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Hyde Park Returns To Near-Normalcy After The Obamas' Departure

2009-01-06T23:10:33Z

Some things in the neighborhood haven't changed. Leftover holiday lights still flicker, and police still block the Obamas' block.

But residents say there is a sense that living here is returning to a pre-Obama-fervor feel, with fewer marked police cars.

Read the entire article

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Watch CBS 2's report on Hyde Park's return to semi-normalcy:

Laura Weiss: From Cupcakes to Cocktails -- Foods to Be Inaugurated By

2009-01-06T22:53:25Z

Want to know what's cooking with the incoming Obama administration?

The nation's chefs, bakers and restaurateurs aren't waiting to find out. Whether it's for profits or patriotism, chefs are crafting food creations--from cupcakes to cocktails--to honor the incoming 44th president's historic January 20th inauguration.

For inspiration, many food professionals are looking to Obama's Hawaiian roots. Others are taking their cue from the new administration's expected policy initiatives, including those designed to enhance the environment and boost the withering economy. Echoing these concerns, some food producers are also directing proceeds form Obama-themed products to contribute to local charities.

So, if you want to celebrate the new president's swearing in by digging in or drinking up, here are a few possibilities:

Cupcakes. From Little Cupcake Bakeshop, a carbon-neutral bakery in Brooklyn, N.Y. come "green jobs" cupcakes to celebrate Obama's environmental agenda. The $2.00 treats are topped with green, or red, white and blue icing and are emblazoned with slogans like "clean energy" and "hope has arrived." The goodies will be sold from Jan. 11 to 20 and proceeds will go to the youth group, SustainUS, says Massimo LoBuglio, one of the bakery's owners.

Brownies. President Bush may hail from Texas, but an Austin-based baker is displaying Democratic colors by paying homage to the incoming chief of state with a red, white and blue brownie, studded with cranberries, white chocolate and blueberries. Says Mary Louise Butters, president of Mary Louise Butters Brownies, "We came up with the flavor because we wanted to do something patriotic." Sold throughout the month, the brownies are priced at $3.25 each. A portion of the profits will be donated to anti-hunger charity, Feeding America, says Butters.

PC Provisions. Also, in New York, Klee's Brasserie will be featuring a special inauguration menu from Jan. 13 to 20. For $50 per person, diners can dig into a three-course politically correct meal of Chicago Brats, Bluenose Bass and "Green" Apple Strudel.

Libations. For those with a hankering to raise a glass to the new president, mixologists will be fashioning a host of presidentially-inspired drink options. Oronoco Rum has crafted the Hawaii 4-4, a mix of rum, pineapple juice, and Curacao and pineapple liqueurs. Obama Rising, a cocktail consisting of Ciroc Vodka and Red Bull and a dollop of champagne, is being concocted by Darryl Robinson, a mixologist at the Hudson Bar in New York. http://www.drmixologist.com/

DC Dishes. If you're traveling to DC for the inaugural events, be prepared for a blizzard of Obama-esque gastronomic offerings. Take the Ritz Carlton in Pentagon City, where executive chef, John Zaner--he's being brought in from The Ritz-Carlton Kapalua--is fashioning a menu ($48 prix fixe or ala carte) that gives a nod to the new president's Aloha State heritage with dishes like Kalua Pork Potsticker and Lychee Ice Cream.

Explains Zaner: "I wanted to create a menu that reflects modern-day Hawaii and the fusion of ethnic cuisines."

In D.C. proper, at the Westend Bistro, helmed by Le Bernardin's Eric Ripert, there's also a Hawaiian theme on tap for a three-course $85 lunch and dinner menu that includes hamachi tartare, sauteed mahi-mahi, and a mango cheesecake parfait for dessert.

Bush Using Federal Funds To Secure Dallas Home

2009-01-06T22:31:50Z

The Dallas Morning News reports that President Bush is planning to install a gate limiting public access to his house -- on a public street. Federal money would be used to pay for the gate.

Just like his father, President George W. Bush will return to Texas when he leaves office.

And just like his father, he wants a gate to be installed along a public street to limit access to his neighborhood.

Dallas City Manager Mary Suhm confirmed Monday that the younger Bush is seeking to have a gate placed somewhere along the entrance to streets leading to his future Preston Hollow address.

Bush's new community has a history of controversial exclusivity. Raw Story reported that the neighborhood of Preston Hollow did not allow non-white residents until 2000.

When Bush announced that he was moving to Preston Hollow, one of his new neighbors said she was "afraid ... the whole neighborhood is going to be a target."

The Hill reported Tuesday that Bush and his family had begun packing their belongings for the move out of the White House.

Via ThinkProgress.

Presented By:

2009-01-06T22:31:50Z

Melissa Biggs Bradley: Airport Hell

2009-01-06T22:12:34Z

As a lifelong traveler, I was despaired this holiday season to witness the new low that has arrived at our airports and how American travel companies are participating in their own demise and demonization.

Countless articles have been written about how the glamour has gone out of travel. The days when one dressed up to board a plane or chatted with cabin mates over Champagne have been replaced with mobs of people in their track suits eating fast food out of paper bags. I've accepted that air travel has become mass transit. My consolation: the number of airline passengers traveling globally has grown from 108 million in 1960 to 2.25 billion in 2007, so quantity wins out over quality. After all, the benefit of more people seeing the world outweighs the loss of cachet.

Of course, 9/11 and the new security controls degraded the passenger process further. There is no dignity in shuffling around in your socks in front of strangers while laying out your toiletry items for all to see. But at least the security gauntlet is one that has to be run by all, and is not arbitrarily meted out by disgruntled airline employees.

Unfortunately, what I experienced last week added injustice to indignity. For the past four years, my family and I have traveled after Christmas from New York to Salt Lake City for a week of skiing. We send our ski clothes ahead so we can avoid the long lines at check-in and travel only with carry-on. (Yes, convenience trumps fashion.) This year, however, after we printed our boarding passes at the self-service check-in kiosks, a Delta agent stopped us before we could proceed to security.

"You have to check those bags," he said, motioning to our roller bags. We pointed out that the bags are designed to fit in the overhead bin and we always travel with them. "Well, if they don't fit in this square, you have to check them," he said. There was a board painted with measurements 22 inches by 14 inches. We placed our luggage against the measurements; all of them fit within the painted outlines but two extended slightly over the edge of the base. "Those will have to be checked."

Another family arrived pulling similar bags. "You have to check all of those," the man commanded. He was now joined by a grimacing female cohort, who nodded. "But we just bought them at Macy's and were told that they were regulation," said the father in the group. The Delta enforcer shook his head, no. "Unless you can zip them to be narrower, you have to check them."

It was clear that if we were going to make our flight, we would have to follow his edict, but as my husband went to check in the two bags, I watched as some with larger bags were waved through and others weren't. On December 5, 2008 Delta instituted bag fees of $15 for the first bag and $25 for the second checked bag. Could this be why the employees were suddenly getting so strict about size limits? Daniel LeSieur and his wife from Portland were also sent to wait in the long line to check bags, even though they had carried the same ones on board on their flight East. The additional cost: $150. "It's outrageous," LeSieur said. "These bags fit overhead but they can now make money from telling me no."

Keith Rang, who was on his way up to Buffalo for his bachelor party (He's a Bills fan), worried about missing his flight and had a duffel bag. He tried to pile on enough sweaters and shirts from his bag so that he could shrink it down to fit in the luggage lines. Despite being amused at his labor of layering, the agents still made him check it.

A gentleman flying to Spain, who also had traveled with his suitcase as carry-on coming over the Atlantic, was forced to check his bag and when he returned with a camera around his neck and a hanging passport pouch, in addition to his knapsack, was told that he couldn't have two personal items. As soon as I began taking names and snapping pictures, the enforcer called over security. "Are you traveling today?" he asked me. "Yes, my husband is checking a bag." He asked a friend of the man headed to Spain, who was challenging the agent, to leave the terminal if he wasn't traveling. "I can be inside if I want," he said. "No," security threatened. "You must step outside." Why? Because he was pointing out Delta's bag scam to other passengers?

When we finally did pass through security and got to the gate, we found ourselves surrounded by passengers with bags much larger than those we had checked. They had come through a different entrance. I have been reading Margaret Atwood's wonderful meditation on debt, Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth. One of her central tenets is that a system of debt and credit rely on "our sense of fairness." She notes that even in chimpanzee societies, fair play must exist.

I may have felt that the security guy stifling free speech was an anti-democratic gesture, but at a more basic, animal level, I was outraged at the unfairness of rules applying to me but not to others. As Atwood remarks, "If fairness is completely lacking, the members of the chimpanzee group will rebel; at the very least, they're unlikely to join in a group hunt next time." That's how we are hard-wired, but my saga wasn't over.

After we collected our bags in Salt Lake, we arrived at the Hertz car rental desk to be told that our pre-paid reservation wouldn't be honored. "We're out of cars," the manager told us. But we had a confirmation number, even a voucher, showing that we had paid in full for a four-wheel drive. "We don't have any cars," the manager repeated, and then motioned to the man behind us in line, who was holding his Hertz Gold card. He looked at his confirmation number and handed the man a pair of car keys. "Hey," a man down the desk from us shouted. "You said that you had no more cars. I paid in July." Yes, I thought, but your money is not quite as golden as that man's. Cajoling and complaining led to another set of car keys materializing for us, but then the manager pulled out a 'Closed' sign. Dozens of people in line -- and more still arriving on flights -- had no cars, not even anyone to complain to. Did Hertz or Delta management care that they are actively discouraging travel just as the industry is facing its steepest predicted decline in a decade? They don't seem to.

I have spent more than a decade trying to inspire people to travel the world, and now I cannot blame many for just wanting to stay home.

Michelle Obama's Inauguration Dress: Vogue Designers Weigh In

2009-01-06T22:00:20Z

Naturally, Vogue has a few ideas about what Michelle Obama should wear to the inauguration. Because the future First Lady has worn up-and-coming designers like Thakoon and Jason Wu, they asked a few other Vogue Fashion Fund designers for some sketches. Scroll down for two of them... click here for more.

Alexander Wang (obviously):

Marchesa:

Michael DeJong: Thank-You-Verah-Musshhh.

2009-01-06T21:42:51Z

In some Christian practices, January 6th is celebrated as "The Epiphany," symbolized by the Three Wise Men delivering gifts to the Christ child 12 days after his birth. It's an opportunity, regardless of your faith, for a greater realization of our Universe and its current need for enlightened insights, increased awareness, kinder consideration and acknowlegement of the "inconvenient" truths for our world.

Interestingly, sharing this week's special event of The Epiphany is the anniversary of the birth of Elvis Presley (January 8th). Presley is remembered for his crooning, gospel and rock-and roll music; his eroticized hip-shaking; his songs about hound dogs, jail houses and weirdly colored shoes; his slew of hormone-infused B-flicks; and numerous Las Vegas wedding chapels staffed by impersonating preachers. Unfortunately, he is also remembered for his over-indulgences and profusion of perspiration - especially at the drug-addled, bloated end of his well-known career.

It's the King's shamefully audacious, extraterrestrial, spangle-infused, semi-precious cubic-zirconium encrusted, universe-of-razzle-dazzled, garish polyester jumpsuits (often pushed to maximum density as the pounds kept adding on) that have come to symbolize the extremes of the 70s. Swollen and stuffed, winded and drugged-out, hauling his sorry carcass across the stage, Elvis Aron Presley showed us just how toxic the excesses of the modern world could be. Anyone who saw him in the last years of his life would remember adoring fans begging for more and more and more from him, in spite of how overheated, stoned, stressed out and perspiring he was while barely getting through his performances.

When thinking about all of this, I had a personal "Elvis-Epiphany," when I realized that so much of what is within reach today has become as glittery and tempting as one of Presley's costumes, and that all of the world's accessible bling-bling blinds us to our ailing planet in the same way that adoring fans sadly disregarded the failing, sickly man packed into the be-dazzled uni-tards.

For me, on a cosmic level, the King's kitschy, tacky jumpsuits stand as a metaphor for the glitz and bling of today's hyper-consumerism, and Elvis, the ever-indulgent, universally recognized, hedonistic, self-polluted man, is an allegory for our ever-ailing planet. Elvis brought tremendous joy and talent to our world, in equal measure to his self-abuse and ultimate self-destruction.

So on this occasion of The Epiphany, symbolizing acts of caring, giving, and reverence, and awareness, combined with the occasion of the anniversary of The King's Birthday, embodying excess, abuse, self-destruction, and wasted natural resources, we have a rare opportunity to embrace a new consciousness - our own "epiphany," so to speak - of the fragility of the planet we call home - the joy it brings to the fortunate few, the horrible misfortune, illness and starvation it brings to the majority, and how our actions, as individuals and as a society, can directly lead to, or help avoid its destruction.

Zandile Blay: Al Franken In Tights On "Solid Gold" (VIDEO)

2009-01-06T20:52:51Z

Chances are you've never put Al Franken and "sexy" in the same sentence. Well, it's time to re-evaluate. Check out this priceless YouTube clip of Franken and his then-comedic partner, Tom Davis, impersonating Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger and Keith Richards on "Solid Gold" sometime in the 80s. Watch Franken as he runs, gyrates and prowls across the stage. After taking in his energetic two-minute and forty-second performance, I challenge you not to admit that Franken looks hot, young, toned, virile and, in short, sexy. (Special thanks to Gary Pini of Paper Magazine who turned me on (no pun intended) to this video.)

Tamar Abrams: January 20 has Special Meaning...Even in Rome

2009-01-06T20:26:56Z

An annual Christmas-time trip overseas has become a tradition for this single mom and her now 16 year old daughter, Hannah. In years past, we've traveled to Quebec, Paris, London, Amsterdam, Munich, Vienna and Istanbul to experience the holidays and traditions of others. When Hannah was younger, the lessons were pretty basic: People in other countries live their lives differently from ours but no less happily. Some traditions such as Christmas Markets and Boxing Day are fun and would fare well in the U.S. Some countries that are not predominantly Christian barely take notice of Christmas Day.

Perhaps the biggest lesson over the past eight years has been the negative attitudes toward Americans that we've experienced during our travels. It's rarely been personal. Most of the criticism has been aimed at our government -- as though we are emissaries deputized to carry back to the Bush administration the deep-seated distrust and anger toward its foreign policies. Once we admit we are from the Washington area, we have been met with increasingly strident requests to tell President Bush that his hawkish views are unwelcome in most parts of the world.

In Istanbul last year, my daughter and I decided to pass as Canadians because it seemed easier. It was sad, though, to "represent" a war I didn't understand nor support and a president I never voted for. Being an American abroad has not been easy in the past few years.

So I am delighted to report that we've just returned home from a week in Rome where there is a fresh, positive take on American politics. Buying a bottle of water near the Pantheon one crisp December day, I used some of my few Italian words to request "acqua naturelle." The vendor responded with a thumbs-up and one of his few words of English -- "Obama!" Upon discovering I was American, several other Italians said joyfully, "January 20!" They may not have mastered the word "inauguration," but they know the significance of the date.

Who knows where our travels will take us next year? But I am so grateful for what we learned in Italy this year. In a country which once seemed to rule the world and was brought low by corruption, hubris and greed, I learned that the US's recent presidential election has provided hope to so many. Not a bad way to spend a Christmas vacation, right?

Recycled Cigarette Butts Purified, Turned Into Smoking Fashion

2009-01-06T20:09:59Z

The Mantis project began when designer Alexandra Guerrero (sorry, no website yet) was preparing a graduation thesis. Ever aware of the vast amount of cigarette butts everywhere in the city of Santiago de Chile, she started thinking about what could be done with them, and came up with a way to mix the tissue of the filter with natural wool to create a rustic-looking thread that could be knitted into all kinds of garments.

Of course, putting used cigarette butts in contact with your skin could not only be disgusting, but potentially dangerous. So before continuing on with her project, Guerrero asked environmental engineer Carolina Leiva to conduct a study to determine just how pure the material would be after cleaning the butts. The study concluded that the filters could achieve 95% purification, which, according to the designer, means that the clean butts are safe to use.

Sasha And Malia Obama's Peace-ful Fashion (PHOTOS)

2009-01-06T19:53:55Z

Sasha and Malia Obama have made the peace symbol popular again. The trend began when Sasha stepped off the plane in Hawaii, continued with Malia's peace and love tee on a zoo outing, and, most recently, was worked into Sasha's all-important first day of school outfit.

See more Obama slideshows.

6-Year-Old Misses Bus, Takes Family Car, Crashes

2009-01-06T19:18:17Z

WICOMICO CHURCH, Va. — A 6-year-old Virginia boy who missed his bus tried to drive to school in his family's sedan _ and crashed. His parents were charged with child endangerment. State police said the boy suffered only minor injuries and authorities drove him to school after he was evaluated at a local hospital for a bump on his head. He arrived shortly after lunch, Sgt. Tom Cunningham said.

It happened around 7:40 a.m. Monday on Route 360, about 61 miles east of Richmond.

The boy, whose name wasn't released, missed the bus, took the keys to his family's 2005 Ford Taurus and drove nearly six miles toward school while his mother was asleep, police said.

He made at least two 90-degree turns, passed several cars and ran off the rural two-lane road several times before hitting an embankment and utility pole about a mile and a half from school.

The boy told police he learned to drive playing Grand Theft Auto and Monster Truck Jam video games.

"He was very intent on getting to school," said Northumberland County Sheriff Chuck Wilkins. "When he got out of the car, he started walking to school. He did not want to miss breakfast and PE."

His parents, Jacqulyn Deana Waltman, 26, and David Eugene Dodson, 40, are each charged with child endangerment, Wilkins said. Waltman is being held without bond. Dodson was released on a $5,000 bond.

It was not clear if they had attorneys.

The boy and his 4-year-old brother were placed in protective custody.

"This really is a story of miracles," Wilkins said. "The Lord was with him, along with everybody else on the highway."

Disgrasian: Done With the Holidays and Back to Work: Is Obama As Psyched As We Are?

2009-01-06T19:08:59Z

Today is the President-elect's first day back on the job at Capitol Hill, and he's hitting the ground running by meeting with Speaker Pelosi and running headfirst into the daunting task of economic policy.

As we ourselves slide reluctantly into our first day back at work, we can't help but wonder if Obama--between bangs of his head on the desk accompanied by the chant, "I can't believe I'm going to have to run this broken, mangled, carcass of a country next month"--might quietly be sighing the same airy breaths of relief we all do as we return from two weeks of Holiday "celebrations." Is he secretly thankful that now he can deal with the insurmountable mountain of work "changing America," instead of fussing with overcommitments to parties, poor displays of unsentimental gift-giving, and mind-numbing marathons of Taboo and Guesstures with relatives?

After all, Asian lifeblood sorta runs through (or near) our future leader's veins. Could he possibly know all-to-well the experience of a Hardass Asian Holiday dinner? If his was anything like ours, we can only imagine...

BARACK OBAMA: Merry Christmas, everybody!

MICHELLE OBAMA: Isn't Hawaii beautiful? Look, Malia and Sasha made cotton-ball Santas for everyone!

MAYA SOETORO-NG: Aw. How lovely.

MICHELLE OBAMA: I mean, Sasha's is a little lopsided, you know. I told her not to use the glue stick, just to use just the regular school glue, but she doesn't listen. So it could look better, I suppose.

MAYA SOETORO-NG: I guess you're still proud of her, though.

MICHELLE OBAMA: Sure, I guess. If only she was as good as her sister.

MAYA SOETORO-NG: Y'know, it's funny you mention it anyway, because I wasn't going to say anything, but I did notice that the right side could use quite a few more cotton balls. Don't you guys use the Johnson & Johnson ones, like I suggested? How many times do I have to buy those for you guys? Barry always buys the generic ones.

MICHELLE OBAMA: He says he can't tell the difference.

KONRAD NG: I'm with you brother, I can't really tell the difference.

MAYA SOETORO-NG: [To Konrad] Don't take his side! You're my husband, be on my side.

BARACK OBAMA: Guys, I don't know if it really matters all that m--

MAYA SOETORO-NG: So are you calling us stupid?

BARACK OBAMA: Um... no.

MAYA SOETORO-NG: Why are you trying to start fights? It's Christmas! You just got here and already you're starting fights.

BARACK OBAMA: I am?

MICHELLE OBAMA: Listen to your sister, honey. You're not the "President" here.

[Michelle and Maya high-five]

BARACK OBAMA: Does the driveway need shoveling or something? I think I'm gonna go outside.

MAYA SOETORO-NG: It's Hawaii. Are you going to shovel sand? [To Michelle] This is just like when he was little. Always saying stuff to get out of the room.

BARACK OBAMA: So... how are things with you? It's so good to be here and just get away. I don't even want to think about the Inauguration.

MICHELLE OBAMA: Oh boy, here we go again. Okay, Mister President. Let's talk about you more.

BARACK OBAMA: I just mean that we're so busy.

KONRAD NG: Yeah, we are all busy.

MAYA SOETORO-NG: Yes, Barack. We are all busy. You're not the only one with a job, you know! I have a job, Konrad has a job, Michelle has a job, Malia has a job.

BARACK OBAMA: Malia doesn't have a job!

MAYA SOETORO-NG: But she will! Don't you think we should talk about her for a change?

BARACK OBAMA: Change whatever you want! FINE!

MAYA SOETORO-NG: FINE!

KONRAD NG: Does anybody want to play Rummikub?

MICHELLE OBAMA: Okay. But only if we have rum first.

BARACK OBAMA: I can't wait to get back to work.

MAYA SOETORO-NG: Merry Christmas, everybody!

...Needless to say, we doubt the Obamas roll like we do. But boy, as you can probably tell, we are damn glad to be back at our desks.

Going Green For Beer: Poor Mass Transit In The US Makes Alcohol More Dangerous

2009-01-06T18:33:31Z

President-Elect Barack Obama is under pressure from all sides to create exactly the right kind of economic stimulus package -- some want it green, some want it huge, some say it has to be both (a trillion dollars? ouch!). Early talk had the stimulus going to revamp and green US infrastructure. Better transportation and better energy transmission.

Now there's another argument in favor of improving transportation in the US -- beer:

Driving under the influence of alcohol is a very serious matter. But count me among those who enjoy a good brew or single malt from time to time, so I am not without sympathy for those who find it difficult to enjoy themselves in a world where options other than driving are limited.

And now, the connection has been made. William Brand writes in his beer column for the Contra Costa (CA) Times, "What's On Tap":

"For instance, I live three miles from the closest BART station; there's only bus service 9-5 weekdays and it's five blocks to the damn bus stop. So I drive, usually to BART. Coming home, I don't get back in the car 'til I'm certain I'm sober. It's a hell of a way to live."

It reminds us of this green beer campaign from Australia:

Dean Obeidallah: Dress Arab -- Make $

2009-01-06T18:33:09Z

Last week I wrote about Airtran officials throwing a Muslim family off a flight because they looked "suspicious" a/k/a Muslim in a blog entitled "(Not) Flying While Muslim."

In an effort to assist my fellow Middle Eastern and Muslim-Americans, I offered them this advice to ease their problems at the airport: "Dress white, make your flight. Dress brown never leave town." I also implored them to shop at stores that can help you dress "white" like Banana Republic -- the Mecca of clothing for white people.

But now I'm here to tell everyone to ignore that advice in light of today's news that Jet Blue and the TSA have paid Arab-American Raed Jarrar $240,000 because he was removed from a flight for wearing a shirt that bore Arabic writing. (Mr. Jarrar was ultimately allowed to re-board but had to cover up the shirt.)

Now I know that sounds like a lot of money -- even to me a former lawyer -- but before everyone blames this award on an activist judge or a liberal politically correct jury, please keep in mind that the $240,000 was not ordered by a court, but offered voluntarily by Jet Blue and the TSA to settle the claim. It would have been downright Un-American for Mr. Jarrar not to accept the US dollars being offered to him.

So after hearing about this $240,000 payment, I now say forget "Dress white make your flight," - instead here are a few new rhymes that you should employ: Dress brown, in money you will drown -- Wear an Arab dress, cash you will possess -- Dress like you're from the Middle East, your income will be increased.

And this doesn't go for just Middle Eastern-Americans. During these tough economic times, anyone looking for some extra money should try it. I can only imagine airport security looking up seeing throngs of people dressed like Arabs - a white guy with an Arab scarf, a Blonde white woman in a traditional Arab robe, an Asian guy wearing a Keffiyeh -which is the traditional male Arab headdress. (If you are curious as to how white people would look dressed like Arabs, you might want to see this video made 2 years ago for Comedy Central.com's "The Watch List")

Now I will warn you not to go overboard. The Arab-American man in question was simply wearing a t-shirt that stated in Arabic: "We will not be silent" - a sentiment many of us shared about the Iraq war and share again now with the current situation in Gaza.

But that does not mean you should dress to scare people- no shirts stating: "Bin Laden is my homeboy," "72 virgins here I come" or "Al Qaeda rocks." Plain and simple Middle Eastern fashions should suffice.

If all goes well, security will not allow you to board your flight and you are on your way to the new 46 inch Plasma TV you always wanted. Worst-case scenario - you don't get any money, but you have a head start on your Halloween costume.

Betsy Perry: Manhattan Minnie: My Chihuahua Turns 6 On New Year's Day And Why It's Cause For Celebration

2009-01-06T18:26:53Z

Mojitos may cost $2 in Vietnam and you can get a shirt copied for $15 but they also munch on Minnie's, Toto's, Lassie's and all sorts of dog, in fact anything that moves or breathes or walks and has a tail or fur. So how could I ever like that country when the love of my life weighs 6 pounds and wears a pink sweatshirt with "Princess" written in gold letters? Maybe I don't.

In fact, I don't get the place at all and wonder why we bombed that country or sent fine young people over there to die fighting for it. What were we thinking?

My visions of lushness and history were replaced by fumes from their highly dangerous new moped society and brassy Chinatown-like faux Perfumed Pagodas and altars piled high with Choco-puff cookies (the Vietnamese version of the Mallomar) and dongs (their currency) - I couldn't help wondering if the Monks snuck out from behind the curtains at night and ate all those cookies while watching TV - which by the way is the one item you see in every roadside hut and pagoda attached to wires so dangerously strung that one jolt and you're history.

And just where was the history or the culture or the gorgeous scenery? Well other than the Hanoi Hilton, where John McCain was imprisoned (Guantanamo Bay is Club Med compared to this hole) and which seems to be the highlight of every Hanoi visit, and the megatomb of Ho Chi Minh - whom we took to calling Pickled Ho because he is indeed pickled and brined within the tomb - I can't remember feeling the mojo and vibes of the country. It's basically a country devoid of a past - thanks to us and others.

While I complained my way through the dust and heat of India last Christmas, I at least got the attraction and felt the history. But Vietnam is a country long fought in and over and while they're big into building golf courses and have some very glamorous beach resorts, my hyperbole prone itinerary forgot to mention that the rainy season doesn't know it's supposed to end on a certain date; our best purchases were the pastel colored rain pouches we bought for $1.

But what makes me want to celebrate my Minnie's birthday is the recognition that I so judge a country by its wildlife and and there isn't any. I never saw a monkey or squirrel or anything that wasn't going to be lunch. At least in India there is a reverence for the spirit in all creatures no matter how poor the humans are. In Vietnam, it's clear my Minnie wouldn't have a chance.

So Happy Birthday Minnie and thank goodness we live in a country where most of us can celebrate and even spoil you.