On My Short List

If I was McCain, Clinton or Obama, I would have the Junior Senator from Virginia, JamesWebb on my Short list for VP! No question about it. I would proudly vote for him for President outright but for this election cycle I do think he would make an excellent VP for any and all candidates!!

Not familiar with this great American?

Here is his wiki:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Webb

another link:

http://webb.senate.gov/

and another:

http://www.jameswebb.com/about.htm

check out his PAC=Born fighting:http://www.jameswebb.com/about.htm

Monsanto's Harvest of FEAR

No thanks: An anti-Monsanto crop circle made by farmers and volunteers in the Philippines. By Melvyn Calderon/Greenpeace HO/A.P. Images.

http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/05/monsanto200805

Monsanto already dominates America’s food chain with its genetically modified seeds. Now it has targeted milk production. Just as frightening as the corporation’s tactics–ruthless legal battles against small farmers–is its decades-long history of toxic contamination.

MONSANTO'S HARVEST OF FEAR
by Donald L. Barlett and James B. Steele from the May 2008 issue "GREEN" by Vanity Fair.

If you care at all about what you eat...read this. Have you seen the movie Michael Clayton? Did you wonder about that fictional all powerful company called U-North? Think no further than Monsanto. READ this article and do your own research.

What a Great Idea! BlackOUTSabbath 06-21-08

http://www.blackoutsabbath.org/

Rufus Wainwright wants to save the world by turning off the lights. He calls it “Blackout Sabbath,” and he’s encouraging people to unplug and live in quiet darkness from noon to midnight on June 21, 2008, the summer solstice. “I felt like the whole environmental movement was getting a little too glitzy,” he said by phone after announcing the plan at his glitzy Valentine’s Day concert at Radio City Music Hall. “But my belief is that it really has to come from the individual.” So during your twelve hours without power, he wants you to think about the Earth and make a list of what you can do to save it. “The New York power outage was a real profound experience for me,” Wainwright said. “I just remember such a sense of relief, and of being a human being, when everything was shut off. I had to try and re-create it.” He doesn’t expect a huge following, but he hopes to get the Empire State Building’s lights darkened. But if he succeeds, he won’t see it: He’ll be on tour in Berlin that night!

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=334190733

Check out the links and plan on unplugging.

Is the World's Food System Collapsing?

THE LAST BITE is a fasincinating article by BEE WILSON from the New Yorker from the May 19, 2008 issue.

http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/atlarge/2008/05/19/080519crat_atlarge_wilson

The World Bank recently announced that thirty-three countries are confronting food crises, as the prices of various staples have soared. From January to April of this year, the cost of rice on the international market went up a hundred and forty-one per cent. Pakistan has reintroduced ration cards. In Egypt, the Army has started baking bread for the general population. The Haitian Prime Minister was ousted after hunger riots. The current crisis could push another hundred million people deeper into poverty. Is the world’s population about to be “checked” by its failure to produce enough food?

I couldn't put the article down after reading that paragragh.

Airports

I recently read this fascinating article in The New Yorker, while on vacation to New Orleans. I am just little late in blogging about it. The article was by Paul Goldberger on Can anybody design a nice airport? SITUATION TERMINAL was the name of the article in the Journeys issue on April 21, 2008. Here is the link:

http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/skyline/2008/04/21/080421crsk_skyline_goldberger

I was hooked after this brilliant opening paragraph:

Airports are essentially machines for processing people, airplanes, automobiles, cargo, and luggage—all of which move in different ways, and which need to be connected at certain points and separated by rigid security at others. Just getting all the parts to work together seems overwhelming—indeed, it did overwhelm British Airways last month at Heathrow, outside London, when Terminal 5, an eight-billion-dollar structure that was supposed to transform Heathrow from a congested tangle into a place that would thrill passengers with the joy of air travel, all but shut down on its opening day, when a computerized baggage system malfunctioned.

Thoughts on this Memorial Day, 2008

Military Conflict
by Steve Coll for the New Yorker

In 2004, in a little noted speech, General Richard A. Cody, who graduated West Point in 1972, described the Army efforts to adapt to its new commitments. (It was attempting to fight terrorism, quell the Taliban, invade and pacify Iraq, and at the same time, prepare for future strategic challenges whether in China, Korea, or Africa.) The endevevor was, Cody said, like building an airplane in flight.

In Mid- April of this year, the General appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee and testified that this method of engineering has failed. “Today’s Army is out of balance,” Cody said. He continued:

The Current demand for our forces in Iraq and Afghanistan exceeds the sustainable supply, and limits our ability to provide ready forces for other contingencies. . . . Soldiers, families, support systems and equipment are stretched and stressed. . . . Overall, our readiness is being consumed as fast as we build it. If unaddressed, this lack of balance poses a significant risk to the all-volunteer force and degrades the Army’s ability to make a timely response to other contingencies.

In 2006, the Army granted eight thousand three hundred and thirty “moral waivers” to new recruits, meaning that it had accepted that number of volunteers with past criminal charges or convictions. The percentage of high-school graduates willing to serve is falling sharply from year to year; so are the aptitude-exam scores of new enlistees. To persuade soldiers and young officers to reënlist after overlong combat tours, the Army’s spending on retention bonuses increased almost ninefold from 2003 to 2006.

In normal times, when an active four-star general implies in public that the Army is under such strain that it might flounder if an unexpected war broke out, or might require a draft to muster adequate troop levels, he could expect to provoke concern and comment from, say, the President of the United States. Some time ago, however, George W. Bush absolved himself of responsibility for his Iraq policy and its consequences by turning the war over to General David H. Petraeus, Cody’s four-star peer, and the champion of the “surge” policy, who will testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee this week.

http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2008/04/14/080414taco_talk_coll

Please take some time this Memorial Day to read this article, to think about not only the great sacrifices of the the troops and their families and the fallen but of Military policy and Military history and the great mess of it all and ponder about what the future will bring.

Another LanCo high school sex scandal

Yes, another Lancaster High School became embroiled in a sex scandal Tuesday, May 20, 2008 when police arrested the former leader of McCaskey High School's gospel choir and accused him of having a 7 month sexual relationship with a 15 year old student. Read more here:
http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/221748

and here: http://badbadteacher.com/norman-mcmillan/

McMillan is the third person involved in a high school’s music program in Lancaster County, PA to be charged this year with engaging in a sexual relationship with a student!

Fenz Lancaster PA

FENZ

Explore...Intimately casual bistro dining in a fashionably sleek setting.

Experience...Comfort foods restyled with contemporary flourish. Refreshingly paired with classic cocktails and hand-selected wines.

Exhilarate...That such urban sophistication has found its way to Lancaster @398 Harrisburg Ave Ste 100 Lancaster, PA 17603 (717) 735-6999. Please make reservations for a table, it gets crowded for dinner service.

I really liked this place. Just like their tag line states: comfort food restyled with contemporary flourish. Not a large menu, very bistro like but everything made to perfection. No complaints. Service was spot on. Can't wait to go back for drinks and dessert.

Eames USPS Stamps to be Released Soon

Look for the Eames USPS Stamps to be released in June or July. I am trying to get an Official release date but can't find one. One source says June the next July?
From the USPS web site:
In recognition of their groundbreaking contributions to architecture, furniture design, manufacturing and photographic arts, designers Charles and Ray Eames will be honored next summer with a pane of 16 stamps designed by Derry Noyes of Washington, DC. If you’ve ever sat in a stackable molded chair, you’ve experienced their creativity. Perhaps best known for their furniture, the Eameses were husband and wife as well as design partners. Their extraordinary body of creative work — which reflected the nation’s youthful and inventive outlook after World War II — also included architecture, films and exhibits. Without abandoning tradition, Charles and Ray Eames used new materials and technology to create high-quality products that addressed everyday problems and made modern design available to the American public.

Help Dream House Up For Auction Need to Raise 3 Million $

I just found out about this and I do not have 3 million dollars....but I can dream can't I?

Another Modernist masterpiece will be sold as a work of art this month when Louis Kahn's Esherick House goes under the hammer on May 18th. Built between 1959 and 1961 in Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania for Margaret Esherick, the house also features the original custom kitchen designed by sculptor Wharton Esherick, her uncle. The one-bedroom house, which is a Landmark Building, is symmetrical and demonstrates Kahn's fascination with the effects of light on the space within; large rectangular windows and a limited use of materials, concrete and warm wood add to the simplicity of the design. Wright Auctions have produced an 80 page catalog with photographs by Todd Eberle and an essay by Wharton Esherick on the unique kitchen. The house will be offered in Wright's Important Design sale with an estimate of $2-3 million. That's a lot less than the $15,000,00-$25,000,00 that The Kaufmann House in Palm Springs, CA is expected to fetch when it is auctioned at Christie's the preceding week. The Photo does not do the house justice....check out this link:http://www.dezeen.com/2008/04/03/esherick-house-by-louis-kahn/

or this link:http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/13/garden/13kahn.html?n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/Subjects/A/Auctions

or this link:http://wright20.com/

The X Files: I want to Believe

Set to Open July 25th...sheesh, we all want to believe. But it's been 6 years since The X files ended its TV run, and the first movie version was a long time ago. What fresh paranormal hell is being cooked up by FBI agents Fox and Dana Scully? As for plot leaks that claim the sequel is a relationship movie, ha trust no one...remember the truth is out there, but we'll just have to wait-and what true X-file won't be there to find out? By July, I will need an Xfile escape as I suspect so will the rest of the country.

http://www.xfiles.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Untitled_X-Files_sequel

J.B. Dawson's is set to open in Lancaster, PA

The Fountain Shoppes at Park City Mall will be welcoming the opening of J.B. Dawson's Restaurant and Bar on May 19th, 2008. Austin's Restaurant & Bar in Reading, PA owners are opening this location. I have talked to a few people who dine @ the J.B. Dawson's in Drexel Hill, PA and they speak highly of it.

From their web site:

At J.B. Dawson’s, we strive for excellence in our food, service and atmosphere. The high quality of our food begins by using the freshest ingredients. Our high-energy team oriented approach allows you to meet many members of our friendly staff and ensures that you receive attentive and complete service. Our clean open kitchen and warm classic atmosphere are combined with our outstanding food and service to give you a truly enjoyable experience. Your satisfaction is our number one goal. Our reward will be when you choose to visit us again. http://www.jbdawsons.com/

Matt Taibbi Rules

I've written about how much I love the writing and columns that Matt Taibbi writes for Rolling Stone magazine. Now Matt is coming out with a Book called GREAT DERANGEMENT.

Janeane Garofalo has a jacket blurb that reads, " He madly embraces his role as an honest political observer/writer/citizen. I would also like to take this opportunity to ask for Matt's hand in marriage" Hey, so would I. If you know what I mean. His book is in stores NOW, run don't walk to get your copy NOW.

Check out his wiki entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Taibbi

photo credit: mother jones magazine

Cylo and Me

Loving Passing

The Nation should be mourning the lost of the death of Mildred Loving, but it was only today that I heard about her passing. Her challenge to Virginia's ban on interracial marriage led to the landmark 1967 Supreme Court ruling striking down such laws nationwide. Loving died May 2 at the age of 68. Loving issued a statement last year on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Loving v. Virginia decision, in which she wrote: “I believe all Americans, no matter their race, no matter their sex, no matter their sexual orientation, should have that same freedom to marry. Government has no business imposing some people’s religious beliefs over others.”

“With tremendous strength and grace, the Lovings challenged the immorality of anti-miscegenation laws that sought to deprive Americans of one of the most personal decisions they would ever make: whom to marry. In doing so, the Lovings altered history for the better.”— Acting Executive Director Rea Carey of the Task Force.

Here is a link from NPR on the 40th anniversary of the Loving landmark case: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10889047

Photo credit: NPR

Renovations completed for Victory Brewery

Victory about to Re-open. Renovations are completed for the brewery and Restaurant. Check out there web site and their wiki entry:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_Brewing_Company

http://www.victorybeer.com/

The Christo's Are Coming to Town

OH MY GOD........ the Christo's are coming to town!

I just watched a doc-bio on them I DVR'd from HBO and I just looked thru my photos that I took from the GATES and now they are coming to Lancaster.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude, Doctors of Fine Arts will be awarded at the F&M graduation!

Here is more about them from the F&M web site. I am off to try and find out if I can get tickets to the commencement ceremony. The College’s 2008 Commencement will be Saturday, May 17, 2008. From the F&M web site here is more information on the Christo's.

Christo and Jeanne-Claude are a married couple whose artistic collaboration spans five decades. Their environmental art is both visually impressive and sometimes controversial because of its scale. For example, in 2005, their installation "The Gates" in Central Park, New York City, included 7,503 vinyl gates with free-flowing nylon fabric panels anchored to 15,006 steel bases on 23 miles of walkways. They have also "wrapped" buildings, coasts, floors and stairways with fabric and rope, and used brown wrapping paper, cotton drop cloths, concrete, steel, oil barrels, umbrellas and more in their works of art, which are often temporary installations.

Born Christo Javacheff in Gabrovo, Bulgaria, Christo studied at the Fine Arts Academy in Sofia, escaping from Prague to the West in early 1957. His wife, Jeanne-Claude, was educated in France and Switzerland, earning degrees in philosophy and Latin from the University of Tunis. The two met in Paris in 1958 and have worked together since collaborating on "Dockside Packages, Cologne Harbor, 1961." At that time, the couple decided to use one name -- Christo.

Christo himself was the artist while Jeanne-Claude served as manager, art dealer, coordinator and organizer. In 1994, they officially changed the artist name "Christo" into "the artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude." In 1964, they immigrated, with their son Cyril, to New York, where they now reside.

In a 2002 interview, Jeanne-Claude noted that she and her husband wanted to create works "of joy and beauty." These words were echoed in a New York Times article about the Central Park installation "The Gates" when Michael Kimmelman called the work, "pure joy, a vast populist spectacle of good will and simple eloquence." Art critic David Bourdon has described Christos wrappings as "revelation through concealment."

The couple desires to have as much liberty as possible in creating their works, so they never accept sponsorships, commissions or public funds, which could come with strings attached. Instead, the cost of their projects is covered by the sale of works of art and components of the works of art. "I often say," Christo remarked in a 2002 interview, "our work is a scream of freedom."

For more information on the other speakers and graduation see this link:

http://www.fandm.edu/x18001.xml#x18007

Guess Who is Coming to Lancaster

Well it is Graduation season and I was wondering who would be speaking @ F&M. I was away on vacation for a week in NOLA so I hadn't heard anything or read anything. The Philadelphia Inquirer always publishes a list of commencement speakers for there numerous colleges during the season, but of course the Lancaster paper doesn't. I am so excited to see who F&M is having..... NPR's David Greene!!! David, who is NPR's White House correspondent, is a Lancaster native whose late mother, Terry R. Greene, was an associate professor of psychology at Franklin & Marshall College. I realized this when I read her unfortunate obit in the Lancaster paper. I was truly sorry I hadn't met her. Like myself she had MS. Her obit was beautifully written and I believe that her son David may have written it. Now when I listen it NPR every day I enjoy David's reporting even more. I would like to meet him while he is in town but chances of that are slim to none. Here is a little bit more about David Greene.....from the F&M web site:

Greene joined National Public Radio in 2005 as a White House correspondent. Lately, however, his reporting has focused almost exclusively on the presidential campaigns. He frequently travels with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton on her campaign plane.

His presidential reporting has taken him to Iraq, South America, Asia and Europe and included the June 2006 trip to the Green Zone of Baghdad, kept secret until President George H. Bush was on the ground.

Greene has traveled with Vice President Dick Cheney to Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan and witnessed, with Cheney, the elected Afghan parliament convene for the first time since 1973.
He has also covered First Lady Laura Bush's 2005 trip to Botswana, South Africa, Tanzania and Rwanda. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Greene was aboard Air Force One with President Bush as he flew over the Gulf Coast surveying the storm's destruction.

Greene's coverage of the campaigns, the president, his policies, and people at the White House is heard on NPR's Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Weekend Edition, Day to Day, and Talk of the Nation programs.

A passionate Steelers fan, Greene spent much of his childhood in Pittsburgh. He holds a degree in government from Harvard, where he graduated magna cum laude in 1998. While in college, he began his career in journalism by serving as senior editor for the Harvard Crimson.
After graduation, he joined the Baltimore Sun, first working as a researcher in the Sun's Washington bureau, contributing to coverage of President Bill Clinton's impeachment trial. He moved on to cover education from the paper's Carroll County office, and eventually began covering the White House during President George W. Bush's first term, including the president's response to the September 11 attacks and his management of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Greene also covered the president's 2004 re-election campaign.
In his free time, Greene has participated in the Coaching for College program, tutoring inner-city youth. He was named co-volunteer of the year for the program in 2004.

Iron Hill Brewery Lancaster

I just drove by Iron Hill Brewery location across from F&M and noticed they are now preparing for out door seating on the sidewalk at Harrisburg Pike. Nice. I had asked about this when they first open and no one knew if they were going to do it or not. Iron Hill in West Chester does it on their sidewalk, which is tree lined, and it is so relaxing. I haven't been to Iron Hill in over a month or so and now I will be heading there once graduation season is over and it won't be so crowded.