Administrativia

"Satanic" duck at Sam Houston Park, Downtown Houston. Better part of valor and all that, I retreated.

A bit of an inside joke, but this sign is outside an actual (real) Tea Room run by the Houston Historical Society at Sam Houston Park.

Walnuts wins on the GOP side, no news yet as to whether or not 9/11 Nellie will bow out tomorrow (rumored) or wait until after the California debate later this week. Hillary pulls out what I consider a decisive and impressive win -- even though no delegates have been awared (yet). Why is it impressive? Because the news cycles have been constant on the Obama surge and the Billary plunge. Add regular Obama political ads (yes, a "national buy" but included in all Florida cable markets) and just the general temperature in the blogosphere after Teddy's endorsement, the table was set for this "beauty contest" to be much tighter. But it wasn't. Two things bode well for the Dems -- overall turnout still seems to favor the Dems... even without active campaigns for the top of the ticket. And Hillary's win means Super Tuesday looms even larger. More than that, it also means that states like Texas can actually look forward to at least having some sort of Democr

Q: Does Focus on the Family lie and distort as a matter of practice? A: Yes. Note to the folks at Time's Blog, Swampland... or wherein, blogger Michael Scherer is surprised to find that not only does FOF lie , it refuses to acknowledge that lie and keeps on lying . Had he done any research on gay issues over the last decade, it might have occurred to him that this possibility existed. Unfortunately, we're still often confronted with the so-called "balance" reporting where somehow it is required to have two "sides" of an issue represented, even though one side is lying... and pointing that out becomes the responsibility of the other "side" rather than having the reporter doing minimal due diligence (try Googling for a change!).

I normally would have posted something about the SC primary or other thoughts over the weekend, but frankly, I was too tired. Last weekend was sandwiched in between trips to California -- and last week's trip was VERY trying. Between flight delays of 1 (Friday) to 4 hours (Monday), luggage problems, car rental problems, no sun -- just grey, rain & cold, and getting rear-ended by a blonde East-bay girl in a TransAm (and probably on her cell phone), I couldn't muster much energy for anything except sleep. The real irritation about last week's drama is the paperwork I have to do this week with our safety reps. Talk about administrativia. Oh well, that was then, this is now. This week, I'm back in Cali again -- and the sun is shining for a change! I just hope that the cadence of travel back and forth this year isn't quite the hectic pace I had last year... (I'm fine with maintaining Silver Elite on Continental -- getting Gold this last year nearly killed me.

This Week: Cheeseburger Macaroni Bake 1 pound lean ground beef 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni or rotini pasta 1 medium tomato, chopped 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1 - 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Grease an 8x8-inch baking pan; set aside. Brown ground beef and onion in large skillet. Drain. Cook macaroni or pasta according to package directions (boil until tender). Drain well. Spoon macaroni into prepared pan. Top with beef, onions and chopped tomato. Pour tomato sauce evenly, then season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with cheese and cover pan loosely with foil. Bake @ 350 for 35 minutes or until cheese is completely melted and edges of casserole are bubbling. Note: Prep and cook time (including making a salad for "balance") is only about an hour, all told. For a flavorful change of pace, instead of chopped tomato use a can of Rotel tomatos and chiles -- or if you want

As usual, the story behind the Shrub's " favorite painting " -- what he calls "A Charge to Keep" -- doesn't mesh with reality or the truth. Rather than being a picture of a gallant evangelical riding forth to spread Methodism, it's actually an illustration for a Saturday Evening Post story about a horse thief. The kicker and the caption from the Post illustration: "Had His Start Been Fifteen Minutes Longer He Would Not Have Been Caught" h/t Rod Dreher / Eyeteeth via

Here's a little change of pace since I'm in California for the next couple of weeks... A misty day in wine country looking across a vineyard and into the hills.

Sad news today with the passing of Heath Ledger. I enjoyed his work as an actor -- and his portrayal of Ennis Del Mar in Brokeback Mountain was incredible. In that performance, I saw so many people from my life -- good " ol' country boys" who lived life as a lie because the dream of happiness with another person of the same gender was forever beyond their reach. RIP

On this day of reflection about the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., it's important (to me at least) to remember the complexity of the man, the times and the coterie of people on the stage of history -- before, during and after his most famous speech. As pointed out in this column in today's Houston Chronicle, we cannot expect to realize King's dream if we do not remember where it was founded. Nor do we do that dream any favor by deifying the orator without understanding the context. The man was killed because he -- and his (our) cause were not just disliked but hated. The struggle for the American soul was not an Oprah-made movie of the week where all is resolved in love and understanding. And let us not forget, without the help and tutelage of a gay man -- namely Bayard Rustin -- King would not have had the platform to proclaim his dream... and the civil rights movement might have slipped into another bloody civil war rather than teaching the power of non-vi

I will admit to reading Andrew Sullivan on occasion -- it's like watching Faux News -- better than coffee to get my blood pumping. It is difficult to take someone seriously (small s) who, throughout the 2000 Bush campaign and particularly post-9/11, spent so much effort waxing poetically about GWB as an historically transforming and uniting figure. The slightest action -- however out of context -- was trumpeted as positive change and used to bash those who were skeptical as out of the mainstream. (Gays didn't have to worry about being bashed under the Bush adminstration, why he once said hello to one!) Disdain was too mild a word for those who might be wistful enough for the Clinton years to want Al Gore to win. After 9/11, those of us who knew what a truly ill-equipped man-child with delusions of competency Bush is were dismissed and demonized as traitors. True enough, times changed and the sheer incompetence of this President -- not to mention the gutting of civil liberties

Bill Moyers gives the full historical view and context of Hillary's remarks on MLK & LBJ. It is unfortunate that the MSM and the Obama campaign couldn't have been as respectful. h/t: Talking Points Memo Click To Play

This week: SAUSAGE-STUFFED GREEN PEPPERS 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 pound sweet Italian port sausage, casing removed 1 medium onion, chopped (about ½ cup) 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves, crushed 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 ounces) 4 medium green peppers, seeded and cut in half lengthwise 2 cups spaghetti sauce (16 oz can or jar) Heat oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Cook sausage until browned, stirring to separate meat. Add onion and oregano and cook until tender. Pour off fat. Stir in cheese. Arrange peppers in 3-quart shallow baking dish or roasting pan. Spoon sausage mixture into peppers. Pour spaghetti sauce over peppers. Cover. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes or until peppers are tender. NOTE: You can also use ground chuck for this recipe -- just add some garlic. I've also seen a hamburger / sausage mix (1/2 & 1/2) for the filling.

There is one word that most in Washington -- especially in the Executive -- hate, it's the "R" word: Recession . There. I said it. Like Hermione Granger said of Voldemorte : "Saying his name takes away the power." I don't fear the R-word like most. Perhaps it's because I'm reasonably well educated or have most of my finances in order. Perhaps it's because I've lived through the dark days of the mid-80's during one of the first oil busts. What I have come to fear -- and it's not irrational -- is the "response" to a recession that inevitably comes from the political establishment. When a politician says, "The economy is sound..." The harbingers of doom are in conflict with the fingers-in-the-ear set. Everyone has seen the same numbers. Everyone knows the trajectory, but few in power want to acknowledge the elephant in the room... so they call it Phil. Anything but the R-word. Nothing is actually done at this point

A little "light" eating @ the original 59 Diner...

As Theocracy Watch notes, we can only hope that amending the Constitution to match certain evangelicals worldview means we can still eat bacon.

Yet another "well duh" statement from the Shrub. To be fair, the full quote is: "I'm sure people view me as a war monger and I view myself as peacemaker." Someone who started a failed war of choice in Iraq, touts a "surge" that has failed to get any movement towards political reconciliation, that continues to sabre rattle over Iran and has "supported" our troops to the point breaking our military can hardly be trusted to understand how that world-view has come to pass. January 2009 cannot come quickly enough.

Then and now: The infamous "Enron" tilting E... is now (fittingly): Houston has always been very good about putting scandals behind and getting on with the business of business. When Enron crashed, downtown vacancies were at an all-time high... all that has changed. Chevron now owns or leases all the Enron space downtown and a substantial portion of the Continental building as well.

Historic African-American church: Antioch Missionary Baptist Church I always thought this little church's position in the city was a bit ironic, what with the "Jesus Saves" in neon on the tower being framed against the background of the what was once Enron world headquarters. One can only wonder what Ken Lay (RIP) and his corrupt cronies might have been thinking as they walked across the sky walk each morning. Did they even see it?

It really is a village of idiots -- especially Chris Matthews . And don't forget to let MSNBC know what you think via Media Matters .

This Week: Spaghetti Casserole 1 lb. ground beef 2 tsp. Butter 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tsp. Sugar 1 tsp. Salt 2 (15 oz.) cans tomato sauce 1 tsp. Pepper 8 oz. thin spaghetti 8 oz. Cheddar 1 (3 oz.) pkg. cream cheese 1 (8 oz.) sour cream 6 green onions, chopped 1 small can mushrooms Brown beef and butter in skillet. Add garlic, sugar, salt, pepper, tomato sauce and simmer for 10 minutes. Cook spaghetti and grate cheddar. Cream together cream cheese, sour cream, and green onions. Into greased casserole dish layer noodles, cheese mixture, meat mixture, cheese. Let sit overnight in refrigerator. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Note: I'm not really sure that you have to refrigerate overnight -- I think this is more from the "prepare for the next day's meal" school which any good homemaker in the 1960's would embrace... and makes some sense even today.

Williams (aka Transco) Tower / Hotel Derick at sunset. It's not quite dark enough yet for the tower's searchlight to start its sweep. The Williams Tower (formerly the Transco Tower), is a skyscraper located in the Uptown District of Houston. It was designed by architects Philip Johnson and John Burgee, in association with Houston-based Morris-Aubry Architects, and erected in 1983. The tower is among Houston's most visible buildings and is the 4th tallest in Texas and the 22nd tallest in the United States.

Plenty of commentary all over the blogosphere and in the MSM about why HRC won on Tuesday, despite the polling numbers and the constant barrage of "it's over" -- but what strikes me most is how flinchingly dishonest the punditocracy is being as they try and find "the right narrative" to explain what happened. The fact that the folks of New Hampshire (and the rest of us for that matter) don't particularly care to be told what to think or whom to vote for by a press establishment that is solely focused on the horse race rather than the substance of the campaigns seems to elude them. Instead we get -- the people lied to us in the polling because they are secretly racist, or women broke for Hillary because she turned on the tears, or maybe it's because the Flying Spagetti Monster made them do it as part of the Grand Intelligent Design. Or perhaps the real reason is basic retail politics . What is certain: the pundits got skunked and that's a good thing

Sky ring over Smith Street -- Downtown -- taken from the 1600 Smith Garage (Continental Building). Unfortunately for visitors, this particular skywalk is not open to the public. If you haven't explored the downtown tunnel / skywalk system , it's pretty amazing.

Downtown skyline taken from Eleannor Tinsley park (on Allen Parkway)... I couldn't quite get the full panoramic shot, so you miss about 1/4 of the view... but I was really aiming to get a shot of the Heritage Plaza building (formerly Texaco) and the now Chevron HQ buildings (formerly Enron). The parks along Buffalo Bayou into downtown Houston are one of the reasons I like living here so much.

This is a variation of the Pumpkin Spice Cake recipe that I posted earlier. Apple Spice Cake 1/2 cup butter (softened to room tempature) 1 1/4 cup brown sugar 2 eggs 1 cup applesauce 2 cups thin sliced apples (granny smith) 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups flour 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ginger dash nutmeg dash ground cloves 1/2 cup milk Preheat oven to 350 F. In a medium bowl, mix or sift dry ingredients together. In a large bowl, cream butter & sugar -- whip until very smooth. Continue beating, adding eggs and vanilla. When mixture is peaking, add applesauce. Continue mixing on low speed, add flour and milk -- alternating flour and milk until well blended. Mix at high speed for 1 minute. Fold in apple slices, then spread batter into a well-greased tube cake pan or 13x9 baking pan. Place in center of rack and back for 40-45 minutes -- until a toothpick comes out clean. For tube pans, cool at least 30 minutes bef

Some musings on the current $100/BBL oil world... I think that, too often, we tend to be unmindful of history when looking at things that are part of our everyday lives -- things that we take for granted today. Few people give any thought to how it has come to be that w e can easily, safely and relatively cheaply fill our personal cars with gas. Imagine if you had to engineer a delivery system (from scratch) that could take the process of finding, transporting and processing a natural resource so that it basically is intertwined into all our society's energy and chemical consumption needs. It's taken more than a century of development -- and change -- to get us to the point where we expect to be able to take a toxic, flameable and volatile substance and put it into the tanks of our personal vehicles... all the while thinking nothing of it (other than to complain about the price). The complexity of having this global delivery system is only matched by the demand for the commodit

Being a political junkie -- left of center (see the blog roll) -- I have been watching what purports to be "news"... but agree with Atrios and ThinkProgress , it's mostly an embarassing display of pundit fluffery. Yes, Obama's win (38%) was impressive -- but that still means that 62% of Democrats wanted someone else. What I found most interesting was that Hillary's numbers (at barely #3) were larger than the GOP winner, Huckabee. Huckabee's win was interesting, if not unexpected. After all, the only consistent block of voters willing to come out for the GOP come from the religious right -- a group that won't coalesce behind Guiliani, is uncomfortable with a Mormon and distrusts McCain. What I don't understand is how anyone that isn't reading off the Faux News talking points can see a fourth-place slot for McCain as a "win"... it's just another example of certain folks in the press trying to control the narrative rather than reportin

It's been something of a truism in my life that major events (births, deaths, whathaveyou) have been accompanied by "Methodist women bearing casseroles". Before moving to Texas, I grew up in Kansas City -- specifically Independence. No matter the occasion, delivering a covered dish or pie was the order of the day. So, in honor of my late grandmothers, I will post a recipe a week from the 1968 Glenwood Park United Methodist Church's UMW cookbook. First up: Chicken Casserole 4 cups chicken (cooked & cut up) 8 oz. sour cream 1 can cream of chicken soup 1 can cream of mushroom soup 1 stick butter or margerine (melted) 40 ritz crackers (crushed) Combine chicken, soups. Combine crackers and melted butter. Layer in 13x9 pan. Bake for 30 minutes @ 325 degrees. Note: it's pretty hard to find low calorie or low fat recipes from this era cookbook... which may explain why the Methodist men died earlier than the Methodist women.

A few years back, on day 3 of a four-day meeting, our "facilitator" began going through all the so-called "meeting rules"... having not had (yet) my morning Diet Coke, I interrupted the litany with this question: "Can we skip the administrativia and get on with the meeting?" Administrativia is -- at its core -- the compendium of all those mundane, sometimes trivial, often overlooked, and yet sometimes essential little details that keep the larger system working.

This is an entry to load some images for the blog into my Picasa album.