Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

One lie, alone, tears the fabric of reality.

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

When you’re in more danger from the IDF than from Russian shelling, that’s really bad.

Fight for a just cause, love your fellow man, live a good life.

… pundit janitors mopping up after the gop

The republican ‘Pastor’ of the House is an odious authoritarian little creep.

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires republicans to act in good faith.

Boeing: repeatedly making the case for high speed rail.

These are not very smart people, and things got out of hand.

A thin legal pretext to veneer over their personal religious and political desires.

Narcissists are always shocked to discover other people have agency.

A democracy can’t function when people can’t distinguish facts from lies.

I’ve spoken to my cat about this, but it doesn’t seem to do any good.

It’s the corruption, stupid.

It is possible to do the right thing without the promise of a cookie.

Second rate reporter says what?

Dear elected officials: Trump is temporary, dishonor is forever.

Accused of treason; bitches about the ratings. I am in awe.

The gop is a fucking disgrace.

Sadly, media malpractice has become standard practice.

Never give a known liar the benefit of the doubt.

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

Giving up is unforgivable.

Republicans: The threats are dire, but my tickets are non-refundable!

You are here: Home / Politics / Politicans / NANCY SMASH! / Wednesday Evening Open Thread: Pelosi Nominates Chef Andres for the Nobel Peace Prize

Wednesday Evening Open Thread: Pelosi Nominates Chef Andres for the Nobel Peace Prize

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Dear Members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee:

It is with the utmost respect for the Norwegian Nobel Committee that we write to nominate José Andrés and World Central Kitchen for the Nobel Peace Prize. Chef Andrés and his team are nothing short of heroes for humanity – not only conquering hunger but spreading hope.

When a devastating earthquake struck Haiti in 2010, Chef Andrés launched World Central Kitchen with a simple yet powerful vision: that food can be a force for good. His innovative model – providing local dishes with local ingredients prepared by local people – has proven nimble and effective. Responding to natural disasters, humanitarian crises and war zones without hesitation, Chef Andrés and his team have served more than 350 million meals worldwide.

During many dark and difficult moments, the impact of Chef Andrés and World Central Kitchen has been extraordinary. All are in awe of how, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Chef Andrés quickly marshaled the effort to provide 40 million meals to feed the hungry across the world. We in Congress saw firsthand how respectful he is of the people he serves, when he came to the U.S. Capitol to feed the National Guard after the January 6th insurrection. During Russia’s barbaric invasion of Ukraine, World Central Kitchen set up shop in Kyiv to distribute hot meals and grocery kits. Amid violence and chaos in Gaza, he distributed food and aid to displaced Palestinians.

José Andrés and World Central Kitchen are a generational global phenomenon, with a desire to help those in need that is as saintly as it is insatiable. They do not accept obstacles between their meals and those who need them. Chef Andrés gets his own boots on the ground, even in the most harrowing places, because the need is there. And he believes in building “longer tables,” with enough good food for all.

For his selfless personal commitment to feeding the hungry and launching World Central Kitchen, we believe José Andrés is most deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize and we are honored to nominate him.

Thank you for your consideration.

Reader Interactions

99Comments

  4. 4.

    Suzanne

    Oh my FSM, this is fantastic.

    If you have ever wanted to see how beautiful disaster relief architecture can be, may I introduce you to the work of Shigeru Ban.

  9. 9.

    TaMara

    Just a reminder to everyone that instead of letting someone derail this thread (which is their intention), the PIE button is yummy.

  10. 10.

    lamh36

    Evening BJ!

     

    One more day of work on Friday and my time as a hospital med tech comes to a close. Might be forever, might be just for now…who knows, but it’s def the end of my time in the laboraroty for now. I’ll still be working “for the lab” but not as a bench tech handling and interpreting patient samples. My new lab life will be in regulation and policy. It’s new and different, but a perfect fit for using my 20+yrs of practical lab experience and the things I learned for my HCM Masters.

    I’m excited. Come on Friday!!!I

  18. 18.

    Suzanne

    @lamh36: Congratulations!

    A lifelong friend of mine made that switch a few years ago, and has been thrilled with it. I hope you have the same experience!

  19. 19.

    Suzanne

    @prostratedragon: Shigeru Ban is inspirational to me. His work is so creative and beautiful, and shining such a light in dark places.

    I got to see him speak about 15 years ago. Then he won the Pritzker Prize and became an even bigger deal. LOL.

  26. 26.

    Anonymous At Work

    If I had the ability to nominate or vote, Jose Andres would have gotten one or both years ago.

  29. 29.

    lamh36

    @TaMara: Hey!!

    Yes…you’ll catch me on my other socials much more, but I’ve been trying to pick back up on my BJ commenting.

  30. 30.

    schrodingers_cat

    OT question to ponder for fellow BJers.

    Does anyone else feel estranged from the tradition they grew up in because of how extremists have now appropriated that tradition and are making political hay out of it? Or is it just me.

  32. 32.

    lamh36

    @Baud: Thx…it’s bittersweet a bit cause Micro is and will always be my first lab love, so working outside of Micro will be so different.

    But also, SF has been my dream city, and IYKYK, I’ve been dreaming of the bay area for decades…so the selling point is high for the location alone!

    I am as excited about living in the bay area as I am the job!

  34. 34.

    lamh36

    @Suzanne: I have a former coworker, now good friend, who about 10 years ago left the lab to work in lab biotech rep/vendor and she’s not the regional manager for her region and she loves it.

    I have another friend who left the lab, but not the hospital and has been working in hosptial Infection Control

  35. 35.

    Fake Irishman

    @lamh36:

    I believe you’re in Houston now, right?  If so, happy trails from your fellow residents of America’s armpit. If not, general good luck!

  36. 36.

    hells littlest angel

    Decent human beings nominate deserving heroes for the Nobel Peace Prize. Republicans nominate Trump.

  40. 40.

    lamh36

    @schrodingers_cat:

    Thx…it’s all come full circle really.  I literally had accepted a fed job in SF but the money wasn’t right and my mind wasn’t willing to leave at the time (I do wonder if that was the right choice, but ya can’t change the past so…).

    To think, this new position, I had applied for before and I wasn’t even referred for the position just 3 years earlier.

  45. 45.

    rekoob

    @schrodingers_cat: Sure. I grew up in a Southern Baptist family (many preachers in my family). As a teen in the 1970s, I noticed the shift to the “Fundamentalists” (Falwell, et alia), and preferred hanging out with the choir at the Episcopal church where my mom was the (paid) Alto soloist.

    Even though it has been my family’s church for nearly a century, I’m not crazy about the Baptist church, even though I like many aspects of low-church/congregational settings.

    One advantage of being a Protestant is that you can be a free agent and venue shop. I tend to find a nice mix of the choral tradition in the Episcopal and Presbyterian churches, but that’s because my ancestry is chiefly British.

  47. 47.

    lamh36

    @Fake Irishman: Hey…nope.  I moved back home from Houston 2 years ago.  The job in Houston wasn’t for me and I was allowed to transfer back to my old job in NOLA.

    So I’m going from NOLA to SF this time, for a federal job this time tho.  Good thing is once I am in the fed job system, if transfer is on my mind, it’s easier inside the system than out, but my hope is to love the new job and maybe be able to actually retire in about 20 or so more years.

  49. 49.

    Josie

    @schrodingers_cat: No. I come from a long history with the Texas Democratic party. My father was involved with LBJ’s early political career (I know, Raven. Obligatory fuck LBJ)  South Texas was a Democratic stronghold back then.

    I can’t imagine the pain of having your early fond memories affected by the current actions of the political leaders in India. I so appreciate your information on all of this, since I would be totally ignorant of its importance without your input. Our news media has certainly fallen down on the job of educating us on other countries.

  51. 51.

    TaMara

    @eclare: What I love most about him is he goes out of his way to make the hot meals foods those in need are familiar with and that bring them comfort and uses local chefs whenever possible.

  53. 53.

    marcopolo

    @schrodingers_cat: I was raised as an Ethical Humanist.  Spent just about every sunday till I was 16 or 17 at the ethical society sunday school learning about stuff like situational ethics, maslow’s pyramid, and sex ed (in 7th grade–this was back in the day when it wasn’t really taught in public schools much). As far as I know, no one has bothered to hijack ethical humanism (not sure it would even be possible considering one of our mottos is deed not creed) for political gain or nefarious purposes.  I haven’t gone to a Sunday gathering in a good long while but still would consider myself part of the club.

    Fun fact: Robert Oppenheimer attended the ethical culture school in NYC.  He was the valedictorian of his class, natch

    Edited to add: more power to Chef Andres. it would be really cool for him to win.  not a lot more basic than feeding people who are hungry.  think there is a dude in the bible who does that from time to time.

  54. 54.

    Nix Besser (fmr. steppy)

    I’ve expected Chef Andres to win the Prize for quite a while. I am very glad to see the Speaker Emerita and her distinguished colleagues nominate him.

  55. 55.

    Alison Rose

    @schrodingers_cat: I figured. Well…I mean, according to some people, as a Jew I *should* be having all kinds of discordant emotions regarding the practice of my religion right now.

    Those people are called assholes.

    If you grew up in a religious tradition that means something to you, that is yours no matter what, and no one can take it from you, nor should they try or demand.

  57. 57.

    zhena gogolia

    OT, I had my first Amazon Prime commercial last night, during Northern Exposure. I hate it.

  58. 58.

    bookworm1398

    I don’t think Pelosi has any power to nominate anyone for Nobel, any more than I do? She is lobbying? Maybe recommending?

  59. 59.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @schrodingers_cat: Not exactly on point, but my great grandfather, a Swedish immigrant, chose to become a US citizen in 1940 (after living here for over 30 years) when one of his cousins’ children was elected to a regional government position on the Swedish Nazi ticket.  Getting his US citizenship was a way of repudiating his Nazi relative.

  60. 60.

    Wormtown

    Just want to note nominated by my congress critter Jim McGovern.   He’s a really great guy.

  64. 64.

    PatrickG

    @lamh36:

    yay! ICYMI in an older thread we should use your arrival on the Best Coast to arrange a meetup! Let us know when you’re settled enough. :)

     

    ETA: may have missed something, you’re not coming to SF? :confused dog:

  66. 66.

    Spanky

    @bookworm1398:

    The Norwegian Nobel Committee

    A nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize may be submitted by qualified nominators, which includes members of national assemblies. The Norwegian Nobel Committee, comprised of five members appointed by the Norwegian parliament, is responsible for selecting the Nobel Peace Prize laureates.

  70. 70.

    NotMax

    @zhena gogolia

    Not at all pleased by the whole thing either but (for the present) 3 clams a month (a dime a day) isn’t too onerous a premium.

    This is in no way an endorsement of the new practices, simply acknowledging the reality of what is.

  74. 74.

    Soprano2

    @schrodingers_cat: No, I left it a long time ago because I couldn’t be a part of anything that treats women as second class people. Some liberals try to twist the Bible to say what it plainly doesn’t say, but I can’t do that. It says women are lesser, full stop.

  77. 77.

    frosty

    @schrodingers_cat: ​Not a tradition, but I’m pissed that the Gadsden flag was appropriated by the Tea Party. It was one of my favorites because it was so quintessentially American. The rattlesnake, which is only in the New World, and “Don’t Tread On Me”, both a pushback and a warning. And it flies next to Trump flags now.

  79. 79.

    lamh36

    @PatrickG: Oh…sorry if confusing, but YES I’ll be moving to bay area late next month.  I’m supposed to be coming for a quick housing scouting in about a week before the final move late February.

    It’s gonna be a very hectic visit at first though, but once I’m able to get all settled in I’d 100% be down for a meet up.

    I think the last meet up I had was ooh at least 5+yrs ago when I visited LA maybe???

  83. 83.

    Scout211

    Uh oh, Donald must be getting worried.  A new Quinnipiac Poll was just released.

    As signs point to the 2024 presidential election being a repeat of the 2020 race between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, Biden holds a lead over Trump 50 – 44 percent among registered voters in a hypothetical general election matchup, according to a Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pea-ack) University national poll of registered voters released today.

    In Quinnipiac University’s December 20, 2023 poll, the same hypothetical 2024 general election matchup was ‘too close to call’ as President Biden received 47 percent support and former President Trump received 46 percent support.

    In today’s poll, Democrats (96 – 2 percent) and independents (52 – 40 percent) support Biden, while Republicans (91 – 7 percent) support Trump.

    The gender gap is widening.

    Women 58 – 36 percent support Biden, up from December when it was 53 – 41 percent.

    Men 53 – 42 percent support Trump, largely unchanged from December when it was 51 – 41 percent.

  84. 84.

    BeautifulPlumage

    @lamh36: ​
      Congrats! Your perspective from the bench will be so great for your new gig. Best wishes for the move!

    PS good to see you here!

  85. 85.

    wjca

    @schrodingers_cat: Does anyone else feel estranged from the tradition they grew up in because of how extremists have now appropriated that tradition and are making political hay out of it? Or is it just me.

    It’s definitely NOT just you.

    I’ve had to watch as a bunch of radical reactionary, racist, misogynist assh*les appropriated “conservative”.  To the point that almost nobody, of any political persuasion, has a clue what the term actually means.

    Let me give an example:  circa 1980 California adopted “domestic partnerships”.  It was a well intentioned to give homosexual couples some kind of legal standing.  By the middle ’80s it was obvious it wasn’t working as designed.  For one thing, a substantial majority of domestic partnerships were straight couples who could have gotten married.  But went for the option which gave them most of the benefits, without having to accept the responsibilities.

    So I decided what was needed was a conservative solution.  One which made the smallest change that would address the real problem.  1) Dump domestic partnerships.  2) Take the existing marriage law, where is said “A man and a woman may get married, provided…[a bunch of stuff about not being currently married, minimum ages, etc.]” and modify it to read “Two adults may get married, provided…”  No big sweeping change, just a tweak** to solve a real problem.  That’s what conservative means.  To me.

    ** Admittedly, the law on divorce, especially as regards child custody, would take a bit more.  On account of having some assumptions about gender roles built in at the time.

  86. 86.

    Ohio Mom

    @schrodingers_cat: That’s me and liberal Judaism. Whatever need I have for community, pondering the big questions, enjoying the calming rhythms of weekly services, I can not stand to have so much energy spent on Israel (and this was before the current war).

    One time someone asked me what I was looking for in a synagogue. I said, “A congregation that observes Rachel Corrie’s yartzeit” (anniversary of a death, marked with an prayer).

    The questioner laughed and agreed I would never find a synagogue to join.

    Now there is plenty of Jewish things I can do and enjoy without belonging anywhere. So I wouldn’t say I was estranged from the tradition but I am estranged from the organized community.

  89. 89.

    Jackie

    @Scout211: I fully expect Biden to beat TIFG in the Popular Vote.

    We have to GOTV big time to make sure Biden beats TIFG via the EC by winning the Swing States: GA, PA, WI, MI, AZ, NV. (I’m forgetting one?)

    Which, I’m sure you’re fully aware of. But any positive poll is fun to savor!😊

  91. 91.

    luc

    Slightly OT –   A, new to me, interpretation of the attraction the orange malice exerts to his followers:
    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/jan/29/donald-trump-americans-us-culture-republican
    It proposes that a wealth/power oriented value system becomes starts a  “…. “values ratchet”. The values ratchet operates at the societal and the individual level: a strong set of extrinsic values often develops as a result of insecurity and unfulfilled needs. These extrinsic values then generate further insecurity and unfulfilled needs.   …”

  98. 98.

    Matt McIrvin

    @schrodingers_cat: I feel that way about scientific rationalism sometimes. But, honestly, the people misappropriating it for bad purposes were always there, I just wasn’t as fed up with them yet.

  99. 99.

    Gravie

    This man is my hero! Joyful and open-hearted giving where it is most needed. And his restaurants are pretty damn great, too.

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