Ron's Rants

End of Year/Decade Rant

2009-12-31T11:13:00.000-08:00

Here we are at the end of another year and the end of the first decade of the New Millennium. So, it is time for me to post a few thoughts about what has happened to me and the rest of the world during these many days. Much already has been written about this past decade, my favorite being a column by Paul Krugman of the New York Times titled "The Big Zero". The funniest take on the past year was written by Dave Barry of the Miami Herald titled "Dave Barry's Year in Review". Do your funny bone a favor and read that piece after you finish with my rant.

My father Larkin used denote the concept of nothingness by saying "zero, naught, double-oh, nothing". In his honor I will call this last decade the "Zeronaughtdoubleohnothing Decade". It was a decade of mixed blessings for me. During the past 10 years: I closed my studio, sold the building that housed it, semi-retired, gained and lost a wonderful girlfriend, had three eye surgeries (2 cataracts, 1 detached retina), my dog died, my house flooded (tropical storm Allison in 2001) but survived two hurricanes (Rita 2005, Ike 2008) and last New Year's Eve I stepped in a hole on the way home from a midnight champagne toast, suffering no long-term ill effects other than the bruise to my hubris. Thank goodness nobody witnessed it.

The past decade has had its good times as well. In 2005 I took the aforementioned girlfriend (Sara Jo) to Paris, France for a week. We had a wonderful time and as somebody once said in a movie "we will always have Paris". I traveled to New Orleans for a good friend's wedding and went back again for several years thereafter to celebrate the anniversary. There were several other forays down to the Big Easy including Christmas of 2006 and my 40th Homecoming at Tulane University in 2007. Back at home I discovered a wonderful nearby restaurant Divino and have had three exhibits of my work hanging on their walls including the current one. My work has been exhibited at FotoFest at each of the biennial exhibits and is scheduled to appear again in 2010.

This past year has been pretty good to me. However, I would like to have those two hours back that I wasted on the "balloon boy" hoax. Being a student of physics (and an ardent fan of MythBusters) I knew there was no boy in that balloon, but kept watching and believing anyway. Fortunately I had no money invested with Bernie Madoff or R. Allen Stanford so I escaped any major financial calamity there. My IRA savings dipped and then bounced back a bit but my investment in my personal mug at the Black Labrador Pub has done better over the years, nearly doubling in value. I feel fortunate that I don't live in California, Florida or Arizona because my housing bubble is still fully inflated (at least the Harris County Appraisal District thinks so). The so-called Health Care Reform Bill has me only slightly worried. I turn 65 in March 2010 and will be eligible for Medicare. I just hope the government does a better job with that program in the future than the TSA has done keeping whackos with explosive wardrobes off airplanes.

My old 1983 Mercedes held together over the last year but was too old for "cash for clunkers". But why would I want to trade in a reliable German automobile for one built by a government subsidiary? I was getting a little worried about Global Warming until it snowed in Houston on December 4th, the earliest it has ever snowed here in recorded history. I thought about getting an iPhone but after watching everyone else that has one I realized that nobody actually "talks" on the thing and decided to stick with my old Treo that really works very well as a "phone".

Back in the Spring I was honored with an award and I did not need to send $10,000 to a bank in Nigeria to receive it. I was chosen as a "Star of Design" in photography by the Decorative Center of Houston. I got a very nice crystal trophy and a chance to stand up in front of a bunch of people and thank them for awarding me something while I am still alive. In August I took a trip to Canyon Lake in the Texas Hill Country with some good friends. We tubed down the Guadalupe River, what little of it there was due to the extreme drought conditions there. The next time I want to get sunburned and drunk in stagnant water I think I will just dump a load of dirt and excrement in my pool and pop open a six-pack.

It was down to New Orleans again this year at Halloween for a surprise birthday party for my good friend Ricco Loper, whose birthday is actually in December. His wife Linda thought it might be more fun to gather for the spooky weekend since it would give us an excuse to dress more funny than we normally do. That's me costumed as filmmaker Michael Moore. We had a great time and really surprised Ricco. Check out my YouTube site for some videos of the weekend.

I threw my usual batch of pool parties this summer. The most fun one was probably the 4th of July where one of my friends spent almost the entire party trying get his "water feature" to work. See a video of it here. To cap off the year I hosted a Wine and Cheese party in mid December where just like the blueprint for a mouse trap I put out a bunch of cheese and caught a lot of free wine brought by the party goers.

And finally, I am thankful for another year with my great group of friends with whom I have had so much fun. I hope we can keep it up next year. In the meantime you can keep up with me on Facebook or just watch your "in box" for my electronic missives.

Happy New Year Y'all!

Health Care Reform: An Analogy

2009-09-11T11:44:00.000-07:00

I am going to use an analogy to try to show that what our President has proposed is not "socialized medicine" or the government "takeover" of health care.

Let's suppose on the eve of the anniversary of hurricane Ike which devastated the Gulf Coast that Mr. Obama went on TV and proposed that we reform homeowners and flood insurance. He might point out that thousands of people lost their homes and many cannot replace them because they did not have insurance or did not have the correct type of insurance (i.e. flood versus wind). Or maybe they were denied their claim because they failed to disclose a cracked slab even though their roof was blown off, something not the least bit related to that defect.

The president might go on to note that many with insurance before Ike could no longer get it afterward because of the prior claim. So even if they rebuilt their homes they would have to bear the burden of another storm loss without benefit of insurance. Or if insurance were available its cost would be prohibitive because the homeowner would be placed into a "high risk" pool with exorbitant premiums and limited coverage.

Therefore, to protect all homeowners against these onerous practices by the insurance industry, the President proposes some new laws covering homeowners insurance. First, no homeowner could be denied insurance, regardless of preexisting conditions (like the cracked slab). No homeowner could have his or her insurance canceled because of a claim or have their coverage capped if damages were really bad. No homeowner would be denied future coverage because of prior claims. Pricing would be fair for all. Insurance companies could not "cherry pick" homeowners, offering coverage to big, expensive houses but denying it to small ones in poor neighborhoods.

The President, being a practical man, realizes that he cannot slap all these restrictions on the insurance companies unless they are allowed to recoup the costs that will be incurred by all this "fairness". So, all homeowners will be required to purchase insurance, just like all drivers are required to purchase auto insurance. The President also realizes, again being practical, that not everyone can afford homeowners insurance so he proposes a subsidy or tax break for those of limited means to make it possible for them to buy insurance.

And, just to be sure that affordable insurance is available to the most needy he proposes a "public option" for homeowners insurance. This would be an insurance plan offered by the government but supported entirely by premiums paid by homeowners. No tax dollars would be spent to subsidize the plan. It would be able to keep premiums low because it would not need to advertise to attract customers, it would not be required to make a profit to stay in business and it would not need to pay lavish executive salaries as a reward for making these profits. Furthermore, it would have bargaining power to negotiate the best prices on materials and labor needed to rebuild homes lost to disasters like hurricanes, wild fires and earthquakes.

In summation, the President would proffer that no homeowner should be forced into bankruptcy or left homeless due to the unpredictable forces of nature. Homeowners insurance should not be seen as a privilege but a right. This is not only fair but the American Way.

So, if this little fairy tale were to come to pass, would you consider this "socialized homeowners care" or a government takeover of homeowners' homes?

I think not.

Things That Go Boom in the Night

2009-02-05T13:58:00.000-08:00

Night before last I was awakened at about 6AM by a loud boom. It even shook the house a bit. I thought maybe a large trash container was being delivered at the construction site across the street. But upon inspection I noticed no activity at the site. I paid it no more attention and went back to sleep.

Later in the day I took my daily swim. I keep my pool covered except during the swim. This keeps the heat in and saves big-time on gas costs. While swimming I heard another loud boom. It sounded like it came from my neighbors back yard. I popped up from the water and peered through the fence and saw nothing and finished my swim. The way I have things set up there is a timer that comes on at 6AM in the morning, starts the pump and this fires up the heater. By swim time midday the pool is up to temp, the heater cuts off and I can take a comfortable swim. Occasionally during the swim the heater will kick back in again.

After the swim, as I always do, went outside my fence to where my pool heater is to turn it off along with the pump. That is when I saw the front panel of the heater lying on the ground a foot or so from the heater. I put 2 and 2 together and the picture became clear. My pool heater was essentially "blowing up" every time it started. It is an old heater which I recently had repaired but I knew it was not long for this world. Apparently some safety device had failed which allowed a large buildup of gas inside the heater before the electronic pilot actually ignited. Science 101: flammable gas + air + spark = BOOM!

The weird thing is that even after the explosion the heater stayed lit and heated the pool water. I called my pool guy right away and told him to get me prices on a new heater. I did not know how many more cycles of "boom+heat" the old heater was good for and did not want to find out.

In Memoriam: Boo Dog 1996 - 2009

2009-01-23T14:15:00.000-08:00

My faithful canine companion for over a dozen years has gone on to the big dog park in the sky. A week ago Boo was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer and I knew he did not have long to live. By today he had become too weak to eat, drink or even take a treat. I knew he was telling me it was time to go to a better place.

They say all good dogs go to heaven and these days I think that maybe they should be the only creatures allowed in. If I find myself so lucky after my passing I will be disappointed if there are not more dogs there than people. Dogs are indeed very special animals.

I came by Boo via a previous girlfriend named Rosemary. When we first started dating, Boo was staying with her on a rural piece of property her parents owned near Manvel, TX. I remember the first day I visited there and met Boo. I really did not know what to expect except that I figured a girl would have a girlie type dog. But when he came running down the driveway towards my car I was pleasantly surprised and thought to myself "now there is a really great dog". I was right and Boo turned out to be not only a great dog but a fine friend and a source of many laughs and fun times together. When Rosemary and I broke up Boo stayed on with me, as we had bonded closely.

Boo was a great watch dog and always "barked up the bad people" (whether they were actually bad or not). For many years he was my swimming coach, running up and down the edge of the pool while I swam my laps. Boo was also amazing at fetching a tennis ball. He could get almost as much air as Michael Jordan when jumping to catch the ball in mid-flight. In his later years with his eyesight failing (cataracts) he could still find the ball by using his sense of smell and a dog's innate ability to know where things are. At his very core Boo was a working dog, always wanting to know what his job was and ever-ready to do it. He was not much for petting though. He would tolerate it to a certain degree but never seek it out. I used to joke that I was about to give him some torture whenever I was about to pet him.

Boo and I spent many, many days at the West Alabama Ice House. I don't think he much liked being at the Ice House, just the walks to and from. But he would curl up faithfully beneath my feet at the bar stool waiting patiently until it was time to go home. People were often completely unaware Boo was there, all to often cracking open peanuts or ashing their cigarettes over him. He knew the way home better than me, evidenced one night when I, a bit in my cups as they say, tried to turn one street too early while walking home. He pulled at me hard, making me aware of my navigational error and forcing me to make a mid-course correction.

I had learned much earlier of Boo's awareness of where home was. One day at the Ice House a motorcycle backfired very close to the table where several of us were seated and under which Boo was reclining. The boom scared us so that we all started laughing when we realized we were still intact. It was several minutes before I noted that Boo was gone. I looked all over the grounds of the Ice House and Boo was nowhere to be found. I asked around if anyone had seen him and several people pointed in the direction of my house. I walked the four-plus blocks home and sure enough, there was Boo sitting in my driveway with a proud look on his face. He was smart enough to know not to hang around a place where things were going to blow up.

Boo learned all my tells. I always thought that dogs would make great poker players if they could play cards (as depicted in those awful black velvet paintings). They are great at picking up even the slightest tell about what is to happen. Each day I would take Boo for a walk in the afternoon. I grew up visiting my grandparents in West Texas a lot. There you learned to knock out your shoes before putting them on in case any nasty critters had decided to crawl in. I have maintained that habit to this day and that was my tell for the afternoon walks. As soon as Boo heard me banging my shoes down on their heels he would come running and barking in a frenzy to get going on the afternoon walk. I used to tell Boo to be patient. People are not as good as dogs. We have to stop and put our feet on every day. Dogs don't. They are always ready to go.

Click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCEdtwosi-Q to see a funny video of Boo reacting to my tell before going swimming each morning.

The last thing I told Boo before he passed on towards heaven was to look for a couple of other dogs who were very dear to my heart. One was named Arlo and belonged to my sister and the other named Sadie and was my mother's dog. They were both border collies and spent a lot of time together, especially around our pool in Fort Worth where we grew up. I told Boo to look for a couple of black and white dogs chasing each other around a big blue kidney-shaped pool. You can see a video of those two here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEjaZNOziak. I think Boo and these guys will make good friends.

Boo as a young dog.

They says dogs grow into their ears and feet.
Boo certainly did.

2008 Is Over!

2009-01-02T11:02:00.000-08:00

I was thinking that it only seems like a year ago it was the start of 2008 and so another year is gone. I won't bore your with tales of my travels and pictures of far away places. You see, I pretty much stayed in my 'hood all this year. I did take lots of pictures and you can see those at my photo website www.ronscott.com.

I started the new year off with a bang... well, more of a bam! On the way back from toasting in the new year with some bubbly at my favorite restaurant Divino's I stepped into an open water meter hole (the cover was missing) and went down on the sidewalk like a sack of rocks. No major damage (except to my ego) and I escaped with a few scrapes and a sore shoulder. Now if you were the uncharitable type you might suggest that the consumption of adult beverages in pursuit of New Years eve revelries might have contributed to my fall, but I hope not. Gravity is gravity and surely that was the main culprit.

2008 was not without its moments for me even though I did not travel afar. I had an exhibit of my work displayed as part of FotoFest 2008 as well as a new batch of my work on hanging at the aforementioned Divino's Restaurant. Another birthday came and went and many enjoyable hours were spent with friends at various parties, pubs, bars and restaurants. I logged six pool parties at me casa last Spring and Summer plus a post-Ike party in the Fall for added measure. Oh yeah, almost forgot old Ike (the hurricane, not the President). I escaped any major damage at my place but much of Houston and all of Galveston did not.

My dog Boo got a year older too. He had a couple of expensive visits to the dogspital but is on the mend now. I did not escape this year without a medical malady either. In mid November I was diagnosed with a detached retina and underwent surgery the next week. I seem to be mending from that episode too. Fortunately I was able to put all the expenses for Boo and me on the Amex card and rack up some reward points which I hope to use for some travel in 2009.

My end-of-year rant would not be complete without a mention of the events that shaped 2008. We elected our first African-American president following an election that gave us some memorable moments and great fodder for pundits and comedians. I am going to miss Tina Fey doing Sarah Palin. The sub-prime mortgage meltdown sucked the life out of our economy and the stock market collapsed. The CEOs of the Detroit Big 3 automakers flew to Washington in separate private jets to beg Congress for a bailout and erstwhile financial wizard Bernie Madoff scammed a lot of rich people out of billions. Congress voted 700 billion dollars to prop up the financial sector and now that they have burned though half of it nobody wants to say where it went or how much wound up in the pockets of the guys who got us in this mess in the first place. The governor of Illinois was caught scheming to turn his appointment to fill Obama's Senate seat into his own payday and the one to be vacated by Hillary may go to a princess who can't stop saying "you know". Oh what fun and I am sure there is more to come in 2009.

Happy New Year y'all!

How I Spent My Thanksgiving

2008-11-29T14:12:00.000-08:00

I spent this Thanksgiving week pretty much on my face. The week before I was diagnosed with a detached retina. Surgery was on the Monday before Thanksgiving and I spent the rest of the week recovering. Because of the procedure used I was required to spend a week with my head pointed downward.

The procedure I opted for is called vitrectomy (there are others but they were not as attractive in my case). The vitreous humor is removed from the eye and replaced with a saline solution. Following the reattachment of the retina the eye is filled with a gas that creates a bubble within the eye. The bubble presses against the retina and holds it in place during healing. In order for this to work the head must be positioned facing downwards. For those of you who slept through science class (or were forced to take in its place multicultural studies or some other bullshit feel-good class) here is the reason: gas in a liquid rises to the top.

To make recovery a bit easier I rented some special equipment that includes this massage chair contraption that lets me watch TV and use the computer while keeping my head down. For watching TV they sent along this mirror gizmo that works sort of like a periscope. It has two mirrors so that the TV image appears upright when you look into it. When not in the chair or sleeping (face down of course) I spent the time reading. This gave me a chance to read a book titled Chosen written by Troy Seate, a classmate of mine from Paschal High school.

I want to thank all my friends that helped me out during all this. Thanks to Steve Collier who drove me to the outpatient clinic and Sara Jo Dunstan who picked me up afterwards. Sara Jo also brought me my Thanksgiving meal from leftovers at the West Alabama Ice House orphans party. And a very special thanks to my next door neighbor Jim Bishop, who ironically is a retired ophthalmologist, for taking me to my post-op doctor's visit and walking my dog Boo each day.

So, here's hoping that next Thanksgiving will be much less eventful.

To see my YouTube video click here.

Note: If you have any of the symptoms of retinal detachment (flashes of light, increase in eye floaters and/or the impression that a veil or curtain has been drawn over your field of vision) get to your eye doctor right away.

Where Are the Real Men?

2008-11-09T12:42:00.000-08:00

The other day at the West Alabama Ice House I overheard a fellow challenging a group around him to re-cast the 1960 classic The Magnificent Seven from the crop of today's well known actors. That turned out to be quite a challenge. Names like Ben Affleck were tossed out. But if you saw him in The Sum of All Fears, the movie based on Tom Clancy's best seller, you know that he does not have the gravitas to play Jack Ryan much less any character from M7. Harrison Ford was much better in the two previous films based on Clancy's work but he is too old to be considered for this challenge.

Kieffer Sutherland was about the best we could come up with but he is essentially a one-hit wonder with his 24 television series franchise. Where are the Yul Brenner's of today? There was an actor of incredible range who could sing and dance in the King and I and yet be believable as a tough gunslinger leading a group of men hired to save a small Mexican farming village from ruthless Banditos. And where are the Eli Wallach's, Steve McQueen's, Charles Bronson's and James Coburn's today? They just are not there. Yeah, if Clint Eastwood were a bit younger and still acting instead of directing he would fill the bill. So would the late Charleston Heston or the aging Kirk Douglas. But having to choose from a contemporary list of actors, I just can't do it.

This all got me to thinking about Real Men. I don't mean Todd Palin caricatures of real men. Hunting, fishing and racing snowmobiles does not make a Real Man anymore than NASCAR is a sport. A Real Man can fix an automobile not just drive one in circles. Unfortunately it has become almost impossible to fix the modern car today without complex computer equipment and secret factory codes. The backyard real-man mechanic has been emasculated by technology.

Where did all this start? I peg that at the end of the Reagan administration. We had a weak one-term Daddy Bush in the White House followed by pretty-boy, smooth-talking Clinton. During those years we saw the rise of feminism, political correctness, the cult of diversity and finally in Dubya's first term the ill-conceived and badly executed Iraq War. Whenever I hear the theme song from M7 it says to me "Here come the good guys to kick some serious bad guy butt" and I get chills down my spine. That is what Iraq should have been but was not and ended America's hegemony in kicking butt around the world. Nobody wants cowboys anymore.

I call what has happened to the men in this country "The Wussification of America". Look at today's TV shows. No Real Man should want to watch American Idol or Extreme Makeover: Home Edition but they are immensely popular. I think a Real Man would prefer something like Bonanza or Gunsmoke but nothing like that exists on TV today. Okay, maybe the Sopranos fills the bill, but it is (or was) on cable and not really mainstream. Shows like CSI and Law and Order are great but they lack the kick-ass, get-er-done energy a Real Man needs to be entertained. The aforementioned 24 series does that but it is the exception in a sea of mediocre reality shows and crap like Desperate Housewives and convoluted nonsense like Heroes. And this trend started years ago. I realized early on that I did not want characters like Scully and Mulder... I wanted someone like Hoss Cartwright or Marshall Matt Dillon.

So what is a Real Man? For starters, he doesn't get mani-pedis and he doesn't moisturize. He does not shop at Bed, Bath and Beyond or Linens and Things. If he were to find himself in one of those stores it better be because his wife/GF dragged him there. And he better go begrudgingly if he wants to maintain his RM bona fides. He does shop at Sears, Home Depot or better yet, an authentic local hardware store where things are still displayed in open bins and not all shrink wrapped up and hanging in neat rows on pegs. Real Men know how to do things, not just talk about them. They know how to fix a leaky toilet, rebuild the lawnmower's carburetor or install a ceiling fan without having to look up instructions on the Internet. A Real Man can build a one-match fire (unlike most of those wussie morons on Survivor who couldn't light a fire with a gallon of gas and a blowtorch). And finally, a Real Man supports his family, knows how to barbecue and teaches his kids stuff - real, useful stuff - and does not just shuffle them off to in front of a computer.

So what to do? Can we turn this around? We can try. Real Men, here is your assignment: Get out there and build a fire, burn some meat, toss down a cold one and start planning your next trip to the hardware store. If we are going to make some changes, we are going to need some tools!

Note: The Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com) was most helpful in researching this rant.

Spreading the Wealth

2008-11-02T10:49:00.000-08:00

It's only a couple of days away from Election Day 2008. I am sure most of you have made up your mind for whom you will be voting (or have voted already). However, I felt the need to add one more rant before we all go to the polls.

Lately I have been thinking about what Obama said in reply to the question from Joe the Plumber about the candidate's tax plan. I don't agree that spreading the wealth is a code phrase for socialism as some have suggested. But I have been thinking a lot about what it could really mean. The meat of Obama's plan is to raise taxes on the rich, lower taxes on the middle class and dole out cash to many earners who are currently not paying any taxes at all. That is indeed spreading the wealth.

Now I am by no means rich. I am now and have always been firmly rooted financially in the middle class. In the interest of full disclosure, I do stand to lose a substantial amount of money in the future if the capital gains tax break is allowed to expire, as Obama has suggested (this was one of Bush's so-called tax breaks for the rich). In any case, taxing the rich at first does not seem like such a bad idea. After all, as Willie Sutton the bank robber reportedly said, "that is where the money is".

Indeed it is. Currently the top 5% of all wage earners pay 60% of all taxes. Strong shoulders should be able to bear a little more load. Give the hard working man (or woman) a break at the expense of the rich, who certainly can afford it. Let their polo ponies eat hamburger rather than steak. As Obama said to Joe: "it's good for everybody" (well maybe not the ponies).

The problem I see here is this: with a Democrat as President, a filibuster-proof Democrat controlled Congress in power and a new leadership eager for reform we may see those tax increases trickle down to the middle class. If you think back to Daddy Bush's acceptance speech in 1988 he said, now infamously: "Read my lips: no new taxes". We all know what happened after that.

My concern is that the same thing could happen to President Obama. I trust and admire the man but there is no guarantee that he can keep his pledge to tax only those currently considered rich. What is middle class today might look like rich in the future, especially with an electorate hungry for the many entitlements they will expect from a Democrat controlled government. The money has to come from somewhere and the rich are already paying a hefty chunk.

I doubt what I have written here will change anyone's vote but it is good food for thought. Be careful what you wish for. My worry is that in the near future I will have to spread something closer to my backside :-0.

To see more of what to expect in a President Obama future you might want to read this article by Pat Buchanan. It also appeared in today's Houston Chronicle.

Now go vote!

It's Getting Scary Out There

2008-10-23T09:48:00.000-07:00

And I am not just referring to Halloween. With the sub-prime mortgage meltdown, the Stock Market faltering and a presidential election coming up we have a lot to be afraid of. As Geena Davis' character said in the 1986 remake of The Fly: "Be afraid. Be very afraid." It is the upcoming election that may be the most frightening. Paraphrasing another movie quote by General "Buck" Turgidson from Dr. Strangelove: "But it is necessary now to make a choice, to choose between two admittedly regrettable, but nevertheless distinguishable, (post-election) environments:" Obama vs McCain.

Neither candidate has done a very good job of illuminating their policies and platforms. Much ado has been made about the character and experience of the candidates and their running mates. With the focus now on the economy (the Iraq war having taken a back seat) we probably know more about the candidates' economic ideas than anything else. Obama would give some minor tax breaks for the middle class, increase taxes on the top 2% of earners, increase the capital gains tax and mandate some kind of expanded, if not universal, health coverage. McCain would keep the Bush tax cuts, including not raising the capital gains tax and provide a health insurance tax credit to offset ending the tax break for employer provided health benefits. Pretty standard and uninspiring stuff.

The scary part for an Obama win is not the man himself but the real possibility of what the Wall Street Journal called a "liberal supermajority" in Congress. This would be an almost Republican opposition-proof legislature dominated by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. And with no threat of a Republican presidential veto this would be the first time in decades that we would have such concentrated partisan power in Washington.

Many would argue this is a good thing. We need to tilt the US back to the left to offset all the right-leaning polices of the last eight years (and really before that because Clinton was more moderate than most of the right would have us believe). The real danger is not what the supermajority might do but how they would do it. The checks and balances of a congress tilted one way versus a president the other would be lost.

So what about a McCain win? To be blunt: It could be a disaster. It certainly would crush the whole "Audacity of Hope" thing and could even cause some form of civil unrest not unlike after the Rodney King cop beating acquittals. I have one neighbor that remarked he is stocking up on extra ammunition in case Obama does not win. I think that a bit severe but I do believe that feelings would run very high and deep if McCain were to win -- much more so than if he lost. And don't forget the world view of the US. Much of the rest of the world, especially Europe, is pulling for an Obama win. It would signal to them a steep turn in our foreign policy away from that of the failed Bush administration.

Assuming a polite, civil and resolved acceptance of a McCain win (not unlike what happened in 2000 with Bush narrowly defeating Gore), we would wind up with a Democratic majority in both houses and a Republican president with a veto threat to keep things in check. That's the only light at the end of that tunnel.

The 800 pound gorilla in the room is still the economy. With a recession looming, banks and businesses failing, unemployment rising, the Stock Market tanking and our national deficit approaching a trillion dollars we don't have a lot of wiggle room when it comes to what can be accomplished by either President elect. Either man will inherit a mess that will be harder to clean up than Chernobyl. Increased government spending will be required to deflect recessionary pressures and the deficit will undoubtedly increase because it will be impossible to effectively increase taxes without exacerbating the recession. Fun times ahead indeed!

So, enjoy the ghosts and goblins of this Halloween because they will be least scary things you will encounter during the next year.

Hurricane Ike Motor Madness

2008-09-23T14:44:00.000-07:00

Even after mayor Bill White asked Houstonians not to do so many went out in droves after the storm to drive around and assess the damage personally. These people just clogged up the works and got in the way of first responders and others who had a legitimate reason to be on the roads.

You know, I could not figure out why there were all those gas lines on Sunday. Now I know. Everybody was out joy riding and were afraid they were going to run out of gas. The motorists in this city behaved liked typical Russians who get into any line they see just in case something they might need is running out.

Ike hit on a Friday night. Nobody was going to work on Monday and many not until much later in the week. Teachers got the whole week off. Yet people were out driving around, burning up precious gas and then wasting even more waiting in line with their engines running, their AC on full blast (even though temps were in the 70's) and getting into fist fights over people cutting in line.

The Gulf Coast had nearly a week's warning about the impending landfall of Ike. People were admonished to stock up on water, other essentials and non-perishable food (although on the Thursday prior I saw shopping baskets filled with dozens of eggs and gallons of milk at the supermarket). People were also advised to fill up their car and be prepared to spend a few days without electricity.

But what happens on the day after Ike makes landfall? Droves of people are out in their cars driving around trying to get supplies of water, food, ice and yes, gasoline... the very things they were supposed to have in good supply already. So much for self reliance. Although the local television coverage of Ike and its aftermath was riveting and very well done, I had to turn it all off because I just could not stand hearing another person whine about where the "gummint" was to help them out.

What a bunch of morons. Hope they forget to vote in November. On the other hand, if you are a Republican I guess you do want all these people to vote :-).

Riding Out Hurricane Ike

2008-09-15T14:33:00.000-07:00

It has been a couple of days since Hurricane Ike blew through Houston. I fared pretty well with only brief loss of power and minimal damage. Here is an account of what happened to me.

Before the Blow

On Monday, August 8 (one week ago) I got an email from a friend of mine who works at local TV station KTRK. She wanted to know if I had a generator because their consumer reporter was working on a story about using them during power outages. I told her I did and about an hour later their reporter came by to interview me. You can see an abbreviated version of that report here (I cut out most of the stuff that did not include moi). I took this media moment to be an omen and decided to begin my preparations for Hurricane Ike.

First I stocked up on gas for my generator, buying additional 5 gallon containers to bring my total reserve up to 20 gallons. I also filled up my car's tank. Next I hit the food store for a stock of non-perishables (all the usual crap that you never would eat otherwise). I never buy water. It is a waste of money. Instead I fill a 5 gallon container from the tap and use that for drinking, the dog's water and cooking. For everything else I have 15,000 gallons of the stuff in my pool.

I cruised along until Thursday watching Ike's track through the Gulf. By that morning I decided this was the real deal and it was time to board up. The last big one to hit Houston was Hurricane Alicia in 1983, just four months after I moved into my current townhouse. I did not board up then primarily because of my busy shooting schedule and my preoccupation with what might happen to my studio building. But 25 years later things were different. With time on my hands and memories of how the wind blew for Alicia I took the cautious route.

So it was off to the lumber yard for some plywood. Fortunately I have a good one only a few blocks away. It is not the cheapest place in town but I knew that the big-box stores would be a cluster f**k. It was a bit of a scene even at the lumber yard... a bit like the trading floor of a commodities exchange. With supplies running low and the counter guys ticking off what they had, buyers were calling out "I'll take 8 sheets of the OSB" or in my case "I'll take 6 sheets of the BC pine". Even thin plywood is not cheap (I chose 3/8 inch to keep the weight manageable) and I paid $18 a sheet!

It took me about 8 hours spread across Thursday afternoon and Friday morning to get my windows covered. When done each day I was exhausted. Later on I realized that I did the equivalent of a good carpenter's day's work and it had worn me out. Makes me appreciate how hard they work and that I stayed in school and got my degree. I am not saying that there are not lots of hard working people with college educations, but I have always seen my sheepskin as a ticket to avoid back breaking labor for the rest of my life. Anyhow, I got it all done and headed to the Ice House for the inevitable Hurricane Party.

Just like Hurricane Rita three years earlier, Ike was to make landfall sometime late on a Friday or early Saturday. This is the perfect scenario for an impromptu party at the West Alabama Ice House just a few blocks away. I remembered how much fun the Rita party was and looked forward to the Ike party. It did not disappoint! There is something about the impending doom of a hurricane that brings out the party animals, especially the foxes (if you know what I mean).

During the Blow

The Ice House party ended around 8PM and I headed home to wait out the storm. I watched TV until 10:30PM when the wind came up just enough to knock out my electricity. I headed up to bed to try to sleep through most of it. By 5:00AM Saturday morning the wind was howling and the house shaking enough to make any more sleep impossible. I got up and hooked up my generator to my refrigerator, TV and a box fan and cranked it up. It started with just one or two pulls (just like in the video). The final item to connect was the coffee pot... gotta have coffee in the AM no matter what. I sat down on my couch and clicked on the TV to see the soon-to-be endless local reporting on the hurricane. My satellite dish was out but I was able to get an over-the-air, albeit weak, signal on a small set of rabbit ears. Digital TV is much different from old analog. Instead of a snowy, rolling image when the signal is weak you get a jerky, pixelated one with broken-up audio. Fortunately most local stations were simulcasting on the radio as well. That audio was clear although completely out of sync with the picture.

As I sat there staring at the TV's pixelated images and listening to the out-of-sync audio I realized that the storm had not gone west of us as predicted. Instead it had moved slightly to the east and we were not getting the south-easterly winds from the so-called "dirty" side but northerly winds from the western side. This meant the wind was blowing directly against my sliding glass doors and windows facing north towards my pool. And I was sitting right in front of them. For some odd reason though, I felt fairly safe if not a little nervous (which might be from all that strong coffee). The wind did not really die down until near noon although my power came back on at 7:30AM. Go figure.

I continued to run my generator just to be sure the power was on for good and to gauge how long it would run on a tank of gas. It turns out that my original estimates were about right that a tank of gas (about 2-1/2 gallons) would run the fridge, TV and fan for about 8 hours. With 20 gallons of gas on hand that meant I could have run continuously for about 3 days. Of course, I could stretch that out by cycling it on and off throughout the day. Since my electricity came back so quickly I was able to do a mitzvah and loan my geny to my bookkeeper and her hubby who were still powerless in Midtown.

After the Blow

As I mentioned at the top of this rant, I came out pretty much unscathed. I had no significant damage other than some lost tree limbs and a pool full of same. Some of my neighbors did not fare as well. There were quite a few felled trees on my street and in the nearby neighborhoods. I (unlike many others) have not ventured out in my car to peruse any other parts of town. I prefer not to clog up the works and let the media bring it all to me. Anyway, I did all that sort of thing back in 1965 in New Orleans while riding out Hurricane Betsy at Tulane. As chief photographer for the student newspaper I ventured out at the peak of the storm when the winds were so strong that you could lean into them and not fall over. It was not until the next day that I realized how stupid I was when I saw a finger-long shard of glass embedded in a palm tree on campus.

So, I have weathered three major hurricanes in my lifetime: Betsy, Alicia and Ike. Here's hoping that "three's the charm"! At least for me.

Postscript

Among the many sad things that have happened as a result of Hurricane Ike I want to mention two that I think are particularly poignant, one here in Houston and the other in Galveston:

A fire that started in Brennan's Restaurant early Saturday morning burned that 40+ year old venue to the ground. Many considered the Houston Brennan's to be the best of all the Brennan Family eateries including the original in New Orleans. You can see a video I made at the restaurant during its 40th Anniversary Party here. Another tragic loss was the Balinese Room nightclub in Galveston which was completely destroyed. You may remember this place from the ZZ Top lyric "Everybody knows, it was down at the Balinese!"

And Finally...

Much of Houston is still without electricity tonight and therefore air conditioning. Fortunately for them Mother Nature has provided a gift. Today a cool front came in and brought much cooler and drier weather with the high temps in the 70's to low 80's. This will make life in Houston and the cleanup after Ike much more bearable.

The Heroes of Paschal High in the Piney Woods

2008-08-26T12:56:00.000-07:00

Once again this year the three of us who call ourselves The Heroes of Paschal High met up for another Summer confab. This time we took off to the Piney Woods of East Texas to a little cabin near Woodville. From the outside this cabin looks like any other quaint house in the woods. But Austin architect Ken Routh (one of the Heroes) created something unique for the owners. He encased an old log cabin built back in the 1830's (when Texas was still a Republic) inside the otherwise unassuming outer structure.

Ken's idea was to protect the original cabin and its fragile logs from the outside elements yet maintain the charm and history of the space on the inside. When you step into this cabin it is almost like walking into a diorama in a museum. This strategy not only preserved the original cabin but allowed for the addition of an upper floor to accommodate more guests and a kitchen and bath to make the cabin livable by today's standards. We definitely enjoyed our short stay in this historic place where we cooked, ate, drank and commiserated nightly. But that is not the only reason we came to the woods...

We came to shoot our guns! Since the cabin sits on over 800 acres of thick woods in the middle of nowhere we could plink away to our hearts delight. And speaking of hearts, before all you PETA types get all worked up, nothing with a heartbeat was harmed. We did kill a lot of innocent beer and soda cans however. Note the exit wounds on the cans pictured here.

One of our other Heroes Bob Coalson was not as familiar with guns as myself and Ken, so we had to give him a little education in the ways of weaponry. But Bob did just fine and was able to hit his can with almost all his shots shooting the Ruger Single Six pistol we assigned him. Ken and I spent most of our time with my Ruger 10-22 rifle with a 25 round magazine. I also brought along my Winchester Model 1894 lever action carbine which is an original manufactured during that year. As Sigourney Weaver's character Ripley is warned by Michael Biehn's character Corporal Hicks in Aliens: "It will kick some". And it did, leaving a nice bruise on my upper right arm when I let the gun slip off my shoulder a bit. But the shot from that gun definitely made a well-shaken Diet Pepsi can "blow up real good"!

You can see three videos of our exploits in the woods at: www.youtube.com/ronscott

My AC Went Out

2008-07-22T11:59:00.000-07:00

My central air conditioning went out Sunday. Law of AC in Texas says: AC go out only on weekend. Remembering the sage words of an old AC man that "90% of AC problems are electrical in nature", I got out my trusty volt meter. I determined pretty quickly that there was no juice to the thermostat. I checked the usual suspects, the breakers, and all was OK there. I decided to dig deeper and removed the panels on the air handler to get at the control board. Sure enough, it had a blown fuse. That meant a quick trip to the hardware store for a couple of replacement fuses. I popped one in and flicked the fan-only switch and the fan fired right up. Next I called for cooling and bam, the fuse blew again. This suggested that something was shorted related to running the compressor (but not the fan).

Next I pulled the wires from the control board that go to the contactor (relay) in the compressor unit outside on the roof. The contactor is the device that switches the high voltage to the compressor on or off in response to low voltage signals from the thermostat. I called for cooling again at the thermostat and the fuse did not blow. A quick check across those pair of wires to the roof with the meter showed 1 ohm of resistance. Mr. Ohm says: E = IR so I = E\R and if E is 24 volts that means an "I" (current) of 24 amps. Since the fuse was rated at only 5 amps, that was not good.

So I went up to the roof to check on that contactor and to rule out that the wire going to the contactor was not shorted. Oh yeah, other Rule of AC in Texas: When time to work on part of AC in hottest location, sun will be very high in sky. After removing the panel to reveal the contactor and checking out both the resistance across the contactor coil and the wire back down to the control board I confirmed that it was indeed the contactor that was the problem. Being that it was Sunday I knew I could not get a replacement that day.

It was going to be a long hot afternoon and night with no AC. I solved the hot afternoon problem by spending it at the Ice House. Still hot there, but the beer was plenty cold enough. Fortunately, back in early June I had installed a small window unit in my office. I was able to blow some of that cool into my bedroom with a box fan and that combined with my new ceiling fan made for fairly comfortable sleeping.

I did call my AC repair guy on Sunday anyway, figuring since I had sussed out the problem I could get the job done pretty cheap and not have to endure any more time on that hot roof. However, by noon on Monday I had not heard back from him. The house was starting to get pretty hot and I was getting antsy. I decided to Google-up my nearest AC parts place and give them a call with the part number. They did not have the exact part but one close enough to work. Contactors are pretty simple things and as long as they have the right number of poles (connections), the right load rating and coil voltage they will work. Just to be sure I pulled the faulty part to take with me (again, here I am at high noon on that hot roof).

I got the contactor, hooked everything back up and lo and behold: cool air again! The total cost for this repair was $10 for the part and about $2.25 in fuel for the round trip to get it. I think I might have saved some money! Funny thing is that on the way back from the parts house my AC guy finally called me back. I told him what I was up to and that if things did not work out I would call him back. Thankfully, I didn't need to.

I Lost a Photo Job

2008-07-15T11:58:00.001-07:00

This week I lost a photo job because of a dispute over how much I charge per mile driven to and from an assignment location. This job had been scheduled for over a month and I submitted my formal estimate once the final shoot date was determined. I could not do the estimate until then because I did not know the location. In a city the size of Houston one must take this into account. I have had assignments with over 600 miles of driving and never left Harris County. So, if a location is way out past yo momma's house I need to factor it in.

The location for this assignment was relatively close by Houston standards, about 25 miles round trip. So I put a line item in my estimate for 25 miles at .75 a mile for a total of $18.75. A couple of days after submitting the estimate I got a call from a client bean counter who informed me they never pay more than .40 a mile. I justified my price based on the current cost of fuel and even proffered that the IRS had just raised its allowance to 58.5 cents a mile. My car is a diesel model and diesel costs almost a dollar more than gasoline. The BC would have none of it and said I would have to speak with the Director of Marketing the following Monday (the day before the assignment). I never got to speak with this person because early Monday morning I received an email that stated: "we cannot meet your requirements of payment of .75 per mile" and "will, therefore, not be needing your services at this time...".

So, because of $8.75 in expenses I lost the job. I sent an email reply and noted that the amount in dispute equaled a couple of lattes at Starbucks. I signed off with the rather snarky remark:

"Enjoy your coffee..."

FotoFest 2008

2008-03-08T12:37:00.000-08:00

I have an exhibit of my work during FotoFest this year at the Artists' Gallery at Nance Street Studios. The first opening was last night (March 7). Mucho thanks to all the folks that showed up Friday night (some pictured above). We had a good turnout and everyone enjoyed the great selection of wine that I arranged through my favorite restaurant Divino. I have another opening on Saturday, March 15 at Nance Street Studios (map). We will have some more great wine to sample so come on out.

My exhibit features images shot in Paris and New Orleans. These are presented as 20 x 30 inch Giclee prints on canvas stretched on frames. The price for the canvases are $300 each. Also available at the show are a selection of 9 x 12 matted prints for sale at the special show price of $20 each (cash only). The exhibit will remain up throughout FotoFest which runs from March 7 through April 20, 2008. If you want to stop by the gallery at times other than next Saturday's opening, please contact Don Tucker at 713-225-1806 or 713-702-9932 to make an appointment.

Entry to Nance Street Studios
1707 Nance Street
Houston, TX 77020

A Surprising Visit to the Eye Doctor

2008-01-15T11:46:00.000-08:00

I have had cataract surgery on both my eyes. My right eye procedure was done in 2002 and my left eye in 2005. Today's cataract procedures are a far cry from how they were done in the previous generation. My father Larkin Scott (1917-1990) had cataract surgery at about my age and it was quite unpleasant. In those days they cut a large incision around your cornea and removed the natural lens. The incision was sewn shut with several stitches and the recovery time was long and painful. In order to restore normal vision you had to wear either a contact lens or thick cataract glasses. Today the procedure is streamlined and requires only a tiny slit in the cornea which heals quickly and without stitches. Furthermore, your natural lens is replaced with an implant lens that mimics the function of the original. Both of my cataracts were done in this manner.

Following both procedures my eyesight improved dramatically. Prior to surgery on my right eye I was unable to focus my cameras using that eye. Driving at night was annoying because cataracts are a clouding of your eye's lens and make everything look like you are looking through a heavy fog. The cataract in my left eye took a little longer to develop but it eventually got bad enough that I had it done three years later. Again, the improvement in my vision was dramatic. With both eyes repaired I now had 20-20 vision at distance without glasses or contacts and required only cheap drugstore magnifying glasses for reading.

Everything was fine until a few months ago when I noticed that the vision in my right eye was beginning to be a little blurry, almost like the cataract was coming back. I knew that was impossible because the natural lens was gone and plastic implant lenses can't get cataracts. I began to worry that I might have some other vision problem, even going so far as to imagine I might have a brain tumor or some such thing. One of the distinct characteristics of males is that "ignorance is bliss" when it comes to things related to your health. I put off going to the eye doctor for several months. Finally I could not endure the deteriorating vision in my right eye any longer because once again I was no longer able to focus my cameras with that eye. I booked an appointment with my eye doctor.

Today I went to my eye doctor for that appointment. They did the usual stuff: have you read the eye chart, check your ocular pressure, put in some drops and aim incredibly bright lights into your eyes. Most of this was done by an intern and he did not volunteer much information. Eventually the doctor who did the original surgery on both eyes arrived and took a look. He recognized the problem immediately and explained that it was common with post-operative cataract patients. Approximately 50% of all successful cataract surgery patients will ultimately experience some post-operative clouding or blurring. What gets cloudy is the back portion of eye's natural lens capsule which is left intact at the time of the surgery to support the implanted lens. This is referred to as a "secondary cataract".

So I am thinking "Oh great, more surgery, recovery time and fees". Then the doctor says "You want that fixed today?" I am flabbergasted. Today? How? He explains that in the past in order to correct the situation a small incision had to be made in the eye, a small knife inserted and used to create a small opening in the cloudy membrane. However, today it can all be done with a laser, specifically a YAG laser. No incisions, no chance for infection, no anesthesia and no hospital.

The procedure itself took only a few minutes. I put my head in a little supporting device, the doctor aimed a thing that looked like a horizontal microscope at my eye and zap! Actually there were four little zaps each looking like tiny sparks in my eye. After that I got up and walked out like nothing happened. My vision improved immediately. Once again I could see perfectly out of my right eye.

We actually spent more time on hold with the insurance company prior to the procedure trying to confirm coverage than on the procedure itself. Coverage was confirmed but since I had not met my deductible I would have to pay for the whole thing out of pocket. I was prepared for that because I have a high deductible policy ($2500) and being the first of the year I knew that there was no way I had met it. The lady working with me at the doctor's office told me that the price for the YAG laser procedure was $1500. I gulped, but was ready to pony up that amount to get my good vision back. Then she explained that even though the insurance company was not paying the fee that the doctor would charge only what the insurance would pay for the procedure: $276.39! Now that is a discount I can live with and I whipped out my Amex card. The moral to this story is that if you have insurance and even if it is not actually paying, you still get the "brother-in-law" discount. It does pay to have insurance.

One More Funny Ad Placement

2007-12-21T11:07:00.000-08:00

Here we go again! Although not as striking as some of my previous posts, this juxtaposition of a gas company ad above one with a headline featuring the word "blowout" is still pretty funny. Yes, if you want to prevent a blowout before the end of the year (or after) you should definitely call before digging around gas lines.

2007 In Review

2007-12-10T13:30:00.000-08:00

Here it is nearing the end of another year and what a year it has been. Not so much for me except to say that this was the first year of my official "semi-retirement and self-unemployment". Actually, I have been self-unemployed for my entire career. There is no job security being a freelance photographer. Every job may be your last!

The year 2007 has seen some surprising and not-so-surprising events:

We have had everything from foot tapping senators to dog fighting NFL players to diaper wearing astronauts plus all those celebrity meltdowns (Britney, Paris, Lindsay etal). And it seems everybody in sports is on steroids. Even Imus got fired for, well, being Imus.

It was revealed that a character in the Harry Potter books might be gay. Come to think of it, if you are male and have facial hair and are still reading Harry Potter books... YOU are gay.

Evel Knievel died of natural causes. Who would have thought that from a man who spent years trying to kill himself doing dangerous stunts.

Anna Nicole Smith died of a drug overdose. Who would not have thought that!

Shopping became a lot more dangerous with shootings at four different malls. This year I shopped at Amazon.com. Nobody ever got shot there.

The sub-prime mortgage crisis devastated the financial markets and thousands may lose their homes to foreclosure. Shades of the 90's "dot com" bust. It seems that no matter how you craft them, pyramid schemes, like perpetual motion machines, just never seem to work.

And it turns out that all our intelligence on Iran's nuclear program may be wrong. I guess Santa is not going to give Dick Cheney a war for Christmas this year.

Al Gore wins both an Oscar and the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on global warming. Come to think of it, this has been one of the warmest winters I have experienced in Houston. Maybe old Al is on to something.

And here in Houston it looks like Metro will get its rail line down Richmond (the alignment I have supported all along) and will build all its new routes using light rail instead of a mix with BRT (buses on guide ways). There are still a few kinks to work out with the Feds and as they say "It ain't over til the..." well you know.

That just leaves me to tell you what I have been up to. Not much. I did go down to New Orleans for a weekend in October with my GF Sara Jo. We did the usual stuff: eat, drink, eat, drink.... The reason (excuse) for the trip was that it was my 40th college homecoming weekend (I graduated from Tulane University in 1967). We did not attend any alumni activities but I did make it out to the Tulane campus one afternoon to check it out. SJ spent that afternoon playing nickel poker at Harrah's Casino.

NoLa is coming back and the French Quarter, Garden District and the Tulane Campus look like Katrina never happened. Can't say that for the rest of the city though. Good times anyway.

Back at home I enjoy hanging out a the West Alabama Ice House, dining at my favorite restaurant in the neighborhood, Divino's, and checking out the art at the Museum of Fine Arts and Menil Museum from time to time. And I jump in my pool every day for swim. My dog Boo is still hanging in there although his eyesight is getting pretty poor. He tends to bump into things a lot. But he continues to do his job of "barking up the bad people".

I am still taking pictures, but mostly for myself. You can see a gallery of my images from 2007 at my web site www.ronscott.com. Please check it out.

So until next year have a very Merry Christmas (or Hanukkah, or Festivus, or whatever you celebrate) and a Happy New Year.

CNN "Latest News" Headline Gaffe

2007-10-21T12:54:00.000-07:00

Take a look at this unfortunate juxtaposition of headlines I saw today on CNN.com. And you know how I love finding these. Does anybody proof-read this site before it is published? Those two headlines should have not been in the same list much less right next to each other.

A Funny Sign

2007-10-09T11:00:00.000-07:00

At the West Alabama Ice House in Houston they sell a lot of beer, a few cheap wines, one brand of cigarettes and assorted chips. If the cigarette brand were Marlboro this juxtaposition of items on the sign would not have been as funny. If the Ice House were in Egypt it might even be somewhat unappetizing.

My Funny Dog

2007-10-04T10:55:00.001-07:00

A funny thing happened with my dog. I got up yesterday morning and noticed that Boo (my dog) was not in his usual spot, under my bed. I looked in all his other favorite spots around the house and could not find him. He was not outside either (he has a doggy door). I knew he had come up to bed with me the night before because the bath mat next to my tub was scrunched up. He does that each night to move it out of the way to get next to the cool floor and tub.

Finally I noticed that the door to the downstairs bathroom was closed. I opened the door and there was Boo. Apparently when he got up earlier in the morning to go outside to do his "business" he got confused (he does not see too well) and wandered into the bathroom. He must have bumped into the door and somehow pushed it closed (it swings into the bathroom). I have no idea how long he was in there, could have been several hours, but he never barked or whined. He just waited patiently for someone to let him out. He will bark at the slightest thing but in that situation he was just stoic. Weird dog. I am calling him "Boodini" now since he knows how to lock himself in a room (but unlike Houdini, can't get himself out).

My Vote is For Rail on Richmond

2007-09-27T12:29:00.000-07:00

Another one of my letters to the editor was published today in the Houston Chronicle. For some time I have supported the Richmond alignment for Metro's new University Line, the next phase of light rail in Houston. This is my second letter on the subject to be printed. Thank you Houston Chronicle for your continued support of Metro's light rail plans. Here is the full text of my letter:

Concerning Roy R. Reynolds' Sept. 23 Outlook column, "Metro: Make it a bike trail and spare us from light rail": Certainly Reynolds cannot be serious.

Bike trails in Houston will fail for the same reason that the Segway Personal Transporters failed: Because they are not air-conditioned.

MetroRail and buses are very well air-conditioned, though, and I would choose either of these conveyances over a bicycle at any time in Houston.

However, the argument is not over riding a bike or an air-conditioned bus or rail car, it seems to be about the placement of the University line.

And there is no better part of town to build public transportation than right where people are -- in the busiest part.

I agree that a comprehensive transit plan for Houston should encompass the outlying areas, but the most logical place to start is from the inside out. Why bring people into a city center and then offer them no way to get anywhere?

I spoke before the Metropolitan Transit Authority's recent public hearing (that Reynolds derided, saying "any words of discord fell on deaf ears").

By the time my turn to speak came up, more than half of those at the mike were in favor of the Richmond line. By the end of the day my experience was confirmed.

According to richmondrail.org: "The speakers who favored rail on Richmond ... clearly outnumbered those opposed to rail on Richmond."

I am one commuter who will be leaving my car in the garage more often once the University line runs down Richmond.

Another Funny Ad Placement

2007-09-25T10:55:00.000-07:00

I found this one in today's Houston Chronicle. I don't think the person pictured in the liposuction ad has been to the Health Museum much less the gym! Furthermore, I am not sure which is the before and which is the after picture in the ad. To see my previous Funny Ad Placement item click here.

Health Care Revisited

2007-09-24T18:26:00.000-07:00

Just this week I received a letter from my health insurance provider informing me that me that my insurance premiums were going to be "adjusted" (translation: they are going up). The increase is about 15%, far beyond the current rate of inflation. Their stated reason for the increase is "medical costs continue to increase as new technology, new procedures and new prescriptions drugs offer treatment alternatives never before available".

What a load of cow excrement! The reason that my insurance premium is being raised is 1) to ensure that profits for the insurance company remain high and 2) to offset the increase health care costs due to the burgeoning number of uninsured in this country. I was born at night, but not LAST night. Health care costs are rising for one reason only: there are fewer and fewer people paying in to the system by buying health insurance, whether individually (like me) or through employee benefits.

But this is just how the health industry in this country has come to work. The poor, unemployed or under-employed turn to the state or federal government for Medicaid or similar programs. The old have Medicare (for the time being). The rich can pay their own way without insurance (or afford any premium levied). The middle class (that would be ME) are left to try to cover ourselves with private insurance in what is called the "free market system". There certainly is a "system" but nothing in it is even close to "free" when it comes to health care. I would settle for just reasonable.

Now I don't mind paying my own way but when the system is so biased towards soaking the middle and working class and rewarding the uninsured poor and undocumented in this country, I have to speak up. I am entitled to my opinion and you just got it.

But to add insult to injury, tonight I got a call from a so-called "marketing survey" company wanting to ask me questions about my level of satisfaction with my current health care provider, which they mentioned by name. I have been called many times by these surveyors and have come to realize that at best their surveys are biased towards whoever hired them to to do it. At worst the survey is nothing more than a "feel good" effort by the company paying for the survey to confirm what it already believes. In the case of tonight's call I knew exactly why I was targeted.

Duh! They just raised my premium and wanted to assure their board of directors (or stock analysts or whomever) that all us customers were still very satisfied with our provider. What a crock! I told the caller that I was on to their ruse and would not participate. She thanked me for my time and wished me a good day. As a parting shot I asked if she (the survey taker) had health insurance at her job. Answer: NO (go figure).

To see my previous blog on health care in this country click here. Once you read it you will see why I am going to have to drink less beer (or a cheaper brand).

Ellen Tamm

2007-09-22T13:24:00.000-07:00

Ellen Tamm was an art director with the advertising agency Rives, Smith, Baldwin and Carlberg (now Richards/Carlberg) in the early 80's. I worked with her at least one time on a shoot for M. W. Kellogg in May of 1981. Less than eight months later she was dead. She was murdered by the infamous serial killer Coral Eugene Watts, reported to have died in prison yesterday, closing the final chapter on this sad and senseless tale.

Ellen's death was first ruled a suicide. She was found hanging from a tree in the Montrose area of Houston on a cold January morning in 1982. She was an avid jogger, logging three miles each day. On a cold morning she would wrap her head with a tube top to keep her face and ears warm. It was this tube top that acted as a noose, suspending her from the small tree. The police seemed to think that she might have hanged herself.

Those of us who knew Ellen thought this suicide ruling was ridiculous. Both her parents and other relatives came to her defense and implored the Houston Police Department to investigate further. This was to no avail and the suicide ruling remained official until the truth came out when Watts confessed later that year to killing Ellen and eleven other women in Texas (11) and Michigan (1).

You can read more about this case and the many others connected to Watts here:

http://www.officialcoldcaseinvestigations.com/showthread.php?p=9618

In the years following Ellen's death the Art Directors Club of Houston (ADCH) created a special scholarship for students naming it the Ellen Tamm Memorial Scholarship. Ellen was a former board of director of the organization whose members work in the fields of advertising, design, illustration, photography and multimedia. For many years the scholarship awarded an internship for a deserving student at one of Houston's advertising agencies or design firms. The scholarship has been discontinued but the ADCH still maintains the Ellen Tamm Memorial Fund to provide other programs for students. In her remembrance the ADCH renamed its annual student show of advertising, design, illustration, photography and multimedia the Ellen Tamm Student Show.