The Chronicle reports middling singer Toni Price has lamented the
rising cost of living that drove her out of Austin. While the condo projects
do have the benefit of ridding the town of hippies and other undesirables,
the downside is the rest of us can’t afford to live here, either.1
My rent’s going up 40 bucks. "Cost-of-living increase," the leasing
manager said. The apartment, however, is still the same one I moved into
eight years ago. In this regulation-crazed
town in this stagflationary environment, renewing my lease didn’t seem
the best option.2
I’m liquid, but landlords want to see
proof of employment. Otherwise, I’d have to get a cosigner on the
application, according to a friend plugged into the local housing market.
“Alternatively, sometimes, with 3-6 months rent in advance, you can be considered,
but not all management companies will allow that.”3
Sure, I’ve been able to work constantly for two-odd years – but for how long? Anecdotally,
BMC West is moving its operations to Cedar Park, probably to get away from
Austin’s interference.4 A sweets shop at The Domain – among the first to open – has shut
down. Two of the restaurants I dined at with my parents during their visit have closed.5
In a related development, Cele’s Store, a Brigadoon-like
barbecue joint in the wilderness between Pflugerville and Hutto, shut down
in December.6
Even Dubya now acknowledges the economy’s in a slump.7
Things must be bad when even he displays some awareness of reality, because
among other things, this is the same president who recently signed a law
to banish the incandescent light bulb, in favor of compact fluorescent
(CFL) bulbs the manufacturers couldn’t get the public to buy fast enough.
The old light bulbs are perfectly fine, a proven technology, but the feds
will enforce their replacement with CFLs, which cost more, start slower, fail
faster, flicker frequently, and can’t be thrown away because they contain
mercury.8
I’m facing another expense: After all these years, I’m finally at
the point where I have to get a cell phone. Coincidentally, the City
Council is considering a ban on cell phone use while driving.9
Normally, I’d be skeptical of any new government regulation. But I’ve had
too many near-misses by women yapping on the phone instead of paying attention
to traffic. For that matter, my previous
car was collateral damage by women not paying attention in the apartment
parking lot. Of course, the real solution to all this is to prevent
them from driving in the first place. Perhaps when Barack Hussein Obama
is elected president, and imposes sharia, this major traffic problem
will be solved, insha’allah.10 (I can’t be the only one who’s
wondered how Islamists could actually take over our country. A slick PR
campaign on this and other quality-of-life issues might do more for Muslim
militancy than suicide bombers.)
Political Roundup
Regardless, so far this campaign season, B.O., the coke-snorting
mulatto, has smoothly pimp-slapped his senatorial colleague, That Corrupt Bitch of New York, into second-class
status.11 As a bonus, he riled her worthless husband into
publicly mouthing off, thereby antagonizing crucial segments of a Democratic
Party whose deepening discord could cost it victory in November.12
For local examples, a Chronicle reader has pointed out that all the
“progressive” (translation: national socialist) challengers in the Democratic
primary for municipal and county positions are all white homosexuals running
against black incumbents.13 Also, the ruling elite is trying to screw over blacks with
rezoning and government-subsidized redevelopment in East Austin.14
On Jan. 17, Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson, football pro-turned convicted
drug felon-turned lottery winner-turned community activist, succeeded in
blocking a proposed limit on house sizes in Central East Austin by rallying
residents against an infringement on property rights.15
Not that we don’t enjoy the spectacle. We haven’t seen that jaw-jutting,
finger-wagging tirade from Bill Clinton since he was about to lose his
dream job for cheating on his wife and lying about it under oath.16
Is this the real audacity of Hope?17 Ironically, Hillary
deserves more responsibility for that debacle than she usually receives.
Her nagging finally prompted Bill to lose weight, thereby becoming more
attractive to other women, including a newly arrived intern named Monica
Lewinsky.18
In the Republican presidential race, U.S.
Rep. Ron Paul’s superior record, message and fundraising, as well as
some statist contenders, have knocked out of
contention Rudy Giuliani, the lisping, formerly toupee-clad, cross-dressing,
thrice-married Mussolini of Manhattan, whose raging bull prosecutions helped
kick-start the 1990-91 recession.19 The GOP is also heavily
fractured.20
Generationally, Boomers have been pummeled in the establishment
parties’ presidential primaries by the preceding and succeeding generations.21
And soon government at all levels will face a “brain drain” because Boomers
are retiring, and, of course, couldn’t be bothered to train successors
because they never really believed anyone would come after them (in both
meanings).22 Maybe we’ll shrink government yet. One of them
who won’t be around to see it is Bill Strauss. He was a Beltway policy
wonk, with the sort of bossy, pro-bureaucratic, un-American views you’d
expect. Nevertheless, he co-authored a useful analysis of American history
based on generational cycles, particularly the terminology and generational
distinctions, though that’s what people familiar with his work quibble
about most. What they should find fault with is his prescriptive parts,
with the Boomers as the ultimate generation who’ll impose a pseudo-messianic
“progressive” social re-engineering of the world to make everyone and
everything conform to some northeastern college faculty’s notions of How
It Ought to Be. In effect, post-Boomer generations were supposed to be the
field slaves for Boomers’ desires and delusions; if we resisted, Boomers
would pit us against each other. Or so Strauss presumed. I had opportunity
to tell Strauss a couple of times that he didn’t know what the Hell he
was talking about. Boomer that he was, my facts never registered. But Strauss
dropped dead, so that’s one less of his power-hungry ilk with whom we must
contend.23
If such a seemingly inevitable development could be so rudely thwarted,
then another party could make inroads against the established duopoly this
year. But the Greens are badly split, stemming from the 2004 election.24 Besides, they’re
just more of the same, a distinction without a difference.
And as for the party formerly know as Libertarian, it’s still in
a downward spiral. The fakes pretend like
nothing’s wrong, even though for each month the bad decisions at the Portland convention remain uncorrected, the party
loses about a year’s worth of gains. The flakes are still flailing around
and unable to get their act together. I've seen pie fights with more dignity.
The Libertarian National Committee finally did something smart and urged
Paul to seek the LP nomination. Paul declined.25 After
all, why would he want to front a party that doesn’t stand for anything.
The LP’s troubles extend down to the county level. For example, Rock
Howard was re-elected to another term as county chairman at a special
meeting New Year’s Eve.26 I’ve known him 10 years and
I still have no idea why he considers himself a libertarian. He’s never
fought Travis County’s ruling elite
even a fraction as hard as he fights other people in the TCLP. Because
his secret ambition is to join the ruling elite, not replace them. It’s
less about ideology and more about social status.
Howard aspires to belong with a group of people he thinks are socially
superior to libertarians – the way he thinks he’s socially superior to
libertarians. But his thinking is so incoherent – I attended numerous
TCLP business meetings where he became confused by his own utterances
– that he probably doesn’t even understand his own ambition, or how achieve
it. It ain’t like mastering programming languages. Instead, it’s more
like amateur anthropology: learning how to dress, act and think like some
group so as to fit in. If this sounds suspiciously like high school, you’re
right. Only the people involved are old enough for prostate exams. He doesn’t
have the social skills, or the right assumptions or even the right tastes
to be accepted by the likes of Mayor Will Wynn or Chronicle Editor Louis
Black. If I’ve noticed this about Howard, other people probably have, too.
I’ll bet if the ruling elite do think about him, it’s to laugh at him in
private. Meanwhile, Howard continues to publicly waffle and compromise on
the libertarian message.
It’s a damn shame, because one of the TCLP’s biggest liabilities
finally died in December.27 A local shitheaded gadfly who
persisted in calling himself a libertarian, although his worldview was
closer to that of a Frankfurt School Marxist.28 Not that this
was based on anything but his own delusions. He boasted of being a high
school dropout and of being unversed in the libertarian literature. Then
he grumbled he wasn’t taken seriously in a movement dominated by intellectual
Jews, many with post-graduate degrees. I figure he glommed on to calling
himself a libertarian because even in the ‘70s it provided a more respectable
intellectual veneer to justify his epithumetical weaknesses.29
Between him and Howard, who hated each others’ guts, the TCLP experienced
the fake vs. flake conflict in microcosm. I could write an entire issue about
his failings, but he's dead and that’s what counts. Enough of this guttersnipe.
Let his name be forgotten, even by those who knew him! (So it is written.
So it shall be done.)30
On the Town
Dec. 30: I drove to the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort
and Spa in Bastrop County to see Dr. John, a New Orleans musician who’s
kept one foot in the world of famous rock performers and one foot in the
New Orleans R&B tradition.31 As a bonus, the opening act was
jazz trumpeter Hannibal Lokumbe, who as Marvin “Hannibal” Peterson was a
rising star in the New York loft jazz scene of the ‘70s before opting to
become the musician laureate of Bastrop.32 This event was billed
as a “New Orleans Celebration Concert” for New Year’s Eve, except it was
a day early. Before the show, I availed myself of the New Orleans cuisine
buffet in the dinning hall. I now know why half of Louisiana is under water.
The inhabitants have flooded the state to raise crawfish and alligators, for
cutlets braised in piquant. Or else their sheer collective weight gain from
etouffe and doberge cake sunk their land below sea level. Dr. John
and his band served up greasy slices of Crescent City funk to a crowd in
camel hair coats and graying ponytails who always managed to get in my way
when I tried to go anywhere.
After he strutted off the stage, I drove to Dallas Night Club for
about two hours of intense salsa dancing. I brought up the earlier show
in conversation with “Melanie Ordones Welker.”33 Her eyes widened
in amazement. “I thought he was dead.” Upon reflection, maybe I hadn’t seen
him after all. Maybe it was his zombie.
I think everybody was in good spirits on the 30th because they didn’t
have to get up and go to work on Monday. Unfortunately, I couldn’t sustain
the 30th’s fun on New Year’s Eve proper. Everything I wanted to do was
downtown, which was impassible, or in East Austin, where I didn’t want to
maneuver my new car. City Hall has been pushing
a “family oriented” New Year’s Eve downtown the last couple of years, and
drew some 125,000 Austin residents.34 I considered using
the municipal bus system, but the schedule wouldn’t accommodate me. Instead,
I spent about 15 minutes at my neighborhood bar, just like two years ago,
even though I vowed at the time I wasn’t going to
do that again. I drummed my fingers impatiently on the bar top
until the countdown while the other patrons sang a karaoke rendition of
“Paradise City” at top volume.35 No wonder Axl’s a semi-recluse.36
At midnight, I tossed back my plastic glass of complimentary sparkling wine,
tossed a tip on the bar, and left.
Jan. 13: After some scheduling delays, I caught the Monstas,
a group of longtime musicians the Chronicle favors, on their South Austin
World Tour at Güero’s Taco Bar. They were OK, but not catchy enough
for me to stick around.37 One consolation: I didn’t see any
Birkenstocks – the pedestrian counterpart to the swastika armband – at the
show. That’s really good, considering the crowd. Is it too much to hope
for that this sartorial abomination is finally over?
Feb. 13: A couple of people at Ruta Maya told me that other
people had told them that I’m a good dancer and had pointed me out elsewhere
as someone to watch as a guide for what to do on the dance floor and how
to do it. I was flattered. I must be moving up in status on the salsa scene.
On the other hand, one of the people who told me this wore a T-shirt over
a turtleneck sweater. Good thing it was a T-shirt and not his underpants.
I thought I’d seen everything that evening, until I came home and
parked next to a new domestic luxury sedan with fuzzy dice hanging from
the rearview mirror.
Valentine’s Day, I pushed my luck, almost successfully. Fuerza Latina
held another party at the same Mexican restaurant
from November. The dance troupe billed it as a fundraiser/couples' night/singles
mixer, but for the longest time it was a photo shoot with a Mr. Fusionesque
chorizo party on the side.38 I anticipated a dreadful
evening, but I persevered and eventually made my minimum quota of dances
– mostly the troupers – through a combination of reading body language,
making eye contact, and making my partners feel like the most desirable
women on the planet while not actually giving a shit what they wanted. Actually,
now that I think about it, my pushiness and insensitivity finally meant
Valentine’s Day didn’t suck for the first time in too long.39
The next day, however, every woman I encountered had resumed being
wary, sullen or aloof.
Austin Death Watch
On Jan. 11, former Mayor Gus Garcia hit and killed a Hispanic pedestrian
crossing North Lamar Boulevard near Braker Lane. While police have withheld
information pending investigation, it’s clear Garcia gets about the same
results behind the wheel as he did making municipal policy.40
The incident also sends a message to Mexicans: Stay the Hell away from Austin
or you’ll be done in by your own people.
Fire investigators determined KOOP-FM’s third fire in two years
was the result of arson. I swear, that station goes up in flames more often
than the LP. Cops nabbed a suspect, a former staffer with dweeby facial
hair who hosted the incongruously named “Mellow Down Easy.”41
Given the circumstances, maybe the show should’ve been called “Fire Music.”42
Over by the thin blue line, the new police chief fired one officer
for killing an unarmed suspect, and fired another officer for taking
military leave and never showing up for his military assignments.43
The former’s firing is under appeal.44 Yet another Austin police
officer is under investigation, this time for theft and paying for sex.45
Meanwhile, an independent arbitrator reinstated Officer Gary Griffin,
who was fired after he admittedly “beat the shit” out of a man sleeping
at a bus stop, a beating caught on police videotape.46
Two more officers were disciplined for their actions during a sex sting
in Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park where a third officer wounded a man who
tried to run him over. The third officer was not disciplined.47
Speaking of sex, at the University of Texas, Robert Jensen, a homosexual
Marxist feminist, has written a new book denouncing pornography for misogyny
and racism, and whatever else torques a homosexual Marxist feminist
angling for tenure.48 Nevertheless, I haven’t seen any news coverage
where his jeremiad extends to same-sex pornography – otherwise known as
Academy Award-winning films.49 Cleary, he has an ax to grind,
which is tough to do with a limp wrist.50 Jensen’s fellow campus
turd burglar, an Arab lecturer, ended a week-long hunger strike without
getting what he wanted: barbecued pork sandwiches. No, actually, he wanted
health benefits for same-sex partners of faculty members. For this, I’m
paying sales tax? Fortunately, he’s leaving town. Unfortunately, he’s not
leaving the country.51
Councilman Mike Martinez is selling a proposal to change the Council
from six at-large to eight mostly single-member districts as only costing
under $250,000 for each additional seat in the City budget, “still less
than the $510,000 buyout package we’re paying to former City Manager Toby
Futrell to leave before May.”
That’s the selling point? I’ve been inclined to vote for the change,
just because good-government types favor at-large representation, and
what they like usually hurts the rest of us. But after hearing the figures,
I’ll be damned if I’m going to give that spendthrift Council an excuse
to waste another half-million dollars each year.52
An advisory committee nixed white-water rafting for Waller Creek.
That’s good to know. The idea required pumping water into the creek, because
typically you can walk along the bed without dampening your shoes. But it
seems the idea was too preposterous even for the City Council. However,
the City might consider charging adventurers admission to enter the creek
and dodge the homeless drug addicts who cluster under the bridges.53
In advance of SXSW, its organizers have been defensively, defiantly
telling the papers they’ll continue, and continue shutting down unauthorized,
unofficial SXSW parties, which they believe could kill SXSW. As opposed
to the hype, and the logistical inconvenience for the rest of us. Makes
me want to throw my own unaffiliated party just to slay this monstrosity.54
Out in the real world, the local music scene is in a slump, according
to The Daily Texan.55
The January issue of Brilliant magazine contains a feature on the
Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders. There, women can learn how
to become alcoholics, fend off sneers of East Coast opinion makers by advocating
disastrous, discredited policies, and lose elections to dopey ex-frat boys.56
Publishing Picks of 2007
Allen, Woody [Alan Stewart Konigsberg]. Mere Anarchy.
New York City: Random House.
Andersen, Kurt. Heyday. New York City: Random House.
Barnes, Leroy “Nicky” and Tom Folsom. Mr. Untouchable.
New York City: RuggedLand.
Bing, Stanley [Gil Schwartz]. Crazy Bosses, rev. ed.
New York City: Collins.
Bonner, William, and Lila Rajiva. Mobs, Messiahs, and
Markets: Surviving the Public Spectacle in Finance and Politics. Hoboken,
N.J.: John Wiley & Sons.
Booth, Nicholas. ZigZag: The Incredible Wartime Exploits
of Double Agent Eddie Chapman, rev. ed. New York City: Arcade Publishing.
Bourdain, Anthony. Kitchen Confidential: Adventures
in the Culinary Underbelly, 2nd rev. ed. New York City: Ecco Press/Harper
Perennial.
Bourdain, Anthony. No Reservations: Around the World
on an Empty Stomach. New York City: Bloomsbury.
Bracco, Lorraine. On the Couch, rev. ed. New York City:
Berkeley Books.
Caplan, Bryan. The Myth of the Rational Voter: Why Democracies
Choose Bad Policies. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton UP.
Christe, Ian. Everybody Wants Some: The Van Halen Saga.
Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons.
Doherty, Brian. Radicals for Capitalism: A Freewheeling
History of the Modern American Libertarian Movement. New York City:
PublicAffairs.
Eisner, Peter, and Knut Royce. The Italian Letter: How the
Bush Administration Used a Fake Letter to Build the Case for the War in
Iraq. Emmaus, Pa.: Rodale.
Fox, Lauren. Still Life With Husband. New York City:
Alfred A. Knopf.
Gibson, William. Spook Country. New York City: G.P.
Putnam's Sons.
Gordon, David. The Essential Rothbard. Auburn,
Ala.: Ludwig von Mises Institute.
Gordon, Michael R., and Gen. Bernard E. Trainor (ret.). Cobra
II: The Inside Story of the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq, rev.
ed. New York City: Vintage Books.
Gottfried, Paul Edward. Conservatism in America: Making
Sense of the American Right. New York City: Palgrave Macmillan.
Groopman, Dr. Jerome. How Doctors Think. Boston: Houghton
Mifflin Co.
Gutzman, Kevin R.C. The Politically Incorrect Guide to the
Constitution. Washington, D.C.: Regnery Publishing.
Halberstadt, Alex. Lonely Avenue: The Unlikely Life and
Times of Doc Pomus. Cambridge, Mass.: Da Capo Press.
Hülsmann, Jörg Guido. Mises: The Last Knight
of Liberalism. Auburn, Ala.: Ludwig von Mises Institute.
Isikoff, Michael, and David Corn. Hubris: The Inside Story
of Spin, Scandal and the Selling of the Iraq War, rev. ed. New York
City: Three Rivers Press.
Jacobson, Mark. American Gangster and Other Tales of New
York. New York City: Black Cat.
Kelso, John. Texas Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside
Oddities and Other Offbeat Stuff, 2nd rev. ed. Guilford, Conn.: Globe
Pequot Press.
Kessler, Lauren, and Duncan McDonald. When Words Collide:
A Media Writer's Guide to Grammar and Style, 6th rev. ed. Belmont,
Calif.: Wadsworth Publishing Co.
Krogh, Egil "Bud," and Matthew Krogh. Integrity: Good People,
Bad Choices, and Life Lessons from the White House. New York City:
PublicAffairs.
Lax, Eric. Conversations With Woody Allen: His Films, the
Movies, and Moviemaking. New York City: Alfred A. Knopf.
Lerner, Michael A. Dry Manhattan: Prohibition in New York
City. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard UP.
Left and Right: A Journal of Libertarian Thought (Complete,
1965-1968). Ed. Murray N. Rothbard. Auburn, Ala.: The Ludwig von Mises
Institute.
Mad's Greatest Artists: The Completely Mad Don Martin,
Vol. I-II. Philadelphia: Running Press.
Michaelis, David. Schulz and Peanuts: A Biography. New
York City: Harper.
Mitchell, Brian Patrick. Eight Ways to Run the Country:
A New and Revealing Look at Left and Right. Wesport, Conn.: Praeger.
Murphy, Cullen. Are We Rome?: The Fall of an Empire and
the Fate of America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co.
North, Gary. An Economic Commentary on the Bible,
Vol. XIV: God's Success Manual: An Economic Commentary on Proverbs.
Horn Lake, Miss.: GaryNorth.com.
Oates, Joyce Carol. The Museum of Dr. Moses: Tales of Mystery
and Suspense. Orlando, Fla.: Harcourt.
Perret, Geoffrey. Commander in Chief: How Truman, Johnson,
and Bush Turned a Presidential Power Into a Threat to America's Future.
New York City: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Perrotta, Tom. The Abstinence Teacher. New York City:
St. Martin's Press.
Rickles, Don, and David Ritz. Rickles’ Book: A Memoir.
New York City: Simon & Schuster.
Ricks, Thomas E. Fiasco: The American Military Adventure
in Iraq, rev. ed. New York City: Penguin Books.
Risen, James. State of War: The Secret History of the CIA
and the Bush Administration, rev. ed. New York City: Free Press.
Ritter, Scott. Waging Peace: The Art of War for the Antiwar
Movement. New York City: Nation Books.
"Rob the Bouncer" [Robert Fitzgerald]. Clublife: Thugs,
Drugs, and Chaos at New York City’s Premier Nightclubs. New York City:
HarperEntertainment.
Rose, Michael. Washington’s War: From Independence to Iraq.
London: Weidenfeld & Nicholson.
Rothbard, Murray N. The Betrayal of the American Right.
Ed. Thomas E. Woods Jr. Auburn, Ala.: Ludwig von Mises Institute.
Sammon, Bill. The Evangelical President: George Bush's Struggle
to Spread a Moral Democracy Throughout the World. Washington, D.C.:
Regnery Publishing.
Scahill, Jeremy. Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most
Powerful Mercenary Army. New York City: Nation Books.
Smith, Sally Bedell. For Love of Politics – Bill and
Hillary Clinton: The White House Years. New York City: Random House.
Sowell, Thomas. Basic Economics: A Citizen's Guide to
the Economy, 2nd rev. ed. New York City: Basic Books.
Sowell, Thomas. A Conflict of Visions: Ideological Origins of
Political Struggles, rev. ed. New York City: Basic Books.
Suskind, Ron. The One Percent Doctrine: Deep Inside America's
Pursuit of Its Enemies Since 9/11, rev. ed. New York City: Simon
& Schuster.
Taibbi, Matt. Smells Like Dead Elephants: Dispatches From
a Rotting Empire. New York City: Black Cat.
Thomas, Cullen. Brother One Cell: An American Coming of
Age in South Korea's Prisons. New York City: Viking.
Vogel, Steve. The Pentagon: A History: The Untold Story
of the Race to Build the Pentagon – and to Restore It Sixty Years Later.
New York City: Random House.
Woods, Stacey Grenrock. I, California: A Memoir. New
York City: Scribner.
I estimate I’ve read about one-third of the books published in 2007
of interest or potential interest to me that I know of. Two of them are
from writers I’ve met. Doubtless, those numbers will change as other works
come to my attention, although the ultimate total will still be a fraction
of the hundreds of thousands of new books published annually worldwide.
Music Notes
White Boomers are trying to indulge in moral one-upsmanship with
the new release “Honeydripper.” Now these Boomers, including the director
and producer, who ought to know better, would like you to believe that
a fictitious slice-of-life depiction of blacks in Mississippi in 1950
is linked with the Civil Rights movement. Even more tenuously, these Boomers
would like you to believe that the retrospective moral residue of the
Civil Rights movement somehow accrues to them, even though the events
from that era were happening when the Boomers were still shitting in diapers.
Fact is, the movie doesn’t support their delusion. Hardly any whites appear,
and hardly anyone displays any broader social consciousness – and then,
only fleetingly. It’s just about people trying to get by on a day-to-day
basis. What the movie is good at is showcasing up-and-coming Austin bluesman
Gary Clark Jr. to a larger audience. Or it would, if people aren’t going
to stay away with all this contemporary diarrhea of the mouth surrounding
“Honeydripper.”57
Greg Ginn has relocated SST Records from Southern California to
downtown Taylor.58
Neighborhood News
The Statesmen reports two Hispanic men were murdered in the 11700
block of Metric Boulevard last July. However, Gus Garcia wasn’t questioned
by police.59
Two cars struck and killed a pedestrian in the 12100 block of Waters
Park Drive on Feb. 11. Police didn’t question Garcia about that, either.60
On Jan. 21, I witnessed the aftermath of a smash-up at Gracy Farms
Lane and Burnet Road. On Feb. 9, I witnessed the aftermath of a wreck
at Highway 183 and Burnet. On Jan. 8, KUT-FM reported an auto collision
at Braker and Kramer lanes. On Jan. 9, KUT reported a collision at MoPac
Expressway and Capital of Texas Highway. On Feb. 8, KUT reported a wreck
at Highway 183 and Duval Road.
The Verano apartment complex now styles itself “The Verano at The
Domain.” Obviously, the complex seeks to capture some of the cachet west
of Burnet, and perhaps charge more rent to the Indian engineers living in the shadow of IBM.61 Meanwhile,
access to The Domain is hampered by Union Pacific rail line that crosses
under MoPac.62 Moreover, wrangles over funding are delaying government
rail plans, including two nearby stations.63 The heavily patrolled
North Operations Center for Cap Metro’s rail project nears completion
at McNeil Road and Helen Milton Smith Way. In the nighttime floodlights
it looks as sinister as anything in the “Terminator” trilogy.64
Community Impact Newspaper reports that the name of thoroughfare
Parmer Lane is a misspelling, from the original Palmer Lane, though no
one knows how the error crept in.65
A second Nuno’s, a live music venue, opened at Parmer and MoPac on
Feb. 15, in the same location previously occupied by a Mexican restaurant,
which replaced Tut’s, which replaced the north
location of The Boiling Pot.66 A Federal Express/Kinko’s store
has opened in a new mini-strip mall at Parmer and Tomanet Trail.
Media Indigest
I want to congratulate all of you for winning the prize in Esquire’s
final Dubious Achievement Award.67 KVET-FM and the Statesman
are contending with rapid personnel turnover and layoff rumors.68
Soundcheck magazine drools over Portland, Ore.: “As beautiful as anywhere
on earth, as progressive as any other major city, as laid back and friendly
and supportive of the arts as my own beloved Austin….” I interned in
Portland at a terrific newspaper and dated a wonderful gal, but my
good times shouldn’t obscure the city’s cold, damp, allergens, meddlers
(the “progressive” part), expense, or the sullen, apathetic, drug-addicted
white trash assholes who live there for the meddlers to boss around.69
I got lucky is all. Moreover, Austin isn’t really supportive of the arts
– as I’ve chronicled lo these many years.
Tentacles of Empire
Only now are government school teachers worried about a new state
law that mandates them to submit to fingerprinting and background checks.70
Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security has finalized mandatory
requirements for a new de facto national identification card.71
NOTES 1Powell, Austin. “Everything Louder Than Everything Else.”
AC 25 Jan. 2008: 57. 2 AD No. 102n2 (Nov. 12, 2007); Eisler, Dan. “Rental Requirements
Redux.” E-mail to Jody Lockshin, 10 Feb. 2008; “Fuel Charge Increase Takes
Effect.” Austin Energy Customer News Jan. 2008: 1; Lovell, Joel. “The
American Dream, No Money Down.” GQ Feb. 2008: 78+ 3 Lockshin. “Re: Rental Requirements Redux.” E-mail to Eisler,
10 Feb. 2008. 4 Harrington, Kate. “BMC West Moving 100 Jobs to Cedar Park.”
ABJ 16 Nov. 2007: 1+. 5 Wood, Virginia B. “Food-o-File.” AC 11 Jan. 2008: 39. 6 “Cele Store Serves Barbeque for Last Time.” CIN Jan. 2008:
8. 7 Adams, Kathy. “Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Lays off Workers in
Austin.” AAS 29 Jan. 2008: D1; Hawkins, Lori. “Upside in a Downturn.” Idem.,
13 Jan. 2008: A1+; Hawkins, and Lilly Rockwell. “Shoppers Keep Grip on Wallet.”
Idem., 27 Dec. 2007: A1; Hoover, Kent. “Small Biz Owners Outlook Bleaker,
but Incentives Could Perk Things Up.” ABJ 21 Dec. 2007: 12; Mistretta, A.J.
“Retail Therapy.” Idem., 14 Jan. 2008: 1+; Mistretta. “We’re Building, but
Will They Come?” Idem., 18 Feb. 2008: 1+; Walsh, Kenneth T. “Bring on the
Economy Patches.” USN 21 Jan. 2008: 13; Young, Tiffany. “Austin Economy Fares
Better Than Nation.” CIN Feb. 2008: 1+. 8 Carney, Brian M. “Bye Bye, Light Bulb.” WSJ 2 Jan. 2008: A10. 9 Justice, Katy. “City Wants to Ban Cell Phone Use While Driving.”
DT 7 Feb. 2008: 1A+. 10 Obama, Barack. Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and
Inheritance, rev. ed. New York City: Three Rivers Press, 2004: x; “Saudi
Women Ready to Take Wheel.” News for You 10 Oct. 2007: 1. 11 Feldmann, Linda. “Big Wins in Wisconsin, Hawaii Make It Obama’s
Race to Lose.” CSM 21 Feb. 2008: 10; Obama, op. cit., xv, 93-94. 12 Borger, Gloria. “Divide and Conquer.” USN 18 Feb. 2008: 38;
Halloran, Liz. “Bill Takes a Chill Pill.” Idem., 11 Feb. 2008: 30-31. 13 “ ‘Chronicle Endorsements.’ ” AC 15 Feb. 2008: 10; Copelin,
Laylan. “Dukes, Rival Face Questions About Efforts for Party.” AAS 19 Feb.
2008: B1; King, Michael. “Aleshire vs. Oden.” AC 15 Feb. 2008: 36; Nichols,
Lee. “Looking for ‘Real’ Democrats.” Idem., 25 Jan. 2008: 28+; Nichols. “Somebody
Need Purgation.” Idem., 8 Feb. 2008: 26; Simms, Louis. “Are Gay Politicians
Targeting African-Americans?” Letter. Idem., 1 Feb. 2008: 6; Whittaker, Richard.
“Dukes Under Siege.” Idem., 25 Jan. 2008: 30. 14 Dunbar, Wells. “Zoned Out.” Idem., 8 Feb. 2008: 20; Ealy,
Charles. “Austin Turns to the East.” AAS 13 Jan. 2008: F1+; Hooper, Mary.
“Moving in to East Austin.” DT 19 Feb. 2008: 6B; Novak, Shonda. “Spare, No
Expense.” AAS 9 Feb. 2008: G1-2. 15 Dunbar. “Hollywood 1, OCEAN 0.” AC 25 Jan. 2008: 21. 16 Andersen, Christopher. Bill and Hillary: The Marriage.
New York City: William Morrow and Co., 1999: 13-14; Smith, Sally Bedell. For
Love of Politics – Bill and Hillary Clinton: The White House Years. New
York City: Random House, 2007: 309. 17 Andersen, op. cit., 48; Maraniss, David. First in His Class:
A Biography of Bill Clinton. New York City: Simon & Schuster, 1995:
21; Morris, Roger. Partners in Power: The Clintons and Their America.
New York City: John Macrae/Henry Holt and Co., 1996: 30-31; Obama. The
Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream. New York
City: Crown Publishers, 2006. 18 Campos, Paul. The Obesity Myth: Why America’s Obsession
With Weight Is Hazardous to Your Health. New York City: Gotham Books,
2004: Ch. 15. 19 Anderson, William L., and Candice E. Jackson. "It's the Economy,
Stupid: Rudy Giuliani, the Wall Street Prosecutions, and the Recession of
1990-91." JLS Fall 2005: 19-36; Barrett, Wayne, and Adam Fifield. Rudy!:
An Investigative Biography of Rudolph Giuliani. New York City: Basic Books,
2000: 172; Carville, James, and Paul Begala. Take It Back: Our Party,
Our Country, Our Future. New York City: Simon & Schuster, 2006: 215;
EAD No. 7n13 (Aug. 1999); George, Patrick. “Paul Says He Won’t Stop
Unless Money Dries Up.” AAS 24 Feb. 2008: B1; Lazar, Zohar. “An Oral History
of Rudy Giuliani’s Temper.” GQ Feb. 2008: 128-131+; Mandery, Evan J. Eyes
on City Hall: A Young Man’s Education in New York Political Warfare.
Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press, 2001: 33; Winchester, Lauren. “The Love Revolution.”
DT 25 Feb. 2008: 1+. 20 Borger, op. cit.; Dillin, John. “The Conservative Revolt Over
McCain.” CSM 13 Feb. 2008: L7. 21 Strauss, William, and Neil Howe. Generations: The History
of America's Future, 1584-2069. New York City: William Morrow, 1991: 279-334. 22 Jones, Gerard. "A 145-Year-Old Baby Boomer Looks Back" Utne
Reader Jan/Feb. 1990: 81; Toohey, Marty. “Experience Evaporates as Boomers
Leave Jobs.” AAS 2 Jan. 2008: A1. 23 Fox, Margalit. “Bill Strauss, Parodist of Public Figures,
Dies at 60.” NYT 21 Dec. 2007, late ed.: B9. 24 Gerritt, Greg. Green Party Tempest: Weathering the Storm
of 2004. Providence, R.I.: Moshassuck River Press, 2005. 25 Herman, Ken. “Paul Says He Won’t Run on Libertarian Ticket
in ‘08.” AAS 10 Dec. 2007: A5. 26 Ruliffson, Bob. “Travis County Libertarian Party Chooses a
New Chair.” AL 6 Jan. 2008: 2. 27 Badnarik, Michael. “Lighting the Fires of Liberty.” We the
People Radio Network, 21 Dec. 2007. 28 Kuehnelt-Leddihn, Erik von. Leftism: From de Sade and Marx
to Hitler and Marcuse. New Rochelle, N.Y.: Arlington House, 1974: Ch.
19. 29 Andersen, Kurt. Heyday. New York City: Random House,
2007: 315. 30 The Ten Commandments. Motion Picture Associates/Paramount
Pictures, 1956. 31 Dr. John [Malcolm "Mac " Rebennack Jr.], and Jack Rummel.
Under a Hoodoo Moon: The Life of the Night Tripper. New York City:
St. Martin's Press, 1994. 32 Morthland, John. “Horn Free.” Texas Monthly Nov. 1997:
54. 33 AD No. 100n20 (Sep. 3, 2007). 34 George. “First Night is Second to None.” AAS 1 Jan. 2008:
A1. 35 Wall, Mick. W.A.R.: The Unauthorized Biography of William
Axl Rose. New York City: St. Martin’s Press, 2008: 100. 36 Ibid., 331-338. 37 Moser, Margaret. “Indefinable Magic.” 11 Jan. 2008: 54-55. 38 AD No. 65n9 (May 22, 2004). 39 AD No. 26 (Apr. 27, 2001); AD No. 48 (Mar. 10, 2003); AD No.
102. 40 Smith, Jordan. “Naked City.” AC 11 Jan. 2008: 13. 41 Brass, Kevin. “Naked City.” Idem., 15; Justice. “KOOP Destroyed
Jan. 6 by Third Fire in Two Years.” DT 14 Jan. 2008: 6A; Ward, Justin. “KOOP
Arson.” AC 8 Feb. 2008: 24. 42 Shepp, Archie. Fire Music. Impulse! AS-158, 1965. 43 Dunbar. “Internal Pleading.” AC 23 Nov. 2007: 16; J. Smith.
“Acevedo Fires Olsen.” Idem., 7 Dec. 2007: 34-35. 44 J. Smith. “Olsen Firing Appeal Under Way.” Idem., 22 Feb.
2007: 26. 45 J. Smith. “Naked City,” Idem., op. cit. 46 King. “Undue Process.” Idem., 21 Dec. 2007: 17-18; J. Smith.
“Cruz Beating.” Idem., 14 Dec. 2007: 26. 47 Plohetski, Tony. “Two Officers Disciplined in Sex Sting Shooting.”
AAS 17 Jan. 2008: B1. 48 Ornelas, Terry. “Books.” AC 7 Dec. 2007: 50; Sowell, Thomas.
Inside American Education: The Decline, the Deception, the Dogmas.
New York City: The Free Press, 1993. 49 AD No. 86n56 (Nov. 13, 2005). 50 Ron Paul Political Report 15 Mar. 1990: 1. 51 Getty, Kate. “Naked City.” AC 25 Jan. 2008: 17; Srikrishnan,
Maya. “UT Policy Unchanged by Hunger Strike.” DT 7 Feb. 2008: 1-2A. 52 Gregor, Katherine. “Charter Changes? Hold That Thought.” AC
22 Feb. 2008: 26. 53 AD No. 104n6 (Dec. 22, 2007); Dunbar. “Naked City.”
AC 15 Feb. 2008: 21. 54 Black, Louis. “On Topic.” AC 22 Feb. 2008: 4+; Corcoran, Michael.
“Party On (With a Few Provisions), Festival’s Co-Owner Says.” AAS 5 Feb. 2008:
J3. 55 Justice. “Artists Get ‘Musician Blues’ in Live Music Capital’s
Local Scene Slump.” DT 30 Jan. 2008: 5A. 56 Adams, Samantha. “School of Thought.” Brilliant Jan.
2008: 32+; McNeely, Dave, and Jim Henderson. “Pit Bullock.” AAS 13 Jan. 2008:
G1+; Moore, James, and Wayne Slater. Bush’s Brain: How Karl Rove Made George
W. Bush President, rev. ed. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, 2003:
181-185, 195-209. 57 Black. “The Moment Belongs to the Music.” AC 18 Jan. 2008:
6; Haupt, Melanie. “John Sayles in Black and White.” Idem., 1 Feb. 2008: 54-55;
Moser, Margaret. “ ‘Honeydripper’ Blues.” Idem., 18 Jan. 2008: 60. 58 Powell. “Greetings From Taylor, Texas.” Idem., 11 Jan. 2008:
53. 59 Rostami, Marjon. “Homicdes Jump in ’07; Police Say Rate Near
Norm.” AAS 9 Feb. 2008: E1. 60 “Pedestrian Killed in Hit-and-Run.” Idem., 13 Feb. 2008: B2. 61 Young. “The Domain Phase II: More Than Shopping.” CIN Jan.
2008: 1+; “The Verano at the Domain.” Apartment Finder Dec. 2007: 130-131. 62 Young. “Access The Domain.” CIN Jan. 2008: 1. 63 Covington, Christi, and Shannon Colletti. “Lack of Funding
Delays Reail Plans.” Idem., 1+. 64 AD No. 86n17 (Nov. 13, 2005); Reeves, Kimberly. “Commuter
Rail on Track for Test Runs.” AC 23 Nov. 2007: 18. 65 Thompson, Karen R. “Origin of Parmer Name a Result of Misseplling.”
CIN Jan. 2008: 23. 66 “Community Impact.” Idem., Feb. 2008: 5. 67 Sherrill, Stephen.”A Single-Elimination Playoff Battle Royale!”
Esquire Feb. 2008: 118. 68 Brass. “KVET’s Panic Attack, and More.” AC 22 Feb. 2008: 28. 69 Eisler. "Oregon Art Institute Purchases Masonic Temple for
$4.5 Million." (Portland, Ore.) Daily Journal of Commerce. 26 June
1990: 1; Drugstore Cowboy. Avenue Pictures Productions, 1989; My
Own Private Idaho. New Line Cinema, 1991; Strong, Emily. “Hometown Heroes:
Portland, Oregon.” Soundcheck Dec. 2007/Jan. 2008: 26-27. 70 Ward. “AISD’s Fingerprints.” AC 1Feb. 2008: 18. 71 Vera, Sabrina. “Plans for National Identification Card Finalized.”
DT 16 Jan. 2008: 1-2A.