I recently sprained the @$%^#*! out of my ankle playing soccer.  Streaking (as much as I can streak, which isn’t much) toward the goal, visions dancing in my head of team celebration after my inevitable and devastating score, I pulled off a shot….expertly delivering the ball right to the goalie and coming down all wrong on my ankle in the process.

I’ll spare you the recovery details (the blood-purple TOES were a little much), but did want to share a good Dr. resource I came across along the way.  Ben Kittredge, one of the Docs at Commonwealth Orthopedics which has offices on Duke Street in Alexandria and out in the wilds of Springfield.   He was recommended to me by a trainer friend who called him one of the best in the area (as did Washingtonian back in Top Docs ‘08).

I’ve seen him a few times to good result.   He’s got a no-nonsense, rapid fire manner that seems to come with the territory of staccato pop medical care these days.   So if you’re looking for a lot of chit-chat and hand holding, maybe not your bag.  But when he’s in with you, you feel like you’re getting his full attention on your issues.  He has the bearing of an athlete and brings a common sense, pragmatic perspective to thinking about your recovery or repair options.  In my case, beyond my ankle, I also have a bum shoulder from tennis.  He helped me think through the investment/return equation of any invasive procedure and how high the discomfort bar should before going this kind of route.

Thankfully I’ve not needed his surgical skills.  Though a friend has and spoke well of the rebuilt shoulder Dr. Kittredge whipped up for him.  But based on my consult-only experience so far, a recommendation worth passing along once more.

I grew up with a fire crackling away in our living room most every night from November through March (back when winter was cold). It was part of a nightly ritual – Dad get’s home from work, kids run to greet, I play bartender and make him a bourbon and soda, my mother a gin and tonic. Whip up a fire, a few minutes of gab on the day ensue, before heading into the kitchen for dinner. On weekends the fire might run the whole way through. Nothing better for a young lad than the Saturday aggression release of chopping kindling with the hatchet. Or satisfying your pyromaniac leanings with that opening blaze when you first light your layer cake of paper, kindling, firewood and various leavings from the day’s mail.

Haven’t figured out how to regularly recreate these rituals in today’s mad world, but does my soul plenty of good when we do. So it’s worth the investment to keep the fireplace safe and functioning well. Helps first to understand the basics of your fireplace. Good post on that at local blog GWSlept here. For professional care and feeding of our little flame holder, we use Del Ray’s own Rooftop Chimney Sweeps. When we moved in a ways back they did some work for us to get the chimney operating and have been our source for regular clean ups ever since. Last year we had a little incident with the old damper a couple days before a big party for which a fire was a must. They responded immediately to our last minute call for help (despite the heavy early winter work load) and put us back to rights just before the holiday revelers arrived.

Now if I could just find a reliable firewood provider. Anyone?

You may have seen a bin of a hundred or so of these little bunnies in Ikea.  It’s Maia’s “lovey”.  She finally agreed to sleep with her bunny after many failed attempts and is now so used to it that I have been gripped by the fear of only having one in the house.  We have a long sleep ritual that, tonight, happened to be punctuated with Maia throwing her bunny into a toilet full of pee.  I then threw the said bunny into the bathtub for later retrieval.

After a somewhat forced tooth brushing, I went back to the bedroom with a very frustrated kid.  “Come Zeya!  Come Zeya!  Come!  Come!”  Zeya is the Serbian word for bunny.  I explained.  She persisted.  I kept explaining calmly and she finally seemed to understand.  She refused to have anything to do with any cute, little stuffed animals or the knotted blanket she has next to her in bed.  When it was time to sleep, Maia grabbed her ball and headed toward me to nurse.  She clutched her rubber ball awkwardly.  Falling asleep was not easy without her bunny.  I washed it as soon as I could and I am going to find some way to hike out to Ikea so that I can buy at least five of the little suckers ASAP.

Central Louisiana Community Theatre, better known as City Park Players, concluded its 61st consecutive season with a wonderful semi-formal evening event filled with great food, drinks, dancing, a silent auction, and live entertainment on November 20.

Awards were presented during a ceremony, which also featured snippets of performances by the actors that so ably brought each play to life.  James Leggett, master of ceremonies, was assisted by Wanda Schenk.  The awards are determined by votes from season ticket holders.

The Viewers Choice Awards are:

Best Performance by Female Newcomer – Presented by Rosa Metoyer and Jim Weinzettle

Christal Workman – Luisa / Black Jack: A Thief of Possession

Best Performance by Male Newcomer – Presented by Karen Riley Simmons and Kerry Lloyd

Jim Weinzettle – David / Social Security

Best Performance by Supporting Female Actor – Presented by Sylvia Davis and Brad Smith

Susan Hathorn – Rory / Black Jack: A Thief of Possession

Best Performance by Supporting Male Actor – Presented by Paula Antee and H. Wendell Isadore

Jerry Havens – Boolie / Driving Miss Daisy

Best Performance by Female Actor — Presented by Diane Falcone and Frith Harwood

Theresa Louviere – Daisy / Driving Miss Daisy

Best Performance by Male Actor – Presented by Susan Hathorn and Stu Rigger

Jim Weinzettle – David / Social Security

Star Awards – Presented by Jean Holliday

H. Wendell Isadore – Hoke / Driving Miss Daisy

Jim Weinzettle – David / Social Security

Karen Riley Simmons – Sophie / Flyin’ West

Susan Hathorn – Rory / Black Jack: A Thief of Possession

Best Set – Presented by Helen Moore and Stu Rigger

Flyin’ West by Pearl Cleage – Set Design by Diane Falcone and Jim Weinzettle

Best Director – Presented by Kerry Lloyd and Sylvia Davis

Frith Harwood – Social Security

Best Show – Presented by Paula Antee and Brad Smith

There was a tie between Flyin’ West by Pearl Cleage directed by Diane Falcone

and Social Security by Andrew Bergman directed by Frith Harwood.

Board of Directors President Rosa Metoyer  presented Allen Rowlen and T.J. Shuflin with a special recognition award.   She then presented the PRESIDENT’S AWARD to Karen Riley Simmons.

A silent auction included donations from Diamond Grill, Bistro on the Bayou, Lloyd Advertising, Paragon Casino Resort, Kitchen Warehouse, Limousine LifeStyles and Copeland’s as well as original art work created and donated by Dr. Henry Blount, Susan Hathorn, Glenda Kinnison-Smith, and Marcus White.  Other auction items include jewelry from Sassy Girl and pearls from Suzan Richey-Bead Boutique, private dance lessons from Randy Sims, an apple pie every month for 3 months from Atwood’s Bakery and a gumbo dinner for 12 hosted by Mr.& Mrs. Scotty Brame in their home.

The evening concluded with desert by Best Catered Events and dancing to the music of Improv Jazz Ensemble.

City Park Players, Central Louisiana Community Theatre is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization committed to offering quality cultural activities and experiences to the entire Central Louisiana community through live theatre productions, programming, and education.  The 2009 season was supported, in part, by grants from the Louisiana Division of the Arts and Roy O. Martin Foundation as administered by the Arts Council of Central Louisiana. Additional event sponsors included Red River Bank and Frithland Plantation.

Additional support comes from our patrons and donors and people like you who believe that community theatre enriches our lives and enhances our quality of life.

Call 442-1800 or email cityparkplayers@gmail.com for more information.

The Life of Holy Great-Martyr Katherine

The Holy Great-Martyr Katherine was the daughter of Constus, the governor of Alexandrian Egypt, during the reign of the emperor Maximian (305-313). Living in the capital — the center of Hellenistic knowledge, and possessed of an uncommon beauty and intellect — Katherine received a most splendid education, having studied the works of the finest philosophers and teachers of antiquity. Young men from the most worthy families of the empire sought the hand of the beautiful Katherine, but none of them was chosen. She declared to her parents that she would be agreeable to enter into marriage only with someone who surpassed her in illustriousness, wealth, comeliness and wisdom.

Katherine’s mother, a secret Christian, sent her for advice to her own spiritual father — a saintly elder pursuing prayerful deeds in solitude in a cave not far from the city. Having listened to Katherine, the elder said that he knew of a youth, who surpassed her in everything, such that “His beauty was more radiant than the shining of the sun, His wisdom governed all creation, His riches were spread throughout all the world — this however did not diminish but rather added to the inexpressible loftiness of His lineage”. The image of the Christ produced in the soul of the holy maiden an ardent desire to see Him. Truth, to which her soul yearned, revealed it to her. In parting, the elder handed Katherine an icon of the Mother of God with the God-Child Jesus on Her arm and bid her to pray with faith to Mary for the bestowing of the vision of Her Son.

Katherine prayed all night and was given to see the Most Holy Virgin, Who sent Her Divine Son to look upon the kneeling of Katherine before Them. But the Child turned His face away from her saying, that He was not able to look at her because she was ugly, of shabby lineage, beggarly and mindless like every person — not washed with the waters of holy Baptism and not sealed with the seal of the Holy Spirit. Katherine returned again to the elder deeply saddened. He lovingly received her, instructed her in the faith of Christ, admonished her to preserve her purity and integrity and to pray unceasingly; he then performed over her the sacrament of holy Baptism. And again Saint Katherine had a vision of the Most Holy Mother of God with Her Child. Now the Lord looked tenderly at her and gave her a ring — a wondrous gift of the Heavenly Bridegroom.

At this time the emperor Maximian was himself in Alexandria for a pagan feast day. Because of this, the feast was especially splendid and crowded. The cries of the sacrificial animals, the smoke and the smell of the sacrifices, the endless blazing of fires, and the bustling crowds at the arenas filled Alexandria. Human victims also were brought — because they consigned to death in the fire the confessors in Christ, those not recanting from Him under torture. The Saint’s love for the Christian martyrs and her fervent desire to lighten their fate impelled Katherine to go to the pagan head-priest and ruler of the empire, the emperor-persecutor Maximian.

Introducing herself, the saint confessed her Christian faith and with wisdom denounced the errors of the pagans. The beauty of the maiden captivated the emperor. In order to convince her and show the superiority of pagan wisdom, the emperor gave orders to gather 50 of the most learned men of the empire, but the Saint got the better of the wise men, such that they themselves came to believe in Christ. Saint Katherine shielded them with the sign of the cross, and they bravely accepted death for Christ and were burnt by order of the emperor.

Maximian, no longer hoping to convince the saint, tried to entice her with the promise of riches and fame. Having received an angry refusal, the emperor gave orders to subject the saint to terrible tortures and then throw her in prison. The Empress Augusta, who had heard much about Katherine, wanted to see her. Having prevailed upon the military-commander Porphyry to accompany her with a detachment of soldiers, Augusta went to the prison. The empress was impressed by the strong spirit of Saint Katherine, whose face glowed with Divine grace. The holy martyress explained the Christian teaching to the newly-arrived, and they in believing were converted to Christ.

On the following day they again brought the her to the judgment court where, under the threat of being broken on the wheel, they urged that she recant from the Christian faith and offer sacrifice to the pagan gods. The saint steadfastly confessed Christ and she herself approached the wheels; but an Angel smashed the instruments of execution, which broke up into pieces with many pagans passing nearby. Having beheld this wonder, the empress Augusta and the imperial courtier Porphyry with 200 soldiers confessed their faith in Christ in front of everyone, and they were beheaded. Maximian again tried to entice Saint Katherine, proposing marriage to her, and again he received a refusal. She confessed her fidelity to the Heavenly Bridegroom — Christ, and with a prayer to Him she herself put her head on the block under the sword of the executioner.

In the VI Century, through a revelation, the relics of Saint Katherine were found and transferred with honor to a newly constructed church of the Sinai monastery, built by the holy emperor Justinian (527-565). The church and monastery remain to this day.

With her wealth, beauty, education, and high social class, it would have been very tempting for Saint Katherine to deny Christ, save her worldly life, and go back to an easy, privileged lifestyle. Instead, she chose to follow her faith.

HYMNS OF THE SAINT

Apolytikion (Plagal Of The First Tone)

Let us praise the most auspicious bride of Christ, the divine Katherine, protectress of Sinai, our aid and our help. For, she brilliantly silenced the eloquence of the impious by the sword of the spirit, and now, crowned as a martyr, she asks great mercy for all.

Kontakion (Second Tone)

O friends of martyrs, now divinely raise up a renewed chorus, praising the all-wise Katherine. For, she proclaimed Christ in the arena, trampled on the serpent, and spat upon the knowledge of the orators.

Life has been a bizarre barrage of boredom, annoyance, bliss, exhaustion, grief, and worry lately.  We had some bad news this morning.  My mother’s brother’s wife died.  Now my little cousin is the sole survivor of his immediate family.  I have these vivid memories from long summers when I was a kid spent in their home.  They lived in a house that was owned by a Jewish tile-maker before the War, the War is WWII in this case.  The structure is a crumbly blue with a huge bathroom in the center and just a few oddly shaped rooms connected from there.  They had a big plot of land covered with sweet and sour cherry trees that we would climb dutifully to gorge on cherries and fill buckets so that the moms could make pies, jams, and such.  A little old couple would come most days and work the land in the back when I was very little.  It was a typical arrangement back then for people who didn’t have their own land for planting vegetables.  When I was tiny, I remember a huge white dog that was kept tied up all the way next to the fence at the back of their property.  He had bitten a girl in the neighborhood and then caused much grief to my grandmother at the time.  We would play near him but never too close.  She was the only one who could approach him to feed him.  She would also take care of a cluster of chickens every day and we would follow her with amazement and fear.

Those were idyllic times that faded away when my grandmother died, the kids grew, and various stresses fomented around this little spot close to the Hungarian border.  Soon there were no chickens and then the couple did not come to plant vegetables in the back.  The old white dog had long since died.  We were a little older but we didn’t notice these things because we were too busy riding our old bikes back and forth on the dirt roads to my aunt’s house and the lake and the center of town and by the stretches of corn and hemp lining our paths.  The days were warm and the nights were somewhat cool.  I remember the feel of the wind as I sat on the seat of one of those rusty bikes holding tight to my big cousin as he pumped while standing and my little cousin held on to me as he sat on the little area used to tie groceries.  This time of riding bikes and then coming home to spend hours playing card games with my uncle were the highlight of our stay with family.  My uncle was the best damn cheater that a kid could ever love.  You knew you would definitely win if you sat near him or you would lose after a fit of hysterical laughter if you sat across from him.

My little cousin was the smallest then because my little sister was just a toddler and didn’t count in the world of the kids.  He had a high-pitched voice and was constantly the butt of my brother and older cousin’s jokes unless they were abusing each other.  It wasn’t mean, usually.  It was our method of communication.  It was how we expressed love since we did not speak about it directly or hug each other.  The big break occurred during the War, THAT War now.  We couldn’t go as often and when we went, it was almost like a humanitarian aid mission.  Kids became adults and adults became old people.  Lives were ruined in every possible way.  Everything changed again.

I felt a chill the night before last in Maia’s room when she woke up in the middle of the night.  It took her longer than usual to settle and I kept freaking myself out because it felt like someone was in the room with us.  Maybe it was my aunt come to see us before heading out to the next stage of her existence.  She is now off to see her older son and her husband somewhere warm and beautiful full of chickens and cherry trees.  We’ll miss you.  Save some spots for us at the card table.

Tomorrow, 25 November, is the feast of St Catherine the Great Martyr of Alexandria (ἡ Ἁγία Αἰκατερίνη ἡ Μεγαλομάρτυς της Ἀλεξάνδρειας, hē Hagia Aikaterinē hē Megalomartys tēs Alexandreias). It is also the commemoration of Isaac Watts, famous hymnwriter, in the Church of England calendar (and surely those of other churches too).

13th-century icon of St Catherine from Mt Sinai

Popularly, Catherine is associated with her eponymous wheel that makes it gyratory appearance at fireworks displays, symbolising the first attempted means of her martyrdom. Her legend tells of a young virgin woman who contended in dialogue with the pagan Emperor Maximinus Daia (308–13), successfully converting to Christianity his wife and courtiers, countering their philosophical arguments. The frustrated emperor ordered her tortured to death on the breaking wheel, which broke when she touched it, and so she was beheaded. Angels carried her body to Mt Sinai, where her tomb now lies.

The Catherine legend is problematic for a number of reasons. Although that does not mean that there is no real woman behind the legend, almost none of legend seems to be substantial. Maximinus is a hate figure in Christian history, being ruler of Syria and Egypt and accused of restarting the persecutions against Christians after Galerius, his adoptive uncle, had put an end to Diocletian’s persecutions. Maximinus was also part of the post-Diocletianic struggle for power opposing the party of Constantine (considered the victor of Christendom). It makes sense to see the Catherine legend in this political atmosphere. Surely, there must have been martyrdoms in Alexandria in this period.

Poster for Alejandro Amenábar's 'Agora'

However, the legend seems to have accreted another similar, yet quite opposite, legend: the legend of Hypatia (Ὑπατία). Hypatia lived in Alexandria from the late fourth century, dying in 415. She was a brilliant philosopher of the Neoplatonic tradition, skilled in logic, maths and astronomy. She taught in Alexandria, numbering a future bishop as one of her students. Problematically for the Christian community of the city, she was a pagan. A power struggle for the city was taking place between its bishop Cyril and its prefect Orestes. A mob of monks from the Nitrian Desert had previously attacked Orestes, injuring him. Hypatia was believed to be using her influence as a highly respected professor in favour of Orestes. Believing this, the Nitrian monks, led by Peter the Reader, surrounded Hypatia’s carriage, pulled her out, stripped her and dragged her through the streets. Accounts of her death at the hands of the monks have been variously dramatised in disturbingly sadistic detail. Socrates Scholasticus, a Christian historian of the fifth century, has a sympathetic account of her brutal murder, clearly dismayed by the action of his coreligionists. The legend of Hypatia, however, became powerful anti-Christian propaganda in the hands of the dwindling old Graeco-Roman aristocracy and educated elite. She has remained an icon of reason against the assaults of intolerance and religious extremism. The end of the GW Bush regime in the United States was perhaps as good a time as any to revisit Hypatia, as done in film Ágora by Alejandro Amenábar, with Rachel Weisz as our 21st-century Hypatia.

I can understand the Catherine legend having much to do with guilt-fuelled counter-propaganda against the embarrassing Hypatia legend. It is certainly a disgusting blot on the church if we are guilty of rewriting history to turn our shame into a symbol of our suffering under persecution. Perhaps more sad is the daily severe discrimination met by today’s Christian community in Egypt, the Copts.

I don’t know if it counts for anything, but 25 November is also 29 Hathor in the Coptic calendar, and the height of the month named for the goddess Hathor.

Isaac Watts

The story of Isaac Watts is over a millennium away from the stories of Catherine and Hypatia. Born in another great port city, Southampton, in 1674, his father was twice imprisoned for holding to nonconformist religious practices: he was not a member of the state church, the Church of England. The Act of Uniformity of 1662 had put severe constraints on those who chose to worship in manner not in accordance with that of the state church. Although showing great academic promise, Watts was unable to study at Oxbridge due to his refusal to accept the rules of the state church. Instead he went to an academy in Stoke Newington, that was set up for the benefit of nonconformists. Many others would have submitted in name alone to the state religion in order to progress in life, but Isaac Watts was steadfast in the independence of his belief.

Watts became a dissenting minister in Stoke Newington. While there he wrote a hugely influential work on logic, which became the official text on the matter in the Oxbridge universities that had denied him on religious grounds. He opposed the imposition of trinitarian doctrine on dissenting ministers by the movement’s conservative wing, upholding their right of each to formulate their doctrine in accord with their reason. This has lead to thoughts that he was a unitarian, something that is not apparent from his writings. Shunned and opposed in life, Isaac Watts is the Father of English Hymnody. The hundreds of hymns he wrote are a unity of passionate faith commingled with doctrinal clarity, unsurprising for a great logician perhaps. However, few in the Church of England who gladly sing When I survey the wondrous Cross or Jesus shall reign where’er the sun realise the radical man behind those words and the intolerant hatred of him and those like him by our church.

So, tomorrow, let’s celebrate Catherine and Isaac, for there is plenty to celebrate. But let us also contemplate Hypatia and Watts the rejected dissenter, better to understand our place in the history of religious intolerance.

Looking for some small town cozy options for Thanksgiving? Old Town, Alexandria is perfect to spend your holiday in style.

Photo courtesy of Jimmy Stewart, the Hungry Traveler http://hungrytraveler.me/

Bastille Restaurant located in Old Town Alexandria is offering a special Thanksgiving menu inspired by French traditions and the American holiday. Executive Chef Christophe Poteaux and Pastry Chef Michelle Garbee-Poteaux have planned a traditional meal with a French twist, perfect for friends and family looking for a stress free holiday meal in a cozy setting. The three course prix-fixe Thanksgiving Day Menu is $49.00 per person and will be available on Thursday, November 26, 2009 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

AtBrabo Chef Robert Wiedmaier will offer a special three-course Thanksgiving dinner prepared gourmet on-the-go dishes from The Butchers Block and A Market by RW.

On Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, 2009, diners can enjoy a traditional turkey menu from 2:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. for $65 per person, excluding tax and gratuity. They will begin their feast with options such as mixed green salad with seasonal vegetables, raw and braised, with a lemon vinaigrette; duck confit ravioli submerged in a creamy squash soup or Scottish smoked salmon served with potato blini and quail eggs finished with crème fraîche. For the main course, entrées include a traditional turkey dinner with sweet potato purée, brussels sprouts and cranberry relish, served with chestnut dressing and giblet gravy; seared Chesapeake Rockfish potato gnocchi, baby artichokes and wild mushrooms and a pan-seared rib eye steak, Pennsylvania mushrooms and potato purée served with a bordelaise sauce. Dessert includes a decadent pumpkin pie served with a spiced crème fraîche and a pecan tart paired with bourbon ice cream and triple chocolate mousse terrine with white, milk and dark chocolate mousse, burnt orange cardamom sauce and pistachio tuile.

For a stress-free holiday, The Butcher’s Block, A Market by RW, is offering deliciously prepared dishes for Thanksgiving Day. Guests can choose from Murray’s Amish Turkeys, ordered whole and raw at $4 per pound ranging in size from 10-14 lbs; 14-18 lbs and 18-20 lbs. each. Prepared turkeys come as stuffed turkey breasts with poached and stuffed turkey thighs at $5.50 per pound. Six side dishes are available, including chestnut stuffing, sweet potato purée, cranberry relish and traditional gravy and cost $9 – $20 each for six servings. Traditional pumpkin pies will also be available for $20 each. Orders must be received by Nov. 18 by calling (703) 894-5253 or emailing Salena.Zellers@braborestaurant.com. All items must be picked up at The Butcher’s Block by 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 25.

In preparation for America’s iconic dinner, The Butcher’s Block, A Market by RW will host a wine tasting and chef demonstration on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2009, at 6:00 p.m. Potomac Selections’ Eric Hauptman will choose four wines to complement any Thanksgiving menu as Chef de Cuisine Chris Watson demonstrates how to break down, stuff and prep Murray’s Amish Turkey.

BRABO by Robert Wiedmaier, BRABO Tasting Room and The Butcher’s Block, a Market by RW, are located at 1600 King Street in Alexandria, Virginia, adjacent to Kimpton’s new Lorien Hotel & Spa. Hours of operation at BRABO by Robert Wiedmaier are: Breakfast: Monday – Sunday: 7:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Lunch: Monday – Friday: 11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Dinner: Monday -Thursday: 5:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m., Dinner: Friday – Saturday 5:30 p.m. – 11:00 p.m., Sunday Dinner: 5:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Breakfast 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m., Brunch: 10:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. BRABO Tasting Room is open daily for lunch and dinner from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 a.m. For reservations or additional information, please call (703) 894-3440 or visit http://www.braborestaurant.com

For Restaurant 3’s special Thanksgiving dinner see here

By Leonard Ford Jr.

Though I have been quiet on the current problems happening over at Alexandria City Hall between Mayor Roy’s administration and some members of the Alexandria City Council, don’t think that I haven’t been keeping up with their shenanigans.

Too much doesn’t get by me. Sometimes I feel that it’s not my place to comment. However, with what has been transpiring at our “hall of bickering” as of late, my self-imposed silence has come to its end.

And that end leads me right into commenting about the deep political divide between our mayor, Jacques, and the city council, especially three of our outspoken councilmen, Myron, Jonathon, and Ed. This political divide both cripples the effectiveness of the council and administration and makes observers throughout Alexandria and surrounding cities wonder what has and is happening in Alexandria City Hall.

Some division between the mayor’s administration and the council is healthy, and disagreement on hot issues is expected. However, after the last several council meetings, there can be little doubt in anyone’s mind that Roy has utter contempt for Myron, Jonathon, and Ed. Likewise, it appears Myron, Jonathon, and Ed have utter contempt for Roy. Simply put, they don’t like each other.

This contempt among the “players” has now reached a new level. Both sides are ready to do battle in their “tit for tat” tug of war, which all boils down to finger pointing about who is making the other look bad in the public eye.

About two weeks ago, it came to light that the City Council, specifically Council President Myron Lawson had spent approximately $71,000 for food and beverages for council meetings. It wasn’t really stated who first brought this spending up. Nevertheless, the excessive spending was discussed in a council meeting. Both the administration and Lawson offered reasons behind the amount of money spent. Each one had their say, which wasn’t good enough for the other. Thus, it was the beginning of another way of “taking the blame off of me and putting it on you.” Discrediting one another can be a bitch.

Now it appears that this “taking the blame off of me and putting it on you” has taken own a life of its own. The Council’s Legal Committee is now pressing for the council’s to discuss a “potential conflict” of interest that involves Mayor Roy and whether or not he was double dipping in the Cleco case as mayor and attorney.

Here’s the thing. Something (the large amount of money spent on food) came out that could possibly make Lawson seem that he did something underhanded. He has not been accused of doing anything, and I want to make that perfectly clear. However, with the maneuvering to bring up the “potential conflict” for Roy, it makes it seem that some people, and I’m not saying who, is trying to take the wolves off Lawson’s tail and put them on Roy’s tail. I’m not saying that this is the case . We are smarter than that.

Then there’s Roy, who has stated that this thing with his “potential conflict” is the council’s (I’m sure that he is not referring to all council members) way for Lawson to “deflect attention” away from him because of the large amount of money spent on food.

This entire mess basically pits two men, who I think a lot of us consider honorable. However, with the way they have been playing the “blame game,” it is getting difficult to say who’s being straightforward, and who’s talking with a “forked tongue.” Roy will have his believers, especially those in his administration who has every confidence in him that he is doing what is right. He will also have those who think he is not right for the office and should go. Lawson will also have his believers, especially his allies on the council, who also have every confidence in him that he is doing a fine job. He also will have those who think that he is wrong for the council and should go.

Let’s see who is still standing come election time.

By Sherri L. Jackson

Publisher of The Light, www.everythingcenla.com

In February 2009, Mayor Jaques Roy maintained that Von Jennings, his assistant in charge of devloping and implementing a program designed tohelp minority-owned businesses acquire city contracts, was failing at her job.

In November 2009, it appears Roy is suggesting that the city’s program is working too well. Alexandria Fairness, Equality, Accessibility and Teamwork, or AFEAT, is the program for which I am speaking.

You’ll remember that Roy claimed that Jennings was not doing enough to  make sure people of color had an opportunity to do business with the city.

Therefore, I’m in complete shock that the mayor, or someone who is in his inner circle, is claiming that $71,000 is too much money for any one minority business owner to receive for work done with the city.

That’s the only excuse I can muster up to justify the reasons behind the argument that the Council, specifically Council President Myron lawson may have unlawfully spent more than $70,000 with Boutee’s Catering of Alexandria, who is ready, willing and able to do business with the city.

Come on people! It’s not like all of the money was spent so that the Council could party into the wee hours of the night every week.

The taxpaying public benefitted from money spent. More than $6,500 went toward the Louisiana Municipal Association convention. Another $8,500 was allocated to feed the Grambling State Univerwsity band during February’s  Mardi Gras parade, and nearly $10,000 went for the December 2008 City Council inauguration.

It seems to me that the rules keep on changing. When minorities meet the cirteria to do business with the city, it seems that getting too much business was never a part of the deal.

I’ve always said that it’s easy to talk about the rules and the proper bidding process when it comes to people of color. The majority don’t make the rules for themselves. They make the rules so that they can enforce them when it’s convenient.

Yes, $70,000 sounds like a lot of money. It sure does when it does not happen every day. Besides, it’s just a drop in the bucket compared to the thousands upon thousands of dollars that other businesses have been receiving since the City of Alexandria was incorported in the early 1800s.

Read more here: Nov. 15, 1-8

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It all started with the plane landing.. When the EgyptAir’s pilot was supposed to “kiss” the ground, he F***’ed it instead. The worst landing i’ve ever seen.. we all were like going up and down and looking at each other like what’s goin on!! Anyway, we followed the signs to reach customs and passports check. the woman at the customs said “ya rabbe ba2a bente tetla3 7elwa keda zayek” (English: i wish my daughter will look beautiful like you) I was confused and a little freaked out. then I asked her if she was pregnant and she said she was almost due. very nice woman but never I had compliments from official personnel at the airport or anywhere, as far as I remember! the nicest thing usually being said is “welcome to our country, have a nice stay. NEXT!”

On our way to the hotel, we saw a wide range of houses and buildings that really should be taken care of. they were dirty from outside, with so many trash all around. I mean their government should take extra care of this area, especially because it’s very close to the airport, and somehow gives an idea of what one should expect.

Reached the hotel. which was supposed to be a 5 star one. it was but to some other countries, it’s the standard of a 4 star. The housekeeping people were nice but the cleaning was not. the room’s phone was stolen from stone age. but the view was amazing; a small balcony with a view to the Nile and the city. very nice in the morning. and at night with all the lights and boats sailing.

First day, Too many people in this city! and a Dinner in a boat.
after we checked in our rooms and settled down, got a taxi and went to souvenirs markets like “Al-hussein” and “Khan el khaleele” around that area, can’t believe how many people in this city! learned that they are 23 mil during the day and 20 mil at night! and they drive REALLY crazy! there was a restaurant, very much like Hashem – down town Amman, but has BBQ, grilled duck, etc we ate there with cats all around. was very unpleasant and annoying but the food was good and their bread was so yummy!!
After wandering around and walking from A to Z! we went back to the hotel, took a shower and went to the Nile. there was a boat waiting for us to sail. we cruised down the Nile with dinner inside the boat, belly dancer, singer in three or four languages, skirt dancer or whatever.. after we got back to the shore, and while we were heading to the bus, an Egyptian guy said to his friend about us “moslemat agnabeyyat” lol got back to the hotel and slept like a baby.

Second day, Shopping, Opera house and Egypt soccer game!
Got up not so early, went to hotel’s restaurant for breakfast. variety of food, drinks and sweets. the view was the Nile also. was kind of relaxing to eat your breakfast with a view to the Nile.
After breakfast, we walked to some stores close to the hotel. a lot of leather stores as well, one of the things that Egypt is well known for. some expensive, some acceptable and others were cheap. so you can find whatever you need with a wide range of prices.
It was the day of the “big” Egypt-Algeria soccer match, so everyone there was worried and talking about it. and when I wanted to bargain, which by the way is a very common thing to do there, I mentioned the game and wish Egypt to win. they become so emotional and get me a discount smart!
I hurt myself twice while shopping.. looks like shopping knows i hate it! first one was cause i was wearing a slipper so wanted to go out of a store that had a metal chair that hurt two toes.. so much pain! second one was while checking out some souvenirs, opened a lighter in the opposite direction and burnt my hand! this was almost killed me! they got me cold water and i got myself a burn treatment from the next door pharmacy. it hurts like hell!!
So anyway, got back to the hotel, took a shower and dressed up for the Circassian Dancing performance at the Opera House. which was Amazing! as usual but the Opera House gave it a very special touch. The place is very nice, well decorated and organized.
After that, we got back to the hotel, changed and went out again to watch the game.. almost all cafes are full.. streets are almost empty! which is weird to see in cairo at that time! Italian restaurant that places the country’s flag you’re from on your table, nice touch! Also three pencils on each table so you can draw on their walls.. very creative too bad Egypt lost. They would have turned the streets to festivals.. and we would have enjoyed

Third day, Alexandria!!!
We got up so early and went to Ramses train station to go to Alexandria. they are so disorganized! got the tickets, and asked the Info lady where to go. she said “not yet” i told her i dont understand and its my first time here. she said “Not yet!! i told you Not yet!!!” not to mention it was 5 minutes before the train to leave!
While we were waiting, an english speaking guy tried to ask about things but they did not understand and he either because neither of them speaks the language of the other. wanted to help but he left before i go and offer my help.
Anyway, the train was better than what I expected. at least better than Path Train (NYC-NJ, USA) it should be because it takes 2.5 hours to reach Alexandria. on the way, we saw a lot of farms, very nice! also the cotton farms.
reached Alexandria after 2.5 hours., Sidi Jaber Station, which is kinda down town there. got a taxi and head to Fort Qaitbey, many mini markets around, selling souvenirs. Mediterranean sea was stunning as usual I love this sea..
Too many cats! too many cats! they are everywhere around the shore! unbelievable!
after checking out the fort, nothing very interesting except the view from up there.. really amazing.. we then took a cab and went to the city, malls and streets.. the City center mall is really nice.. their parking lot reminded me of JCpenny n Target in Cali, USA for how alike they are and reminded me also of our mecca mall in Amman for how NOT alike they are. ours is so not cool. first parking lot i think that has a residential building in the middle of the parking! which is not the issue here. then we went to the train station to get our tickets for the 7 pm train.
for lunch, we went to a restaurant called Fish Market, very beautiful, clean, organized, good service, good food, amazing view to the sea.. I give them 5/5. you pick the fish you wanna eat and tell the Chef how you like it done..
We’re full now and ready to go back to Cairo. slept all the way to Ramses station, Cairo.
We got the hotel and mom was preparing a small cake with a candle for my birthday (was next day) how thoughtful and nice of her she’s the best mom one can ask for!

4th and Last day! My Birthday at the Pyramids and Egyptian Museum then Amman!
Got up so early, prepared ourselves to go to pyramids. stopped a taxi that has a meter, this one thing one should be careful about when going to cairo! always use these cabs, the white ones. not the black.
Got to the Pyramids and a horses guy stopped us, asking if we need a ride in there.. he asked for 150 EGP/each including horse, guide, entrance ticket. I said NOway! and at last i could get these things for 160 EGP for both of us (me and sis) it’s like 29 USD for two horses, a guide and entrance tickets which were around 0.75 USD/both because we’re Jordanians they consider us like Egyptians.
Anyway, it was around 1.5 hrs on the horse, saw Pyramids and Sphinx.. nothing very interesting.. but worth seeing so you know the real size of each
Got back to the hotel, and there was still some time for the breakfast. after breakfast, we went to the Egyptian Museum. again, not really organized, and if you want a small info about the museum or its floors plan, you have to buy it. but we didnt have time anyway so we had a small tour and went back to the hotel.
Checked out and waited the bus to arrive to take us to the airport. and that was it..
Landing this time at Queen Alia Airport was very impressive! so happy to be back after four days of seeing to many people and too many cats.. and other nice funny things here and there

A while back I wrote about a surprising local Chinese joint with super tasty food and a big, cool, throw back restaurant atmosphere.  Called Peking Gourmet Inn.  Well recently I tried it for takeout and here’s the quick addendum from that angle.

The good – just like when I ate there in person, the chow was just as tasty.  Simply better than most Chinese grub I’ve found in the smaller little outposts sprinkled around strip malls in the area.  Which means that we’ll add Chinese to our takeout regimen for a meal that the whole crew (including our 3 picky princesses) will eat and that holds up well on the leftover front. We ordered pretty straightforward stuff which meant a very ample Sunday night meal for 5 for about $40.  Good value, particularly given the leftover trail.  For when we’re feeling a little more extravagant, Peking Duck is a specialty which we had when we went for dinner the first time and lived up to billing.  I figured that was off the good-idea list for takeout but noticed a bunch of people taking it home in the take queue.  Will definitely try that next time.

The mixed – From Del Ray it’s a little bit of a hoof (bout 15-20 minutes) to get there.  And the place is very popular so was jammed when we got there, both in the dining rooms and at the take out counter operation.  Which looks like a pretty efficient machine but we still had to hang out for 10 minutes or so waiting for all the pieces of our order to be put together.

Conclusion…. given the distance probably not as frequent a regular in our takeout rotation as a close place like Taqueria Poblano (where I think they’ve started to deliver our mail we go there so often) .  But absolutely a strong new player for the occasional Sunday night when we’re up for a little drive and only really tasty Chinese with all the fun little kid elements (egg rolls, those crunchy things you drop into the Won ton soup, making your own little moo shoo pork burritos, fortune cookies, etc.) will do.

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Hattip Twall, Laidback Al

88th H5N1 human case in Egypt

* Date of report: 17 November 2009
* Governorate: Alexandria
* District: Sedy Baher
* Event summary: Man, 21 years old, university student. The patient began to experience fever, cough and difficulty breathing November 11. He was admitted to Maamoura Chest Hospital on November 15 and received Tamiflu. He reported having slaughtered and other close contact with sick poultry. He was reported in stable condition November 17. The MOH reported this was the 88th case of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Egypt.
* Source of report: Dr. Amr Kandeel, Undersecretary for Preventative Affairs, MOH
Dr. Samir Refaie, Head of Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, MOH

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La Muzeul Judeţean Teleorman vor fi deschise vineri, 20 noiembrie 2009, două expoziţii ce cuprind obiecte de patrimoniu de o mare valoare istorică, artistică şi culturală.

Expoziţia „De la utilitar la artistic. Ceramica medievală a sec. XIV în Câmpia Dunării” este realizată cu piese din patrimoniul Muzeului Judeţean Teleorman, Institutului de Arheologie „Vasile Pârvan” Bucureşti, Muzeului Naţional de Istorie a României, Muzeului Dunării de Jos Călăraşi, Muzeului Brăilei, Muzeului Judeţean „Teoharie Antonescu” Giurgiu, Muzeului Civilizaţiei Gumelniţa Olteniţa şi Muzeului Sătesc Frăteşti. Este vorba ceramică uzuală ( ulcioare, căni, străchini, farfurii, boluri, capace, opaiţe, strecurători, cupe ) care servea pentru satisfacerea nevoilor gospodăreşti, ceramică amplu răspândită în locuinţe şi gropi menajere, cea mai numeroasă categorie de material arheologic din aceste aşezări. Ea întruchipează imaginea generală asupra vieţii şi activităţii cotidiene a comunităţii care o avea în folosinţă şi totodată oferă o bază documentară pentru cunoaşterea nivelului cultural al populaţiei din acest teritoriu, în raport cu regiunile învecinate.

Expoziţia „Valori ale patrimoniului arheologic teleormanean” reuneşte o serie de obiecte arheologice descoperite de-a lungul timpului pe teritoriul judeţului Teleorman, cele mai vechi fiind atribuite paleoliticului superior, cu mai bine de 30000 de ani în urmă, iar cele mai recente din secolele XII-XIII ale erei creştine. Vizitatorii sunt invitaţi să facă o călătorie în timp prin intermediul exponatelor prezentate, dintre care unele, de mare valoare, fac parte din categoria tezaur a patrimoniului cultural naţional. Două dintre cele mai importante descoperiri arheologice din judeţ sunt prezentate în replici, originalele aflându-se la Muzeul Naţional de Istorie a României. Este vorba despre: „Carul solar”de la Bujoru şi despre „Tezaurului din mormântul princiar” de la Peretu.

Vernisajul celor două expoziţii va avea loc vineri, 20 noiembrie 2009, ora 12.00.

Corina Iordan

Biroul de Presă

Prezentarea muzeului în evidenţa CIMEC