No, We Can't Be Winding Down!

It may just be my imagination, but even when it's not hot in central Texas, it LOOKS hot. Perhaps it's the angle of the sun, or the fact that there was often not a cloud in the sky. Whatever it is, on Thursday we began to get a small sense of what summer in Austin is like. There was a touch of humidity in the air as the temps rose to the mid-80s.

After a late start at Austin Java, we crossed the River into downtown Austin and visited two small, but interesting art museums: the Austin Museum of Art, and the Mexic-Arte Museum, both located on Congress Street. While not large in size, both of these museums pack a lot in.





After this bit of culture, we were off to meet Tex for an early dinner at Guero's, prior to First Thursday, a celebration of the South Congress Street district. As if Austin needs an excuse, there was even more live music spread out along the street for the evening. They included a band full of 15-year-olds playing everything from Canned Heat to the Doors and other old-timer music (pretty well, too, at least until their mothers came to pick them up); to a band of local country types called Lonesome Heroes. The stores stay open late on First Thursday, while tables of vendors selling jewelry and crafts. I bought a little tie-dyed onesie for our soon-to-be-born great-nephew.

One of the truly Texan shops along South Congress:



Tex is drinking coffee, people:



When our feet gave out, the party moved to "The Mean-Eyed Cat" for a drink or two. The bar is dedicated to all things Johnny Cash, and featured yet another musician playing in the backyard: Matthew Ballard.



The number of possibilities for a musician in Austin are seemingly endless. Restaurants, bars, saloons, nightclubs, all feature live music of some type or other. Lucky for us, the music we enjoy most was featured most often where we visited. We've seen so many musicians and heard so many songs we haven't had a minute to process any of it. Luckily, the internets (and the notes I've taken here this week) will allow us to go back and revisit some of it. Where possible, we picked up CDs, and I expect we'll be downloading more when we get home.

Today will be relatively quiet (at least this afternoon) and we'll be starting to get organized for the trip home tomorrow. We haven't bought an enormous amount of souvenirs, but it never fails that it's harder to get everything back in the suitcase when it's time to go home.

For our final taste of local music, we're seeing "The Gourds" tonight in Gruene, Texas, just 30 minutes or so south of here.

Just Another Wednesday

Yesterday was fairly quiet in Paloozaville. If you call a quiet day shopping most of the afternoon, having the best frappacino ever, eating deeeeelightful BBq at The Salt Lick, going to the Mother Church of Texas Music (aka "The Broken Spoke") and topping it off with another set at the Continental Club to see Jon Dee Graham.
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South Congress Street has some great shops, selling anything from Mexican tchotchkes, to Texas boots to glass art, and everything in between. We meandered up and down the street a bit for our afternoon stroll in the +80-degree sunshine. When Tex finished her workday, we were off to The Salt Lick, just a wee bit west of Austin. They serve great food family style, which means all the ribs you can stuff in your mouth for a mere $18.95.





The bbq sauce was all sorts of tangy, without being sweet. The cole slaw and potato salad were simple and not overly fussy and full of mayo. When we finished the first plate of meat, which included ribs, beef brisket and sausage, a second one was delivered and we promptly buzzed through that one. Bob and Tex also enjoyed blackberry cobbler, with Blue Bell ice cream. Somehow I managed a few bites of cobbler, but I'm not really sure how.

Dinner was followed by a visit to The Broken Spoke, the Mother Church of honky tonk music. There was so much history at this place, they actually had an entire room full of relics. Everything from cowboy hats to record covers (and I do mean LPs) to photographs of the famous and near-famous who have visited. The dance hall featured Traci Lynn, a local singer who provided all the accompaniment needed for a range of swing dancers. They varied in age from early twenties to middle aged, and they swung along the floor easily and comfortably. I surely wish I could dance like that. This was certainly no place for a tourist, but rather a place where locals go on a normal Wednesday night to dance up a storm.

Our next stop was a return to the Continental Club, which featured Jon Dee Graham. While I'm not familar with him, Bob tells me he also played in the band with Alejandro Escavedo, the guy we saw there Tuesday night. While he had a bit of country in him, Jon Dee put me in mind of Tom Waits, a bit snarly, a bit poetic, a bit ornery.

Here's a sample:



Not bad for one day, eh? Tonight it's Guero's for Mexican food, First Thursday on South Congress and perhaps a cupcake from an RV, then Seth Walker music and the Mean-eyed Cat. Another jam-packed day.

**more pictures to come when I get them sorted out. It's really hard to use someone else's computer - I can't find anything I'm looking for.

The Texas Kaleidescope

Took an opportunity to take a drive through the Texas Hill Country west of Austin yesterday. It is surprisingly non-flat (duh!) and green, although we were not able to find any bluebonnets. The locals say it is because of a lack of rain, and it does appear to be a bit dry out there.



Our drive took us about an hour away, just beyond Johnson City, where we toured the LBJ Ranch on the Pedernales River. LBJ was born, died and is buried all within the space of less than a half-mile. His home is in a beautiful spot on the river, surrounded by thousands of acres that have been in his family, off and on, since the mid 1800s when his great-grandfather (I think) emigrated to Texas from Georgia.



And the view from the house:



We were reminded, yet again, of what being a President is supposed to be. Setting aside (for a moment) the Viet Nam debacle, LBJ oversaw the passage of an amazing amount of legislation: Civil Rights, education, consumer protection, anti-poverty...and more. This, I suppose, is what is meant by activism - something that today's politicians seem to disdain.

Yes, it's hard to forgive LBJ for Viet Nam. He inherited a mess and mishandled it several times on his own. But the domestic programs are second to none, in my book. And Mrs. Johnson has made her mark on the country with her conservation programs. Growing up, it was hard to miss the "Keep America Beautiful" programs, for which she was responsible. Good for her - she just died this past July at the wonderful age of 94.

Switching gears, last night we went to see Alejandro Escovedo, and if you haven't heard of him, you're not alone. He put on a helluva show at the Continental Club here in Austin. He's sort of a favorite son, and is about to release a new record and go touring so this was his last local show for a while. It was out of this world good. This video gives a good representation of the show we saw, on one of his classic tunes. Enjoy:



Our friend, Tex, comes home to Austin tonight! More palooooza'ing to ensue.

History Daze

Monday's drive to San Antonio included a deep immersion into colorful and heroic Texas history. Yes, we visited the Alamo and finally are beginning to put the pieces together toward understanding the Republic of Texas. For whatever reason, I always got this part of American historyconfused - between the Spanish-American War and the Mexican War and all the different players (as I mentioned the other day) I never really understood it. (Or, call me a xenophobe, if you like.)



Anyway, after seeing a couple of video presentations, hearing a live presentation by an Alamo docent, and walking through the hallowed grounds, it's starting to make more sense. If someone had asked me before visiting Texas when the Battle at the Alamo actually happened, I'm not sure what I would have responded, probably something like early 1800s. But it has been etched forever in that it took place in March of 1836, after the Battle at Goliad and before the 18-minute Battle of San Jacinto. Below you'll see the six flags of Texas:



In the midst of all of this some Texan leaders declared their independence from Mexico. It lasted for almost a decade before Texas decided to join the US as a state in 1845, and became embroiled in the Civil War as a slave state.

There are a lot of people who don't live in Texas who I know shake their heads at the pride these folks feel in their 'country.' After visiting and hearing the stories of the heroes, and knowing that Texas history isn't taught all that much outside the state, I can understand their feeling of being special.

Although I grew up in Ohio, I naturally gravitate to the stories of the American Revolution - and am awestruck by the important events that happened in my adopted home state of Massachusetts. People who grow up in Texas feel the same way about the events that happened here. I don't think this diminishes the love they have for the United States, it's just an added attraction for them. I admire this sense of home that they have - it's certainly not what I feel about being from Ohio.

One of the most interesting things is that the Alamo Shrine is treated, not just as a historic location, but as hallowed ground. When we visited, it was the day after the annual week-long San Antonio "Fiesta," and there were wreaths of flowers from all the states that existed at the time of the Alamo and the home countries of many who died (like Scotland, Germany, the Netherlands, England), making the site more the hallowed ground of a battlefield than just another tourist trap.

After the Alamo, we took a stroll along San Antonio's Riverwalk, which by all appearances is about all there is to show for the city. It was nice, but a bit of a manufactured tourist trap. But, the weather was gorgeous and it proved to be worth the trip.

And Then There's Kyle

By popular demand, I need to go back and tell the Saturday story of arriving at the airport with a certain tall curly-haired Texan.

Let me begin where it all started. The airport van pulled up to a jam-packed JetBlue terminal early on Saturday morning and we barely had room to unload the suitcases. In fact, the back doors of the van were blocking the crosswalk, causing everyone to walk around them. I noticed as we awaited the retrieval of our suitcases that a bunch of well-dressed young men pulling carry-on bags kept coming around. It was somewhat frustrating because they kept getting in the way of the van driver. Eventually, we were able to make our way into the terminal, with the crowd of men surrounding us. As we walked to the kiosk to pick up our boarding passes, Bob turns to me and says, "That guy looks like Kyle Snyder." I looked up, thinking to myself: "It won't be Kyle Snyder, Bob doesn't even know what Kyle Snyder looks like." But, as the group of men moved beyond us, I saw this particularly tall guy ahead, towering above the others.

"Hey, that IS Kyle Snyder!" By this point, I was standing in front of the kiosk with my credit card in my hand. I quickly rooted through my purse to find my phone so I could take his picture, not caring whether I dropped my wallet (yes, a recurring theme) or blocked anyone else from getting their boarding passes. Bob probably thought I was nuts, but I KNEW that if I didn't get this picture, a certain bunch of friends would never forgive me.

So, do you think Kyle knew I was taking his picture?



I got another one of the back of his head - perhaps any of you eagle-eyed people might recognize other members of the Pawtucket Red Sox?



Then there is this one of Kyle when he walked by the Starbucks counter where we enjoyed a muffin and coffee pre-flight:



And, once the excitement of seeing Kyle wore off, I managed to get Craig Hansen, who looks WAY better in a business suit than a baseball uniform:



And then there's Craig buying his Vitamin Water:



So, that is my brush with fame early on a Saturday morning in April. Ta dah!

From Boston to Austin, and All Points In Between...

We're about 36 hours into the Texas sojourn and so far, we're crazy about Austin. After our friend, Tex, greeted with a Guinness (in celebration of our SG Sisterhood) and some chocolate covered strawberries (in honor of Bob and my anniversary), we launched ourselves into the local scene.

Our first stop was dinner yesterday at Evangeline's Cafe, about as authentic a Cajun restaurant as you could ask for this side of the Louisiana border. Since Tex herself is a native Cajun, Evangeline's had to live up to some rather exacting standards, and we were pleased to be with her on her maiden voyage to this unexpectedly wonderful restaurant.



Luckily for all of us, the crawfish boil passed inspection, and the three of us were soon up to our elbows (or so it seemed) in crawfish juice and spices. For Bob this was a true test of his willingness to be all in on this vacation as he NEVER eats finger foods. But soon he was ripping the heads off the suckers with the best of 'em. While we licked our fingers and ordered more beers, a nice Cajun band played:



After this great start, we went down to Town Lake and walked along looking at the Austin skyline, and came upon the Stevie Ray Vaughn statue right on the water. It was a beautiful night, but since we had woken up at around 4 am to catch our flight from Boston we made it an early evening. Before we settled in, Bob and I made a quick run to the grocery, where -- unbeknownst to me -- I decided to let my wallet spend the night. Aren't I thoughtful?

It wasn't till this morning's visit to Austin Java for breakfast that I discovered my missing wallet, of course. After scouring the hotel room, the rental car, I called the grocery. Lucky for me (damn lucky for me), they had found the wallet and it soon was retrieved. Nothing like a heart palpitations to start off a vacation, eh?

Although we planned to go to see the Alamo today, the weather wasn't as cooperative. So instead we went to the Texas State House for the tour, followed by a visit to the Texas History Museum. I'm literally seeing stars, one lone star at a time, after this afternoon's trek. All the Texas history I knew before today came from watching Davy Crockett on TV as a kid, but after this afternoon's immersion, I'm fairly certain that I know the difference between Santa Ana and San Jacinto, between Stephen Austin and Sam Houston, and more.





After our history lesson, we rested our tired feet at El Arroyo's, chowing down on some great Mexican food.

Next stop...the infamous Chicken Shit Sunday at Ginny's Little Longhorn Cafe:



This is one of the places you'd NEVER find without knowing a local Austin-ite. It was a small cinderblock bar with a small band, led by James Intveld, a cross between Elvis and Willie Nelson. The place was packed wall-to-wall, finding room to dance where there was hardly any.

But the real draw, of course, is the raffle. Every hour or so, nearly the entire bar lines up to buy a $2 ticket, guessing where a chicken will drop its...well, shit. The red chicken looks rather well-fed, and is placed into its coop where a grid of numbers is painted on the floor. Everyone crowds around, taking pictures and coaxing the chicken to do its business on the proper number.



Unfortunately, we didn't win, but we still were able to enjoy the rest of the show:





Next up...San Antonio! Remember the Alamo?

Goin' to Texas

Seriously, never thought we'd pay money to go to Texas. But here we are...today's the day. In honor of that, I give you a favorite son of Texas, Mr. Stevie Ray Vaughn:




Oh, and Happy Anniversary to my sweetie-pie. Good Lord, 28 years? How could that possibly be? It's been fun, hasn't it...and I still like trippin' with you.

I love you with all my heart...still.

The One Where Obama Explains Hip Hop Music

As a kid, we think about the president as an old, white guy who is intelligent, worldly and wise. He (and it always was a he, of course) hung out with boring bankers and diplomats and came from a stodgy, Ivy League background. No doubt his family was wealthy and somewhat conservative in that they were usually keepers of the status quo. Let's face it, even the Democrats that have been elected are typically from the ruling class.

One of the most stunning things about Senator Obama, for me, is his age. If elected, this will be the first president who is younger than me. I have no problem with this, of course, as I'm getting to the part of my life where a LOT of people actually are younger than me. I'm used to it.

But do you want to know what I really appreciate about the good Senator? Today, I found a clip where he explains hip hop music. I've never been a fan of rap, don't listen to much of it because the sound mostly annoys me. Yeah, I'm not exactly the demographic they're going after, but I might have to try some after watching this clip. (Although the fact that he also mentions Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye and the Temptations at the same time, does warm the cockles of my heart.)



Imagine a president who actually can talk about pop culture? I'm liking this idea.

Dusting Off the Place

Alright, stop looking at me like that. I've been busy at work. I was sick for two weeks. I have been engrossed in baseball games. I've been 'palooza-ing.

Besides, I haven't had anything earth-shattering to say. Yes, the Clinton-Obama saga continues unabated. She's still clinging to hope. He's still rising above it all. At long last, the Pennsylvania primary is less than a week away. If Hillary gains more than 10 votes out of the deal, I'll eat my...Red Sox hat. Yeah, that's it.

And it's now 10 days until our vacation. Yes, indeed, we's goin' to Texas. Cannot wait for the good times, good music, good friends, good weather, and more. I'm looking forward to a nice relaxing time, sleeping late and going to 10:00 pm shows. Wahooo.

And for those who care, the Texas Music Series continues...



Texas wants us anyway??? Wooooooot!!!!

Texas Music Series: Alejandro Escovedo (new music!)

Breakfast with the Champions

The day we've been waiting for all this long winter finally arrived! And I'm having a hard time figuring out which aspect of today's events was the most bizarre. Waking up at 5 am to watch the pre-game show? How about the "opening ceremonies" featuring young Japanese girls dancing across the field in traditional costumes? How about the gigantic flower bouquets presented to each manager at home plate? All of those were fairly odd, certainly, and I assume won't be duplicated any time soon.

In spite of the unusual beginning to baseball season, it was good to see that there also were a lot of similarities to last year's championship season:

• Matsuzaka threw entrirely too many pitches causing me to yell at the car radio by the second inning
• the bullpen pitched very well, except for a minor blip from Paps
• the rookies all played their hearts out, especially Brandon Moss, the happiest man on earth
• Manny was...well, Manny
• Best of all...the Sox won the game in an exciting, come-from-behind, extra-innings game!

So. We're undefeated. It's spring. All is right with the world.


*Picture by Barry Chin, courtesy of Boston.com.

The 4000

Here's the original image by Nico Pitney and post. Be sure to click it open all the way so you can see some of the faces close-up. It's quite powerful, and so very sad.

Bring them the hell home.

Chicken Shit Sunday

Five weeks from this very moment, I will have experienced "Chicken Shit Sunday" in Austin. It looks like a hoot-and-a-half, and far different from many of the other ways we've entertained ourselves while on vacation.

For those of you who might not be traveling to Austin, youtube has (of course) provided an alternative. Enjoy.

Texas Music Series: Dixie Chicks

Here's a two-fer: one of my favorite guilty pleasures, the Dixie Chicks (from Texas) reacting to their famous anti-Bush statement. Perfect as a palette cleanser for the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq. And, no, I ain't ready to make nice either.

History in the Making

OK, I admit it. I'm fully, madly, deeply supportive of Senator Obama. Today proved it most forcefully for me.

I'm sure he realized that at some point he was going to have to give a speech like this, and it came at a time when he apparently most needed it. All of us should ask ourselves, when was the last time a politician actually talked to us? Actually talked in a way that was normal, about a topic that each of us faces every day?

::scratching my head::

Well, the answer is simple: never. If you haven't had a chance to hear the speech today, here it is. Do yourself a favor and let yourself listen. We'll all be better for having done so.

Yes, we can

Texas Music Series: Kinky and Friend

Where to Begin?

Couple of questions for you tonight.

What exactly does Geraldine Ferraro mean by this?

"If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position," she continued. "And if he was a woman (of any color) he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept."

Let me get this straight. Ms. Ferraro, who was nominated to be VP in 1984 solely on the basis of being a woman, thinks that Senator Obama is leading in the nomination process because he's NOT white? While I have no reason to believe that Geraldine Ferraro is a racist, she is allowing those who might believe that blacks get an advantage in our society due to their color to think that Senator Obama has "jumped the line," that somehow he hasn't earned his place. Unfortunately, there are too many white people (and I'm related to some) who think that affirmative action is "reverse discrimination." Unfortunately, there is no history of discrimination against white people in our society, and so that theory doesn't have a leg to stand on.

Question Number Two for today: Was last week a bad one for Senator Obama? If you listen to the average nightly news broadcast, you might think so. But check this out.

"So officially, Obama has a 13-delegate advantage for the week even before Mississippi votes tomorrow. Throw in the unpledged delegate in Wyoming who will certainly be an Obama delegate, and unofficially, Obama notched a 14-delegate gain in this "week from hell" for him."

And every time you hear anyone saying that HRC won Texas, be sure to tell them otherwise. Yes, she won the popular vote, but Senator Obama won in the more important delegate count. Paging Al Gore...

Keep the faith, peeps.

PS: I really must have been a hurry last night. Sorry for the incoherence.

Texas Music Series: Janis

I came of age just before Janis died, without knowing how much of a trailblazer she was. I didn't question the fact that there were so few women in rock and roll who were able to stand on a stage and rip your heart out - along with her own.

Janis is an American treasure.

Foreign Policy Credentials?

Senator Clinton has tried to make her so-called "experience" as First Lady stand up as making her the better candidate for the presidency. Well, journalists are starting to investigate this jut a bit and the answer is not good:

"In Clinton's case, she may well have exercised influence on foreign policy that is hard to document because she had a unique opportunity to offer private counsel to her husband, President Bill Clinton.

But while Hillary Clinton represented the U.S. on the world stage at important moments while she was first lady, there is scant evidence that she played a pivotal role in major foreign policy decisions or in managing global crises."

I'm not suggesting she has NO experience. Certainly simply observing all the important events of the Clinton administration close up has to be an advantage. But anyone with a decent brain could have soaked up the same experiences.

Also, what is the deal with Senator Clinton saying that only she and Grandpa McW have crossed the "threshold" to be commander-in-chief? Since when do Democrats do that to each other? This infuriated me so much the other night that I picked up the phone and called her Arlington, Virginia, headquarters to give them a piece of my mind. I suppose it was a good thing that I ended up in voice mail hell and eventually was hung up on.

Looks like Joe Lieberman has a competitor for Democrat Most Likely to Implode.

::fingers crossed::

No, They Wouldn't Do That, Would They??

Would the HRC campaign REALLY do this? I'd like to think they wouldn't stoop so low, but it appears to be a distinct possibility. Man, this campaign is getting way too intense, and it only gives Grandpa McW the edge. Check it out for yourself. The top picture is from the recent debate, the bottom picture is how HRC's team featured Senator Obama in a campaign ad (click on the pix below to see it in full size). You be the judge.

Texas Music Series: Big Mama Thornton

If you thought Elvis was the original hound dog, you would be wrong. Be sure to listen to the very end - it's great.

Health Care: USA-Style

The TV show, "60 Minutes" hasn't been relevant to us in years, especially since the dimmest of bulbs, Katie Couric, joined the team. But last night's show featured a report about the "Remote Area Medical Corps" or RAM. The charity was initially started in the 90’s by it’s founder, Stan Brock (former co-star of Wild Kingdom...now there's a blast from the past!), to give health care relief to remote areas of Latin America. Last night's segment made America’s health care system look not all that much different than that of a third world country.

RAM set up for a weekend in Knoxville, Tennessee, and their eye doctors, gynecologists, dentists and other medical personnel offered free medical care for as many people as they could handle in two days. People were camping out in 20-degree weather for the opportunity to see the doctors. It literally looked like a scene from "The Grapes of Wrath" with people staring into the wire fence with broken, sad faces. Old people, children, young people - all needing medical care.

It brought me to near tears, especially when a woman who was nearly blind and missed the cut-off for getting help was reduced to saying she would have to beg...her friends, her church for assistance to get new glasses. Instead of being angry, she half-smiled, shrugged and said "God will provide."

The people in line for free health care were not entirely poverty striken - many simply had ridiculously high deductibles, or were forced to choose to feed their children rather than see doctors themselves. Needless to say, although the team was able to serve nearly 1,000 people, hundreds were turned away. As I watched I wondered how many of these people had voted for the Chimp, against their own economic self-interest. Imagine if the Democrats set up a voter registration table right alongside these people - something tells me they would have had a rapt audience for the universal health care policy.

Perhaps some smart person will ask Grandpa McCain what his plan is for taking care of Americans who aren't serving in the military. Go here to see a short version of the story, or to the CBS site for the entire segment.

I end on a positive note: the woman who needed the glasses was able to slip in at the last minute and get her glasses. Apparently, God does provide.

UPDATE: Donate to RAM here.

Bonus: Texas Music Series

We're going to San Antone!

A Library. Really?

Received this in an email from my brother the other day:


The George W Bush Presidential Library is now in the planning stages. You'll want to be one of the first to make a contribution to this man's legacy. The Library will include:

• The Hurricane Katrina Room, which is still under construction.
• The Alberto Gonzales Room, where you can't remember anything.
• The Texas Air National Guard Room, where you won't have to even show up.
• The Walter Reed Hospital Room, where they won't let you in.
• The Guantanamo Bay Room, where they won't let you out.
• The Weapons of Mass Destruction Room (which they're still trying to locate).
• The Iraq War Room, where after you complete your first tour, they will make you go back for second, third, fourth, and sometimes fifth tours.
• The Dick Cheney Room, in the famous undisclosed location, complete with shooting gallery.

Plans also include:

• The K-Street Project Gift Shop, where you can buy (or just steal) an election.
• The Airport Men's Room, where you can meet some of your favorite Republican Senators.
• To highlight the President's accomplishments, the museum will have an electron microscope to help you locate them.
• Last, but not least, there will be an entire floor devoted to a 7/8 scale model of the President's ego.

We may be going to Texas soon, but won't be stopping here anytime soon.

Texas Music Series: Joe Ely and the Crickets

Here's a shout-out from Lubbock, brought to all of you by request of my homie.

Bush Declares Himself Dictator

He's finally gone and done what he's wanted to do for the past 7+ years - name himself dictator. And he has the wardrobe to prove it!

Actually, this is an AP picture from his recent travels in Africa, but WTF reason would he have for actually donning these duds? Who knows how that man's brain works? Let us all just be grateful he's got less than a year left to torment us.

Texas Music Series

In honor of our forthcoming visit to Texas, let's take a look at famous artists from the Lone Star state. Here's one of my favorites. If you have a suggestion for upcoming features, let me know! Because there are so many to choose from, this series may take a while.

A Debate?

Are there any differences between Senator Obama and Senator Clinton? Nah, very little when it comes to policy. They both want universal health care, tax breaks for the middle class, a sensible immigration policy, a more diplomatic foreign policy, ending the war in short order, etc. etc.

So when they debate, the two candidates spend an ridiculous amount of time saying: "I agree with Senator Clinton," and "I agree with Senator Obama." So what's the difference between them...because it sure ain't policy.

It's called style.

It's called change.

It's called not-Clinton.

Sorry, Hillary, but so long as the conversation stays in the "I agree with Senator Obama" space, you're going to lose the nomination. It's not that I want them to disagree, it's just that there's nothing she can do at this point to change the game.

And that makes me happy.

But, I really have to be sure that my support of Senator Obama does not denigrate Mrs. Clinton, who is a strong candidate, a thoughtful person, a brilliant Senator. If it wasn't for Senator Obama, there's a good chance I'd be rooting her on right about now. While I have strong feelings about President Clinton's role in the Senator's campaign and potential presidency, and I'm not a fan of dynastic politics, it is important that we not lose sight of her many contributions. And, I feel strongly that we NOT tear her down, while supporting Senator Obama.

Personally, I look forward to many long years of rooting Senator Clinton on - in the Senate.*




*I remember having a T-shirt back in college that said "A Woman's Place is in the House...and the Senate." In those days, having the possibility of a woman running for president and being taken seriously, was a mere pipedream. Or maybe it was the pipe I was smoking??

Wheeeeeee!

So, he did it again! Barack is projected to be the winner in Wisconsin tonight - great news for all of us looking forward into the 21st century and hoping for some change in the politics as usual. I am so looking forward to Senator Obama taking on Grandpa McBush in November - he'll wipe the floor up with the old geezer.

Now it's time for Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island to bring it home.

Will Texas Do It?

Well, this is interesting! Obama has pretty much caught up to Billary in this recent CNN poll from Texas! It's now Clinton 50, Obama 48. This could be the one that helps put HRC out of her misery. If so, I will have to figure out a suitable gift of gratitude when we go to Austin in April!

And just to prove I can keep an eye on both sides, I understand Grandpa McCain decided he would take the "no new taxes" pledge on the day that his colleague, Bush 41, endorses him. That worked out really well for him, no? What a great harbinger of things to come. Pretty funny timing, if you ask me.

PS: JD, you're also responsible for making sure Vermont votes properly, too!

Happy Pitchers and Catchers-Reporting Day!

As a palette cleaner from the politics of the day, I give you Jonathan Papelbon, the happiest man on earth. He held court at the first day of spring training for the World Champion Boston Red Sox, waxing poetic on everything from traveling to Japan to play ball, driving down the Florida highway to spring training, whether the ball from the final out of the World Series was really chewed up by his dog, and probably a million other things, most of which likely would be unsuitable for children.

Have I mentioned how much I adore Paps? I love his lightheartedness and childlike approach to life. But what I like even more is THAT face - the one he uses to stare down opposing batters. It's the face of a psychotic, and he uses it to help put himself into a trance of epic proportions. It's the face of the last out of the 2007 World Series. And just when I had finally gotten over the celebratory Riverdancing of last fall, he's back on our TVs marking the opening of Spring Training 2008.

Let the games begin!

*Photo at top from AP and is probably the best one I've ever seen of Mr. P; second photo from Sports Illustrated.

The Audacity of Gloom

Grandpa McCain Is The Nominee

Although McCain might be the very least objectionable GOoPer that could have been nominated this year, I can't imagine voting for anyone whose major claim to fame, seemingly, is that he enlisted as a foot soldier in the Reagan Revolution. Ask anyone under 35 what the hell that actually means and I bet you'd get a blank stare.

Frankly, voting for Grandpa McW is only going to give us another four years of Bush-iness, minus the waterboarding. Well, maybe that's enough for some people, but I would like to see the country attempt to do something a little more, shall we say, ambitious. Perhaps try to fix health care, try to fix our cities (New Orleans, anyone?), fix our schools, fix the WAR! And by fix it, I mean end that ridiculous fiasco. No, Grandpa McCain thinks it would be just fine to stay in Iraq for another hundred years. If I had young'ens in the house, I'd start worrying right here and right now.

I would dearly love to see either of the Democrats debate Pops McW. Imagine a vigorous, healthy, energetic Obama standing tall next to McW, who would look even more pale than he already does (sorry, I couldn't resist). Imagine Grandpa debating Hillary while she runs rings around him with facts and figures at her fingertips. After this week's Super Bowl, I guess we learned that there are no such things as sure bets in anything, but I certainly like our chances.

Unlike the conventional wisdom of the MSM punditry, I think having Hillary and Barack debate (so long as it's relatively polite) for another month is not necessarily a bad thing. Having them both talking the good talk, demonostrating their command of the issues could be a very positive development, while Grandpa goes around chasing the right wingers like that comedian, Rush Limbaugh, and scaring the shit out of everyone with his tough talk. Ahhhh, this is going to be fun!

And one final thing...why the hell do you not see Grandpa without his bodyguards Senators Lieberman and Graham? Is this a campaign or a buddy movie?

*image courtesy of NoMcW.com

Kumbaya!

Driving to my polling place at the Town Garage, I got a little misty-eyed over going in to vote for a choice between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. It occurred to me that this is a huge deal, and one that we should stop and take note. Maybe it's a good sign that not much has made, in large measure, to the fact that there is NO viable white man on the ballot for the Democrats.

But, I ask you to stop and think about that...drink it in:

THERE.IS.NO.WHITE.MAN.ON.THE.BALLOT.IN.THE.
DEMOCRATIC.PRESIDENTIAL.PRIMARY.

This is more than amazing. For younger voters, this probably doesn't seem all that unusual, I suppose. They've seen women and African Americans in every kind of role imaginable - in fact, so much that it's hardly even noteworthy. But, for those of us who experienced the women's and civil rights movements first-hand, I can attest that this is indeed a historic occasion.

These Kumbaya-like thoughts were rattling around in my brain when I arrived at my destination and saw a black man leaving the polling place. It was all I could do to keep myself from hugging him when we passed one another. Then, as I waited in line, an African American woman fell in line behind me. I wanted to turn and ask her who she was voting for, but I contained myself. As I awaited my turn to slip my vote into the collection slot, there was an Indian woman with two children. As the 5-year-old boy watched me check out, I was thankful that he would experience an entirely different kind of voting experience than people my age have.

So, who did I vote for? Well, you know that's a BIG secret.




PS: Lest someone assume I am totally a Pollyanna, on my drive home I also mused about who I would waterboard if I could choose any one person. I'll let you chew on that one for a while and add your own choices, if you so desire. :)

Today's Sermon: Yes We Can

Time to let go of yesterday and try and make tomorrow a little brighter. Vote your economic self-interest; vote for hope; vote for Democrats; vote Obama. Vote.

Remember the War?

There appears to be further evidence that the so-called "surge" might just be moving the trouble from Baghdad and the larger cities of Iraq to outlying areas, rather than actually ending the war. In January, there was a rise in the number of American service members killed. This is from McClatchy News Service:

"A total of 3,942 American service members have been killed in Iraq as of Thursday, according to icasualties.org, an independent Web site that tracks the statistics.

U.S. officials in Iraq said the death toll had risen because the military was targeting armed groups that had been driven out of Baghdad and Al-Anbar by the increase in American troops.

In January, the military launched a major offensive in northeastern Diyala province, where nine service members were killed. In addition, the United States moved troops to the northwestern Ninevah province, which has become an Al-Qaida in Iraq stronghold. Seven service members were killed there in January, compared with four in December.

The fact that more Americans have been killed in those provinces has some fretting that the United States is fighting another round of "whack-a-mole," a term that Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., once used to describe chasing insurgents and terrorists from one part of Iraq to another."

How long will it take for Republicans to figure out that there needs to be a political solution to the war? Sending more good young people to die in an endless loop of tragedy does nothing, except perhaps make Muslims and others around the world hate America even more. Like mischievous children, the insurgents want us to chase them - for the attention it brings to their cause. Like an inexperienced babysitter, the Chimp fell for this behavior in 2003. Perhaps we should elect some actual ADULTS next time, eh?

Stop the war. Elect Democrats.



PS: The Left Curve poll to determine the Democratic nominee has closed. Final results: Obama 10; Clinton 5; Edwards 2. Thanks to everyone for your participation...

I'm a Broken Record

Uncle Teddy Gets It Right

Although some may think Ted Kennedy is a joke or as irrelevant as yesterday's newspaper, I'm fairly certain his endorsement of Barack Obama today says volumes. Along with his niece's endorsement yesterday, Teddy's seal of approval amounts to a "passing of the torch" to a new generation of leaders. This is clearly a hard-won endorsement and is coming for Obama at just the right time.

Can you imagine the phone calls between the Clintons and Kennedys over this endoresement? Billary has to be downright pissed right about now. Somehow you get the sense that they thought all Hillary had to do was declare her intent to run and everyone would just get out of the way. And it probably came as an enormous surprise that Teddy would actually not stay neutral in this fight.

According to "The Politico":

“This is the biggest Democratic endorsement Obama could possibly get short of Bill Clinton,” said a high-level Democrat.

The Clinton campaign launched a last-ditch effort over the last few days to stop Kennedy's move, orchestrating a flood of phone calls to Kennedy from sources ranging from union chiefs to his Massachusetts constituents.

The former president also called Kennedy in a vain attempt to keep him out of the race, a source familiar with the conversation said.

Since Bill has recently decided he wants to play hardball against Obama, how could he possibly expect that the other side wouldn't?

I certainly hope this brings more of my fellow Massachusetts voters to Obama a week from Tuesday when we have our primary. The polls I've read have shown Hillary with a substantial lead here (although I've yet to meet anyone who is voting for her). Perhaps this will turn the tide.

Thanks (again), Teddy!

Obama Routs Clinton in South Carolina

Alleluia!

Barack Obama clearly beat Hillary in South Carolina tonight and I couldn't be happier. Who knows what the next primary will bring, but at least for the time being, the momentum has shifted.

As for me, I'm doing my happy dance.

UPDATE: For those who are interested, Caroline Kennedy is endorsing Barack in tomorrow's New York Times, calling him "A president like my father."

Memo to Bill: S.T.F.U.

OK, I'll say it as plainly as possible.

Bill Clinton needs to shut the fuck up.

Watching the state of the political discussion (if you'd like to call it that) this week, I've been incredibly disturbed by the former President's role in his wife's campaign and his need to be the center of attention. As I've said ad nauseum, I'm not interested in voting for Hillary, primarily because I think it's time to MOVE ON to new people with new ideas.

When he left the presidency, we all wondered how Bill was going to keep himself occupied. I hadn't thought of it before, but I am now wondering exactly WHY he befriended the Bush family and was frequently inserting himself into disaster relief efforts: the Asian tsunami; Hurricane Katrina, for example. Somehow he managed to get himself into the limelight, despite what we presume (hope?) were opposing views on the politics.

At the same time, he obviously was interested in Mrs. Clinton pursuing a political career - not only because she was good at it, but likely because it allowed him to continue to be a player. Now that she's running for president, Bill can't help but draw all the attention to himself.

I voted for Bill Clinton twice, and happily did so. I defended him during the impeachment days, and even found myself defending him in recent years - especially in conversations about the inevitable discussions of his and Hillary's marriage.

But, here's the point. Bill Clinton is addicted to attention. Unfortunately, Hillary is too ambitious to suggest they go home and live happily ever after. I think it says something about the two of them that they can't be content with for her just being a damn good senator from New York. Personally, I think it will not be good for the country to wallow in the Clintons' drama (and you KNOW there will be plenty of it) for the next 4 (or 8) years.

If Hillary wins the nomination, I'll vote for her in November, but I won't like it.

In the meantime, I hope Senator Obama figures out how to beat back both of the Clintons and snatch the nomination from their death grip.

Barack Obama: Hope Monger

Check out Barack's speech at Martin Luther King Jr.'s Atlanta church below. It gave me chills and I hope you all will take a listen:

Inauguration Day: Let the Countdown Begin

In almost exactly one year from the moment I am typing this (12:22 pm ET), we are guaranteed that the Bush presidency will be over. OVER, I tell you, O.V.E.R. And it can't come fast enough. It's clear that the Chimp has lost interest in the job - he can't even feign that the economic stimulus package he's proposing gives him any thrills, there's (presumably, hopefully!) no more wars to start. He's clearly playing out the string. (And, after seeing Cheney for the first time in a long time, standing behind the Chimp, it appears that he died a while back, and we're in "Weekend at Bernie's" mode.)

Next year, our new president will be giving his or her inauguration speech right at this time. (Isn't it nice to even use the word "her" and perhaps mean it?) The new president will begin a post-Bush era, but will be left will a complete mess to clean up: a war that will likely still be going on, continued threats from terrorism, environmental issues and global warming, health care concerns, losses of jobs to emerging economies in Asia, immigration problems (although I personally don't know why this is any more of a threat today than it has been since the 1800s...), etc. etc. Considering all the troubles, why would anyone want the job in the first place? But that's a subject for another day.

For the next 364 days this country will be on "hold," just waiting for the primaries to cough up two nominees, the conventions in the summer and the general election in the fall. It will likely go fast (especially at my advanced age), but the idea that we're nearing the end of having to think or hear from Bush and/or Cheney makes this one happy day for me. The only day that will beat it is January 20, 2009.





(The picture above is Abraham Lincoln's inaugration in 1861, from the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.)

Steve Earle and Emmylou Harris - Goodbye

I do believe this is one of my favorite songs...ever.

Democrats for Mitt

OK, a little background for this one is required. The circular firing squad, otherwise known as the GOoPer candidates for president are having a hard time coming up with a frontrunner.

If you live in Michigan (and I doubt anyone reading this does, but what the hell?), voting for Mitt in the upcoming primary just prolongs the hilarity in the Republican ranks. You see, Mitt's spending his considerable fortune creating attack ads on the other guys. If he doesn't win the Michigan primary, he could be out of the race. And then who could we depend on to take the other guys down for us?

This video sums it up perfectly. Go Mitt!

We're Going to Texas?

(Photo by way of the New York Times from the Texas State History Museum)

For the first time in our adult lives, Bob and I are thinking of going to Texas...voluntarily. Bob has been there before, for Air Force Basic Training, and I went to Houston once on a business trip, but these doesn't really count, now do they?

Yup, folks, we're going to Austin, that hot bed of live music of all types: rock, country, blues...and more. We anticipate soaking up the local culture to find out why people want to "Keep Austin Weird." Perhaps we'll even catch some of our musical favorites, everyone from Alejandro Escavedo, to Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson or the Dixie Chicks...who knows who we might run into? And we have our own personal guide to all things Austin: my internet pal "Tex." If ever there was a great advertisement for a city (or really an entire state of mind), it would be Tex. She's a little bit Cajun, a wee bit Southern, but Texan to the marrow of her bones. I'm looking forward to having her show us around the capital city and to let us see it through her eyes.

While we're in the neighborhood, we'll likely take the short drive to San Antonio - if you're that close to the Alamo, you have to visit it, right? The story of that famous siege has always been interesting to us and we have to see it for ourselves. We'll also take a drive through the Hill Country and find out what LBJ and Ladybird saw in it. Perhaps we'll even catch a bluebonnet or two, but we may not make it in time for peak blooming season.

I'm beginning to do a lot of reading about Austin and with everything I read I get more excited and sure that this is our kind of place. We're just a little weird, too. Not sure if I'm weird enough to buy some cowboy boots, but you never know.

By the way, "Tex" assures me that the Chimp isn't really a Texan, so there's no worries that I've turned into one of them. We have just one financial hurdle to cross before I sign us up for the trip. Keep your fingers crossed!

The Issue of Gender

Man, this week's presidential race took some surprising twists and turns. New Hampshire, which seemed to be leaning toward Barak Obama, went for Hillary Clinton. All the pundits seem to be saying that the reason she won is because of her now-famous "tearing up" the other day.

If you haven't seen it, you can certainly find the clip on YouTube or any news outlet. I'm not going to run it here. But, here's what I saw. I saw an exhausted, frustrated woman who got emotional and momentarily dropped her professional wall in public. I recognized so much of myself in this moment. There have been many times in the workplace where I have teared up when I least expected it, and gotten emotional when it was MOST inconvenient. It's happened more times than I care to admit.

Considering all the times Hillary has had cameras in her face, I'm actually surprised it took her this long for a small crack in her facade to appear. For 15 years, she has had every iota of her personal life questioned and inspected. In my view, Hillary is MORE than entitled to a moment like this.

Most interestingly, I cannot recall a political question (small though this may be) on which my husband and I disagreed. Bob saw Hillary get emotional and stopped taking her seriously as a candidate. While I don't want to characterize his take on this totally, I think he was a little surprised that I - basically an Obama supporter - could even relate to Hillary in that moment. The thing is, women have those kinds of moments ALL THE TIME. It's who we are - we get emotional, we share our feelings, we vent and we move on. In no way do I think this disqualifies a woman for the presidency because any woman who didn't have these types of emotions would be abnormal.

Just consider, if you will, a moment where one of the male candidates gets emotional. It could be Mitt Romney discussing his religion, or John Edwards talking about his late teenaged son, or Barak Obama discussing what it means to be a black man running for the White House. Picture them tearing up while talking to the press. What would that tell you about them? Try to apply the same thought process to the woman candidate. And, also, try to imagine your wife, your daughter, your niece getting the shit figuratively beat out of her every day at work. She's entitled to get verklempt once in a while, right?

So, guys, I hope you'll get used to it because one day - whether you are ready or not - a woman is going to be in the Oval Office. And the world will be better for it.

PS: I'm still voting for Barak. ;)

Ancient History

Although it feels like a lifetime ago (and perhaps it was), I still remember the first presidential candidate I met, and later voted for. My sister, Nancy, and I, along with our dear friend Barb, went to a union hall after work in the fall of 1972 to hear George McGovern speak. In those more innocent times, all you had to do was show up and you were able to hear the man speak and shake his hand. I'm trying to remember if he had Secret Service protection, but I can't recall. I know there were handlers and TV crews present, but it was not difficult to get close to him.

In November, I proudly cast my first presidential vote for Senator McGovern. I've tried to do a Google search to find out the election results in my county that year, but suffice to say, I'm sure the good senator did not carry Hamilton County, Ohio.

I thought of Senator McGovern this morning, when reading an opinion piece in the Washington Post, entitled "Why I Believe Bush Must Go" in which he outlines why Mr. Bush should be impeached. While, at this point, impeachment might do more damage than it's worth, we should pay attention to the problems left behind by the Chimp and his entourage. The next president will have his or hands full trying to shovel out the dirt left behind.

Here's Senator McGovern's take:

Although the president was advised by the intelligence agencies last August that Iran had no program to develop nuclear weapons, he continued to lie to the country and the world. This is the same strategy of deception that brought us into war in the Arabian Desert and could lead us into an unjustified invasion of Iran. I can say with some professional knowledge and experience that if Bush invades yet another Muslim oil state, it would mark the end of U.S. influence in the crucial Middle East for decades.

Ironically, while Bush and Cheney made counterterrorism the battle cry of their administration, their policies -- especially the war in Iraq -- have increased the terrorist threat and reduced the security of the United States. Consider the difference between the policies of the first President Bush and those of his son. When the Iraqi army marched into Kuwait in August 1990, President George H.W. Bush gathered the support of the entire world, including the United Nations, the European Union and most of the Arab League, to quickly expel Iraqi forces from Kuwait. The Saudis and Japanese paid most of the cost. Instead of getting bogged down in a costly occupation, the administration established a policy of containing the Baathist regime with international arms inspectors, no-fly zones and economic sanctions. Iraq was left as a stable country with little or no capacity to threaten others.

Today, after five years of clumsy, mistaken policies and U.S. military occupation, Iraq has become a breeding ground of terrorism and bloody civil strife. It is no secret that former president Bush, his secretary of state, James A. Baker III, and his national security adviser, Gen. Brent Scowcroft, all opposed the 2003 invasion and occupation of Iraq.

See? There are some Republicans who got it right - it ain't so difficult, now is it?

And I'm still proud of my vote in 1972.

Favorite Picture

A few years ago, Bob and I attended a Sox game on my birthday and I snapped this lovely image of him and Wally. As I study the picture closely, I can't decide which of them is cuter.

Only 39 days till pitchers and catchers report for spring training! Yeeehaaaaa!

Favorite Word

Several months ago I realized that I have a favorite word. What is it?

Perhaps.

First of all, it literally sounds interesting, with a certain balance and symmetry in its two syllables. Similarly, for me it also comes with a certain promise and optimism -- it's not NO (probably my least favorite word).

Of course, perhaps isn't yes either, but it could be. As a child, my mother often said "perhaps" in response to our requests. To me, this response allowed me to continue to hope, and what could be better than that?

YAY!

I'm very pleased that Barak Obama won the Iowa caucuses tonight. I would have been just as happy with Edwards, but this pleases me very much.

Forrest Gumpabee

For a long while, I've thought that Mike Huckabee reminded me of someone. Tonight, seeing him sit on the guest chair across from Jay Leno, it came to me: Forrest Gump. He looked so self-satisfied in a very child-like way. Clearly, this man is in over his head.

Here's an example. A few weeks ago, reporters asked him whether he had read the NIE on Iran. (Even I know that the NIE is a "National Intelligence Estimate".) Gumpabee said he was too busy to read such things. Yes, he seriously said this. Naturally, reporters were coming to the same conclusion on the man's capabilities, and good ol' Mike tried to extricate himself:

The whole perception was based on an ambush question on the NIE report,” Huckabee said in an interview Monday with the Quad-City Times. “From there, it was like, ‘Wow.’ That was released at 10 o’clock in the morning. At 5:30 in the afternoon, somebody says, ‘Have you read the report?’ Maybe I should’ve said, ‘Have you read the report?’ President Bush didn’t read it for four years; I don’t know why I should read it in four hours.”

His comment about President Bush appears to be a reference to allegations made by Bush’s critics that Bush didn’t pay close enough attention to intelligence reports, particularly in the early years of his presidency.

When asked to clarify, Huckabee said this:

“The point I’m trying to make is that, on the campaign trail, nobody’s going to be able, if they’ve been campaigning as hard as we have been, to keep up with every single thing, from what happened to Britney last night to who won ‘Dancing with the Stars.’ ”

In the serious times in which we live, who the #$#@!@! cares about the tabloid news or reality TV? Apparently, these topics are near and dear to this man's heart. Stupid is as stupid does.

Huckabee scares the livin' shit out of me.

The Countdown Begins

A headline on msnbc.com today stopped me in my tracks:

"Clock Running on Bush Presidency"

Whoa! While I've been distracted temporarily by the 2007 World Series victory of the Red Sox, the upcoming primaries, the perilous state of Pakistan -- even (gulp) the excellence being shown by two other Boston sports teams: the Celtics and Patriots -- the clock has started to run out for the Chimp.

I have one word for this: alle-fuckin'-luia!!! For all the hatred I have for this man (and I don't use "hate" lightly here), I've not noticed the day-to-day BS he continues to perpetuate on all of us. But this article reminded me that this too shall pass. So how will the dope spend his last year?

Bush will venture to four other continents, get more involved than ever in trying to forge Middle East peace, and continue to command two wars that assure his relevancy to the end. As Iraq improves, he must now deal with renewed violence in Afghanistan and upheaval in Pakistan.

At home, Bush will try to extend two domestic achievements that are dear to his legacy — the No Child Left Behind education law, and tax cuts that otherwise expire in 2010.

Well, you wonder if he could screw things up worse than they already are...particularly in the Middle East and environs. I still scratch my head and wonder how Congress allowed him to take his eye off the ball in Afghanistan/Pakistan and go his own way in Iraq. That will haunt me, and most of this country, for years to come.

Let the countdown begin...