big girl

aviyah is officially a big girl.

we visited dr. watson in early december for her 6 month checkup. the doctor gave very positive feedback, but we were kind of frustrated because aviyah still had trouble sleeping. it was really hard because she woke at least twice during the night, and her daytime naps were really short. she was getting older and older, and we knew that she would learn to sleep longer. still, it felt like so long!

we'd tried several ideas to help her sleep longer, and it was frustrating to hear her cry so much. i think now that she wasn't ready yet. many babies sleep longer earlier, but other babies take a bit more time. we know that babies overall develop in similar stages, but sometimes it's hard to remember there is a wide range for individual development. there feels like so much pressure sometimes when you hear so many different kinds of stories. certainly, there may be choices we made that delayed her sleep, but other choices might have helped out. it's hard to know for sure. it's hard to know if she was supposed to be a better sleeper or maybe even worse?

it may be just that she's really ready now. aviyah's been improving so much. she's sleeping longer and longer, and she is able to go without nursing at all during the night, now. last night, she slept for almost 11 hours straight through. when she's sleeping, it's still so strange. i think, "is she really still asleep? really?"

aviyah can also take a bottle!

we missed the boat earlier. when aviyah was very young, samantha had surgery. my mom visited to help us, and aviyah was able to drink from the bottle while samantha was away. it seemed like aviyah had no problem, and we switched back to nursing when samantha was ready. you read and learn that there can be different kinds of problems breastfeeding, and we were nervous that aviyah might not nurse as well as before. when she did nurse well, we forgot to reintroduce the bottle early enough. the next time we tried to feed her a bottle, several months later, she absolutely refused!

last weekend, samantha went away for jocelyn and will's wedding. on friday, jenny and david played with aviyah during the day, but she refused to take any bottles. she was incredibly cranky, but i gave her some liquids from the sippy cup. she was hydrated, but she wasn't able to really take a bottle. we were all worried, and the next morning she woke up hungry and thirsty. then, she took the bottle right away! it was so strange. she fought and fought the bottle for so long, but shabbat morning she was hungry and thirsty enough to drink from the bottle.

what a big girl!

: )

ourdream

when i was younger, the world seemed so confusing. so many things didn't make any sense. why is there is much poverty? why is there so much injustice?

as i grow, i understand the crazy story more. still, i do not understand the apathy and patience that allows deep and persistent inequality. we retain the institution of slavery in our government, our schools, and our businesses. in an early sermon, dr. king writes, "life is a continual story of shattered dreams.''

the dream remains inspiring. however, we must work to make the dream more real. we should not tolerate the continued injustice and inequality in our communities. as we struggle to promote republican democracy, we must also learn to redress our own tyranny. cain hope fielder explains:

I am sick and tired of hearing Dr. King's 'I Have a Dream' speech when the daily reality is that for an increasing number of Americans, and the African American poor in particular, living is a nightmare.

in august 1967, king explained that he believe equality and social justice remained possible. "i refuse to give up," he said to a panel of journalists on nbc's meet the press. "i refuse to despair in this moment. . . i think in any social revolution, the one thing that keeps it going is hope."

"we have the resources to do it, but we presently don't have the will. negroes and decent, committed whites, maybe they may be in the minority now but they are there, must work together to so arouse the conscience of this issue . . . through direct action."

public comments have increasingly focused on declining standards in the urban black community. however, we still promote an open, free market for business and economy that reproduces inequality. we must support government that supports regulation of industry and trade that promotes equality and social justice. we require a revolution in the way we tolerate systematic poverty and racism. dr. king wrote: ''the law cannot make a man love me -- religion and education must do that -- but it can keep him from lynching me.''

trippin' jan. 13

inline pipeline
roger stern describes a growing oil crisis within iran. stern explains that the revolution created bloated subsidies for oil and gasoline consumption. however, the government has diverted remaining profits to nuclear production.

[Iran] has failed to reinvest in new production. Why? For the mullahs, the short-run political return on investment in oil production is zero. They are reluctant to wait the 4 to 6 years it takes for a drilling investment to yield revenue. So rather than reinvest to refresh production, the Islamic Republic starves its petroleum sector, diverting oil profits to a vast, inefficient welfare state.

the us maintains that iranian attempts to acquire nuclear energy are diversions. the eu also solidly opposes unregulated attempts to acquire nuclear power. stern explains that iran may or may not be pursuing nuclear weapons. however, he concludes that the growing energy crisis might actually require oil rich iran to identify alternative sources of energy. this clearly complicates growing international consensus to regulate and sanction iran.

outspoken circle

defense minister amir peretz led the disastrous invasion into lebanon, and he has been widely condemned by israeli politicians. however, recent initiatives have helped build trust with mahmoud abbas and the secular fatah movement. retired adviser baruch spiegel datials one plan to close more than 250 checkpoints in the palestinian territories. while it is important to guard against terrorist attacks in israel, the checkpoints are incredibly ineffective and inhumane.

spiegel does reconfirm israel's commitment to the border fence and wall. the border has been undeniably effective against terrorist attacks. however, i believe the central problem with the border is that it annexes private territory across recognized 1967 boundaries. israel retains its sovereign right to safety and security. however, i believe the continued plan to establish fixed boundaries beyond israel proper is arrogant and misguided.

remote control

oatmeal carrots

wednesday

race blind

conservative and liberal activists have debated the essential merit of diverse, inclusive organizations. policy discussion has increasingly centered on public state universities, including systems in texas, california, and michigan. michigan advocates an explicit formula that considers student race and ethnicity for admission. in bakke v. university of michigan, um argued that diversity best prepares students for success because inclusive classrooms promote open, honest discussions that include diverse experience and perspectives. in contrast, texas and california abandoned affirmative action policies and instated race blind admissions policies. proponents of race blind admissions maintain that students should gain admission based solely on accomplishments, achievement, and merit.

however, recent statistics in texas and california betray conservative policies. there has been a dramatic decline in representation for black and latino students at public universities. timothy egan explains:

In California, the rise of the Asian campus, of the strict meritocracy, has come at the expense of historically underrepresented blacks and Hispanics. This year, in a class of 4,809, there are only 100 black freshmen at the University of California at Los Angeles — the lowest number in 33 years.

At Berkeley, 3.6 percent of freshmen are black, barely half the statewide proportion. (In 1997, just before the full force of Proposition 209 went into effect, the proportion of black freshmen matched the state population, 7 percent.) The percentage of Hispanic freshmen at Berkeley (11 percent) is not even a third of the state proportion (35 percent). White freshmen (29 percent) are also below the state average (44 percent).

the article highlights a central problem with traditional multiculturalism. while conventional diversity programs deride white male privilege, they often reproduce privileged status. black and latino students clearly deserve increased access and support. however, can we privilege only select ethnic and racial groups for support?

i believe the central challenge is class discrimination and class segregation. black and latino families disproportionately earn lower salary and receive less comprehensive education. when we address class, we inherently address injustice from racism. however, we also address every american who is dismissed, ignored, and excluded. that's race blind admissions.

trippin' jan. 8

the rising sun

martin feckler explains that japanese culture is increasingly obsessed with energy conservation. the government provides generous subsidies to individual families, and companies develop technology that sharpen energy consumption and promote reuse. the root of energy conservation may be frugal families. however, japan is also an isolated island, and citizens "have an acute sense of insecurity." hitoshi ikuma, an energy scholar for the Japan Research Institute, explains:

"It's not just technology; it's a whole mind-set. Energy conservation is almost an obsession here among government, companies, regular citizens, everyone."

while small scale energy conservation cannot retard large scale climate change, popular support for energy efficiency can advance systemic change. government policy includes hefty gasoline and oil taxes that generate revenues that support energy efficient technologies. per capita energy consumption in japan is roughly half united states per capita consumption.

apan's higher energy prices have created strong domestic demand for energy-saving products of all sorts, spurring the invention and development of things like low-energy washing machines and televisions and high- mileage cars and hybrid vehicles. Japanese factories have learned how to cut their energy use to become among the most efficient in the world.

house divided

following emergency elections, ehud olmert organized a unity government and labor mk amir peretz bargained the defense ministry portfolio. peretz's portfolio was significant because he had not gained serious honor for his military service. the body politic has consistently elected military leaders and heroes. however, retread approaches to conflicts and diplomacy failed. unfortunately, the olmert government has made a series of significant military mistakes. now, the defense minister is increasingly under pressure to resign or accept reassignment. another article heralds ehud barak's announcement that he will run for leadership of the labor party and, ostensibly, the defense portfolio.

trippin' jan. 7

sunny day

samanth and i recently viewed an inconvenient truth. former vice president al gore presents a blunt review of climate change science and explains the dire consequence of current global warming trends. our building recently started to research installing solar panels on the roof to defray common electricity costs. while first costs are significant, users gain credit for energy sold back to the power grid. over time, users see significant decreases on their energy supply bills. our discussion reflects a growing interest in renewable energy by individual homeowners, small businesses, and larger corporations.

the article explains that rising energy costs led to limited subsidies for solar energy providers and substantial tax credits for consumers. increased demand have also sharpened production cycles and decreased the cost of production, installation, and maintenance. in turn, solar energy is an increasingly valuable investment. the article explains that homeowners can expect to "zero-out" individual electric bills.

Excess credits are lost at the end of the year, so homeowners, at least for now, cannot make a profit from their solar systems. Even so, the savings can be substantial: in 2005 Mr. Felton paid Pacific Gas and Electric about $2,500 a month for electricity. . . [Today] he seldom sees an electric bill. Borrego Solar estimated the system could save Mr. Felton almost $2 million over 30 years — far more than the $255,000 the system cost him after a $134,000 rebate.

clean wages

jared bernstein explains that the new democratic congress will present a minimum wage increase soon. however, president bush and the republican opposition have coupled their support for the bill to further tax cuts. in short, bernstein argues that the bill should be clean of earmarks and party politics. while the minimum wage increase will be dulled by inflation, the proposed tax breaks will remain sharp.

In 2000, the GOP leadership added these bright ideas to a proposed minimum wage increase: a reduction in the estate tax, increased write-offs for business meals and for business investments, tax breaks for timber companies and for tax-exempt bonds, a higher self-employment health deduction, and expanded enterprise zones. Whatever their merits, neither the legislated tax cuts in 1996 nor the proposed tax cuts in 2000 were "targeted offsets" for businesses paying the minimum wage.

former secretary of labor robert reich also argues for a clean bill. he explains:

In fact, a minimum wage hike may actually help small businesses. Evidence from states that have already increased their own minimum wages suggests that a modest increase convinces more people to enter the labor market -- people like retirees, spouses, or teenagers who wouldn't bother working at a lower minimum wage. With more people willing to work, small businesses have more choice of whom to hire. That means they can find more reliable employees, and reduce costs associated with turnover.

speak easy

a recent article profiles the controversy caused by "breaking the silence", a traveling speaking tour that features former IDF soldiers. the soldiers contest "excessive force" and "unethical military behavior" against palestinians in the occupied territories. the speaking tour sparked controversy against the union of progressive zionists, a campus outreach group. the zionist organizations of america (ZOA) demanded their exclusion from the ICC, an umbrella organization for israel advocacy groups.

the soldiers' testimonials are strong and credible. however, they complicate and threaten the traditional narrative presented by israel advocacy groups: israel, the advocacy groups explain, is always correct, always justified, and always humane. political discussion in israel proper is decidedly more complex and more honest.

"American Zionist organizations. . . are becoming increasingly intolerant and bullying," explains Juan Cole, a professor of Middle Eastern history at the University of Michigan. . . "[T]he UPZ is just being treated as everyone else is that does not toe the ZOA party line, which is: no criticism of Israel is allowed by anyone, ever, and where someone dares engage in it, they should be relentlessly marginalized and punished."

cobra pose

trippin jan. 4

show and tell
former chairman of the joint chief of staff john shalikashvili reconsiders his former position against open gay soldiers in the military. shalikashvili explains the former president clinton was completely committed to reversing the traditional ban against gay soldiers. however, he faced overwhelming, intractable opposition from military leadership. while the compromise policy was panned by activists, shalikashvili maintains that "don't ask, don't tell" provided an effective transition from outdated tradition to progressive policy. he explains:

Last year I held a number of meetings with gay soldiers and marines, including some with combat experience in Iraq, and an openly gay senior sailor who was serving effectively as a member of a nuclear submarine crew. These conversations showed me just how much the military has changed, and that gays and lesbians can be accepted by their peers.

global flashpoints place significant stress on the comprehensive military. with perspective, shalikashvili explains: "we must welcome the service of any American who is willing and able to do the job."

mideast rules
i think thomas friedman does the most consistent, straight forward reporting on the middle east. he explains the mistakes in his early outlook on iraq, and he suggests a series of lessons to frame us policy. the most salient lesson explains that mideast politicians will declare false promises in private english. friedman writes:

What people tell you in private in the Middle East is irrelevant. All that matters is what they will defend in public in their own language.

college football playoff
the florida gators recently leapfrogged the michigan wolverines to play ohio state in the college football national championship. the new york times interviewed 12 major commissioners that decide the structure of the college postseason. unfortunately, there remains strong reluctance to start a national playoff system. the article guesses that the most likely revision retains the bowl championship series and adds one final championship championship game.

it seems like they are building an unfloatable ship, and they need to build a whole new boat. while i am disappointed the bowl championship series eliminated the traditional rose bowl matchup, the current system is clearly limited. there remains too much controversy, too much debate, and too much flexibility. a systematic playoff would crown one undisputed champion through full and fair games.

counting sheep

aviyah has had a little bit of trouble sleeping. it has been stressful at times, but we know that she will be ready for her next steps when she's ready.

but, in the past week, aviyah started to sleep through the night for the first time. she slept for almost 8 hours straight last night!

yay!

happy new year!