MLK

Happy Martin Luther King Day
a kate west recommendation



The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr. Read more!

Ralph Nader

Ralph Nader
a kate west reflection









He ran for President four times, as a Democrat in 1992 and then in 1996 and famously in 2000 for the Green Party and also in 2004 for the Reform Party. That is what Ralph Nader is most remembered for, currently, although his real life's work is in protecting consumers and fighting tirelessly for your civil rights. Born in 1934, this attorney (a graduate from Princeton University and Harvard Law) and civil rights activist led many to take on evil corporate power, earning them the name "Nader's Raiders". He's the one responsible for our seat belts, air bags and free tickets when the airline bumps you, to name but a few of the thousands of positive reforms he's accomplished. We need men like him to remain stubborn and tenacious, even when we don't want to hear it anymore.

A hit at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, the documentary "An Unreasonable Man" features all aspects of Ralph, to the point of illuminating, (for those of us who don't already know), the sordid details of the 1966 smear campaign by General Motors in an attempt to discredit him. The dangerous idealist Nader started a slew of activist organizations, including helping to found the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and has worked his entire life to save us from corporate greed.

Why then, is he ridiculed and even reviled today? For campaigning in 2004 against Al Gore and George W. Bush, supposedly taking away votes from Gore, helping Bush gain the election. Completey absurd allegations. Gore fought briefly and half-heartedly for a recount when everyone knew the Florida votes were invalid, so he lost that election all on his own. Besides, it's still a free country, and everyone should be entitled to run for President if he/she is able and it's high time the two-party monopoly system was challenged anyway. There are bound to be more than two points of view in this country. So why not try Nader's? He's always looking out for ours. He's still a hero in my book.

Directed by	Henriette Mantel Steve Skrovan
Produced by	Kevin O'Donnell
Starring	Ralph Nader Pat Buchanan Howard Zinn
Cinematography	Mark Raker
Editing by	Beth Gallagher Alexis Provost
Distributed by	IFC Films
Release date(s)	January 24, 2006 (Sundance Film Festival) January 31, 2007

www.nader.org &
www.votenader.org


Read More:
The Ralph Nader Reader

Civic Arousal

Unsafe at Any Speed: The Designed-in Dangers of the American Automobile

Read more!

The Derby

The Kentucky Derby
"The most exciting two minutes in sports"
a kate west reflection







www.kentuckyderby.com

I spent my childhood in Louisville, Kentucky and the thing we are most proud of there, of course, is Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby. Oh, and mint juleps.

My father says Kentucky is a good place to be from. He prefers the ocean. And liberalism. But as a child I loved it all, even the extreme weather, the snow days staying home from school and the humid summers that come with that cicada tsss-tsss-tsss sound. Real south, man, and yes that grass really is blue. I never got to go to the Kentucky Derby (not yet, anyway), but I've been to many horse parks and to Churchill Downs itself, off season. It is a magnificent racetrack, with those famous spires and that spotless track. I loved horses as a child (what girl didn't?) and read plenty of "Black Stallion" and every other horse book I could get my hands on. Horse racing seemed romantic to me back then. I don't really feel that way anymore, except once a year, during the Kentucky Derby.

Run the first Saturday of every May since the late 1890's, it is indeed a blink-of-an-eye two minute race, this sport of kings. For competing two to three-year olds only, it's "The Run For The Roses" and is part of the Triple Crown, which also includes the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes. Ladies wear big hats, everyone sings Stephen Foster's "My Old Kentucky Home" and by God, they all drink mint juleps (recipe below). With enough money, you can sit old school style, unless you want to try the cheap seats (think bleachers) in the infield, but I'm too old to jostle with that rowdy crowd.

It's one of the few elegant sports we have left in America, often written about and filmed. It sure does provide great cinematic drama, as we hold our breaths right down to the wire (the finish line). A long line of quality horse breeding precedes the modern version, from Triple-Crown winner Secretariat to poor Barbaro (so recently put down). You don't have to be a Racing Form expert to enjoy the spectacle and whether or not you finish Win, Place or Show, it's the best horse race around.

MINT JULEP

2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups water (branch water is ideal)
Fresh Mint
Crushed Ice
Premium Kentucky Bourbon (2 ounces per serving)

Make a simple mint syrup by boiling sugar and water together for 5 minutes; cool. Place in a covered container with 6 or 8 bruised mint sprigs. Refrigerate overnight. Fill a julep cup or glass with crushed ice, then add 1 tablespoon of mint syrup and 2 ounces of bourbon. (Bruise mint by placing in a cup and gently passing the back of a spoon between cup and the leaves a time or two.)Stir rapidly with a spoon to frost outside of cup or glass. Garnish with a fresh mint sprig. Keep remaining covered syrup in refrigerator sans mint leaves.

Read More About It:
The Kentucky Derby: Run for the Roses

The Mint Julep:
Kentucky Mint Julep


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NASA

a kate west reflection

I was never good at science. I dreaded math class. I ended up a Theater Major (with an English Minor), for God's Sake. So ask me about Shakespeare. And yet I loved scientists. I read as much science fiction as possible and avidly watched every "Star Trek" (you know that many Star Trek fans probably grew up to be astronauts, possibly even cooler than being firemen). So I was excited when I had a chance to visit NASA in Texas ("Houston, we have a problem").

My brother and I took the tour with the tram and drove by several nondescript gray buildings but never got to go inside. Our tour guide would say "and this is where all the moon rocks are processed and other fascinating artifacts from space, but we won't be going in there". This happened a couple of times and all we got to see was a couple of old rockets out front. But then, FINALLY we got a quick trip through Mission Control. The old one. The new one is in Florida, I learned. That part was cool, as was a very short glimpse into some of the astronaut's training facilities. And plenty of time for the gift shop, of course. Houston weather is pretty humid in the summer, so it definitely felt like a vacation and trip to another world.

I wish I had more aptitude for that kind of field, but I just don't. I can only admire them from afar. I feel the same way about the United Nations (another fascinating tour), but I have a better shot with them if I join the Peace Corps and exploit my language skills. I hope.

Sigh.

To learn more, check out www.nasa.gov.

Read more!

Life and Online Dating

a kate west reflection

You never know who's going to end up together. It's not something you have any business sorting out, either. Chemistry and timing play a part, as well as a general outlook on life, love and dating. Life is unexpected. And love can change. Who knew?

The year 2001 changed my entire life, in so many ways. September 11 happened and then the whole world changed, so what did my small life have to do with anything? Well, I still had to live it, when all was said and done. After our national shock, we all had to get back to living our lives. Comedians started being funny again and Hollywood celebrities came out of hiding. And I started online dating. And perceptions and perspectives got small again.

On to major trivialities. Can I work out my own insecurities, while still caring about the state of the planet? Like I said, I had to start living my life again and if the whole country could do it, so could I. It all ties in - for me, at least. O.K. so forgive me. Please. Moment of self-indulgence. But who knows, maybe we'll all learn something together.

Here's the thing about online dating. Profiles don't match. Guys, it's not your fault - I don't match my profile either. Everything on there is true, but you're right this moment building a fantasy in your head, which I just can't live up to - no one can. And I'm doing the same to you. Cyber reality isn't reality at all - it's what we want to have happen and then we're disappointed when it doesn't come true. So I've given up online dating. I know, I know, a lot of you married people you met online, but it's pretty unusual to meet someone perfect from a photo gallery of strangers. What are the odds? And if you've been out of circulation, for oh, say decades, the rules may have changed and it's kind of like starting out all over again. But straight from high school. And who wants to do that? Ugh. Better for real friendships to develop into something else. But who has the time for that in this day and age?

There must be a better way. So we join fun organizations and fitness clubs and try to stick with people we have something in common with. Maybe. The old fashioned way. It may take a longer, but it's a lot less stressful. And all of those how-to dating books don't really help either. It either happens or it doesn't. When we try to force nature, it backfires. Hence, global warming. And bad dates.

So back to the drawing board! And better perceptions and perspectives. And a more serious version of life. Like joining the Peace Corps. Anything to help others and get out of your own head at the same time. Because without a peaceful world, how can we find happiness with each other?

p.s. Firemen are still the best superheroes, in my book (and totally datable). We haven't forgotten you. Believe me. Peace.

www.peacecorps.gov/

MORE Magazine: www.more.com Read more!