Goodbye Neo Gilded Age

No Bailout means: -small businesses would not be able to get the credit they need to operate, grow and hire workers. Consumers would have trouble getting mortgages to buy homes, further driving down prices. And tighter credit would mean lower sales of cars and other big ticket items, leading to more plant closings and layoffs.

So what's so bad? Small businesses? We still have those? I thought monster Wal-Marts gobbled them up along with their potential for growth and more workers. I guess you would have trouble getting a mortgage if you don't have awesome FICO scores and money in the bank? Ummmm, that's how it always was before house flipping became the new hobby du jour and everyone seemed to get greedy. It's ridiculous what they are asking for a 60-80 year old wood frame, two room w/a bath these days. The value of homes goes down and so do taxes on them? You wouldn't be able to buy a car unless you could afford it-really afford it, perhaps put a few thousand down first and have awesome FICO scores? That's how it was for me back in 2005. Plant closings? Here in the US? Are we still manufacturing things in the US? Are they trying to scare me?

There needs to be a rescue plan but the focus is on the wrong victims entirely. It's like watching a little bug in a jar go round and round but never changing it's point of view and looking up and flying out. Though this current mess on Wall Street reaks of Republican stench we all know somehow the Democrats will be blamed. This is the real tragedy.

Note: WWFDRD?

Scriblerian and the Kit-Cats

Great name for a band made up of rockin librarians.

Best gift ever

Maureen Is A Champ (1968)Commissioned by Peter Brown, in honor of Ringo Starr's wife, Maureen Starkey's 22nd birthday. A famous Hollywood composer agreed to rewrite the words to the song, then talked Frank Sinatra into singing it. Sinatra, a Beatles fan,recorded this version of The Lady Is A Tramp with a band, shipped the tapes to London, where it was pressed onto a record. Only one copy of the record was made and given to Maureen (Cox) Starr, and the stamping moulds were all destroyed. The new lyrics were written by SAMMY CAHN, and that's BILL MILLER on piano.

Maureen is a Champ

Du Jour

The crochet corner

It's cheery, lots of light and it does inspire me but I need more room if I want to sew, make the tiki lamps, paint and do all the other things I want to do. In two to three weeks, I will. This morning I went out to take pictures of the current structure for a before and after comparison. Steve the contractor says the structure just needs squaring up. It leans to the right a tad. Yikes! He said he'll square it up a bit and it will be just fine. In the meantime we've been watching a ton of Kitchen Sink movies, The Young Ones on DVD, anything with Albert Finney, enjoying the hammock, brie, raspberries, spearmint tea and lemon curd.

Ted's Greek Corner

I really miss Ted's Greek Corner. It was located at 417 Congress where the Frost Building is now in downtown Austin. Sat next to Oscar Snowdens.

Ted's was owned by Eleftherios Sofikitis who came from Greece. It opened in 1970. I started going there in 1994 then stopped then started again in 1996. I loved eating and watching the people pass by. It felt really 70's in there. Some music, some Mavrodaphne, lentil soup, you could actually imagine any decade when eating there. You ordered at the counter, nothing was ever written down, no check given and when you were done eating you just told him what you had.

I haven't tried Tino's Greek Cafe but I haven't heard anything really good about it either. We love Olympia Grill in Galveston, not easy to get to when you are craving Galactoboureko in Austin midweek. Ted's was the whole package:location, food,ambiance and Ted. As the years get on I miss the place more and more because nothing else has managed to appear in this town that can just transport the way Ted's Greek Corner did (now even the Frisco will loose that magic even though it is sticking around). Ted passed away Feb 25, 2004. It was sad hearing this and more to miss about Ted's Greek Corner.

Clip cures colds

I'm coming down with a real cold. I haven't had a cold in years and years. At first I was okay with it but now I'm uncomfortable and wish I didn't have it. Anyway, the energy in this clip makes me so happy. If I watch it often enough maybe I'll discover it is the cure to the common cold. Bet it is!

Du Jour

September has not been good to the people around me. I'm up after my work-week bedtime hoping that everyone lands on their feet, get's better soon or is just able to worry a little bit less.

I mostly hit the shopping sites since I really haven't time to do that in awhile. I was surprised and delighted that Urban Outfitters had these items up for purchase:


Everything you need for a retro corner in your house. They also sell an Olivetti typewriter, for those who want more analog in their lives.
Vermont Country Store also sells these. Bring back the click-click-zip, first ask your roommate...

It's time I get to bed, it's already tomorrow. I remember old fashion window shopping downtown with my mom. The stores closed at 6 or 7pm and it would be 9ish but would feel so much later than that. Maybe a couple or a family across the street peering into the appliance store... Now I just "window" shop online. I miss the cool night breeze and being ten again but otherwise...the mind wanders to nice places just the same.

Chilly

This morning I got to wear a hoodie to work. It was chilly for these parts-mid 60's. The cold front they predicted came in. I was starting to lose faith in the weathermen. They had all said we'd get rain this past weekend and we didn't. Glad I watered or I'd be surrounded by dead things. Cooler weather means Scott Walker! The Walker Brothers....

This morning:

Wondering if our friends if Houston are okay?
Found out The Balinese Room is gone forever.
No word on The Sandpiper,Gaido's/Casey's and wondering if there is an East Beach left?

After the flood and before the mysteries

Awesome bootleg recording of Kerouac reading excerpts of Dr Sax. A Sinatra record can be heard playing in the background.

Thank you, Mr Jerzy Cohen !

Frank was a really great guy

I met Frank on the #5 back in 2002, he would brighten up my morning rides to work. Sometimes I'd catch him en route home and we'd chat. I just about remember every conversation we ever had because of the energy he'd always bring to them. When I'd stop taking the bus I would run into Frank at the MiniMax and we'd catch up. I'd always run into Frank, he lived in the hood. He was so nice and easy to talk too, interesting, positive and just a great guy.

I ran into Frank one afternoon at the MiniMax. He had told me that he had a spell of bad luck and had fallen off the bus and as a result it had been discovered that he had kidney cancer. I was shocked because before me stood the same , enthusiastic, happy Frank I have always known. He told me of how the operation went well and he felt good and healthy and was very happy to finally fit into his clothes from twenty years ago. I gave Frank a hug and said I was glad to hear he was fine and hoped to see him on the bus again.

I did see Frank on the #5 again but the last time I rode with him was mid or late Spring. William and I stepped into the bus together with three other riders. The bus was already packed so we took the seats up front. I heard someone call out my name, turned around and it was Frank. I was happy to see him and I waved and he told me he was going to have surgery again, that it was back. I sort of half whispered and half mouthed,"I am so sorry". Frank then said,"Yeah, it's a drag" and then someone else started to speak to him. I kept turning around but he was in conversation then students started to get on board and really made it so crowded that I couldn't see him anymore. Our stop came and we got off and I waved goodbye as I stood up. I wanted to tell him I'd be thinking of him but that is hard to do in a crowded bus during early morning rush hour.

I thought of Frank frequently and near the end of July I Googled his name and found an email address. I dropped him a line letting him know I was thinking of him and wondered how he was doing. Told him I always counted on running into him and never thought to get his email addresses and I hoped my email had reached him. I never received a response which made me worry. I thought of him just last week while at HEB. I thought I saw him but realized it was someone else who looked like him from the side only. It wasn't until today that I read Frank passed away August 31st. Frank was big, a tall man, big personality, big smile, big voiced and to read that he was no longer on earth and to realize I'll never run into him again is terrible, awful,sad.

When I think back to the last time I saw him, though he said his cancer was back, the way he said it and the look on his face was in contradiction to the known severity of recurrent cancer. I really believed he would beat it again. I thought I would see Frank again, I didn't think for a moment that cancer would take him. Sitting there he looked strong,determined and healthy. I read that August 2nd was Frank Delvy Day. I wish I had known this so I could have attended. Frank "Delvechio" Delvy, I'll miss you.

I found this video when I was searching for Frank's email address months ago:

Saturday sharing

So this morning I shared Renee and Quincy's Saturday. It began at Red Bud at 9am. I can't believe I have never been to Red Bud Isle. I've lived in town for nearly 20 years and visited all the parks and swimming holes but Red Bud was just discovered,I never had a water loving dog or owned a kayak so that may have been why I never heard of it. It is absolutely ghostly and so beautiful, doesn't feel at all like Austin except it's overrun with happy, wet dogs and their tolerant owners all frolicking together. I dig that old Austin attitude. The place is sublime and you can just feel all the ghosts from summers past congregating there. However, after some Googling I came to find that Red Bud is pretty new.

We then went to the farmer's market where I sampled the best, best spiced peach preserves ever, had the best cranberry/lemonade drink and bought tamales,tomatoes, cucumbers and squash to make calebazita like my grandmother does. Going to try at least.
We listened to the lounge show, saw the Amtrak passenger train(yeah this excites me cause it bring back wonderful memories riding Amtrak) and then ended in my backyard with the girls. We did all this before noon which really made me happy. I spent the rest of the day devouring all the goodies I bought at the market.

I wish we had more of these around town all the time. I miss that about Mexico, all their open air markets and fruit and vegetable stands. My Abuelita and I would walk for an hour to get to her favorite one. We'd start at 7am and the streets were empty. Coming back everything was wide awake and noisy. Once we got back to her house, I'd make the fresh orange juice and she'd start slicing up fruits and boiling water for the beans for lunch My Abuelito would be dressed and at the table ready for his breakfast. Once he'd start on his walk to work, we'd start on lunch.

Panic, clam in!

It seems more evident than ever that most Americans feel more comfortable wallowing in mediocrity than entertaining the thought of even reaching for something better. There is most obviously a fear of something better. The past eight years offered nothing the least bit edifying.

Patriotic:means that you don't entertain seceding from your country,ever
Celebrity:like actors and an actor has been president before
Pro-Life: choose life not war,war=death,destruction...no winners
Pro-choice: you decide not your government