Posts

"There is only one way in which one can endure man's inhumanity to man and that is to try, in one's own life, to exemplify man's humanity to man."----Alan Paton (1903-1988)Don Cheadle as Paul Rusesabagina There are movies that leave you feeling good, others that make you feel sad and contemplative. "Hotel Rwanda" caused numbness. JHL and I left the theater feeling overwhelmed and it took a few minutes for us to begin talking about the film.Briefly, the movie depicted what happened in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda during the massacre of Tutsis by Hutus. In other parts of Rwanda the Tutsis killed Hutus. Altogether, the death toll exceeded more than one million."Hotel Rwanda" is based on a real-life character, Paul Rusesabagina who found himself running the upscale Hotel Mille Collines, owned by the Belgian conglomerate Sabena, when the European management staff left at the outbreak of violence. A fixer with connections, Paul was initially concerned with protecting his Tutsi wife and their children. But he soon found himself providing shelter to hundreds of Tutsis as well as Hutus. To his credit he managed to save most of the men, women and children by bribing, cajoling the army general in charge of the Hutu forces (it was para-military gangs that committed most of the atrocities) and with help from a sympathetic UN official.The director, Terry George, deliberately avoided detailed shots of the slaughtered. Close up views of people hacked to death with machetes would have been too gruesome. They were not necessary for the message to reach the audience.Don Cheadle very ably portrayed the smooth-talking, unflappable Paul Rusesabagina whose conscience would not let him escape when an opportunity came up. The innate decency of the man came through under the most horrific cirecumstances.Nick Nolte was his usual gruff self as Colonel Oliver, a Canadian in charge of the UN Peacekeeping Forces.Joaquin Phoneix left an imprerssion in a cameo role as a war photographer, as did the French actor Jean Reno as the director of Sabena. Cara Seymour stood out in her role as a member of UN's humanitarian aid staff.There was a scene in which Nick Nolte informed Rusesabagina of the super powers' decision not to intervene. “You’re not even a nigger”.“You’re an African.”There is some truth to that. It is a fact that in 1994 the Clinton administration decided not to get involved in Rwanda. The European Union and the Bush administration took a "hands off" position during the ethnic cleansing that began in Darfur (Sudan) in 2003. And so it goes.Back to "Million Dollar Baby"In my post (January 22nd) I wrote that:"Not all viewers would like the decision made by Maggie and Frankie at the end. Eastwood did it right. Anything else would have trivialized it."Well, I read in Maureen Dowd's column in The NY Times on January 6th that it didn't take long for Rush Limbaugh (yes, the Rush Limbaugh who faced criminal charges for illegally buying and using oxy-contin), Michael Medved and others to claim that Eastwood's film sends a "positive message about euthanasia". Duh !

Annie Proulx Richard Ford William Trevor Alice Munro The old masters of the craft (O. Henry, Bret Harte, Sherwood Anderson, Edgar Allan Poe, Somerset Maugham, Balzac, Maupassant, Anatole France) are long gone. But short story writers today are no less powerful. The authors listed above include two Americans, one from Ireland, and a Canadian, Alice Munro. Here are a few snippets to whet your appetite. “’You know,' said Plato Bucklew, ‘I don’t care for them new V-Rods. If I was to get a motorsickle it would be one a the old Buffalos. You ever hear a them?’ ‘Heard a them but never seen one. Heard they never got it off the drawin board,‘ said Creel Zmundzinski. ‘That might just be the best part of it’, said his friend enigmatically. ‘Take a horse, myself.’" “The Contest” (Bad Dirt, Wyoming Stories 2) by Annie Proulx, Scribner 2004. “’Did this give you anything?’ Wales, said. ‘Did I give you anything you cared about? It seemed like you wanted there to be an outcome. ‘What an odd thing to ask’, Jena said, her eyes shining, growing large again. She seemed about to laugh, but then suddenly moved to him, stood on tiptoes and kissed him on the mouth, hard, put her cold cheek to his cheek and said, ‘Yes. You gave me so much. You gave me all there was. Didn’t you? That’s what I wanted.’ ‘Yes,’ Wales said. ‘I did. That’s right’. He smiled at her.” “Quality Time” (A Multitude of Sins) by Richard Ford, Alfred Knopf 2002. ‘What children of a marriage rarely witness is the nature of the love that brought the whole thing--themselves included--into being in the first place. The marriage of parents is almost always mysterious; the sensual elements scarcely bear thinking about, the romantic past can only be guessed at, and all such curiosity invariably comes too late.’ “Field of Battle” (part of a series titled “Personal History”) by William Trevor. The New Yorker. "They think women are bound to be nicer.' 'But he just wanted somebody to talk to,' she said, shifting sides a little. 'He wanted somebody worse than I didn’t want somebody. I realize that now. And I don't look mean. I don't look cruel. But I was.'" "Chance" by Alice Munro. The New Yorker, 2004. Give them a try. Books are such great companions.

Cost(s) of War It was Ross Perot, the quirky Texan two-time contender for the presidency who talked about "a giant sucking sound" in outlining the threat of NAFTA to U.S. jobs. Regular visitors to this blog will notice the addition of a counter that displays the cost (in dollars) of our war in Iraq. Cost of War.com contains full details about the calculations and modulated examples of various programs that could benefit from the money. It is maintained by National Priorities Project, a non-partisan education and advocacy foundation. Whether you believe that the money is being spent for a just cause or you feel that it is going down a drain to satisfy the hubris of a few, the numbers are revealing. You don't hear a "giant sucking sound" when you look at the counter ? Well, it is your money. Then there are other costs. npp The leaders who sold the war to our nation never participated in combat; not a single one of them. Some, like Vice-President Cheney, sought and received deferment during the Vietnam War. Neither do they have sons and daughters in the armed forces. Think about it. "War hath no fury like a non-combatant." ----Charles Edward Montague, British author, journalist, soldier (1867-1928) "The cry has been that when war is declared, all opposition should be hushed. A sentiment more unworthy of a free country could hardly be propagated." ----William Ellery Channing, American Unitarian Minister and Author (1780-1842) Comments Sam — 2005-02-05 Hi, I read your comment on my blog just now, and thought I'd see what you were up to over here. Looking at the "cost of war" is meaningless unless it's done in the context of the benefits we get for incurring that cost. If our efforts to transform the Middle East, starting with Afghanistan and Iraq, end up creating a region where terrorists do not plot and scheme to detonate a nuke in a major American city, then we will have saved untold billions of dollars, plus an incalculable emotional cost in lives spared. You may not believe that the War on Terror is wise, or is working. But, in evaluating it as foreign policy, it's only fair to assess the goals it seeks to acheive, and their value. musafir — 2005-02-05 Is that what we are doing, conducting "war on terror" ? If memory serves me right the reason for the war against Iraq has gone through a number of changes. First that Saddam had a hand in the attacks on 9/11; then the WMD angle which was milked to the last drop. The latest is that we are there to "democratize" the Iraqis. Does not look as though the recent election would result in formation of a democratic government. But let us hope for the sake of the Iraqi people, and for our soldiers out there, that the bloodshed would stop. If one's source of news is not limited to the Fox channel, it becomes obvious that the war has created more terrorists instead of curbing their growth. Anonymous — 2005-02-06 here is a movie you may find interesting Sam — 2005-02-06 It is not the case that everyone who disagrees with you watches nothing but Fox News. I don't watch any TV news, actually. I am curious: Why is it "obvious" to you that we have created more terrorists? Do you have some data to back up that claim, or is it just your personal belief? I have some data, and here it is: Before the War on Terror, the U.S. was the vicitm of many, many terror attacks: our hostages in Iran, the attack on our Marine barracks in Beirut, the U.S. embassy bombings in Saudi Arabia, the attack on the USS Cole, the first (failed) attempt on the World Trade Center, and finally 9-11, just to name the most notable ones. Since the war on terror, there have been no major attacks on the U.S. that I can think of (not counting attacks on our troops in Iraq, who are, after all, at war there). It seems to me our strategy is working pretty well. Our rationale for being in Iraq hasn't shifted; there have been multiple reasons all along. If you are troubled by the fact that there is more than one reason for us to be in Iraq, don't be. We are doing the right thing. Saying we are going into Iraq for this or that reason is much less important than the result of a democratically-governed Middle East. musafir — 2005-02-06 To Anonymous Thanks for the link to the movie. musafir — 2005-02-06 This comment has been removed by a blog administrator. musafir — 2005-02-06 “Democratically governed Middle-East” is a worthy goal. In the recently held elections about 50% of Iraqis (mostly Sunnis) stayed away. Facts: Iyad Allawi was on the CIA’s payroll, as was Ahmed Chalabi who, after falling from grace, is making a come back. And then there is Grand Ayatollah Sistani, the Shia leader, calling the shots from behind. So I’m skeptical about the “democratic government” that would emerge. It would seem that we want to see democracy established only when we are assured of a government that works at our bidding. Look at our ally Pakistan. Would you say that Pakistan under General Musharraf has a "government of the people" ? Step back a little. In 1953 British and American Governments joined hands to topple Mohammed Mossadeq, the elected premier in Iran, and installed the Shah to protect oil companies from being nationalised. The records about the brutal regime of the Shah and subsequent capture of power by religious zealots in Iran are available to all who are interested in checking the facts. Good that you don’t watch news programs. Neither do I. But I follow BBC’s reports on the Internet. Last October, an article in the respected medical journal "Lancet" mentioned that more than 100,000 Iraqi civilians died since the war began. When it comes to suffering in such scale, does the end justify the means; to me it does not. You can find the item in BBC's archive. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3962969.stm As to rise in terrorism, I take a global view. The weekend is over in Tokyo. Stay well.

The State of The Union, 6:00 PM (PST) Those who are going to watch the president deliver his fifth State of the Union message will again see something that has become familiar...the Republican members of the House bobbing up and down like marionettes to applaud the president at every second sentence. They would be better off staying up on their feet but they enjoy much more comprehensive medical insurance coverage than the rest of us. And they will burn some calories. I can think of other things to do than watching the charade on TV. We know what he is going to talk about. First the Iraqi election. The president will claim it was a great success. There was less violence than was anticipated; that was the good part. Final numbers are yet to be announced but according to initial reports more than 50% of Iraqis, mostly Shias participated. The Kurds, too, voted in large numbers. Sunni Arabs stayed away. That portends ill about the future. Grand Ayatollah Sistani, religious leader of the Shias, has already indicated his desire for Islamic laws to replace civil laws. That would be a drastic shift. Iraq, under the Baathists, was a secular nation. There are many doubts and questions about the future. Could be a long time before things fall in place and peace prevails between the different factions. Iraq ruled by conservative Islamic legislators would not be the democratic country that we wanted to see. He will laud the great sacrifice made by members of the armed forces but stay away from the costs of the war. Restructuring Social Security, the lynch pin in the president's agenda for the second term. He will try to sell it to the American people without giving details of the costs and risks. He will just accentuate the "pie in the sky" scenario. He would probably touch upon the health care issue, again without stating that Medicare recipients had their largest ever increase in premium while facing cuts in coverage in the form of higher deductibles, and lower limits on availability of prescription drugs. He will boast of the success of his tax cuts without mentioning the widening gap between incomes at the upper and lower ends. He will talk about his forthcoming visit to Europe and his goal for increased cooperation. A recent global poll reflected that only two countries---Poland and India---were supportive of the president and his policies. "Then you should say what you mean," the March Hare went on. "I do, " Alice hastily replied; "at least I mean what I say, that's the same thing, you know." "Not the same thing a bit!" said the Hatter. "Why, you might just as well say that "I see what I eat" is the same thing as "I eat what I see!" ----Lewis Carroll ( Alice in Wonderland)

Anything goes Maureen Dowd's column, "Torture Chicks Gone Wild", in The NY Times on January 30th, is about a report by AP that Eric R. Saar, a former sergeant, who served as an Arabic interpreter at Guantanamo, is the author of a forthcoming book about interrogation and abuse of prisoners. Among the methods: sexual arousal by women wearing provocative clothes and other means. Perhaps the most despicable was to defile the water tap in a Muslim prisoner's cell by use of faked menstrual blood ! Some prisoners, after their release from Guantanamo, alleged that prostitutes were used. What did we do...fly them out to Guantanamo on contract or are such women regular members of interrogation teams? I have not seen any report about denial by the Pentagon. Makes you wonder what else is going on and how little we know. Apologists would say that it is necessary to take whatever means possible to stop terrorism. Really ? Can we put the genie back into the bottle ? Once we started on that slippery slope we lost control of the forces that we let loose. Appearing just after the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz,as it did, Ms. Dowd's column caused revulsion when I read it. It made me feel ashamed. dowd "Only one enemy is worse than despair: INDIFFERENCE. In every area of human creativity, INDIFFERENCE is the enemy; INDIFFERENCE of evil is worse than evil, because it is also sterile." ----Elie Wiesel

President Bush and Europeans Iran, Syria, North Korea, Pakistan SpongeBob Square Pants and Rev. Dobson Thomas Friedman, in his column in The NY Times (1/27/05) recommends that during his forthcoming trip to Europe, instead of giving speeches President Bush gives the Europeans his ears. friedman We would see pictures of the president sitting at tables with heads of European nations. But would he hear them ? Colin Powell understood Europe and the Middle East. He got rolled over by the hardliners. One gets the impression that Ms. Rice and the President are probably guided by the same higher authority. The Iranians (Ayranians according to some) better watch out. Now that we have arranged to provide the Iraqi people with an elected government, there are rumblings that it is their turn to feel the wrath of the United States. Perhaps Syria next. North Korea ? Nah, we don’t want to tackle the North Koreans, they already have the bomb. What about Pakistan ? They provided bomb making know how and material to Libya, Iran and North Korea ? Pakistan is a friendly country, helping us fight al Qaeda, and it was just one man, Dr. A.Q. Khan, who said he was sorry. The Pakistani Government was completely unaware of what was happening. And pigs have wings. The ever vigilant mandarins of morality have found another threat--the cartoon character SpongeBob Square Pants. A video which includes SpongeBob has been mentioned as "pro-homosexual" by Rev. James Dobson, founder of "Focus on the Family". We can rest assured that our children will be protected from evil influences. “Contrariwise,” continued Tweedledee, “if it was so, it might be; and if it were so, it would be; but as it isn’t, it ain’t. That’s logic.” ----Lewis Carroll (1832–1898), Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, chapter 4 (1865).

And BelzecBergen-BelsenBuchenwaldChelmnoDachauDoraJanowMaidanekMauthausenNeuengammePonaryPustkowSkarzyskoSobiborStutthofTheresienstadtTreblinkaVilnaWarsaw Am I, who is not Jewish, fit to write, or do I have the right to comment, about the Holocaust and suffering of the Jewish people ? I do so with humility.I can say that what took place was terrible and that I understand their pain. But only Jews know what it really meant. It goes too deep, way beyond our comprehension of the enormity of the atrocities during the years when a large number of people in Europe ceased to act like members of the human race and insanity prevailed. The number of survivors of the pogrom is small and getting smaller. Soon there would be none. But a generation of Jews, scattered all over the world, grew up under the shadow of the horrendous fate suffered by their parents and grand parents. To us it is fact; to them it is intensely personal.As leaders of the world gather at Auschwitz on the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the infamous concentration camp, where Nazis killed 1.5 million people, mostly Jews (out of of a total six million plus who died horrible deaths during Adolf Hitler‘s Third Reich), we should all take a few moments to ponder about the Holocaust.Why did it happen and why did the Germans and others who were aware of what was going on remained quiet and looked the other way ? Not all of them were Nazis. There are many explanations but they do not provide answers. At long last the Germans faced the issue and accepted their responsibility. The Vatican waffled about the failure of Pope Pius XII to speak out. Whether his voice would have done any good is beside the point.There would be lofty speeches at Auschwitz. The sad fact is that the world remained aloof during the genocide that took place in Rwanda in 1994. According to a 1999 report by Frontline “.....the Clinton administration's failure to intervene in Rwanda 'wasn't a failure to act'. The decision was 'not to act'.” More recently, the European Union refrained from intervening in Sudan because the Darfur massacres were not considered “genocidal”! Again, our government stood by the sidelines. One only heard platitudes. Our leaders talk about moral high ground but there is often a tendency to find pretexts to avoid taking action.Racial prejudices still exist. Bigots come in all colors and races. Demagogues continue to spew hatred in different languages. There will always be such people. As long as they do not receive support of the broader society in which they live they would remain powerless to persecute and oppress others.We cannot be absolutely sure that it will not happen again; we can only hope that it does not and do whatever we can toward that goal. Comments Anonymous — 2005-01-28 i really like it. and i think that it is the most logical and reasonable response one can have about it. it sometimes seem that jews say 'never again' only when it relates to them, and not to others. and this is really sad.

An old saying in politics that the intrepid Texan author and journalist Molly Ivins used as the title of her 1998 book about politicians (of both parties) and the pervasive influence of those who fund them. Very appropriate. Last week was party-time in Washington,D.C, but the dances began long before the big hoopla. The president’s dance card is full. There would be a lot of them. Lined up for their turn: The pharmaceutical industry. It is going to get its wish for banning importation of prescription drugs from Canada by consumers. Why ? They are unsafe ! A Jig. The financial sector. There is going to be a humdinger of a dance as the so called “privatization” of Social Secutity Program begins to take shape. Rock and Roll. Heads of the timber industry as well as chemical and automobile industries. They are grinning from ear to ear. The money they contributed for the parties will come back to them with handsome dividends. Texas Two Step. The pushers of tax cuts for the top income bracket already got their dance. They want more, and the president is a firm believer in cutting taxes for those who have the most. Paso Doble ? There are many others. The vice president has been helping out by dancing with representatives of military contractors, energy and aerospace industries. Ever wonder why some people talk about “entitlements” and “welfare queens”, and see nothing wrong with creation of tax loop holes for the corporations that contribute large sums to campaigns of politicians ? Watch out every time they talk about "simplifying" the tax code. In the documentary film “Fahrenheit 9/11” there is a segment which shows President Bush at a formal dinner. He walks to the microphone, turns to the guests at the head table and says: "What an impressive crowd: the haves, and the have-mores. Some people call you the elite, I call you my base.” There you have it. Straight from the horse's mouth. Michael Moore didn't write the words; he did not force the president to say them. No one can accuse the president of not taking care of his base.

Risotto with fresh mushrooms (my version) AC with a large Chanterelle It is the season when foraging for wild mushrooms is rewarding to those of us who like to walk in the foothills among the redwood and oak trees. I like chanterelles. Not easy to find but fresh chanterelles have such nice coloring and earthy flavor. They are delicious, simply sauteed in butter and olive oil with a sprinkling of chives (or green onions), salt and pepper, and eaten with lightly toasted french bread. Have been cooking risotto with fresh chanterelles (other mushrooms can be used). This is how I do it. For two 1/2 lb. Fresh Mushrooms, cut in large chunks 2 Shallots (can use onion) finely sliced 3 Tblspoon Olive Oil 2 Tblspoon Unsalted Butter Splash (about 2 Oz.) of dry sherry or wine, not cooking sherry 4 Oz Rice (see note below) 4 Cups Chicken Broth Freshly ground pepper (I use Black, find White Pepper insipid) Pinch or two of Saffron (optional). It adds a lovely color. Saute mushrooms, using 1 tblspoon olive oil/1 tblsoon butter. Add a little salt and few grinds of pepper. Chanterelles release a lot of moisture. I save the liquid. Set aside. Have the broth ready (and keep it hot) In a non-stick pot, heat the remaining olive oil and butter Add the sliced shallots After the shallots have softened, add the rice and stir for a few minutes to coat well Add the sherry or wine, mix Increase temperature, add about 1 cup of the broth and stir When it comes to a boil, reduce temperature to simmer Add the saffron As the liquid reduces keep adding about 1/2 cup of broth at a time and keep stirring Between 20/25 minutes the rice would begin to near the right softness. Use your judgment Add the sauteed mushrooms and the reserved liquid (optional) Add few grinds of pepper, mix well Serve I prefer a light red (Rhone style wine). A dry rosé would be fine. Drink whatever pleases you. Note: 1) Risotto needs attention, one must not allow the broth to evaporate. Stirring is essential. 2) There are recipes that call for adding cream and/or grated Parmigiano-Reggiano before serving. I don't find the need for them. 3) Some foodies insist on Carnaroli or Vialone Nano (the latter is rather pricey) rice. I use Carnaroli but found nothing wrong with the taste of Arborio. The fatter grains of Carnaroli take a little longer to cook but they absorb more of the flavor. Grains of risotto rice have a pearly, opalescent look. Long grain rice (Basmati, Jasmine,etc.) will not work. 4) I have made risotto with vegetable broth. Tastes noticeably inferior. Comments Anonymous — 2005-02-04 Sounds like a lovely recipe, Ranamama, I'll have to try it. Now, how does one go about finding chanterelles in the snow...? - Kaju

Terri's Law Oregon's Death with Dignity Act According to this morning's reports, the Supreme Court declined to reinstate Terri's Law which was passed by the Florida Legislature in 2003 to prevent withdrawal of feeding tubes from brain damaged Terri Schiavo who has been in a "persistent vegetative state" since 1990. A defeat for Jeb Bush and the rabid opponents of death with dignity who went to the U.S. Supreme Court in an attempt to overturn unanimous ruling by the Supreme Court of Florida on September 23, 2004, that Terri's Law was unconstitutional. In February, the justices will decide whether to accept the Bush administration's case to repeal the Death With Dignity Act, 1998, which was passed in Oregon after the voters supported the measure 60:40. For full details, please go to: http://www.ohd.hr.state.or.us/chs/pas/pas.cfm What happened to State's rights ? This is a glaring example of how far the current administration would go to appease the conservative religious groups and special interest lobbies that stand to gain from keeping terminally ill patients alive---even when they do not wish to live hooked up to tubes. Here in the United States, when the time comes, compassionate men and women put their pets "to sleep". They cry, yet they do it because it is the right thing to do. The denial of a peaceful end to people who are in pain, with no chance of a meaningful life (I don't mean being clinically alive) and, especially, to those who have expressed their wish to seek euthanasia, is cruel and selfish. Comments musafir — 2005-01-24 To the visitor from San Diego (?). Thanks. Lost my book marks in switching from one browser to another; did something dumb. If you happen to read this, please e-mail your URL. Regards musafir