The New York Times and other news organizations reported on Monday, Nov. 23, President-elect Joe Biden picked Antony Blinken for Secretary of State.
According to the American Academy of diplomacy, Blinken is “managing director of the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement and the Herter/Nitze Distinguished Scholar at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies” and “held senior foreign policy positions in two administrations over three decades—including Deputy Secretary of State in the Obama administration.”
One of my favorite eats is my morning omelet. While I don’t eat it every morning, I eat it often, perhaps three or four times each week.
As the title suggests, it consists of sugar snap peas, cheddar cheese, garlic, egg whites and some no-stick cooking spray.
First, I apply an ample amount of cooking spray to the bottom of the frying pan.
Second, I crush the garlic (I use a lot, perhaps more than most people.).
Third, I heat the pan on a low heat and place the crushed garlic in the pan.
Fourth, every 15 or 30 seconds, I move the garlic around so it fries as evenly as possible.
Fifth, I take a handful of fresh sugar snap peas, wash them and I cut them length-wise.
Sixth, after the garlic is browned to my liking, I add the sugar snap peas and fry them with the garlic, probably no more than a few minutes, just long enough to get them hot.
Seventh, I add the egg whites. I’ve learned to use as little egg whites as possible because the egg whites fry evenly and it’s easy to serve open face.
Eighth I add cheddar cheese.
Ninth, when egg-white liquid is no longer runny, I place it open-face on a plate,
I must confess what makes my omelets special is what I put on top. First, I put some mango salsa followed with nacho-style cut pickled jalapeño peppers. To me it’s yummy. Enjoy.
About 100 people rallied, on Saturday, Nov. 7, in the rain, wind and cold, outside Long Beach City Hall at 411 West Ocean Blvd., demanding electoral “democracy,” according to a jpeg flyer from a Facebook page of Black Lives Matter – Long Beach, announcing the rally.
The same flyer listed as sponsors Long Beach Forward, LiBRE (Long Beach Residents Empowered), the Long Beach Chapter of Democratic Socialist of America, BLM – LB, QOWS (Queers Obliterating White Supremacy), Anakbayan – Long Beach (a local Filipinx youth and student organization), LBIRC (Long Beach Immigrant Rights Coalition) and the GRRRL Collective, whose Facebook About Page characterizes the organization as “an intersectional, queer, pro-migrant, pro(-sex)-worker, trans-inclusive feminist collective organizing, learning, and healing together in Long Beach.”
Audrena Redmond, who is an activist with Black Lives Matter – Long Beach, emcees, the Saturday, Nov. 7, rally for democracy; Photo by Barry Saks
Audrena Redmond of BLM-LB emceed. In her opening remarks, Redmond, in part, said, “After Barack Obama was elected, (some) people had the audacity to say, ‘Oh we live in a post-racial America.’ I beg to differ and I think the last 12 years have really proven that point…. Race colors everything in this country, our economics, our social standing, education, health care, all of that.”
Vick Bouzi, representing DSA-LB, in part, said, “We gather here today to be sure they count all the votes, which they did…but we’re not here riding for Biden, no. He’s the architect of the 1994 crime bill, that put so many brown and black bodies in prison…. We are not here for Kamala Harris, the self-proclaimed top cop in California…. From the top to the bottom, the Democrats are rotten. It stinks all the way down to Mayor Robert Garcia.” He added the Democrats have a “weak neo-liberal politics that revolves around identity, that revolves around representation.”
Brooklyn Desmond, who said she was once homeless, spoke, on Saturday, Nov. 7, at the rally for democracy; Photo by Barry Saks
Brooklyn Desmond was in the crowd. Desmond, who identified herself has a queer, black person who has been homeless, asked the crowd that instead of ignoring the homeless, when walking over them, that the crowd should respect the homeless by acknowledging and paying attention to them.
At least twice, the crowd shouted out, “Ain’t (sic) no power like the power of the people (be)cause the power of the people don’t (sic) stop.” Others would respond with “Say what?” The mood was celebratory and of relief regarding the results of the 2020 Presidential Campaign. The crowd also chanted, “White supremacy has got to go.” Another repeated chant was “Black lives they matter here.”
Three days earlier, about 70 people of the same groups met at the same location again demanding electoral democracy.
Barry Saks is a member of DSA-LB.
This version of the above story was corrected on Monday, Nov. 9, for the misspelling of Audrena Redmond’s first name. It’s Audrena not Andrena.
Barry Saks 