Hasta La Gadget!

I have two older sisters, and while we are all seemingly similar in personality, we are very different at the core of who we are. If you met us at a party, you would think we are all friendly and outgoing — perhaps all being extroverts. But if you peel back the layers of who we really are, we are very different.

I view the three of us on a continuum, with my oldest sister at one end, and my middle sister at the other end. And I am pretty much smack dab in the middle. Let me explain what I mean. At one extreme, my oldest sister is the ultimate “Type A” personality. She’s a perfectionist and an overachiever. She worries about what other people think of her, her family, and her life. She needs to impress. She needs to be the best. And that includes her son (think “Tiger Mom”).

Then at the other extreme, my middle sister is definitely a “Type B” personality. She is laid back, accepting, flexible, and perhaps even a bit of an underachiever. While she has a college degree, she never really found a career she’s passionate about. And she has two grown kids. She was nurturing, but never pushed them to do anything they didn’t want to do. In fact, she almost had a “hands-off” parenting style.

And here I am in the middle. I am not an overachiever nor an underachiever. I call myself simply an achiever. And depending on who you compare me to, I can be either a “Type A” OR a “Type B” personality. I like to call myself “Type A-/B+”. I am not a perfectionist. But I can be competitive and ambitious – within reason. I have relatively strict rules for my kids, but I’m flexible and reasonable. I want them to be who they want to be, and I don’t force them to do anything they aren’t interested in doing. I see them for who they are, and do the best I can to help them set high goals, but also support them when they make mistakes.

I don’t know if I gave you a clear enough description of the differences between the three of us, but it’s hard to do in just one paragraph each. The point is that I can sit here and write in some detail about exactly who I am, and who both of my sisters are. And I think I’m pretty accurate.

My middle sister is self-aware too. She knows herself. She knows her strengths and weaknesses. However, my oldest sister is the opposite. She is pretty much blind to a lot of things about herself. Don’t get me wrong – I love her dearly. But my other sister and I often shake our heads when she thinks she’s one way – and she’s actually the opposite.

So that got me thinking even more about myself. I do know my weaknesses. However, I don’t really like that word. I believe everyone is inherently different – and that’s okay. We can’t all be good at everything!

Unfortunately, my “weaknesses” lie in everyday, mundane things. I am pretty good at doing things in my career, in relationships, and other things like that. But the daily tasks…well…anyone who knows me knows that I can improve in a lot of areas in that category.

So I will share some of them with you.

1. Laundry

Laundry is the bane of my existence. It is mundane and boring. I let the clean clothes pile up until I absolutely have to fold them and put them away – only because I ran out of room in the clean baskets.

2. Cooking

I also think cooking is mind-numbingly boring. I hate chopping things and trying to time everything just right. I hate details, and I think cooking involves keeping track of a lot of details. So I try to cook simple and easy recipes as much as possible (or go out to eat!).

3. Cleaning & Organizing

Don’t get me wrong – I’m not a hoarder by any stretch of the imagination. I have a basically clean house, but I hate cleaning. And back to my disgust of details – organizing just makes me insane. So I have piles here and there and don’t know what to do with them.

4. Clipping coupons to save money

When I hear about how much money people save just from clipping coupons, I am amazed. To me, it’s mundane and tedious. But I know there is a lot of value and I should do it!

We all have areas in which we can improve ourselves. But as I like to say, “you can’t change what you don’t recognize.” And if you recognize it, I think you should take some steps to try to improve – even if they’re baby steps. I know I’m going to try. What about you?

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

In 1946, when I was a year old, my father hung up his Navy uniform and joined the U.S. Foreign Service. He could have returned to a well-paid position at Borden Cheese, but he wanted to continue serving his country after World War II. First we went to Bucharest Romania (’47-49), then Paris (’49-52), then Sydney Australia (’53-56), then Bangkok Thailand (’56-58), with in between stays in Washington D.C. While I was in college, my dad served as chief economic officer in Belgrade Yugoslavia (’62-65). He then worked for the State Department until his retirement in 1970; his job included speaking on college campuses to defend the war in Vietnam. If he was disillusioned, he never openly let on–though he did mutter about how anti-Communist “know-nothings” in Congress made his job harder in Yugoslavia. Years later he commented on Ronald Reagan’s 1983 invasion of Grenada (remember that, anyone?), “They must have found a couple of Communists under a bed.”

On reading John Perkin’s New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, I kept thinking what stories my father could have told. Perkins began in 1971 as an economic consultant– “economic hit man”– with the engineering firm, MAIN, travelling to Indonesia, Panama, Colombia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and elsewhere. His job was to convince leaders to undertake wildly overambitious infrastructure projects that would enrich them and big U.S. engineering firms like Bechtel. In most cases, the projects would fail and leave nations beholden to US banks or the World Bank. Saudi Arabia was a special case; the flood of dollars from the new OPEC cartel would purchase both sophisticated infrastructure like desalinization plants and U.S. military protection against insurgents. Leaders who refused to cooperate with such plans would be picked off by CIA-supported “jackals”. Thus the overthrow of Mohammad Mosaddegh in Iran (1953); the Jacobo Árbenz coup in Guatemala (1954); the Salvador Allende coup and murder in Chile (1973); the mysterious airplane explosions that killed Jaime Roldós in Ecuador and Omar Torrijos in Panama (1981); the overthrow and murder of Maurice Bishop in Grenada (1983); the bloody invasion and capture of Manuel Noriega in Panama (1989). Somehow Fidel Castro in Cuba successfully dodged dozens of assassination attempts.

The economic hit man/ jackal strategy of debt and fear was a deliberate US policy to counter influence of the Soviet Union. Perkins relates a story from a 1975 dam-building project he directed in Colombia. Guerillas confronted a Colombian engineer at the dam site, firing AK-47s into the air and at his feet, and handing him a letter. The letter read: “We, who work every day just to survive, swear on the blood of our ancestors that we will never allow dams across our rivers. We are simple Indians and mestizos, but we would rather die than stand by as our land is flooded. We warn our Colombian brothers: stop working for the construction companies.” Perkins lectured the terrified engineer; did that sound like a letter a farmer would write? He slammed his fist on the desk; did farmers with AK-47s make sense? And who invented the AK-47?

In a fit of conscience, Perkins quit MAIN in 1980. But he continued as an energy entrepreneur and consultant for another twenty years, while becoming increasingly involved in projects to help embattled natives in the Amazon. In 2005 he published Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, an immediate bestseller. In the new updated version, he focuses on how the debt-and-fear strategy is now at work all over the world, in developed as well as less-developed countries. For example, many local governments in the U.S. have been suckered into building public-private toll roads (see here and here and here), all of which eventually failed, sticking the governments with poorly constructed roads and piles of debt.

My father died in 2008, sharp to the end. What did he know and live with? I once asked him did he know how the CIA collaborated with drug traffickers in Thailand and Central America. “Of course!”, he said, “You can’t be choosy about your friends in a dirty business.” In retirement he called the Vietnam war a terrible mistake, but did he consider resigning when the students booed his pro-war speeches? I never thought to ask him about U.S. support for right-wing ethnic nationalists in former Yugoslavia, surely a major factor in the break-up and civil wars starting 1991. I wonder what he would think of Venezuela today. Despite the country’s vast oil reserves, the socialist government established by Hugo Chávez seems to be collapsing, surely heading for a right-wing coup. Are the food riots and blackouts just due to mismanagement and the drop in oil prices, or have the jackals arrived to look for communists under beds?

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

If you’re feeling burned out with the same old dates, it’s time to “update.” Several classic experiences have been modernized, including some activities you might not have even thought about since college. With that in mind, here are three updates for you this summer.

Tuck Room Tavern & iPic
For starters, there is the old standby: dinner and a movie. Nobody is upgrading that ambience more than the iPic in Westwood, which offers in-theater drinking and dining, along with reclining seats.

The space also houses Tuck Room Tavern, overseen by two-time James Beard Award-winning chef Sherry Yard. Artisanal cocktails and a vast selection of craft beers make this an ideal spot to begin your date. I recommend the Booth 50, which combines Evan Williams bourbon, fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice, wildflower honey and yuzu. Looking for something eye catching? Try the Coconut Grove, a blend of coconut water, housemade Coco Lopez (a sugary, creamy coconut product), Bacardi 8-year rum, El Dorado 8-year Demerara rum and a dash of Balsam American Amaro presented in a split-open coconut and, of course, elaborately garnished.

The fare is gastropub-meets-farmers market. Start with The Avocado, a grilled, stuffed Haas avocado, shallot mousse, topped with breadcrumbs and Cotija cheese. You could share, but you probably won’t. Also, consider splitting the mac-and-cheese fries or Reuben croquettes, both are deep-fried and addictive.

As far as entrees, order the mango & habanero baby back ribs — just the right amount of heat and sweet. Don’t bother with a fork and knife, the meat falls right off the bone. The sides on the dish are equally indulgent, honey-glazed cornbread topped with whipped goat cheese paired with tangy coleslaw. Looking for something lighter? Order the wild sea bass, served a light salad and farmers market heirloom cherry tomatoes.

Save room because Chef Yard’s specialty is dessert. Yard served for years as Wolfgang Puck’s executive pastry chef and partner for his worldwide operations. Her desserts have been featured at the Academy Awards Governor’s Ball, the Grammy Awards and the Emmy Awards.

Yard creations, pictured below — the Black ‘n Blue Pot Pie and the Red Velvet Pavlova — aren’t to be missed and, frankly, are worth a visit for their own sake. The pot pie serves up the sweetest market-fresh blackberries and blueberries in a light puff pastry, topped with a housemade blackberry crumble swirl ice cream. If you don’t mind some extra time in the gym, also order the pavlova, which combines vanilla meringue, red velvet raspberry chunk ice cream and whipped cream.

Save room for dessert at Tuck Room Tavern – Photo by Gina Hall

And don’t worry, the waiter will time your meal to make sure you get to your movie on time, that is, if you’re not too stuffed to walk a few paces to the theater.

Pier Burger
Hitting the Santa Monica Pier for a summer concert? Drop into Pier Burger for a classic burger and a shake. The burgers are 100% certified angus — a thick, juicy patty topped with homemade sauce and incredibly fresh tomato and lettuce. Not into burgers? They also grill up an indulgent hot dog topped with cheese and bacon.

The fries are skinny and crisp — you can order to share, but be honest with yourself, they’re too good. Make sure to indulge in one of the concretes, a dense frozen East Coast-style custard bursting with flavor. I’m partial to the peanut butter cookie concrete, with vanilla custard, Reese’s peanut butter cups and bits of cookie dough. My date opted for the creamsicle float, which was also an amazing sweet treat.

Getting a bite of it all at Pier Burger – Photo by Gina Hall

The boardwalk-inspired space features indoor/outdoor dining and views of the pier, and is adjacent to the midway games, roller coaster and ferris wheel. How’s that for a modern take on a classic?

Bowlero
One of my favorite college pastimes was bowling. Bring your Lebowski lexicon down to Bowlero in Westchester. But this isn’t the bowling alley that I remember. Bowlero has reinvented the experience, offering signature cocktails, a gastropub menu and servers who come right to your lane.

Huge burgers and hot dogs — and I mean huge! — will feed everyone in your lane and the next one over. The Wonder Dog, for example, served with coney sauce, onions, chili and cheese, is two feet in length. There are also a variety of more grown-up bites, like filet Mignon and bleu cheese, bacon-wrapped scallops and coconut shrimp.

The cocktails are as modern as any bar in this part of town, and are an essential part of the bowling experience. In fact, a round of shots is the order of the day. Consider drinking games, like doing a shot everytime someone throws a strike (I only endorse this if you throw strikes as infrequently as me and my crew — if you’ve considered turning pro or are in a bowling league, I strongly recommend against this game, as it will probably end in a trip to the emergency room).

Shots all around at Bowlero – Photo by Gina Hall

On a lighter note, this is a great place for double dates or group dates. And after you’re rolled out, hit the arcade, which features classic video games, pinball and the kind of games of skill you’d find on a midway or on a boardwalk. Movies are projected above each alley lane and a DJ cranks out the tunes.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

PHILADELPHIA – Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is advising intelligence officials that if they end up giving GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump classified briefings during the campaign, they should just fake it and make sure not to divulge anything important.

“How would the CIA and the other intelligence agencies brief this guy? How could they do that? I would suggest to the intelligence agencies, if you’re forced to brief this guy, don’t tell him anything, just fake it, because this man is dangerous,” Reid said in an interview with The Huffington Post Wednesday afternoon. “Fake it, pretend you’re doing a briefing, but you can’t give the guy any information.”

“This guy, he’s part of a foreign power,” Reid continued. “We knew he liked Putin before this, but this is quite ridiculous.”

Intelligence officials are becoming increasingly convinced that the hack of the Democratic National Committee and subsequent release of DNC emails was the work of the Russian government, with the goal of undermining Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and boosting her rival, Trump. Trump on Wednesday called on Russia to release any additional emails they have from Clinton ― actively inviting a foreign power to intervene in a U.S. election.

Reid wouldn’t call the comments “treason,” leaving the adjectives to others. But, referencing his nearly half a century in politics, he proclaimed: “I’ve never seen anything like Donald Trump.” The scale of the cybercrime and the possibility of it being done at the behest of a presidential candidate, he added, could wind up being worse than Watergate.

“I think Watergate was something that people understood. It was wrong, morally wrong, for the president of the United States to be involved in such trivia,” he said. “What Trump is talking about is much worse than Watergate. Absolutely.”

This will now be the second time that congressional leaders have encouraged intelligence agencies to either fake or suspend briefings for a prospective presidential candidate. Last month, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) requested that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence cut off Clinton over revelations that she had been careless in her handling of classified information related to her use of a private email account. DNI Head James Clapper denied the request.

At the Democratic convention in Philadelphia this week, donors have been panicking about WikiLeaks’ promises that more is to come. Speculation that the DNC is only the tip of the hacked iceberg is rampant.

Perhaps Trump, Reid suggested, could find out how extensive the damage is. 

“I guess the only way we can find out is perhaps Donald can call Putin and say, ‘what else do you have?’” Reid said.

“We know there are connections between Putin and Trump. How do we know that? He said so. And I’ve never heard Putin deny it. In fact, he has done just the opposite.”

Editor’s note: Donald Trump regularly incites political violence and is a serial liar, rampant xenophobe, racist, misogynist and birther who has repeatedly pledged to ban all Muslims ― 1.6 billion members of an entire religion ― from entering the U.S.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

If you’ve ever headed to the bar after a long day at work and thought, “Ugh, I wish beer could just be my job,” you may be in luck.

The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. is seeking a “beer historian” to conduct research for a “new initiative on American brewing history.”

While the job is sure to pique the interest of beer lovers, curator Paula Johnson says it’s important to remember that there’s a lot more to the job than drinking.

“It would be hard to research brewing history without the occasional tasting,” she told The Huffington Post in an email. “But we are not looking for a beer taster—we are looking to hire an experienced historian with a specialization in business, brewing, food or cultural history.”

And the official job posting makes it clear that there are a few more qualifications beyond an unadulterated enthusiasm for beer:

The successful candidate will have proven experience in scholarly research,
organizing and conducting oral history interviews, writing for both scholarly and general audiences, and knowledge of material culture and archival materials. The candidate will work with members of the curatorial staff on collections work and develop content for a wide variety of programs and applications, including digital formats. Candidates with an advanced degree in American business, brewing, food, cultural, or similar specialization within history are encouraged to apply. Must be able to travel, work independently as well as within a team environment, to meet deadlines, and to communicate effectively with co-workers and the public.

So what does a beer historian actually do?

“The job will involve developing a plan and conducting research, doing a lot of writing for various digital and print media, doing a lot of public speaking, collecting of objects and documents, working with staff to develop public programs, and a lot of other museum-related duties,” Johnson said.

The researcher will also be spending time “out in the field,” meeting people involved in the brewing industry in different regions around the country, conducting interviews and gathering materials for the collection.

The three-year gig is funded by the Brewers Association, a trade group representing craft and home brewers in the United States, but Johnson says that the funding won’t affect the outcome of the research in any way.

“There are no strings attached and the museum alone has full control over the content, the position, research and related programming,” she said. “This is the same standard the Smithsonian upholds with all of our donors, be they private, corporate and association donors.

If you can make the cut, you’ll make more than $64,000 a year with benefits, and more importantly, you’ll have the bragging rights attached to one of the coolest-sounding jobs ever.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.