Green Acres is the Place for Me

Raleighwood

2009-11-10T08:34:00.004-05:00

We had a super time in Raleigh this past weekend! Tammy had a big party to celebrate a biiig birthday (her 40th), and some of us from Atlanta and elsewhere converged for the weekend. JP roasted oysters, made frogmore stew and boiled crabs, rolled up the carpets, and doled out the boas, tiaras and fab glasses. We had such a great time with old friends, and made a few new too. We miss you guys so much!

I wore that thing round my neck to work today, it can be loosely construed as a scarf doncha think?

Tea, Anyone?

2009-10-29T08:22:00.004-04:00

Steven got me this gorgeous little hand-painted tea table and 4 stools, with birds and cherry blossom branches. The table top is a quite thick tree section, minimally milled, and the legs of all the pieces are stout with fat stretchers and bridle joints i think, each with a little hardwood peg or stay where the tenon passes completely through the tenon (wish i really knew the lingo for what those kinds of joints are... can anybody help me with that?). Each is a beautiful work of art:

Just like our current Dining Room table, which we bought 5 or 6 years ago to use outside, we are both worried about this thing decaying on the front porch and are already talking about where to put it inside. We don't really need it inside, the front porch is the perfect place for it. It has a thick layer of something or other (Steven told me the Chinese word, but we don't know the English word). Looks something like a thick gauche topped with lacquer, then the hand-painted details, and then layers of clear lacquer. A lot of it is cracked and peeling, through all the layers, and all of the legs are peeling at their bottoms. That's all part of the charm, but we want to stabilize the charm where it is now. Does anybody know what to do for a piece like this? We are loathe to use one of those super-duper self-levelling polyeurethane sealers... as we have no idea how it would react with the lacquer or the painted detail.

We also had a great time with our new friend Jamey who went with us to Yellow Springs, and then to Springfield to pick this up. It was quite a production getting it; thanks for helping Jamey!

Cheers thanks alot!

*We've whiled away quite a bit of time doing our Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, and Joanna Lumley impersonations... while watching a Jamey's stellar array of EVERYTHING they've ever made*

Health Insurance Fatcats Must Be Stopped.

2009-09-30T15:48:00.002-04:00

Did anyone see part I of Ken Burn's documentary on the founding of our National Parks? It was done by a fit of imminent domain... the lands were set aside, and declared worthless. To shut the fatcats of the day to hell up.

Aside from what's going on in Maine

2009-09-27T11:04:00.000-04:00

Anybody going to this?

Everyone Help out in MAINE!

2009-09-23T20:05:00.006-04:00

Thanks MEL for letting us know what to do. Go HERE to make a donation, or do more if you live nearby. Mel is generously doing a raffle for all kinds of excellent stuff!

It's important folks. Donate as much as you can. I'm doing so now.

Newsclipping of the Day :: Reckoning for Democrats

2009-09-16T17:41:00.007-04:00

Robert Borosage has written one of the most succinct and compelling analyses of what the Democrats are faced with this summer and fall that i've read lately. Posting a link HERE, but the contents are below for ease and posterity. I hope we'll look back at this time with appreciation that some of our Democratic statesmen and women led the rest of the party out of the ditch and back toward the people's business. Now is the time for all of us to write our letters and speak up!

****************************************************

"President Obama traveled to Wall Street on the anniversary of the collapse of Lehman Brothers that triggered the worst financial debacle since the Great Depression. His purpose was to challenge Wall Street's barons, telling them:

"We will not go back to the days of reckless behavior and unchecked excess..where too many were motivated only by the appetite for quick kills and bloated bonuses"

Those days are over, the president said. It's time for comprehensive legislation. Taxpayers won't cover your bets or your bonuses. And we know once more the threat that financial holdings can pose to the nation.

The president invoked country and the common good. "Instead of learning the lessons...of the crisis, [some in the financial industry] are choosing to ignore them. They do so not just at their own peril, but our nation's." Obama called on Wall Street to act on its own, to overhaul pay systems, to level with consumers, to join with him in defining reform, but his tone was almost wistful. As he knows all too well, for much of Wall Street, patriotism is for suckers. And in Washington, private interests are rolling over the common good.

In the wake of the worst economic downturn since the 1930s, the president has called for fundamental reforms vital to the country's future. Put aside whether he's been too bold or too timid, whether he has pushed hard enough or too hard; there isn't any question he is calling the nation to its senses.

Our health care system is broken and unsustainable. Comprehensive reform is unavoidable. We can't continue to rely on fossil fuels; sustainable energy is a security imperative, not a choice. We need to shackle Wall Street, to shrink the size and excess profits of finance, and force it away from its addiction to gambling and back to the essential business of investing in the real economy. We have to reduce the crony capitalist subsidies that get squandered on agribusiness and Cold War weapons systems and top-end tax cuts, and use that money to invest in education, in a modern infrastructure, in research and development vital to a vibrant, high-road economy.

This really shouldn't be controversial. Yes, disagreements about how to get this done are to be expected, but the status quo is simply indefensible. Despite all the fantasies of the rabid right, Obama is moderate by temperament, creative at compromise. He is, as one of his White House staff members described him, a "raging minimalist." He really does believe you put everyone around a table, have a "civil conversation," find areas of agreement and move forward. He does believe that everyone—from billionaire hedge-fund operators to insurance company CEOS to conservative legislators—will in a crisis put the country first.

But he and his reform program are getting mugged. He's taken on the most powerful private interests in America—Big Oil, Wall Street, the insurance and drug lobbies—and they are winning. Republicans, despite the shattering of their conservative shibboleths, have chosen, with lockstep unity, obstruction over compromise. And too many Democrats have shown themselves more beholden to the private interests that pay for their campaigns than the public interest the president of their own party invokes.

We are witnessing a harrowing test of our democracy. America is a big, bustling and entrepreneurial country. We pursue our own passions and pursuits, are jealous of our freedoms, and begrudge governmental intrusions. But in a crisis—faced with depression or war, our history tells us many become one. We join together for the common good.

Well, it is hard to imagine a greater crisis than the one this country has faced over the last years. A middle class that has suffered a lost decade. Two wars. The Great Recession. Gilded Age inequality. Catastrophic climate change accelerating faster than most predictions.

Yet, we haven't come together. Wall Street lobbies against reform. Derivative traders will ante up hundreds of millions to block regulation of credit default swaps. Goldman Sachs is back to computerized gambling and billions in bonuses. The insurance companies are spending over a million-and-a-half dollars a day against comprehensive health-care reform.

The president's preemptive compromises only feed their appetites. He offers polluters a good portion of the revenue generated by "cap and trade." They lobby to weaken the cap.

He bails out banks rather than taking them over and reorganizing them. They lobby against his financial reforms. He doesn't try to push for Medicare for All, accepting the role of employment-based private insurance, and he's accused of a government takeover of health care.

The teabaggers were in Washington this past weekend. Despite their racial furies and right-wing fantasies, they shouldn't be dismissed. Many are working people, losing ground in an economy that isn't working for them. They are angry at a government that seems to take their taxes to bail out billionaire bankers, while they are left to swim or sink. They have every good reason to believe Washington caters to the wealthy and the connected, and not to them. And it is all too easy to deflect that anger to "them" —illegal immigrants, poor minorities, foreign aid recipients.

This is the test for Democrats. With the White House and majorities in both houses of Congress, Democrats have to produce. If they are too cautious or too compromised, they will feed what could be an ugly populist backlash.

Take health care reform. Sen. Max Baucus has produced a draft for the Finance Committee, making concessions as far anyone can see not for Republican votes, but for insurance lobby approval. He's produced that lobby's dream bill, mandating coverage for everyone without subsidies to make it affordable. His bill would drive people to take the high-deductible, low-coverage plans that are the industry's cash cows. It is hard to imagine a greater disservice to the country or to the party. Take young Americans who vote Democratic in large numbers, force them to buy health insurance that they don't want and can't afford, make them pay for policies that don't cover their health-care costs—and reap the whirlwind that you deserve.

These next months are the reckoning. The president and the Congress will step up to the reforms the country needs—or they will fail the nation in a time of peril. For citizens, now is the time to get engaged. The only way legislators in both parties will rise above partisan politics and private interests is if their constituents allow them no choice.

Middle-income Americans lost income over the last decade, for the first time since we began keeping records. Financial speculation drove the economy off the cliff. Catastrophic climate change is already melting the ice caps. We cannot afford another lost decade. If reason cannot prevail, angry people will increasingly look for a strong man to get something done. And that could make the teabaggers look like a tea party."

****************************************************

Here's one of my letters. I need to work on the ranting a bit:

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We would all be aghast if our system of education happened to be profit-based. Yes, there are many public and private Universities that take in much more capital than they need to meet operating expenses. And yes, private enterprise and the world of business benefit greatly from our system of education. It relies upon it for successes and profits. But the excess direct capital goes into endowments, to improve scholarship, facilities, and programs, and ensure the growth and endurance of the educational institutions. It doesn't go into exorbitant ransoms for a few elite at the top of the system, controlling the levers. We decided long ago that equal access to basic education was a right that belonged to every citizen, and we committed to that.

Why on earth is it acceptable to us that our system of healthcare should be profit based, now identical to the stock market? Who believes it is moral to buy and trade life and death futures? Who believes the masses should have every resource wrung out of them like coal stripped from the earth, while the few suck up all the resources and benefits? Why are huge profits allowable, giving all the resources to those at the very top, controlling the levers of the system, while those in need are allowed to die or are denied care for cost? Or, maybe worse, why are some given care and then forced into bankruptcy?

This is a government of the masses, and we must commit to single-payer healthcare. We are not slaves waiting to have our pockets emptied by a corrupt and bloated healthcare system. I demand that we craft reform legislation that makes access to healthcare equal and equitable for all. No one should ever die because they did not have access to healthcare. No one should ever go bankrupt or lose their house or nest egg because they became ill. The right to healthcare is as basic to our creed of "pursuit of happiness" as the right to education, free speech, or to assemble. You had better support the "public option" like your life depends on. Because all our lives do.

Equality Across America

2009-09-12T09:51:00.001-04:00

Equality Across America

Posted using ShareThis

A Great Time in Vegas

2009-09-11T19:26:00.005-04:00

In case there was any doubt, there is still lots of bling for sale in Las Vega$. David took this picture at some shop in The Wynn. The bling hasn't really come down in price either. Depression nothwithstanding. Do you recognize that person reflected in the Beyond-the-Sea's-Mirages Mirror? Yes, that's right, it's Jack Lemmon.

Quiche for breakfast. David and Kevin have a fabu new kitchen, which we happily invaded.

Steven is not nearly as good at bowling as he is at volleyball. But it sure makes him happy! The Red Rock Casino Lanes were extremely deluxe.

Thanks for the pictures David! Steven will post ours soon..

I Want One of These!

2009-09-04T13:23:00.003-04:00

This is priceless! Or should i say Fisher-Priceless!

Ah, but enough with the laughs. I am pissed.

Right wingnuts are all in a tizzy about Obama's speech to America's children... about education. Mind you it hasn't even HAPPENED yet, but they are already condemning this--the speech that hasn't happened yet--because, of course, they know he's an evil recruiter of Hitler youth. It's all over Facebook, the stupid-ass polls.

And they are all freaked about 80% of America believing that no one should die because they can't afford healthcare, nor go bankrupt because they can't pay what the Insurance-Industrial-Complex has determined as a ransom for life. We are all sheep for speaking in one voice about this. Thanks, Tricia. I know you didn't mean to personally attack me, but i do take it personally. And for people like you and I not to be able to find common ground, and respect for one another, well, it pains my heart.

To all of you:
It really depresses me that at the ripe old age of 40, my baby sister is starting her life over, because her husband (who was gainfully employed and had health insurance through the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) had a catastrophic illness. She nearly lost him, and then, ultimately, did lose him when she couldn't fight--Shiavo family-style--with his family any longer about what was best for him. And she lost her house. And she lost her credit. And she lost her marriage. And a great deal of it has to do with the corrupt, backward, inequitable and broken system of "healthcare" and health insurance we have in this country. She is fine now, and she is stronger for it, but it still absolutely kills me the pain, suffering, and just utter bullshit she has been through in the past couple of years over the whole thing.

To all of you:
My cousin actually travels abroad to find his healthcare, rather than risk the statistics here, or become a part of the broken system. He has chosen not to engage our system.

To all of you:
My friend David lost his mother this year, who was barely 60, because she fell into the cracks of our Insurance-Industrial-Complex. The system said Fuck You to her, and now she is dead.

To all of you: if you don't already, you WILL have a close family member who will be adversely affected at the least--or dead at the ultimate worst--because our system of caring for one another's health and well-being is so completely ass-backward, profit-driven, and set up to work best for those who have the most. For those with the least, you are on your own. I can't believe what passes for morality in your heads and hearts.

And you right wingnut jobs act like we are all just mindlessly following slogans about healthcare reform, just because you don't want to hear it, or even debate it. Well, you will lose, and you will be defeated. Because you are wrong, and you are on the wrong side of history. The history of this country is built and defined by the defeat of many such awful moments in our collective past, in which we've resteered our course to actually commit to giving a damn about each other. Click away and update your status on Facebook, attack people who've been through the worst in life, that you don't even know... but how about you show some compassion conservatives? Is there any in there?

The Math is Pretty Simple, Really.

2009-08-31T23:52:00.001-04:00

Not to mention the simple moral dividends.

Sigh

2009-08-12T12:54:00.001-04:00

Thanks be to Buddha that Tom Tomorrow can see humor in our world, still.

Strawberry Rhubarb Tart

2009-08-08T18:25:00.005-04:00

For Sherry! Thanks for asking...

the crust is a shortbread recipe from Ina Garten:

1/2c sugar
3/4c butter at room temperature

cream

add some vanilla (fresh beans from the pod best, but extract will do)
1-3/4 flour of your choosing (i mix alot together)
big pinch of salt

You can also add the fresh zest of a lemon here too if you like (particularly good if you fill the crust with some custard or whipped cream something or just fresh glazed fruit)

mix well, chill for half an hour or so

press into tart pan and shape with your hands... i use a fork along the sides to make a nice vertical wall, but i'm a bit obsessive I think i might have mentioned before. Not obsessive enough to bother with a crust that needs to be rolled out, however.

Chill again for 30 mins, preheat oven to 350. Blind bake for 18 - 20 mins with some pie weights. I just use some old rice i've saved in the pantry in a ziploc, over a sheet of tin foil.

Halve some fresh strawberries, and chop the rhubarb. I like a 50/50 mix, but really you can do it however you want. Add some sugar and more vanilla, and a few heaping spoonfuls of cornstarch.

turn into the hot crust after removing the pie weights and bake for 25-30 mins, just until the rhubarb is cooked.

Great warm with some vanilla ice cream!

Bon Appetit!

2009-08-08T00:25:00.004-04:00

Awesome.

And the Statehouse Again

2009-06-14T07:12:00.007-04:00

I feel like Margot Channing this morning, getting up at dawn to go collect the Sunday paper off the sidewalk. I knew a big review would be in today's paper. Joe Blundo, at the Columbus Dispatch, has written a GLOWING REVIEW of my project at the Ohio Statehouse Museum. Well, maybe not totally glowing, but close enough. Super!

Wonder if Blundo has any idea he was playing the role of Addison DeWitt? Hmmm... I guess I'm more Eve Harrington, than Margot.

Here's some pictures Scott took on Wednesday at the opening:

Jennifer, attempting to Balance the Budget, BC and Steven in the background:

Hilferty Babewatch! The lovely gals of Hilferty--Kira, Nicole, Jennifer, and Sara--try giving a State of the State Address:

A group attempts to Balance the Budget, glowing monitors in background clinking coins into place (I love the sound effects):

Opening Day was quite claustrophobic for a while. I guess that is a good thing:

Ribbon-cutters were mostly clients, though Gerry my boss got to fit in one of the 1 foot wide slots that were off-camera (seriously, have you ever seen more ribbon-cutters in your life? they wouldn't even all fit in the photo..) Governor Strickland is in the center, former Governor Taft on his left:

Statehouse Again...

2009-06-12T22:12:00.004-04:00

I was on the local news this afternoon, talking about my project that opened this week. Boy is it embarrassing to WATCH YOURSELF. Sheesh. Scroll to 4:39 to see me flutterlip.

Packing Light

2009-06-09T19:34:00.005-04:00

Look how light Mom pack for her trips!

We are all excited to go to the grand opening of my project at the Ohio Statehouse tomorrow. We have a full day planned, opening at 10, lunch at THIS marvelous place, afternoon at the Wexner to see the Coop Himmelblau exhibition. Oh la la.

Thank You, Citizens of New Hampshire

2009-06-04T09:10:00.002-04:00

You are all friends, indeed. New Hampshire is #6 now. Read all about it at Huffington Post.

Thank You, Barack Obama

2009-06-04T09:06:00.001-04:00

You are a friend, in words anyway. I'm sure you will be a friend in deed also, sometime very soon. Thanks for forwarding this Debbie!

*********************************

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary

___________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release June 1, 2009

LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER PRIDE MONTH, 2009
- - - - - - -
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION

Forty years ago, patrons and supporters of the Stonewall Inn in New York City resisted police harassment that had become all too common for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Out of this resistance, the LGBT rights movement in America was born. During LGBT Pride Month, we commemorate the events of June 1969 and commit to achieving equal justice under law for LGBT Americans.

LGBT Americans have made, and continue to make, great and lasting contributions that continue to strengthen the fabric of American society. There are many well-respected LGBT leaders in all professional fields, including the arts and business communities. LGBT Americans also mobilized the Nation to respond to the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic and have played a vital role in broadening this country's response to the HIV pandemic.

Due in no small part to the determination and dedication of the LGBT rights movement, more LGBT Americans are living their lives openly today than ever before. I am proud to be the first President to appoint openly LGBT candidates to Senate-confirmed positions in the first 100 days of an Administration. These individuals embody the best qualities we seek in public servants, and across my Administration -- in both the White House and the Federal agencies -- openly LGBT employees are doing their jobs with distinction and professionalism.

The LGBT rights movement has achieved great progress, but there is more work to be done. LGBT youth should feel safe to learn without the fear of harassment, and LGBT families and seniors should be allowed to live their lives with dignity and respect.

My Administration has partnered with the LGBT community to advance a wide range of initiatives. At the international level, I have joined efforts at the United Nations to decriminalize homosexuality around the world. Here at home, I continue to support measures to bring the full spectrum of equal rights to LGBT Americans. These measures include enhancing hate crimes laws, supporting civil unions and Federal rights for LGBT couples, outlawing discrimination in the workplace, ensuring adoption rights, and ending the existing "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in a way that strengthens our Armed Forces and our national security. We must also commit ourselves to fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic by both reducing the number of HIV infections and providing care and support services to people living with HIV/AIDS across the United States.

These issues affect not only the LGBT community, but also our entire Nation. As long as the promise of equality for all remains unfulfilled, all Americans are affected. If we can work together to advance the principles upon which our Nation was founded, every American will benefit. During LGBT Pride Month, I call upon the LGBT community, the Congress, and the American people to work together to promote equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America , by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States , do hereby proclaim June 2009 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to turn back discrimination and prejudice everywhere it exists.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

BARACK OBAMA

Don Quixote, Updated

2009-05-31T14:13:00.013-04:00

And other pictures from Saturday, courtesy the brand spanking new Nikon D90.

Don Quixote, lookin all fresh with his Elton John circa '74 glasses and OU girl pink hat. Forget that helmet, dude.

Look at what this fabulous camera will do!! If it could only trim nosehairs...

Laiyee gave us some fresh tarragon and thyme we used with this chicken yesterday. with some black sesame seeds and yum yum

teeny, tiny flowers

lunch leftovers of chicken, avec pasta, cream, butter, wine, and parmesan... and champers. for dinner

Wake up! *i could use a shave*

and so could this

Bob and Laiyee had made $700 by noon yesterday when we stopped by to see their yard sale. It was a scream to watch Bob in action driving hard bargains with the OU kids. Bob told us they'd already cleaned out the cash and stashed it several times as i was taking this photo.

Tin Tin wondering why all these strangers are showing up today?? What's all this fuss?

Washington Street, home of beloved Donkey Coffee

Mysterious Prezzies

2009-05-29T20:39:00.004-04:00

appearing now on the dining room table. Somebody gets his birthday prezzies (that word is a quote: can anyone identify which heroine of mine it is attributable to? Here's a hint: HGB) a week early... owing to the fact we'll be whitewater rafting next weekend with the boys, and it's no good to bring such a suite of pink and blue frill along. He is a la cuisine cooking our fried noodle dinner right now and hasn't been to the table yet.

Meanwhile, I discovered i can spin around really fast and photograph myself with my notebook! Whew, me dizzy.

In related news, these may be the last crappy ass photos i take with my Macbook Pro. Heh.

Time to Vote on all Marriages!

2009-05-29T19:42:00.003-04:00

Oh I love how this makes such an easy point of this. It really isn't rocket science. But then again, everyone knew the colored schools, waiting rooms, water fountains, and ghettos were wrong too. Thanks KELLY for posting!

An Anniversary

2009-05-28T20:31:00.003-04:00

I just realized that exactly one month from today, the 40th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York City (June 28 1969) will occur. How should we mark this significant date?

HERE is a primer i just read while fact-checking the date.

Seriously, now, y'all. How should we honor this date and what happened? And where we are now?

The Dallas Principles

2009-05-28T14:35:00.001-04:00

No, it's not about Sue Ellen or Bobby. Have a look:

A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats

2009-05-28T13:15:00.004-04:00

I just went to HRC's website over lunch to see the current picture of legislation up for consideration, and THIS is a huge amount of legislation in the works. 4 bills at the federal level, and a whopping 32 in the states... which must be at best an incomplete view, since it doesn't include HB 176 going through the Ohio Legislature currently. It really does make one wonder if the tide is really changing, and this flurry of legislative activity will actually lead to real, systemic change. We must do more to support one another--no matter who we are--or we will never have lasting success.

Thank You, Dan Stewart and Ross McGregor

2009-05-28T11:46:00.003-04:00

You are friends, indeed. Have a look HERE to see what's brewing up in Ohio regarding same-sex rights. The two gentlemen in the title are sponsors of a HB 176, the Equal Employment and Housing Act, which seeks to make it against the law to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.

Excerpt from the Do What's Right Ohio website:

From Equality Ohio Director Lynne Bowman:

"It is time for Ohio to remove the barriers at our borders that tells them they are not welcome if they are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered," Bowman said. "It's time for our laws to match our values."

Only two Republicans - Ross McGregor of Springfield and Terry Blair of Washington Twp. - have signed on as co-sponsors. McGregor promised that after it passes the House, he will work for its passage in the GOP-controlled Senate.

The bill is supported by the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, which would investigate violations and enforce the law. Ohio law already prohibits discrimination based on race, gender, religion, ancestry, national origin or disability.

Twenty states have adopted laws to bar discrimination based on sexual orientation and 433 of the Fortune 500 companies, 11 of Ohio's 13 public universities, 16 Ohio cities and the General Assembly have established similar workplace rules.

Bowman said statewide surveys conducted in 2006 and 2009 show support for anti-discrimination legislation grew from 66 percent to 72 percent among Ohioans.

Thank You, Julian Bond

2009-05-26T16:20:00.002-04:00

You are a Friend, indeed. Thank you, Joe Solmonese. You are a Friend also. Oh, and California Supreme Court? Drop dead.

Ohio Statehouse Museum Preview

2009-05-22T12:15:00.008-04:00

My project at the Ohio Statehouse Museum opens in a couple weeks, and David at my office has been busy getting all the lighting done. It's only about halfway there, but these photos he took yesterday look great. After the opening i'll have all kinds of good photos to post. Really excited my Mom and BC will be here to attend the opening with me!

By the way, you can go HERE to see a 7 minute flythrough of my design from the design development stages (a little more than halfway through design... much more detailing, graphic design, etc. happened after this flythrough was made).

Seriously Creepy

2009-05-17T22:26:00.002-04:00

Well no, actually THIS is way beyond seriously creepy.

Charles Towne Landing

2009-05-17T19:26:00.013-04:00

Long ago, I designed a museum on the founding of Charleston (formerly Charles Towne) in 1670. It opened 3 years ago, but i only got there to see it last spring on a trip there with Steven (who kindly provides a scale reference or two). I have just now gotten around to stitching photos together.

The project looks at the context of the city's initial founding as a project of the Lord's Proprietors--a group of 8 London fatcats who were given the New World venture by Charles II after his restoration to the British Crown after Cromwell's death in 1658. Much trial and tribulation visited the planning and preparation of the colony's founding, which finally happened when the first group arrived in 1670. And even more happened in the first 10 years till 1680, when the initial landing site (hence the name) was abandoned for higher ground across the Ashley River, where the city has remained.

My project is in a large park at this original site--surrounded by Charleston suburbia--where much archeology has happened and many amenities exist (such as a full scale replica of one of the 3 original ships to arrive in 1670, and a live animal park stocked with the critters of the day, and many reconstructed dwellings, subsistence gardens, and live-interpreter sites).

Enjoy!

The building that houses the exhibits i designed went through 3 rather torturous and wildly divergent revisionings, the third and final being by far the best, in my opinion. This is a simple, modern building that sits lightly on pilotis. The existing landscape runs right under the building, and some portions project over tidal lagoons.

The "Cabinet of Curiousities" is all about the mindmaps of the Lords: specimens, booty, and mysteries (such as alligators) from the New World surround the visitor in a slightly Lordsy Londonesque setting. I wanted the wood to be much darker.

A London wharf scene explores all the preparations: what was brought along, who, why, and where they went. It wasn't a straight line by any means.

The Ocean Voyage was eventful. Storms, treachery, sickness and death, the loss of one of the ships. Unscheduled stops for long periods of time. And a long layover at Barbados, the model for raping the land that the Lord's Proprietors intended to follow.

First Encounters is all about the first few days after the landing, and the close calls and events with the Natives in the area.

Many agreements were made and broken early on, as the settlers experimented with crops, barely survived, and relied on trade with Natives.

Breaking Ground explores all of the backbreaking labor of the first settlers: what was done, who did it, and what it achieved.

The Physical Setting is the largest gallery, where visitors are able to put together the puzzle pieces of what the place looked like in those first years. Much about archeology (notice the patterns at the floor), birds-eye views and models, and recreations based on written accounts (not the least of whom was a Spanish Spy, sent incognito as an innocent visitor).

Setting Up Society is all about recreating daily life, dwellings, and issues of subsistence from the archeological record, and is a part of the larger Physical Setting gallery.

At the end are Legacies of these first 10 years, within which the seeds were planted for many of Charleston's futures. The "Grand Modell" which established the new, permanent city firmly in a Euro-via-Carribean image is the brightest. A darker legacy is that of slavery, indentured servitude and the people who performed all the labor, and ensured this would be the model in the South for nearly two hundred more years. A perhaps even darker legacy surrounds the decline, defeat, and decimation of initially friendly Natives. Another legacy looks at the huge impact on the natural environment, which, after more than 300 years, is becoming positive.

In Philadelphia

2009-04-30T10:20:00.003-04:00

For the next four days, it will be nothing but museums, parties, seminars and sessions for me. Can't wait to see the Constitution Center later today and the Franklin tomorrow.. and sheesh, i forgot and left the camera in Steven's bag, so there'll only be photos like this one that i take with my mac (which means this is it.. aren't those skylights in my room tres cool?).

Weird Scenes from the GT CoA Centennial

2009-04-26T23:08:00.004-04:00

In ATL

2009-04-25T15:44:00.003-04:00

Finally. The view from our room:

The Best Thing I've Seen All Year

2009-04-18T11:13:00.002-04:00

If you could use a smile, and haven't seen this elsewhere, have a look. What beauty there is in the world:

I'm walking to the video store to rent Mary Poppins, right now! I proclaim it Julie Andrews Spring Saturday!

Wow, WHAT Are We Going to Wear??

2009-04-15T23:05:00.004-04:00

Steven i'm not sure my plan for matching hats and bowties of some lovely exotic drawing can top some of these things in the works:

This stuff is SOOOOO creative. How can i compete with something i have to schlepp on a goddamned carry-on?? Ai-yi-yiii!

Fake Newsclipping of the Day :: On Astroturf and Teabagging (!)

2009-04-14T12:48:00.003-04:00

READ ALL ABOUT astroturfing ["Fake grassroots. It's what you get when big business and rich zealots hire pricey consultants to manufacture public outrage."], teabagging ["the practice of mailing actual tea bags to legislators has repeatedly raised security concerns, and sometimes forced the evacuation of congressional offices in anthrax-like scares."] and lots of other ridiculously homoerotic-sounding words in the media lately. All invented by the very-much-alive-and-kicking right wing machine, refueling itself like a vampire.

THIS piece about the stupid fake tea party lays bare the hypocrisy and ridiculousness of tomorrow's "protests."

Newsclipping of the Day :: Speak Loud, Speak Clear

2009-04-14T12:05:00.003-04:00

HERE is a great piece from yesterday's Huffington Post, continuing to sound the bell to Democrats that they'd better get their collective act together. It's so true that they've allowed the Repulicans to brand themselves as well as the Democrats for just about all of my adult life. There are so many things they should be saying, and saying again, and again and again... such as:

"...the reality is that millions of Americans are out of work, and most hard working Americans have lost nearly half of their wealth, and many their homes, because of the way George W. Bush and the radical Republican ideologues who enabled him ran the government--and ran it into the ground. The reality is that we had a surplus when Bill Clinton left office, and the only reason President Obama inherited a $1.2 trillion deficit that now constrains him is that George W. Bush and the radical Republicans believed in handing out suitcases full of cash to their wealthy friends with no strings attached and no transparency. Personally, I think that bears saying, and I think it particularly bears saying every time those same Republicans preach fiscal discipline, heap scorn on government "bailouts" they both necessitated and engineered, or offer their quasi-religious answer of "the free market" to every problem the market has created or failed to solve, from the crisis in the housing industry and the lack of regulations on Wall Street that took down our economy (and the world economy along with it) to the fact that most working Americans are now afraid of changing jobs for fear of losing their health insurance. Republican politicians would certainly be a little less quick to step up to the microphone if they knew that every time they talked about fiscal discipline, a Democrat would be there to remind them that they were the ones who went on a 6-year spending spree with our children's money and then handed the better part of a trillion dollars out to Wall Street bankers and speculators, sacrificing the American taxpayer at the altar of their free-market extremism."

Oh Rachel!

2009-04-13T23:15:00.001-04:00

How do i love thee? Let me count the ways, dear.

Tax Time

2009-04-13T22:45:00.004-04:00

Tick tock tick tock tick tock

No "honest" mistakes will be made here. And let's hope you don't make any, this year, Secretary Geithner.

TREK Yourself!

2009-04-11T12:56:00.004-04:00

Greetings, Earthlings.

Thanks for this, Curtis. Sweet!

Here's the generic one. Go here to create your own Star Trek Big Cheese:

Here is my result:

Using this picture. I did EXACTLY what they said not to do: Glasses on, mouth W I D E open. Hehehehe:

Thank You, Vermont Legislators

2009-04-07T14:30:00.002-04:00

You are all friends, indeed. THIS is a sure sign of spring for gay equality.

Oh, and thank you Iowa Supreme Court also. Amazing

Sunday Paper

2009-04-05T10:21:00.006-04:00

Do any of you read the paper? I mean, get the paper delivered and read it? I bet some of you get the paper daily. I've been reading online for years now, but would still occasionally walk down the street, mostly just on Sundays or days off, to buy the paper. Considering how many are evaporating right before our eyes, and the fact that i actually like the Dispatch, we decided to try it out for 10 weeks. It's nice to have a giant paper on your doorstep on Sunday morning. One of our local papers, the Athens Messenger, interviewed me and Gerry Thursday about my Ohio Statehouse project... but i can't access it online without "registering." Argggh. Oh well, i have a real copy of it.

I read THIS over at Will's blog this morning, and was really moved by the Linda's Ronstadt's remarks to Congress. I do have to say though, when things like Ronstadt's words are not in the Sunday Dispatch, how relevant is it? I mean, if this isn't news, what is?

J'aime Montreal

2009-03-29T22:40:00.000-04:00

There are so many reasons i love this city.

Brunch Menu #44

2009-03-29T11:43:00.006-04:00

1. Excellent use for leftover Shrimp & Grits: Shrimp and Grits pancakes topped with poached eggs. Yuuuuummmmmmmmmm.

2. Shape cold blobs into pancakes, dust both sides in flour to help bind, and fry in a tiny bit of olive oil till golden on each side.

3. top with 2 poached eggs, dollop of butter, a little fresh ground salt and pepper.

Now i'm ready to go do pine bark, manure, the wheelbarrow, and see if i can sketch design #67 for the deck, fence, gate... whatever (to ennable an addition of a dog to the household).

Happy to say i'm pretty much over the horrible sore throat and congestion that hit me last Monday night. It was awful and had me waking up in the middle of the night thinking i was going crazy... but by thursday i was feeling better and now seem to be over it, thankfully.

Surely It's a Typo??

2009-03-28T17:49:00.003-04:00

Go HERE and click on the EXHIBITION link. Look at the list of student work represented in the exhibition at right, scroll down to the 1980s, and find yours truly, CYVN. Wow. I'm flattered that my work is in the Georgia Tech College of Architecture's Centennial Exhibition; have to admit i'm also a little curious to know what it is, and scared to death to SEE what it is!

Roast Chicken & cetera

2009-03-27T20:18:00.003-04:00

First to report on is the lovely roast chicken Steven made earlier, with scallions and szechuan peppercorns and other delights.. we braised some green beans, made a 3 minute gravy, and yum yum yum. Ate it right off the platter and threw the bones on the floor!

In other news, the volleyball stud puppy that lives with me received his sexy up-to-the-knee sox and volleyball sneakers the other day, courtesy the Brown. He's getting ready for the Friday night ritual VB games at Athens Middle School in town... not sure yet if we'll walk down there and i'll go see a movie or not yet... hmmm. Decisions decisions. But seriously, isn't it great how he'll cheese for the camera?

Vermont :: Live Free or Die?

2009-03-27T11:38:00.005-04:00

That's not the title of a new Charles Busch story. No. I'm sure by now many of you know of what's been brewing in Vermont this week.

Yesterday Vermont Governor Jim Douglas announced that he will veto a gay marriage bill if it passes the Legislature. The marriage equality bill passed in the Senate and is expected to pass in the House as well. He calls this veto a personal decision. Whatever. Seems more like bigotry to me. Stand up and speak out. Call his office today at (802) 828-3333 and tell him that separate is never equal. I'm making my call in few minutes while i have some lunch downstairs.

My New Favorite 15 Minute Comfort Food Supper

2009-03-26T19:45:00.008-04:00

So, who doesn't need a supper that really only takes 15 minutes or so, yet totally nurtures the comfort yin we all sometimes need at the end of a having to be inside an office on a lovely spring day?? What's not to like about brevity at time like this? (I'm talking to you Ina!)

We are having lovely, creamy, supple Shrimp and Grits tonight. With a little added green, it's a balanced meal in a bowl. (Be sure to notice the groovy late 70s homemade kitty cat potholder in the background. MEOW! Thanks Mom & BC!)

First, make 4 servings of some good quality grits (otherwise known as Polenta in civilized circles).

This brand'll do you proud every time (does anyone get the Loretta Lynn reference?? probably not.). Bob's Red Mill is my favorite. It seems to not be overprocessed and infused with petrochemicals, like everything else at Kroger.

Next, french one small onion. Sautee in some olive oil for 2 or 3 minutes.

Add some peeled, clean, fresh shrimp.

Sautee...just for 45 seconds or so.

Deglaze with a healthy dose of the white wine of your choosing.

Now, the grits should have cooked for 5 minutes or so. Turn them off and add them to the pot.

Add a cup or so of milk.

add some chopped fresh Kale. I love the slight bitterness of Kale, but i'm sure other hearty greens of your choosing would work as well... such as collards or turnips. I turn the heat OFF at this point. The dish is hot enough to wilt the kale, but not fully cook it, which is nice.

Add another splash of wine if the consistency is too thick! Or if you are worried all the alcohol evaporated...

Now for the yummy parts. Add a big ol' blob of real butter, and a glob of cream cheese if you have some.

Some fresh-grated Parm too.

Isn't that lovely? Stick to your ribs goodness... with time for communing with the birds later.

Not those kinda birds! I'll be communing with this bird.

Marketing Maneuver

2009-03-22T15:17:00.003-04:00

For Sioux City, Iowa. SUX is the airport code. No kidding.

Our Mountain House... in Detroit??

2009-03-22T13:31:00.005-04:00

Tyree Guyton’s Heidelberg Project? $100 houses? Matthew Barney’s “Ancient Evenings” project? Crazy artists taking over slums abandoned by corporate American waste and greed?

What do all the above words have in common? Detroit, i tell you. Where a house can be had for $100 these days (i'm still skeptical about that). Where the nations artists are flocking to make their way, make a statement, and live cheaply and in a new way.

I just read THIS op-ed piece in the NYT from a couple of weeks ago about it all. Seriously Steven, maybe we should buy a mountain house in a Detroit crack hood? Or, at least go for a visit and see what it's really like. You think there are entire streets covered with stuffed animals like this?

Get Up in your Right Pit, and Blast It!

2009-03-22T12:56:00.002-04:00

OMG. Double Pits to Chesty?? Is THIS homoerotic as hell or what?? Rev it up.

Groovy Chandelier

2009-03-22T01:09:00.004-04:00

We got this for scarcely more than the price of lunch--lunch at Ikea mind you--back in December. I haven't wired it up yet, but it is hanging on our back porch over the table. Love the bluish glow. I wish i could put it on our deck when we do it.

Food and Work. The Usual.

2009-03-21T22:34:00.012-04:00

We've been eating lots and lots of good food lately... and taking lots of pictures, but i'm too lazy to get them off the camera. One thing i love about my notebook is that i can take pictures with it, and voila, there's the pic. No wires, no camera, no hassle. Someday soon i suppose some next generation bluetooth thingy will just beam photos from the camera to the computer. That will be nice.

Tonight I cooked; Steven spent a bunch of time in the garden getting all his sprouting babies some tlc. Still a few more weeks until all the plants in the house and greenhouse can emerge back into the front and back gardens. We had a nice Porterhouse steak, some simple broiled asparagus, and totally sinful potatoes: boiled and then tossed with scallion, butter, SNOWVILLE CREAMERY cream cheese, and some wonderful chicken stock paste we've been buying at Trader Joes.

In other news, I went to Sioux City for my project there (the eighth trip now?) and got to survey an old, trashed Eisenhower-Interstate-System-era concrete road paver. This baby is going to be restored (by the gentleman standing next to me, who owns it, and is donating it to the museum that is my client) and placed in the visitor experience. All told, with it's 1957 Mack Diamond T dump truck in the front, dumping raw material into the skip, the drum and mixer, and the boom with the traveling bucket, it is nearly 90 feet long. So, as the designer, actually placing it is going to be a really fun challenge.

Along with a couple of airplanes, a 1902 Oldsmobile (think mahogany Chris Craft: mostly made out of wood!), numerous buckboards, broughams, carriages and buggies, several other 20s and 30s era vehicles, many industrial and stockyard and meatpacking fragments, hundreds of pieces of terra cotta and other architectural fragments, gobs of furniture and household material culture, and thousands of other smaller artifacts, the road paver above is being arranged into a coherent story of Sioux City history. Coherent sentences be damned.

The giant artifacts are really fascinating and have many stories to tell; but the most exciting parts i'm working on involve audio-visual environments that work in conjunction with the collection. A burned out building recreation will house giant projections of Sioux City disasters (fires, floods, explosions, the crash of United 232, etc.). Another environment is Sioux City's Attic, and will celebrate the bizarre, cryptic, and often surreal connections between what a museum collects, the stories of the people involved, and the networks out into the rest of the world that result. Many of the artifacts demonstrate an essential irony: here, in the city history museum, one finds pieces that really have nothing to do with Sioux City... well, except for the fact that a Sioux City native collected them. The gallery will have lots of a/v tricks: mirrors that dissolve into ghost stories, televisions and music boxes that mysteriously come to life, furniture that flies and rugs that pull out from under one's feet. Another theatrical space will recreate a portion of a Corn Palace from SC history; a show-controlled theatrical presentation with object reveals and dramatic overviews of this place that--with all the exuberance and hucksterism of the 1880s--once tried to market itself as Chicago's rival.

I think i'm going to walk (waddle?) across the street now for a little tub of ice cream.

Newsclipping of the Day :: Time to burn down Wall Street

2009-03-15T14:05:00.003-04:00

I know this is old news, but i had a rough week and am just now catching up with the week's news. Thank you, for speaking the truth John Stewart. Thanks for saying what every fake news anchor or investigative journalist won't say. For those of you who may not have seen it already:

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Jim Cramer Pt. 2

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things w/ Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Jim Cramer

2003 :: Panther Creek

2009-03-07T22:59:00.005-05:00

I am so ready to go on weekend backpacking trips. This weekend would've been PERFECT, if only Steven hadn't had to be on call. Supposed to have rained, and so far it has not materialized. I bet it will be here in the morning.

Panther Creek was the nearest, best and favorite place to go for a weekend hike from Atlanta. A couple hours drive to the north, into the Appalachians, with a beautiful trail that parallels the stream, sometimes high above it, often right next, sometimes crisscrossing. We went there so many times with Trotsky. One time we watched him chasing something, slip into the stream, and tumble down a long waterfall. Another time i slipped and had a freak accident that frightened us both (I still have a strange hole in my left leg muscle from that). One time one of Trotter's friends Petey came along with us and committed terrible dog transgressions. Often we would practice Tai Chi on big rocks in the center of the stream... wish we'd taken more photos of that!

Our Groovy Little Cinema

2009-03-07T20:13:00.002-05:00

Wow, look at Chris! He's like Roger Ebert! Where's Ruth?? She sends me emails every week to let me know what's coming up... and she ALWAYS gives me my club soda for free. I seriously heart this place.

Remember That Tart

2009-03-02T21:13:00.005-05:00

From the other day? I think it's the best tart i've ever made. I think what made it the best was the cognac with the apples and sugar. And the pastry cream. Well, and the shortbread crust didn't hurt either. And the whipped cream on top was great too. The whole thing was very subtle and nice and chilled.

I wish i could make it for Ina Garten. I'm sure she'd have some advice for me about how to make it better. We just had the last of it.

War on Entrenched Interests

2009-03-02T13:47:00.004-05:00

If any of you are NOT getting enough of Obama these days (last week's unofficial, brilliant State of the Union Address notwithstanding), you might enjoy going HERE to enjoy his weekly radio addresses. In last Saturday's he basically declared war on the entrenched special interests in Washington and told them: no more business as usual. I'm so glad we have this guy. Just consider this choice quote as a teaser:

"I realize that passing this budget won’t be easy. Because it represents real and dramatic change, it also represents a threat to the status quo in Washington. I know that the insurance industry won’t like the idea that they’ll have to bid competitively to continue offering Medicare coverage, but that’s how we’ll help preserve and protect Medicare and lower health care costs for American families. I know that banks and big student lenders won’t like the idea that we’re ending their huge taxpayer subsidies, but that’s how we’ll save taxpayers nearly $50 billion and make college more affordable. I know that oil and gas companies won’t like us ending nearly $30 billion in tax breaks, but that’s how we’ll help fund a renewable energy economy that will create new jobs and new industries. I know these steps won’t sit well with the special interests and lobbyists who are invested in the old way of doing business, and I know they’re gearing up for a fight as we speak. My message to them is this:

"So am I."

Fried Food Saturday!

2009-02-28T19:33:00.004-05:00

Yum. Breaded and fried pork tenderloin slices, onion rings, and sweet potato knishes!
Followed by an artery-hardening tart of shortbread crust, caramelized apples, custard cream, topped with whipped cream. I know. Shut up!

Coming up on March 5

2009-02-25T22:41:00.002-05:00

Thank You, Sean Penn

2009-02-24T10:05:00.001-05:00

You are a friend, indeed.

Thank You, Dustin Black

2009-02-24T10:04:00.001-05:00

You are a friend, indeed.

mmmmm.. Lazy Sunday today

2009-02-22T16:26:00.009-05:00

came complete with a backrub in this instance! and chinese butternut soup and LO MIEN. oh la la, we likee LO MIEN. Earlier we had the other half of a pomelo... which sat ripening on the sideboard for WEEKS. To understand the significance of this, please proceed to STEVEN'S BLOG.

A Big Party, Some Old Classmates, and Couture!

2009-02-21T18:22:00.015-05:00

So, the other day i joined Facebook (find me there by email address: trotsky64@yahoo.com ), so that i could join the Georgia Tech College of Architecture Alumni Association. Seems this year marks the 100th anniversary of the CoA's founding (Georgia Tech itself was founded 23 years earlier in 1886). Anyhow, on April 25, a HUGE PARTY is in the works to celebrate the past 100 years, and to toast the next 100 years of the Architecture program, and the entire art school that is the CoA at Georgia Tech. It encompasses Architecture, City Planning, Industrial Design, Building Construction, and, after I was gone, sometime in the 90s Music was added to the College. I can't believe i'm actually excited about an alumni event. Well, it's YOUR fault Dawn!! hehehe.

I really had such an incredibly great time at Georgia Tech. Physics, Calculus, Statics and Mechanics, and all the other horrible flotsam and jetsam required by the core curriculum aside, the experience of the studios and the process of being juried constantly was something so relevant, vital, and nurturing to me. Even endearing. I had the great benefit of being surrounded by alot of talent in my peers, and in the professors, many of whom are still there today, more than 20 years after i left the program. So many wonderful friends i made then, and it's hard seeing so little of them. I can't wait to spend a few days with them all.

In my work today, pin-ups are totally a part of the process, clients can and do question my process and decisions just as George Johnston or Alan Balfour did (however the clients do it in much less fabulous ways), and i still find that i gleefully grope my way through each design process in an intuitive--and yes, totally ADHD--way, hungrily and mercilessly looking for inspiration in the wierdest, wackiest, and most silent of places. And though no one i work with ever pulls a Jennifer Bloomer "why don't you just get a job in a department store?" the back and forth can often be, shall we say, lively. I love that. And i love coming up with wacky visitor experience ideas that just blows clients away. That is the real difference for me, between working in the museum world vs. the world of everyday architecture. The clients, generally, are not focused on function, cost, and blunt everyday exigencies. They more care about meaning, communication, and subtlety. Mostly they are curators and scholars, who have their entire lives--or at least very large chunks of it--invested in the subject matter that I am tasked with bringing to life in a one hour immersive environment or museum visit.

So, i've been reflecting on it all in the past few days. I pulled an Alan Balfour book (that Dawn gave to me years ago) off the shelf this morning to show to Steven and try to give him some sense of the wonderful thinker and communicator Balfour is, and out fell some essay i wrote on the Italian architect of the Fascist period, Guiseppe Terragni... which i proceeded to read aloud to him... poor guy! I have to say that i am so glad i moved out of architecture and into exhibit and interpretive design. I now feel like i am a thinker and a communicator first, and a designer second, and that is completely one hundred and eighty degrees away from my experience working in architecture. But it is parallel to my experience at Georgia Tech.

Steven will join me of course, and we have to figure out what the heck we will wear. These Beaux Arts Balls come with alot of pressure to be waaaaaaay over the top, out there, completely crazy and creative, and, of course, fabulous. Suggestions? Here is some precedent to ponder:

Maybe i should just go for the Pats look?

I am really looking forward to going back to Atlanta for this. I've been in touch with sooooo many classmates on Facebook, and today, i scanned some photos from one of the Beaux Arts Balls I went to waaaaaay back in the day, 1987. Check it out:

And don't ask me what that costume was about... something about Thomas Jefferson, but i had on shorts too. Who the heck knows what i was thinking.

A Quick Supper

2009-02-16T18:10:00.005-05:00

Every time i make spaghetti, it is a little bit different. Tonight, i'll start with a kinda cajunesque trinity: onions, carrots, celery. Add some oregano, bay, salt, pepper, then deglaze with some leftover red wine. Next some lovely tomatoes we canned ourselves. Next, some defrosted Chinese meatballs from Steven's last batch of spaghetti, for which he made a few too many meatballs (what a great thing to freeze!). And at the end, a very liberal dose of chopped parsley, basil, and garlic, and some parmesan and pepper before serving.

My Stepmom, Norma, makes spaghetti with a little bit of cinnamon. Wierd as it sounds, it is actually really good.

How do you make spaghetti?

Pecan Tart

2009-02-16T15:58:00.008-05:00

Yesterday we made a yummy Pecan Tart, from a recipe posted by WILL of DesignerBlogand had it for dessert last night with a friend who came over for dinner. The recipe calls for pure Maple Syrup, which we'd acquired from a local Amish source, instead of corn syrup, and it was wonderful with the pecans. Will and his long-time partner Fritz make their own Maple Syrup seasonally, from their own ancient Maples.

For the crust I used an Ina Garten recipe for a Shortbread Crust, which was really easy. I skipped the rolling-it-out part, and just pressed the prepared dough into the tart pan with my hands, and chilled for 20 minutes or so, while i made Will's filling. Here's the recipe:

Start with 3/4 c sweet butter, at room temperature, creamed in mixer with 1/2 c sugar (brown sugar is really rich and nice). Next add 1/2 tspn vanilla. Combine 1-3/4 c of the flour of your choice (I used unbleached all-purpose) with a pinch of salt, then add it to the mix, until just combined. It will be very dry and crumbly; press it into the tart pan with your fingers and then chill in the fridge. This recipe makes just the right amount of dough for an 11 or 10 inch round or slightly smaller square tart pan.

In other cooking news, Steven and i have a favorite Indian / Chinese place in Decatur, GA that we discovered is actually a chain when we came across its doppelganger in Columbus. Lots of wonderful fried dishes in dry spicy sauces made of toasted and crushed seeds and such. Well, one of the dishes he has managed to pretty much duplicate exactly, frying tiny bits of well spiced chicken till crispy, and then combining it with stir-fried onions and jalapenos, some fresh herbs, and even more toasted and smashed up coriander seed, cumin seed, szechuan peppercorn, garlic, red chilies. I keep forgetting to snap pictures in time before we devour it all... maybe next time.

Parmesan Chicken

2009-02-09T22:08:00.004-05:00

Ina Garten's Parmesan Chicken is one of my favorite things to make. With a little lemoney vinaigrette on arugula, and broccoli tonight.

In other news, i have a new toy in the kitchen. A very nice, Italian espresso machine, complete with a built-in grinder. I want to learn to speak Italian, just so i can talk to it. Right now all i can say to it is LA PAVONI! Should i call Giada DeLaurentis? Maybe she'd bring one of her hot lil number desserts?

The Destructive Center

2009-02-09T17:19:00.005-05:00

"What do you call someone who eliminates hundreds of thousands of American jobs, deprives millions of adequate health care and nutrition, undermines schools, but offers a $15,000 bonus to affluent people who flip their houses?

A proud centrist."

Note to Obama: Could you give Paul Krugman a call please? Let me know if you need the number. He has SOMETHING VERY USEFULto say to you. Something that makes alot of sense.

Is Waterboarding Torture?

2009-02-03T15:44:00.006-05:00

It's a very simple question really. I know none of you have a problem answering this. Neither does Eric Holder, our new Attorney
General. I'm very happy to finally be able to say that. If you think Holder should appoint a special prosecutor to look into this, you may want to do as i have done, and sign THIS PETITION.
While it is abhorrent to me that we have to ask our government to do the right thing--not only ask, but fight, and fight, and ask, and fight, and ask again, and then fight some more--it doesn't obviate any of us of our responsibility to do so. Oh the times in which we live.

Lake Champlain

2009-02-02T22:10:00.003-05:00

Coq au Vin

2009-02-02T20:42:00.002-05:00

tonight. Yum.

Or, slightly more succinctly:

Goodbye City Life!

2009-01-28T10:11:00.003-05:00

So, my fabulous, creative, beautiful French friend Marianne lives in this place. She sold her beautiful Paris Pad and moved here in the country to make art projects and live the beautiful, relaxed country life. It is in the beautiful (i'll stop with that word now) south of France, in the midi-Pyrenees, and the river has almost come to the door recently she reports. I had read about the horrible weather there recently, and a school that collapsed in Barcelona during the storm.

But anyhow, doesn't this place look inviting?? She says the work to make it livable is overwhelming, and that when it rains little pots must be placed everywhere. Boy of low culture that i am, I was wont to make Green Acres analogies, but, alors, I refrained.

The Price and Promise of Citizenship

2009-01-20T14:21:00.002-05:00

Here i am, coddling my "hobby" again. I'm all verklimpt. Tallk amongst yaselves!
************************************************
My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we the people have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land — a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America — they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions — that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act — not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions — who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them — that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account — to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day — because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control — and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart — not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort — even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West — know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment — a moment that will define a generation — it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends — hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence — the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed — why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet (it)."

America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

It's Not About the Power

2009-01-19T17:27:00.002-05:00

It's about getting something done. Take the Oath of Office.

Have i mentioned lately how much I love Arianna Huffington? Gee i wish i were going to be at her bash at the Newseum at midnight.

For John Michael

2009-01-19T14:12:00.003-05:00

I'm ready for Pats and Eddie to give me some dancing lessons in their basement:

Recently, in Montreal, Steven and I checked out a few screamingly loud gay bars dans le Village, but neither of us ever danced. In one place we felt too old (L'Aigle Noir), in another we were decidedly too young (the Stud), in still another (Gotha Lounge) we were just right, but spend all our time chatting... i'm reminding myself of the advice i just gave to john michael. It always works for me to pretend i'm someone else, like say, Edina Monsoon, channel that person, and then move as they would move (because the person I am just never dances anymore!). JM's got friends giving him dancing lessons in his basement! Doesn't that sound like fun?

Bella and Tarra

2009-01-18T11:05:00.003-05:00

Look who CHRIS over at Cute with Chris has on his masthead! The following video is something he posted the other day, and I had to show it to you guys.

No Pants 2K9

2009-01-17T20:42:00.002-05:00

Oh WOW, my my my THIS is fabulous.

It's the Geriatrics Rockettes!!

2009-01-16T22:03:00.001-05:00

Who is she? Who was she? Who does she hope to be?

Shout Hallelujah, Cmon Get Happy

2009-01-16T21:58:00.000-05:00

?Advocating Director?

2009-01-16T20:51:00.002-05:00

Advocating Director

you are a director

As a DIRECTOR, you combine an unusual openness and passion for beauty and style with confidence and a down-to-earth sensibility that allow you to realize your vision.

You are practical and pay attention to the details that others tend to miss.

By focusing on what is real and concrete, you achieve more than those who always have their heads in the clouds.

When it comes to what really matters in your life, you are confident in your ability to succeed.

Having beautiful things in your life gives you pleasure and satisfaction - you have a keen eye for style.

Even when problems present themselves, deep down you know you will overcome these challenges.

When routines get too familiar, you become bored and start looking for ways to spice things up.

You are open to new types of experiences – you are not afraid to take a risk on something new.

You have a highly developed sense of taste – you know what looks good on you, in your home, and in the world at large.

You tend to do things on the spur of the moment, not sticking to a set schedule.

You do your own thing when it comes to clothing, guided more by practical concerns than by other people's notions of style.

Generally, you believe that you control your life, and that external forces only play a limited role in determining what happens to you.

If you want to be different:

Occasionally let yourself dream a little more, even if it doesn't seem practical or efficient.

how you relate to others
you are advocating

Being social, empathic, and understanding makes you ADVOCATING.

Some people find being around others exhausting—but not you! You are energized by spending time with friends, and you are good at meeting new people.

One of the reasons you enjoy conversation as much as you do is that you often learn about yourself while talking things out with a friend; you realize things about your own beliefs while discussing them with others.

You have insight into what others are thinking and feeling. This ability allows you to be happy for others, and to commiserate when something has gone wrong for them.

You are highly compassionate, and being conscious of how things affect those close to you leaves you cautious about trusting others too hastily.

Despite these reservations, you are open-minded when it comes to your worldview; you don't look to impose your ways on others.

Your sensitivity towards others' plights contributes to an understanding—both intellectual and emotional—of many different perspectives.

As someone who understands the complexities of the world around you, you are reluctant to pass judgments.

If you want to be different:

While it's important to think about others, don't forget to take some time for yourself, and occassionally to put yourself first.

Take some time to spend with a few close friends; although it's difficult to find people to trust, it's worth the effort.

When you have great ideas, it can be hard to relinquish control, but it can also feel good to take the pressure off and enjoy someone else leading the way.

Don't Let the Shoe hit you in the Head

2009-01-16T14:33:00.003-05:00

as you walk out the door. THIS is why i love Arianna Huffington. She does not mince words when it comes to the Boy in the Bubble.

BTW, Arianna, we'd be BFF if i could see that one revised to, say, the Criminal in the Cocoon? How does that grab u? Or, how about the Lunatic on the Ledge? Freak on the Faith? Dick with the Delusions?

It's Bloody Hell Being a Goddamned Domestic Goddess!

2009-01-16T00:42:00.005-05:00

Nigella's Bundt Cake recipe, reinterpreted for baby shower tomorrow. Girlfriend's WORE OUT. Yawn. There'd better not be more than 23 at this clambake tomorrow, or we won't be able to let someone eat cake, Marie. That's counting the exclamation point dear.

Post 501

2009-01-15T14:44:00.005-05:00

If any of you want to read a thrillingly depressing view of American History of 2008, please see THE FIFTY MOST LOATHSOME PEOPLE OF 2008. It certainly was an eventful year last year, wouldn't you agree? This list is a startling litany, but i find that i agree with much of this rather extreme criticism. Even Barack Obama makes the list, albeit at number 50. This piece is spot on in its criticisms of him.

If for no other reason, go and read this just for the hyperbole. It's incredible.

Prop 8 Updates

2009-01-15T09:37:00.002-05:00

ANGRY BLACK BITCH has a GREAT POST up today about how all kinds of people are descending on the California Supreme Court regarding Prop 8. I read something the other day about how more people fled California last year than any other state (leaving the wingnuts behind who voted for prop 8? I thought that the distinction of state-most-fled belonged to Ohio or Michigan... for most of my lifetime anyway). Anyhow, i'm glad we have organized friends left in California--heck the BIRTH of organized friends practically happened in that cradle--and that they are mobilizing and not letting this issue fade into the sunset like George and Laura spiriting off to Preston Hollow (uggggggggh).

A big thanks to all these folks, Buckland, Herrera, Kay, Drew, Brill. You are all friends, indeed.

I just realized this is my five-hundredth post, btw.

Help George Pack

2009-01-14T17:28:00.002-05:00

I hope they will have an interactive gallery--no, make that airplane hangar--in the Bush Library for the brazillions of nice interactives like this that culminate HERE.

Vitamin D

2009-01-14T08:21:00.003-05:00

We got another light dusting of snow last night. I just stared out the front door at the sunrise for 5 minutes at the sunrise... getting my vitamin D, Steven, like Gavin told us. Gee, my mood feels enhanced already.

In other news, Steven has a gorgeous orchid in bloom right now. We have it in the kitchen enjoying it for a while. I think this one is my favorite, the blooms are so tiny.

First Queer Love on Daytime TV!

2009-01-13T21:51:00.000-05:00

What's next? Gay porn on Oprah??

Expo 2010 :: Shanghai, PRC

2009-01-13T21:17:00.002-05:00

Wow. I can wait for this. Steven's mom is in Shanghai right now.

Habitat '67

2009-01-13T12:50:00.007-05:00

After two comments from new (and very interesting) readers of the previous post.. i wanted to delve further into Habitat '67 over lunch. Did you know Habitat '67 was the first in a big scheme that was to deploy in NUMEROUS OTHER CITIES? Very interesting. Moshe Safdie. Ok. Must. Eat.

Utopia

2009-01-12T15:51:00.005-05:00

Having been to Montreal twice now, we both really appreciate the groovy Frenchiness of this wonderful city. The food is incroyable, there is alot going on, and the people are beautiful and fabulous. Here is a little piece i found on youtube today about Expo '67... seems to be a, ummm, fully rounded--shall we say--commentary. After our first visit to Montreal years ago, we came back and googled Habitat to find that it is very difficult and competitive to live there, and requires a bit of life's ambition to tackle the requirements of being allowed the priveledge of living there. Utopia indeed.

Music Player

2009-01-12T11:07:00.002-05:00

It took me WAY too long to figure out how to make the Playlist widget in the lower right sidebar NOT AUTOSTART. I think i have finally--successfully--achieved that. I don't know bout you readers, but i always found it annoyingly too automatic that the music just started when i opened my webpage, especially when i wanted to view one of the zillions of film clips i seem to be posting more and more.

Now, if you want to hear the music, you must scroll down to the Playlist player, and hit the play button. Otherwise, you will have a silent GAITPFM experience till you click on a Brini Maxwell or Keith Olbermann or WPLO a/v clip.

Going to take a nap now!

Atlanta, Atlanta, That's My Hometown!

2009-01-12T10:24:00.002-05:00

Click HERE to hear a silly little jingle about my hometown, Atlanta, made by WPLO...in the fifties or early sixties i guess. Still sneezing my brains out here. *sigh*

Mom, what did WPLO stand for? Anything? I mean, i remember WSB was supposed to stand for Welcome, Southern Brother... did WPLO mean anything in that parlance?

Hello People! Let's Go Shopping!

2009-01-11T09:28:00.006-05:00

Brini Maxwell's sweet publicist Jennifer sent me an email thanking me for putting up a link to one of Brini's shows! Well, and also to make a plug for BRINI'S PRODUCTS FOR SALE!

Who can't imagine Brini playing Kim Novak? And who can't use some of those darling felt wool coasters? How about a see-thru vinyl apron festooned with an adorable tulip pocket? I already have Brini's sensible, chic, and useful Guide to Gracious Living. And i love Love LOVE the It's For YOU! pillows! Now if i could just find someone to get that rotary phone ringtone on my mobile...

Thank you Jennifer, for cheering me up with more Brini cheer. You are gracious indeed.

Hello People!

2009-01-10T17:29:00.003-05:00

I've been watching Brini Maxwell for a while on youtube to cheer myself up:

Why oh why did the Style Channel have to cancel Brini?? I think this was the greatest show EVER. Well, since AbFab anyway. Sniff.

Eydie Gorme, 1995 - 2009

2009-01-09T20:13:00.003-05:00

Rest in Peace, my sweet little fluffybutt. We are going to miss you terribly.

Who's Going on Saturday?

2009-01-07T10:43:00.002-05:00

Find out about Saturday's Rally, in a city somewhere near most of you, HERE. Leave a comment and tell me if and where you are going!

Steven and i are going to Columbus, and then we'll go see MILK afterwards.

Oh No

2009-01-07T10:29:00.003-05:00

Thank goodness THIS didn't happen to me or Steven last week. Poor guy. Brrrrrrrrrrrr. And you know what happens to the boys in that kind of cold. Just sayin.

You're Good Enough, You're Smart Enough

2009-01-06T17:22:00.003-05:00

And Doggone it, People like YOU.

Congratulations Al Franken. I hope you can help change the culture of negativity in Washington. Here are some good ideas for speeches when some of those other Senators, um, yield:

"That's just stinkin' thinkin!"
- Al Franken, Stuart Saves His Family

"Listen to me. I'm should-ing all over myself."
- Al Franken (as Stuart Smalley), Stuart Saves His Family

"Whining is anger through a small opening."
- Al Franken (as Stuart Smalley)

"I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me."
- Al Franken (as Stuart Smalley)

"I'm going to die homeless, penniless, and 30 pounds overweight."
- Al Franken (as Stuart Smalley)

"It's easier to put on slippers than to carpet the whole world."
- Al Franken (as Stuart Smalley), Stuart Saves His Family

"I would never ordinally say this, but... is there any way you can get to a pound cake?"
- Al Franken (as Stuart Smalley), Stuart Saves His Family

"I'm a perfectionist and if I start making changes, I'll never stop."
- Al Franken (as Stuart Smalley), You're Good Enough, You're Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like You

"My father grew up in the Great Depression - his mother's."
- Al Franken (as Stuart Smalley), Stuart Saves His Family

"an early start on shoveling the cow crap out of the stable"

2009-01-06T13:06:00.001-05:00

"Your modern conservative movement: Clueless, humorless, self-absorbed assholes, right to the bitter end."

There is such a flurry of stories out in this here blogosphere about Bush loyalists in flight, assholes being shown the door, sputtering idiots barely making sense (anyone see Pat Buchanan on MSNBC last night??).

THIS piece from the DailyKOS about the ouster of some of the village idiots at the Pentagon is a worthwhile read in this area, if you are interested. I, myself, cannot read enough about the cleaning up and out of Washington.

I hope it will continue, and be more than just some spring cleaning.

Why is Everyone Freaking About Leon Panetta?

2009-01-06T12:29:00.003-05:00

As usual, I think DIGBY has hit on the truth. I think Obama is making some really sound choices for our new government, including his choice of Panetta. The CIA needs the kind of cleaning up the French might do when it is time for them to riot in the streets and move on to a Sixth Republic. I don't think Panetta will act that boldly, but hopefully he will make the structural and moral changes the agency needs. He will be a true steward of Obama's vision I think.

And i can't wait for the spineless Democrats like Dianne Fienstein and all the others that have enabled the Bush Administration's trashing of the rule of law to be exposed for the hypocrites that they are.

Notes et des Photos from Recent Travel

2009-01-04T11:51:00.009-05:00

We had a great time on our recent ski trip. For the first time, Steven and I took off and spent the christmas holidays by ourselves, and didn't try to get together with family. We went to Burlington, took the ferry cross Lake Champlain, had an awesome day of skiing, but then temps rose and the rain came. At least we got one good day in. Charming as Lake Placid and Saranac Lake were in the winter rain, we donned our passports and took off to Montreal, only 2 hours north, and had a wonderful time there for a couple days. Some of the highlights:

1. our host Joel at La Loggia who delightfully peppered every english sentence liberally with donc.

2. Au Petit Extra dans Le Village. Oh la la. Everything we ate in Montreal was un plaisir gastronomique.

3. Me, walking / tumbling (but not skiing) down some of the Whiteface trails that were ALLEGEDLY blue...some portions were waaay black my ankles tell me. I stuck assiduously to the green, thereafter, donc.

4. Our beloved Marche Atwater. I could live there. The camera was dead so we didn't get any photos.

5. Listening to Steven singsong Bonjour each time we entered a shop.

6. Le Plateau and Rue St. Denis et St. Laurent, and the conspicuous, wonderful absence of corporate America in these thriving merchant areas (one can't say the same thing for indoor Montreal, the giant malls and habitrails that connect much of the city in a winter-what-winter? kind of way all along rue St. Catherine).

7. the deliciously and absurdly named "Cafe Starbucks Coffee" we encountered a couple of times. there are a few, but they haven't taken over Montreal. One more downsizing and they will be gone. Betcha.

There's much more, but i'm too ADHD at the moment. Have a look at some pics... including the Adirondacks in the Adirondacks: