Started a New Group @ flickr.com

I started a new Model Railroading group in flickr today. Model Railroading. It is a public group check it out! I am a big fan of flickr. It is probably the easiest photo sharing / storing site on the web today. If you can't figure out flickr, then you probably shouldn't be using a computer at all. That's how easy it is... This group goes together with one of my other blogs TexasT's Forays in 1:160. Sent out a bunch of invites to it today. Like to see where this goes.

Enough IS Enough!!

As a one time Florida boy, I really feel for Floridians...I transplanted to Texas in 1976 or 1977. But they've really been hammered over there the last couple of years. Wonder if it has anything to do with all those trailers? I've still got people in FlA... My sisters still live in NE Florida, fer God's sake!!

Think There's a Subtle Message Here?

Little chilly in downtown H-town this AM. Nice northern wind blowing. Wind as opposed to a nice cool breeze... Was outside having a smoke... (I know, I know....It's a nasty habit...Do I lecture you about YOUR vices? Besides - it is about the only vice I allow myself anymore) The smoking area is on the western side of the building and if there's a northern wind it blasts throught the concrete canyons and hits you full in the face. Sometimes it is strong enough to (nearly) blow your ass right off of the white marble pedestal this building stands on. They (building management) used to provide a smoking area in the parking garage below the building. It was closed for "Security" reasons. Yeah, right... ...Maybe that message isn't so subtle after all 'nuff said...

In My Back Yard This Morning...

By the way did I mention I'm not working any more Mondays this year? Foggy morning in Katy, Texas Blooming orchid in my Back Yard.

The Surrealist Compliment Generator

"Compliment" for today: Cretins and vermin cannot compare with the depths of your lassitude. Whoa! 'nuff said...

Veterans day 2005 - November 11th 2005

I have an uncle that flew P51 mustangs in WWII and was decorated as an Ace. My dad (Stepdad - but the only father I ever knew) served in the Korean Conflict as a medic in the Corp and was decorated with a silver star (Which I now have) for valor. He never would talk about this time of his life and I can only wonder what kind of horrors he had to live through that was bad enough that he never spoke of it again. After that he joined the Navy and made many trips to Vietnam while we were stationed at Pearl Harbor in the 60's. He died in 1973. I salute both these brave men (and All Service members) who gave so much for our freedom. 'nuff said...

The Thrill Is Gone...

Are you going to the Texas Renaissance Festival? The answer (for me) is an unequivical and resounding, No...I think not, this time m'lady. Why? Not that I owe any person an explanation, but...The magic, for me anyway, left that place long ago. Spent ten or twelve years (at least) pouring my blood, sweat, and yes, tears into that place. No one remembers any of the good I did for (or in) that place. A lot of the faces have changed. It is a younger crowd now. The torch seems to have been passed. At this point I prefer to keep my past glories...to myself. I have no wish to make new ones. And it is too much a "Family" show for me now.... Even the some of the same faces that are still there have changed - a lot. Not necessarily for the better. I do not say this with any malice. Or none intended in any way. I have no doubt that I can still walk the walk, and talk the talk. Better, in fact, I'm sure than most who are there. But the days of wine and wenching have, for me, come to an end. What energy I have, I would rather expend elsewhere, on other projects. Hie and fair thee well, Goodly New Market Village. Glad tidings I wish to thee and thine. To thy denizens I give, "May all thy tips be large and the King's Tax be tiny!" Mayhap, I shall see thee anon! Mayhap not! As for now at least - I bid thee adieu!

So What Is Up With Cops on Horseback...

In Downtown Houston during effing RUSH HOUR?!? As if traffic isn't bad enough on Louisiana at 5:15 in the afternoon. I come out of my building this afternoon to see traffic snarled up even worse than usual. Look down the street and there's an HPD officer on horseback, clip clopping BETWEEN the traffic lanes. WTF?? I realize he was probably there to keep the traffic moving, as people who are trying to pick others up will tend to stand at the curb while waiting for thier parties to come out of the building. The police intend to move them along. C'mon people! It's rush hour out here! And the Police are writing TICKETS for standing in a no parking zone! Or usually are... But not TODAY! Back to the Policeman playing horsie. He was (as I said) riding his horse between the lanes of traffic. Moving, or so he thought, traffic along. Behind this guy, both the curb-side lane and the next one over are backed up almost a full block. H-E-E-E-E-E-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-O-O-O-O-O-o-o-o-o!!! Mr. Officer on the horse! People are scared to pass you and your horse...I don't think they realize your horse has probably logged more rush hour traffic than they have and they don't want to scare him. As a result - Snarled traffic. I don't guess he realized that people were spooked by this animal. Most cities (even in the south) don't have a mounted patrol. It's hard to know how to act if you haven't been around horses all that much. He's just lucky most people were actually paying attention to what was going on around them, instead of the most popular pastime (it seems) in Houston. Talking on your phone while manuevering in traffic. Or the second most popular pastime in H-Town. Running RED LIGHTS! "Oh was that light red? I'm sorry...I was talking on the PHONE!" WAKE UP FELLAS! C'mon guys! Get a grip! For Motorist Safety! For Pedestrian Safety! For YOUR Safety! For your FRIGGIN' Horse's Safety! Let's try to keep the Equinous Patrols off the main arteries during peak traffic time! shit! I've said enough!

The Corner was Empty Today

The intolerant, homophobic dude that usually provides entertainment on Tuesdays was strangely absent today. No doubt voting YES on Prop 2. And it looks like Prop 2 proponents will win. Bunch of short sighted FOOLS if you ask me... But that's just my opinion... Dammit!

So Was That It?!?!

If this weren't Houston, the weather we're having might be unusual. We had a couple of really nice weeks, weather wise. Nice and cool, low humidity. Autumnal (Is that aword?) type weather...But now it might as well be summer! Weather from weather.com via Yahoo! Today: Partly to mostly cloudy with widely scattered showers or thunderstorms possible by this afternoon. Warm. High 86F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%. Tonight: Cloudy intervals. Low 67F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow: Sun and a few passing clouds. Warm. High 87F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Tomorrow night: Clear skies with a few passing clouds. Low 64F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Thursday: Times of sun and clouds. Highs in the low 80s and lows in the low 50s. Friday: Sunny. Highs in the mid 70s and lows in the mid 50s. Saturday: Plenty of sun. Highs in the low 80s and lows in the mid 60s. Feh! Just another beautiful day in paradise! shit!

Intolerance is a Disease

...A disease of ignorance. Those that know me, know that I can generally be a very tolerant person. The two things that really get my goat (okay, so there are more than two). But today's goat getters are Ignorance and Intolerance. And in some cases they are related. That's when it really gets to me. It can put me into a rage. There's a guy here who every Tuesday, stands on the corner of McKinney and Smith in downtown Houston with I presume either his, wife, or daughter videotaping the entire time he's standing there with a sign that makes his ignorance and intolerant beliefs known to all. Now most of the time I can manage to let this kind of stuff go. But after watching this (Christian, I presume) religous zealot stand on this corner almost every Tuesday for the better part of 4 years. I presume this fool has to get a permit from the city to stand on this corner and I know that under the First Amendment, they have to give him one. But enough already!

History Department - Lesson for Today NOT!

Edit 2 November 2005: Sounds somewhat plausable. But see here what snopes has to say. I knew I shouldn't trust that source! Think there may be an History lesson or two here...Not usre if this is fact but it would certainly figure...I'll have to ask a Brit friend of mine. But I don't remember getting flipped off while I was living in Great Britain. But here it is anyway: Giving the Finger Before the Battle of Agincourt in 1415, the French, anticipating victory over the English, proposed to cut off the middle finger of all captured English soldiers. Without the middle finger it would be impossible to draw the renowned English longbow and therefore they would be incapable of fighting in the future. This famous weapon was made of the native English Yew tree, and the act of drawing the longbow was known as "plucking the yew" (or "pluck yew"). Much to the bewilderment of the French, the English won a major upset and began mocking the French by waving their middle fingers at the defeated French, saying, "See, we can still pluck yew! "PLUCK YEW!" Since 'pluck yew' is rather difficult to say, the difficult consonant cluster at the beginning has gradually changed to a labiodentals fricative 'F', and thus the words often used in conjunction with the one-finger-salute! It is also because of the pheasant feathers on the arrows used with the longbow that the symbolic gesture is known as "giving the bird." ...And yew thought yew knew everything.