January 2005 Archives
31 January 2005
Form Follows Fascism
I paid homage to Philip Johnson after his passing over at blogHOUSTON, for his role in shaping Houston's skyline.
I don't normally speak ill of the dead, but I ran across this New York Times article on the man via Orrin Judd's blog earlier today, and I'm going to make an exception of Mr. Johnson.
I hadn't realized Mr. Johnson was a Nazi sympathizer:
[Read More]Philip Johnson did not just flirt with fascism. He spent several years in his late 20's and early 30's - years when an artist's imagination usually begins to jell - consumed by fascist ideology. He tried to start a fascist party in the United States. He worked for Huey Long and Father Coughlin, writing essays on their behalf. He tried to buy the magazine American Mercury, then complained in a letter, "The Jews bought the magazine and are ruining it, naturally." He traveled several times to Germany. He thrilled to the Nuremberg rally of 1938 and, after the invasion of Poland, he visited the front at the invitation of the Nazis.
He approved of what he saw. "The German green uniforms made the place look gay and happy," he wrote in a letter. "There were not many Jews to be seen. We saw Warsaw burn and Modlin being bombed. It was a stirring spectacle." As late as 1940, Mr. Johnson was defending Hitler to the American public. It seems that only an inquiry by the Federal Bureau of Investigation - and, presumably, the prospect of being labeled a traitor if America entered the war - led him to withdraw completely from politics.
Today, any debate over an important figure with a fascist or Communist background easily becomes an occasion for blame games between right and left [NICE INTERJECTION FROM THE NY TIMES! -klw] . Mr. Johnson is no exception. Morally serious people can have different views of his personal culpability.
But what's essential is to let the shadow fall - to acknowledge that fascism touched something important in his sensibility. Throughout his life, he was an ardent admirer of Nietzsche. His understanding of the great philosopher was surely deeper than that of the Nazis, but he was overly enchanted by the idea of "a superior being," "the will to power" and Nietzsche's view of art. And he loved the monumental.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/31/05 22:58 | Other | Technorati | Comments (0)
30 January 2005
Iraq Entertainment From Those Wacky LST Kids
Following his explanation of why KSEV-700 has "wheezed" in recent radio ratings, the erstwhile publisher of the Lone Star Times has now decided to share his wisdom on Iraq:
These top two selections, 53%, illustrate that the people of Iraq want to move away from the Islamic fundamentalism of the past.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha.
There's a pretty major, funny problem with Dan Patrick's interpretation of the Zogby poll -- Iraq under Saddam Hussein was not an Islamic fundamentalist regime. A brutal, tyrannical regime? Absolutely. An Islamic fundamentalist regime? Not really. Indeed, for some realists in foreign policy circles, it was seen as a secular bulwark of sorts against fundamentalists in Iran.
The above example, of course, is what can happen when people with no subject knowledge or expertise nonetheless decide to play Great Prognosticator on the web. One can understand why there is no commenting feature, because Great Prognosticators aren't always big on dissent.
Elsewhere, the stellar interpretation of events in Iraq continues with this nugget from Reec Murphy on those voting in Iraqi elections:
They did so even though they had been genetically bred via Saddam's killing fields, to stay home and shut up.
That sentence is just priceless on so many levels.
Mark "Styen" is, no doubt, delighted at the props she gives him.
It's the weekend, though. Maybe the blog's paid staff will get some of the weekend messes cleaned up tomorrow.
(01-31-2005 Update): It's tomorrow, and now we're treated to a dose of Dan Patrick's poetry. Yes, you did read that correctly. As things seem to be progressing, we ought to be due for photos of Dan's dog Bailey by the end of the week. Maybe sooner.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/30/05 21:45 | Other | Technorati | Comments (8)
Successful Roadtrip
We're back, after a good overnight roadtrip to catch our friends in the Dead End Angels play the Ole Moulton Bank.
The Ole Moulton Bank is a nice little venue, with a decent sound system, and DEA put on a good show, as always.
We were joined by some old friends and some new ones, as the comments in the earlier post would suggest.
Several of us stayed at the Olle Hotel in Flatonia. It's a lovely OLD boardinghouse that's been converted into a great B&B. The stay was superb, and the Olle Hotel is highly recommended. We also paid a visit to Flatonia's Friendly Tavern, which lived up to its name and is also highly recommended.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/30/05 21:18 | Other | Technorati | Comments (1)
28 January 2005
Dead End Angels In Moulton
I'm heading out Saturday to catch my friends in the Dead End Angels play a relatively new venue, the Ole Moulton Bank.
I mentioned earlier that it's run by the fellow who used to run Dan Electro's Guitar Bar.
It sounds like a neat place. I'm looking forward to a good venue, good music, and good company. Oh, and Shiner that ought to be damn fresh. :)
Things here will most likely be quiet until Sunday. Have a good weekend everyone!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/28/05 23:12 | Music | Technorati | Comments (6)
Do We Want Vila? No, We Want A Nice Rack!
The Washington Post reports some entertainment news that gives me one less show to bother watching:
To think of all the many around-the-house tasks, circa 2002, that we managed to put off, thanks largely to the irresistible, superhuman chipperness of Paige Davis. (Used to be, oh, look, "Trading Spaces" is on. No, not just on -- a "Trading Spaces" marathon. Put down the car keys, blow off Home Depot and kiss an entire Sunday goodbye.)
Two days! Two neighbors! A thousand dollars! All guided by the perky antics of gamin Paige. Clutching your hand, giggling with that gawky, high-strung girliness of hers, giving you the all-clear: Open your eyes, and look at your room!Surprise! TLC, the Silver Spring-based network that converted America into a nation of attention-deficit-decorators, announced earlier this week that Paige Davis, the host of "Trading Spaces," has been let go.
Like a harbinger of yesterday's swift resignation of TLC's general manager and layoffs at parent company Discovery, Paige was canned on Monday. Fired, dumped, shown the door: "TLC is taking 'Trading Spaces' in a new creative direction, transitioning to a 'host-less' format this spring," the network explained in a press statement. The decision, the statement said, "will enable the show to be more spontaneous, focus more on the homeowners and designers. . . . Paige helped make 'Trading Spaces' a great success for the network and we wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors."
What?!
Paige Davis was the only reason to WATCH that show. She's bubbly. She's energetic. She's cute. She made the combination of boring homeowners, eccentric designers, and paint buckets FUN! Woo!
Dumb TLC!
I guess that leaves me a little more time for Rachael, though. :)
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/28/05 19:23 | Other | Technorati | Comments (12)
Danger Train: Collision #77 (5)
There was actually a second Danger Train collision yesterday, at Fannin & Rosedale.
Don Gallagher, moderator of the Houston MET yahoo group, noted this in a post.
Although no stories have been posted to link to, John Gaver confirmed the crash with Metro and KPRC-2.
Two crashes in one day seems pretty World Class to me!
That takes us to five for the year/month, and 77 overall (documented).
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/28/05 12:00 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (4)
27 January 2005
Political Humor From The Austinites
It's a good rule for students and casual observers of American politics to be wary of polls. There are outstanding pollsters. There are less than outstanding pollsters. And there are lots of folks in between.
However, even the mediocre pollsters tend to offer something more than this:
"I have no numbers to back this up, but the 'Rs' have already been hurt in Texas by this effort to seat Heflin," said Kelly Fero, chief strategist for Take Back Texas, a sister organization of the state Democratic Party.
Ha ha ha ha.
Okay Kelly, when you get some numbers from a respected pollster, I'll stop chuckling.
Honestly, here's a question for those readers who actually work campaigns (by work, I don't mean blockwalking) or polling or cover politics -- how many people do you think actually KNOW the name Vo or Heflin? Now, Republicans could possibly be hurt by this issue. But come on -- most voters aren't paying any attention to this crap right now. That's just reality.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/27/05 22:58 | American Politics | Technorati | Comments (1)
Danger Train: Collision #76 (4)
KHOU-11 reports the second Danger Train collision in two days:
Two more Metro light rail passengers were injured Thursday in the second accident in as many days.
This one happened near Fannin and MacGregor in the Texas Medical Center.
Investigators say the driver of a car tried to make a turn and the train hit it.
The driver refused to go the hospital. But two passengers on board the train were taken to Ben Taub.
Two other light rail passengers were injured in a similar accident Wednesday just a few blocks away.
The train hit it?
KHOU-11 must not be following the stylebook used at the Chronicle. The Chronicle always refers to cars striking the train, no matter how inanely inaccurate the reference is.
(01-28-2005 Update): The moderator of the Houston MET Yahoo group posts that he heard reports of TWO accidents yesterday. When/if a story appears online, I'll add a new post.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/27/05 22:36 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (1)
Meanwhile, On The Front...
KSEV-700 morning host Edd Hendee posts a riveting, heartbreaking account of a tough day with the Marines he's embedded with in Iraq.
Here's a portion that caught my eye:
Now I heard the worst of it – how the Marines had been given bad intelligence of an insurgent house. They found nothing there but when they began to leave had been ambushed with several IED’s, RPG’s, small arms fire, and automatic weapon fire.
The gunfire came from houses and a Mosque. It was a well planned and sizeable ambush – the enemy knew they were coming. The Marines had sustained two KIA’s (killed in action)– one had died on the battlefield – the other at this facility on the table. They would be transported later. The young Marines I spoke to described the battle like a scene from Star Wars – bullets, RPG’s, return fire – a huge fire fight. They got the bad guys – but it came with a price.
The Marines had recovered their dead, transported their wounded, and began to plan their counter action. A group of guys came up to the roof – one of them a Captain I had interviewed the night before.
We got 5 guys together and prayed for the families who lost sons, asked the Lord to welcome them into an eternity with Him in heaven, prayed for the families who would receive a visit tonight back home, prayed for the loved ones who would deal with the grief of loss and the fear for their wounded family member.
The next time our friends on the left ignorantly or purposefully mischaracterize Alberto Gonzales' writings on the question of extending the protections of the Geneva convention to terrorists -- a protection we've declined to enshrine as law for quite some time -- I'd like them also to point to Hendee's post and tell me why terrorists who hide in mosques and try to kill our Marines should be afforded those Geneva convention protections, as a matter of law (unsustainable) or conscience (perhaps tenable, to an extent).
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/27/05 11:48 | Other | Technorati | Comments (4)
26 January 2005
UH Basketball Tonight
Ken Stocks of the Galveston Daily News penned a fine column on UH basketball coach Tom Penders earlier this week.
I finally remembered to listen to the live Penders program this Monday, and was impressed. The guy is pretty articulate, and I like his attitude. Oh, and he can coach a little bit. He actually called out the NBA product, saying that too many players just stand around for too much of the game, and you won't see that from any team he coaches.
And it's true. I don't think he has the level of talent he would like on this team, but they hustle, and they play tenacious defense. They've been a lot of fun to watch, especially compared to the product the last three UH coaches put out.
Tonight, they host Tulane. I hope it draws a decent crowd. General admission seats are priced as low as the baseball games now ($6). I think it's the best six sports dollars you can spend in the town right now.
(Update): Okay, so that was one tough home loss (first of the season). Between the poor shooting, missing half the free throws, and awful officiating, I would have expected a much bigger loss. Instead, Tulane makes a tough, clutch shot to win with 2 seconds left. It never should have come to that, but it did. And, it's a testament to that hustling defense UH was still in it at the end anyway. Still $6 well spent.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/26/05 17:34 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (3)
Danger Train: Collision #75 (3)
KPRC-2 is reporting a Danger Train collision:
Two METRORail riders were injured Wednesday morning when the train they were riding collided with a passenger car in southwest Houston.
The collision occurred at 10:03 a.m. at Fannin and Hermann Drive, near the Museum District Fountains.
Police have not said who is responsible for the collision.
The victims were transported to Memorial Hermann Hospital. Their conditions have not been released.
It's hard to believe Metro police chief Tom Lambert didn't waddle himself out to denounce Houston drivers for being unsafe. Maybe he was having breakfast.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/26/05 12:14 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (1)
Helping Houston: The Houston Food Bank
The beauty of the blogosphere is its open-source nature.
If lefty polibloggers want to spend one day per week during election season begging for what largely amounts to chump change for most assclown politicos, that's all well and good. I'm sure they feel like they're doing their part to make the world a better place.
But it seems like such begging has become a year-round thing at some of those blogs (update: and soliciting money in the cause of "volunteer" blockwalking is just bizarre).
There might be a time in the future when I solicit money here for some assclown politician. I'm not opposed to the practice in general. So please don't read this that way.
However, let me just suggest that if you're feeling generous, there are plenty of local organizations that can do far more good with a minimal contribution ($5 or $10) than any assclown politico, Republican or Democrat. This is long overdue, but whenever I see local bloggers begging for money for some assclown politico, I'll try to remember to highlight a local charitable organization that could benefit from a contribution of time, money, and/or goods.
Today, I'd like to call attention to the Houston Food Bank, one of those underappreciated charities that most of us in Houston tend to take for granted. I can guarantee the folks who receive their assistance don't take it for granted.
I've just donated $25 to them. Unfortunately, their web form was having problems at the time, but the lady who answered at (713) 547-8623 seemed quite happy to take the credit card information. In addition, checks can be sent to:
Houston Food Bank
3811 Eastex Freeway
Houston, TX 77026
I'll try to spotlight other notable organizations from time to time. If you have recommendations, feel free to leave them in the comments or email me. Thanks for indulging me in this!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/26/05 09:27 | Other | Technorati | Comments (4)
25 January 2005
Pursuing Other Interests
I really do just love BigCo euphemisms, like the old favorite today from the President of the BigCo where I work:
[Name Omitted, Title Omitted] has decided to leave [BigCo] to pursue other interests.
Here's hoping the other interests are a pleasurable pursuit.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/25/05 08:52 | Other | Technorati | Comments (1)
24 January 2005
Republican Schism
I just got an email from the Harris County Republican Party praising Dermatologist-Councilwoman's editorial in the Chronicle, and urging recipients to call City Hall about SAFEclear.
If Michael Berry were mayor instead of Bill White, I wonder if the HCRP would be endorsing dermatologist-councilwoman's recently adopted view on "socialized towing?"
We've posted and posted and posted on this program over at blogHOUSTON.
I don't have the ultimate answers. I think Michael Berry and Bill White both believe they are achieving a public safety end with this program, even if it initially looked like a money grab (and will still make the city money, even with the Mayor's proposed revisions). I won't have as big a problem with the program if Council enacts the Mayor's proposed changes, although I would have preferred an expanded MAP. Still, at the end of the day, White and Berry crafted a revised plan in which towing companies are effectively funding a service for motorists on the freeways. Again, expanding MAP would have been my preference, but they chose not to go that way.
The fun tomorrow is likely to be when all the different councilmembers decide to play mayor, and offer THEIR own new SAFEclear plans. Whether Mayor White can herd all of those cats will be the first real test he's faced with council. And whether the old "conservative" bloc (sans Michael Berry on this issue) chooses to oppose Mayor White on this issue will be interesting to watch also.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/24/05 23:06 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (2)
Less Brilliant, But Still Funny
Ya'll probably read Peter King already, but for those who don't, there was this fun tidbit among all the boring Super Bowl talk:
The Eagles run through an inflatable tunnel and gigantic helmet before the game. The tunnel is sponsored by Levitra, the erectile drug. Before the game, as it was being inflated in the southwest corner of the end zone, the comedy dean of NFL writers, Larry Weisman of USA Today, leaned over to me and said: "If it doesn't deflate in four hours, are you supposed to call your doctor?"
Excellent.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/24/05 22:47 | Other | Technorati | Comments (0)
Brilliant
You just never know what those damn Chick-Fil-A cows might be up to.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/24/05 22:42 | Other | Technorati | Comments (2)
24 Hour Fitness Express - BAH!
My gym has opened a new location that's much closer to home than the Richmond location I usually go to after work.
Unfortunately, it's one of those useless "express" locations. "Express" in 24 Hour Fitness parlance means, a half-sized gym with too little equipment still fit too tightly into too small a space.
I checked out the place tonight. Nice new weight equipment. Not nearly enough variety. Missing equipment to work some key groups. Bah.
I guess I'll keep going to that Richmond location after work.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/24/05 21:33 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (3)
23 January 2005
Oh No!
We've lost Johnny Carson.
I haven't really watched the late-night comedy shows since he retired. None of them could compare to the king.
May he rest in peace.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/23/05 13:08 | Other | Technorati | Comments (2)
Sunday Blog Reading And Related Thoughts
I've been posting so much on the local blog lately that I haven't been following "other" stuff so closely.
Fortunately, the diverse blogosphere is posting away on all sorts of "other" stuff, allowing those of us who've been buried in the local to catch up quickly.
Here's a sampling of some of the blog reads I've been hitting over coffee this morning, and random thoughts they've produced:
Review of Abortion: The Clash of Absolutes by Laurence Tribe (Brothers Judd)
Orrin Judd is someone who deserves the title "prolific" for his blog posts and book reviews (even if he would never have the audacity to use the term to describe himself that way). This review is illustrative of the conservative fare one finds regularly on his blog. If I weren't conservative, I'd make a point of stopping here every day just to see what thoughtful conservatives were posting. Here are some other interesting recent posts from what I consider the conservative daily civics lesson blog: Anyone seen Snow White?, Good, it could use a beating, Clash of heresies, Neo-McGovern, Rove Smiles.
Often Immoderate, Never Confused (PowerLine), and Reagan's Lightning, Bush's Fire (Brothers Judd).
Okay, the PowerLine post mainly points to other interesting reading, but that's why I check in so frequently -- because when they're not offering insightful commentary of their own, they're linking to good stuff. And, of course, it's another appearance for Orrin Judd, who draws parallels between the President's second inaugural address and Reagan's.
Just Another Day In Paradise (Brazosport News)
Yes, I'm weird. I like Banjo Jones' toxic emissions reports (hell, I like damn near every paragraph he strings together, okay?). And you know what? There's really no reason that a certain bigtime local newspaper couldn't be just as diligent in keeping track of such matters. It's not as sexy as a multipart series, and probably wouldn't sell as much copy. But it's the sort of local journalism I wouldn't expect local newspapers simply to concede to local bloggers.
If you join the PBA do you have to buy your shoes or can you rent them? (Fireant Gazette)
Eric Siegmund notes that there's now a Professional Bloggers Association. Good gawd. The Media Bloggers Association looks like it might be worthwhile (or at least as worthwhile as such organizations can ever be). The Professional Bloggers Association? Once again, good gawd.
Velvel on blogging (Houston's Clear Thinkers)
Tom Kirkendall excerpts two fine paragraphs on the power of blogging.
Ten and only Ten - Take II (TBIFOC)
Laurence Simon posts a revised list of the ten blogs that would be on his blogroll if he could only have ten. It's flattering that blogHOUSTON has surged onto the list (thanks!). I've long thought Laurence's blog is underappreciated for the media crit/blogging stuff he posts, and that's only been reinforced by some of the local media stuff he posts in the bH comments. I might have to do my own takeoff on his "Top Ten" meme later, although this post of mine gives a pretty good idea.
Texas professor and Bashar Assad, sitting in a tree and Unwelcome and unwanted (Lone Star Times)
Something like nine months ago, I was seduced by the idea that a conservative local talk radio station wanted to get into blogging. Given the way Hugh Hewitt has embraced both forms of alt-media -- not to mention the Northern Alliance crew -- it just seemed like a good idea. It started as a niche, satirical media criticism project (Chronically Biased) that quickly lost that focus, and it also lost me at some point. The Lone Star Times is Dan Patrick's successor project, and looks to be moving on to San Antonio media crit this weekend. I like the individual bloggers. I sometimes participate in friendly email chatter with many of them. I have no bones to pick with anyone over there, not even The Great Leader. But I do wish there was more of a focus to things there sometimes. Is it to be a Texas-centric blog? A conservative opinion leader for the KSEV listening area? A media crit blog? All of these and more? And who is the intended audience? I guess I have trouble figuring those things sometimes, and think the blog might have greater reach and impact if those were clearer.
(Monday morning addendum):
The Myth of Poor Teacher Pay (A Little Pollyanna)
Okay, had I read this on Sunday, it would have made the list. But the early Monday a.m. caffeine hasn't taken hold yet, so it still FEELS like Sunday.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/23/05 12:15 | Other | Technorati | Comments (1)
22 January 2005
Figuring Out Local
The Pegasus crew posts this observation:
Local ... is the one niche that the Internet hasn't really figured out-- not in a comprehensive,
user-friendlyuseful way. It doesn't seem scalable, so most are afraid to go there armed for bear.That's the opportunity.
Maybe.
Our own little niche local blog experiment is really starting to take off. It strikes me that there IS untapped potential out there locally. But how to do what the Peg folks are proposing (which is TAP the opportunity and make money)?
Maybe when they figure it out, they'll be kind enough to let us in on the action. :)
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/22/05 00:03 | Media Matters | Technorati | Comments (0)
21 January 2005
Go MAP!
Remember all those idiots who were cheering OJ and the infamous white bronco some years ago?
Well, I had my OJ moment earlier.
I was cruising inbound on the Southwest Freeway and noticed a MAP van with flashing lights passing me by on the left.
I gave a little cheer, wishing the MAP folks well in their effort to beat the evil $AFEclear tow truck to the trouble scene.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/21/05 15:50 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (0)
The Lunch Hour Is For Lunching
Banjo Jones got my KICKASS nod yesterday.
Today, Laurence Simon gets it for this.
The lunch hour IS for lunching, damnit!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/21/05 11:44 | Other | Technorati | Comments (1)
20 January 2005
TV Notes: The Inaugural
Banjo Jones posts what I think is just a kickass bit of writing.
The showoff. :)
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/20/05 09:23 | Other | Technorati | Comments (1)
Thou Shalt Not Acknowlege Gender
A few days ago, Orrin Judd pointed to this article on some recent comments by Harvard Prez Larry Summers on gender.
Summers had better watch out.
While one academic worried of blacking out over the comments, bloggers (of hardier constitution) are blasting away.
I'll just take the opportunity to link to this old book, Brain Sex, which was a mighty interesting read on the topic some time ago (if a little dated now). Folks who care to get past anecdotes and into more substantive arguments might find it interesting.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/20/05 00:30 | Other | Technorati | Comments (0)
19 January 2005
Another Tough Road Loss
Tom Penders got some more nice press today in the Star-Telegram.
Unfortunately, the Coogs came up a bit short tonight at TCU, losing 58-51.
Penders has worked wonders, but they just can't quite pull off a road win against good teams.
Even if they can hold home court, this loss probably hurts their NCAA chances badly, since (for now) it puts TCU ahead off them if there's room for a C-USA bubble team in the tourney.
Still, the NIT remains a reachable goal, and the NCAA may still be in reach if they can just figure out how to steal some road wins (they must win the next game at South Florida, and later at East Carolina, but they probably still have to pull off an upset or two on the road along the way).
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/19/05 23:55 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (2)
18 January 2005
Baseball And Drugs
Tom Verducci has a nice column today on baseball and drugs.
There are quite a few responses in it to those folks who love to claim there's "no evidence" that steroids make any difference at all.
That's useful, but the most interesting part is the contention that amphetamine use is so widespread.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/18/05 23:09 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (1)
Penders
Aside from the annoying references to the UT hook'em sign and the UH cougar paw sign, it's a good piece.
Penders has been a great fit thus far at UH. His team hustles, and he seems very respectful of the tradition at UH and Guy V. Lewis in particular.
And the guy can obviously still coach, already surpassing last year's pitiful 9-win total. Against Southern Miss on Saturday, Penders really helped to pull out a win when the referees took over the game in the second half, and turned what was headed towards a blowout into a nailbiter. A less experienced coach might have gotten a technical when the lead was whittled down on some highly questionable calls. Instead, Penders gently worked the officials, getting his point across, but smiling the whole time and never leaving the coaching box. It was one of those little things that won't ever show up on a box score or in a Comical column, but lots of those little things are what set him apart from the trio of mediocrities (Alvin, Clyde, and Ray) who nearly destroyed the program that Guy V. Lewis put on the map.
These next two road games will determine just how good he's made this team. Getting one of the two would be a big step, given the road troubles they've had for such a long time.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/18/05 21:13 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (4)
He's Not Serious?
Bill Parcells fired longtime Cowboys kicking coach Steve Hoffman yesterday.
Hoffman has been credited over the years with developing "nobody" kickers, so that Dallas would not have to spend big bucks to retain kickers in free agency.
So, the biggest moves the Cowboys have made following their disappointing season involve sending personnel man Larry Lacewell into early retirement (that should have happened years ago), booting the offensive line coach (his unit underperformed this season), and now the kicking coach (???).
It's a little hard to believe that of all the units that underperformed this season (quarterback, defensive line, and secondary are the biggest after the offensive line), Parcells decided he needed to make a change in the way kickers are coached.
I realize I've been a big proponent of "trust in Big Bill," but it's getting harder and harder to stay that course.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/18/05 08:45 | Dallas Cowboys | Technorati | Comments (0)
17 January 2005
MeMo's Upset
Our little hyperlocal blog seems to have sent MeMo into a rage today.
I would say incoherent rage, but it's no more incoherent than usual. I think she thinks she's prolific. Not quite sure.
Since her "blog" evolved from internal memos she used to send to staff, I imagine that those Chron staffers are pretty happy that she's focusing on some local bloggers and not, say, them.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/17/05 21:41 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (4)
Sign Seen At Richmond And Chimney Rock
I was out for lunch today, and noticed a homeless person at the corner of Richmond and Chimney Rock.
Instead of helping the Comical boost its circulation figures by handing out newspapers, he instead was holding a great sign:
Why lie?
Need beer or pot
Gotta give him points for honesty.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/17/05 12:41 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (3)
16 January 2005
Ole Moulton Bank
It's well past time that I plugged the Ole Moulton Bank, a new listening room for fans of Americana/Texas country music that has recently opened in Moulton in the hill country (very close to Shiner, for those who know the brew better than the geography).
Houstonians should make a note of the place, since it's run by the longtime proprietors of Dan Electro's Guitar Bar (and guitar shop), and (not so surprisingly) is powered by the old sound system from Dan Electro's.
It will shock nobody to know that I'm heading to Moulton to give the place a listen on January 29, when my friends in the Dead End Angels will be playing.
We're blessed in Texas to have some great listening rooms, and I have no doubt that this 60-seat venue will quickly assume a place as one of the best in our state. I can't wait to go give it a listen (and a recording).
And Moulton is the surname of one of my very best friends, so there's even some good Kev-karma working.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/16/05 13:40 | Music | Technorati | Comments (4)
14 January 2005
Censured!
Recently prolific blogger Chris Elam reports on the censure of Bev Carter down in Fort Bend County.
I had hoped to attend this meeting with the Safety man, but just couldn't make it down yesterday.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/14/05 07:52 | Texas | Technorati | Comments (0)
13 January 2005
It's Raining Toys!
Callie was cruising down West Dallas towards work downtown this morning, and had to dodge flying toys.
Her account is here.
KHOU-11 reports the man responsible for the deluge of toys was eventually Tasered by HPD.
Shock therapy's out of style now in mental institutions, but not at uniformless Chief Hurtt's police department!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/13/05 23:02 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (0)
Not Everyone's Happy With The SAFEclear Revisions
Compassionate conservative Dan Patrick is one of the few people upset about changes to the SAFEclear program that Mayor White announced yesterday.
Patrick prefers the old system (currently still in place, until Council enacts the mayor's changes), and notes:
If you can't afford $75 to have your vehicle towed from our busy freeways, stay off the freeway.
He did not add:
That poll tax was a pretty good idea too.
(yeah yeah, I know I'm overdoing the "He did not add" schtick, but once you get started, it's hard to stop)
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/13/05 20:13 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (2)
12 January 2005
Highways West
Ken Layne announces Highways West, his new "Western U.S. travel blog buddy."
I don't know what the profit potential is in the thing, but it's mighty fascinating, and the sort of writing that Ken does beautifully.
Nice job!
I'm holding out hope that it will, one day, contain a riveting travelblog account of the Texas roadshow of Ken Layne and the Corvids.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/12/05 23:29 | Other | Technorati | Comments (0)
Those Farmers May Be For Real
I thought my friend Ethan was kidding me earlier when he emailed that Texas A&M was about to take out #10 UT in basketball.
Nope.
Sure enough, the Farmers took out the Shorthorns, 74-63.
A week ago, I commented that I had trouble taking A&M seriously in basketball (I was lamenting UH's 93-80 road loss to them).
Let me just say that I'm taking them seriously now, despite that WEAK nonconference schedule.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/12/05 23:20 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (2)
11 January 2005
UT Loses Both Defensive Coordinators
Texas co-defensive coordinator Greg Robinson will take over as the head man at Syracuse.
Robinson had this to say about his one-year tenure under Mack Brown:
After being named coach at Syracuse, Robinson thanked Brown. ""He was constantly sharing his thoughts and methods," Robinson said. "Without grooming me, he was grooming me."
He did not add:
After Mack's expert tutelage, I expect we'll have problems in big games against highly ranked rivals, and fans shouldn't expect us to win a conference title, ever.
The other UT defensive coordinator, Dick Tomey, left earlier to take the job at San Jose State.
Mack Brown has the resources to hire just about anybody he wants to fill out his staff, and he should have plenty of coaches to pick from.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/11/05 21:59 | Big 12 Football | Technorati | Comments (4)
Danger Train: Collision #74 (2)
KTRH-740 is reporting a Danger Train collision in the medical center, with four injuries.
No linkable news outlets are reporting this incident thus far.
The sneaky Danger Train tried to pull this off while I was heading to the gym, but few traffic incidents get past KTRH.
(01-12-2005 Update) KTRK-13 posts this story about the incident (hat tip to Callie, who posted this in the comments), and our ever vigilant light rail accident chronicler John Gaver alerts us to this Seattle PI story that references our little tram.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/11/05 17:11 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (4)
10 January 2005
Mapping Out The Newspaper Of The Future
Jay Rosen recently posted some thoughts on the ongoing experiment in open-source journalism taking place at the Greensboro News & Record.
I (privately) furled the thing for later comment, and then promptly got very busy blogging about $AFEclear.
It's hard not to be excited about what Lex Alexander is doing in Greensboro, because he's effectively embracing many of the concepts associated with blogging and trying to weave them into real, professional journalism.
The reaction of one self-described "prolific" blogger to this piece was to start talking about erecting some sort of wall of separation between blogging and journalism. Huh? As Jeff Jarvis wrote yesterday, journalism needs to focus on tearing down those walls.
I must have been reading a different article than the "prolific" blogger, because I actually see Alexander embracing the openness and interactivity of the blogosphere and knocking DOWN arbitrary walls, whether it's arguing for more detailed bios from the "journalists" or inline comments, or setting up free, permanent archives, or promoting an atmosphere of hyperlinking (yes, even to the competition -- maybe someone should show this to Dan Patrick) or opening up planning and editorial meetings (that one is a personal favorite) to bloggers, or fostering working relationships among journalists and bloggers who are experts in subject areas -- among other ideas (I included the ones I like the most -- I'm not so sure about blogger "beats" by geography, for example).
While that's all very interesting, there's also the discussion going on just up the road in Dallas on Pegasus, where they're hoping to create a new information source to compete with that city's only daily newspaper. Their conversation is about the extent to which journalism and blogging should be complementary enterprises (no walls of separation), but it's also about the shape of the newspaper of the future.
Locally, Laurence Simon points out why mainstream media should embrace principles of blogging (if not blogging itself):
The advantage of open-source news analysis inherent in blogging and the free market is that there are so many perspectives, it is impossible to conceal the facts with a single biases source. And this [CBS] episode will hopefully teach us all that when you've just heard the Sermon On The Black Rock, it's time to get a second opinion... and a third... and a fourth...
Yes. No walls of separation. Let's get on with knocking down the damn walls, so we can start to reconfigure what we call journalism.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/10/05 23:17 | Media Matters | Technorati | Comments (0)
Thou Shalt Not Mention Chris Baker Favorably!
I stayed at work late today so I wouldn't have to travel back to the west side of town later for an information session sponsored by John Culberson.
Prior to leaving work, I cruised through the local blogs, and noticed that the Lone Star Times' Matt Bramanti had posted a little snippet of news from KTRH's Chris Baker regarding an announcement that Baker says is forthcoming from the Mayor's office on $AFEclear tomorrow.
I wondered how long Dan Patrick's ego would allow a post about the hated Chris Baker to stay up.
Answer: not long enough to make it into the google news cache apparently, because it was gone without a (google) trace when I got home just a little bit ago.
That, kiddos, would NOT be an example of open-source journalism in action.
Maybe the megalomaniacal publisher of the Lone Star Times didn't want to crowd out today's harder hitting material.
Anyway, I'm not sure that it's worth posting to blogHOUSTON -- but it is true that Chris Baker announced today that the Mayor's office would be making a statement tomorrow on the $AFEclear program, which is what Bramanti had originally posted. Baker said that he couldn't reveal the announcement, but intimated that he thought people would approve. My best guess is that if there is an announcement, we're going to see some sort of moratorium while the pols further "study" and "tweak" the program. Let's hope this stinker of a program gets shelved.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/10/05 22:13 | Other | Technorati | Comments (10)
08 January 2005
It's Going To Be A Long, Bad Season
Carlos Beltran will not be with the Astros this season, which most likely means Roger Clemens will remain in retirement.
Even worse, free agents who might have helped the Astros have gone elsewhere while the team focused on Beltran.
It looks to be a bleak season.
But hey, baseball fans can take solace in this:
Despite the fact that Beltran chose to go elsewhere, McLane's pursuit created a tremendous sense of goodwill between the franchise and the Latino community, said several prominent Houston political and business leaders. ``I'm excited about the energy and focus Drayton McLane put on this opportunity,'' said Councilman Adrian Garcia, who was a member of the old Astros' Buddy program as a child. ``It demonstrated Drayton McLane's commitment to maintain a winning team. It's a great opportunity to create an image that's consistent with the city of Houston.''
Great!
I can't wait to see Adrian Garcia patrolling center field and knocking in 100 runs or so. That ought to create some goodwill too.
What stupidity.
(01-09-2005 Update) Banjo Jones has created an informative Beltran/McLane/Astros FAQ.
(01-09-2005 Update 2) If the glass is half empty here, the glass is somewhat above half full over at Tom Kirkendall's place. And he actually provides stats and logic and reasons and stuff.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/08/05 23:38 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (8)
I Need The Press For This?
I've never thought of myself as someone who might write music reviews for a fancy shmancy mainstream "alternative" weekly. For one thing, it's too damn much work, and for another, there's lots of talented people who actually know something about this alt-country genre of music that I like to listen to.
But after Rob Patterson's Houston Press review of Pat Green's latest CD, I'm thinking said alt-weekly ought to be throwing some cash at me and some friends for this sort of thing.
Here's the substantive stuff:
Even though I was anything but a fan of Green before, I was still among those who expected more from Lucky Ones, only to have my hopes dashed. Wave on Wave, despite the garbled metaphor of its overblown title song, was at least a small artistic step for Green. The John Mellencougar production style fit Green's Texas dancehall frat rock well. And even if he still didn't seem to get what makes the names he drops -- like Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark -- so special, damned if I didn't punch the car radio button one day to hear "Guy Like Me" and find it, well, kind of catchy. So I was hoping that Green might at least, if not hit one out of the park, maybe get past first base on his next release.
But on Lucky Ones he fouls out, hitting the ceiling of his limited talents with a resounding thump on a set that's a turgid country-rock mishmash. Green swings for the fence on collaborations with co-writing slut Rob Thomas of Matchbox 20 fame and sapmeister Radney Foster (who also contributes the title tune) and comes up with strings of clichés that would embarrass even a Hallmark writer. He nods to his "beer & bong crowd" base on "College," a co-write and duet with Brad Paisley that, for all its hooky groove, is little more than an ode to party-pig ignorance (though it does have a fitting line for the Dumbya years: "I learned almost everything that I know without ever gaining knowledge in college").
As Green trades verses with a real singer like Paisley, it only places in bold relief the limitations of his voice, which wears awfully thin by album's end. And to prove that his disaffected fans have a point, the best tracks on the disc are Texan: Green's take on Jack Ingram's "One Thing," even if it is a fuzzy Xerox of Ingram's original, and his bluesy co-write with Ray Wylie Hubbard, "Sweet Revenge."
There's your review. Three paragraphs. The rest of the "review" (a couple dozen paragraphs total) is a review of what other reviewers -- including some on the web -- have said about the CD.
Because we really need a fancy schmancy print weekly to do that for us.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/08/05 22:58 | Music | Technorati | Comments (3)
Danger Train: Collision #73 (1)
We've had our first reported Danger Train collision of 2005:
The new year has brought a new accident involving Houston's light rail.
A driver ran a red light last night on Main and Gray downtown. The train hit that vehicle. Two people in the car and one person on the train were treated at a nearby hospital. Police ticketed the driver.
That's the 73rd documented collision between the Danger Train and a vehicle/person/wheelchair. Since it's the first of 2005, I'll start including that number in the subject heading as well, since local media have a lot of trouble keeping count of these things.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/08/05 10:39 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (0)
07 January 2005
The Shock Is Easing :)
I like this comment from a Miami Hurricanes fan on a Sooner message board:
Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I've seen my Canes get stomped with a potential title on the line, and I've seen them do the stomping. When you soar with the eagles, the rewards of victory and the bitterness of defeat are amplified. OU will doubtless continue to make their presence felt each year on the college football landscape in the coming years. Your program owes nobody any apologies for anything. Best of luck in '05 and beyond.
There are nice comments from several other Canes fans in the thread as well.
I like to hear that from fans of the U, which certainly knows something about playing championship football.
More and more, the latest BCS title game reminds me of that Nebraska-Florida championship Fiesta Bowl blowout of nearly a decade ago, which Nebraska won 62-24.
Steve Spurrier summoned a new defensive coordinator to fix that leaky defense, and they won a national championship together. That guy's name? Bob Stoops, interestingly enough.
So, now that the initial shock of the Sooner blowout is easing, I'll follow with that promised end-season Sooner/Big 12 post at some point. I don't think the Sooners under Bob Stoops are going to be leaving the BCS stage anytime soon, despite that little setback. And I'll surely take winning Big 12 championships and competing in BCS title games over becoming a regular participant at the Holiday Bowl, even if it means the occasional blowout.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/07/05 08:11 | Big 12 Football | Technorati | Comments (4)
05 January 2005
UH Tops Louisville
Slowly but surely, Tom Penders is filling up the stands at Hofheinz, which is nice to see.
And it was also nice to see Rick Pitino's hair live. Given the seriousness with which Louisville takes its athletic programs these days, I can't help but think that Pitino's contract calls for the school to provide him a hair stylist. Seriously, that dude is way too proud of his hair.
I'd intended some comments on that Sooner debacle, but I'm just too worn out.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/05/05 23:05 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (3)
04 January 2005
Boomer Sooner
Okay, time for the OU-USC game.
You couldn't ask for a better matchup.
So it will probably be a blowout one way or the other. That's how these things always go.
Here's hoping it's a Sooner blowout.
UPDATE: Okay, I got the blowout part right, but wrong team. USC is just cruising, almost at halftime. Talk about a demolition. Ouch.
UPDATE 2: So, this one's pretty much done at halftime. Still, it ought to be entertaining to hear the talking heads try to keep people from turning this stinker off. Will we get more interviews with Shaq? Toby Keith? What will they do? It's actually kind of funny.
UPDATE 3: Another score by USC. 45-10. This is turning into a championship ass-stomping for the ages. I think I'm going to stop updating this post and issue my congrats to USC for a damn impressive game. :)
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/04/05 19:03 | Big 12 Football | Technorati | Comments (1)
A Little Too Much New Year's Cheer
The photo above is the now damaged walkway from the parking garage to the offices at work.
Apparently, New Year's surveilance tape indicates that someone in a Mercedes SUV busted right through the chains securing the back of the then-closed garage, took out a very solid barrier where the overturned trash can is currently, and took out several beams of the walkway.
Ya think they had too much to drink?
Anyway, I happened to have the camera with me yesterday, and had to document the thing. Happy New Year, Mercedes SUV driver!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/04/05 19:01 | Other | Technorati | Comments (4)
I Get So Confused
Now that the Dems are robbed of their chief post-election issue, I wonder what they'll turn to next?
Hard to say.
The more interesting rule change is this one:
Republicans voted to go ahead with another of their controversial ethics proposals and will ask the full House to approve a change that could curtail ethics committee investigations. Under the change, a Republican vote would be required before an inquiry can begin. The committee is evenly divided between the two parties, and under current rules a deadlock means an investigation begins automatically.
What a convoluted way of saying a majority vote will be required. :)
It seems some folks on the Left don't like this new arrangement very much, which is odd. They like supermajorities for judicial nominations. But they think ethics charges should move forward without even a simple majority. It's all so confusing.
You'd think a person would need an advanced degree in political science to figure out. Oh, wait....
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/04/05 18:23 | American Politics | Technorati | Comments (0)
On Christmas Signs And Boobiethons
I've been busy criticizing $AFEclear, and nearly missed my chance to answer this question posed by Charles Kuffner:
How big a persecution complex do you have to have to do this?
Goodness, there are some literal readers among us.
Still, we have seen what seems like an effort by some folks to remove Christian references from the public sphere, under the rubric of the Establishment Clause. That's not exactly news.
So, my answer to the quoted question is: that political statement doesn't suggest a persecution complex at all to me. It's not the sort of political statement I'd necessarily put on my lawn, but amusing enough.
But since we're playing psychologist, I want my turn!
How big a persection complex do you have to have to do this?
Answer -- I don't think it suggests a persecution complex either!
Goofy? Yeah, I thought so at the time, and still do. Some people think that about those wacky Christians.
But one man's (or woman's) salient issue is another man's (or woman's) goofy issue. So there you go.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/04/05 18:04 | Other | Technorati | Comments (4)
03 January 2005
Miles To LSU, Gundy Elevated
Les Miles was announced as the new LSU head coach today, and Oklahoma State wasted no time elevating offensive coordinator Mike Gundy to head coach.
Clearly, LSU hopes to duplicate the formula it used in hiring Nick Saban (a college head coach with NFL experience who had success at a school that was not the state's traditional football power).
Whether Miles will enjoy the success that is expected at LSU remains to be seen (obviously). He did a good job building fan interest and support at OSU, and got that program to three straight bowl games, not to mention that little feat of beating Oklahoma twice. On the other hand, his teams occasionally lost some games they were expected to win, and he heads to LSU without his chief recruiter, who will be retained as the cornerstone of Mike Gundy's staff. Bowl games won't be good enough for the LSU fans, who expect championship seasons after Nick Saban's run, so there will be more pressure on Miles than there ever was at OSU.
For OSU, Gundy enjoyed support from key boosters, and bleeds orange. He was an easy pick who won't have to win over the players or install completely new schemes (at least on offense), he won't be looking to use OSU as a stepping stone to a more prominent program, he will retain the team's recruiting coordinator, and his offense this year enjoyed success despite the loss of key personnel from last year's team. On the other hand, he's young and has no head coaching experience, and he has drawn criticism for his game plans and play calling at times this year.
It strikes me that neither of these guys is a slam dunk, but that they're reasonable hires for both institutions.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/03/05 23:58 | Big 12 Football | Technorati | Comments (2)
02 January 2005
Thank Goodness THAT Is Over
The Texans and Cowboys both ended their seasons in appropriate fashion today.
The Texans offense was putrid, as it's been for three years now.
The Cowboys defense was putrid, giving up scores twice immediately following Cowboy scoring drives (something the defense has done all season).
The loss is actually good for the Cowboys, as it boosts their draft position. The Texans loss to the Browns is just disappointing.
The NFL playoffs ought to be interesting, at least. Sadly, the teams in Texas do not appear at all close to being playoff contenders.
(01-03-2005 Update) Tom Kirkendall posts his regular local football update.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/02/05 22:33 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (1)
The LA Dog Trainer Year In Review
Patterico has posted his Los Angeles Dog Trainer year in review (in two parts).
Thanks to Tom Kirkendall for pointing it out to me. He suggested the same sort of thing might be done for our local dog trainer, but that seemed like a bunch of work (and overkill for folks who've been reading this blog for a while).
My ultra-concise version would be, the Comical had a really bad year that resulted in significant downsizing, and still nothing important has changed. Rather, the newspaper canceled the Texas magazine, changed the layout and typeface, and bought a Spanish language paper.
The decline is likely to continue until someone at Hearst or at 801 Texas Avenue starts to think about the changing nature of the business they're in, and about their entire approach to journalism. Cohen and crew don't necessarily have to go this route, but it's hard to see how the newspaper is going to grow its subscriber base if it continues with its current approach, given what we know about younger readers and their newspaper reading habits. And poor monopoly dailies like the Comical that do not improve themselves may even risk losing chunks of the current base if certain upstarts have their way.
Maybe 2005 will be a year that's more interesting to review. Stay tuned.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/02/05 20:56 | Media Matters | Technorati | Comments (0)
Green, Gray, and Brown
I have the Texans on in the background at the moment.
While the game between two bad teams is not that interesting, I can't help but notice the strip of grass down the middle that is relatively green. And outside the numbers, there is the usual gray/brown combination.
It makes me feel truly world class when I see the combination of green, gray, and brown.
Seriously, I wonder if there's any way we could get enough trays of grass to rotate in a full field of green stuff when the grass inside turns that lovely gray color.
(01-03-2005 Update) The Comical's Carlton Thompson reports:
The playing conditions for Sunday's game at Reliant Stadium were less than ideal after the grass surface underwent a recent patchwork job. The work was needed after Colorado and UTEP met at Reliant in the EV1.net Houston Bowl on Wednesday.
The middle of the field was replaced before kickoff, but at least four noticeable patches were used to cover up the areas that included advertising logos from the college bowl held Wednesday.
The work left the field uneven.
The Texans hope the stadium playing surface is not an issue next season. An additional field has been purchased, giving stadium managers 2 1/2 fields to work with throughout the season.
Come on, Carlton. Playing a bowl game inside a retractable roof stadium shouldn't blow up the football field for further use. This turf has been a problem since the facility opened, and it makes the franchise look terrible when players go sliding around on the awful looking combination of brown, gray, and green on national television. The franchise needs to get the problem fixed. Here's hoping the extra sod do it, going into the team's FOURTH season.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/02/05 12:39 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (2)
01 January 2005
Non-Resolutions For 2005
I don't generally do resolutions for the New Year, and I'm not counting these as "real" resolutions.
Rather, we'll just call them some goals for 2005. They include:
More Gym
I didn't get to the gym nearly as regularly in 2004, and I can tell. It's not so much weight gain (which was negligible) as just not being in as good a shape as I would like. I have to say, though, that I'm DREADING the gym on Monday, because EVERYONE has this goal heading into the New Year. Half of them will be gone in a week's time, but it will sure be overcrowded on Monday.
More Outdoors
I've got to get out to the woods more. I hardly got out at all in 2004. Backpacking takes a fair amount of preparation and logistical planning, and I think I found that too tedious in the last year. Still, whether it's backpacking or the easier "car camping," I've got to get out more in 2005. It's good for my mental health.
More Cooking
Callie and I eat out way too much, yet we both try to keep from overdoing the carbs. Those two really don't go well together. We need to do more low-carb cooking and experimentation in 2005.
More Reading
I spend too much time reading (and typing) crap on the internet. I need to start reading decent literature again. I finished Tom Wolfe's I Am Charlotte Simmons over xmas, and really enjoyed it. I need to do more of that, especially while I'm using various cardio equipment. Please feel free to leave recommendations for me in the comments.
Anyway, there you go. Non-resolutions for 2005. Here's wishing readers success with their non-resolutions for 2005.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 01/01/05 10:10 | Other | Technorati | Comments (5)
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