Small World!

Phil brought up this fun topic, which brought back two nice memories for me . . . the "small world phenomenon. Go check out his take on it, then come back here!

My two small world stories, both from the trip I took with 4 friends in the summer of '94 after taking the bar exam:

(1) Our youth hostel in Interlaken, Switzerland had a bar in the basement (it's the infamous Balmer's). We were there socializing one night and a guy walked past my friend Amy, immediately catching her attention. Turns out, they went to school together back in Houston, from elementary through high school. The guy was working in Bern and happened to choose that night to go to Balmer's to hear some American accents that would remind him of home.

(2) Our adorable hotel (more like little apartment rooms built into a hill) on the island of Ios, Greece hosted drinks on its patio each night to encourage the guests to meet each other and hang out (you may be sensing a theme). A guy at one night's social hour looked incredibly familiar to me, but I could not place him. We started talking and realized we had studied for the bar exam every day for several weeks that summer, at tables in the Rice Business School Library that were right next to each other.

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

In yet another example of how the world is becoming smaller, I will actually meet "Jenn from the blog" this weekend in Chicago, in real life! I will be there with my friend G from college, and I did struggle a bit with how exactly to explain to him, a "non-blogger", that we would be meeting someone this weekend who I consider a friend, but have never seen or talked to "live." He seems to understand, and we're looking forward to hanging out with Jenn!

Remember when Bush ran as a "compassionate conservative"?

I don't think the Texas GOP is trying to sell that brand anymore, as evidenced by their platform.

I literally had chills while reading it.

Crickets

Either you guys really disagree with my last post, or you are off barbequeing.

What have I been up to? Mainly, organizing for Obama and swimming, swimming, oh so hard through the mass of work I have to do (at my paying job). Next weekend, I will travel to Chicago to see my beloved Cubs take on the White Sox at the enemy's park . . . I am sure the series will be scintillating, given that the Cubs swept them this weekend at Wrigley Field. Also, will attend Taste of Chicago and various other fun things.

I need to work out 2x per day this week (and thereafter). Please encourage me!

Thinking about what is important

Like so many others, I was shocked and saddened by the death of Tim Russert. A talented and likeable guy, his life ended unexpectedly when he was at the top of his game. He was too young to go and both those who knew him and those who didn't are pained by his loss. Tim Russert's news colleagues and political friends have mourned publicly, in tributes on the Today show and Meet the Press and many other news vehicles. For hour upon hour, they have cried, laughed and otherwise remembered Tim Russert and what he meant in their lives. It seemed appropriate, until . . .

I saw these pictures, and others, of the Iowa floods. My perspective tilted. I had not realized how severe the flooding was. I had not realized how many homes were displaced, literally and figuratively. And I started to wonder: why we aren't hearing more about the Iowa floods? Why aren't people doing more to help those affected by the Iowa floods? Why are we not hearing hour upon hour of coverage of the Iowa floods?

I also wondered why we are not using Tim Russert's death as an opportunity to prevent others from losing their fathers and sons from heart disease at a ridiculously young age? This article is one of the first I have seen that focuses on the health issue. But overall, not a lot has been said about that.

Life is for the living, as they say. I certainly realize the importance of mourning and have done enough of that here regarding the loss of my own father. But the public airwaves are for the public's benefit, aren't they? And isn't the greatest public benefit one that looks forward . . . to flood relief and health hearts?

Just my two cents.

Happy Father's Day

Here is a nice story about a father's secret, and his daughter's Father's Day gift to make it all right.



Happy Father's Day, Dad.

I've been thinking about buying an Apple laptop

the next time I need a laptop and this story makes me want to do that even more.

In short: Girl's Apple laptop is stolen. Girl uses Apple technology to track down the guys who stole her laptop. Cool!

Overheard at the White House gate

as I walked by on Sunday afternoon:

"Is George home? Can I help him pack?"

--From a very funny (and smart) citizen, talking to one of the guards.

Please do not put your feet on the wall.

I arrived early today for a conference at the federal courthouse in Oklahoma City. While I waited for my meeting to begin, I explored a bit, having stumbled upon an "attorneys' lounge." I was curious about what would find in the lounge. In addition to a comfortable-looking leather couch, a conference table and a telephone, there was this:



I should add that the cab driver who took me to the courthouse, a 20- or 30-something guy, is of the opinion that the current President of our country is "doing a pretty good job."

To the person from Korea

who arrived at this blog as a result of a search for the phrase "why Bush won": many of us in the U.S. are still wondering exactly that.

Not what I expected

This afternoon, I stopped by a lovely neighborhood restaurant to pick up two gift certificates. I always imagined the chef and staff of a restaurant like this one--which is one of the best in Dallas--to dine before their shift on a simpler version of the food they will later serve to their guests. So imagine my surprise to see a bag of Ruffles potato chips on the white tablecloth in front of the guys in chef's jackets!

Do me a favor?

Hey, guys, I have a tiny favor to ask.

The City of Dallas is choosing a new name for a road that runs near downtown. They have come up with a pretty lame list of choices, with only one really good choice: Cesar Chavez Blvd. They are conducting a public interest survey to choose the new name, and I would LOVE LOVE LOVE it if you would please vote in favor of my choice, Cesar Chavez Blvd.

Will you help? Just go here and vote on the "public interest survey" phrase.

Thank you!

A peek inside the Obama campaign

This is a really great article about the people at the top of the Obama campaign. There are many reasons I support Senator Obama, but a big one is the skill he has shown in running a drama-free, solvent, effective campaign.

Finally, a way to explain it.

Sometimes it is difficult to explain to others what it is like living in Texas. I grew up in Illinois, where we don't even know what the state flag looks like, for goodness' sake. In our lovely little flatland state, we didn't talk about religion or even know what religion, if any, our elected officials practiced.

Not so in Texas. As my California friends who recently visited can attest, one cannot turn around without seeing a Texas flag. And religion? It is mandatory for public officials, apparently. This is the "farewell video" the mayor of Sugarland, Texas (a Houston suburb) gave his employees after losing his reelection effort . . . watch it and weep (or laugh):



Via Susan at Kiss My Big Blue Butt.

UPDATE:

This story also provides another example of something that could only happen in Texas: naked mom accidentally shoots self after argument with son.

Sad day for progressive people.

One will always remember where he/she was when X [insert historic/memorable event] occurred. X varies depending on the generation. For my generation, it includes the attempted assassination of President Reagan, the explosion of the Challenger and, of course, 9/11. For me personally, X also includes the moment when I learned of my father's death.

Now, in addition to these things, I am pretty sure that I will always remember where I was when I learned that Senator Ted Kennedy had a malignant brain tumor. I hope that isn't the case. I hope he is treated successfully, recovers and only leaves us years from now as a result of something totally unrelated, rendering today's news but a faint memory. But watching so many grown men cry on the floor of the Senate Chambers today makes me worry that this outcome is highly unlikely.

Shopping for a new bank

Here's a reader participation exercise for you:
1. what bank do you use?
2. do you like that bank?

After many years, I have grown tired of my bank, the evil Bank of America. Their fees, the impersonal treatment, the lack of appreciation for my decades-long customer relationship, etc. They have my mortgage, but there is no reason they should have the rest of my business.

What was the final straw, you ask? $40 in fees because I made (in their view) too many transfers from savings to checking. They won't refund the fees, so instead they will lose all of my accounts.

I welcome your thoughts as I embark upon this exciting new search for a banking relationship!

Seven things I did this week

1. Talked to several Kentucky voters about Barack Obama . . . converted at least two "undecideds"
2. Took my dogs for a walk at the lake
3. In my haste to catch a really early flight, bumped my head on something I no longer remember, but which left me with a tender spot that still hurts
4. Had dinner on the Riverwalk in San Antonio
5. Took a really long nap
6. While undergoing an echo stress test, saw my own mitral valve hammering away, looking like a creature Dr. Seuss invented
7. Invited some friends I had not seen in ages to go for brunch and enjoyed catching up with them

Chair, Amelia Island, Florida (May 2008, by me)

Special story

So often, I fret about why newspaper writers don't do a better job of covering the important matters facing our country. Here is a sweet story . . . not about international affairs and such, but about something important nonetheless. It is well written and made me feel proud--of our country and the people who live here.

Via the ever-wonderful Kottke.

Overheard in the Jacksonville airport

this weekend:

A dad walked his 10 year old-ish daughter to the ladies' room and said, "You need to understand, you are a beautiful, skinny young woman and it doesn't matter if you are not a size one--practically no one is really a size one." She flushed and looked to be considering, just for a moment, whether her dad could be right about that.

This story hit a little close to home. Not the ending of the story . . . I'm feeling stronger now. But all of the prior symptoms and struggles of that lawyer feel just like my struggles. That he felt that way even when he had a great wife and kids and supportive friends makes me realize the power of these feelings, that they can overwhelm all rational thought and behavior. I'm sad for him and for his friends and family who survive him.

I spend a lot of time thinking about things I could do with my time that would feel more rewarding. There is the smallest nugget of an idea developing . . . something about thinking of a way to find people like me and help them before it's too late. I'll keep pondering . . .

Random Monday Thoughts

I'm confused about why my dog K wasn't wearing a collar when I returned home from work last night.

"Bittersweet" is, by definition, the feeling one has when one returns home after a long Sunday at the office to find a message a friend left much earlier that day on her home answering machine, offering her tickets to the Dallas Mavericks playoff game that just ended minutes earlier, and which the Mavericks lost.

I believe perfectionism is the single largest impediment to my productivity. Overcoming perfectionism is not easy, as it is a "skill" I have honed over the course of many years. But in the last two days, I have managed to get past it and just get things done by deciding it is more important to accomplish something than to accomplish it in the way I would do it if I had all the time in the world, to infinity, in which to work on it. Surprisingly, it felt just as satisfying to finish in that way as it would have in the other.

It isn't very fun to search, barefoot in one's robe, at 7:00 am on a Monday morning, for a missing dog collar.

I hope you have this kind of week:



(Taken by me, Dallas Arboretum)

Jon Stewart

is my hero.

Sunday was

Take Your Dog to Work Day:



At least, it was for me.

My favorite movies set in Chicago

I played Chicago tour guide recently and am planning to do it again in early August. This makes me think about all the Chicago places I love and, in turn, all the Chicago-set movies I love.

Here are my top five movies set in Chicago:

1. Ferris Bueller's Day Off
2. About Last Night
3. Kissing a Fool
4. The Blues Brothers
5. High Fidelity

Honorable Mention:

1. Adventures in Babysitting
   
2. The Breakup

Check them out, then visit my wonderful city!

With all credit to the author, my friend Jim,

I bring you this story about our weekend:

April 12th – April 15^th , 2008

Texas

The Texas 2 Step

Roadtrip Brings A Doubleshot Of Bruce

Landing at DFW Airport around 12:30 PM, Lisa’s convertible comes to pick Barbra and me up. As Lisa rolls up to the curb, the new Bruce CD is blasting out the open top. Here’s our Texas welcome!

From the initial Chicken Chilaquiles, to the final Shiner Bock beers was a very memorable trip. Interspersed wasThe Grassy Knoll, The Dallas Botanic Garden, the beautiful drive to Houston (you heard right!), and of course…B-r-r-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-c-e. Yeee-Haw! Major props to Lisa, you were the best Hostess and Planner. Thanks Lisa!

So the trip begins with a lunch stop at one of Lisa’s favorites. The Chicken Chilaquiles were AWESOME! And that special Bloody Mary was so dang citrus-y. On to Lisa’s house in a very cool neighborhood called, are you ready?, Hollywood – Santa Monica. Then It’s the 6th Floor Museum in the actual School Book Depository. Time to chill back at Lisa’s with some chilled wine on her huge second story, covered balcony. With all the mature trees in her neighborhood it was like a big tree house. Is it dinner time already? On to a fantastic Oaxacan restaurant, Mi Cocina, with some Oh So Good chicken mole. 38 ingredients in that mole.

Sunday has a trip to the Dallas Botanic Garden. Several hours of really beautiful grounds. I was IMPRESSED! 1.2 million bulbs, many – and very large – azaleas, interesting bronze sculptures, long tree tunnels of Lagerstoemia, fountains, a very large (remember we are in Texas) lake. Very well done! Nap time after, then time for the Dallas show, Sunday night.

Monday has us road tripping Thelma and Louise style to Houston, a 3 hour drive. There were beautiful stretches of large green trees, some slightly rolling hills, and beautiful wildflowers along the freeway. Really quite nice, and nothing as I expected. Apparently Lady Bird Johnson made sure plenty of Texas sized money was put into freeway beautification.

Rolling into Houston brought warm weather, a different plant palette with some tropicals (Queen Palms? Crotons? Shell Ginger?), and a large bucket of spicy crawdads at The Ragin' Cajun. Hotel time. We pull up to the large Hilton Convention Hotel and check in. Very nice. A quick walk outside and we could almost touch the arena Bruce was playing in that night. Literally across a small access street. 3 minutes from hotel to arena on foot. Too Cool!

Another Bruce show Monday night, a follow up Shiner Bock at the hotel bar, and it was way past bedtime...again. Breakfast on Tuesday, then a flight back to Los Angeles.

A Texas Tornado of a trip.

The Shows:

Dallas, Sunday April 13

This was a good show. Not a great show, that will come in Houston. Solid. Not bad for Lisa's intro. Lisa was in observation mode, soaking it in, knowing another opportunity was coming.

The crowd was a little spotty. Some people were determined to just sit, many people seemed unfamiliar with the new CD, and to me it kinda seemed that the crowd was waiting for a repeat of a 1985 show from the peak of Bruce's popularity. They weren't rude, and they were rather loud, but I kinda got this feeling...well either the song choices were too new, or too old. Most weren't "just right" for them.

The show itself had several highlights:

Barbra got to complete hearing every song on the "Born To Run Album", a coveted milestone in Bruce land. After only 5 shows, are you kidding me? It took me 27 years!

Bruce again played "Meeting Across The River". I'm convinced that most of the crowd had no idea what this meant. No "gasp", no anticipation. That doesn't make it a bad performance by any means...I got to enjoy it on a different level from the "Oh My God!" moment in Anaheim. The setlist was actually quite good.

The finale brought out "Dancing In The Dark", and Bruce brought up 10, ten year old girls, that were near the stage. Cute.

After the show, at The Old Monk, I avoided asking Lisa “The Question.” She offered an answer anyway, “it rocked,” she said kinda flatly. I could tell from how she said it that the show seemed OK. I thought the same. There is a type of Bruce show where different aspects come together to create that Special Bruce Experience. The crowd. The venue. The performance. The song selection. The changes in song selection. It is actually palpable. “The Church Of Bruce” in LA was one. “The School Of Rock.” Anaheim #2, “The Mythic Show.” Dallas was not one of these. Doesn’t mean it was bad, but Lisa, without knowing it, kinda summed it up.

Houston, Monday April 14th

Part of Lisa’s genius was to road trip to Houston. This would give her an opportunity to scout out a first show, and then possibly really appreciate the next one.

The Houston Show starts with the hotel location. Wow, right next door. So at 5:30 we head to the downstairs bar that is already 2 people deep. Somehow we find a table. People kept filtering in, and before we know it the crowd is into the lobby and almost to the revolving door entrance. Lots of Bruce T shirts. At 7:00 we go back to our rooms, take a shower, and get dressed for the show. We walk into the arena at 7:35, how easy was that!

Now time to find our seats. I knew where they were, but Barbra and Lisa didn’t. Side of stage, but still in front. 15^th row. Yeah Baby! Both Lisa and Barbra said they were the best tickets they have ever had for any show. So far so good.

This concert was a blaster, and started like a fast firing revolver. Plenty of highlights, but there was this one….

On the CD “Magic” there is a song, “Terry’s Song.” It is not listed. It doesn’t show up on Bruce’s official website. It is an afterthought. This song is a eulogy to a best friend who passed away last year, just before the CD was released. When I was going through my recent health issues, when I heard this song I would start streaming tears uncontrollably. The song is extremely personal, and there is NO WAY it is EVER going to be performed. I even told Lisa and Barbra this during our drive down.

Well…two thirds of the way through the show, Bruce comes out of the shadows with a guitar and the harmonica around his neck. Strange. A chair and a microphone get set up for him. Strange. He then proceeds to tell us that his friend would have been 68 years old today, and this was for him. I almost started crying right there. Are you kidding me? He proceeds to play “Terry’s Song.” I’m not exaggerating when I tell you I’m tearing up as I type this.

Terry's song... http://youtube.com/watch?v=Avi4ucNc4FY

What I didn’t know until days later, was that Lisa was crying during this song. Whew, powerful stuff.

The show picks back up, and the main set ends with that mountaintop ender, “Thunder Road.” The flag is planted. An excellent encore set including Texas legend Joe Ely, and we are done. An excellent, excellent show. A tip of the Stetson to Houston.

After the show, Lisa again summed it up. “This show seemed a lot better, didn’t it? Bruce is like a mastermind pitcher in baseball. He knows just how to change songs, and just how to change the order of songs. He seems to always be calculating how to create the best show.” Only later would I learn that for Houston Bruce changed his set list at the last minute (setlist pulled from the stage and replaced), and then during the show changed again. There were 6 or 7 times he had to tell the band what to play next. This was seamless.

You might say that Lisa “gets it”. She has a pretty good right handed fist pump to boot.

Bartender, give me another Double Shot. Anytime!

Reported By

Jim

Initial Bruce Report

The concert was great! Slightly more mellow than I expected, but that applies to the audience, not Bruce. This was definitely the oldest audience, on average, of any concert I have attended, and includes seeing Chicago back in the 80's. Additionally, my friend Jim observed that we were sitting next to a section of surprisingly sitting-oriented people, which may have skewed my view in this regard, as most people throughout the audience were standing more often than not.

I understand now why people love Bruce's shows . . . it's because he loves his audience and the music and thoroughly enjoys what he does, feeding off the energy of the people who have come to see him. He gives you your money's worth, and then some: the concert lasted about 2 1/2 hours, with only a very short break before his encore. He latched onto a gaggle of wild 10-year old girls whose mother was introducing them to Bruce . . . those girls, along with their preteen brother, ended up "Dancing in the Dark" onstage with The Legend, something I am sure they will never forget.

The music is great, of course, but it really feels more like an anthem or a voice for the discontent that so many of us have developed in the last eight years. I was curious to see how people in Dallas would respond to what was predicted to be a mini-rant by the artist. Jim says some booed, but I didn't hear it. This may have been because I was cheering loudly. I admire Bruce for not changing this theme just because he's in Dallas.

Great show . . . I highly recommend it. Badlands was my favorite of the tunes, but there were many good ones. Oh yes, and Jon Bon Jovi, in town for a concert tonight, assisted with the lead on Glory Days. Cool!

I always find myself being introspective at a concert or performance of any kind, really. This one was no different. The question I kept asking myself is, "What are you afraid of?" This is something I plan to explore in-depth in the weeks to come!

On to Houston for show number two!

How does a person end up seeing Bruce Springsteen twice in two days in two different cities?

One might legitimately ask this. And one might ask this of me, because I will be seeing Bruce Sunday night in Dallas and Monday night in Houston.

I do not own any Bruce Springsteen albums or singles. I have never before been to a Bruce Springsteen concert. I am not even a regular concertgoer . . . I believe the last one I saw was Bright Eyes, about a year ago.

So, how does this happen? Well, it starts with having a friend who is so in love with Springsteen that he sends out summaries like this when he attends a Springsteen concert:

Bruce Springsteen

Anaheim, Show #2

April 8, 2008

Anaheim Show #2.

So where to begin?

Context is important. Bruce is almost 60, and his sax man is almost 70.

First thing first, I have to break down the “Third Person” narrative, and report as myself. I, me, my.

To start, I have been disappointed by Bruce Springsteen in the past. In the 90’s he toured with a Non- E Street Band group, and then there was The Reunion Tour where The E Street Band got back together. Both Tours were disappointments to me. They were OK, but nothing more.

So here comes the 3 shows that I have really liked prior to Tuesday. The E Street Band and Bruce seem to really be playing fantastic together.

Then comes Anaheim Night #2. Tuesday night.

There is a legendary Bruce song from the album “Born To Run” called “Thunder Road”. “Thunder Road” is the invitation. A welcome in. The introduction. It builds to an anthem ending where a shout from the rooftops declares, “It’s a town full of losers, I’m pulling out of here to wiiiiiiiiiiiin!!!!!” This song, in concert, is reserved for the finale. It is the slow concert climb to the mountaintop, the crescendo, the place where Bruce plants the flag, stands with arms outstretched, and admires his work.

See it here from 1978. Seven minutes long, and worth it. It is important to watch it before continuing. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hf61K6ZKu_4 I have had this exact song on cassette for 25 years, played it at least hundreds of times, and always imagined myself there. So click that link.

OK, yeah…Tuesday night.

Calliope plays, stage is dark. The first song starts, a quiet piano intro. At NOTE # 2 of the quiet intro, there is a collective gasp from 15,000 people. No joke, no exaggeration. The collective gasp collectively exhales. OH MY GOD!!! It can’t be! Queue Bruce’s harmonica, and there is a roar from the crowd that sounds like a 747 taking off. Thunder Road to start the show???!!!!! It just can’t be!!

This is gonna sound so stupid…but I don’t care. I turn to hug Barbra and I think my eyes are watering. Then I get to do something I have imagined so many times. With 15,000 others I scream, “Show a little faith there’s magic in the night. You ain’t a beauty but Hey you’re alright.”

WOW!

This is the start of the show??!! Where the heck can this go, and what kind of ride are we going on??!!

Forget “The Message” from Night #1 “School Of Rock”. Out the window. This show was Mythic. Played on Olympus, for the Gods to see. Urgency? Damn right. Power? Plenty. A little taste of “The Message” too. The song selection? Maybe the best I’ve seen since 1980.

I could provide the Set List, but who cares? What I can say is that Barbra and I saw a legendary Bruce, a legendary E Street. Yeah they’re old, so the context of my “legendary” comment goes with it. They are not in their 20’s.

You won’t understand what I’m about to say because you aren’t familiar with it. But in the encore, when Bruce started with Meeting Across The River, and transitioned that into Jungleland we were in rarified air. The kind of combo that gets whispered about, and “I-was-there”ed about. A kind of “only rarely in New Jersey maybe” kind of performance that keeps Visions Of Sugar Plumbs dancing through the heads of fans.

Again from 1978. Again, I’ve played this song hundreds of times hoping, maybe someday…

“Meeting” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZ7kTxHLJss&feature=related

“Jungleland” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH_NvYPBDY0&feature=related

When I heard the first strains of “Meeting” another collective inhale from the crowd. Myth was becoming reality for all of us. On the West Coast we couldn’t POSSIBLY hope for Meeting / Jungleland. I told Barbra what it was, and what she was experiencing. How if he transitioned to Jungleland she was experiencing a legendary show. And damned if Jungleland didn’t follow.

I couldn’t sleep last night. Too excited. Too Bruce Juiced.

Barbra e-mailed me this morning. She has been to 4 shows on this tour. Important term “this tour”. Guess how many different songs she has heard? Guess. Same tour, same shows right? Same songs, right?. 2 back to back shows late last year, 2 back to back shows this year. Can’t be that different, right?

Barbra e-mails me that she has seen 41 DIFFERENT songs.

What a night. What a show. What a performer.

On to Dallas, where our friend Lisa . . . . will be seeing her first Bruce show. She doesn’t know from Bruce, she just knows my passion. Heck, you might even get bored at the show, right Lisa? We don’t know. We will see how the “Eight Years of mismanagement” message goes over in Texas. I think Bruce might reserve a special comment or two. Barbra and I can't wait to see you Lisa!

Report from Texas will follow.

B-r-r-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-c-c-e.

I’m spent! Just writing this review has exhausted me.

Reported By

Jim

Then, the friend (i.e., me) who reads that kind of review (for a concert on a different tour, years ago) thinks, "What kind of phenomenon leads a person to write that way about a concert experience?" So she invites Jim and his girlfriend to come to Texas so they can experience Bruce together in Dallas. Then, because everything is bigger in Texas, she says, "Heck, why not double the experience and road trip together to Houston to see him the next night, too?"

What she does not know when her friends say, "Great! Let's do it!" is that they already have tickets for two back-to-back Bruce shows in Anaheim the week before, which means they will be seeing Bruce four times in eight days. (If she had known this, she might have thought the problem was pathological in nature).

So, now she waits with baited breath for the arrival of her friends on Saturday morning, so she can show them some things she loves about the state where she has spent the last 20 years, and so she can learn a little about the musician her friend Jim has loved for even longer than that.

Have a great weekend, people!

Hanging in there . . .

I haven't had a chance to write yet and am leaving for Chicago tomorrow. But I wanted to let you know I am holding steady. Feeling a bit crazed at times, but steady. I have reached deep and found my core, which says things to me like, "This, too, shall pass" and "You are strong enough to handle anything life throws your way." Oh, and "Eat another Snickers bar."

Also, things like this put into perspective any fleeting bit of difficulty I may be having. Via Kottke.



I hope you are having a fabulous week and are headed for an even better weekend!

Clinton campaign disenfranchises black voters in Texas.

Yes, I know I owe you all the final installment of my "election night" report. But I'm in Tucson and trying to pack and get to the airport without further burning my skin to a crisp.

In the meantime, though, I cannot help but bring to your attention this disgusting behavior by the Clinton campaign in Texas. First, they said they wouldn't make mass challenges to Obama delegates who would be attending the district convention this Saturday. Twenty-four hours later, Clinton campaign workers delivered a truckload of challenges to the offices of the Dallas Democratic Party.

The result? Clinton made more than 70 challenges in my Senate District and gained 22 delegates. My Senate District is made up predominantly of African-American voters. I find it hard to believe that even 22 of Obama's delegates were seated improperly. Obviously, the Credentials Committee found that 48 of the Clinton campaign's 70 challenges were without merit.

Why would anyone support a Democratic candidate who is determined to disenfranchise voters, including African-American voters? (Not to mention one who lies about being subjected to sniper fire in Bosnia?)

One of life's mysteries . . .

I am humbled

by the many kindnesses I have received from you internet friends since making that other post. I have now removed the post, because I feel safer that way, but wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Thank you.

You know

where my head has been lately. So the fact that this little video made me laugh out loud should say something:



Via Althouse.

Taking deep breaths . . .

I had a productive session this morning and am feeling more in control now. Still lots to think about, so it's good that I will be out of town most of this week, with plenty of time to ponder and lick my wounds and construct a way forward. Thank you so much for the kind thoughts and offers of support . . . it means more than I could possibly express.

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

On a significantly less dark note, I thought you might enjoy this snap of my office, with decor and art (a photo canvas) by me:

I loved thinking of those 25 things.

And I may do a "next 25" list. I find myself in need of good thoughts, things that remind me that there are good things to look forward to and good parts of me I so easily forget.

Every night this week, I haven't been able to get to sleep until really late--2 or 3 am. I'm in a state of anxiety and I don't know why. I feel out of control.

What is happening?

Top 25 Things I Want To Think Of When My Life Flashes Before My Eyes

Maggie at Mighty Girl deserves all credit for this brilliant idea for a post. Here are the things she wants to remember as life flashes before her eyes.

These are the first 25 I thought of (I know there are more), in no particular order--what about yours?

1. splashing in a fountain in Switzerland with a friend from home, friends from the road and several American GIs on my 25th birthday
2. realizing my law school love was in love with me, too
3. seeing the zoo kids' faces as the tiny South American armadillo skitted around the circle formed by their knees
4. finding out I made a near-perfect score on the LSAT
5. the precious, silent moments when my grandmother who was suffering from Alzheimer's and I said goodbye to each other
6. laughing with friends until I cried and my stomach muscles were sore (many potential examples of this)
7. my friend's daughter May engaging in her ritual of hiding and making me find her when I visit their house
8. the first time I saw each of my dogs, at their respective SPCAs
9. sitting on the tiny picnic table on the back porch of my childhood home, eating hot dogs with my friend Brian after morning kindergarten
10. sliding down a mossy dam in a rippling creek with my friend Amy
11. visiting New Mexico with my Mom and Aunt, who had never seen that beautiful state before
12. hanging out reading, talking and drinking with my dear guy buddies at our friends' house in Crested Butte
13. any number of wonderful Cubs moments, including seeing the Cubs sweep the Cardinals, the joy of a game won with a walk-off home run on my birthday, being there for a retiring Cub's last game, the great home run race of 1998 between Sosa and McGuire, Cubs spring training (every aspect of it!), Wayne Messmer singing the national anthem, Ryne Sandberg's Hall of Fame induction speech, the kindness of an elderly Wrigley Field usher, witnessing history in Sammy Sosa's 600th home run, the time when I impulsively decided to catch an extra afternoon game at Wrigley after my flight home was delayed, attending my first-ever playoff game at Wrigley Field and on and on and on
    
14. my first glimpse of Shelburne Farms in Vermont
15. writing and delivering the eulogies for my father and grandmother
16. leaping off a train in France's Loire Valley just as I was about to miss my stop
17. hiking to the top of Camelback Mountain with friends to distract us from worrying about our friend who was in the hospital in Phoenix
18. meeting my friends J and M for the first time in a hotel lobby in Redondo Beach, California
19. the times when my law school roommate's tiny red poodles hid cookies and cigarettes all over the house
20. the 10-hour "roll" with college friends in the Central Texas countryside, during my first year of law school
    
21. driving down the Pacific Coast Highway with the top down, listening to the live cut of John Mayer's "Your Body Is A Wonderland"
22. looking down at my watch and realizing it was 5:00 a.m. on a weekday and I was still in a bar called "The Dungeon" in New Orleans during Mardi Gras with my friends K and D . . . and feeling like Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's as we emerged, blinking, into the sunlight and stepped our way around the detrius in the street
23. confiding in my Dad that my heart was broken after ending the relationship with my law school love, and finding then and on many other occasions that he was all a girl could ever want in a father
24. that crazy and impulsive road trip with friends R and M, from Dallas to Chicago in R's Monte Carlo, with all three of us jammed in the front seat singing fraternity songs, experiencing 5:00 a.m. headlight failure and documenting the best lines of the trip
    
25. the dear friends I know virtually, only because I write on this blog.
    

Plan for The Week

Three simple things:

(1) tackle the most distasteful tasks first--just get them over with
(2) no staying up until 3:30 am (crazy!)
(3) drink lots of juice

Days of Thinking

One night this week, I heard the author Anne Lamott read and talk. My friend C was nice enough to invite me and I was really looking forward to hearing what Ms. Lamott would have to say, as I hold her writing abilities in serious awe. Her sense of humor was all I had hoped and expected, though I realized later that her delivery deserved more credit than the jokes themselves for the laughter she won--at least, my laughter.

Here are a few of the things I jotted down:

• "My friend once told me this [a "loved and chosen" exercise she did while teaching a Sunday School class] is a good exercise because everyone is loved and chosen . . . even Dick Cheney." The sanctuary was silent for a moment as the Dallas crowd furtively wondered if it was okay to laugh. And then, they did.
• "On the stem [of a rose tattoo she recently got] I put scripture from the third season of West Wing . . . 'Trust the captain, trust the crew.'"
• Taking ballroom dancing classes with her boyfriend "was like putting Miracle Grow on our character flaws."

Afterward, standing in line so she could sign my copy of "Bird by Bird" (my favorite of her many books that I own), I tried in vain to think of something memorable to say, like my taunting of Salman Rushdie about how Yankee fans (like him) do not know true suffering. I wanted to say something that would make her see more in me than a fat woman who goes to hear other people read from books they have written. But I did not succeed, and instead just told her I enjoyed her talk.

Then, on Saturday afternoon, I finally saw the movie Juno. I had heard it was really funny, but it was so bittersweet, too, and afterward, I could not stop crying.

After this, I needed to think of escape. I bought Rick Steves' latest books about London and Ireland, as well as "Honeymoon with My Brother" by Franz Wisner, as well as some beautiful opera and classical music.

Also, there are travel plans to look forward to in 2008:

• March: two Cubs spring training games
• April: attend three of the Cubs' games on the first weekend of the season, with my Mom and then with my friend G (which I believe will be the first time at Wrigley for each of them)
  
• April: attend Bruce Springsteen concerts in Dallas and Houston with my friends J and B
• June: potentially attend the ACLU membership conference and an American Constitution Society conference in D.C., and visit friends in VA
• August: take my friend T to Chicago for her first Wrigley Field visit
• September: something for my birthday, to be determined
  
• December: something for Christmas, to be determined.
  

Texas Democratic Primary Part II: Just Before The Precinct Convention

I have lived in Texas for 20 years now and have never participated in a caucus before. I have to confess: before this election, I never even knew about the caucuses, despite having voted in every Democratic Party primary. That tells you a lot about the pulse of the Democratic Party in Texas (or lack thereof) prior to this election cycle. The fact that a longtime Democratic voter like me was never informed of or invited to participate in this process by which 1/3 of the delegates are awarded to a Democratic Party is somewhat stunning, I think.

The Obama campaign did a great job of training its Precinct Captains about how the precinct convention process works. Essentially, polls close at 7:00 pm or whenever the people in line at that time finish voting. At the later of 7:15 pm or whenever people finish voting, the precinct convention begins. People gather in a room at the polling place marked with the number of their precinct. Everyone who voted in the Democratic primary and is present can sign in, indicating their candidate preference. The number of people who signed in are counted, that number is divided by the total number of delegates allocated to the precinct (18 in this precinct), and the resulting number is the minimum a candidate must have to form a caucus and be assigned a delegate.

At first, a "temporary convention chair" who picks up the Party's packet runs this meeting, but the attendees then elect a "permanent convention chair" to oversee things. (The term "permanent" is somewhat misleading, as you are the chair just for that night). I asked about picking up the packet when I arrived, but ran smack into the formidable wall of the Permanent Precinct Chair (a party operative, not to be confused with the convention chair). She happens to be the sister of a former Texas Attorney General whose negative and defamatory whose negative and defamatory campaign against former Governor Ann Richards bore striking parallels to that of the Hillary Clinton campaign. She also happens to be a vociferous Hillary Clinton supporter and served as that campaign's Captain for our precinct.

A brief digression: I was stunned to learn while calling voters that when this Captain or one of her cohorts reached an Obama supporters in our precinct, the Clinton volunteer would treat them rudely, ask questions like, "Do you have ANY good reason for voting for him?" and oftentimes slam down the phone at the end of the call. Great way to win friends and influence people!

Anyhoo, back to the polling place: The Precinct Chair snottily informed me that I had no right to pick up the convention packet (which is not true) and said it was being held for her so she could run the meeting. Then, in the fine tradition of psychological projection, she told me there was no need to be hostile about this. We also discussed the matter of the missing Obama signs, and she suggested that the City of Dallas was known for removing candidates' signs from polling places, apparently thinking I just arrived in Dallas by way of a turnip truck. She then tried to bully me away from the polling place, despite the fact that anyone is allowed to observe the voting process. I soon realized why.

In the short time in which I was present at the polling place while the polls remained open, I learned of Ms. Precinct Chair and/or her fellow poll workers engaging in certain practices that were obviously designed to turn away people who wanted to vote and caucus for Barack Obama. Some African-American voters were told this wasn't their precinct and/or that they were not eligible to vote, but were not given the chance to cast a provisional vote, which they should have been allowed to do. Others, asking about the caucus, were told by those inside the voting room: "Gee, we have no idea what time the caucus will start," even though the time and location for the caucus should have been publicly posted at the polling place. I tried calling the Democratic Party and Obama campaign hotlines, but they were constantly busy. So, each time I learned of these things happened, I stepped inside and asked about it. I don't know if this had any influence whatsoever, but I'm hoping this deterred similar conduct by letting them know that the word was getting about and that we were not going to stand for it.

Next: the polls close, and inside the caucus.

I love Larry David.

As if Curb Your Enthusiasm wasn't enough, he offers this very savvy observation.

Texas Democratic Primary Part I: Leadup to Election Day

You may have heard that in Texas, we have this odd two-part way of choosing a Presidential nominee: first you vote, then you caucus. The Obama campaign refers to this as the "Texas two-step," a catch-phrase Hillary Clinton immediately began using without attribution, despite her abhorrence of plagiarism. But I digress . . .

Not content to merely serve my candidate as a volunteer in New Hampshire, I signed up to be a Precinct Captain in Texas. This meant I was assigned approximately 900 or so people in my precinct who were eligible to vote and seen as possible Obama supporters (there are just over 1000 eligible voters in the precinct, so we apparently cut a broad swathe). I was to call and/or visit these people to see who they support, talk about why they should vote for Obama and get them to vote for him in the primary and caucus for him on the night of the primary. If you have ever read this blog, you know I am a full-time practicing attorney and a very busy one, at that. So it was no small feat to make the 820 calls I made to my people over the course of just a few weeks, and I was proud to have accomplished that. In making those calls, I reached about 36 confirmed Obama supporters, but I had no guarantee how many would actually show up for the precinct convention.

On election day, I was at my polling place before 7 am. There I saw that someone had removed all of the Obama signs, plucking them from among all of the candidates' signs, though the Clinton signs still stood in full force. Strangely, this same thing happened in New Hampshire. I had no signs left and neither did the campaign. Utilizing the resourcefulness for which we Midwesterners are known, I left the polling place and marched up to the front door of a house that was displaying an Obama sign, in order to, well, beg for their sign. Turns out, I didn't have to do that, because they had three extras they graciously offered for the cause of ensuring a nice display at the polling place.

Back at the polling place, I watched to see if voting began on time. The election judge was huffing and puffing, apparently having allowed himself all of about 10 minutes to set up, but the polls opened just a minute or two late, with approximately 30 people already in line to vote. I asked if he would have a list of early voters available for our use in the caucus that night, and he said he would. Satisfied that I had done all I could for the morning, I headed in to work.

Next up: shenanigans before the precinct convention begins.

Naming rights.

I don't know if it is unique to my neighborhood, or to Texans in general, but I have noticed a trend while making my calls for my candidate: people with large families who name every kid with a name beginning with the father's initial. For instance, John has kids named John, Jim, Jesse, Joshua and Julie.

What's up with that?

Hillary supporters are the meanest . . .

this is one of the things I have learned as a volunteer for my favorite candidate.

A John Edwards supporter would engage with you on the issues. Bill Richardson supporters were also quite nice, certainly full of respect for their candidate. Of course, my candidate's supporters are thrilled to hear from a fellow supporter and are happy, excited and full of hope, but also able to speak intelligently on the issues. But those who plan to vote for Hillary Clinton and receive a call from a volunteer for another candidate are, in my experience, the quickest to be sarcastic, caustic and/or yell "I'm voting for Hillary" into the phone and hang up on the volunteer. A suspicion or mistrust hangs heavily in their voice.

And now, the Clinton campaign has purported to say who Ann Richards would have supported in this race, even over the objection of Ann Richards' sons. This disgusts me.

I can't wait for next Tuesday. But before then, I have a million precinct captain calls to make.

P.S. I should add: this analysis of meanness does not apply to my dear friends who like Hillary Clinton. They would never be mean, to me or anyone, and are nice to me despite the fact that I keep putting my foot in my mouth about their fondness for their candidate.

Now you will understand.

When I read this interview of Texas Governor Rick "Good Hair" Perry by NY Times writer Deborah Solomon, I literally choked with laughter. Governor Perry, you see, just wrote a book about how much he loves the Boy Scouts and how much he hates my favorite civil rights organization. While there are many wonderful quotes in the interview, this is, in my opinion, the money quote:

Solomon: I know they have a dog-care merit badge, but why not a child-care badge?

Perry: Why not teach scouts how to change a baby’s diaper and help out moms? I don’t have a problem with that.

I love that while the writer is pointing out the Boy Scouts' sexism in not having a child-care badge, Perry responds with uber-sexism, assuming the Scouts can help moms, not dads, with child care. Perfect!

A Perry anecdote: my friend's ex is an official with a powerful firemen's union and he had a photo-op a few years ago with the Governor. While they waited for the photographer to get ready, Governor Perry looked down at Brian's boots and said something like, "Those are nice. Where do you have them made?" Our Governor is so out of touch that he assumed a fireman has the money to have his boots specially made, which is a very expensive proposition.

Sometimes I wonder how in the world I've managed to live here for 20 years.

The best $90 I have ever spent.

In the last several years, I have worked hard to be smarter with my money. So I was surprised that an impulse buy I made yesterday turned out to be such an unregrettable decision.

Staring at the American Airlines quick check-in kiosk at the Jacksonville Airport, I had to make a choice. I could simply check in and take my very respectable window seat near the front of the coach section. Or, I could accept the airline's offer of a first class seat for only an additional $90. My memory veered back to the flight to Jacksonville, where I had found myself hungry at lunchtime, smelling the aroma of the first class lunch offering, but with only trail mix available to me. Not only that--I was feeling sleepy, as if a cold was coming on, and was laboring under the grief brought on by the fact that my laptop's hard drive had just been diagnosed with a serious, possibly terminal, illness. I desperately craved a comfortable flight experience.

It will not surprise you that I chose the first class upgrade. I don't think I have ever paid for a first class seat before, having only enjoyed that experience once when the airline offered it gratuitously for reasons I no longer remember. But there is something truly decadent and wonderful about being served with a drink of water even before takeoff, nibbling on warmed nuts, receiving your choice of wine for free and then enjoying a well-rounded dinner of pasta, salad and . . . mmm . . . very good cheesecake (not to mention the hot towel), just before taking a nap. (Note: first class isn't perfect: that section also has a jerk who hacks and coughs the whole way home without ever covering his mouth).

I doubt I will have the chance to fly first class again anytime soon--at least not in a price range I am willing to endure. But every now and then, it's nice to luxuriate in being pampered.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine courtesy of right wing news, via althouse.

Where did my mojo go?

I'm perplexed by where my blogging gumption has gone in recent months. Maybe it's that I have been too busy with work and other stuff to take time to think the introspective thoughts I like to write about here. Maybe it's that much of what I would like to write about I cannot . . . like the lawsuit I am pursuing against the lying jerks who sold me my house, a lawsuit made more difficult by the fact that I am a nice person who didn't want to sue them unless I absolutely could not solve the problem they caused on my own. Maybe it's that I have become so shallow I don't have anything meaningful to write about anymore.

Despite my best resolve for 2008, I haven't been keeping up with family or friends in the way I would like, nor have I been working on my physical health as I would like. I am, however, a billing machine at work. And I have listed some of my photographs for sale. Soon I'll have a piece of my own art to hang on my wall at work . . . I'll photograph it for you after it arrives. And I do have a cute new haircut that makes me want to live up to the stylishness of my hair.

I miss my camera, which has been tucked away in the closet with no place to go. But next week, we're going to Florida on a business trip, and at the end of March, we're going to Arizona for another business trip, this one with baseball, too. And I'm going to work to help Barack Obama win the Texas Democratic Party primary on March 4th.

In more important new, Phil has lost a friend. He is far from home . . . please drop by and give him a virtual hug.




P.S. I should add this: even though I will be angry if I lose this case because I was nice, I will never, ever regret being the nice person who lost, as opposed to the jerk who lied. Never.

Video Sunday, and Other Tidbits

Who would have ever thought I would find myself saying, "Way to go, Montel! Tell it like it is."



Via Susan at "Kiss My Big Blue Butt."

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

This video made by supporters of Barack Obama is really wonderful:



Who would have ever thought that I would be so thoughtless and conclusory in my support of Barack Obama as to spend a chunk of my nice walk with a friend this morning bashing Hilary Clinton, only to realize, not nearly quickly enough, that my friend is a Clinton supporter? I feel like a jerk. I need to think more before speaking.

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

This is totally awesome:



Via Kottke.

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

And finally, I cannot get this Sarah Silverman song out of my head (BUT FIRST--The video is even funnier if you FIRST check out the links in this story about the background behind it):



Via People.