War and Peace

I'm grateful that I'm not President Obama. Peace Prize, indeed! I'm going to have to read the text, but (taking a cue from some "conservative" pundits (those are called Palin quotes)) I feel that I can confidently comment on the presidential remarks without having a clue as to what he actually said. One thing that the "conservatives" have added to the rhetorical context is the implicit permission they give to all other commentators to mindlessly and stupidly remark about the sad and disastrous state of the world.

Earlier today, I heard Andy Williams sing the Battle Hymn of the Republic. My thoughts about the President's speech somehow got caught up in the lyrics of Julia Ward Howe's hymn. Her God brooks no nonsense, and He's well-armed. That sounds similar to the U.S. military in Afghanistan, and we may be engaged in a holy war, although not perhaps the war that Ms. Stowe imagined, or the President intends. Ms. Stowe's war killed 600,000 soldiers, a whole generation of America.

Fight a war to keep the peace? Is God on our side? Does might make right? I pray for our President.

So How Well Do You Know Happy?

So I did this silly quiz on Facebook. How well do you know me?

1. What is Happy's favorite food?
1. Fried Potatoes
2. Potato Salad
3. Mashed Potatoes
4. Baked Potatoes
5. Scalloped Potatoes

Obviously, I like potatoes, but what kind of potatoes. It's actually pretty much a toss-up between Happy's Famous Potato Salad, and Happy's Fried Potatoes, but the potato salad edges out the fried potatoes. The Scalloped Potatoes (March 8, 2009) are pretty wicked, too.

2. What is Happy's favorite activity?
1. Bronc Riding
2. Jello Wrestling
3. Oboe Playing
4. Potato Cooking
5. Square Dancing

Okay, I threw this in as a bonus answer. If you missed this answer (Square Dancing), you really don't know me.

3. Who does Happy most admire?
1. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
2. Abraham Lincoln
3. Mahatma Gandhi
4. Harvey Milk
5. Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

Truth be known, I admire all of these people. I've read their biographies and was moved by their stories. One of these men aspired to the be very least among all, and lead his nation to independence through his sheer moral authority. Come to think of it, all of these men had tremendous moral authority. My answer is Mahatma Gandhi.

4. Which place does Happy consider his hometown?
1. Normal, IL
2. Moscow, ID
3. Potlatch, ID
4. Kennewick, WA
5. Wheaton, MD

All of these places I would feel privileged to have as my hometown. They all played an important part in my growing up and my life. Moscow, though, is where I grew up and first started exploring my world. My favorite newspaper headline comes from Normal: "Normal Man Marries Oblong Woman." Oblong is a little town in Illinois.

5. What did Happy want to be when he grew up?
1. President of the United States
2. a Medical Missionary
3. a Chef
4. an Astronaut
5. a Lawyer

At one time or another, I wanted to be all of these things (except an astronaut). But the one that really rang my chimes was medical missionary. I read a biography of Dr. Albert Schweitzer when I was eight or so, and I was hooked.

6. What is Happy's secret desire?
1. to dance C3A
2. to visit Thailand
3. to marry Ron
4. to master Portuguese
5. to move to New Mexico

I've discussed all of these with friends and hangers on at one time or another, but the one thing I'd really like to do is to master Portuguese. I guess it's now no longer a secret desire.

7. What most informs Happy's spirituality?
1. Radical Faerieism
2. Mormonism
3. Episcopalianism
4. Buddhism
5. The Big Bang Theory

All of these, with the exception of Buddhism have influenced my spirituality, and I think that all of these have important values, but the one that has mostly affected me is the Big Bang Theory (and not the TV show, although it is great television, and Ron reminds me of Sheldon. I can't wait for the second season to come out on DVD). Belief is an explanation of the inexplicable, and I believe the Big Bang Theory best explains that.

8. Happy considers himself:
1. a Control Queen
2. Machiavellian
3. Laid Back
4. Analytical
5. Cautious

This is a trick question. I'm asking this from my interior perspective. And I really do consider myself "Laid Back" no matter what the objective evidence shows.

9. Which of the following is false?
1. Happy's Mom is his Aunt.
2. Happy's first cousin is his twin brother.
3. Happy's grandpa is his first cousin twice removed.
4. Happy's Father's name is John.
5. Happy's brother's name is John.

This question is really better if you use the name my Mom calls me: John, rather than Happy. I really have a brother named John, which is why I like the name, Happy. And my Mom really is my Aunt, but my Father's name is Vernon.

10. Happy is seen around town driving:
1. a Toyota Prius
2. a Toyota Corolla
3. a Chevrolet Impala
4. a Volkswagen Golf
5. an Infiniti G35

When I got married, we drove around in a Chevy Impala. Since coming to DC, I've driven both a Toyota Corolla, and an Infiniti, but I'm now prowling the streets with a Prius. Get the GPS installled. Ron and I talk to its disembodied voice, "Turn right at next corner then turn right...."

Now you pretty much know everything there is to know about me, and then some. After making up this quiz, then rereading it, I realize that nothing and everything has changed. It was a fun little exercise, and I hope you enjoyed it, too.

Happy Anniversary, Sweetheart

Okay, I admit, the only reason I remember our anniversary is because I put it on my Google Calendar. Technology saves my butt once again! Ron read a timely Ask Amy in the Washington Post about a man who forgot his 18th wedding anniversary. The man and his wife both handled it badly.

Ron, thanks for a wonderful life. I love you, and more than anyone else, you have affected, changed, and enriched my life. Thank you. And you're still smiling!

It's a Good Day

I'm up "early" this Sunday morning. The fried potatoes are cooking in the cast iron skillet, and I'm waiting for my Sweetie to join me for breakfast (hmmm, think I'll have some fried potatoes). I'm listening to Weekend Edition, and life is good.

I've been consumed the last couple of weeks with creating a contact database in PHP and MySQL. I'm almost done with it (oh, maybe another two weeks...). It has completely taken over my brain. Ron has been kind with me as I prattle on about obscure PHP syntax (I just LOVE that word!) and the hidden logic of nested IF statements. He's so patient with me. That's why I cook him fried potatoes. He deserves it.

We went to see Milk yesterday. It's a very poignant and inspiring story. A friend of ours told me he didn't like the film because it was too preachy and too gay. Too gay? It's about the early gay movement and about a historical gay personality who became much larger than life. Too gay? Excuse me! We don't call films with Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt as being too straight. I'm outraged! Absolutely outraged!

I just turned the potatoes. They look fabulous! The secret is to cook them on medium-low heat until they brown, about 10 minutes, without turning or stirring them. Just go and write in your blog! I use a cast-iron skillet and spray it with pan spray. I also get good results with a non-stick skillet.

Well, gotta go and set the table! Peace and Love from Bucknell Terrace!

Bullies, and a Moral Foreign Policy

I'm writing this as Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announces a cessation of hostilities in Georgia, and Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili claims that Russian troops continue their military activities. A small country pokes a stick in the eye of a neighboring bully, and then is surprised that it is invaded and punished for its actions.

I don't think anyone in the U.S. State Department believes the Russian claims of genocide in South Ossetia. Certainly, President Bush was understating the situation when he said that Russia's response to Georgia's military action was disproportionate. What's astonishing to citizens of the United States is that Georgia apparently expected western nations, including the U.S. to come to its aid.

And here's where a moral foreign policy falls apart. The United States is not going to war over Georgia. No matter that Russia provoked the war (or didn't, it depends whether you are Georgian or Russian), and no matter that Georgia was trying to assert state authority over its own territory; no matter that Georgia is a democratic state, and Russia is increasingly autocratic, no matter that Georgia may have the moral right on its side.

Russia will pull back some, but will impose some heavy terms on Georgia that may include the loss of its sovereignty. The U.S. will probably try to impose some moral nostrums and toothless sanctions on Russia, but the truth is, our allies in Europe depend on Russia for energy. Russia is increasingly nationalist and militarist. Russia is reasserting is influence over its neighbors, many of which are democratic states.

How is the U.S. government going to respond to this? How far is the U.S. willing to go in support of these democracies (particularly Ukraine and the Baltic states)? The U.S. is spread very thin around the world. Does the U.S. assert moral right, or realize that it has interests in other parts of the world that have to be protected, perhaps at the expense of friendly democracies that border a world-class bully?

George Washington told his young nation to steer clear of foreign entanglements. Dwight Eisenhower warned the U.S. about the dangers of a military-industrial complex. In light of the events of the last eight years, and of the last week, I hope our new president considers the limits of a moral foreign policy, and to what extent the U.S. can afford to impose order on an unruly and ungrateful world. Russia isn't the only bully; just ask the Iraqis.

The Killing Time Is Over

I read an article in the Washington Post this morning, "On the Menu In Baghdad, Fresh Hopes." The story relates the tales of Qadori, a restaurant owner and his restaurant of the same name that a suicide bomber attacked in 2005. The blast killed seven employees and 20 customers. The owner was unhurt, but suffered a stroke, moved to Kurdistan, and finally moved back to re-open his restaurant this year.

I imagine Qadori as a diner - a place people go for ample, simple, tasty fare. This is the food of life, the recipes of mothers and grandmothers, the love of sharing food with friends and family, the smells and tastes that comfort and endure.

A bomber tried to end all of that. Today, the restaurant is in a fortified section of the city near a checkpoint. A guard tower stands nearby. Customers are patted down as they enter the establishment. One of the employees who survived the bombing says he feels safer, but not entirely so. He came back because he felt he could help Baghdad revive.

Qadori, the owner, walks among the tables greeting his customers. Qadori, the restaurant, is back in business. One of the customers says, "The killing time is over. The situation is better."

I read those words, and my own heart responded with an emotional I hope so. This war has been terrible for America, but it has been catastrophic for Iraq. It has exposed bigotries and hatreds, fissures so deep that Iraq may not survive. Our troops have suffered and died, but the Iraqi people have been pulled into an internecine, murderous hell. Maybe, hopefully, fitfully the killing time is over. It can't happen too soon.