ideas

An Object Lesson on Why to Water Your Christmas Tree

Nah, I’m kidding. It was watered – and too damn fluffy to get back through the skinny hallways of my 1930s cape cod. So, I pruned it a little. Ok, a lot. Hey, what are hedge clippers for if not holiday (un)decorating?

She Resurfaces...

Visiting my mix of inlaws and nuclears is a bit like being back in college -- a cacophony of the present that real news can't seem to penetrate.

I knew about the tsunami, of course - but, really only because DFW blares CNN throughout the terminals -- loud enough to penetrate even the thickest Tryptophan blur. Tonight, though, was the first time that I looked at the pictures, heard the stories...

It is heartbreaking, of course. Words aren't adequate...

Last I saw, the death toll is approaching 150,000, and they are still finding bodies. The largest death toll in the U.S. from a natural disaster occurred in 1900 in Galveston, Texas, when a hurricane killed an estimated 12,000 people. September 11 – our generation’s benchmark for both horror and empathy – took fewer than 3,000 lives. Nothing has happened here that can even touch the magnitude of suffering in Asia today.

This is one of those times when I wish I had gone into medicine or the Peace Corp. Money won't be enough to rebuild lives, ensure fresh water, save the survivors. Still, it is all most of us have to give.

Holiday Hiatus

My merry little blog will be closed through December 29th for holiday reveling. Of course, you will miss me, but I leave you with almost a year of archives to warm your Grinchy soul…

Merry Christmas to all (who are into that sort of thing) and to all a good night ...

Holy Meatballs

I couldn’t share this recipe until today because if Sister or Clay knew there were gourmet meatballs stuffed with fresh mozzarella, accompanied by yummy sauce … well, they would have gone to great expense and exhaustion to be here by dinner.

Not that I kept them all to myself – AmyJoy and Daniel (“Do these have cheese in them?!?!”) came over for dinner. It’s actually a huge week for visiting … lunch with Jenn on Sunday; dinner last night; Eriks in town for lunch today; tons of family events starting tomorrow…) But, anyway, onto the recipe – these are truly delicious:

Extra-virgin olive oil
¾ medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
parsley
1 cup milk
4 thick slices white bread, crust removed
3 pounds ground sirloin or beef
1 pound ground pork
1 egg
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, cut into 10 (1-inch) cubes

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in skillet over medium heat; cook the onions, garlic, and parsley until softened, about 10 minutes. Scrape out onto a plate and allow the mixture to cool; set the pan aside. Pour the milk over the bread into a medium bowl and let it soak while the onions are cooling. Combine the meats in a large bowl and add the egg and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Squeeze the excess milk from the bread and add the bread to the bowl along with the cooled onion mixture. Using your hands, gently combine all the ingredients until they are thoroughly mixed. Divide mixture into 10 pieces and form them into patties. Place a mozzarella cube onto each patty and bring up the sides around the cheese to form a ball completely enclosing the cube.
Heat the remaining oil in the skillet over medium heat and brown the meatballs on all sides, about 10 minutes. Put them into the oven and bake until the meatballs are cooked through, about 30 - 40 minutes.

The accompanying meat sauce is a little more spontaneous … not so much a recipe as a what’s-on-hand… but, of course, the schtuff in a a jar always does in a pinch.

I agree with George Bush…

There, I said it. I feel queasy and a little out of sorts, but I have to give credit where due…

Watching our president struggle through one of his rare Q&A sessions with reporters (the 15th of his administration), I actually found myself shaking my head in a new direction. When the talk turned to immigration, I was nodding.

Bush is apparently planning to spend a bit of that Red State political capital on a very un-Red policy initiative: the guest-worker system proposed early in his administration. He said Monday that such a system was "a compassionate way to treat people" who come to the United States to perform jobs Americans don't want, but also noted "one of the important aspects of my vision is that this is not automatic citizenship." Bush said allowing legal guest workers, who must eventually return to their home counties, would relieve pressure on U.S. borders.

My major qualm is that I suspect from his privileged position, Bush overestimates how many jobs Americans won’t do (and, doesn’t have much in economic growth policy to create / retain jobs we might rather do…). That short-sightedness may hamper his ability – and, certainly that of his lock-step staff – to build a policy that protects / grows American jobs. Nonetheless, there is much to be enthusiastic about here…

Bush talked about the struggles of wanting to work and care for your family and having to sneak across a border to do it. He talked about making it possible for America’s present-though-undocumented workers to return home to visit family, to cross borders with freedom, to be a legitimate part of the American economy…

He’s undertaking something previously thought to be impossible in Washington – a critical rethinking of a mammoth institution in an attempt to do better with resources and lives. Better. Not different or more. But, better. Instead of creating impossible directives, building bureaucracy or typing out more fine print, he’s actually attempting to empower border patrol, workers and employers with a radical change in policy.

I did say radical. This is a huge departure from the core hierarchal values of his party. This may be one issue where Bush shows true independence and delivers meaningful change…imagine this type of rational policy [that makes best use of available resources and recognizes humanity] in other key institutions… for example:

• Significant legal reform that slashes prison populations by de-criminalizing minor drug offenses and abandonning mandatory minimums (enabling prisons to reform and educate rather than just warehouse; that focuses law enforcement resources on significant crime …)

• Rethinking the tax code with a half-page, flat tax, no deduction return (reducing the opportunity for cheating, normalizing the burden, getting the government out of the business of advocating certain lifestyles over others…)

• Getting smart about transportation security by focusing on securing areas of terminals and air fields and worrying a little less about scissors…

This immigration direction is something I’ve been hoping to see from the Left; Bush is certainly an unexpected torch-bearer for this fight… 

Snowmen Joy

Look at these – look at these! My far-flung aunt and uncle send a Christmas surprise every year, but being as distant as we are, the gifts we exchange probably tend toward the generic - a guess at what someone might like. But, this year – THESE! Holy turtles, soft, pose-able snowmen in excellent cranberry and sage outfits. Could I like a Christmas decoration more???

Incarceration: Moral Blindness?

Living with a sociologist, I occasionally pick up an intriguing fact or two. Like, many criminologists consider women to me more evolved than men (oh, the joy of over simplification!) And, prisons - seemingly a relic of an institution - are actually a relatively new way to deal with crime and criminals.

Until the 1800s, what prisons existed were used primarily for detention - holding debtors until they could meet their obligations. Crime was dealt with quite another way - immediately and punitively with physical punishments like branding, whipping, a stint in a pillory or, of course, the gallows. In 1820, thieves were still hanged for stealing as little as five shillings' worth of goods.

19th century Americans rethought the issues of punishment and deterrence with a shiny new institution they introduced to touring Europeans as "penitentiary." The original conception was a bit different than how we know prisons today. Inmates were to be reformed in the original prisons with a regime of silence and hard work. The inventive justice did seem to work - for a century and a half, crime dropped steadily in Western nations.

The hope was that as society evolved, inequities and need would decrease, naturally reducing the impetus for crime. But, alas...

In the 1960s, crime began to rise again. And, our reactionary politicians did what we've all come to know and despise in contemporary elections - they promised to introduce new legislation that would be "tough on crime." They instituted long sentences for relatively minor crimes, created mandatory minimums and basically stuffed the prisons so full that they became the warehouses we have come to expect today...

Even the prison building spree in the 70s couldn't house all the so-called criminals that legislators were creating. Today, we have two million people incarcerated in prisons and jails - compared to 200,000 just three decades ago. Always doing things big - America has 25% of the world's prison population (and only 5% of the world's people).

Are we that bad?

Likely not.

The title of this post is actually part of a quote from S.C. Justice Anthony Kennedy who warned of ''moral blindness'' in the criminal justice system. And, the Bar Association and others have issued reports and calls for an end to mandatory minimum sentences and a renewed emphasis on rehabilitation in response to the catastrophic mess politicians and administrators have made of the country’s prisons.

Why am I going on about all of this? Well, because I think it speaks volumes about where the country is right now. The prison system is a single institution where we can see the resurgence of American blood lust over the last few decades. Imprisoning so many people (many over relatively minor crimes) and instituting very punitive sentences is something of an inflation in retribution. It's no longer simple punishment for a crime or rehabilitation through work and silence - it's now an entire culture of internal violence and recidivism. Our increasingly hierarchal culture needs to place a claim on Right – to be morally and socio-economically superior. It’s an ethos that feeds everything from welfare reform to the War in Iraq to the mass imprisonment of Americans.   

Is this justice? Or just debilitating and degrading?

I actually read that there's great promise in the Finnish model. Formerly a brutal prison system that mirrored that of their Soviet neighbors, they rethought the way they treat their criminals (think: the ubiquitous Churchhill quote: ''Treatment of crime and criminals is one of the most unfailing tests of the civilization of any country.'')

Under the new system, Inmates -- referred to as ''clients'' or ''pupils,'' depending on their age - live in dormitory-style rooms, address guards by the first name and get generous home leaves. The theory behind it is that the lack of freedom is the primary punishment and that other cruelties are more a reflection on the captors than on the crime / reform / punishment of the inmates.

And, it seems to be working … crime rates have remained at a relatively low level. And, Finland imprisons only 52 prisoners per 100,000of their citizens – the lowest rate of any European country and not even comparable to the 702/100,000 in the United States).

Can you imagine this system in our country? Does it matter that it works? No. Politicians would call it lenient; media would do sweeps specials on the exceptions; our entire ethos of labeling and punishing what we consider inferior would be in chaos…

In all the talk about inflation, how do we skip over this mass incarceration and degradation of Americans…

Oh, one other thought, Charles Graner – one of the defendants in the Abu Ghraib torture and abuse hearings – has a day job when he’s not called to active duty. He’s a prison guard at the Fayette County Prison and State Correctional Institution in Pennsylvania. Who will investigate where he learned to torture and degrade?

A Very Rummy Christmas

Is it just me or is Maureen Dowd getting wittier and out-right funnier all the time? In today's column, Clarence the Angel counsels a mopey Rumsfeld in "It's a Wonderful Life" style. A sample vision of the alternate life without Rummy:

CLARENCE: Sam Nunn. He's the defense secretary. Sam consults with Congress. Never acts arrogant or misleads them. He didn't banish the generals who challenged him - he promoted 'em. And, of course, he caught Osama back in '01. He threw 100,000 troops into Afghanistan on 9/11 and sealed the borders. Our Special Forces trapped the evildoer and his top lieutenants at Tora Bora. You weren't at that cabinet meeting the day after 9/11, so nobody suggested going after Saddam. No American troops died or were maimed in Iraq. No American soldiers tortured Iraqis in Abu Ghraib. No Iraqi explosives fell into the hands of terrorists. There's no office of disinformation to twist perception abroad. We're not on the cusp of an Iraq run by Muslim clerics tied to Iran. Here's Sam. He's with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs.

Read the column

 

All About Me

I can honestly say this is the first of these little quiz / meme items that I’ve done on my site, but I read this one on Lisa’s page and suddenly felt compelled (make sure you check the last question to see if YOU have an assignment)….

Three names you go by: /lee/, /lee-a/ and Miss /lee-a/

Three screen names you have: leighhous, leighhouss, leighhouseholder … not terribly creative there

Three things you like about yourself:  mmm, I’ll pick three of my favorite abilities: gift-giving, writing and problem-solving

Three things you hate/dislike about yourself: angry streak, butt (blech!-especially in jeans), crappy will power when it comes to eating and exercise choices

Three parts of your heritage: German, English, western Pennsylvanian (alternately: alcoholism, high blood pressure and digestive challenges)

Three things that scare you: perpetual unhappiness, weight gain and car/bike crashes

Three of your everyday essentials: jammies, tissues (I’ve had a runny nose since 1985), laptop

Three things you are wearing right now: skydiving t-shirt, blue jeans, glasses

Three of your favorite bands/artists (at the moment): Chuck Prophet, Erin McKeown, Leonard Cohen

Three of your favorite songs at present: Bird on a Wire by K.D. Lang; Elouise by Chuck Prophet and Born to Hum by Erin McKeown

Three things you want in a relationship (love is a given): being understood, laughter, and good conversation

Three things you want to try in the next 12 months: running, playing a first song on the guitar, writing fiction

Two truths and a lie: I have personal eating addictions (quesadillas, pineapple stromboli, mounds bars); I spend waaaaaay too much time with my cats; I have control over my financial life.

Three physical things about the opposite (or same) sex that appeals to you: bright eyes, open smile, strong arms/chest

Three things you just can’t do: car maintenance, cold calls, eye makeup

Three of your favorite hobbies: writing, reading and web design

Three things you want to do really badly right now: make a decision, eat a slew of Mexican food, get myself to the gym (I’m conflicted :o)

Three careers you’re considering: corporate writer, small business marketing manager, agency bitch

Three places you want to go on vacation: cycling in Vermont; snorkeling in Aruba; one of those actual meaningful vacations where you work toward some larger good wherever needed….

Three kids’ names:  uh… I can honestly say I’ve never thought about this – so, uh…  ok, let’s work up to this. Pet names: Pagelet, Chairman Meow and Snuggler. Kids, kids… Clinton, Aliah and Zoe

Three things you want to do before you die: write a book; find meaning in work / life / service; have healthy, uncomplicated relationships

Three people you’d like to take this quiz now, or die a painful death (just kidding about that last part!): hmmm, is this binding? Ok, I pick Amy Joy, Clay and…  Auntie!

Relativism, Self Esteem and Day-Time TV

Rarely does watching day-time television lead to googling Plato, but occasionally, the endless stream of reality programming uncovers an enduring truth of our culture, one with roots in age-old philosophy.

It started this way. The woman in front of the camera was overweight; clad in dingy jeans and an aging rock t-shirt; topped with greasy hair and a gap-tooth smile. While not ugly, she was certainly not a traditional American beauty.

Only no one had told her.

Donia comfortably referred to her look as hot and strode about with a near-masculine confidence. She had that elusive “self esteem.” In spades.

I’ve always been somewhat skeptical about the idea of self esteem – an ideal imposed by a culture that also demands perky c-cups, a 24” waist, flawless complexion and long, shiny – preferably golden – hair. If you are unattractive – inside or out – and know it, is that realistic – or low self-esteem? If you’re lovely and know it, do you really need yet another social validation?

Then, there’s Donia.

At some point, she deflected, rejected or chose to ignore our otherwise shared standards of beauty. She loved herself for what she was, not what she wasn’t. She was a relativist in classic Protagoras and Plato style: “The way things appear to me, in that way they exist for me; and the way things appears to you, in that way they exist for you.”

Until, her family and friends nominated her for a makeover show.

The chic, perfectly-clad Gotham hosts stood Donia in front of a set of 360-degree mirrors to critique her favorite outfits – calling her look saggy, sloppy, unflattering.

Arming her with several thousand dollars on a sponsor’s credit card, they subjected the once-happy rocker to two days of shopping in trendy, big city boutiques, accompanied by an endless commentary on what did and didn’t work on her much-discussed body type.

The third day included a complete hair and makeup makeover. The woman who emerged to model her new look was decidedly more sullen. She told the confessional cameras how unsure she was, looked at the hosts for approval, talked a lot about her new looks…

By creating a standard, they had effectively knocked a couple of rusty dings in her impenetrable self-esteem.

Of course, it’s no surprise that by introducing a new culture or ethic to someone naive to that idea, beliefs and self-identity can be shaken. But, Donia is someone who has been immersed in this beauty ethic her entire life. But either by rejecting it or surrounding herself with her own denial and people who would consistently feed that denial, she was happier with her appearance than the most beautiful women I’ve met.

You’ve likely seen similar curiosities in your own relationships. An unbelievably beautiful woman who thinks she’s fat and ugly. A decidedly plain or cruel girl who thinks the whole room is in love with her.

It’s all relativism. One embraced standards that most can never live up to. The other just didn’t consider them part of her playing field.

Relativism’s critics describe it as the thesis that all points of view are equally valid – meaning there are no Truths, no good or bad or ugly… Perhaps more accurately, though, relativism understands that any one thing (self perception, moral values, etc.) is relative to some particular framework of understanding or personal standpoint. And, relativism says that no one standpoint is uniquely privileged over all others.

Applied to cultural standards of beauty, in a relativist world, what one sees as ugly, another sees as beautiful; fat as full-figured; etc. Self esteem is in how you experience yourself, rather than how you compare.  There is no separate or objective truth apart from how each individual happens to see things. An impossible standard for morality or justice, but a real possibility for personal beauty, value and self esteem...

Intriguing, really. Instead of dragging young girls into health classes and counseling, maybe we should be talking about and teaching philosophy. Ways to think about things – not just an ongoing barrage of norms and oughts and products … perhaps that will be our culture’s next challenge, philosophical education as a way to view the barrage of information that technology enables….