When Manny Ramirez got caught using a banned substance, baseball purists said he should never get admission into the shrine of baseball.

I was one of these baseball purists. Not anymore.

Not only Manny, but also Alex Rodriguez, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, Roger Clemens, Rafael Palmeiro and all the other players who either have admitted or have allegedly used performance enhancing drugs (PEDs).

But then I read an exerpt of Zev Chafets’ book, Cooperstown Confidential: Heroes, Rogues and the Inside Story of the Baseball Hall of Fame, coming out next month.

I am now convinced that Manny, A-Rod, Clemens, McGwire are all no worse than who else is in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Let’s start with a simple tutorial on how a player gets voted into the HOF. Player A is not eligible until seven years have passed since his retirement from playing. Once amount of time passes, Player A’s name gets on a list that goes to the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA). If Player A gets 75% or more of the votes from the writers, he gets enshrinement. Sounds simple, right?

Let’s move on to the next point Chafets makes.

“Not every immortal is a gentleman.”

Let’s look at some of the players currently in the HOF. Tris Speaker?  Rogers Hornsby? Joe DiMaggio? Ty Cobb? Grover Cleveland Alexander? Mickey Mantle? Sandy Koufax? Even the last “pure” home run king, Hank Aaron?

Chances are you’ve heard of a few of these names and then some. Here’s why Chafets mentioned these names.

Ty Cobb was an avowed racist. He hated Jews and Blacks. He was known to raise his spikes when sliding if that opposing player was a Jew.

Tris Speaker and Rogers Hornsby were members of the Ku Klux Klan.  Joe DiMaggio was a member of the mafia.

Grover Cleveland Alexander pitched a game drunk when alcohol was a federally banned substance.

Mickey Mantle was once forced out of the 1961 pennant race with an infection in his buttocks that he got from a quack doctor while shooting up a concoction of steroids and amphetamine.

Sandy Koufax took so much nonanabolic steroids for his pitching arm that on the mound he was sometimes “half-high.”

Finally — Hank Aaron? He has admitted to taking amphetamines.

All of the names above are in the HOF.

Of course, what did the voting members of the BBWAA do? Turn a blind eye. That is, until Jose Canseco wrote his book, spilling the beans about PED use in baseball. Since then, the BBWAA has gone with a vengeance against these cheaters.

What does that say about Manny Ramirez, Roger Clemens, or even A-Rod?

That means they should be compared against their contemporaries. Pretty much everyone, from the hitters to the pitchers, were doing PEDs in the late 1990s to early 2000s. Different eras, different stats. If A-Rod had more homers over a span of time than other players, then he was the better player — whether he did steroids or not.

Case in point: Before Babe Ruth came along, Home Run Baker was the leading home run hitter of his day. His highest single-season total? 12 home runs. That was in 1913.

In 1927, Babe Ruth hit a then-record 60 home runs in one season. See? Different eras, different stats.

You can bet I’ll run over to the book store and buy Chafets’ book and change my views of who should be in the Baseball Hall of Fame, and I suggest you do the same.

Times are bad, yet there is an ever-present need to look our bests at all times. If it is to impress and ensure we hold the jobs we have or if it is to find that elusive job we are seeking, looking sharp and presentable never goes out of style.  A recession does not mean you have to take shopping out the picture. In life, as we pick and choose our battles, we must also pick and choose our shopping. 

 A few basic rules:

1) Deals never ever go out of style: look for the sales! Tons of stores have sales to encourage shopping which means you can snag stuff that is 40% off and more!

2) Classic pieces: Invest in a few basic classic pieces which will carry you through time and will enable you to mix and match creating whole new outfits.

3) ACCESSORIZE!: Emphazing a few bold accessories enhances the outfit and you can jazz it up in different ways by switching up the accessories.

4)  Transitions pieces: Transitioning from day-to-night can be made easy with the right outfit and makeup. Subtle makeup for the day can be vamped for the night and the outfit can be made night-worthy by a quick change of shoes, jewelry and bag.

5) Bag galore: Invest in a nice quality day bag that will carry you through for a few seasons; perfect for work and the weekends. Also, a little black clutch never hurts anyone.

6) Online shopping: You can find tremendous deals online! Also, many sites offer free shipping and/or returns so take advantage of it!

Some sites to look at:

1) http://grechenscloset.com/ : Has tons of great reviews, coupon codes, shopping sites!

2) http://www.dailycandy.com/ : Reviews by city and has sweet deals every tuesday..

3) http://www.hautelook.com/ : Sample sale site, has contemporary designers..

4) http://www.bluefly.com/ : Site that has both current and past season’s items..

5) http://piperlime.gap.com/ : The go-to site for shoes…

6) http://www.zappos.com/ : Offers free shipping and returns..

Remember: Shopping is an art, enjoy and indulge!

Does anyone have any thoughts about President Barack Obama’s first 100 days in office? If you were to give him a report card, what grade would you give him and why?

Most of us live in a society where No means just that, NO! According to reports that are out, President Karzai has signed a piece of legislation that limits the right of women in the Shia minority (roughly 10% of the population). Per the reports the only time a woman has the right to say no to sex with her husband is when she is sick. Basically means that in all other times, willing or not, she has to endure it. Karzai’s aides insist that this is for the women’s protection. WHAT!?!?!?! How is this protection?? In addition to taking away the ability to say no to sex, the law also prohibits women from having child custody and from being able to leave the house without permission. Ergo, the women have to get permission from the men to go to school, doctor or even run little errands.  Last time I checked, the Taleban did not pay Karzai bills nor did they place him in his post.

The President’s office refused to comment on this issue, more so with people accusing Karzai for signing this bill to win votes at the urging of many Shia clerics and powerful Shia political players.The women that voted for Karzai last time around did not sign up for this. The platform he ran on previously is being tainted.  When are they going to stop viewing women as second class citizens?  Why won’t they release the law publicly? What is the difference between what Karzai is doing and what the Taleban did? Its kind of painful and sad to see that the steps are leading away from progress and right back into the middle-ages..SIGH!!!

Domestic violence.  Behind those Latin and emotionless words lie other, more meaty words.  Pain.  Hurt.  Beatings.  Mind games.  Harsh words.  Rihanna and Chris Brown are the current face of domestic violence, prompting us (especially youth) to think about that anew.  Closer to home I am saddened by the events around Ericka Peters’ death; a life lost to violence in the Deaf community.

Nothing in those two words even comes close to conveying the staggering reality of violence (physical or otherwise) in our relationships.  How can they, when they are merely two words, and inadequate ones at that.

Domestic.  Domestic means:

• “Of or related to the home”
• “Of a domesticated animal” or
• “Internal to a specific country”

Latin root: Domestic is derived from the Latin ‘domus’ or home.

Violence. Violence means:

• “Extreme force”
• “Action intended to cause destruction, pain, or suffering” or
• “Widespread fighting”

Latin root: The Latin root of violence is ‘vis’ (force) and is thought to be derived from ‘violare’ (and ‘violate’).

(All definitions taken from Wikitionary.)

So, essentially, extreme force or action intended to cause destruction, pain, or suffering in the home describe ‘domestic violence.’  But even this expansion of meaning is insufficient to vividly convey the stark reality of violence in the home.  For what exactly is destruction?  Pain or suffering?  These are abstract concepts, prototypes, not-yet-born blobs of meaning.

What is destruction.  Is it when your boyfriend puts his fist through the wall, leaving a hole-sized reminder of his anger and inadequacy?  Or is it when a bedroom is trashed during a hour-long rage-filled fight, where tears and snot run as freely as curses and apologies?  Or is it the crumbling of your identity as a person from years of verbal abuse?

What are pain or suffering?  Is it pain when you realize that your girlfriend has been manipulating your feelings by continually putting you down?  Or suffering when your husband asks you, an recovered alcoholic, to buy liquor at the liquor store?  Or is it the bruise, the broken bone, and black eye?

The comforting distance given to us by labeling all this pain ‘domestic violence’ helps those in the profession both sum up and distance all the above cruelties. It tidies up the dark side of human relationships.  Without that distance, those in the profession would be continually forced to express the harshest realities in every word and sentence.

In in each of us lies the capacity to do violence, and nowhere else is that capacity used more than in intimate relationships.

There are several areas that influence whether we use our capacity to hurt others.

• Our development as an individual; our self-regulating capabilities, our coping strategies, and our temperament.
• The nature of the relationship itself; violence and abuse breed more of the same.  Violence in a truly loving relationship can be turned into a positive learning and healing force
• Our existing social network (including family) impact our responses to violent events.

It is the intent of an abuser to negatively influence all three of the above areas.  He or she wants to:

• break down your psyche (through put-downs, insults, and mental games or other techniques),
• degrade and unbalance the relationship (using his or her power, be it emotional or physical), and
• destroy/reduce your social network (through isolating you or other tactics).

Why do they do this?  Power.  Control.  Fear.

At some level or other, we have all been abusers, because we too want power, control, and can feel fear.  We have tapped into our capacity for violence.  Some of us are more mature than others, and can turn that event into something good; a learning experience for the self and the relationship.  This transformation is the ideal to seek, to strive for; to be able to say, veni vidi vici — I came, I saw, I conquered.  I conquered the darker side of myself and changed it into a force of good.

If you are not in that kind of relationship; there is no comfortable prescription for you.  Some would say, “Get out!” while others would say “Keep trying.”  Only you know, in the back of your head, in the deepest recesses of your heart, what is right.  What I say is, “Listen to yourself, for there is no other possible truth.”

Seeking Help

The single most effective thing you can do, aside from listening to yourself, is to seek help.  There are many networks and agencies who are standing by to receive your e-mail or call, and offer help.  I encourage anybody who is either involved or witnessed domestic violence to contact them; their risk-free guidance has proved invaluable to millions of men and women.

Don’t hesitate.  Seek help, you won’t regret it.

Deaf-Oriented Resources

In the DC area:  Deaf Abused Women’s Network

Outside the DC area:

California: Fresno

http://www.dhhsc.org/

California: Los Angeles

http://www.peaceoverviolence.org/intervention/deaf_disabled_elder

California: Oakland

http://www.deaf-hope.org

Colorado: Denver

http://www.deafdove.org

Illinois: Chicago

http://chicagohearingsociety.org/Programs/Domestic_violence.htm

Iowa: Des Moines

http://www.dwiaa.org

Minnesota: St. Paul

http://www.c-s-d.org/default.aspx?pageid=38

New York: Rochester

http://www.asadv.org

Ohio: Central Ohio

http://www.dwaveohio.org

Oklahoma: Tulsa

http://www.c-s-d.org/default.aspx?pageid=42

Utah: Salt Lake City

http://www.slcad.org

Vermont

http://www.dvas.org

Washington State: Seattle

http://www.adwas.org

Ever heard of the expression, “Straighten up and fly right?” Derived from a popular Nat King Cole song, the expression essentially means to clean up your act, to be on the right path. But in this case, I’m taking the meaning of the phrase literally. Someone I know was chatting with a friend of hers via videophone. What she thought was a little black speck dotted on the camera lens turned out to be a cockroach…which was steadily making its way to the ceiling before it fatally met the business end of her friend’s shoe. What if that was captured via video blog for the world wide web to see your slovenly household? Straighten up your surroundings– perhaps with the assistance of either Mr. Clean or that full-figured lady that does not take any nonsense from the Pine Sol commercials– before you veeb. 

What’s “veeb,” you wonder? I’m glad you asked. “Veeb” is a trumped-up written slang for “video blog” in a verb form. I notice that there are two ways to sign the concept of video blog. The first method is starting off with two fists that then move upwards and outwards in opposite directions, with both handshapes ending in “L,” facing each other. Then there is that other way: fingerspelling the letters V, and then B in quick succession. In the process, some people mouth the letters– hence, “veeeeeb.” I must insert a warning here: “veeb” may be accompanied with a slight spray of spittle (break out the umbrella, ella ella).

Now I know there are regional signs across the country, and I may get emails disagreeing with my American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation of “video blog.” However, this is DeafDC.com, and it’s pretty much how we do things in the Nation’s capital. Don’t like it? Sue the pants off of me, just like that judge who tried to literally take the cleaners to the cleaners, but thankfully failed.

Speaking of dirty laundry, some people have set up video cameras in the bedroom in order to communicate with their friends and family members. That is fine for personal purposes, but to veeb? I think not. Using a recent example, a person posted a very insightful video response in a well known blog. However, I could not help but be distracted by the anthills of piled up clothes randomly placed on the bed in the background.

Another time, I was watching a video blog. While the woman was signing earnestly about the topic she felt passionately about, all the action was happening behind her on the bed. I’m not talking about that kind of action. In fact, the family dog happily jumped on– and up and down– the bed and chased its tail for a few seconds. The canine abruptly stopped, looked around, and grabbed a mouthful of the lacy comforter, and dragged it off the bed. All the while, the woman should have been in a starring role to the sequel of Sleepless in Seattle: Clueless in California.

I would take snapshots– screening out the guilty parties’ identities of course– to add credence to my gripe, but I dare not. Comments may be made, such as “Hey, isn’t that [INSERT NAME]’s sweater on the couch?” or “Oh, I know that dining room in [INSERT NAME]’s house…you can’t even see the table, what with all the papers on it!” For some of the material possessions exposed on the video blog for all the world to see is easily identifiable by a majority of people, considering just how small and intertwined the D/deaf community is.  Six degrees of separation? Doesn’t apply here. Try zero point six.

What I’ve outlined in this blog are very mild instances. There are some really off-the-wall video blogs. On the internet, you read about the cautionary tales about posting questionable photos (keg stand, anyone?) that current and potential employers can stumble upon. The same restraint should be taken with video blogging. After all, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

I don’t care how much (or little) your clean up your house. But when you veeb, take care to make sure the immediate surroundings that the camera captures are at least decent for public consumption. So shake off the cobwebs from the broom, and blow off the dust from the dustpan. Cleanliness is next to blogginess– after all, the first step is to clean, and then the next step is to veeb!

An out-of-town friend was visiting DC last night, and she rolled her eyes and said, “This whole pop-culture phenomenon around Obama is so overrated.”

I could have jumped out of my chair and proposed to her on bended knee right then and there.

Our peeves are a little bit different, though. She’s amazed that people on the street are selling $3 bottles of “Preferred Water of the Inauguration” with pictures of Obama holding a bottle slapped on them and actually turning a profit (and being sold as far away as Los Angeles); I’m amazed at the willingness of millions to celebrate Obama’s new presidency with an ecstasy that more closely resembles religious fervor.

While I’m excited that a guy who thinks calling his wife a cunt is a viable joke lost the presidential race to a guy who has more tact, I have higher hopes for President Obama than simply not being Bush.

I’m cautiously optimistic: while many of the people in Obama’s cabinet seem like Clinton-era hand-me-downs (change? What change?!), he’s certainly been busy his first few days in office. Thus far, he has:

• reversed Bush’s executive order that limits public access to past presidential and vice presidential records in the name of transparency;
• ordered the closure of Guantanamo Bay within the year, with provisions for figuring out what to do with all of the detainees;
• revoked Bush’s interpretation of the Geneva treaty that allowed torture and ordered a review of detainee policy;
• Frozen the salaries of top White House officials;
• deployed new lobbying rules (much like he did as the senator of Illinois);
• started pushing an $825 billion economic stimulus package;
• been expected to mark the 36th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade by reversing Bush’s ban on overseas funding for abortions;
• and is also expected to continue his Bush-reversal spree with measures concerning oil drilling and stem cell research.

While I’m curious about how they’ll be carried out practically, I’m happy with all of these measures — though most of them seem aimed at reversing the political ideology of the last eight years.

President Obama is still, however, merely one cog in the entire machinery of this new administration, the structure of which hasn’t been radically changed in what seems like forever. The system in which he’s stepped into is still the same system — so far.

He may be able to deploy his executive orders relatively quickly, but because of the way our government is set up, there’s a system of balances and checks that he’ll have to wrestle with in the days to come.

He’s a politician, people. A public servant. How many of those do you know that are superheroes (and no, Harvey Dent does not count)?

It’s heartwarming to see the spine-tingling spirit with which he was received on Tuesday when he was sworn in (the first time, anyway), and it’s nice to see the optimism in so many people’s faces now that we know someone who at the very least exudes intelligence is in the Oval Office. Goodness, it’s about time.

But for the next four years, you’ll excuse me if I regard President Obama as my employee, my co-citizen, and not my savior. From the tone of his inaugural address (see also here), he’d have it no other way.

And I will certainly not regard him as my preferred brand of water.

Me and a few of my friends moseyed down to the Mall to see if we can get in.  We couldn’t, but I snapped a few pictures to share with everyone.

Busy congregation near the Capitol; I heard these poor folks were ticket-holders that could not get in!

Walking across the 14th Street Bridge and into DC proper!

Continual stream of humanity at the L’Enfant metro exit.

Man claps during Obama’s inauguration.

Young child watches the festivities on television.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009 has gone into the books as one of the most significant Tuesdays in American history. As a result, I’ve been experiencing a lot of feelings, and one of them is an increasingly conscious state of being as a citizen of this country.

The 2009 Inauguration of President Barack Hussein Obama has not only brought in a tidal wave of potential and opportunity for change, it is also permeating the fabric of everyday living, collectively, to be sure, as well in my world.

I feel proud to be a citizen, a patriot, and at the same time I continue to have sobering thoughts, especially with the ongoing financial crisis, our role in foreign policy abroad, energy conservation, and the sense of placing my individual hope for a stronger, better and smarter United States of America at the doorstep of the newly minted occupants at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Since I see my individual accountability as a citizen of this democracy I live in as upholding my responsibilities, both professional and civic, it was fitting that I also pay tribute to this Inauguration in my own way, which is through the kitchen. After all, we can’t very well have the energy to contribute in our everyday capacities in an Obama Administration on an empty stomach, now, can we?

I came across what is reportedly one of Mr. President’s favorite dishes, shrimp linguini.

The recipe is as follows:

1.5 lbs fresh shrimp (shell on)
several garlic cloves (I used 8)
1 container sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil
1 container chicken broth (I used 4 cups of vegetable broth)
1 box linguini
2 leaves basil, julienned

Clean and de-vein the shrimp, removing the shells and letting them soak in heated vegetable broth.

Thinly slice the garlic—it’s noted that the more garlic used, the more flavor the dish carries. Set aside.

Cook the pasta, drain and set aside, lightly drizzle with olive oil to prevent clumping. You can also leave some blanching water (or, pasta water) in to keep the noodles moist instead of using the oil.

In a sauté pan, cook the garlic until they begin to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until just beginning to turn pink. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and continue cooking for another minute.

Add the pasta, mixing it into the garlic, sun-dried tomato mix until it is entirely covered, continuing to season with salt & pepper. Use some of the vegetable broth that’s been flavored with shrimp shells to remove any reserves from the bottom of the pan. Doing so also adds another layer of flavor.

Plate, adding the julienned basil on top for color, and a nice sweet touch.

I enjoyed the dish—a good, light combination of flavors, the tomatoes added a tang to the presence of garlic combined with the basil, salt & pepper and olive oil. The noodles were on the good side of al dente, and the shrimp were well seasoned.

A note—on account of it being a weeknight, I took a shortcut, getting the shrimp already peeled & deveined. Next time I make this dish, I’ll do it on the weekend and actually use the shells with the vegetable broth and will pay attention to any differences in flavor.

Thank you, Mr. President, for not only standing upon the breaking dawn of a new era with the steeds of Change and Hope at your charge, but for also adding another dimension of appreciation through an ageless cultural staple, that being the enriching experience of enjoying a home-made meal.

Or, at the very least, thank you for another recipe that I’ve added to my cookbook!

In 1932, Franklin Delano Roosevelt launched the world’s biggest federal relief program, creating millions of jobs and funding these by the millions of dollars.

His program, known as the New Deal, was instrumental in helping the United States recover from the Great Depression. I have taught to my high school American history students that while this program gave the federal government immeasurable power and control, this also prevented total collapse of American society.

This morning, before going to work (yes, I had to work today), I saw this link on CNN and curiously clicked on it.

Obamanamia has not reached Wyoming. Here’s why.

These are back-to-basic Republicans. They want small government, strong national defense and an emphasis on individual liberties and accountability.

These Republicans in Wyoming and elsewhere feel that the government is bailing out companies for their mistakes. This is something I agree with. However, this is also something we all are in together. Let me share something else with you:

In the United States, as in some other countries, we often argue over the appropriate size and authority of national government, and usually we argue from principle: a big government is better because it can provide security; a small government is better because it can allow freedom…. as if government were some uniform product of which you can have too much or too little, but which is always the same thing. If we look at how government grew in the first place, we might remember that it is a set of solutions to a set of problems—not theoretical problems, but practical problems….

Now, I didn’t say this. It came from this book.  But, I agree with it.

Now, these people in Wyoming and other states that voted Republican, they’re the ones who prefer small government. The people like myself, who believe government is supposed to provide, want a more involved government.

But the line needs to be drawn somewhere.

Funny, cause in his inauguration address, President Obama mentioned the very same thing. In the transcript of his address, Obama said:

 The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works, whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified.

Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end.

Obama has a point here.