How the Hell Did This Happen part 2

Friend of the blog Ginny Meredith passed along this link to a very interesting editorial about a long forgotten champion of the little guy in a time which looked very much like today...the waning days of the Hoover administration...meet Ferdinand Pecora - the relentless pursuer of truth after the 1929 stock market crash. His incisive question of the biggest names in American finance helped unravel the maze for fraud and corruption on Wall Street prior to the crash. Read more here. Good find, Ginny...

Joni wouldn't be 'Blue' about this tribute

'Blue,' the Jan. 2-4 tribute to Joni Mitchell at the Kravis Center's Rinker Playhouse in West Palm Beach, turned into more than just a nod to Joni's fourth album from 1971. For the show's first hour, singer/songwriters Bob Stillman, Leslie Ellis and Jo Williamson and vocalist Connie James interpreted the often dark themes of 'Blue,' from "Little Green" (about the daughter Mitchell gave up for adoption) to the title track, supposedly a goodbye composition to former beau James Taylor.

Stillman provided the instrumental glue on dulcimer, guitar, piano and harmonica, and even showcased different technological eras by tuning his ancient dulcimer with a new iPhone. Ellis provided perhaps the most Joni-like presence with her folkish voice and rhythm guitar, while Williamson (who also played guitar) showed the most range with her articulate, classically-enhanced voice. Yet it was James who went the deepest blue, highlighting the concert's opening stanza with her gospel-influenced delivery of the gorgeous "River."

Afterward, the quartet's combined harmonies were showcased on several of Mitchell's greatest hits, from the infectious "Big Yellow Taxi" to the anthemic "Woodstock." Mitchell's compositions always provide challenges, but this quartet (particularly Stillman) handled her unorthodox song structures and chords with strong musicality, and all four proved extremely versatile as both lead singers and accompanists. Why not pay tribute to one of the 20th Century's greatest musical artists while she's still around to enjoy the accolades? -- Bill Meredith

Drunk, Naked and On Fire: My Morning Browse

The Morning Browse begins somewhat foggier than usual, the consequence of sleepus interuptus. Coffee, God, more coffee.

I'm trying to sort through my disquiet and ambivalence about this interegnum from Bush to Barack. It's so weird on so many levels. The financial collapse, Israel in Gaza, Blago, the cabinet picks (Panneta at CIA, Gupta? Crazy genius or bad dream?), the cabinet surprises (Richardson out), the whole "war on terror", the Blair House snub - it goes on and on.....

Let's take them one at a time, in bite sized chunks, shall we? First, I have many more questions about the financial crisis than I have answers - this is always a difficult situation for me. Answers are imperative and, in this case, I have few. So let's sort through the key questions:

1) Treasury Secretary Paulsen tells the country on a Tuesday that the world ends the following Monday without $700 billion and NO ONE in the Bush junta saw this coming - are you shitting me?

2) Bush's team wanted to do this all on the basis of a two page memo that demanded no intervention, questions or second guessing....again, are you shitting me?

3) And then, of course, there was McCain's campaign "suspension", the Republicans scotching the first attempt to pass the package, everybody eventually jumping onboard when some fresh pork was thrown into the deal, then the buyer's remorse/second guessing/recrimination syndrome that followed. Question? What the hell does it all that mean and who's driving?

Next, Israel's attack on Hamas. This is so rich irony and impossibilities that it's hard to know where to begin. See my post from a couple of days ago, "Welcome to Gaza, Now Go Home", for a general flavor of where I'm at, but suffice it to say the response (and there should have been one) appears so disproportional as to approach the criminal. The bombing of a school WITH KIDS IN IT yesterday is a capper for me. This is nuts - the whole issue is nuts - and there are no, repeat NO clear answers. But there is a tiny path out of the morass, should anyone choose it...

Third, and very important to me, is Obama's governance. In fairness to Barack, with this incredible swirl around him, he has maintained beautifully. Unflappable, dignified and keeping his nose out of Bush's dirty business. He's none-t0-anxious to jump into this cauldron til it's his responsibility, and this is the wise course. But, for me, there is the question of the "move to the center" in his policies and cabinet picks. His surprising decision around the FISA bill was my first tip off that he was going to trade politics for principle without hesitation when he felt the necessity. That was a very unpleasant surprise. Hillary for Secretary of State - nice plum for her, hope it's right for the country. As time passes, I've grown more comfortable with it.

Some of the other cabinet and staff picks have been surprising (Rahm for Chief of Staff? Gupta for Surgeon General?), though a theme seems to be emerging: Barack understands that sometimes really smart generalists usually trump so-so careerists.

Might a public health expert be more appropriate for Surgeon General, or a real live spook at CIA? Only if their title means they are doing the work of the agency and, frankly, they won't be. They will lead these agencies and that is a very different kettle of fish.

The "progressive agenda" - health care, the environment, peace, education? We shall see.

Stooges Guitarist Ron Asheton Dead at 60

The co-founder and first guitarist of The Stooges, Ron Asheton, was found dead in his Ann Arbor, MI home this morning. He died some days ago of an apparent heart attack. The Stooges are THE seminal American proto punk band, driven by Asheton's searing guitar and Iggy Pop's fearless performances, the band was legendary for their edgy live act that always felt dangerously close mayhem. If you would really like to know what punk sounded like before they dressed it and made it behave, this is where you start. He had recently rejoined the band on guitar. Ron Asheton was 60 years old.

Corn Fed Nation

Count Beatniks among the legions of fans of Michael Pollan, a man who has single handedly deconstructed the agribiz/government complex and it's relationship to our shocking increase in obsesity and the precipitous decline in America's food quality. I have enjoyed all of his books but highly recommend that everyone read The Omnivore's Delimna if you haven't already. His insights into the rise of agribusiness with it's addiction to corn, chemicals and fossil fuels is revelatory - I consider it one of the most important books I've read in twenty years.

Michael would have been my choice for Secretary of Ag on my Fantasy Cabinet Team. I consider it a bad sign that Barrack has chosen an agribusiness poster boy, Sen. Tom Vilsack, to run the Department of Agriculture. Don't look for any breakthrough thinking on food or agriculture policy in the near term. By the way, my Fantasy Cabinet Team didn't work out so well, as Robert Kennedy Jr. didn't get EPA or Interior, and I think I had someone else slotted at State, but that's another story.

Pollan's site has some great resources for taking back our food at http://www.michaelpollan.com.

I'd also highly recommend novelist Barbara Kingsolver's ode to locally grown food Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.

So now on my morning browse today, which normally includes two or three blogs I enjoy, I bumped into a review of Mark Bittman's Food Matters, A Guide to Conscious Eating. You can read that review here.

Bittman's book starts where Pollan leaves off and is part manifesto, part cookbook.

If I made New Year's resolutions, more conscious eating - a focus on a variety fresh, locally grown, chemical and hormone free foods - might be one of them.

Microsoft Rumors Spell Bad News if True

We'll know that the shit has truly hit the fan if the current rumors about Microsoft laying off 15000 employees proves correct.

The software sector of the tech industry has been largely immune from recent downturns but a layoff this large at the mothership could signal real trouble for the industry, which is still home to fat paychecks for execs, sales reps and skilled engineers.

Harissa and the Rise of Civilization

The creation of sauces and pastes comes somewhere on the human evolutionary trail after the taming of fire and before The Beatles. Sauces and pastes elevate food from sad organic tidbits dragged across a fire to a rich, complex eating experience. It is no accident that the generally acknowledged great cuisines of the world (Chinese, Italian, French and Oaxacan) all use sauces as the foundation of their cuisine. Sauces and pastes allow us to make 800 different dishes from chicken - that is nothing short of a miracle.

I opened the February 2009 Saveur Magazine (a great issue, by the way) to find a recipe for harissa. Harissa is a garlic and chile paste from North Africa. Yes it's a little zippy, so if you are into bland, you're not invited. In it's home range harissa is used to liven up couscous or deepen the flavor of soups and stews. It is used on meats and eggs (I have replaced salsa on my eggs with harissa). Some time ago harissa became my go to foundation paste for some of my own quick creations. I use it to liven up shelled edamame or peas, fire up a plain pasta sauce or directly on roasted chicken, or swirl a tablespoon of harissa into rice as it is boiling. Try this: mix a little harissa with olive oil and coat fingerling potatoes, chunks of onion and carrot with the mixture. Roast the veggies at 400 degrees till done. Good stuff.

The best (though somewhat expensive) harissa I've found is Mustapha's. You can buy it online at http://www.mustaphas.com/ or at Sur La Table/Williams-Sonoma type places. What I like about Mustapha's is the color (bright red) and it's intensity. A little goes a long way.

You should be able to find harissa in any middle eastern store, but making is easy enough and quite worthwhile. See the Februay 09 issue of Saveur or google harissa online for a recipe.

Welcome to Gaza - Now Go Home

I should note before proceeding that the question of whether any government has the right and the responsibility to protect its citizens from attack is self-evident....but that's where the inquiry should begin, not end.

I'm struck by a number of ironies as I watch the "news coverage" of the Israeli push into Gaza today.

First, there are apparently no American news assets on the ground in Gaza, so we are left with 30,000 foot commentary and speculation over silent Rammatan (Palestinian) video images. The events in Gaza are being effectively hidden away, intentionally or not. Everyone talks about the 24 hour news cycle and the unblinking eye, but try to get real time, on-the-ground-in-Gaza reporting on American television. Don't get me started on how sad CNN has become. This is a pathetic state of affairs.

Next, we have to admit to a complete, abysmal failure of American policy vis a vis the unending conflict in the area. I have growing concern that America's uncritical support of almost any Israeli action is not good policy for us or the primary actors in this little drama. Being Israel's principal ally is fine but by abbrogating our responsibility to play a more equitable role, we are providing the fuel for the violence. A more even handed American policy would force all the players to change their behavior. Israel would think twice before choosing military action over a consistent, open ended diplomatic approach. The Palestinians and their supporters might find the breathing space to moderate the extremes of their rhetoric and discover that discussion and accomodation would trump futile violent expression.

Ultimately, an Israel that requires an unending, uncritical American shield is not an independent country. Becoming a de facto American protectorate serves no one's best interests. Israel's long-term health and vitality require less dependence on their Big Stick (us) and more on their diplomatic skill and economic power.

Finally, as I watch and listen to the coverage, I'm struck by the truncated logic employed to justify the proportionality of the attack.

For the last several days we've seen any number of spokespeople for Israel make 3 points consistently: 1) Israel is responding to 8 years of attacks from Gaza 2) "1 million Israelis are in shelters right now" because of the missle attacks and 3) any cease-fire should have a lasting foundation.

Never in the ceaseless repetition of these answers have I heard a single reporter ask "Why, given the obvious futility of the gesture, would Hamas fire missles into Israel? What is everyone so angry about?" This might open a whole line of inquiry about the desperate plight of 1.5 million souls in Gaza, penned between blocked borders with Egypt, Israel and the sea, governed by ideologues, with a failing infrastructure, crushing population density, cut off from employment opportunities, food and supplies. Getting beyond the emotion and the rhetoric, someone needs to begin asking a more fundamental question: which way out?