Chana Masala

Ashley and I survived a trip to IKEA over the weekend.  And survived is not an exaggeration.  We made it through the entire store without getting into an argument.  I think we deserve a medal.  I don't know what it is about that place, but we somehow usually end up in a squabble - minor or major - by the end of the trip. 

I think IKEA is actually a lab where they study couple compatibility.  In fact, that's probably where John Gottman does his research.  It's a perfect setting.  It's crowded and chaotic.  Couples have to work through problem solving ("No, that won't fit in our place.  Unless we throw out your ugly chair..."), communication ("I really hate that lamp you just put in the basket."), negotiation ("Okay, you can keep the chair if you put back that lamp."), and finances ("Um, how did we just spend $400?!").  If you can make it through that place on good terms, you're good for life.

It also helps to come home to a nice dinner together.  You know, after you lug all that furniture up two flights of stairs into your apartment while not tripping over your cat.  And then assembling everything using only an allen wrench. Even when the directions call for a drill. 

Chana masala is the perfect fix in a situation like this.  It's not only quick and easy to make, but it's delicious, healthy, and very filling.  Plus, who doesn't love garbanzo beans smothered in a spicy tomato sauce?  That's definitely worth a trip to IKEA - fight or no fight.

Chana Masala

Adapted from Food.com
Serves 6.

1 Tbs vegetable oil
2 medium yellow onions, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1/2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 tsp ground coriander
3 tsp ground cumin
dash of cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 - 12 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 cup vegetable broth (or water)
4 cups cooked chickpeas (or 2 cans, rinsed and drained)
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp garam masala
freshly-ground sea salt to taste
1/2 lemon, juiced

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onions and saute for 3 minutes.  Add the garlic and saute for two more minutes.  Turn the heat to medium-low and add the cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, ginger, and turmeric.  Stir for a few minutes, then add the can of tomatoes (with liquid). Cook for a few minutes, then add the chickpeas and broth (or water).

Add the paprika, garam masala, sea salt, and lemon juice.  Cover, and let simmer for 15 - 20 minutes.

What Madoff Means To Me

Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme defrauded thousands of investors of billions of dollars.  Recently, there have been disturbing questions raised about J.P. Morgan's complicity, with allegations that the nation's second largest bank ignored numerous red flags that suggested fraud.  It was recently alleged that Citigroup was aware of the fraud and tried to pass on its exposure to other banks shortly before Madoff was caught.  As summarized at Firedoglake, all the big financial players "knew about the fraud, but they all had a stake in keeping the fraud going. So nobody at a high level blew the whistle. And when the schemes looked to collapse from their own weight, the big money boys tried to get out from under the damage."

This is all very troubling for what it says about the most powerful financial institutions in the country, but what I really want to know is how the Madoff scandal will continue to affect the Mets.  As has been widely reported, the Wilpon family, the Mets' majority owners, are deeply entangled with Madoff, personally and financially.  It has recently been revealed that Major League Baseball provided $25 million to the Mets last fall to help them with a cash shortfall and an impending lawsuit which seeks to recover $1 billion for Madoff's victims.  In the Sunday Times it was reported that the Wilpons are now looking for another funding source.

Cash flow has not been helped by ticket sales, which have been sluggish; not a surprising development given the team's poor performance the last couple of years and the failure to make any significant player moves during the off season. The team has one of the league's highest payrolls, and, because of some really bad baseball decisions are stuck with several overpaid and extremely unproductive players (e.g., Luis Castillo, Ollie Perez).  The Wilpons have tried to raise cash by offering to sell 25% interest in the team, but potential investors understandably are unwilling to do so without the potential to acquire a controlling stake.  More recently, the Wilpons stated they would sell more of the club but continue to insist, at least for now, on retaining controlling interest. 

In the short term it is clear that the Mets have no money to invest in players that could help the team.  This was clear over the winter, when they failed to sign any impact players, declined to re-sign some productive ones (Hisanori Takahashi, Pedro Feliciano), and settled on acquiring players who are returning from injuries (Chris Young, Chris Capuano).  As for the longer term, my fear is that the Wilpons, in a desperate attempt to raise money, will sell the few exciting and productive players who would be worth something to other teams (e.g., Jose Reyes, David Wright) or their most promising young players (like Ike Davis and Jenry Mejia).  Will their new GM go along with this?  It is hard to say.  But such moves would undoubtedly devastate the team, alienate the loyal fan base that inexplicably remains (me, included) and only prolong the agony before the owners are eventually forced to sell the team.

Perhaps it is not so remarkable that a massive fraud that has affected major banks, investment firms, government agencies and countless investors would seep into other aspects of our lives.  But the Mets?  Haven't we suffered enough? 

[Related posts:  When Worlds Collide; Mookie Not Madoff]

Monday Jumpstart: The National

Bloodbuzz Ohio by The National at Webster Hall, which was taped for MTV's Live In NYC series.

25% of medical students use Facebook for education - with mixed success

This Australian study aimed to evaluate how effectively medical students may be using Facebook for education.

Researchers surveyed 759 medical students at one Melbourne university, and explored the design and conduct of 4 Facebook study groups.

25.5% of students reported using Facebook for education-related reasons and another 50.0% said they were open to doing so.

The case studies showed conservative approaches in students' efforts to support their development of medical knowledge and mixed successes.

The study authors concluded that Facebook as part of learning and teaching is as much of a challenge for many students as it may be for most educators.

References:

Medical students' use of Facebook to support learning: Insights from four case studies. Gray K, Annabell L, Kennedy G. Med Teach. 2010;32(12):971-6.

Assistant professor uses Twitter to teach students dental anatomy at Ohio State University - 113 of 200 students signed up, 56% http://goo.gl/jvyq7

Filipino Designer in America's Next Top Model Cycle 16

Three days to go before America's Next Top Model Cycle 16 premieres on ETC.  There is something in Cyle 16 that every Filipino should watch out for. The couture gowns of  Filipino designer, Michael Cinco, will be featured in one of the photo shoots of the contestants. 

I will post the full story when I get the go signal. I have always believed in the talents of Filipino designers.  To Michael Cinco, you are an inspiration.  Mabuhay, Filipino Fashion Designers! 

Follow me on twitter: micsylim.

The Duke Of Flatbush

The sport to which I owe so much has undergone profound changes, but it's still baseball. Kids still imitate their heroes on playgrounds. Fans still ruin expensive suits going after foul balls that cost $5. Hitting streaks still make the network news and hot dogs still taste better at the ballpark than at home.  -  D. Snider

My father's favorite baseball player, Duke Snider, died on Sunday at the age of 84.  He was the last surviving regular of the legendary Brooklyn Dodger teams of the 1950s.  He played center field at a time when the other two New York center fielders were Mickey Mantle for the Yankees and Willie Mays for the Giants.  It is often remarked that Snider wasn't as great a player as Mantle or Mays, but who was?  Snider was known for his clutch hitting and brilliant defensive skills.  He starred on six pennant winning teams, was an 8-time All Star, and hit at least 40 homers in five consecutive seasons (1953-1957).  He hit four home runs in two different World Series (1952 and 1955), the only player ever to do so.  The "Duke of Flatbush" played for 18 years and compiled 2,116 hits, 407 home runs, 1,333 RBIs and had a career batting average of .295 (hitting over .300 seven times).  I must point out that Snider hit his 400th home run as a member of the 1963 Mets.  He was inducted into Baseball's Hall of Fame in 1980.

[Related posts:  Living Legends]

Anyone still here?

So when we last met, I was furiously debating the pros and cons of who should become Chicago's next mayor. Seems like I was in a wee minority of Chicagoans who were passionate about the election as we barely got over the 40% turnout rate. And now we have Rahm.

I watched the results trickle in on my smart phone as I stood in my cousin's kitchen in Bremerton, Washington. I had jetted off to the Seattle area on election day to join my cousin and the rest of her immediate family in mourning the loss of her dad - my uncle and godfather. My godfather was a simple guy. He joined the Navy during the Korean War and was an electrician on aircraft carriers and after retiring from active duty found work in Bremerton dismantling decommissioned ships. He was electrocuted once and contracted Hepatitis C while in Korea - this is what eventually killed him. As my cousin Viki wrote in a statement she asked me to read from at the memorial, he loved and was loved.

Despite being a Navy guy, Latino and old school in many ways, he was one of the most publicly loving men I've ever met. He never hesitated to say, "I love you," as you parted from him, even to walk to the kitchen to grab him dinner. He shared that love to loving with his two daughters and one son, so much so that you can hear his son, my cousin, shamelessly pronounce his love for his own son and family members. No cold machismo in this family.

My cousins did ask me to say a little something at the memorial since they were too overwhelmed to say anything themselves. I ended up mostly speaking from the heart and thanking my aunt (my mother's sister) for falling in love with him and bringing him into my life.

While in the great Northwest, I was able to chill out with familia, catch up a little on homework and kinda unplug from the chaos that is my usual life. I'll have plenty of time to comment on what the mayor's race means to Chicago's progressive community and all the other things I'd usually rant on about. But for now I'm just trying to get back into the swing of things and prepare for my trip to Butler University on Tuesday. My daughter's learning fractions and this is testing my awesome tutoring skills. My husband did an outstanding job in holding down the fort while I was gone. For the record, I'm not surprised at all. If there's one thing in our marriage, it's that we do such an awesome job at being partners in life, that we survive pretty darn well when the other leaves.

So now back to my homework and outlining my talk. I hope if you are in the Indianapolis area that I'll see you on Tuesday night.

Peace.

Celluloid Nazis

Sinatra impersonating a Nazi in Von Ryan's Express

I have nothing insightful to say about tonight's Academy Awards.  I suppose I could rank the four movies I saw in the theater this past year:  1)  The King's Speech; 2) True Grit; 3) Megamind; and 4) Yogi Bear 3D. 

But, I can talk about great old war movies.  Indeed, I was at a party a couple of months ago in which my friends and I began to list classic World War II films, immediately reaching consensus on the most enjoyable and memorable.  Actors, settings, action, and even the soundtracks were easily recalled, even though we hadn't seen many of these movies in years.  There is something about movies with Nazis that particularly resonates.  Perhaps it is that the Nazi characters personify evil but are still human and based on recent historical fact, not monstrous science fiction creations, that make them such compelling movie villians.

I decided to come up with my top 10 favorite Nazi movies, and the list came to me very quickly.  Here goes:

1.  The Guns of Navarone (1961) with Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn, David Niven and many others.  This is simply my favorite war movie and one of my favorite movies, period.
2.  The Great Escape (1963) directed by John Sturges, starring Steve McQueen, Richard Attenborough, James Garner and many more. Classic.  Except for Charles Bronson as a claustrophobic Pole, this one never gets old. 
3.  Von Ryan's Express (1965) starring Frank Sinatra and Trevor Howard.  Sinatra is phenomenal as an American officer leading the escape of mostly resentful British soldiers from an Italian POW camp.
4.  Where Eagles Dare (1968) directed by Brian Hutton, starring Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood.  Burton and Eastwood are great together in a plot with several twists and turns.  A friend and I once tried to count how many Nazis Clint gunned down, but we lost track about midway through.
5.  Kelly's Heroes (1970) also directed by Brian Hutton, starring Clint Eastwood, Donald Sutherland, Telly Savalas and Don Rickles.  This off-beat film about American soldiers going behind enemy lines to steal gold is exciting and funny. 
6.  Stalag 17 (1953) directed by Billy Wilder and starring William Holden who won an Oscar for his performance.  This is another classic.  Otto Preminger plays the POW camp commandant.
7.  The Dirty Dozen (1967) with Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Telly Savalas and Charles Bronson.  Marvin is assigned to train 12 convicted murderers for a dangerous mission in preparation for D-Day. 
8.  The Eagle Has Landed (1976) another directed by John Sturges, starring Michael Caine, Donald Sutherland and Robert Duvall.  Gripping movie from the German point of view about an attempt to kidnap Winston Churchill.
9.  Sahara (1943) Humphrey Bogart.  This one takes place in the North African desert, where Bogie leads an abandoned tank unit.  This film was made during the war, and is a lot less cynical than most of the others on this list.
10.  The Bridge at Remagen (1969) starring George Segal, Ben Gazzara and Robert Vaughn. Segal leads U.S. troops to capture a bridge across the Rhine in the last months of the war to prevent German troops from retreating safely.  Vaughn, the Nazi officer assigned to blow it up, tries to hold off as long as possible.

What am I forgetting?

[Related posts:  Best Westerns]

Hail to the Queen/King? Chapter 2

Image courtesy of www.saltlakedesignergal.blogspot.com

The Hail to the Queen/King? Chapter 1 story led a reader from the U.S.A. to send me a thank you message for exposing abusive social climbers. Unfortunately, this reader (she) also had a dose of the ungratefulness of this magazine editor.  She was hesitant at first to give me permission to share her story, but after much convincing, she finally agreed. Here is her story:

She met the magazine editor (him/her) in a fashion show when she was vacationing in Manila.  After that meeting, they started exchanging Facebook messages.  Being the hospitable Filipina, she told him/her to get in touch in the event that he/she visits the U.S.A.  

One rainy afternoon, the reader received a call from him/her requesting her to drive him/her around because no one was available.  She hurriedly picked him/her up from where he/she was staying and brought him/her shopping.  She even offered to pay for some of his/her purchases and he/she accepted the offer without batting his/her fake eyelash.  After their shopping spree, he/she requested her to drop him/her off at a certain restaurant because he/she has a dinner date with a male model friend.  

On the way to the restaurant, he/she invited her to join him/her for the said dinner date. That evening, she ended up paying for their dinner.  After dinner, she brought them clubbing.  At the bar, he/she started posing with the hot Caucasian men while she took their pictures.  In his/her Facebook page, he/she only posted his/her photos with the men, minus his/her photos with her.

The sad part was when it was time for him/her to leave for the Philippines, the reader did not hear from him/her.  No goodbyes nor thank you to his/her driver, cashier and photographer.  The worst part was when she came back to Manila, she bumped into him/her at a party.  He/she just said hello and made no effort to invite her even for a cup of coffee.  

Thank you dear reader for allowing me to share your story.  Let this be a lesson to all of us. Please stay away from ungrateful social climbers.  

In closing, I wish to borrow a quote from Blaire Waldorf, "not even a manicure can mask those peasant hands." This is our message to the Queen/King, "not even your shiny pearls can mask your grim attitude."

Thank you for reading.  Please follow me on twitter: micsylim.

Great Jazz Albums (IMO) #22

Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers.  Moanin (1958).  The Jazz Messengers, the classic hard bop group, were started by the legendary drummer Art Blakey and one of my all time favorite jazz musicians, pianist Horace Silver.  Silver soon left to form his own group, and Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers went on to make a series of great albums with various personnel, from Hank Mobley (saxophone) and Kenny Dorham (trumpet) in the 50s to Wayne Shorter (saxophone) and Freddie Hubbard (trumpet) in the 60s, to Wynton Marsalis (trumpet) in the early 80s.  One of the best Jazz Messengers albums is Moanin, which included Bobby Timmons on piano, Benny Golson on saxophone, Lee Morgan on trumpet and Jymie Merritt on bass. The funky title track, written by Timmons, is a classic that will be instantly familiar even if you don't know it by name, and the tracks that follow, all composed by Golson, never let up.  If Wikipedia says it, it must be true: "The album stands as one of the archetypal hard bop albums of the era, for the intensity of Blakey's drumming and the work of Morgan, Golson and Timmons, and for its combination of old-fashioned gospel and blues influences with a sophisticated modern jazz sensibility."

[Related posts:  Really Great Jazz Albums,  #1 (Hank Mobley); , #2 (Horace Silver), #3 (Sonny Rollins), #4 (Sonny Clark), #5 (Dexter Gordon), #6 (Cannonball Adderley), #7 (Bill Evans), #8 (McCoy Tyner), #9 (Clifford Brown), #10 (Sinatra), #11 (Monk), #12 (Kenny Dorham), #13 (Coltrane), #14 (Duke Ellington), #15 (Miles Davis), #16 (Wayne Shorter), #17 (Dinah Washington); #18 (Sarah Vaughan); #19 (Stan Getz); #20 (Blue Mitchell); #21 (Gene Ammons)]

What is BOBON?

When I first saw this photo, I thought that BOBON is the men's line of Puey Quinones.  I posted it on my Facebook page to show it to my friends.  Soon enough it proliferated on the Internet and I received a private message from Ulysses King, Jr., manager of BOBON.  He gave me a ring and explained to me what is BOBON.

BOBON is a retail brand located on the 4th level of the Podium that allows buyers greater accessibility to creations made by skilled Filipino artists. It started as a collaboration with Puey Quinones in 2008.  Puey left the brand eventually and now BOBON is a collective effort of several Filipino designers.  Here are some of the featured designers:

Arnold Galang

Eric delos Santos

Estien Quijano

Roland Lirio

Ulysses King

Yako Reyes

Please drop by the Podium to check out the latest collections of these designers.  BOBON also features guest designers from time to time.

Thank you for reading.  Follow me on twitter: micsylim.

Board for nursing-home administrators wants a law to let it issue secret admonitions; bill is in jeopardy

A bill that was introduced late and got a fast start, but has hit speed bumps and maybe a roadblock, would allow the Kentucky Board of Licensure for Nursing Home Administrators to admonish them in secret without the action being "considered a disciplinary action against the licensee."

The chairman of the board committee that recommended the bill said the alternative already exists, though not in law, and "would only be used for situations that were not serious enough to warrant action against an administrator's license," reports Valarie Honeycutt Spears of the Lexington Herald-Leader.

House Bill 414, which would make several other changes, was introduced Feb. 9 by Rep. Tom Burch, D-Louisville. On Feb. 14, he posted the bill for consideration by the Health and Welfare Committee, which he chairs, and got the House to waive the rule that bills be posted for three days before being considered. The next day, the committee approved the bill 14-0 and put it on the consent calendar, which is used to pass non-controverial bills without debate. It was posted for passage Feb. 18, but was removed from the consent calendar that day and has languished on the regular calendar since.

On. Feb. 22, Rep. Tim Moore, R-Elizabethtown, filed an amendment to the bill that could doom it. His is one of several measures that would require abortion clinics to give women face-to-face counseling and offer them an opportunity to see an ultrasound image of their unborn child. Because of that, "Burch said this week he did not think the bill would continue to move," Sepears reports. However, the contents of the bill could be revived as an amendment to another one.

Spears, who has done much reporting about problems in nursing homes, notes that the board minutes from Februrary 2010 referred to 29 complaints, one was from 2006 and the rest were from 2007 through 2010. Among the cases was a nursing home administrator who did not contact authorities when aides abused a resident, an administrator criminally charged with stealing prescription drugs and an administrator sentenced to 10 years in prison for theft and exploiting an adult. The bill does not specify what kind of infractions would result in private criticisms." (Read more)

As Predicted the Media Ignores the Ruling Upholding Health Care Reform

In a recent post on the D.C. District Court ruling upholding the constitutionality of the health care reform law I predicted that the media would continue its practice of ignoring such ruling while lavishing coverage on rulings that the law was unconstitutional. This despite the fact that three courts have now ruled the law constitutional to two ruling it unconstitutional. Sadly, but not surprisingly, I was right. This graph, produced by Nancy Pelosi's office (via Daily Kos) shows exactly that using data compiled by Steve Benen at Washington Monthly.



You will notice that in the final column reflecting coverage of the most recent ruling there is no line for the Washington Post. This is because, as Benen points out "the Washington Post couldn't bother to run a single article -- not one -- about the Kessler ruling, even after it was decided in Washington, about a mile from the Post's office building." There are explanations (excuses) for this such as Ezra Klein's argument, cited by Benen, that cases changing the status quo are more news worthy than those that uphold it. That might make sense in some contexts but given the fierce battle over the Affordable Care Act and the fact that everyone expects the Supreme Court to decide its fate in the end, I don't buy it here. As Benen himself points out (and citing Greg Sargant) this does matter because this is all happening in a political climate in which the Law is under constant attack from Republicans.

While Benen and Sargant both recognize that the coverage could affect what ultimately happens in the political arena they both just shrug their shoulders and say they understand why the negative opinions are more newsworthy. I find this blithe acceptance of the media as essentially unable to report a story fairly rather disturbing. While a negative opinion might be more newsworthy in some circumstances given the highly charged nature of the debate here, the potential impact of the coverage on that debate, and the enormous importance which the media itself placed on the negative decisions the slanted coverage in this case strikes me as nothing short of a kind of journalistic malpractice.

Crazy-Making Democrats

Wild and Crazy Guys

We already know that the Republican Party has become a bastion of right wing zealots, who, as Paul Krugman points out today, are exploiting the current fiscal crisis to achieve their overarching goals of privatization and union-busting.  We already know that the Republican Party, as Kevin Drum puts it, is more extreme, more united and less compromising than ever before.  We already know that the Republican Party insists on severe cuts in discretionary spending, particularly for social programs, despite clear evidence that this will not just hurt real people but will do damage to the economic recovery.  And, finally, we already know that the Republicans will use the threat of a government shutdown to achieve a large part of their agenda.

And the Democrats?  It is a long-held tenet in the mental health field that when treating a delusional patient, it is important to not challenge their delusions.  Eventually, after gaining the patient's trust and the medication begins to work, a skilled professional can nudge the patient back to reality.  Politics, however, is not psychology, and budget negotiations are a far cry from therapy -- and, in any event, the Republicans don't seem to be medicated or amendable to treatment.  But rather than call out the Republican crazies, President Obama and the Democrats have bought into their delusions. 

As Fuzzyone has pointed out, including in a typically incisive post today, Democrats have adopted Republican talking points about the need for belt-tightening and budget cutting.  They continue do so despite a recently publicized independent report explaining that spending cuts passed by the Republican-dominated House of Representatives would be a drag on the economy and push us back towards a recession. 

President Obama and the Democrats should be arguing that we need more stimulus not less (see Must Read Krugman) and we need to be spending money on infrastructure and not gut vital social programs.  But instead, the Democrats are trying to be "reasonable," proposing to cut billions of dollars from domestic programs in the hope that this will placate the crazy Republicans.  The problem, as we have seen repeatedly, is that once you join the Republicans in their delusional world, there is no possibility of finding a rational accommodation.  What we badly need is a reality check.

Democrats Preparing to Surrender Again?

As BTD over at TalkLeft points out, it appears that the Democrats are once again preparing to surrender as they begin negotiations with themselves. As I have pointed out before, Obama started us down this road by surrendering to the Republican framing that cutting the deficit, not job creation or stimulating the economy, should be the top priority. Then, by surrendering on the extension of the Bush tax cuts, he insured that the only way to reduce the deficit would be to cut the budget. Then came his $41 billion dollar budget cut proposal. Of course that was not enough for the Republicans, who are basically fighting among themselves about how high to cut, and the number just keeps going up.
So, like the sun rising in the morning the Dems now prepare to surrender:

With a political standoff over spending threatening to trigger a federal shutdown next week, Senate Democrats began drafting a plan Thursday to slice billions of dollars from domestic agency budgets over the next seven months, yielding to Republican demands to reduce the size of government this year.

Of course this just signals to the Republicans that they should stick to their guns since the Democrats won't:

"It sounds like Senate Democrats are making progress towards our goal of cutting government spending to help the private sector create jobs," said Michael Steel, spokesman for House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio). "Hopefully, that means they will support the [bill] with spending cuts that we will pass next week, rather than shutting down the government."

Who would have thought it, the Dems offer a compromise and the Republican response is "great, now just give us everything we want."
Of course that is what they will do. Obama made it clear back in December when he made his infamous hostage taking analogy in talking about his decision to fold on the tax cuts for the rich.

“I think it’s tempting not to negotiate with hostage-takers, unless the hostage gets harmed. Then people will question the wisdom of that strategy. In this case, the hostage was the American people, and I was not willing to see them get harmed.”

Of course, once you say this the hostage takers will always threaten to hurt the hostage, why wouldn't they. At this point the totally inability of the Democrats, both the President and those in Congress, to stand their ground is as infuriating as it is, at this point, predictable.

If It's Friday It Must Be . . . Yo La Tengo . . . (You Can Have It All)

You Can Have It All by Yo La Tengo from 2000 on Conan.  I would have loved to have heard this or countless other great songs when I saw them at the Fox Theater in Oakland on Tuesday night.  Unfortunately, they focused mostly on making noise and creating feedback. 
[Related Posts: The Story of Yo La Tengo; If It's Friday It Must Be . . . Yo La Tengo -- Mr. Tough, The Summer, I Feel Like Going Home, Today Is The Day, Sugarcube, Tom Courtenay, Here to Fall, Autumn Sweater, Femme Fatale, Our Way to Fall; With a Girl Like You, Black Flowers; Don't Cry No Tears; Jesus, Etc.; Little Eyes; I Should Have Known Better]

Puey Quinones Paid Fashion Scam Victims 195,000 Php in Cash!

Last night at around 8:26pm, I received an SMS message from Jhon (the victim in the Puey Quinones Fashion Scam) that read "Hi michael ... We got already the sum of 195,000 in cash and we returned the suit and the gown.  But Puey did not show up.  Only his mom and his cousin ...  That's all ...  Thanks ...".

Puey charged Jhon and his fiance 150,000 Php for the wedding gown and the suit (Dansen). When they realized that Puey could not deliver, they panicked and sought help from Francis Libiran for a new wedding gown and suit.  With less than two weeks before the wedding, Francis charged them 195,000 Php for the rush job.  As compensation, they demanded that Puey should shoulder the additional 45,000 Php for the damages he caused.  Jhon went on saying:

"Money cannot and will never replace the burden and emotional damages that Puey gave to our lives. Yun lang ... Anyways, it's all done ...  The good news for us now is we received what is due to us. And I'm happy now that we don't have to argue or deal with Puey anymore."

I am glad that I was able to help Jhon using my Facebook and blog.  After all, this is the reason why I started this blog.  My fashion advocacy is to help clients who are clueless about the Pinoy world of fashion.  I want clients to know whom they can trust and whom they can not.

Thank you Jhon for entrusting your story to me.  I did not know you prior to the Fashion Scam story and now I feel close to you.  Thank you for inviting me to your wedding on March 5.  I will be there.

Fashion PULIS! is first to reveal this story. Follow me on twitter: micsylim.

Kentucky is 'ground zero' in the war on drugs, Rogers says

A Kentucky congressman called "ground zero" in the war against drugs Wednesday as officials gathered in London for the regional meeting of the UNITE Coalition. In attendance was director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, Gil Kerlikowke, right, who has been touring the state to investigate prescription drug abuse.

U.S. Rep. Harold "Hal" Rogers, R-5th District, was the keynote speaker, The Sentinel-Echo's Nita Johnson reports. "Our back yards have been become battlegrounds," Rogers said. "Just last week, five pharmacies in the area were robbed. Our overdose rate is twice as high as the rest of the country."

Rogers, left, repeated expressed his dismay over Florida Gov. Rick Scott's proposal to cancel his state's prescription-drug monitoring program, which has yet to really start. The lack of a monitoring system allows drug dealers to "doctor shop," obtaining prescriptions for drugs they sell in Kentucky. "There are drive-through pain clinics in Florida and 98 percent of the top 100 pain killers is oxycodone," Rogers said. "Last year, Florida alone issued 19 million units of oxycodone. This is an urgent crisis for the people I represent."

Rogers credited UNITE coalitions for fighting against the problem. "Adversity is being harnessed into hope," he said. "UNITE is reshaping future generations."

At a roundtable discussion before the gathering, Kerlikowske spoke of his goals. "I'm here to listen," he said. "The drug problem really impacts so much of our country ... It cuts across all of the social lines, all of the racial lines." (Read more)

Todo Na ..... (All Out .....)

Burt Bacharah said "a chair is still a chair even when there's no one sitting there" .  In this story the chair is not just a chair, it was not just used for sitting.   The chairs alongside with other pieces of furniture were used as payment for liabilities.

This furniture designer started with a small space, moved to an extremely large space, transfered to another small space, until finally closed its doors.  His latest small space, on the third level of a mall in Makati, did not do well so he was forced to shut it down. When his store ceased to operate, he did not have cash to settle his liabilities so the mall management had no choice but to accept his furniture pieces as compensation.  We can now see these furniture pieces being used by the mall for special events.

There was also one instance when this furniture designer organized a male models go see (audition) in his office.  A professional photographer was directing the shoot for the go see.  Some models were shocked when they were instructed to take off everything, including their underwear. The designer knew about it but did nothing to stop the photographer from taking the nude pictures in his office.  

This furniture designer who is a former TV host, has been spotted many times in Boracay partying with his boys. Who said he did not have cash to pay for mall rent? 

Can you guess who he is?  Play with the title and maybe you will get the answer.  Oh well, I am hungry now, it is time to go to Starbucks and grab a piece of spinach quiche.

Follow me on twitter: micsylim.

Meds-for-meth bill backer has last-ditch change to exempt liquids and gelcaps, which police expert calls inefficient feedstocks

Jensen

Hoping to gain the few votes he needs, the sponsor of the bill that would require prescriptions for three popular decongestants said today that he will draft an amendment to exclude liquids and gelatin capsules from the bill, but doubts it will push the measure into law.

"I'm having one drafted to see if it would make a difference" to senators who might be wavering, said Sen. Tom Jensen, R-London. "But even if it passes in the Senate, the likelihood of it passing in the House before the end of the session would be very low. We're running very short on time." Only nine days remain in the session, and two of those are supposed to be reserved for consideration of any vetoes by the governor.

Senate Bill 45 would make pseudoephedrine, a key component in methamphetamine, available only by prescription. It would also apply to two other decongestants used in many cold medicines. A Senate committee approved the bill weeks ago but the full Senate has not voted on it because it lacks the votes to pass. Jensen said he thinks he is about two votes short.

Pseudoephedrine is more difficult to extract in gel or liquid forms, and less efficient in meth making, says Sgt. Stanley Salyards of the Louisville Metro Police and supervisor of its Clandestine Lab Team. "We've never seen a meth lab in Kentucky use gel caps or liquids," he said, "And it's much harder to do. I think it would definitely be worth it to get this bill passed."

The drug industry, which is still running a heavy advertising campaign against the bill, opposed the compromise when it was suggested several days ago. A spokeswoman for the Consumer Healthcare Products Association, citing information from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, said pseudoephedrine is still easily extractible from gelcaps or liquids.

Salyards said the chemical can be extracted from liquids and gelcaps, but "You lose almost 60 percent of the pseudoephedrine when you're extracting it," and half the remainder is lost when the actual lab is cooking off. "It takes a heck of a lot more," he said. "Right now, you can dump [pills] in there and you're good to go."

He acknowledged that meth makers could adapt to the use of liquids and gelcaps, but "If it becomes a problem, we go back and deal with it then."

Beshear signs first bill of session; optometrists will benefit

Gov. Steve Beshear has signed legislation that will significantly increase the scope of care optometrists can provide, making it the first bill to become law in this session of the General Assembly.

"Access to quality health care is a critical issue for families across the commonwealth," he said in a press release. "After careful consideration, along with meetings with many interested parties, today I signed Senate Bill 110 to give Kentuckians greater access to necessary eye care."

The bill made an unusually speedy passage through the General Assembly after being filed Feb. 7. The Courier-Journal reported earlier this month optometrists have given a total of $400,000 in campaign contributions to legislators, the only exception being one who is a physician. Beshear's re-election campaign has also received optometrists' money.

The law will allow optometrists, who do not attend medical school, to perform more types of procedures, most notably one that uses a laser to fix complications that can arise from cataract surgery. Only optometrists in Oklahoma are likewise allowed to use lasers while treating their patients; in every other state, only opthalmologists can. The law also allows optometrists to prescribe certain drugs and lets the state Board of Optometric Examiners define what procedures optometrists can legally perform.

"In order to ensure the highest degree of oversight, I will be meeting with the Board of Optometric Examiners to make sure that providers of these services undergo extensive training," Beshear said. "I believe this new law will mean more Kentuckians can get the eye care they need." Optometrists practice in 106 counties in Kentucky. Two-thirds of the state's counties do not have an ophtalmologist, and supporters of the bill sais it will make eye care more accessible and affordable in rural areas.

Ky. officials ramp up criticism of plan to cancel Florida drug monitoring; U.S. drug czar says Fla. governor may lack facts

Kentucky officials continue to rail against Florida Gov. Rick Scott's proposal to cancel his state's prescription-drug monitoring program, a move they argue would keep the pipeline open for Kentucky dealers who head to the Sunshine State to get drugs.

"The callousness of this governor is absolutely incredible, with the number of people who are dying," said Frank Rapier, director of the Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area program.

Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear and Republican U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers have written Scott expressing their displeasure. Kentucky "may have to take legal action," Lt. Gov. Dan Mongiardo, who lacks legal authority to do so for the state, told The Courier-Journal's Emily Hagedorn. "Rick Scott is trying to legalize prescription drugs on the street," Mongiardo said. "The last thing we need is an open spigot to illegal drugs."

Because Florida is one of few states without a drug-monitoring program, traffickers can to go from doctor to doctor, getting prescriptions for drugs at each stop. More people died from prescription drug abuse in Kentucky than traffic accidents, The C-J reported in a recent investigation. Scott has said the monitoring program is an invasion of privacy, is costly and may not be effective.

The issue was discussed in London Wednesday while R. Gil Kerlikowske, director of the White House Office National Drug Control Policy, made a stop there. Kerlikowske (right, C-J photo) is in Kentucky to investigate the prescription drug abuse in the state. "I am certainly giving (Scott) the benefit of the doubt that his decision comes from a lack of knowledge," he told Hagedorn. "So many people in his own state are dying, and others are dying, too." (Read more)

Yesterday, "Narcotics agents across South Florida descended on more than a dozen pain clinics," report Scott Hiaasen and David Ovalle of The Miami Herald. They call it "the most dramatic effort yet to curb the region’s booming business of illegal prescription narcotics." (Read more)

Defending Legal Services

My first job as a lawyer, over 25 years ago, was in a legal aid office.  Our clients were people of limited financial means who sought help navigating the legal system against well-heeled landlords, unyielding government bureaucrats and abusive spouses.  We prevented many of them from being evicted or from living in sub-standard housing, helped them obtain government benefits they had been unfairly denied, and protected them from dangerous domestic situations through restraining orders. 

In those days, the recently-sainted Reagan Administration was aggressively seeking to eliminate the Legal Services Corporation altogether.  While these efforts failed, Reagan did succeed in cutting funds and placing on LSC's board of directors members who were ideologically opposed to federally subsidized legal services for the poor.  Legal services came under assault again during the Clinton Administration, when the Republicans in Congress sought to cut funds and limit the cases LSC-funded legal aid offices could take.  One would think, given that Hillary Clinton had been a former chair of the LSC board, that defending legal aid would be somewhat of a priority.   But, as part of comprehensive welfare reform, Clinton signed off on restrictions to legal aid lawyers, which included prohibiting LSC-funded agencies from taking part in class action lawsuits.

And, so, here we are again.  According to the Brennan Center for Justice, under current funding levels, legal aid offices are able to serve only a fraction of the low-income families who need assistance with "evictions, unpaid wages, child custody, domestic violence, health care, mortgage foreclosure and government benefits."  It has been reported that "fully 80 percent of the civil legal needs of low-income people go unmet annually" due to lack of funding.  Thus, "for every person served by a federally funded civil legal services provider, another was turned away because of insufficient resources. More than one million civil cases are turned away each year."

With the recession pushing more families into poverty, federal funds for these desperately needed services are in danger of being reduced even further.  As the Equal Justice Society reports, "the House has approved a $70 million cut -- from $420 million to $350 million - in funding for the federal Legal Services Corporation, reducing grants to 136 local legal aid nonprofit programs by an average of 18 percent."

There seems to be a disturbing consensus among Republicans and Democrats that social programs that help low income populations must suffer substantial cuts as part of a nationwide belt-tightening, with the debate only being over how much to cut.  Not only is this economically misguided (see, e.g., Must Read Krugman, Let 'Em Eat Catfood, Growth is Good), but it fails to acknowledge, as Bob Herbert recently wrote, the "human cost."

To prevent any more families from falling through the cracks of our legal system, the Equal Justice Society and the Brennan Center for Justice  are asking for all of us to contact our senators and urge them to oppose any cuts for the Legal Services Corporation.

Most Kentuckians say they don't understand health-reform law

Though parts of the new national health-care law have started to take effect, three out of four Kentucky adults say they don't understand how the new policies will affect them, the Kentucky Health Issues Poll has found. But their lack of information hasn't kept most people from venturing an opinion to pollsters about the law. About half said they don't like it, another quarter do and another quarter didn't know how they felt.

Congress passed the law, formally called the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, in early 2010, after a major push by President Obama and a heated political battle that still rages and has moved to the courts. Some provisions took effect immediately; others are being phased in through 2014.

The poll showed that four of 10 Kentucky Democrats favor the legislation, while just one in 10 Republicans do. But certain components get support from more than 75 percent of Kentuckians, regardless of political affiliation. Most notably, people like the law's small business-tax credits; its guarantee of access to preventive services without having a co-payment; its guarantee of coverage for children with pre-existing conditions; and its closure the Medicare drug-coverage gap, often called the "doughnut hole," which means certain seniors will no longer have to pay the full cost of medications.

The poll was conducted Dec. 3-22 and 27-28 by the Institute for Policy Research at the University of Cincinnati. It interviewed a random sample of 1,677 adults, 1,469 by landline phones and 208 via cell phones. The poll was funded by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky and The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati. In 95 of 100 cases, the estimates are accurate within a 2.4 percent margin of error.

Respondents were asked more than 50 questions that covered a range of health-related topics, including financial stresses related to health care; characteristics of their neighborhood (examples: Is it easy to buy fresh produce or ride a bicycle?); degree of civic engagement, such as donation of blood, work on a community project or attendance at a political meeting or rally; how they felt about treatment versus incarceration for substance abusers; using cell phones while driving; health insurance coverage; and smoke-free policy, including a proposed state-wide smoking ban, which found the respondents evenly divided.

Rhett Eala: Putting the Philippine Map in the World of Fashion

To celebrate the Silver Anniversary of the Edsa Revolution, the The Ayala Malls stages an exhibit at the Greenbelt 5 (2nd floor area beside Adora). Included in the exhibit are the latest designs of Rhett Eala for Collezione. 

Collezione is an all Filipino brand that brags of its high quality items that are 100 percent produced in the Philippines. In 2007, the brand was searching for a unique Philippine symbol. Under the leadership of its creative director Rhett Eala, the brand came up with a metallic map on a black shirt. The shirt looked very smart and sold very well in the market. The positive response of the market inspired Rhett to create more designs featuring the Philippine map.

It was impossible for Collezione to prevent its competitors from using the Philippine map in their designs. This is why nowadays, we see other brands featuring the Philippine map in their designs as well. Imitation is after all the best form of flattery.

Nowadays, we see the Philippine map on many other fashion pieces. On Edsa's 25th Anniversary, it is just fitting that we credit Rhett Eala for introducing this simple yet brilliant concept of "wearing your nationalism". These chic items are very popular not only locally but also overseas. Collezione is now a must shopping stop for every "balikbayan" who needs to buy "pasalubongs".

If you have time, please drop by Greenbelt 5 and visit the exhibit. It also features other brands like Bayo, Swatch and Philip Stein.

Thank you for reading.  Please follow me on twitter: micsylim.

Hail to the Queen/King? Chapter 1

Image courtesy of www.thisnext.com

There is a Filipino living in every major city in the world.  Last April, my Tsinoy friends, B.C., H.S. and I visited Reykjavik, Iceland.  When we were at this Icelandic geothermal spa called Blue Lagoon, we noticed two Asian looking teenagers (a girl and a boy) listening to our conversation. After a few minutes of eavesdropping,  one of them suddenly blurted out "Pilipino kayo?"  We all had a good laugh and started chatting with them.  It was surprising to know that there are Filipinos residing in Reykjavik.  

In another European city, a popular Malate designer from the 80's received a  Facebook friend request from a magazine editor in Manila one day.  After looking at the mutual friend list, the designer decided to accept it.  The magazine editor (he/she) started sending messages that led the designer to believe that they know each other. One day he/she asked the designer if he/she can stay with him when he/she visits Europe.  Being the hospitable Filipino, the designer welcomed him/her with open arms.

The designer entertained him/her as a guest in his European home.  He generously fed his/her corpulent body and even brought him/her partying.  As a house guest, he/she did not even offer to help with the chores (courtesy?).  His/her has a bad habit of staring at straight men in straight clubs. Let us not even talk about his/her tables manners because they are truly unsightly.

When it was time to say goodbye, the magazine editor disappeared like a bubble.  No thank you note was left, not even a bud of tulip to show his/her gratitude.  The worst part of it all, the designer never heard from this social climber again.  

The clue to this blind item lies in the title.  I apologize for using he/she, him/her and his/her as the pronouns because I am confused myself.  I really don't know which one is more appropriate.  

This story is dedicated to all my readers overseas.  Let us be extra careful in accepting house guests. I hope you enjoyed reading this story.  Follow me on twitter:  micsylim.

Kentucky teens under 18 among least likely to drink alcohol, but binge drinking among them is nearly the national average

About 6 percent (709,000 of 12 million) of U.S. children aged 12 to 14 drank alcohol in 2009, and nearly half got their drinks from their own home, according to a study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Because the data are new, they have not been broken down by state, SAMHSA spokesman Bradford Stone said. But the 2007-08 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which was released in June 2010, showed Kentucky teens are among the least likely in the country to drink alcohol. Numbers showed about 13.8 percent Kentucky youth ages 12 to 17 had tried alcohol in the month they were surveyed. Census estimates indicate Kentucky has about 235,000 10- to 14-year-olds.

Kentucky ranks 10th lowest in percentage of youths who drink alcohol, the 2007-08 numbers showed. Most of the states with the lowest percentages were in the South, including Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee. The lowest percentage, 7.57, was in Utah; Rhode Island, at 20.7 percent, had the highest. Nationwide, the percentage was 15.3 percent.

Nearly 9 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds in Kentucky said they had binged on alcohol in the month they were surveyed, compared to 9.25 percent nationwide.

Research shows underage drinking can lead to future problems. "People who begin drinking alcohol before the age of 15 are six times more likely than those who start at age 21 and older to develop alcohol problems," said SAMHSA Administrator Pamela Hyde.

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health is an annual, countrywide survey involving in-person, at-home interviews with about 70,000 people 12 years of age and older. Each interviewee is randomly selected. Data pertaining to the use of alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs and mental health is collected. The survey is funded by SAMHSA. Figures are subject to error margins depending on the size of a state and its sample in the survey.

Longtime legislator gets national award for helping mentally ill

State Rep. Jimmie Lee of Elizabethtown, left, today received the national Jacob K. Javits Award, an honor given to legislators who advocate for mental health services.

"It just blows my mind that someone from Kentucky wins, and it was me," Lee told Marty Finley of his hometown paper, The News-Enterprise.

Lee, who has served as a legislator since 1993, was chosen for the honor due to his efforts to expand services for the mentally ill. His efforts include helping to replace the Eastern State Hospital in Lexington, obtaining funding for community mental health centers, and helping to open a new crisis stabilization unit in Louisville.

Lee is the first Kentucky legislator to be chosen for the award. To recognize his achievements, the Kentucky General Assembly passed resolutions that made today Jimmie Lee Day. (Read more)

A Victory in the Culture Wars

[T]he President has concluded that . . . classifications based on sexual orientation should be subject to a more heightened standard of scrutiny. The President has also concluded that Section 3 of DOMA, as applied to legally married same-sex couples, fails to meet that standard and is therefore unconstitutional. Given that conclusion, the President has instructed the Department not to defend the statute.  -- Attorney General Eric Holder.

Bill Clinton did many disgraceful things while President having nothing to do with interns.  In 1996 he signed into law the Defense of Marriage Act, which prohibited the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages.  The Obama Administration has finally determined that the law discriminates against sexual orientation and is unconstitutional.  It is about time.

Laws that are challenged under the Equal Protection Clause are analyzed under various standards depending on the class of people against whom the law allegedly discriminates.  The highest standard, known as strict scrutiny, applies to statutes that discriminate on the basis of  race.  When strict scrutiny is applied, the law is presumed unconstitutional and can only be upheld if there is a compelling government interest.  At the other end of the spectrum is the rational basis test, under which laws are presumed constitutional and will be upheld as long as the law serves some legitimate government interest.  There are also intermediate levels of scrutiny.

The Obama Administration previously defended DOMA in court, arguing that it was constitutional under the rational basis test.  What the Justice Department did today was acknowledge that laws that impact sexual orientation must pass a "heightened standard of scrutiny," somewhere between strict scrutiny and rational basis.  Because Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage for federal purposes as only between a man and a woman, cannot survive analysis under a higher standard than rational basis, the Attorney General announced it will no longer defend the constitutionality of the statute.

It is important to remember that DOMA is still the law of the land until Congress repeals it or it is found unconstitutional in the courts.  But the Administration's recognition that this law -- and others -- which discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation are unconstitutional is an enormously positive step.

Republican leader John Boehner criticized President Obama for "stir[ring] up a controversial issue that sharply divides the nation" when he should be focusing on jobs.  This must mean the GOP is not wasting its time with wedge issues but is responsibly seeking solutions to the unemployment crisis.  Well, not exactly.  The Republican Party is doing little but devoting their efforts to repealing health care reform, undermining abortion rights, and defunding Planned Parenthood and NPR.  Despite the hypocritical rhetoric it is clear that they want to keep fighting the culture wars.  OK, let's fight.  As Kevin Drum states, "Blacks, Hispanics, gays, women, the disabled and millions of others have benefited tremendously from the culture wars, and I'm happy to see it continue until there's no more war to fight."

R.I.P. Timothy Adams

Roman Colosseum lit to protest an execution

On February 22, 2011, Texas executed Timothy Adams for the 2002 murder of his 19-month-old son.  His attorneys had made a powerful case for clemency.  They argued that "Mr. Adams served honorably in the United States military and held steady employment. He took responsibility for his actions by pleading guilty at trial. He had no criminal history before his crime, and none after. In his eight years on death row, Mr. Adams had, without exaggeration, been a model prisoner."  Mr. Adams' family, "who also were victimized by Mr. Adams when, in a suicidal state, he caused them to lose a grandchild, nephew, and brother" were in favor of commutation to life without parole.  Adams' attorneys stated that "the execution of Mr. Adams has inflicted needless pain on the Adams family, without any benefit to the State of Texas" and the rejection of clemency "reflects that our society has abandoned its belief in the possibility of redemption and the virtue of mercy."  This is the eighth execution in the United States in 2011, the second in Texas.  Adams is the fifth African American to be executed this year.