Food, Drink, and Fun in Austin for SXSW and Beyond

I initially wrote about some of my favorite Austin restaurants and hangouts for campaign workers during the 2008 primary election. Since then, I have updated my listing for visitors and renters, so I thought I would post it for the yearly deluge of SXSW visitors, and for interested locals as well. Bon appétit, y'all!

FOOD:
Ruby’s Barbecue – 512 W. 29th, 78705:
All-natural meat and tasty sides in an Austin institution. Festooned with the autographs of traveling blues musicians who were playing at Antone’s, which used to be next door in the EcoClean /I Luv Video building. Not to be confused with Rudy’s, which is a chain and just OK.

Trudy's Texas Star – 409 W. 30th St., 78705:
A long-time student favorite, Trudy's has Tex-Mex, burgers, breakfast, outdoor seating, draft beer, a full bar, and kick-ass frozen and rocks margaritas and Mexican martinis. Sit outside at the downstairs bar for lunch/brunch Thursday through Sunday, or for happy hour on a nice day. Inexpensive Tex-Mex food, burgers, salads, sandwiches, and chicken fried steak/chicken (don't ask about the redundancy of that dish's name).

Taco Shack: Breakfast tacos made locally at several locations, including in the Frost Tower downtown. The "Burnet Road Burrito" is a great, filling breakfast item. And their coffee is good, too.

Little City – 916 Congress Avenue, 78701: Fantastic locally-roasted coffee, right on Congress. Their lattes will make you feel so warm and fuzzy and huggy you'll wonder if they spiked it with E. Too bad they abandoned their location on the Drag near campus. Also kind of a gay hangout, just in case you were wondering why the men are so darn friendly!

Hotel San Jose – 1316 South Congress Avenue, 78704: The courtyard is Nouveau Austin Central, serves drinx and snax, and is a see-and-be-seen scene.

Spider House Café – 2908 Fruth St., 78705:
Located just north of the UT campus, the quintessential Austin coffeehouse and restaurant has WiFi, coffee, draft beer and a full bar, a nice shady porch and garden, and serves breakfast all day. There's always a DJ or live music, and during SXSW, there is free music every night, no wristband required. It's located in an old house, and has a shaded porch and garden furnished with mismatched cast-off metal furniture and Venus-de-Milo'd garden statuary. There are twinkly lights and DJs at night, and a wide assortment of hipsters, Bali-Shag-smokin' bearded intellectuals, over-35 locals, and just plain oddballs. Their iced toddy coffee is cold brewed like Lionel's song--All Night Long, so watch out--if you haven't had caffeine in a couple of days, it will Kick. Your. Ass.

Thai Kitchen – 3009 Guadalupe, 78705:
Delicious Thai food at reasonable prices; available to eat in or take away.

Guero's – 1412 S. Congress Ave., 78704:
I personally think their margaritas are kind of bitter (spend a bit more for top shelf, mos' def'), but the SoCo address is great for people-watching, and there is free live music during SXSW. Oh, and it was a location for the Tarantino/Rodriguez “Grindhouse” movie.

East of South Congress at 614 E. Oltorf is Curra's, which not only has Tex-Mex, but an especially tasty menu of interior Mexican dishes such as Cochinita Pibil, from Yucatan. Try the avocado margarita, which is thick, but super-yum.

Speaking of “Grindhouse,” the Texas Chili Parlor at 14th and Lavaca was also a major location, and is also a fave hangout of legislators, downtown workers, as well as grizzled aging-hippie Austinites.

Cisco's, which is over on the East side, at E. 6th and Chicon (1511 E 6th St.), is one of those insiders' spots, and is a long-time hangout of Texas pols, movers, and shakers, including LBJ, Ann Richards, Bob Bullock, and the like. More lively when the lege is in session, but always popular with locals. Last time I was there, I saw golfer Ben Crenshaw. Decorated with 40+ years of memorabilia and testimonials to Rudy Cisneros, the late founder, namesake, and cantankerous ol' guy who harassed and insulted everyone equally, no matter how famous or powerful. If you've never had migas, a Mexican breakfast item, try them here.

Another great Eastside place for the El Cheapo Breakfast is Juan in a Million, way east at 2300 Cesar Chavez, rockin' the '02 zip code. If you're on a budget, or are nursing a hangover from too many tequila shots, the "Don Juan Taco" is a mountain of potato, egg, bacon, and cheese which will fill you right up. Order a couple of extra tortillas, because you'll need 'em.

Central East on Manor Rd. (pronounced "MAY-nor," BTW) is El Chile, which has high-quality Mexican food and really great drinks, including prickly pear margaritas, and micheladas, or giant chile-rimmed schooners of Mexican beer mixed with lime juice. Forget that Miller Chill mess. This is the real deal. The owners/chefs are alumni of Jeffrey's, the city's premier fine dining estab., so the food is more authentic and a big cut above the usual Tex-Mex. Oh, and did I mention that the table salsa is this smoky tomato-y wonder that you will want to keep on scooping it up until you explode like the fat guy in "Monty Python's The Meaning of Life." Don't say I didn't warn you. They're selling jars of this salsa now, and trust me, you'll want to buy some to keep with you for those late nights with nothing to eat but bags of leftover tortilla chips. Also in a new location: 1025 Barton Springs Rd.

Just a block farther east at 2219 Manor is El Chilito, a taco/burrito/coffee stand that's the quick-n-tasty little sibling of El Chile. The food is good, cheap, and authentic, and is also a great place to spot bed-headed hipsters, musicians, film people, and slackers who are getting their caffeine and capsicum fix. They even serve beer and sangria along with the kick-ass coffee, in case you're wanting to nibble both sides of the mushroom.

NIGHTLIFE:
The Sixth Street district tends to be more focused on places where barely-legal drinkers wearing cheap, trendy clothes and too much makeup can get real drunk real quick, although there are exceptions to the venues and the clientele. The police block off a big section of the street for SXSW and on weekends, and it can be entertaining watching the under-25s stagger down the street propped up on the shoulders of their friends. For about five minutes. Shakespeare's has been there for ever, and has a decent beer selection. Casino El Camino is a popular alternative hangout with big-ass burgers for your late-night cravings. The best food on Sixth, in my opinion, is the pizza tattooed wildmen sell out of a window on the north side of the street, while death metal blares out of the kitchen.

If you're in Austin for SXSW, you'll probably end up at Emo's punk club sooner or later. Outside of South By madness, the venue still has cool bands like Gogol Bordello, and a wide cross-section of patrons. The coolest thing on Sixth is the newly relocated Alamo Drafthouse Theatre at the Ritz, where you can eat and drink real food, wine and beer while you watch your movie, which is always preceded by well-researched movie-specific vintage trailers, commercials and other features. Also, the projectionists know what they're doing, so the film is always perfectly framed and in focus and bright. No cheaping out by turning down the bulb brightness here. There are several locations of the Drafthouse, on South Lamar, and in the Village shopping center on Anderson, but be sure to go to one of them while you're in Austin. Tarantino talked about this kinda theatre in "Pulp Fiction," he thanks owners Tim and Karrie League in his "Kill Bill" end credits, and it's a fave hangout when he's in town.

I have to put in a plug for the Austin improv scene, since I took improv classes for a year. Coldtowne Theatre is over on Airport, and features a lot of refugees from the wreckage of the NOLA improv scene. The Hideout coffeehouse and bar at 617 Congress is a great place to watch improv; the Friday and Saturday-night shows are always good, although the theatre is dark during SXSW this year.

Farther west on Sixth is another newish group of bars, including the Belmont, which has a clubby, Rat-Pack decor, serves food until late, and usually some kind of live jazz inside. Outside is nice on warmer nights. Mother Egan's Irish Pub has trivia on Tuesday nights, and a good selection of beer. Opal Divine's has food and a great beer and single-malt scotch selection. Katz's does have NY-style Jewish deli food, but it's always been at NY prices, too. Marc Katz ran for mayor a few years back. Eddie V's is kind of expensive, but they do have good seafood.

The Fourth Street/Colorado district, including Cedar Street, Fadó, Péché (a new absinthe bar) (Málaga, the tapas bar that was next to Cedar Street has moved to 440 West 2nd Street) and Saba, has been around for 12-15 years now, and is more upscale and popular with slightly older partiers. 219 West has these nifty little appetizers, including mini-burgers which are cheap and filling. They are also one of the few bars to serve real mint juleps.

In the new 'hood around the expanded convention center are some bleah chain restaurants like P.F. Chang's, but also a thrice-relocated Old Austin standby like the Cedar Door, which claims it invented the Mexican Martini. Nice to sit outside on a warm day. Around the corner, past the Convention Center and next to some of the oldest houses in Austin is Moonshine, at 303 Red River, which is open during the week and has a good happy hour with yummy corndog shrimp thingies on skewers, but most importantly, has a fabulous Sunday brunch buffet with migas, steak fingers, fluffy biscuits, and these green chile cheese grits that are to sell your grandma for.

GROCERIES:
Wheatsville Co-Op – 3101 Guadalupe, 78705:
Newly renovated and expanded, this super-granola grocery store is on Guadalupe just north of 30th, and has organic food, including fresh dairy, fruits, vegetables, and coffee, and a deli with prepared food. Open until 11 p.m. A little history: Wheatsville was the name of the freed slaves colony that used to be on the other side of Guadalupe.

Central Market – 4001 N. Lamar, 78756:
The original location of HEB’s gourmet market opened here in the mid-90s, and has a wide selection of superb fresh produce and artisan bread, cheese, and prepared food, as well as an excellent beer and wine selection. The café has free WiFi and serves breakfast and lunch/dinner until closing at 9 p.m. Live bands daily.

HEB Hancock Center – 1000 E 41st St., 78751
HEB S. Congress –  2400 S. Congress, 78704
Convenient locations of the big, reasonably-priced grocery store are at 41st St. and I-35 in the Hancock Shopping Center, and at S. Congress and Oltorf, in case you’re stocking up on soda and snacks for the week, or the road trip home.

Whole Foods Market – 525 N. Lamar Blvd., 78703
The building, which also houses the corporate offices, takes up an entire city block at the southeast corner of 6th and Lamar. The flagship in the WFM empire, the store’s 80,000 square feet contain a dizzying array of minibistros serving all kinds of prepared and made-to-order food, including pizza, sushi, pasta, barbecue, fish, soup, and salad, and a walk-in beer cooler. You can buy a bottle of wine or beer in the store at retail price and drink it with your meal at one of the in-store restaurants. Kind of the eighth wonder of the world, it’s worth a quick stop just to check it out and wonder at its sheer size. The original WFM used to be down the street in what is now the Cheapo Discs building on Lamar.

SHOPPING & OTHER ATTRACTIONS:
Waterloo Records – 600A N Lamar Blvd, 78703; 512-474-2500:
On the northwest corner of 6th and Lamar, Waterloo is an independent store, and a great place to check out free in-store live shows, usually with free beer, stock up on local music, buy gear, such as Daniel Johnston’s iconic T-shirt designs, and get tickets for touring shows. Great used CD selection.

Cheapo Discs – 914 N. Lamar Blvd., 78703; 512-477-4499
At Whole Foods Market’s original Austin location, this has a great selection of new and used CDs.

The entire South Congress district south of the river is teeming with cool shops and restaurants. One of my favorite places is Parts and Labour, at 1604 S. Congress, where you can find Will Heron and other local artists’ clever T-shirts (Baracoli, anyone?) and lots of one-of-a-kind but reasonably-priced jewelry and accessories. (Attention gift shoppers!) Jo’s Coffee has live music, and is a de rigeur stopoff.

MUSEUMS:
Lyndon Baines Johnson Library (at UT)
Without LBJ, President Obama would never have been possible. Free admission (a donation is only suggested) and there’s often an excellent actor playing LBJ who answers questions about the Texas icon.

Harry Ransom Center (at UT)
Houses both art and the papers of many of the world’s most eminent writers, actors, musicians, and artists, with rotating exhibits.

The Blanton Museum (200 E. MLK Blvd., south end of UT campus)
A brand-new building with attached café has rotating displays spanning the history of art since the Renaissance.

Oscar Party 2010

It's hard to believe that this is my 13th annual Oscar Party. I will miss all my Austin friends, but am carrying on the big-screen tradition in Dallas. Featured drink this year: the Avatar.

Avatar Cocktail:
2 oz. Tropical Pucker schnapps
1 1/2 oz. vanilla vodka
Lemon-lime soda
Lemon sour egg

Add schnapps and vodka to ice-filled highball glass.
Fill with lemon-lime soda.
Garnish with Na'vi eyeball.

Oel ngati näkeie
(I drink you)

Changes at KUT

A friend of mine recently sent an email about a gathering to protest changes in the KUT radio schedule, which includes reducing the hours of several long-time DJs, including Larry Monroe, Paul Ray, and Jay Trachtenberg, and using a syndicated show during overnight hours. I responded to him, and posted a comment on the Austin American-Statesman website as follows:

I've been listening to and supporting KUT since I moved here 17 years ago. I just got an email from KUT (which they should have sent earlier, it's true) explaining the reasons for the recent changes. They are financial and listener based.

"...listenership to our weeknight music programs has been flat for 10 years while the station’s total listenership has more than doubled. The programming that we ended, along with canceling an online podcast, will save KUT more than $120,000 a year—money that needs to be invested where more listeners can benefit."

KUT is changing the weeknight shows because not enough people were listening. Radio is not a static entity, and it's not like that comforting old paperback novel that you turn to every couple of years when you can't sleep. Without listeners, radio dies, and however great Larry's, Paul's and Jay's shows were, people took them for granted and quit listening, and new listeners didn't take their place.

The percentage of KUT listeners who are members (i.e., they give at least $40) is shockingly low, although as they have gained listeners, NPR has charged them more for news and other programs. People who give money and fill out the membership surveys affect the programming. Folks who are really interested in keeping certain shows on the air, and not just preserving the status quo for its own sake, should give, write management, and get involved. Listeners aren't contributing enough to pay for programming, so KUT is increasingly turning to corporate support to run the station.

While I like a lot of things about all the old shows, having the same three or four baby-boomer men dominating all the station's music programming for thirty or forty years is pretty monolithic and doesn't allow for new or different points of view. It's a good idea to start finding newer DJs that can carry on the best of the KUT tradition but also bring a fresh sensibility. We all have our memories of the perfect summer, but I don't expect to find a local radio station that will pretend that it's 1985 for the next 30 years, and the aging hippies can't expect to have Armadillo HQ redux forever, either. Things do change, and because they do, we can look back with fondness. The provincial, small-town, Austin-is-better-because-it-never-changes attitude gets tiresome.

I love that "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" was added to the schedule, and I try to listen every week. I don't begrudge anyone who just loves folk music, but I can't say I'm a big fan of "Folkways" or the fact that it takes up such a big chunk of Saturday.

However, I have enjoyed John Aielli's Eklektikos show, and I don't know how anyone thinks he's a moron--if anything, he's almost too didactic and well-informed for radio. Back when he used to do theme days, every day, I marveled at how he could come up with so many different ideas for tying the morning together. Sometimes I have caught him in a good mood and sometimes he's cranky as hell, but overall, I've heard a lot of great music and obscure album tracks I wouldn't have known about otherwise: Fountains of Wayne's "Bright Future in Sales," for example! While I did sometimes get tired of hearing umpteen versions of one song, it's too bad that his playlist has become so homogeneous. All those free-association riffs took listeners on quite a thrilling ride.

KUT, thanks for the memories.

Is the Fire Department a Socialist Organization?

Everyone who thinks that all American entities should make a profit, remember this: before we had our current "socialized" police and fire departments, these functions were performed for profit by gangs of street thugs who demanded payment before responding to a crime in progress or dousing a fire. In case of fire, if you hadn't paid off a particular gang or didn't pony up the cash, your home or business would burn, frequently taking the whole block with it. Whichever gang arrived first supposedly got dibs on fighting the fire (and getting the payment), but often several gangs would arrive simultaneously and battle over who was going to get paid. Meanwhile, the fire would burn out of control. This was a major factor in the 1837 conflagration which consumed Manhattan's entire downtown business district, including the merchant exchange and the post office. Some of you may recall this state of things from Martin Scorsese's film "Gangs of New York," about the Five Points neighborhood in the period surrounding the Civil War. There were numerous historical inaccuracies, including the conflation of the Draft Riots and other gang uprisings, but the general lawlessness and misery were not exaggerated.

This is sort of what happens with health care these days, only it's the insurance companies who are fighting not to pay for your care, and they don't have colorful names like the "Dead Rabbits," but soothing marketingese names like "Humana," when they should be called "Inhumana." While you and they fight over who's going to pay your doctor bills, you might get sicker and die before you can sue, or you might give up because you're too sick and tired to fight, or you might just pay up. All of these outcomes benefit the insurance company, which then doesn't have to pay. And now that they've got you on record as having an illness, they can refuse future claims or insist that these must "count towards a deductible," which is always, always the default position on a major claim.

In my experience, I have never had an insurance company cover everything it said it would, including basic care items such as mammograms (deductible), routine annual labs such as pap smears (deductible), ER visits (deductible), and even hearing tests (outright refusal). They always manage to weasel out of paying and threaten my credit history if I don't pay.

The ACL reconstruction surgery I had 15 years ago was preapproved and precertified, and I used an in-network orthopedic surgeon. In return for this, 100% of my costs were supposed to be covered after my co-pays. Instead, I got nasty letters on red paper for five years afterward, telling me that I owed more than $2,000, and threatening my credit rating. At one point, I lost a temp job because I went over my lunch break by two minutes while trying to sort out this problem for the umpteenth time.

Even though I used an in-network doctor and hospital, the insurance refused to pay for the pathologist because they claimed he was "out of network." The pathologist examines the bits that are excised and affirms that the right parts were cut, although if the surgeon has gotten it wrong, it's too late to rectify the situation. I didn't even know a pathologist was necessary until I got the bill; I certainly had no say in who he was, since I was under anesthesia at the time, so how would I have protested? I wondered if I were really supposed to rise up off the operating table in a morphine-induced stupor and ask, "Etthhkyoothe meh. Ith thath an in-nehwuk fpthologst?"

Otty Sanchez Sounds Like Andrea Yates All Over Again

There's a tragic story this week about a San Antonio woman who has allegedly killed and mutilated her own baby. If you have a weak stomach, you might want to skip the next paragraph.

Even though Otty Sanchez had been in and out of a mental hospital, she was caring for her three-and-a-half-week-old son and her sister's two children Sunday morning when she "'used a knife...to dismember the child, and ate parts of his body, including his brain, before stabbing herself in the torso and slicing her own throat,' police said Monday." She survived her suicide attempt, and is now in the hospital recovering, charged with capital murder and held on $1 million bond. Police also claimed Sanchez said that the "devil told her to kill her son and that she was hearing voices."

Thankfully, such horrendous incidents are rare, but it sounds a lot like the case of Andrea Yates, the Houston woman who drowned her five children in her bathtub in 2001. I read quite a bit about that case, and it was pretty clear from her history of postpartum psychosis that she should not have had more children after her first psychotic episode, much less have been left alone with her children for any period of time. I would say that Yates' behavior was the very definition of insanity--voices were telling her that Satan was inside of her, and she felt her children would go to hell if she didn't kill them--twisted logic, to be sure, but not anything that a stay in prison would change.

Sanchez' mental condition wasn't specified in the intial reports, although it sounds a lot like schizophrenia and/or postpartum psychosis. Unfortunately, most people are still extremely ignorant about mental illness and somehow imagine that people with sick minds can control their harmful impulses or turn off the voices in their heads. It's kind of like expecting a man with broken legs to stand upright. I don't know what it will take to convince people that this isn't possible without medication and treatment. Although in real life, the hallucinations are auditory, not visual, at least "A Beautiful Mind" tried to portray what it's like to be schizophrenic.

The comments posted below the Stateman's story were of the usual "no trial, just fry her" variety, which prompted me also to comment.

The key portions of this story are "Police said Sanchez told them the devil told her to kill her son and that she was hearing voices" and "Sanchez's aunt, Gloria Sanchez, said her niece had been 'in and out' of a psychiatric ward."

Why is a woman who is seriously mentally ill allowed to care for children? Like in the Yates case, the fault lies with the other adults who let this happen. It's like letting a blind man drive a car. She is obviously "sick," as Hook'em98 says, and needs help, not punishment. Her extreme psychosis and its tragic results are punishment enough. Do you think it's any picnic being schizophrenic and hearing voices telling you to do horrible things and then feeling compelled to do them? I can't imagine a hell worse than that. When will people realize that no one signs up for mental illness?

Whatever Happened to Civility?

I'm a longtime fan of Roger Ebert's writing, and not only do I enjoy reading his movie reviews, both before and after seeing a film, I also find his blog to be both enjoyable and thought provoking. A recent post, entitled "I Am a Brainiac," deplored the anti-intellectual climate in this country, and the harsh reaction to his panning the new "Transformers" movie. I was moved to comment on his post, and was pleased that he in turn commented on my comment.

I think there are a huge number of people who never bother to consider anything on an individual basis, but merely apply the same sort of knee-jerk approval or dismissal that their parents did--whether it's movies or art, politics or religion. Everything and everyone--respected critics and quote whores alike--gets painted with the same broad brush, and nothing is worthy of a moment's analysis or consideration. Marketing campaigns are swallowed whole. There is no debate, just ad hominem attacks or the loud yelling of some trite comment or slogan--Critic! Liberal! Tree-hugger! Elitist! Socialist!--and trying to drown out the other person. This is a bullies' all-or-nothing, kill-or-be-killed mentality.

To address Chris' comment above, I think most boys are hard wired to like conflict and explosions and fighting more than most girls--but some people, both male and female, appreciate subtlety and nuance, and see the journey as more important than the destination. I don't think that movies that pander merely to our basest instincts can ever be worthwhile art, whether those instincts are bellicose or sexual. Most pornographic movies are laughable as narratives, because they dispense with all attempts at realism or suspense in their headlong (ahem) rush to "get to the good stuff." Movies that don't have any believable characters or plot, but just hurtle headlong into explosions and car chases are equivalent--they're action porn. Unfortunately, I have met men who prefer porno highlight reels to "A Room With a View," and for them, perhaps a movie like Transformers, that makes no sense but is the equivalent of an explosion highlight reel, is just the ticket. Give me "Michael Clayton" any day--it earns its explosion.

Ebert: Porno makes the fatal error of rushing toward and dwelling upon the least visually interesting elements of sex: The rumpy-pumpy and the "money shot." These are the exterior manifestations of events that have their importance in what takes place in the mind. If there were were seduction and foreplay...but the actors don't even kiss. I find it inutterably depressing that people who are flailing at each other's genitals don't even like each other enough to kiss.

I agree with Mr. Ebert. Kissing is the best part. Gotham Chopra said in a recent interview that Michael Jackson called him before marrying Lisa-Marie Presley, and asked for advice on how to please her. The answer? "Foreplay."

Can't Christians Turn the Other Cheek?

Yesterday, the New York Times published an editorial on the murder of Dr. George Tiller, the Wichita doctor who became a target because of his willingness to perform to perform late-term abortions. He often helped women who otherwise would have had to carry pregnancies to term that would have threatened their life, health, or fertility, or whose fetuses were suffering from severe, unsurvivable birth defects. One of these conditions is anencephaly, which directly translates as "lack of a brain," but often also means a missing skull and scalp and exposed brain tissue. Perhaps abortion rights supporters should start waving horrific photos of stillborn fetuses at the antichoice protesters. I can't imagine forcing anyone to put their life on hold for months waiting for a miscarriage or to deliver a dead child. Where is the compassion?

My clearest insight into the mindset of antichoice zealots came on the steps of the United States Supreme Court in October 2001. I was minding my own business, looking at a map, when I noticed a man with a sandwich board that read "9/11 is God's punishment for abortion." This is crazy thing to say at any time, but a mere three weeks after the attacks, it was outrageous. I rolled my eyes and tried to ignore him. But he walked up to me, and this was his opening gambit: Are you a baby killer?

I thought to myself, "Oh, man, have you picked the wrong woman to argue with." I replied, "No, I have never had an abortion, but I am adopted, so I don't think I'm necessarily entitled to existence." A child cannot grow to maturity on its own; someone has to nurture it. I then asked him, "So, how many unwanted children have you adopted?" He replied, "Oh, well, that's their job." I frowned, puzzled. "Whose job?" I asked. "They," he replied.

Despite my repeated questions, the man was unable to tell me just who this mysterious "they" were, exactly. He had the time and energy to stand around all day with a hand-made sandwich board, but no time at all for the children he supposedly cared so much about. It leads me to conclude that it's all about self-righteousness for such people, not about actually improving life for anyone. According to the book "Freakonomics," there has been direct correlation between legalizing or, in the case of Romania, criminalizing abortion, and a sharp reduction or increase in crime 18-20 years later. It shows that as far as predicting criminality, there is little more certain than being an unwanted child. All I can say is that if you oppose abortion, then don't have one, and adopt as many abandoned kids as you can. But if you don't put your money where your mouth is, I have little respect for your position.

I also wonder when we have ever heard of a prison warden, guard, or doctor being shot at, much less murdered because they were responsible for executing a prisoner? Plenty of liberals feel that capital punishment is murder, and deplore the system that convicts and executes people who are often innocent, but none of them are contradicting themselves by murdering the murderers. If you are truly pro-life, you don’t murder anyone, ever, period. Jesus said “love your enemies" and "turn the other cheek,” not “get out your weapons.”

Healthcare Coverage for All Americans

Recently, I got an email from President Obama asking me to sign my name and stand with him in demanding health care reform. He also asked for personal stories about health care reform, so I wrote the following:

I had health insurance through my employer for eight years. When I was laid off, I continued the coverage through COBRA, although I had to pay the full premiums, which went up by 40% a month later. Because my next employer was given to gossiping about her employees' health issues, I did not feel I could continue COBRA through that company, and instead relied upon my previous employer. It took me another year to find a position that offered benefits, so I came within a week of exceeding the 18-month limit on COBRA. The new position ended after six months, and I again elected to continue coverage through COBRA and pay the premiums out of pocket. They were expensive enough at $340 per month for one person, but I just found out that the premiums have risen to over $600 per month! This amount is unreasonable even for a person who is earning a salary, but for a person on unemployment, it's impossible. It would be difficult to get insurance again if there were any lapse in my coverage, but I find myself faced with having to choose between food and shelter and having health insurance. Then I think about my parents, both teachers, who had to give up their health insurance 26 years ago, only to be diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and cancer, and I fear a similar outcome.

I know that my story is far from the most dramatic or tragic, but it is unfortunately very common. The current system punishes entrepreneurs and small businesspeople, who usually cannot afford to provide benefits, and their employees. Why do we deny basic health care to so many of our fellow Americans when this denial bankrupts thousands of families, and enriches the already wealthy? Detractors like to compare the possible reliability of national health insurance to the U.S. Postal Service, but for the sake of argument, let's say they are equivalent. Rich people are welcome to send all their correspondence via private carrier, but I at least have the option of paying 47 cents to send a letter, rather than spending $10 on FedEx every time.

If I and the other 50-100 million Americans without reliable coverage were able to pool our resources and spread out the risks across a common health insurance fund like the one enjoyed by federal employees, it would cost a fraction of what we're paying now, and open a whole new world of possibilities for all Americans.

Companies large and small would no longer be obliged to devote their resources and personnel to providing services unrelated to their mission, and would be able to compete with foreign companies. Individuals would be able to start new enterprises, or pursue careers based on their skills and inclinations, not just on which employer offers health benefits.

If there are people who are happy with their current health insurance, I do not wish to take it from them. If people wish to pay for experimental procedures or extra tests out of pocket, I would not deny them that luxury. But I think everyone has a right to basic, affordable health-care access, and it is criminal that here in America, supposedly the richest country in the world, people--including children--are suffering and dying because they cannot get regular check-ups or preventive care. Tens of millions of people like me are just holding on by our fingernails right now, desperately hoping that this will be the year that American legislators vote in favor of universal healthcare access. We're all in this together, so I beg you to do the right thing and help lift this burden.

Here is the link to add your name to the list. Please write or call your elected representative today and insist on health-care access for all. If you don't know the contact information, Congress.org is an excellent one-stop resource.

Why ER is My Favorite TV Drama Ever

NBC's television drama ER is airing its final episode tonight after 15 years on the air. I have been watching since the pilot episode aired, dating back to my first apartment in Austin, and I think I can say that of all of the series I have watched or followed over the years, it is the one that has not only touched me the most, but also taught me the most.

Although the show has inspired several generations of med students, including some friends, watching the grueling process of becoming a doctor made me realize that I didn't want to become one myself, while allowing me to learn a lot about both common and unusual diseases and procedures. I found myself watching the show with the subtitles on so that I could better understand the symptoms each patient presented with, and the doctors' diagnoses and prescriptions. I remember being kind of thrilled when I was doing a temp job 14 years ago at a local hospital, and I knew what all of the orders and supplies were on the bills I was processing: CBC--check; Chem 7--check; #10 French--check. Watching ER also helped me ask my doctors more intelligent questions.

I have long felt that the passage of time is the most heartbreaking thing we humans experience. It is what brings meaning to life, to friendships, to families, to relationships. It gives us new friends and family members, yes, but also ages us, and takes from us the ones that we love. Television shows, especially sitcoms, but also dramas, often succumb to the instant viewer gratification of instantly revealing everything about a character, or creating short-lived goals or personality traits to satisfy a story line.

ER's writing team always recognized the importance of focusing on long-term character and story arcs, and rewarding viewers who stayed with the show and got to know the characters. Some doctors, like Luka Kovac (Goran Visnjic), were introduced as distant and mysterious, and the show took several seasons before viewers found out exactly what had happened during the war in Yugoslavia, and why he had lost his faith in God, the catalyst being an archbishop (James Cromwell) who was an ER patient. Because this was revealed so gradually, our knowledge felt earned, like our getting to know a close real-life friend. Knowing how he had tragically lost his first family enriched the experience of watching all of his subsequent romances, and finally the birth of his son. Likewise, knowing Abby Lockhart (Maura Tierney) had been through with her bipolar mother, made it easier to understand why she was fearful about becoming a mother herself. I have to give a special commendation to Sally Field, whose portrayal of Abby's mother was so carefully observed that it enabled me to recognize bipolar disorder in a family member.

Sure, there were plenty of spectacular sweeps-month stunts, in which trains derailed, torrential floods washed through Chicago, apartment buildings exploded, psychotics drove tanks through the streets, ambulances crashed, and helicopters went amok. It was as dangerous for actors to star on ER as on the Sopranos, since it seemed that every season, a character or their relative had to die in some spectacular or melodramatic fashion. But always, the characters and their struggles continued in long storylines that were consistently involving, and illuminated complicated social issues--mental illness, war, religion, gay rights, drug abuse, interracial relationships, and work-life balance.

ER has been a sort of residency program not just for fictional TV doctors, but also for an array of actors whose talent was encouraged to blossom on the show. Of course, George Clooney is the most recognizable alum, but Maura Tierney, who was best known for her comedic role on NewsRadio, turned in moving dramatic performances season after season. Visnjic even got to use his experience in a Croatian production of Hamlet in one episode. John Stamos became more than "Uncle Jesse" on "Full House," and Parminder Nagra (Dr. Neela Rasgotra) was able to go beyond the teenage soccer player of "Bend it Like Beckham." Laura Innes (Dr. Kerry Weaver) has gone on to direct award-winning episodes of ER, and I have also been reminded of how much I loved and missed Noah Wyle's* portrayal of Dr. John Carter, the dedicated doctor who begins the show as a clueless med student, but becomes the battle-scarred survivor.

My sincere thanks to everyone who contributed to this show's success over the years. Your characters and stories have touched our hearts.

*Incidentally, at a grand total of 254, Wyle also wins the prize for starring in the most episodes. Next are Laura Innes and Laura Cerón (Nurse Chuny Marquez).

Oscar Party 2009

Bollywood comes to Austin this coming Sunday, Feb. 22, 2009! The show starts at 7 p.m., but come at 6:30ish to finish filling out your ballots and get a bite to eat. As usual, costumes and red-carpet glamour are encouraged!

If the Food Channel Did Business News

Although I did not actually buy shares of Apple Computer last spring when I should have (now up 57.52%--dang!), I am tracking AAPL's progress on my Google Portfolio page, so I get the company's news feed every day. Last Thursday, the headlines looked like this:

Mmmmmmm...waffles! They say that like it's a bad thing.

Letter to Neiman Marcus Customer Service

I should preface this posting by saying that a couple of years ago, I started doing research about animal cruelty issues, especially with regard to farm animals.

I received an email asking me to participate in an online survey regarding my shopping habits in exchange for a chance to win a $2,000 NM gift card. I did participate in the survey, but was bothered by the question about whether I was more comfortable buying fur at a "bricks and mortar" store or online. There was no way to answer "I do not buy fur."

As long as there are no laws that require fur to be labeled with the country of origin, and while furriers buy from "producers" who kidnap and slaughter household pets for fur trim (China), and engage in the extreme cruelty of skinning gray foxes alive (for the love of God, why?), I will neither purchase fur nor wear the vintage furs I inherited from my grandmother. I wish that NM would be more proactive in refusing to carry fur until such laws are in place, or leading the way in insisting on humane treatment of fur-bearing animals.

Thanks for listening.

Random Peeve

Random pet pronunciation peeve:

I hate it when people pronounce the title of the movie "Amélie" as if it rhymes with "homily," and with the emphasis on the first syllable. I wonder how many obnoxious tourists accost Mlle Tatou and say, "Aaaah gist luuuuved yew in that movie 'Ommily.'"

It's ahh-meh-lee, if you please, with a broad, light "ah," not "aww."
There now, I feel a lot better. Which reminds me of a spelling peeve. "Alot" is not a word. It's "a lot." Two words. Count them. Thank you.

Cat Tear Stain Removal: It's Weird, I Know

The internet is a magical tool for some things--finding step-by-step instructions for opening a port in your firewall, for instance, getting an up-to-date exchange rate from Euros to Fijian dollars, or locating biological relatives--that sort of thing. You would think that there would be a page somewhere on removing even the most obscure stains, but alas, it's just the same five or six stains over and over again.

But at my house, one of the stains that bothers me the most is cat tears. That sounds really weird, as if I'm torturing my cat, or she has emotional problems, but that isn't it. Diana just has tear ducts which are blocked and don't reabsorb the overflow, so lacrimal excretions accumulate on her little face. I've tried getting them unblocked, but the only way a cat will really let you cannulate the ducts is under anesthesia, and even then, the expensive procedure often doesn't work. According to my research, the tears start out clear, but the normal bacteria and red yeast on animals' skin causes the tears to turn reddish brown. And because Diana likes to hang out with me at night, those reddish-brown tears end up as spots on my sheets and my clothes, especially in winter, when she likes to get under the covers with me. I have had some disasters with stains. I tried using Oxyclean on linen to get out the teeny flea-"dirt" bloodstains that the cats left behind. Catastrophe. It ate huge holes in the beautiful Italian linen; luckily, my mom is an artist and a genius, and she mended the holes by embroidering beautiful flowers over them.

Now, there are products made for removing the tear stains from your pet's face, but nothing for removing them from fabric. Except for a couple of pillowcases, all my sheets are colored, so bleach just won't do. It was rather late to go to the pet store and try buying a pet product to use on the laundry, so I looked for other household remedies for removing the stain from the pet's fur, and hoped it might do the trick on cotton. I tried wetting the area, spraying on hydrogen peroxide, and then rubbing the stain with a lump of baking soda so that it formed a pasty layer. I let it sit for an hour or so while I fiddled with downloading an audio book. When I returned, the nice chambray duvet cover was back to light blue, with no brown circles. Hooray. I treated the rest of the pillowcases the same way, and between the soap, the peroxide, and the baking soda, pretty much everything came out.

Maybe this post will now show up if someone searches for "pet tear stain removal." Perhaps it will work for you.

Technical Difficulties

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote part of a post about SXSW and added pictures and video, and then I went back and wrote even more detail about a particular showcase, complete with nifty links to YouTube clips from the movies I was reminded of. Unbeknownst to me, Blogger was having a problem with posting video and photos, and when I hit the "submit button," it didn't post all my text, and it hadn't done any interim saves of the new writing. I could have resubmitted the photos and video, since those were on my hard drive, but the text, which I usually write in Word so as to have a saved copy, did not survive. And Blogger doesn't seem to have any direct customer service email; rather, they encourage you to post to the Google/Blogger online forum and try to get your answer that way.

The very next day, I had a catastrophic OS failure with multiple .dll errors, and my computer was no longer able to boot Windows XP. I had a long round of trying all sorts of things to replace the corrupted .dlls, but it's not as simple as just dragging them into your System folder. They have to be "installed," although you can "install" fonts by just dragging them or unzipping them to the Fonts folder. And Dell doesn't see fit to include the OS discs with your computer, so I had to get the customer service phone number from a friend (couldn't look it up on my computer, don'tchaknow), and have them mail me the discs.

They arrived a day early, along with the hope that the repair mode would fix the problem. No, after hours of trying every permutation and combination of approaches, it appeared that I would indeed have to completely reinstall Windows. I was worried about the documents on my C drive being overwritten, so I had to somehow copy my files off to an external hard drive before the reinstall. I bought a chassis that I could use to connect my HD to another computer, and then imposed upon my brother and used his computer to back up my files. After the big external HD failure last fall, I didn't want to again be faced with reconstituting my iTunes library and files from my iPod.

Once that was done, I put in the CD and went through the tedious process of reinstalling Windows and then all of my programs. The "transfer files and settings" wizard did not seem to work. At all. So now I have duplicate user accounts in the "Documents and Settings" folder. Joy. Thanks, Bill. There was some more complex stuff I wanted advice on, so I called a professional to oversee port opening and other configuration details. It seems to be running well now, although I still haven't gotten all the programs reinstalled.

And then on Wednesday this week, we had a massive hailstorm here in Austin, with the biggest hailstones I've ever seen. I took lots of photos, but since it almost immediately knocked out power, including my cable modem, I couldn't exactly live-blog the hailstorm, however much I might have wanted to. I saved a few of the biggest ones in the freezer--they were four inches long, and some were cracked in half like geodes, so you could see the internal structure--a solid-packed opaque center, surrounded by an aggregation of smaller stones. Of course, since the power stayed off for a day and a half, my hailstone samples didn't survive. Boo. But I will post photos soon. I think that was one for the record books.

Raucus Caucus

I looked on the web for video of crazy Texas caucuses, and believe it or not, found one of our Precinct's gathering! That's me in the green sweater, furiously writing down names and addresses.

Non-Texans might be wondering why it's taking so long for Texas to count the votes from the caucuses. I was both the Temporary and Permanent Convention Secretary for Travis County’s Precinct 274 (that's in Austin), and we had 385 people sign in for the Democratic Caucus, not counting the ones who left early. We used 33 sign-in sheets, whereas just one was sufficient in past years. Even with four other people helping me, it took more than two hours just to get everyone's name, address, and candidate choice written down. Luckily, our Precinct Chair was smart, ethical, and experienced, and followed the rules with no protest. But it still took another twenty minutes or so to count all the participants, count the number of people caucusing for each candidate, and do the math to get the delegate apportionment.

There were party platforms to be discussed and voted on, and then people had to volunteer to be delegates and alternates--and all those people's names had to be found on the 33 pages, which were not in alphabetical order. Even then, there weren't enough people still present at 11:30 p.m. to account for all the 37 needed alternate delegates for Obama. By the time I asked the precinct chair if he had remembered to call in our results to the party, it was after midnight. And we were well organized.

Some precincts had open Chair positions, so whoever grabbed the caucus packet first was the one who became the Temporary Chair. You'd think that these eager beavers would have taken time to read the basic rules or the script provided, but some were more zealous about not letting another candidate gain a perceived advantage, even when it meant disenfranchising their own candidate's voters. I have read about all sorts of abuses and rule breaking—shutting the doors before everyone had gotten a chance to sign in, or insisting on looking up every voter on the rolls instead of just accepting a stamped voter registration or caucus card. But whether or not it went perfectly, it was really thrilling to see hundreds of people willing to wait in line because they were so passionately interested in taking part in our democracy, no matter whom they were supporting. That is what this country is really about: our votes are our voices, and if we don’t vote, we are only muzzling ourselves.

Don't Forget to Vote and Caucus!

You'd have to have been living in a cave not to know that Texas has a primary Tuesday, but just in case you're still scrambling to find your polling place, or don't know about the caucus, you can find the info here. Click here to look up your polling place. And here is a .pdf you can download that has all the pertinent information on it. I also have a description of the caucus process in my Feb. 23 posting.

In case you'd like more specifics about the Senator's policies, here's a link to his Blueprint for Change.

I also thought I'd include a video about Barack Obama's grassroots movement here in Texas.

Spider-House Party for Obama

As a Precinct Captain for Barack Obama (Travis County Precinct 274), I have set up a House Party today to reach out to voters, talk to them about the candidates, and educate people about the primary and caucus voting processes in Texas.

The details:
Host: Julia Spencer
Time: Saturday, February 23 at 12:00 PM - 2 hours
Location: Spider House Cafe
2908 Fruth St.
Austin, TX 78705

Directions: Spider House is north of the UT campus on Fruth St., just a block east of Guadalupe, and between 29th and 30th St.

I did snag a "blueprint for change" booklet at the rally last night, and also got a few lists of Travis County early voting locations and a candidate list when I voted yesterday. I have found that one-on-one contact with voters is very persuasive, so everyone is welcome to join me and talk to people about Barack, and about the primary and caucus processes in Texas. I will try to grab a table or two right at the front of the garden just inside the entrance so we're really visible to people walking by on the street.

View and RSVP for this event at any time by going here.

Here's the deal on primary voting and caucusing in Texas:

Your party affiliation is determined by whom you vote for in the primary--Republican or Democrat, so you don't have to have registered as either one. You can do early voting at any of the early-voting locations in your county from February 19-29 (highly recommended), or vote at your precinct's polling place on March 4th. If you do early voting, your name will be on the rolls as having voted, and you can also get your card stamped then. If you vote on the 4th, make sure you get your voter's registration card stamped so it's easy to show it later on.

Then, all you need to do to caucus for Barack is to arrive at 7:01 after the polls close and show that you have just voted in the Democratic primary, either during early voting, or earlier in the day (whip out that stamped voter reg. card) and then you sign your name on a card in support of Barack. You can stay for the meeting after that, or just turn in your card and leave.

After signing cards to caucus for Obama, the rest of the evening of March 4 is given over to what is called a Precinct Convention, where party platform issues and resolutions are introduced.

This link is general information about the Texas Primary/Caucus.

This Burnt Orange Report link has fairly detailed information about how to introduce resolutions.

And yes, I am having an Oscar Party on Sunday, but with all the election excitement, I just haven't gotten around to sending out invitations.

Green Technology and Diplomacy

There was an article by Mona Charen posted a few days ago on townhall.com about Barack Obama called "Old Wine, New Bottle." It made a lot of false claims about his policies and intentions, so I posted the following comment to refute a couple of the most troubling misstatements.

First of all, Obama isn't advocating subsidizing environmentally friendly or "green" products. You're right, if there's a market for them, there's no need for subsidies. He's advocating investing in researching and developing alternative energy sources and technologies, and countering the recent influence of big oil. Big difference. When oil companies put all their considerable resources behind eliminating competition--as they did in the early 20th century by encouraging cities to get rid of streetcars and use buses instead--it can have a significant effect, and Obama wants to make sure we stop being so dependent on fossil fuels.

Also, I would say that the war on terrorists has been sorely neglected by President Bush, who stopped focusing on Afghanistan and the border areas of Pakistan, where Al Qaeda is actually based, in order to invade a country previously entirely unconnected with Bin Laden. Obama's stated goal is to refocus on finding Bin Laden, and eradicating his organization.

You also imply that Obama is unwilling to use military force in any situation, and will instead rely exclusively on diplomacy, the way that you claim Jimmy Carter did. First of all, Obama has said that he's not categorically opposed to all use of military force or all wars--just "dumb wars" and "rash wars...based not on reason but on passion, not on principle but on politics." If you will remember, Carter hardly had a "diplomacy-only" approach. But his attempt to use military force to rescue the hostages in Iran was disastrous. It was his skill in diplomacy that finally secured their release.

Try telling the families of the 4,000 American dead and 29,000 wounded that the rush to invade Iraq was a good idea and that diplomacy is "misguided" and "senile."

Austin American-Statesman Endorses Obama

Just this past week, I signed up to be a Precinct Captain for Obama in Austin, Texas. My precinct is 274, and our polling place is the First English Lutheran Church. I'm excited about getting out the vote for Obama and making a difference in Texas.

I've been practicing articulating why I support Obama, and what the differences are between him and Senator Clinton. A lot of Texas newspapers have endorsed Obama. Sometimes local newspapers are long on earnestness, but short on eloquence. I was happily surprised by the Statesman's thoughtful endorsement of Senator Obama to be the Democratic nominee for president. I'm including the full text here:

February 2, 2008

Time is right for his unifying vision: Yes, Obama can

Look closely at the two Democratic front-runners for president and you will see similarities in how they address challenging problems confronting the country. Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois both talk about strengthening the middle class, expanding economic growth and lifting sagging wages. Both offer solutions for the crisis in our health care system and global warming and support ending the war in Iraq. So the key differences between the candidates are in their leadership styles and visions for the country.

Obama presents a view of governing that is inclusive and relies on Americans to work with their government to solve sobering problems at home and abroad. Obama’s familiar refrain on the campaign trail is, “Yes, we can.” By contrast, Clinton promotes a self-centered governing style that drives home what she would do as president. She asks little of Americans and discourages opposing views. Clinton has moved from her position as first lady that it “takes a village” to solve problems to "it takes only Hillary (and maybe Bill)."

Those contrasts offer a clear choice: Barack Obama. His optimism, unifying vision and ability to inspire are the kind of healing balm the country needs at this moment in history. In two days, on “Super Tuesday,” 22 states will hold Democratic primaries and caucuses. The outcome of those contests might determine a winner. If not, the battle moves to Texas on March 4. Obama is the best pick Democrats could make.

Resolving the big issues confronting the nation requires a leader who can attract support from independents and Republicans. Of the two front runners, only Obama has shown the ability to bring divergent interests together. He did that as a state senator in Illinois and as a U.S. senator in Washington. And he has staked his presidential campaign on doing that in the White House. In endorsing Obama, the Chicago Tribune recently wrote this about his tenure in the Illinois Legislature: “In the minority party for all but his final two years in the Statehouse, he tempered a progressive agenda with a cold dash of realism, often forging consensus with conservative Republicans when other liberals wanted to crusade.”

Obama brought that style of leadership to Washington. He worked with Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., to sponsor and pass legislation that would assist taxpayers in tracking government spending - including earmarks and federal grants - with a Google-like search engine. Obama showed courage in opposing the Iraq war in 2002 as a candidate for the U.S. Senate, years before that was the popular position. He backs aggressive diplomacy in dealing with America’s adversaries, including talking to our enemies.

But he isn’t against the use of military might and continues to support the war in Afghanistan. We also believe that Obama is more electable than Clinton, who would no doubt energize dispirited Republican voters. That makes Obama a stronger nominee for the Democrats going into November. In another election, we might look for the kind of experience Clinton brings from her role as a U.S. senator and tenure as first lady. But these are different times. Abroad, the country is at war. The terrorism threat remains alarming. America’s moral standing has been diminished by Guantanamo and the Iraqi occupation. At home, we’re divided into red and blue camps. Democrats and Republicans have stoked divisions to advance their party’s interests. Meanwhile, Washington is stumbling along with its red leg moving right and blue one lurching left.

Along the way, elected officials - and the public - have forgotten that those legs are part of the same body. It’s not surprising, therefore, that we’ve danced in place, failing to make progress on the big challenges that confront our country. Young people, disillusioned and disheartened with their government, have tuned out. No other candidate except Obama offers a way out of that rut. He has articulated a vision that would allow the legs of government to again move fluidly in a natural motion that takes the country forward.

Young people hungry for purpose have flocked to Obama rallies in rock concert numbers. They’re not just cheering but volunteering. Older people, especially African Americans, send small donations and passages from Scripture as they look to him to fulfill America’s promise. Like a veteran slugger on deck, Hillary Clinton has campaigned principally on the logic that it is her turn at bat. Democrats must resist the instinct to select the next in line and grab instead the best hitter on the bench. That is Barack Obama.