The Re Collection

I’m a big fan of Kathy Griffin. Love her Bravo specials and her reality show, My Life on the D List is just a hoot. She pokes good natured fun at celebs, and gives a boost to gays, political dissidents, and is generally brash and irreverent, which gets me at hello, as they say. Plus, she’s brave as hell, going to Iraq to entertain and visit with the troops, despite her opposition to the war.

I don’t watch her show religiously, but I’ve caught a couple of recent episodes and, while she was funny as ever, I was startled by Kathy’s appearance, especially her eyes.

Well, turns out that Kathy had lasik procedure that went bad, or was botched by a famous LA surgeon. She went through a lot of pain and has lost most of the vision in one eye.

A really sad story. As Kathy warns on her site: lasik=bad.

Dmoz is just the greatest thing on the web; if you like Wikipedia, you will love the Open Directory Project!

Now it has expanded and includes Chef Moz, a open-directory dining guide. Very cool.

But, again, the Waco area is sorely in need of some content. McGregor blogger Nate needs to add a review of Texas Coffee and Tea, since he loves the place. But, this is precious, Crawford is listed with it’s one real restaurant, which has 10 reviews.

craigslist: waco classifieds for jobs, apartments, personals, for sale, services, community, and events

Yikes! If you want to know how lame and uncool Waco is, check this out.

Update: I may need to lighten up; it looks like the Waco list only just started this month. Someone probably made an effort to get it going, so kudos to them, whoever they are. If you are in or around Waco, sign up and post stuff. It’s a great community resource for info, is free and, once it gets going with content, a lot of fun. The rants are the best — check out the best of links, which will remedy your boredom.

Awesome rant from a professional restaurant server, giving the commandments of eating out:

best of craigslist : RANT: The Dining Public. Rules of the Road.

Hattip to First Draft.

From the Trib:

Scnes from movie about ’70s drug smuggling operation to be shot in McGregor

This is kinda cool: A town a few miles from Crawford will be in a movie starring Tommy Lee Jones and Robert Duval. The story is about the biggest marijuana smuggling operation in US history. One of the pilots, who was unaware of what he was involved in, wrote and self-published a book on the story, which made it to the NYT bestseller list (I love to see that happen).

I think I’ll try to contact Jones and Duval about doing a fundraiser for the Peace House. Jones, I’m pretty sure is liberal; he was Al Gore’s college roommate and they’ve remained friends — or so I read back during the 2000 campaign. Worth a shot.

Backlash and more…

(Which reminds me, Wendy, would you please return my copy of Backlash? — not that you read this blog, or even know where to send it to now, but just putting it out there.)

Congress moves to bar states from making food safer - Yahoo! News

What the food industry wants - and what several other industries are seeking - is one-stop shopping. It wants to make sure that once its lobbying and campaign cash win favors in Washington, states can’t get in the way.

This is a hoot!

Willie Nelson Releases Gay Cowboy Song

“Cowboys Are Frequently, Secretly (Fond of Each Other)” may be the first gay cowboy song by a major recording artist. But it was written long before this year’s Oscar-nominated “Brokeback Mountain” made gay cowboys a hot topic.

Available exclusively through iTunes, the song features choppy Tex-Mex style guitar runs and Nelson’s deadpan delivery of lines like, “What did you think all them saddles and boots was about?” and “Inside every cowboy there’s a lady who’d love to slip out.”

The song, which debuted Tuesday on Howard Stern’s satellite radio show …

Ok, my head just exploded!

Update:

Towleroad has some more info, which makes the story all the more interesting. Seems an old friend and employee of Willie’s came out to him, prompting him to dig out the song and release it. What a nice gift and public statement of support. Love ya, Willie! Texas needs more native sons like you.

Update 2:

Via Pam’s House Blend, see Law Dork’s full history of the song, which did not, in fact, just fall out of the “closet.”

Grabbed a late lunch today at an established chinese buffet, Chinese Kitchen, on Valley Mills, and after doing some shopping (including food and supplies for my new canine companion) had a quick dessert and coffee at a new coffeehouse, the Coffee Grinder, at 824 Hewitt Dr.

Chinese Kitchen has a cozier atmosphere than the Summer Palace, which I have also been to a couple of times now. Both have a good variety of entrees, including non-chinese items. Chinese Kitchen had warm, fresh servings, even in the middle of the afternoon, unlike Summer Palace.

During my first visit to Chinese Kitchen, I liked the fried oysters, but today, they were made special for our party, perhaps in a rush, and I actually didn’t enjoy them due to the oysters being a bit slimy. But their Lo Mein Noodles are really fantastic — I could really just have that each time and be happy. The rice noodles are also excellent. I also had Pepper Beef (?) and while it was a tad spicier than I prefer, it was tasty. The Sesame Ball was an odd thing, and I took one bite and left the rest. Not bad, but not for me (what’s in there anyway?)

I had Vanilla Cake for dessert — not really a cake, more like a firm pudding — which I really recommend. It’s a light, not too sweet confection that is appropriate when you’ve really already eaten too much.

At Coffee Grinder I had to ask what a gelatoria was and the young, friendly staff answered my question without making me feel like an idiot; I appreciate that since I guess I’m the last to know about this particular food treat. It’s Italian ice cream. But they didn’t have any, as the place is new and the freezer isn’t working. Probably better for a warm day, anyway. So, today, I had a slice of key lime pie, which was really perfect, very smooth, not too tart, not too sweet. I got a cup of Moka Java (yes, that’s how they spell it), one of the daily featured blends, but wasn’t impressed with it. Could have been smoother and mokier.

The prices for the coffee drinks here are quite reasonable, so I’ll definitely be back by there, as the Hewitt area is where I do most of my Waco shopping.

By the way, these reports of my food experiences should not be interpreted as anything but personal accounts of where I’ve eaten and how I felt about it. I’m not by any stretch of the imagination a food critic, or even especially adventuresome.

(I thought I’d already posted this, can’t find it, so will back up and get it in the collection.)

Media Matters did a statistical study of the Sunday talking heads shows (going back to 1997, when Clinton was early in his second term), and SURPRISE! (not) found that they really do favor right wing views.

I haven’t been able to stand watching the shows for years, but Paul Waldman explains why it matters.

This is no small thing. The combined audience of the Sunday shows is around 10 million households. While that may not be quite as large as that of “American Idol,” it includes the entire Washington establishment, which looks to the Sunday shows to clarify who the important players are, which stories matter most, and what arguments can be considered seriously. The Sunday shows confer status—both on people and on ideas—with greater effect than any other news presentation. They are the place where Washington’s power elite goes to make its case, where the boundaries of debate are determined and the talking points presented and probed. When Vice President Dick Cheney wanted to make the case for war in Iraq, he took to these pulpits, famously linking the 9/11 attacks and Saddam Hussein’s regime. When a senator or member of Congress gets invited to appear, he or she has officially been designated a national figure. And when you open up a national newspaper on Monday morning, chances are you’ll see an article describing the most important or novel thing that was said the morning before on the Sunday shows.

Michelle Kwan left Turin today, the Olympics, and her competitive career. I’m feeling bittersweet — so sad for her, but so proud of her dignity, her sacrifice, and her perspective - to say nothing of her grace and dedication to skating.

I guess I’m an unlikely figure skating fan, it’s a pleasure and obsession that none of my friends or political cohorts share. But I try to catch every competition (the exhibition skating events aren’t interesting to me), and have certainly been glued to the tube for every winter Olympics skating for as long as I can remember.

I watched Michelle Kwan bloom into the ulitmate skater, and of course felt for her for the past two Olympics when younger skaters took the gold. It was really a long shot this year, since Michelle has sat out the past season. But there was still hope, and Michelle has come from behind so often. It is not just her longevity that gains her so many fans; it is her calm steadyness in the face of disappointment and her clear joy and passion in skating.

I will still watch the games this year. Irina has her own dramatic story that will be played out in her performances. Sasha Cohen is a stunning talent. But it won’t be the same without Michelle. Right now I can’t even stand the thought of her being in some silly fluff like Stars on Ice, though of course she has earned the right to go where her heart leads her, and where she can earn the fortune she deserves.

I’m new to Waco, and can barely find my way from one end of town to the other, but I will remember the way to Mama Baris, an Italian restaurant that opened in Hewitt on Jan. 10.

This is my first restaurant review, and it won’t be anything fancy. But I’m working now, and able to go out to eat occasionally, so will be on the prowl for good, but inexpensive, food.

I had the Eggplant Parmigiana the fist time I went to Mama Baris. It was fantastic, with the eggplant cooked just right, and a perfect balance of eggplant, pasta, cheese and sauce.

Last night I had eaten dinner, so after catching a movie, my companion and I stopped by. He had a meal, Fetticini Alfredo with chicken, which he got with a side of sauce. Apparently he really likes sauce; it really had enough to start with. At any rate, he said it was excellent.

I saved myself for a sinful dessert, but couldn’t resist the Garlic Bread with Cheese and Tomatoes. This was good, but some of the tomatoes were quite green and I had to remove them. I was sorry that there was no bread sticks to have with some of the Baris family secret sauce.

I also enjoyed the Tiramisu (sp?), although it did not come up to the dessert I remember from The Garden Restaurant in St. Petersburg. It was basically ice cream.

The staff is very friendly and helpful at Mama Baris, though all I saw were quite young. I did have to get a little over the top to get my coffee cup refilled the first time by an employee talking on a cell phone, but after that, had no complaints.

The bill was under $20 for the two of us. I also like that the place was open until 10 pm (on Friday, at least), making it a good place to go after an early evening movie, without being rushed.

I have no qualms about recommending Mama Baris to anyone who loves Italian.

The Waco Trib Review: Mama Baris brings sizzle of Italy to Central Texas

Anne Lamott is one of those rare writers that tell all the truth all the time, even when talking to nice progressive Catholics about abortion.

Dan Savage uncovers a mountain of denial in the latest conservative dustups over gays and movies:

Sometimes I wonder if evangelicals really believe that gay men can go straight. If they don’t think Chad Allen can play straight convincingly for 108 minutes, do they honestly imagine that gay men who aren’t actors can play straight for a lifetime? And if anyone reading this believes that gay men can actually become ex-gay men, I have just one question for you: Would you want your daughter to marry one?

This sounds exciting: a new movie about the McCarthy era, with Edward R. Murrow as the hero. Back when journalists were still able to be heroes, before money corrupted news from a public service into just another business enterprise.

Good Night, And, Good Luck.

BTW, I knew when I heard about Clooney’s behavior at the fundraiser after 9-11 (he organized and managed the whole thing practically single-handedly) that great things were in store from that man.

Back to Murrow. If you ever get a chance to see the documentary he did on migrant farmworkers, it’s still great and unfortunately still relevant. It’s called Harvest of Shame and shows up sometimes on Sundance and/or PBS.

Update: A great write-up on Murrow and how he inspired a generation on George Clooney’s site.

Margaret Cho was already the coolest person on the planet, and a guru of the highest order, but now she has taken up bellydancing and my head is exploding with the cosmic beauty of it all. Thankfully, she has resumed blogging (having taken a break for filming a movie and the Assassin tour) and is sharing the journey with her fans.

Her blog is not archived by month, so just start here (6/13/05), and then find subsequent posts on the subject. She’ll take you from SoCal to Cairo (her trip to an Egyptian mall is a must read), as she attends dance festivals and classes. She weaves feminism, politics, image issues and more into the picture. Speaking of pictures, “Team Cho,” her support crew, have posted a photo of Margaret dancing.

Want to see a good film? Might want to pass by the multiplex and try a more intimate venue with more thought-provoking fare. Each of these films have been highly acclaimed. For more info: http://www.okcmoa.com/programs_film_cal.htm
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CST just announced it’s 22nd Season. For this kind of theatre, with the kind of work it offers, to last that long is quite remarkable. CST seems to be comfortably funded, and housed gratis at the arts center, I think (at any rate they were funded well enough to blow off my volunteering offers when I first moved here in 2003). Which is good (the funding, not the blow-off), because they can concentrate on the work.
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As a political geek, I went to the site of the National Weather Service after hearing how Sen. Rick “Man on Dog” Santorum is sponsoring a bill to eliminate the NWS so that commercial enterprises can make you pay for their weather news instead (oh, and guess who donated a big hunk o’ dough to Santorum’s campaign?)

But my father is a total weather geek and apparently some of that has rubbed off on me. That — and the graphic design advice I always like to dispurse whether it’s asked for or not — made the forecast icon survey a total rush for me.

http://gypsyresort.com/re/images/stories/myimages/grdcentral.jpg
I lived in this neighborhood
for a while back in the early 90s, before it began the gentrifying
process that this web site embodies. St. Pete area still has tons of
Art Deco style architechture, and folks are finally beginning to
appreciate those lovely things.

{mosimage}The web designers of this site, Creative Media,  have a site with a front page that knocked me out, since I am a nut for old and/or funky doors and windows.