Thursday, July 12, 2007

Meme Virgin No Moremore

I, who reside in the small suburban city of College Park, Maryland in the great country of the United States of America, had never been Memed until now. I don't even know if I need to capitalize Meme, but i feel like i ought to for some reason. It was my wife, O for Obsessive who Memed me......and she was very gentle. Can Meme even be used as a verb?....but i digress.

Rule One is list your 5 all time fave restaurants.
Rule Two is link to the person who tagged you, perhaps even twice.
Rule Three is list the state and country in which you live.
Rule Four is tag 5 others and tell them you've done so.

So anyway, here we go.....Burger King and Taco Bell are really close to each other over there on Route 1. Just kidding.

1. Delhi Palace Cuisine of India
933 E University Dr #103 Tempe, AZ 85281 (480) 921-2200
I have a lot of history with this place. My first date with Kelly was there, and i was so nervous i forgot to tip, so i went back the next day and delivered it with apologies. After that, much to my amazement and delight, the staff always gave me a 20% discount whenever i dined. They have the tastiest Indian food i have ever had, hands down. Their lunch buffet was even primo. And the prices were very reasonable, too.
2. Laboratorio del Galileo
1110 Twenty-First Street NW Washington, DC 20036 (phone) 202-293-7191 (fax) 202-331-9364 info@galileodc.com
Laboratorio is the best. The chef and his assistants are right there in the room with you cooking your meal. And what a meal. I've had both the 9 course and the 12 course dinners, and i've never had a dining experience before or since that came close in quality. It's not your impulsive "hey let's go eat at Laboratorio tonight" kind of place. You need reservations months in advance sometimes, and they only do the Laboratorio on certain nights. But if you want to splurge on a fantastic meal for an ultra special occasion, this place must be experienced.
3. Sushi Taro
1503 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036, U.S.A. (17th & P street) (202) 462-8999
I haven't been to Sushi Taro in ages, but i remember it always being the best Sushi in town. I liked Kaz and Spices and a few other places too, but Sushi Taro was the tops. Nylonthread thought so too.
4. Addis Ababa
8233 Fenton St, Silver Spring, MD 20910Telephone: (301) 589-1400
Many of my fave restaraunts are also my wife's. This one is no exception. Kid friendly, excellent food, usually good service, and reasonable prices. What's not to like?
5. La Lomita
1330 Pennsylvania Ave., SE; 202-546-3109
My list could not be without a Mexican food restaraunt. There was one that i liked here in College Park that just closed, unfortunately. So thinking about it, i remembered La Lomita from my old neighborhood. The food is tasy, the margaritas are delicious, and the chips and salsa are some of the best i've had in the area.

Well i am going to have to break Rule Four because i don't know five bloggers who haven't already been previously hit with this. I will also be breaking the usually unspoken Rule Five which states that "No one shall be double Memed". ok i made that up.
tag you're it.

Monday, July 2, 2007

Rape is Always Wrong

A friend of mine recently confided in me that she had been raped as a teenager. I was so horrified, as would be any sensitive and caring person. My mother was raped, too, in the early 80's. The sick and demented excuse for a human who did it kidnapped her and held her in his house for hours before finally allowing her to leave. The fact that she wasn't also murdered is pretty amazing. The guy was caught, and eventually sentenced to a mere 10 years in prison.

That rape exists makes me embarrased to be male.

Rape laws in the US are not strict enough. For most cases, sentencing times are left up to the jurisdiction, and for some there is a federal limit to how many years one can be sentenced.

Rape is always wrong. One cannot justify an act of rape. Murder can be justified in some cases (certain self-defense scenarios etc), but never rape. Rape is the most heinous crime this side of brutal torture resulting in death. It's worse than aggravated battery, and it's as bad as premeditated murder. That this is not reflected in the sentencing of cases is a crime in and of itself. There ought to be higher minimum sentencing times set for all cases of rape. 20 years should be where it starts, instead of being the maximum for some cases.