Home Sales

Our daughter graduated from high school three years ago, and we should have sold our suburban home then. But my parents sold our home two days after I graduated. I never really had a home again, so I wanted to spare our daughter that experience. And frankly, I was just too busy getting ready to change jobs, and to continue to work in the suburbs, so we missed that opportunity. Now only a single home has sold this entire year--2009--in our village. And the average home price is down by about a third.

Yes, I dream about an apartment in Manhattan, although frankly, I would love to be able to afford a little get-away place, too, where I could escape from the heat of the summer and plant things. My garden is important to me, and the thought of not having one is daunting. I kill most indoor plants, but my gardens thrive.

So, when I learned that Timothy Geitner, Secretary of the Treasury, couldn't sell his home in suburban Westchester, I was heartened, and had a great laugh. Watch John Oliver's segment on Wednesday night's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.

Sarah Palin Says Goodbye, But Unfortunately, Not for Long

The Doublespeak of Sarah Palin is humorous, well, it would be if she wasn't still taken seriously by mobs of people. Even William Kristol of the Weekly Standard and one of her first aupporters, appeared to still believe she had a shot, although he did admit that she wasn't his first choice for the Republican candidacy in 2012, on The Daily Show Monday night.

Definitely take a moment to chuckle and brew together with Andrew Sullivan over Sarah Palin's meteoric rise in the media, in our consciousness, and hopefully she will burn out in just a few more months. This post is from last September and it contains all of the lies she was spouting during the campaign. Now that she is free from the restraints of the campaign, she is free to say anything she wants to. Check out how Jon Stewart portrays her resignation speech.

The Big Lie

It was the summer the Michael Jackson video retrospective History was released: 1995. We were visiting friends in Berkeley when Ben, Naneen's teenage son, turned my daughter, then six years old, onto Michael Jackson. MTV was playing every Michael Jackson video ever made and Ben and my daughter sat, danced, sang, well, they became Michael Jackson.

That's when her obsession began. It lasted not quite as long as her obsession with Star Wars.

After several hundred viewings of History, her favorite was Black or White, mine was Billie Jean, my daughter asked this question based upon the quite obvious observation that his looks had changed radically: "If Michael Jackson is a boy, how come he looks like a girl? And if he is Black, how come he looks white now?"

Sensible questions from a six year old. That's when I told the big lie: Maybe he is trying to tell us that gender and race shouldn't be that important.

As deeply disturbed as Michael Jackson might have been, one thing we know for sure: he was extraordinarily talented and gave the world a new era of pop music, changed the world of music videos, and ended the overt racism at MTV, which up to that point would not air music videos by African American performers. Michael Jackson was the break through artist.

Of course, the circus around his death is off the charts. It's been the reason why I haven't turned on a television for the week except to muse along with Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. The interview NPR did with Spike Lee who worked with Jackson on the 1996 video "They Don't Care About Us," was perhaps the one I want to remember. Remember his talent, his work ethic, his enormous creativity, his gift.

Signs of the Times

This morning on WNYC there was a call to unemployed attorneys from the New York County Attorney's Office asking them to come in for training so that they can represent the City at depositions.

For free.

While I was in San Diego on Friday, 26,000 pink slips were issued to employees in the ten school districts located in the County.

26,000 newly unemployed.

Former President George W. Bush announced that he would be writing a book about his twelve toughest decisions and being "authoritarian" about what really happened.

And Ariana Huffington asks: What would the Dick Cheney interview have sounded like if "fake" journalist Jon Stewart and not "real" journalist John King on CNN's State of the Union had done the questioning?

Finally the daffodils are pushing their way up through the soil in a sign that spring is coming!

Jon Stewart is Doing What the SEC and New York Times Aren't

The interview Jon Stewart did with Jim Cramer, the lunatic financial commentator on CNBC, on Thursday, March 12th, did more to expose the calamity of the financial crisis than anything I've seen. The interview comes in two sections: watch the first segment so that you get how good Stewart is in the second. The second segment is the blow out.

Just as charitable foundations started by Steven Spielberg, Frank Lautenberg, and Elie Wiesel funded the Bernie Madoff ponzi scheme by keeping their assets "invested" for long periods of time with only 5% withrawals annually (that is the minimum amount the government requires be spent from a charitable foundation each year), our 401 k retirement funds provided the money to the financial services industry with which to gamble on things like derivatives and credit default swaps. For years, we have been told to sock away money for retirement because Social Security won't be able to sustain too many of the Baby Boomer generation, just the very poorest. Remember Bush's first defeat was his attempt to privatize the Social Security system while the market was still quite bullish. No one bought his spin on a system that would merely give more money to the private financial services industry. Americans wanted the steady returns that Social Security used to provide. In the 1980s, Americans got over 8% return on their contributions into the system. By 2008, that return was down to 3.6%. That decrease in the rate of return was incentive to push more people to risk their retirements by putting money into the stock market for faster, more substantial returns.

Stewart nabs Cramer and the entire business of financial reporting, and once again, it's a comedian doing a "fake" news show that has pounced on the fact that the financial networks are merely pretending to be educating and informing viewers. No, they are not teachers, but unscrupulous rumor mongers and cheerleaders for an amoral and corrupt system of greed. CNBC and the hawkers of easy money are part of the problem.

On the Street--At The Hairdresser

I take measure of what suburban women think at my hairdresser's. I don't mean the customers, who usually just complain--about their husbands, children, housekeepers, doctors, children's teachers-- or talk about plastic surgery, jewelry, or decorating. I mean the colorist who dyes my hair, the stylist who cuts it, and the manicurist whom I've known for twenty years. After many years of working with me, they know what to expect: we talk about politics, film, and more politics.

I started going to this salon just before the 2000 election. The colorist had never participated in an election before, so I helped her find information on the web, and although she knew I was a Gore fan, she decided for herself whom she would support for president. By 2004, she was pretty appalled by the Bush administration, but I seem to remember that she didn't actually vote. She had a newborn infant then. Kerry did that for novices. Gave them no reason to pick themselves up and inconvenience themselves to drop their routines and baby to go to some elementary school and stand on line to vote.

However, for this election, both the colorist and the hair stylist were engaged. We had many lively discussions about Hillary or Barack throughout the primary season.

They both were Hillary fans, having been impressed with her as First Lady and then New York State Senator.

Who was this Obama, anyway? However, they both voted for him, won over, like most of us were to the different spirit that he brings to politics.

With Tuesday's inauguration fresh on our minds, the hair stylist and I immediately fell into conversation about how exciting it was for the country, for white people as well as black, to have elected a first African American to the position. We both got teary-eyed as we spoke: reviewing Beyonce's serenade at the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball (why even Jon Stewart couldn't say anything cyncial about how beautifully in love Michelle and Barack looked as they danced while Beyonce sang "At Last"); the crowds on the Mall who withstood the cold to be a part of history; how well behaved Malia and Sasha were throughout all of these public events; and of course, what this means to us as a people to have elected this young, handsome, intelligent, creative bi-racial man.

She asked me what it felt like when JFK was elected. "Was everyone in love with him, too?"

I was in the seventh grade and surely I was. That was how I got hooked on politics, watching those afternoon press conferences: his wit, his charm, how he racked his fingers through that head of hair.

"And were you devastated when he was assassinated?"

The entire nation stopped. I was in biology class in the ninth grade when the news came over the public address system. We were let out early, and I almost ran home to get in front of the television set. Walter Cronkite, the most trusted broadcaster, cried along with us. My mother even let us eat snacks in her bedroom while our family--my father, mother, sister, and I--watched Jack Ruby shoot Lee Harvey Oswald, the assassination suspect, over and over again in the basement of the Dallas Police Department.

Then I spoke with the manicurist, whom I've known for twenty years. She and I are the same age, however, our stories are so very different. She was born Jewish in Russia, and came here in her twenties to start a new life. She spoke about how concerned she was that blacks as well as whites were treating Obama like some kind of messiah. She feels our expectations of the man are insane, far too enormous to do anything other than disappoint. (In a fabulously funny "commentary" on The Daily Show, John Oliver spoke with a German man on the Mall during the inauguration. "You have experience with charismatic leaders," he quipped.)

I agree with her: our expectations are insane. But then, I added something I feel deeply: For someone like me who isn't religious, these last months have taught me about the enormous power of hope.

And about that we both agreed.

What Me Worry, Bush?

I decided to watch George W. Bush's farewell address. Within a minute or two, he mentioned 911. Did you see Jon Stewart's interview with Fareed Zakaria last night on The Daily Show?

Zakaria made a point of talking about how quickly the people of Mumbai returned to their ordinary lives, refusing to belabor the attacks, the involvement of Pakistanis, or the prolonged firefights. Here Bush and Cheney are almost like necrophiliacs with their obsession with 911.

I am listening to Bush and he is defending himself. This is not a farewell speech. This is an attempt to rewrite history. Only thirteen minutes long. This isn't about being disappointed about not finding WMD in Iraq. This isn't about making hard decisions. This is about making the right decisions!!!

Why hasn't he aged as much as past presidents? Because he hasn't felt the impact of the decisions made by his administration. The lack of reflection is criminal. Look at the presidents as they have aged, and notice that Bush's toll is far less dramatic. ABC News: Before and After.

The End, This is the End, My Friend

The question is: Do we watch Bush's Farewell speech tonight, or just the deconstruction of it afterwards by Keith, Rachel, and Jon?

The question is really a matter of my nerves.

Do I shout out contradictions and obscenities in response to Bush's delusional denials? Or do I wait to listen more passively to Keith's, then Rachel's, and tomorrow to Jon's bemused reactions?

I will miss the humor of Bush. At least so far, Obama and his cohorts are far less absurd.

Will my nerves be able to take it? Watching just a minute of Cheney last night made me ill. He was talking about his cardiac disease, and suddenly I realized that he looks better now than he did when he squirmed his way into the vice presidency back in 2000. And I personally am going to be paying his medical bills, pension, and body guards for the rest of his life.

I'd rather be paying the costs of his trial and prison sentence.

Al Franken Ahead by 48 Votes and Why We Need Him

Last Thursday my daughter pulled me away from my computer and announced that I was taking myself far too seriously. She seized control of my laptop, went to NetFlix.com (I didn't know that members can download television episodes directly onto a computer and watch), and downloaded the first episode of the first season of "30 Rock."

She made me watch it.

As soon as Alec Baldwin appeared as "Jack," the pompous executive in charge of programming at NBC, promoted out of the microwave oven division, I was hooked. Yes, Tina Fey was funny mocking Sarah Palin, yes, the writing on SNL improved under her direction, but she is brilliant as the creator and writer for "30 Rock."

Thursday, Friday, and Sunday I watched the entire first season, that's twenty episodes, and began the second last night.

Despite Bernie Madoff, the sinking economy, the quarterly statement from my retirement fund, the state of my body, the dreadful cold and wind, all of the revelations about just how incompetent and corrupt the Bush administration has been, I was able to laugh with Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, and Tracy Morgan.

Which leads me to say that we need Al Franken to be the Senator from Minnesota. I was heartened today to see that he was leading the recount by 48 votes, even without the challenged 1600 absentee ballots.

We need Al Franken because we need to laugh during these difficult times, and frankly, Al has a great sense of humor.

When he was on Air America in the afternoon, I would purposefully run errands for work just to listen. Actually I would listen by streaming the show through my computer often. Twice I've gone to Praire Home Companion shows, because Al was performing upon his return from a USO tour in Iraq and Afghanistan.

He was wrong about the invasion of Iraq. But he apologized. He admitted he was wrong. And he did it with a great sense of humor.

And like Jon Stewart, whose hiatus along with Stephen Colbert's is now being soothed by my new obsession with 30 Rock, Al can interview someone with opposing views and not be insulting.

We've had actors, wrestlers, bodybuilders in politics. Why not a comedian? Good luck, Al. Our family donated to his recount campaign, a modest contribution, but some thing to help out with all of these legal fees.

Jon Stewart's Interview with Mike Huckabee Last Night

Today all gay people were supposed to refuse to go to work so that we could feel their absence from our lives. The gay people I work with all came to work, because they are all out and already know how important they are to all of us.

The deal the New York State Democrats made with the three holdout Democratic senators to assure an effective majority fell apart today, thankfully, because some senators had the balls to say that no one should bargain away the opportunity to have a reasoned discussion about what is really at stake if New York doesn't just recognize another state's gay marriage, but allows gay and lesbian couples to marry here.

I'm not sure anything is at stake, frankly, except for antiquated ideas about the value of human companionship and love.

And that was what Jon Stewart was getting at last night in his divine interview with former Republican presidential candidate, and a very smart man, I might add, Mike Huckabee. Stewart started by saying that he could understand his opposition to abortion, but he couldn't fathom what the problem was with gay marriage. Click here for the first part of the interview. Stewart is dogged and not nasty in any way for pressing Huckabee, disturbed that Huckabee has a rigid idea of what marriage is despite the fact that marriage, like all living things, is evolving.

But then again, was Huckabee one of the Republicans who raised his hand and said he didn't believe in evolution? Click here for the second part of the interview.

America and Apple Pie

Jon Stewart interviewed Bill Clinton last night on The Daily Show after showing CNN's inane attempt to conceptualize $700 billion dollars, the price tag for the Wall Street bailout that Henry Paulson is pushing before Congress.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson's brilliant $700 billion plan could buy every single American 2,000 McDonald's apple pies.

Click here to see the segment.

Of course, the food metaphor worked with former President Clinton!

But it shouldn't work with the American people.

I was at a meeting yesterday with two retired women. Remember, women make only 76 cents to every men's dollar, and these women, both pioneers in the women's movement, made even less throughout their careers. One woman is a widow. With the price of gas, the rising cost of her contribution to health insurance, and the cost of medicine, she is worried that she might have to cut her volunteer work, because she can't afford to drive everyplace anymore.

The other woman is married and still needs to augment her pension with parttime work.

This is how the Wall Street meltdown is affecting real people. But not just retirees. Every house that goes into foreclosure diminishes the value of the other homes in a neighborhood. Every house that goes into foreclosure displaces another family, makes another child insecure.

My husband passed a three block long line in midtown Manhattan yesterday: young people trying to get into a job fair.

We must make sure that any Congressional bailout plan includes accountability. Let's find out just how much fraud was involved in marketing and selling these mortgages to people who couldn't afford them, and how much fraud was involved in bundling them as securities. Then let's prosecute the bastards for their greed and illegality. Let's make sure that everything the government does to shore up the financial markets has transparency. We need to see restrictions on salary and on the use of government power, too.

Since when should we trust Henry Paulson to solve this mess when his leadership at Goldman Sachs, and then his "nothing is wrong with American financial markets" attitude got us into this current crisis?

Deja vous to 911: do nothing and then grab power in the aftermath. Let's not forget we have a constitution and a method for enacting law and enforcing it.