Sunday, April 21, 2013
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Earth Day and Record Store Day
Because we all need a little stress relief, right?
(In addition, there is a fundraiser today for SDEC-6 committeeman Phillip McNutt. My friend Phil, a longtime Democratic activist, was battling spinal meningitis last month when he suffered a stroke. As a small businessman without health insurance, you can imagine the crushing financial burden that joins these health concerns. Phil's pal, Susie Loucks, has put together a silent auction benefiting Phil's family this afternoon; click the link for details.)
Record Store Day
This annual celebration of independent music stores will again stuff retailers with brightly colored, limited-edition vinyl in various sizes. Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Fela Kuti, Willie Nelson, Moby, Captain Beefheart, the Grateful Dead, the Dave Matthews Band, Big Star, Cream, Bob Dylan, Roky Erickson and Houston's own Jandek are among the dozens of artists represented by RSD exclusives.
Here, courtesy the Houston Chronicle, are some of the special hours, festivities and such that some local retailers will be presenting today.
And a couple more from the Houston Press. By the way, and if you haven't already read about it in Rolling Stone, the 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Rush, Heart, Public Enemy, Randy Newman, Donna Summer, Albert King, Lou Adler, and Quincy Jones had their jam this past week and that will be shown on HBOtonight next month. It's a don't-miss.
Earth Day
Here's a list of Earth Day events all across Texas from the Texas Drought Project.
Brownsville--Saturday, April 27th, 10AM to 2PM, Linear Park. Food vendors, live music,
recycling, gardening, exhibitors, kids' activities. Free.
Then, on Monday, April 22nd, 2:30 to 5:PM--Earth Day events at Del Mar College, featuring comments by the iconic environmentalist Pat Suter, and a tree planting. East Campus Peace Pole between Heritage Hall and the Harvin Center, near Baldwin Blvd. All are welcome.
Update: OK man, like, Happy 420 Day, too. I don't partake any longer but I can sure laugh about it. Together with Earth Day and Record Store Day, everything should be peaceful.
(In addition, there is a fundraiser today for SDEC-6 committeeman Phillip McNutt. My friend Phil, a longtime Democratic activist, was battling spinal meningitis last month when he suffered a stroke. As a small businessman without health insurance, you can imagine the crushing financial burden that joins these health concerns. Phil's pal, Susie Loucks, has put together a silent auction benefiting Phil's family this afternoon; click the link for details.)
Record Store Day
This annual celebration of independent music stores will again stuff retailers with brightly colored, limited-edition vinyl in various sizes. Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Fela Kuti, Willie Nelson, Moby, Captain Beefheart, the Grateful Dead, the Dave Matthews Band, Big Star, Cream, Bob Dylan, Roky Erickson and Houston's own Jandek are among the dozens of artists represented by RSD exclusives.
Here, courtesy the Houston Chronicle, are some of the special hours, festivities and such that some local retailers will be presenting today.
Black Dog Records: Starting at 10 a.m., the venerable vinyl shop will celebrate its first RSD at its new location with select titles and refreshments that will begin to flow at 3 p.m. 4900 Bissonnet, No. 102; 713-522-6001
Cactus Music: The store will open at 10 a.m. with select RSD titles. At 2 p.m., author David Ensminger will read from "Mojo Hand," the book he co-wrote about Lightnin' Hopkins; John Egan and the Mighty Orq also will perform. At 5 p.m. the Virginmarys will perform. There will be giveaways and drawings, including a Bowie print proof and a poster signed by most of the acts that have taken part in Cactus in-store performances in the past year. More than 2,000 hip-hop 12-inch recordings will be on sale at two for $1. Refreshments from Saint Arnold Brewery also will be served. At 7 p.m. Friday, Cactus will host a screening of "Last Shop Standing," a short film about independent record stores. 2110 Portsmouth; 713-526-9272.
Heights Vinyl: Doors will open at 11 a.m., giving customers extra time to visit other stores beforehand. In addition to RSD releases, the Tontons will perform at 1 p.m. and Come See My Dead Person will perform at 3 p.m. There will be giveaways, refreshments from Karbach Brewing Co. and a limited-edition "Weird Beard" screen print. 3122 White Oak; 281-974-1234.
Sig's Lagoon: In addition to RSD releases, the store - which received a formidable vinyl infusion from San Marcos' Sundance Records last year - will have food from around the 3600 and 3700 blocks of Main, and select local businesses will offer discounts with a Sig's receipt. 3622-E Main; 713-533-9525.
Vinal Edge: Having relocated to the Heights, the store will open at 9 a.m. (one hour early) and offer select RSD titles. Owner Chuck Roast also will be selling rare punk 45s from his personal collection from his "Funhouse Radio" show days. Singer Really Red also will be selling LPs from his collection. As for drink, Boomtown Coffee will provide some samples. 239 W. 19th; 281-537-2575.
And a couple more from the Houston Press. By the way, and if you haven't already read about it in Rolling Stone, the 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Rush, Heart, Public Enemy, Randy Newman, Donna Summer, Albert King, Lou Adler, and Quincy Jones had their jam this past week and that will be shown on HBO
Earth Day
Here's a list of Earth Day events all across Texas from the Texas Drought Project.
Abilene-Saturday,
April 20th-9AM to 12:30PM, McGlothlin Campus Center-exhibitors. 1PM,
Crutcher Scott Field, a tree planting demonstration and workshop will
begin and will continue until 5 p.m. The workshop will be led by Byron
Patterson, ACU's director of physical resources, and representatives
from the Texas Forest Service will participate as well. The trees and
the organic material to be used in the planting have been grown at ACU's
tree farm.
Austin-Saturday, April 20 2013,noon-7pm, Old Mueller Airport ,
Browning Hangar. Speakers, kid zone, environmental organizations
exhibits, gardening, sustainability and rainwater harvesting.
Special
note: Presentation of the "How to become carbon positive" manual,
compiled by the Energy Action Team of the Interfaith Environmental
Network, Stage 2, at noon. Also--Join our 5:00pm Rhythmic Rally Finale,"The Story of Energy in Texas"with "Austin Beyond Coal", with Jim Hightower.
Beaumont/Port Arthur/Orange--April 19th, 20th, and 21st--Trail Between the Lakes Hike. Contact Phil Rogers, philarogers@gmail.com or 409-543-4616, or Bruce Walker, bwalker@gt.rr.com, 409-782-3486.
Boerne--Friday, Apr 26 6:30 PM, Movie in the Park, Dr. Seuss "The Lorax" and Earth Day Family Drum Circle. Main Plaza. Free.
Brownsville--Saturday, April 27th, 10AM to 2PM, Linear Park. Food vendors, live music,
recycling, gardening, exhibitors, kids' activities. Free.
Bryan-College Station--Saturday, April 20th, 11AM to 6PM. Wolf Pen Creek Amphitheater.
Eighteenth Annual Brazos
Valley Earth Day. Educational booths--rainwater harvesting, composting,
"green" lawn care techniques, alternative transportation. Kids' zone,
including obstacle course, inflatable bounce and environmental story
times. Live entertainment performs throughout the day.
www.brazosvalleyearthday.com
www.brazosvalleyearthday.com
Canyon Lake--Saturday,
April 20th, 10AM to 4PM. Tye Preston Library, 40 exhibits and displays,
rainwater catchment, children's activities, native plants, birding.
Free.
Corpus Christi--Saturday,
April 20th, Adopt-a-Beach on Earth Day! Two locations, Cole Park and
North Beach, both 9 to noon. Check with Carolyn Moon for additional info
cmoon4920@att.net.
Then, on Monday, April 22nd, 2:30 to 5:PM--Earth Day events at Del Mar College, featuring comments by the iconic environmentalist Pat Suter, and a tree planting. East Campus Peace Pole between Heritage Hall and the Harvin Center, near Baldwin Blvd. All are welcome.
Dallas--Saturday, April 20, 21st. One
of the country's largest Earth Day events. Fair Park in the heart of
Dallas, with 500,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space. Six
hundred exhibitors. The Eco Expo will teach attendees how to take
environmentally responsible action by better utilizing resources,
switching to eco-friendly products or joining their organizations.
http://www.earthdaydallas.org/
http://www.earthdaydallas.org/
Edinburg--April
27th, 9AM to 1PM. Earth/Arbor Day Festival at the Edinburg World
Birding Center. Includes a one-mile family walk and a "Bicycle Rodeo."
See more at:
El Paso--April 20, 9AM to 1PM. El Paso's Earth Day, Union Plaza
District. Organized by the City of El Paso's Environmental Services
Department.
Galveston--Saturday, April 20th, 10AM to 4PM. Moody Gardens. Visit their exhibitions and other
awesome Earth Day activities, like their herb garden with the Galveston
County Master Gardeners and make-and-take butterfly-garden-in-a-pot.
Houston--April 20,21 from 9-3, Houston Zoo at 6200 Hermann Park
Drive. All the Earth Day activities are paid for by your admissions
ticket. Scavenger hunt, Mother Earth maze, reusable mural for your
little Mondrians, and an Earth Day DJ for those who like to move their
bodies. Other cool and educational activities include a Ladybug Release
and Bear Awareness Day (on Sunday only).
Children's Museum of Houston: April 20th, 10 AM to 6PM Earth Day Extravaganza
is a celebration of Mother Nature, 1500 Binz. Activities that will get
the children involved in discovering what this day is all about. Water
Bottle Birdfeeders, reusing and recycling, and planting take-home
seedings. For kids of all ages.
Kerrville--Saturday,
April 20th, 8AM to 3PM. Sponsored by the Kerrville Chapter of the
Native Plant Society of Texas, along with the Riverside Nature Center.
150 Francisco Lemos Street. Displays and lectures, rainwater harvesting,
guided trail walk, butterfly presentation, kids' activities.
Laredo--Saturday,April 20, 7:30AM to 1PM -- Earth Day Cleanup at Lake Casa Blanca, a partnership with the The
Rio Grande International Study Center and the Texas Army National
Guard. Join us as we clean and beautify Lake Casa Blanca, including the
berm/dam that faces Loop 20. Students can earn community service hours
at the cleanup. Meet at the entrance to Lake Casa Blance. Entrance fee
will be waived, but you must sign in at the entrance. ATTIRE: Closed toe shoes; long-sleeve shirt; long-sleeve pants; hat; gloves. Please bring your reusable water bottle.
McAllen--April 20th, 9AM to 4PM, Vida Verde Earth Day Festival. Quinta Mazatlan.
Organized by the City of McAllen.
Rockport-Fulton, April 27th, 7AM to 9:30 (run) and festival, 10AM to 2PM.
5k
and 2-mile fun run to benefit Rockport Heritage District Association's
beautification efforts, 7AM to 9:30. Festival: 10AM to 2PM., 111 North
Austin Street, in the Heritage Downtown district. Products &
services for healthy living, artists, native plants, local food, kids'
activities, and so much more! Local gardeners & farmers
are encouraged to bring your excess produce for our Crop Swap.
https://www.facebook.com/ pages/Rockport-Earth-Day- Redfish-Run/225496214255527
https://www.facebook.com/
San Antonio--multiple locations, multiple times. See below for more information
and consult HEB website.
April 18: "Earth Day" NW Vista College (9 A.M. - 1 P.M.)
April 22: "Earth Day" San Antonio College (10 A.M. - 2 P.M.)
April 23: "EarthFest" UTSA 1604 (11 A.M. - 2 P.M.)
Earth Day San Antonio-April 20th, 10AM to 2PM. Woodlawn Lake, organized by Build San Antonio Green.
San Marcos--Earth Day, 7PM, Aquarena Center, San Marcos
Come
to celebrate all of the natural things that make our earth beautiful on
the headwaters of the San Marcos River--Spring Lake!
Sugar Land--April 20th, 2PM to 6PM. The
City of Sugar Land is celebrating Earth Day at Sugar Land Town Square
at 15958 City Walk, Suite 250. There will be interactive booths to
educate the public about recycling, waste reduction, tree care, nature
appreciation and more.
Texoma--April 20th, 7:30AM to 5PM, Municipal Ballroom and Grounds, Sherman, Texas. Texoma Earth Day.
http://www. earthdaytexoma.org
http://www.
Waco--April 20th, Cameron Park Zoo, 1701 North
4th. It's "Beasts and Blooms and Earth Day too!" Come and party for the
planet at the annual Earth Day celebration. Walk through the zoo and
talk with exhibitors from environmental groups in the area. Family fun
activities for all to enjoy.
Whitehouse (East Texas regional)--April
20, 11AM. Camp Tyler Outdoor School at 15143 Camp Tyler Road, on the
beautiful shores of Lake Tyler. Earth Day is a FREE event for the
community and features earth-friendly businesses, organizations,
activities--and lots of food and fun!
Update: OK man, like, Happy 420 Day, too. I don't partake any longer but I can sure laugh about it. Together with Earth Day and Record Store Day, everything should be peaceful.
Friday, April 19, 2013
Shit been gettin' real this week
So... these things happened just while we were sleeping.
Oh yeah, Texas also blew up the day before yesterday. (I'll come back to that.)
When an Elvis impersonator in Mississippi gets arrested for sending letters with ricin to his senator and President Obama, and that barely makes the news crawl... you know some serious shit has gone down during the week. Oh, and Pete Williams iswinning the Internet has been crowned the new King of All Media.
First things first.
-- So are Chechens Muslim? Why yes, very likely so. Are people of Chechnya "dark-skinned"? That probably depends on several biases, including those of a white, conservative news editor at the New York Post. Since the country is in the region of the Caucasus mountains, I think it's safe to say that Chechens are Caucasian.
This is going to seriously confuse a lot of people, Glenn Beck among them. And chaos, as we all know, leads to fear.
-- West, Texas. Kolaches and fertilizerbombs plants. When Rick Perry brags about the booming state economy, this isn't exactly what he means. It is, however, what he gets. More importantly, it's what we get.
Oops.
That's two. Can you think of a third one?
Strike three. Oh well, the governor can just ask Uncle Sam for a bailout.
"Thanks in advance, buddy, for a quick turnaround on that federal aid that I ain't made a formal request fer yet. And nemmind that crap I talked aboutcher birth certificate and suckseedin' and all."
West's Congresscritter, Rep. Bill Flores -- who voted against federal aid for the victims of Sandy -- pledged to line upat the trough with his hat in hand. He's never been to the fertilizer plant but he's driven past it "scores of times"; he's not going down there now because he'd just get in the way, he IS leading prayers and updating his Facebook and Twitter frequently with updates on how the residents can seek the help they need.
Now for a conservative Republican, that's true leadership. Meanwhile, local blogman Charles Kuffner got out ahead of the congressman. That doesn't surprise me one bit.
I don't think I have time to keep up with the rest of what's going on, but I am going to keep my eyes peeled for a Friday document dump trying to get lost in the noise. And if I were you, I wouldn't watch my teevee or even read my Twitter feed. Trust me: you'll get scared, and not just because some of what it's telling you is accurate.
With a bomb strapped to his chest, one of the Boston Marathon suspects was killed early Friday after he and his accomplice robbed a 7-Eleven, shot a police officer to death, carjacked an SUV and hurled explosives out the window in an extraordinary firefight with law enforcement, authorities told NBC News.
The second suspect — the one in the white hat in photos released by the FBI — was on the loose, and police ordered people in the Boston suburbs to stay inside and businesses not to open. Boston shut down its buses and subway system for the hunt.
The suspects are Chechen brothers with the last name Tsarnaev, law enforcement officials told NBC News. The suspect at large, Dzhokar Tsarnaev, is 19 and has a Massachusetts driver’s license, they said. Law enforcement officials told NBC News that both men are legal permanent residents of the United States, had been here about a year and had military experience.
Oh yeah, Texas also blew up the day before yesterday. (I'll come back to that.)
When an Elvis impersonator in Mississippi gets arrested for sending letters with ricin to his senator and President Obama, and that barely makes the news crawl... you know some serious shit has gone down during the week. Oh, and Pete Williams is
First things first.
-- So are Chechens Muslim? Why yes, very likely so. Are people of Chechnya "dark-skinned"? That probably depends on several biases, including those of a white, conservative news editor at the New York Post. Since the country is in the region of the Caucasus mountains, I think it's safe to say that Chechens are Caucasian.
This is going to seriously confuse a lot of people, Glenn Beck among them. And chaos, as we all know, leads to fear.
-- West, Texas. Kolaches and fertilizer
West Fertilizer Co.'s plans for a "worst case scenario" didn't predict the catastrophic explosion that destroyed the plant and neighboring homes Wednesday and killed at least five people.
Oops.
"The company said the plant had no alarms, automatic shutoff system or firewall."
That's two. Can you think of a third one?
(T)he Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) reports that it has pursued seven investigations of the fertilizer plant since 2002, both routine and in response to complaints. The last recorded investigation occurred in 2007, 10 months after the agency dealt with an odor complaint.
The Texas Tribune notes that this probably means the facility hadn't been inspected in the past five years. This would be consistent with a steep decline in the TCEQ's investigations in the past few years. The agency's last annual enforcement report showed that the number of complaints investigated has plummeted by 20 percent since 2007, though it is unclear it has been receiving fewer complaints. Its total number of investigations has fallen by more than 7 percent since 2007. Since 2008, the agency's operating budget has been slashed by nearly 40 percent. The TCEQ has not responded to a request for comment on its investigations and whether it was familiar with the West plant's 2011 risk report.
Turning to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for information on the plant's safety record turns up little. The plant's last OSHA inspection was in 1985—not surprising considering that it would take the short-staffed agency 98 years for the agency to inspect each of the state's workplaces. (It would take 130 years for OSHA to inspect every workplace in the United States.)
Strike three. Oh well, the governor can just ask Uncle Sam for a bailout.
At a press conference, the governor thanked President Barack Obama for calling for offer quick action after Wednesday night’s explosion.
“Last night was truly a nightmare scenario for that community,” Perry said. “President Obama called from Air Force One as he was en route to Boston… We greatly appreciate his call, and his gracious offer of support, of course, and the quick turnaround of the emergency declaration that will be forthcoming, and his offer of prayers.”
"Thanks in advance, buddy, for a quick turnaround on that federal aid that I ain't made a formal request fer yet. And nemmind that crap I talked aboutcher birth certificate and suckseedin' and all."
West's Congresscritter, Rep. Bill Flores -- who voted against federal aid for the victims of Sandy -- pledged to line up
Now for a conservative Republican, that's true leadership. Meanwhile, local blogman Charles Kuffner got out ahead of the congressman. That doesn't surprise me one bit.
I don't think I have time to keep up with the rest of what's going on, but I am going to keep my eyes peeled for a Friday document dump trying to get lost in the noise. And if I were you, I wouldn't watch my teevee or even read my Twitter feed. Trust me: you'll get scared, and not just because some of what it's telling you is accurate.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Question Everything
Because the accuracy of what you're seeing, hearing, and reading is just ghastly.
The graphic photo -- before and after Photoshopping -- is at that last link.
We should remind ourselves that this sort of thing happens constantly, and not just on our Facebook pages. If you're like me, you barely have ingrained a Snopes habit of verifying everything you read. Now you have to add "photographs often lie" to the list, right behind politicians and car salesmen.
-- Andy Kroll at Mother Jones with the emphasis expressed in the title above. Richard Jewell, the Atlanta Olympics "bomber", was innocent. (Eric Rudolph was guilty.) There was no fire on the National Mall on the morning of 9/11/01 as CNN claimed. It wasn't Muslim jihadists that slew dozens of Norwegians two years ago; a James Holmes shot and killed people in an Aurora movie theater but not that Jim Holmes; and poor Ryan Lanza initially got the blame for what his brother, Adam, did at Sandy Hook Elementary.
These are just a few hideous examples of the damage that the race to break first has done. As I wrote earlier in the week, our increasing reliance on social media is making it worse.
I'm with Eileen.
Update: One serious, one not so much. You decide which is which.
The New York Post was derided Tuesday for apparent inaccuracies in its reporting on the bombing at the Boston Marathon. And now, its rival tabloid, the Daily News, is facing criticism over an apparent photo touch-up.On yesterday's cover wrap, the News ran a photo taken by John Tlumacki of The Boston Globe showing an injured woman lying in a pool of blood while being tended to by a civilian.
It was one of many widely circulated images capturing the moments after explosives were detonated near the finish line of the marathon on Monday afternoon, killing as least three and wounding more than 170 in a likely terrorist attack about which police are still scrambling to scare up leads.
But the version published by the News seemed to erase a gory wound to the woman's leg that was visible in other publications that used the photo. On Tuesday evening, a link to a blog post exposing the manipulation began circulating among News journalists, some of whom were none-too-pleased about the situation, multiple newsroom sources told Capital.
The graphic photo -- before and after Photoshopping -- is at that last link.
We should remind ourselves that this sort of thing happens constantly, and not just on our Facebook pages. If you're like me, you barely have ingrained a Snopes habit of verifying everything you read. Now you have to add "photographs often lie" to the list, right behind politicians and car salesmen.
-- Andy Kroll at Mother Jones with the emphasis expressed in the title above. Richard Jewell, the Atlanta Olympics "bomber", was innocent. (Eric Rudolph was guilty.) There was no fire on the National Mall on the morning of 9/11/01 as CNN claimed. It wasn't Muslim jihadists that slew dozens of Norwegians two years ago; a James Holmes shot and killed people in an Aurora movie theater but not that Jim Holmes; and poor Ryan Lanza initially got the blame for what his brother, Adam, did at Sandy Hook Elementary.
These are just a few hideous examples of the damage that the race to break first has done. As I wrote earlier in the week, our increasing reliance on social media is making it worse.
I'm with Eileen.
I miss the days when you had to wait until the next morning to get the news.
— EileenDSmith (@EileenDSmith) April 17, 2013
Update: One serious, one not so much. You decide which is which.
“After monitoring every minute of CNN’s broadcast since Monday, we have found hearsay, rumors, falsehoods, and a steady stream of inane commentary,” one authority said. “Everything but information.”
“I fear we have permanently entered the Age of the Retraction. All the lessons of the past — from Richard Jewell to NPR’s announcement of the death of Gabby Giffords to CNN’s erroneous report on the Supreme Court Ruling on ObamaCare — fail to inform the present. The rush to be first has so thoroughly swallowed up the principle of being right and first that it seems a little egg on the face is now deemed worth the risk.”
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
What's Wrong with US Media, Part 5,439,826
Just now on HuffPo...
Says all that needs saying, doesn't it?
Update: The humiliation of a journalistic reputation...
Update II: The excruciating play-by-play.
Says all that needs saying, doesn't it?
Update: The humiliation of a journalistic reputation...
Wednesday afternoon has seen a flurry of contradictory reports about the status of an alleged suspect in the Boston Marathon bombing, but for the past hour or so, CNN has been going all-in with sources that said an arrest had already been made. A few minutes ago, though, CNN’s chyron went from “Sources: Arrest In Boston Bombing” to “Defcon: Oh, Crap,” as CNN contributor Tom Fuentes came on the air to tell Anderson Cooper that two “highly-placed sources” say there has been no arrest, followed by Fran Townsend reporting that “two administration officials” have confirmed that there has been no arrest.
[...]
It’s still possible that CNN’s first source was correct, but if their reporting on the arrest turns out to have been positively wrong, it will be a black eye that makes their SCOTUS decision flub feel like a backrub. With the Boston Police Dept. now refuting even CNN’s local sources, that appears likely now.
Update II: The excruciating play-by-play.
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