On taxes

So lets be clear about taxes. Why is paying taxes so wrong? We have a crumbling infrastructure, failing schools, disenfranchised youth who become criminals and eat up more tax money as criminals, and bankrupt cities. Personally I'm willing to go without and pay a little more to have a better quality of life. I'm willing to pay for children to get a top notch education so that they become great contributors and innovators in society. I think it's a good idea to fund public transportation, specifically high speed rail. And health care, I believe should be a right.

If we all prosper together won't we prosper as a nation? Does capitalism require that we live in a land of haves and have nots? Does wanting people to have what they deserve as humans, make me a bad person...a socialist?

One of the things I actually like about elections is that we get to see the naked insecurity rot by political philosophy, through disingenuous prose and media. A lot can be learned by paying attention to how a political campaign plays on emotions. This is especially true in the current election cycle. And unfortunately for them, it seems that the Republican Party has drastically underestimated the American voter's ability to free themselves from a knee-jerk emotional response to that of thoughtful consideration.

Keep up with the class!

I read today, that Senator John McCain is just now learning how to send email and use the internet. I can't begin to express how disturbing this is. Yes, I realize that this reeks of ageism, but it seems to me if you are going for the top job in the land, you should have the required skills. And in this generation the skills are not in stasis but a constant state of change.

We email on our computers, our phones, we keep digital diaries, we cross reference news articles with video feeds, and look each other up on Google. Accessing information is now a way of life. And while the value of much of the information that is being exchanged is in debate, it is considered a basic necessity to know how to do these things.

There is much to be learned from our senior citizens. We should value their knowledge and experience. But participating in society is increasingly dependent on technology. Considering someone for leadership who is not up to this now most basic task is simply tragic.

Why I'm voting for Obama

Two years ago, I went to my state Democratic Convention. This was when there were still 8 candidates in the primary and they all wanted to make an impression, and most of them did.

I was yet to make up my mind at that time, so I tried to be somewhat objective. Bill Richardson was smart and obviously qualified, but I knew he had little chance. Hillary commanded the room and the moment she walked it. She was a force and I was impressed. And Barrack Obama was charismatic and eloquent, but I didn't get the same feeling I got with Hillary. So, I made my choice. I proudly wore my Hillary T-shirt, and put her name on my bumper. I'll admit, I was bitter when she didn't get the nomination. I really wanted her to be president.

I'll also admit that I did not immediately jump on the Obama band wagon. He had my vote, but I had no excitement for him as a candidate until the debates. What Barrack Obama failed to do for me during the primaries, he more than made up for in the debates and the campaign after. I saw a candidate who is thoughtful, methodical, and smart...real smart. And then I learned a little more about him as a person. Despite the Republican's every (wo)man approach, I feel much more of a connection with Barrack Obama's determined rise via an unpriviledged life. Despite his time as an Academic, he does not appear to be so far removed from the modest life that led him to this point.
As a writer, I've never cared for the phrase, a picture is worth a thousand words. In truth I prefer the words. But this picture says it all for me. The caption from this picture stated that Senator Obama said he had already had these shoes resoled once on this campaign, and that was all I needed to know; that despite his education, and experience, he is still sensible enough to know that problems have sensible solutions. It might be inconvenient to resole shoes, but it's sensible. And, beyond that it shows a sense of value that we seem to have lost in recent years. I believe we are more likely to replace things than to fix and reuse them as though we are a country of spoiled brats. Having a leader who will resole his shoes is a sober reminder that maybe we shouldn't want to be like Paris Hilton. Maybe we should want to be more like our grandparents who lived through the Depression, and WWII and learned to tap cleverness and ingenuity from those experiences. Personally, I would be very proud if my grand kids were amazed at what my generation accomplishes. I hope I can tell them, "we elected one of our nation's greatest presidents."

Distracted and enthralled at the same time...

I have expanded my information regime. I am a self described NPR junkie. I can generally tell time by what is playing on NPR. I have subconsciously memorized their format. I know when the music will play, when it's time for a promo, and I can identify the reporters by their voices. It use to be that NPR and a perusal of internet news would satisfy me, but no more. I have new information flirtations.

Perhaps I'll begin with my new favorite website, The Daily Beast. This website is the brain child of Tina Brown, former editor of the New Yorker. She has assembled the a brilliantly snarky staff who sifts through the news to create a daily Cheat Sheet of noteworthy news stories. Her contributors thus far have included Scott McClellan, with his take on W. the movie, former Project Runway super mom Laura Bennett, and host of literati and intelligentsia. It takes a bit of discipline to not spend most of my work day on this site.

My second new infatuation is The Rachael Maddow show. I knew of Rachael from Air America, and always appreciated her even tone and methodical approach to political news. On camera she represents everything that I believe women should be: smart, strong, clever and wise. Perhaps I connect with her show because she's the same age as I am and I appreciate the shared perspective. So little of what is on television geared towards women celebrates that we are actually intelligent creatures. So because of this, Rachael is now a daily necessity on my tube.

It's election season, and for the first time in a long time I am not a participant. In years past, I have worked on campaigns, registered voters, and helped to establish political party headquarters. But this year is different. This year I'm purposely on the sidelines, and surprisingly not utterly sick of hearing the blow by blow commentary. This is in fact a defining election of my lifetime, and for the moment I am cautiously optimistic that something amazing is about to happen. I think part of this optimism is perhaps the reinforcement I've gleaned from leaning media. And even though I know there is a pitfall in being told what one wants to hear, it still is nice to know that there are scores of people who think as I do and appreciate an informed perspective.

Not so gross Turkey Chili

My mom has a knack for really gross stories. She was a nurse for 30 years, and has no qualms about graphic descriptions of things one would rather not know about. Among these descriptions was her story about Chili.

According to my mom, chili came from the meat scraps left on the floor after cows were carved up. They added the chili to disguise the taste to the rotting meat, and the beans were used to make it stretch. It was primarily fed to prisoners or ranch hands. Appetizing no? Maybe not, but in keeping with the need to be frugal and efficient, here's a cheap recipe for turkey chili:

1 lb navy beans
1/2 lb pork or turkey bacon
1 lb ground turkey meat
3 table spoons California Chili
3 table spoons Chili
4 cloves garlic (minced)
1-1/2 table spoons Ground Cumin
1 -1/2 cups white wine
1 cup /can stewed tomatoes (optional)

Night Before slow cook navy beans. Be sure to rinse beans first, and sort out any bad beans. Be sure there is enough water for the beans to expand. Check the package for recommendations.

Cook chopped bacon, set aside. In a separate pan, brown turkey, add bacon and fat in the pan. Salt to taste. In a soup pot, combine meat, chili, garlic, and cumin until meat is coated. Add wine and allow it to reduce.
After wine has reduced by half add tomatoes and beans with all of the liquid. Combine, and taste for salt. Add additional wine and/or chicken stalk if additional liquid is required. Allow to simmer 20-45 minutes. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

Total cost: About $9 (depending of the price of the wine)

Combine leftovers with white rice, lime and cilantro and Parmesan cheese in a tortilla for a great lunch burrito. If you wrap it with wax paper it heats up really well in a microwave.

Bling For a New Economy

In light of our country's economic woes, I've noticed an increase in articles on frugality. Many of them site depression era home remedies, such as egg wash conditioners for those who no longer find it prudent to pay $20 for a salon conditioning. Another article I saw recommended shopping at consignment stores, or sample sales for fall fashions. And yet another offered restaurant recommendations with entrees under $12. To me, all this information begs the question: Why did we have to wait for an economic crisis to be encouraged to do these things?

As the financial crisis continues, stock and credit markets struggle, and politicians fail to pacify an increasingly concerned public, I wonder how will this historic era change our culture. Will we learn to be less decadent, and seek less gratification from the purchase of things? Will we decide to be defined by what we do as opposed to what we have? Will Americans realize that we were probably a richer country before we had all the bling?

To me, bling is the badge of our economy problems. Yes, I realize that this is largely about the sub-prime mortgage market that has disrupted the flow of credit that banks can offer to businesses and individuals that helps our economy run, but hear me out.

If one were to do a careful reconstruction of this financial disaster, it might be realized that this problem began with revolving credit. It use to be you lived within your means, but with the advent of predatory credit card companies, living within means was redefined as living within your credit limit. I realized this a few years ago when I heard one of my interns explain to his friend that the purpose of a credit card is to get things you can't afford. So now, after a few decades of such conditioning, it's only natural that a large swath of Americans thought it was a norm to have things that are not affordable. This includes televisions, vehicles, electronics, trophy homes and yes, bling.

Bling is worn as a testament to personal wealth. Whether or not it is a true testament is argumentative. But it seems that we all have a bling issue in one way or another, be it extravagant jewelry, designer shoes and bags, the latest mobile phone, or largest HDTV. We have systematically substituted things for substance, and that gratification which is never satiated, is part of what has fueled our combined misjudgment in the use of easy credit for things we can't afford, namely mortgages.

The theme at Burning Man this year was American Dream. A writer doing a story for an LA style magazine asked my son if thought there was such a thing as an American Dream. His answer was a poignant "No, dreams aren't real, that's why they are called dreams." The idea of having it all, is appealing, and it's understandable how so many would jump at the chance to have it all. But like most things that seem to good to be true, buying the American Dream on easy credit turned out to be wishful thinking.

So now, I have to wonder if we have learned our lesson. Will we see the error of our excessive ways and know better or will this drama simply be replayed in the next century as well?

Saving Money and being cheap... I mean frugal

Although some might call me cheap, I prefer the term frugal. Cheap implies a sense of negligence, that I absolutely refuse to embrace. Frugal to me, sounds clever.

So here are some of the clever things I do to save money:

1) Loser Cereal - What!?! No, that's right: Loser Cereal. Loser Cereal is the kind that comes in bags not boxes, and has names such as Marshmallow Magic and Fruit Rings. The great thing about Loser Cereal, besides the price is that if you put in in snack sized seal bags, they make a great desk top snack, which in theory can keep you from spending money in vending machines. Cereal in a snack bag is also cheaper than toaster pastries which are loaded with way too much sugar anyway. BTW, for those of you who are calorie counting, the average calories for one cup of loser cereal is 120, and one cup fits perfectly in those snack sized bags.

2) Dishwasher - When I was a kid, my mom would always tell us not to run the dishwasher unless it was full. Well, I've gone one step further than that. I don't run my dishwasher at all! By doing our dishes by hand, we save between $50 and $100 a month on our power bill. Our water bill seems to be less too. Yes, it takes up time, and yes it's one more thing for your kids to moan about, but I think of it as character building.

3) Shower heads - This is especially useful if you have teenagers in the house. For what ever reason, my teenagers need no fewer than 20 minutes in the shower. This could prove to be quite costly in both water and the gas it takes to heat the water. But not if you install a low flow shower head. You might recognize this shower head from maybe a dorm or locker room or maybe even an economical motel. And now you know why. Low flow shower heads can use up to 70% less water and still provide great water pressure. The last one I bought was less than $15 and it easily paid for itself in the first month!

4) Bottle your own water - Bottled water is one of the greatest marketing schemes of our time. But for those who prefer the taste of filtered water, there is an easy solution. In my house it's super easy, because my refrigerator dispenses filtered water. So I bought a half dozen cheap water bottles at the dollar store and I fill them up as needed straight from my refrigerator door. I also have a gallon size bottle that I take to work with me to refill my bottle as needed. Don't have a filtered water dispenser? No problem. Table top water filters such as the one's made by Britta, work just as well. Here's an added bonus: there are a number of sugar free drink mixes that come in single sized tubes that can be added to water to make lemonade, peach tea, or even fruit punch. While some might consider the name brand Chrystal Lite, the Target brand works just the same for me.

5) Tea Time! - Tea is a great money saver hot or cold. I have a special jug that I use to make iced tea. I usually add frozen fruit such as peaches and mangos and let it brew a full day before serving. It's a great alternative to soda. Hot tea is an equal blessing. When I was in grad school, I carried a zip-bag full of tea bags with me. So, whenever I had a break, as opposed to spending money, I would make tea using a travel mug I carried with me.

6) Coffee to go - Another thing I did, was invest in a good thermos, that I filled with home brew. So if I really wanted coffee I wouldn't have to go without. If I wanted to get really adventuresome, I'd add some Mexican chocolate to it with a dollop of condensed milk. It would be enough caffeine to get me through nighttime seminars.

7) Baked goods - Do you have a baked good habit? It's a bad habit both in expense and calories! But if you just can't go without, take an hour and make some brownies or muffins at home and store them in the freezer. Again, as an unemployed grad student, I used to make mini pinapple upside down cakes, and throw them in my lunch box. They went really great with the tea!

8) Make Lists - One of the worst shopping sins we can commit, is shopping without a list. When ever I go without a list, I invariably buy something I already had, and forget something I needed. This results in another trip to the store which means time lost, gas used, and most likely an impulse buy of something else I don't need. I try and keep two lists: One for household goods, and one for food. As soon as something is half way gone, it goes on the list. This also prevents ad hoc trips to the store.

9) Cheap Fun/Family Time - Cheap fun basically means not relying on a second party to entertain us. Outside fun is some of the best you can have. Besides hiking, which of course is high on my list, there are kites to fly, balls to kick, frisbees to throw, and things to explore, like the library. Indoor fun works too, once it gets too cold for the latter. Forget video games. Get a deck of UNO cards, fish out the Scrabble, or see use the Monopoly money to play poker. Plug speakers into an iPod and play Name That Tune! The great thing about cheap fun is that it doesn't cost anything and pays you back in quality family time. Cheap fun can also be rolled into other things, like baking.

10) Soup /Sandwich - As soon as the leaves turned every year, my mom would start making soup. Soup was a weekend food. She'd make a huge pot of it and instead of getting fast food to avoid cooking, we all grazed on whatever was in the pot. Sometimes it was beans, which translated into burritos or bean tacos, other times it was a hearty Mexican soup with cabbage, garbanzo beans and sweet potatoes. The best part about soup was the stuff at the bottom. My mom had this Special Mix she made to go in the soup that included equal parts brown and yellow lentils, split peas, pinto beans, barley and little pasta alphabets, whole cumin and lemon pepper. One year when I was away from home she sent me a gallon size jar of it, and it lasted all winter. Soup is easy, hot, and satisfying, and also great with grilled cheese or in our house with quesadillas. Another house specialty is Mazzaball-Chicken Noodle Soup!

Mom's Mexican Soup

1 Beef Shank Steak
1 can garbanzos
1/2 head cabbage
2 small sweet potatoes
1 small white onion
4 cloves garlic
1 tbsp cumin
1/2 cup Special Mix
salt to taste

Boil shank till cooked. Skim fat off the top, add sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, cumin, salt and Special Mix. Simmer two and a half hours. Fish out meat and cut into small morsals. Return meat to pot and add garbanzos and cabbage, simmer an additional 30 minutes. Salt to taste.

more to come...