What A Great Debate

Look what came in the mailbox today!


What a cover story! I'm really looking forward to reading this debate on Lincoln versus Darwin. If I had to pick, I don't know... I'm leaning towards Lincoln as having been more influential, but I may just not be as attuned to the long-term impact of Darwin.

But... regardless of who comes out ahead in the Newsweek article, they're both winners in my book. Because, you see, Abraham Lincoln, Charles Darwin and I have something in common. We have the same birthday! Yeah, February 12 is a pretty darn good day. And while both Abe and Chuck will be celebrating their 200th birthdays this coming year - I guess 1809 was a pretty good year - I'll toast them both!

Summer Reading List

Now that I'm almost done unpacking and decorating the new place, I can really dig in on my major summer assignments. Yes, like back during my school days of yore, I actually have a summer reading list! There are a lot of pages I have to read this summer, so let's get started:

First up, I'm happy to report that my fellow Losties and I on my favorite message board, Lost and Gone for a While, have started a "Lost Book Club" of our own. We're reading a wide variety of books said to be influences on our favorite tv show, and our first major project is (re)reading the full series of The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. As I've just recently learned, there's a bit of literary controversy over which order Lewis intended people to read the books - whether by publication date (the most common way they're packaged) or by the "chronology" of the Narnia story. We're reading it the chronological way, so I'm going through my old childhood set of books out of order.

So far, I'm midway through the 3rd chronological book. I read how Narnia began in The Magician's Nephew, how our four heroes conquered the White Witch and became Kings and Queens of Narnia in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, and now I'm reading a story about a peasant boy who - I think - will soon acquire his own throne of a neighboring land during the reign of Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy next door in The Horse and His Boy. I'm loving it, getting so much more out of these books than I did as a child. I'll probably give you all a full report once I've finished the series.

At the same time, I'm working my way through Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation by Cokie Roberts. Since I am woefully underinformed about the subject, I'm finding this to be a great way to learn a little more about the founding era by focusing on the strong and fascinating women "behind" the Founding Fathers.

Cokie has a very light, breezy, and entertaining writing style that reports on the ladies very much from a modern perspective, so it's an enjoyable read. There is a brand new sequel out, Ladies of Liberty, that follows the story to the next generation of early American women, and hopefully I'll be able to get to that one sometime later this year, as well.

My book club friends here in DC have started in on an epic reading project, the 588-page (in paperback) American Gods by Neil Gaiman. I haven't started it yet, but I'm hearing great reports from people who are making their way through the story. It's also gotten a great author quote from Michael Chabon... and since I truly loved his Kavalier and Clay and truly hated his Yiddish Policeman's Union, I'm bound to have a strong reaction one way or the other to this one.

While the length of this one is a wee bit intimidating, I am still racking up lots of vacation time these days, perhaps I should do the trendy thing and schedule a "staycation" just to have a few free days to immerse myself in the book so I make sure I can read it on time for our August deadline!

And, finally, another "history geek" assignment for myself... in my continual self-education about the Civil War, I now have a copy of James McPherson's Pulitzer Prize winner Battle Cry of Freedom. I've been told by experts that if you're going to read only one book about the American Civil War, this is the one to read. (Of course, I've already read several... but I'll appreciate a big, comprehensive overview as more than a refresher!) For work purposes, I need to have this 952-page paperback read by mid-September.

So, you can see I've definitely got my work cut out for me! I've got to log off and start reading!

Hand Gun Debate: Go!

Another 5-4 decision from the Supremes... this time on one of the most polarizing issues in our modern culture. For the first time, the Supreme Court has ruled on the issue of gun rights, and upheld the Second Amendment interpretation that individuals have the right to bear arms.

The case overturns the DC hand gun ban, and likely makes the statement that other municipalities can not use the same strategy to try to curb gun violence in their communities.

So here's where I say I am not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV.

My instinctive reaction as both an American citizen and a resident of the District of Columbia?

Dangit. In the balance of individual versus community rights, the leaning-conservative Court has sided with the individuals. Yet we still all have to live with the collective social contract... and hope that we don't run across anyone with a gun.

I've never understood the reasons WHY America has such a strong view on the right to bear arms. Sure, we've got our history of the Wild West and the minutemen of the Revolution. But why do we need weapons now? I'm not talking about hunting rifles.... that's fine. Communities like DC aren't laying awake at night trying to figure out how to get the hunting rifles off the streets. Why does this country's citizens need assault weapons and hand guns and all those other scary things that I don't even know about? My understanding is that Europe, in general, doesn't have gun violence because, in general, they don't have guns. What's the big difference in our country?

There's definitely an element of game theory here. And I understand that as long as the 2nd Amendment stands, and as long as the police have guns, then bad guys will have guns. As long as the bad guys will have guns, some good guys will feel the need to have guns to defend themselves. And then if all those people have guns, absolutely the police need guns to make sure they can enforce the law. Circular, cyclical, how do we get out of it?

Of course, as a DC resident, I still have a bit of resentment about how our municipal decisions become national decisions. And I wish there were a lot fewer guns out on the streets of the District. I haven't seen one myself - knock on wood - but I do have friends that have been held up at gunpoint in our nation's capital. Scary.

I don't see the guns going away, much as I wish I could wave a magic wand and make it so. But then how do we better enforce current or new gun control laws?

Thoughts, smart people????

My Newest Addiction

I continue to fly my history geek flag with pride, and recently I was tipped off about a great new podcast that has become a weekly must-hear obsession: BackStory with the American History Guys.

From their own website, here's the description:

BackStory is a brand-new call-in radio show that brings historical perspective to the events happening around us every day. Each week, renowned U.S. historians Ed Ayers, Peter Onuf, and Brian Balogh tear a topic from the headlines and plumb its historical depths.

Like it says, the three historians - including the new Prez of my very own alma mater - pick a new topic each week that's relevant to some current issue or event, and then they provide background and context on the issue using insights from American history. The first few shows explored such topics as:

*newcomers in American politics, using the groundbreaking campaigns of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton as examples in a long journey for new groups to find their political voice.

*the history of the environmental movement, including the Founders' views on the importance of the land and the struggle to find the appropriate language to talk about the environment.

*the long history of controversial wars in America, including little-known facts about that most-forgotten war that took place back in 1812.

These discussions are lively, educational, and best of all - fun! The History Guys are all exceptionally knowledgeable, but they also have fun chiding each other about their respective eras of expertise. The format, which includes discussion, call-in questions, and interviews with other historians, keeps the show fast-paced. And I find myself not only learning, but also *understanding* the subjects better than before I listened.

The podcast is available for subscription on iTunes, or you can check out their website. Give it a try, you just might like it!

Spending Time with Scully and Mulder

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I Got the Hook Up!

Just a quick update for those waiting with bated breath.... I made it! Survived the move, enjoyed a quiet first night in my new place, had success with Comcast this morning (I know, a rare occasion), and am unpacking slowly but surely. I *heart* my dishwasher, totally giggled with glee to see how CLEAN my first load of dishes came out... something my two hands and a Scotch Brite sponge were never able to achieve. The new neighborhood is quiet and friendly and I've got the rest of this week to get settled and explore. And, you know, from now on.

I promise a non-move-related blog post soon, when I take a break from the boxes.

Hooray for movin' on up to a deluxe apartment in the sky-y-y!

The Countdown

Finally, after all this build up, it's now my last night in my 16th street apartment. Hooray! I am so excited for this move to be over.

I had my apartment sale this afternoon, and learned the joy of having very low expectations. I had a really random list of items for sale, like you do on these sorts of occasions, and with a somewhat dubious mindset I was setting my goal at 20 bucks. I figured that would at least have been worth my time, and I could then say I had given it a fair shot before junking a lot of things.

Guess what? I made $73.50! I sold the microwave, 2 microwave carts, a rug, a CD player, and some really odd items that I'd been carrying with me for years, like a massaging chair cover and a foot bath. Who knew? And that amount is almost exactly what the charge will be for the Zipcar tomorrow, so I'm a very happy camper.

And, 2 items that I'd sorta only reluctantly put up for sale didn't find any takers, so that means I get to keep them! Even though my wooden coat tree, which I'm proud of having put together myself, and my big, deep red rug aren't really *needed* in the new place, I'm happy to find a way to make them work. I really do love that rug, so I'm glad no one bought it!

Now, I'm just killing time and doing the little things.... ugh, packing up a bathroom and a kitchen are the worst. But it will soon all be over, and all for the better. Then I have to come back and clean... but that's a worry for another day. Wish me luck!

The Tide is Turning

Hmmm.... what's been going on in the grander scheme of things lately?

* The news seems to be all election, all the time.

* Tell-all books hit the bestseller list, and former insider loyalists who I happen to know personally are cracking lame duck jokes.

* The Supremes delivered a third strike, ruling that the way things have been going down Gitmo way are unconstitutional.

You know what? It's starting to feel like we're finally reaching the end of an era. The Bush Administration is coming to a close.

We don't know yet who will win in November - though I have a pretty good sense of the outcome, as long as we don't royally screw things up, again - but what we do know for sure is that come January 20, all of us - an entire nation - can and will collectively show George W. Bush and Dick Cheney the door.

It'll take a while to wipe that smile off my face. :-)

Put Your Thinking Caps On

Okay, folks, I'm moving very soon.... which means that by later in this month, I will no longer be able to claim a View from 16th Street.

So, after nearly 3 years, it's finally time to come up with a new name for the blog!

I'm happy to invite suggestions. Nice ones, only. :-)

Here are a few of the options I'm considering (note, this will be my 3rd place in DC):

The View from NorthWest
The View from Forest Hills
My Life In DC: Chapter 3
Third Time's the Charm
Back to the Red Line
Stef and the City

or, my current favorite:

Stefanie Says

Thoughts?

The Never Ending Story

Back to TVF16S's regularly scheduled programming.... thank goodness!

'Twas the night before primaries...the last ones! Some folks who've known me to be a lot more involved in politics in the past have been asking lately where I stand on the Big Dance (the Madness that didn't actually end in March). So, a little free-form riffing:

As many of you know, I started out in this story as a big believer in John Edwards. His "Two Americas" and his earnest approach towards poverty, education, health care, and his own regret about his war vote really resonated. I found him inspiring and uplifting, and finally in my life I was eager to *believe* in someone. Alas, some of his views turned out to be really disappointing (you can't speak out of both sides of your mouth, saying that you believe in the Bible that says that being gay is wrong, but wait! your wife and daughter support gay rights), and suddenly I found it impossible to support him any longer. This just added to my disillusionment, which has been growing since the horrible events of November 2004.

Slowly but surely, I found myself really warming to Hillary Clinton, seeing in her a strong reflection of my mother and all of the lessons she has imparted about being a strong, independent woman. I've enjoyed going through a bit of my own feminist reawakening, and I honestly think I'm a stronger person now because of it. Hillary's views on the issues are closest to my own, and the pragmatist in me likes her no nonsense, practical, "get it done" approach. After years of "compromise" which I've just learned means that the Democrats bend on the issues most important to us, I was really looking for someone who would take charge and do some of the arm-twisting needed to enact real policies.

Perhaps feeling a bit burned by Edwards, I've grown really suspicious of lofty talk and big promises - there's very little that's quantifiable in a political campaign, but I think that lofty talk is the most ephemeral of it all. So, that's a big part of why I have leaned more toward Clinton than Obama.

But, alas, this primary season has gone on way too long. (Something about dead fish and relatives starting to smell after a while?) And it has just gotten too ugly, too protracted, with too many desperate attempts to justify strategies on each side. While the campaign season of 2004 got me really excited, engaged and inspired by my idealistic belief that I had an impact... the campaign of 2008 has just really turned me off.

One of the saddest side effects, in my opinion? Colleagues and I were talking tonight about how much Bill Clinton has tarnished his post-Presidency image. Has he forever lost the ability to be the elder statesman, the global philanthropist? I've always been easily charmed by the guy, and even I've been turned off by his gloves-off approach.

All personalities aside, the more I've studied this process the more outraged I've become at the CRAZY way we select our nominee. Primaries, caucuses, superdelegates, popular vote, rules, what else? Sadly, I can't think of any better way to do it - so I think we're left with a cobbled-together approach that just takes the best of all of the worst things we've tried in the past. Blech. And I'm not even going to get into how disgusted I am by the media!!!

Okay, with all of this being said.... I'll end on a positive note. I *firmly* believe in every citizen's obligation to participate in our government by voting. There's so very little that we citizens have to do to uphold that contract we have with the government - really, it's just taxes and voting. And the latter is so much more interesting and fulfilling.

So, putting my personal qualms aside - and they really are just personal, they're not about the issues - I will gladly vote for Candidate Obama on Election Day. And for as ugly as this race has been, I still strongly believe that an overwhelming majority of Americans is both fed up with the direction the Republicans have taken this country and engaged enough to actually make it to the polls come November. With all of the sniping and the finger-pointing behind us, I really do have faith that the Democrats will win - and win big - this year.

I don't have it in me to dedicate a lot of time, energy, heart and soul to the fight this time around, but I still think it's a fight we can win.

Not Your Typical Sunday Night

Tonight, having a really good network of friends with cool jobs really paid off, cuz I was offered comp tickets to one of cultural DC's biggest events of the year - the annual Ford's Theatre Presidential Gala performance. So, Scotte and I dressed up and got to go to a big fancy event that we neither had to work or pay for! Wheee!

The performance featured a variety of talents, recording artists, musical theatre performers, and Broadway types. We didn't know the line-up before we got there, so we were really excited to sit down and check out the program, and see that the first celebrity performer listed was.... Clay Aiken. Oh gawd.

I explained to Scotte that this reminded me of how I ended up in France by accident. In my earlier days, I had decided that I didn't really feel the need to ever go to France, especially when there were so many other destinations to plan for in my life. But, lo and behold, Brunette and I got rerouted back from Lisbon once and I ended up in France by accident. In much the same way, I had never intended to see Clay Aiken in concert, but... there you go.

The performance was a "concert version" of the Broadway musical The Civil War. There was a great orchestra onstage and the performers all came out to sing their numbers or speak their lines in black tie, rather than in costume or with any staging. It worked pretty well, but the music itself didn't make me feel the urge to see a full production of the show anytime soon. That being said, some of the performers really stood out:

Trisha Yearwood really has a great voice, and Mrs. Garth elevated two of the semi-sappy ballads with her strong presence.

Clay Aiken, well, he did a decent job performing a ballad... his voice is good, but I just didn't feel it at all. I was too occupied trying to figure out his hair.

Larry Gatlin, yes, of the Gatlin Brothers, was really spirited and seemed to be having a lot of fun. He has a good voice, and while his country style isn't usually my favorite, his heart was in it and that made him more enjoyable.

And throughout the evening, speaking the words of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, Hal Holbrook and Avery Brooks again proved why they're two of the most acclaimed stage performers around.

The real highlight of the evening, no question, was the fantastic showing of Gospel stars and soul. Keith Byron Kirk, Bebe Winans, and the incredible Cheryl Freeman all got the crowd clapping and toe-tapping, backed by the really great Patrick Lundy & The Ministers of Music choir. Ms. Freeman really was the star of the night, as far as I'm concerned, as she poured her heart and soul into the song "Someday," all the while rocking a fantastic slinky black dress. Tonight, she was my hero. This all reminded me how much I really enjoy Gospel, even though I don't usually make a point to seek it out. I think I need to do some downloading on iTunes tonight.

Also as part of the evening, Ford's gave away their annual Lincoln Prize to this year's honorees, Ruby Dee and Maya Angelou. Ms. Dee couldn't make it in person, which was too bad, but her beautiful daughter accepted on her behalf. And Ms. Angelou was there, not only to accept her award but also to perform a moving reading of "And Ain't I a Woman?"

It's too bad the evening had to end with an "aw shucks," "I'm your buddy, so I'll just lean unceremoniously on this podium" speech by the Prez. But, at least we found solidarity in our fellow mezzanine seat-fillers... many of us were cracking jokes about the lame duck throughout the evening. But none of us were prepared for the bizarre sight of George W. Bush and Clay Aiken shaking hands, just 100 yards away. Talk about heebie-jeebies!

Another great thing about tonight? It gave me the chance to achieve the nearly impossible - I actually wore a bridesmaid's dress for a 2nd time! (And it earned me a compliment and the opportunity to have a conversation - finally! - with the cute guy in my building!)