Saturday, June 30, 2007
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Above The Ford
The cliffs on life's swift current are cleft by shallow valleys.
Masses have queued to cross there ---crowds of billy-goat milkers.
We'll go upstream, God willing,
to walk the hawk-high ridges
and pitch ourselves --- impetuous ---plumb in the roaring torrent!
-Jónas Hallgrímsson, 1844
Wouldn't you know it?
I tried to get some Kolaches yesterday but the damn Kolache Factory closes at 2pm. Can you believe that? I guess its just a breakfast and lunch place.
Today I'm going to try and head over to UH to talk to the financial Aid People. Wish me luck!
Today I'm going to try and head over to UH to talk to the financial Aid People. Wish me luck!
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Kolaches & Ikea
The Ikea delivery people came by today with my new bedroom set. I'm always impressed with the quality, workmanship and value of Ikea products, although we sorta screwed the pooch today.
Problem one: wrong tools. My dad gave away all of this tools before we moved to Texas, so despite being especially "user friendly", I still can't put together my dresser or nightstand -- as they both require a flathed screw driver.
Also, we forgot to buy a critical piece for the bed: the midbeam. Ikea has a funny system where you need to buy each piece of your large item separately. Well, we forgot it, which means no bed for me until later this week at the earliest. On the plus side, though, they did deliver the mattress, and I must say very comfortable, even if I'm just sleeping on the floor with it. Funny how us Swedes can make a bad situation tolerable.
In other news, I want to try some local Kolaches. Alot of Czechs moved to Texas in the past two centuries, and they brought their signature pastries with them. I've never had one (although I suspect that they'll be surprisingly similar to the "Danishes" that I grew up with), but they're supposedly a little different and very good. I'll try them out and report back.
Problem one: wrong tools. My dad gave away all of this tools before we moved to Texas, so despite being especially "user friendly", I still can't put together my dresser or nightstand -- as they both require a flathed screw driver.
Also, we forgot to buy a critical piece for the bed: the midbeam. Ikea has a funny system where you need to buy each piece of your large item separately. Well, we forgot it, which means no bed for me until later this week at the earliest. On the plus side, though, they did deliver the mattress, and I must say very comfortable, even if I'm just sleeping on the floor with it. Funny how us Swedes can make a bad situation tolerable.
In other news, I want to try some local Kolaches. Alot of Czechs moved to Texas in the past two centuries, and they brought their signature pastries with them. I've never had one (although I suspect that they'll be surprisingly similar to the "Danishes" that I grew up with), but they're supposedly a little different and very good. I'll try them out and report back.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Red State Blues
Its 3:30 in the morning and I can't sleep. Time for blogging!
You can tell that Texas is a Red state: the 10 coming through El Paso sports a large sign underneath the regular "Welcome To Texas" placard: "Proud Home of President George W. Bush".
I recently applied for my new driver's license at the local DPS office, conveniently located downtown on George Bush Avenue. Not far from the DPS office is the George Bush Park and Millie Bush Dog Run.
I find it interesting that supposedly anti-socialist conservatives would name taxpayer-funded open spaces after supposedly conservative leaders. Aren't they supposed to be against that kind of thing? It would be a bit like the Democrats opening up the "Gov. Wallace Center for Civil Rights" or something.
Come to think of it, however, Bush the Elder was never much of a conservative anyway. Neither is his lil boy, either.
In all honesty, I've never understood the impulse to name real estate after Our Exalted Leaders. It seems like such an aristocratic, unAmerican thing to do. Jefferson felt the same way about having the President's portraits on our currency, as I recall.
I know this sounds terribly leftist and bleeding-heart-liberalist: but what if we named all of our parks after the Native American tribes we exterminated for The Greater Glory of America and Sunday BBQs Everywhere? Maybe that would give people a little perspective?
Ah yes, but in our language, "getting perspective" is synonymous with "getting depressed", and we can't have that. History can be depressing, especially if it hasn't been whitewashed.
Anyway, the district I live in is currently represented by the Honorable Ron Paul. Something of a maverick, he is. Staunchly Republican except when it comes to the war.
The funny thing is, he has a nearly 100% rating from almost all the conservative PAC organizations, but as soon as he started raising questions about the war, he suddenly became a "leftist", "commie", "terrorist lover" and a "traitor" on many right-wing blogs and websites. Watching this happen was a watershed moment for me. I realized that modern-day American "conservatism" isn't really a philosophy of conserving anything in particular, but really just a blind, frothing-at-the-mouth Nationalism disguised as a serious ideology.
Paul, unlike the rest of the Dear Leader Republicans, actually does walk the walk as well as talk the talk. He paid for all of his children to attend college without any government loans or grants. He also refuses the standard Congressional pension. Say what you will, at least he's consistent.
My local area is so heavily Republican, however, that the Democratic party didn't even bother to run an opponent against our State Senator, Glenn Hegar, in the last election. The Libertarian party ran a canidate, however, and got 21% of the vote. Surely the Dems could at least make a showing here? Hello Houston Dems! Are you reading this?!?
Maybe I could put myself on the next ballot for the Dems. I've got no history, no baggage and no chance of winning.
It might be quite an experience.
You can tell that Texas is a Red state: the 10 coming through El Paso sports a large sign underneath the regular "Welcome To Texas" placard: "Proud Home of President George W. Bush".
I recently applied for my new driver's license at the local DPS office, conveniently located downtown on George Bush Avenue. Not far from the DPS office is the George Bush Park and Millie Bush Dog Run.
I find it interesting that supposedly anti-socialist conservatives would name taxpayer-funded open spaces after supposedly conservative leaders. Aren't they supposed to be against that kind of thing? It would be a bit like the Democrats opening up the "Gov. Wallace Center for Civil Rights" or something.
Come to think of it, however, Bush the Elder was never much of a conservative anyway. Neither is his lil boy, either.
In all honesty, I've never understood the impulse to name real estate after Our Exalted Leaders. It seems like such an aristocratic, unAmerican thing to do. Jefferson felt the same way about having the President's portraits on our currency, as I recall.
I know this sounds terribly leftist and bleeding-heart-liberalist: but what if we named all of our parks after the Native American tribes we exterminated for The Greater Glory of America and Sunday BBQs Everywhere? Maybe that would give people a little perspective?
Ah yes, but in our language, "getting perspective" is synonymous with "getting depressed", and we can't have that. History can be depressing, especially if it hasn't been whitewashed.
Anyway, the district I live in is currently represented by the Honorable Ron Paul. Something of a maverick, he is. Staunchly Republican except when it comes to the war.
The funny thing is, he has a nearly 100% rating from almost all the conservative PAC organizations, but as soon as he started raising questions about the war, he suddenly became a "leftist", "commie", "terrorist lover" and a "traitor" on many right-wing blogs and websites. Watching this happen was a watershed moment for me. I realized that modern-day American "conservatism" isn't really a philosophy of conserving anything in particular, but really just a blind, frothing-at-the-mouth Nationalism disguised as a serious ideology.
Paul, unlike the rest of the Dear Leader Republicans, actually does walk the walk as well as talk the talk. He paid for all of his children to attend college without any government loans or grants. He also refuses the standard Congressional pension. Say what you will, at least he's consistent.
My local area is so heavily Republican, however, that the Democratic party didn't even bother to run an opponent against our State Senator, Glenn Hegar, in the last election. The Libertarian party ran a canidate, however, and got 21% of the vote. Surely the Dems could at least make a showing here? Hello Houston Dems! Are you reading this?!?
Maybe I could put myself on the next ballot for the Dems. I've got no history, no baggage and no chance of winning.
It might be quite an experience.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Where am I, exactly?
Houston is one of those "in-between" places, I think.
We're not quite "Midwest". Not quite "deep South". Not quite "Texas" either.
When I was a kid, I thought of Texas as being a bit like Arizona: dry, open desert with lots of cacti everywhere. A good deal of Texas west of San Antonio is just like that, as a matter of fact.
But Houston is more Bayou than Brush. A bit more Mardi Gras than Midland.
Yet, Houston still retains some Texan 'twang and Western Tex/Mex atmosphere. So what are we?
Are we the westernmost outpost of the Deep South? Or the easternmost outpost of the Wild West?
Judging by the weather, I'm going to have to throw my hat in with the deep south. Today it was about 85 with, I dunno, 90% humidity and raining cats and dogs. I've never experienced weather like this in my whole life. The worst part is getting in my car after it's been sitting out side for a few hours: somehow condensation manages to form on all the interior surfaces, giving my entire car a strange feeling of "dampness" that never quite goes away.
Things aren't so bad inside, as we have central air conditioning and mandatory ceiling fans in every room in the house sans bathrooms. I shudder to think what the UH Dorms are going to be like when I start up in the fall. Hopefully they'll have a special California-wing where expats like myself can enjoy a nice, cool and above all, dry breeze once in a while.
We're not quite "Midwest". Not quite "deep South". Not quite "Texas" either.
When I was a kid, I thought of Texas as being a bit like Arizona: dry, open desert with lots of cacti everywhere. A good deal of Texas west of San Antonio is just like that, as a matter of fact.
But Houston is more Bayou than Brush. A bit more Mardi Gras than Midland.
Yet, Houston still retains some Texan 'twang and Western Tex/Mex atmosphere. So what are we?
Are we the westernmost outpost of the Deep South? Or the easternmost outpost of the Wild West?
Judging by the weather, I'm going to have to throw my hat in with the deep south. Today it was about 85 with, I dunno, 90% humidity and raining cats and dogs. I've never experienced weather like this in my whole life. The worst part is getting in my car after it's been sitting out side for a few hours: somehow condensation manages to form on all the interior surfaces, giving my entire car a strange feeling of "dampness" that never quite goes away.
Things aren't so bad inside, as we have central air conditioning and mandatory ceiling fans in every room in the house sans bathrooms. I shudder to think what the UH Dorms are going to be like when I start up in the fall. Hopefully they'll have a special California-wing where expats like myself can enjoy a nice, cool and above all, dry breeze once in a while.
About Myself
Those of you who know me "in person" already know more about me that you probably ever could want to know.
For those of you just joining my new blog journey: I'm 24, a native Californian and now a student at the University of Houston.
I've had various blogs before (haven't we all?) but given up on them after I've run out of things to write about. Those of you who are writers know the routine very well: bursts of creativity followed by (.....whats an antonym for "burst"? Implode?) implosions of literary lethargy. Eventually the blog dies and you move on.
Well, I've moved on; and here I am!
I have to admit that moving from California (where I spent my entire youth) to Texas has been quite a culture shock, in both good and bad ways. I've found that there's good and bad in all states -- except, of course, for Wisconsin which is purely evil.
My new journey has given me some inspiration to write. Naturally, I can't promise that this blog will be around forever, or even a long time, but the very nature of blogs is ephemeral. Thats just the way it goes, I guess.
Anyway, welcome to Houston. Pass the sweet tea.
For those of you just joining my new blog journey: I'm 24, a native Californian and now a student at the University of Houston.
I've had various blogs before (haven't we all?) but given up on them after I've run out of things to write about. Those of you who are writers know the routine very well: bursts of creativity followed by (.....whats an antonym for "burst"? Implode?) implosions of literary lethargy. Eventually the blog dies and you move on.
Well, I've moved on; and here I am!
I have to admit that moving from California (where I spent my entire youth) to Texas has been quite a culture shock, in both good and bad ways. I've found that there's good and bad in all states -- except, of course, for Wisconsin which is purely evil.
My new journey has given me some inspiration to write. Naturally, I can't promise that this blog will be around forever, or even a long time, but the very nature of blogs is ephemeral. Thats just the way it goes, I guess.
Anyway, welcome to Houston. Pass the sweet tea.
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