop between Tess and a wealthy Chicago businessman AND a crew member who later implicates the Duf Gordons of disgraceful behavior in what would be dubbed "the millionaire's lifeboat".

Class distinctions and name recognition saved the lives of many of the wealthiest passengers at the expense of the poorer passengers in steerage. Add that to the fact that there were not enough lifeboats and the newly hired crew members had no training or plan for evacuating the ship and disaster was inevitable.

It is sometimes hard to discern fact from fiction, but considering how botched-up the Titanic's maiden voyage was, anything could be true. The documented actions of particular passengers, such as Margaret (Unsinkable Molly) Brown are fascinating and enrich the story. Also, the self-aggrandizing efforts on the part of U.S. government types to put blame for the sinking where it belonged reads like current events.

"The Dressmaker" helped to fill-in the gaps in my knowledge of that momentous event. Ms. Alcott writes a good story that is enhanced by carefully researched facts from an actual event.

Easter on the Chesapeake

Enjoyed a lovely Easter dinner, prepared by Mom down in Solomons, Maryland.  She wisely has used our get togethers on Easter to also celebrate my youngest sister's birthday, April 6th and mine which will be this Friday, the 13th.  [yeah, yeah, yeah I know all about friggatriskaidekaphobia a.k.a. paraskevidkatriaphobia: irrational fear of the number 13.  I survived having my 13th birthday being announced to my entire middle school on Friday the 13th years ago.  I like to believe that it gave me certain super powers.]

Anyway, after dinner a three-car caravan set out to visit a worksite my brother in law and his two sons have been working on.  We couldn't have asked for a nicer day to visit the Cove Point Lighthouse.  Strong winds off the water provided a refreshing, slightly fishy aroma to go along with the sweet fragrance of wisteria which is wildly in bloom right now.

This bell was rung on foggy days to warn mariners away from shallow waters.

The stairs to the top are solid wood,anchored to the brick wall and a wooden column which has a steel core.  Veeeeery narrow steps and steep.

I've tried valiently to get this pic upright but blogger simply will not cooperate! Sorry.

Something Worth Considering

“A human being is a part of the whole, called by us

the universe,

a part limited in time and space.

He experiences himself,

his thoughts and feelings, as something

separate from the rest -- a kind of

optical delusion

of his consciousness.

This delusion is a kind of prison for us,

restricting us to our personal desires and to affection

for a few persons nearest to us.

Our task must be to

free ourselves from this prison by

widening our circle of compassion to

embrace all living creatures and the

whole of nature in its beauty.

Nobody is able to achieve this completely,

but this striving for such achievement

is in itself a part of the

liberation and a foundation for

inner security.”

Albert Einstein

Overwhelmed

In recent months, far too many of my days have been starting off with bad news. I choose to get my news from our local newspaper. That way, I can pick and choose what I want more details about, rather than having news thrown at me by talking heads.

OK, so I may not have the very latest, up to the second news like those who regularly check for it on their electronic gadgets. Frankly, I don’t think I could handle that.

Globally, the future looks dim for both humans and animals.

Global warming is causing Polar Bears to drown because their ice flows are melting. Other animals are still being slaughtered for body parts that are believed to have curative or magical powers. Little boys are forced to take up arms while their little sisters are made sexual slaves by criminals calling themselves freedom fighters.

Speaking of little boys, a vigilante identifying himself a Neighborhood Watch volunteer, shoots dead a young Black boy because he doesn’t like the looks of him. To make matters worse, the cops, so far, have failed to take even the most basic steps to investigate what appears to the rest of us to be cold-blooded murder.

Then some idiot decides to burn old holy books forgetting or ignoring the grave crime this is considered. Not long ago, some Christian zealot got himself plenty of publicity threatening to do that very same thing. Are we all losing our short-term memory?

Women have been targeted like never before. Some legislative types want to eliminate nearly all of our personal choices and subject us to humiliating, sometimes painful and unnecessary medical procedures. I’m not talking about female genital mutilation here. That’s another despicable kind of torture in the name of tradition.

No, I’m talking about further limitations and constraints put upon women seeking abortion. I cannot think of a more difficult or personal decision that should be left up to a woman and her doctor.

Some men seem bent on turning women back into chattel. One legislator, a man, thinks that rape victims should be asked if the resulting pregnancy could have resulted from regular marital activity. He doesn’t want women “cheating the system” by claiming rape just to have an abortion. It seems a lot of men still don’t GET IT! Rape is not a sexual act. It is a criminal act to dominate and damage.

Coptic Christians in Egypt are being slaughtered by their Muslim neighbors. It now appears that Muslims and non-Muslims no longer can live side-by-side as they had for generations. Why is this?

Jewish, Christian and Muslim children are targeted. Most are too young to have any sort of role in politics. Yet they are victimized because their injuries or deaths inflict far more pain on their communities.

And too many children have known only hatred and war their entire lives. How are they going to view the world if they survive to adulthood? Will they remain isolated from the rest of the world, living out their lives in guarded enclaves of their own kind?

Censorship and absolute control of incoming and outgoing information further alienate humans from each other. There are hundreds of thousands of visible and invisible walls dividing people and they seem to grow higher every day. I’m not sure how long the human race can survive these false barriers.

Truth hurts. Starving North Koreans, child soldiers in Africa, so-called customs that dictate supremacy of one gender or race over another, religious zealotry based on flawed beliefs, homelessness, mental illness – avoiding these ills will not make them go away. Contrary to appearances, no human is disposable. Lack of wealth, opportunity and/or social status requires those who have them to share them.

Give a woman a loaf of bread and you feed her for a day. Teach a woman to make bread and she will feed herself. Then she will start a bakery, hire and train her neighbors to make more bread. Before you know it, the local economy has grown and thrived and education becomes a right rather than a privilege only for those who can afford for it.

OK, maybe I’m exaggerating -- a little. Diversity and equality are powerful partners. When every mind is given free reign, ideas can be shaped into action to benefit mankind. The first and hardest step is listening and truly hearing what others are saying and feeling. The second step is admitting that there is more than one way to view a situation or problem and many, many ways to address each. Stubborn adherence to beliefs will only separate mankind further. Tolerance and sincere consideration for the thoughts and beliefs of others is one step in the right direction.

[Can you tell I’ve been bottling-up a lot of stuff? If you’ve been kind enough to read this far, I sincerely thank you and apologize for such a big dump.]

Peace Be With You

 

Last Evening

You may have heard that D.C.'s famous Cherry Blossoms are a tad early this year.

Actually, they're incredibly early this year, but maybe that's because this is the 100th anniversary of their planting.

Most of the original trees died out years ago and were replaced, but there are still a few originals near the bridge over the Tidal basin.  They're pretty gnarly and truly look their age.

When the Japanese people gifted the trees to Washington, they were first planted in West Potomac Park, well away from other trees.  This was a precaution in case some had brought unwanted insects or diseases with them.  Some are still there, along with many younger ones planted along the drive that leads to and around Hains Point.

The picture above seemed to beg to be shot last evening.  I wish my camera could have captured how lovely the waning sunlight was, glowing through the white blossoms.

Water Color Sunset

I took this shot last Saturday evening but never got around to posting it.

Remember to set your clocks forward one hour Saturday night.  Daylight Savings Time seems very early this year, but to have more daylight, it's worth it.

Happy Weekend!