Happy Holiday, Dick Cheney!

I think The Onion got it spot-on in their latest issue as we "celebrate" the latest, and now, 7th Annual Parade of the Neo- Cons' pride and joy, September 11th (sincere apologies to the thousands who died unnecessarily and their families now serving as involuntary shills for modern day political cynicism).

Witness even recently at the RNC the Twin Tower images still serving as the word 'Fear's' double exclamation points!! Nice touch, Rudy; we can always count on you as the Arch-Angel of Tuneless Trumpet blowing on this one.

Ironically, so much of the Right defines their brand of 'Conservatism' as that which our most important values and lessons must hearken back to "better days" (read: until recently the 1950's (throw in most of the 19th Century while you're at it; we want to make sure African-Americans have been handily dealt with, too...) when we had the last great reasons to be afraid including the good old standby spectres of Communism and 'Nuclear War' (c) 1939), and those better days have now been notoriously rechristened.

Why has September 11th, 2001 been translating as better days for so many of one particular political party? Do I really need to elaborate on the tired abuse of symbolism as a form of helping frame a candidate's debate on his (or her) worthiness to lead a nation?

Naaaah, mostly charred, building-dusted, bloodied old-hat this one.

Better we just get our gift shopping done early, everyone; I hear there's another attack on our sensibilities brewing in November...

Seven Songs For Seven People

I've been 'tagged' to post my current seven favorite songs (and forward to seven others to do the same - you know the drill) ... but, this, I'm afraid, is a nearly impossible exercise for me as I listen to far too much music on any one given day (seven degrees of several song separation-anxiety?). Alas, I never tend to linger on any one given song for longer than can be afforded, and this for good reason:

There's just too much out there waiting to be discovered!

It's a curse, I tell you, forcing bitter irony straight into your ears.

That said, I will give this the old-college-try purely to see what I come up with... here are the rules first:

"List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they're not any good, but they must be songs you're really enjoying now, shaping your spring. Post these instructions in your blog along with your 7 songs. Then tag 7 other people to see what they're listening to."

So, here goes (and feel free to do the same even if you haven't been tagged officially):

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7.) "Fistful of Rain" by Warren Zevon (from 'Life'll Kill Ya') - I imagine the old bard was well aware of the sickness that would soon take him when he wrote this inspirational and lovely grab-life-by-the-horns- before-it-fucks-all-this-beauty-and-poetry-up song (May you and Vonnegut be sitting together somewhere-upon-high toasting to all of this grand foolishness).

6.) "Nothing Is Innocent" by Over The Rhine (from 'The Trumpet Child') - I thought I was listening to Amy Winehouse when I first heard this stunner as it's all about addiction and falling down all done in that perfect retro-bluesy chanteuse-style. Imagine my surprise. Would do a fading diva-genius proud.

5.) "The Booklovers" by The Divine Comedy (from 'Promenade') - I was introduced to this on WMBR 88.1 FM in Cambridge, Mass. and it just rocked my literary-crashes- into-musical world. Just goes to prove reading a good book inspires great thinking and outrageously fine songwriting:

Happy the man, and happy he alone
who in all honesty can call today his own;
He who has life and strength enough
to say ’yesterday’s dead & gone
I want to live today’

4.) TIE: "The Funeral" and "Is There A Ghost" by Band Of Horses (from 'Everything All The Time' and 'Cease To Begin' respectively) - I love this band (of horses...) and not because NPR harps on them. They rock in a longing, sentimental way without being too longing and sentimental. You can actually feel cool about feeling all mushy inside.

3.) "Rickity Tikity Tin" by Barbara Manning (from '1212') - Oh, my! Doing wicked and sinister things never felt (and sounded!) so delightfully good!

2.) "The Commander Thinks Aloud" by The Long Winters (from 'Ultimatum' EP) - When it first dawned on me that this was a tuneful exploration about the space shuttle disaster it broke my heart. Such a beautifully crafted song that puts you right in the seat of catastrophe and turns your tears to vapor as you enter the atmosphere realizing all hope is lost - but wasn't it all such an amazing trip...?

1.) "Soul Meets Body" by Death Cab For Cutie (from 'Plans') - Yeah, I know, their big hit! song but you know what? This was the perfect companion for when we moved from the colder climes of the Northeast to the liberating and welcoming city of Austin. It just summed everything up so very perfectly. Love it and appreciate them for putting it to 'tape'.

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Dare I include some runners-up? Sure! But, I'll keep it reeeal short:

"Meet The Witch" by Big Dipper (from 'Craps') - We all 'knew right from the start there would be a hill', didn't we?

"Everybody Knows" by Blake Hazard (from 'Little Airplane') - Nobody oozes sexuality and longing like the great-niece of F. Scott Fitzgerald. Love her and John D. in The Submarines, too!

"Fix You Up" by Tegan & Sara (from 'So Jealous') - I sent this catchy, uplifting little gem to someone when they were experiencing some, ahem, marital 'growing pains'. They thanked me profusely for the eye-opening pick-me-up message.

"Into My Arms" by Nick Cave (from 'The Boatman's Call') - What can I say? This was our Couples' Dance Song at our wedding. A brilliant master at his most wistful and tender. Soulful, devastating.

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Okay, 'nuff fer now - but thanks for the brain-tease, Glenn; that was an enjoyable albeit troubling jaunt (and not entirely accurate!); there's just too much great music out there...!

(Oh, did I mention that I'm listening to Television's "See No Evil" (from 'Marquee Moon') right now and totally rocking out!? ed. - Sheesh...give it a rest, pal.)

Barton Creek Beast Barks!

A rather large and bizarre, otter-like creature was spotted in Austin's Barton Creek Springs over this last Memorial Day Weekend:


Evoking absolute terror in several local swimmers that day the beast was eventually captured by one intrepid aquatic animal expert who happened to be perusing those riparian shores...


After wrestling the biological anomaly back to river's edge calm was restored to the area, and the beast was whiske(ere)d away to a nearby 'Lab'oratory for further observation...


Once safely secured it was determined that the toothy specimen was at least ... part alligator!

(OK, this entry is utter crap-nonsense but I hadn't posted in a while...)

Mother's Day Proclamation

Unlike many of the corporate "Hallmark Holidays" that Americans are abused by yearly (may Valentine's Day and its ilk forever be banished to the dustbin of history!) the origins of "Mother's Day" here in the U.S. was actually based on a more noble cause: an anti-war statement against the carnage of the American Civil War.

The following poem by Julia Ward Howe was written in 1870 as an early call to celebrate Mother's Day and asked that women take on more responsibility in shaping the politics of their country (given the current political landscape its as relevant as ever...):

Mother's Day Proclamation

Arise, then, women of this day!
Arise, all women who have hearts,
Whether our baptism be of water or of tears!

Say firmly:
"We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies,
Our husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause.
Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn
All that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.
We, the women of one country, will be too tender of those of another country
To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs."

From the bosom of the devastated Earth a voice goes up with our own.
It says: "Disarm! Disarm! The sword of murder is not the balance of justice."
Blood does not wipe out dishonor, nor violence indicate possession.
As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil at the summons of war,
Let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day of counsel.

Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means
Whereby the great human family can live in peace,
Each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar,
But of God.

In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask
That a general congress of women without limit of nationality
May be appointed and held at someplace deemed most convenient
And at the earliest period consistent with its objects,
To promote the alliance of the different nationalities,
The amicable settlement of international questions,
The great and general interests of peace.

--Julia Ward Howe (1870)

Happy Mother's Day!

Homesteady

As promised(!), now that the furniture is mostly in place, remaining boxes put into "storage" (read: stuffed away in the Garage somewhere...), the lawn freshly "weed whacked", the cats having made peace with the dog (sort of ... nah, let's just skip that last one all together), and the rooms freshly painted, here are some recent photographs of our new home.

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Enjoy the intoxicating stench of "new house scent" at your own risk...

The Front Yard area (some bastard won't move his car from our Driveway. Wait. Damnit, that's my car...).

The view from across the "Boulevard" ... Avenue, actually (aka - our swell neighbors, The Kroll's house).

The Front Door and Living Room area (a Triffid-like creature invaded this frame despite my protestations).

The Stairway to many wondrous rooms above (complete with dueling Chat Noirs! Pouvez-vous voir les chats?).

The Living Room proper (there is no bird in that cage, by the way; we think that one of the chat noirs must've gotten to it).

The Dining Room table with the lovely Triffid-bouquet from my dearest Mum!

The Kitchen area (smallish but, goll-dang-it-all, can we cook up a Texas-sized storm in here!).

Out back is the Backyard Porch and Deck area (complete with swing chair and cat-doormat!).

And, there's a Bamboo Garden with another raised swing chair so the mosquitoes can't reach us (pffff...).

Oh, look! Loki's in the Bamboo Garden ... eating something foul no doubt.

In the Backyard there's a tomato garden a-bloomin' (a-fruitin'??) and one raised-lumber enclosure in progress... don't even get me started about the "lawn"! Hey, do you know how hard it is to grow grass in Texas!?

Xeriscaping: 1

Flora: 0

Loki helps with some of that lawn irrigation... (n.b. - she's buried one of the cats right where she's doing her business...).

Speaking of cats, let's go Upstairs, shall we? Watch out for them kitties, though! I swear to god Marley will trip you while Anubis pushes you from behind to encourage your rapid downward momentum...

The Master Bedroom (yes, the dog sleeps with us ... we fit comfortably in the crate and she lets us out in the morning ... most days).

The Office (and Cat Room)...

... functions as the Guest Bedroom, too (don't mind the Cat Room part ... seriously, we keep the litter box downstairs).

The "Entertainment" Room (fishtanks are more interesting than television sets).

Exit through the Entertainment Room's French Doors and out onto the upstairs Deck (see the catnip plant in corner...? I kid you not).

The Zen-like Treehouse Deck (bamboo canopy shields us from the onslaught of incoming egg attacks from our neighbors).

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Well, that pretty much completes the tour (aside from the two-and-a-half Bathrooms; I just always thought photographing toilets was a touch ... gauche, ya know?).

Ah, Home, Sweat, Home (as always a constant work in progress).

Ya'll come down and visit us sometime, ya hear?