tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29492125Fri, 06 Mar 2026 11:17:27 +0000Barack ObamaTexasAustinOscarsbest picturecocktailsinsuranceparty20089/11AielliAndrea YatesApple ComputerAvatarBin LadenBuchholzCDsCarterChristianityClooneyCongressDallasDavid Cay JohnstonDr. TillerEREbertEdwardsEklektikosFirefightersFrank RichFresh AirGeneral PaceHillaryInnesIraqJamie FoxxJunoKUTKovacLarry MonroeMaura TierneyMcCain videoMichael ClaytonMichael VickNBCNew York TimesNo Country for Old MenObamaObamacycleOscarOtty SanchezParminder NagraPaul RayPeggy NoonanSXSWSally FieldSan AntonioStatesmanTerry GrossTransformersTravis CountyVarietyWillam Kristolabortionactivismanencephalyanimal crueltyarcbabycat tear stainscat tearscaucuscharacterchoiceclubscontributedeductibledepressiondevildiningdiscriminationdog fightingdonatedramadrinkfavefavoritefinalfinalefoodfor-profitforeplayfungay rightshealth-care billhealthcareimprovinvitationinvitekillinglacrimal stainsmental illnessmilitarymoviesmusicnamecallingnewbornpathologistpet stain removalplaypostpartum psychosisprimaryred yeast stainsschizophreniasocialismspeechtarantinotear stain removaltearstainstownhall.comvideovoicesvotewafflesStrong, sweet, and minty, with a leetle extra kick!http://www.arsenicjulep.com/noreply@blogger.com (ArsenicJulep)Blogger125125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29492125.post-7155871195386293690Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:02:00 +00002010-03-15T22:47:16.386-05:00AustinCDsclubscocktailsdiningdrinkfoodfunimprovmusicplaySXSWTexasI initially wrote about some of my favorite Austin restaurants and hangouts for campaign workers during the 2008 primary election. Since then, I have updated my listing for visitors and renters, so I thought I would post it for the yearly deluge of SXSW visitors, and for interested locals as well. Bon appétit, y'all! FOOD: Ruby’s Barbecue – 512 W. 29th, 78705: http://www.arsenicjulep.com/2010/03/food-drink-and-fun-in-austin-for-sxsw.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ArsenicJulep)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29492125.post-5420366729371523054Fri, 05 Mar 2010 05:12:00 +00002012-06-06T20:44:13.320-05:00AustinAvatarbest picturecocktailsDallasOscarspartytarantinoVarietyIt's hard to believe that this is my 13th annual Oscar Party. I will miss all my Austin friends, but am carrying on the big-screen tradition in Dallas. Featured drink this year: the Avatar. Avatar Cocktail: 2 oz. Tropical Pucker schnapps 1 1/2 oz. vanilla vodka Lemon-lime soda Lemon sour egg Add schnapps and vodka to ice-filled highball glass. Fill with lemon-lime soda. Garnish with Na'vi http://www.arsenicjulep.com/2010/03/oscar-party-2010.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ArsenicJulep)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29492125.post-6573543312520700435Thu, 06 Aug 2009 07:16:00 +00002009-08-09T00:20:43.310-05:00AielliEklektikosKUTLarry MonroePaul RayStatesmanA friend of mine recently sent an email about a gathering to protest changes in the KUT radio schedule, which includes reducing the hours of several long-time DJs, including Larry Monroe, Paul Ray, and Jay Trachtenberg, and using a syndicated show during overnight hours. I responded to him, and posted a comment on the Austin American-Statesman website as follows:I've been listening to and http://www.arsenicjulep.com/2009/08/changes-at-kut.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ArsenicJulep)24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29492125.post-3297024624321033417Sat, 01 Aug 2009 05:56:00 +00002009-08-01T07:11:44.811-05:00deductibleFirefightersfor-profithealth-care billinsuranceObamapathologistsocialismEveryone who thinks that all American entities should make a profit, remember this: before we had our current "socialized" police and fire departments, these functions were performed for profit by gangs of street thugs who demanded payment before responding to a crime in progress or dousing a fire. In case of fire, if you hadn't paid off a particular gang or didn't pony up the cash, your home or http://www.arsenicjulep.com/2009/08/are-fire-departments-socialist.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ArsenicJulep)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29492125.post-4162329410319570138Tue, 28 Jul 2009 03:41:00 +00002009-07-28T18:51:18.114-05:00Andrea YatesbabyBuchholzdepressiondevilkillingmental illnessnewbornOtty Sanchezpostpartum psychosisSan AntonioschizophreniavoicesThere's a tragic story this week about a San Antonio woman who has allegedly killed and mutilated her own baby. If you have a weak stomach, you might want to skip the next paragraph.Even though Otty Sanchez had been in and out of a mental hospital, she was caring for her three-and-a-half-week-old son and her sister's two children Sunday morning when she "'used a knife...to dismember the child, http://www.arsenicjulep.com/2009/07/its-andrea-yates-all-over-again.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ArsenicJulep)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29492125.post-1159641838778797221Tue, 14 Jul 2009 06:08:00 +00002009-08-03T16:40:56.746-05:00EbertforeplaymoviesnamecallingTransformersI'm a longtime fan of Roger Ebert's writing, and not only do I enjoy reading his movie reviews, both before and after seeing a film, I also find his blog to be both enjoyable and thought provoking. A recent post, entitled "I Am a Brainiac," deplored the anti-intellectual climate in this country, and the harsh reaction to his panning the new "Transformers" movie. I was moved to comment on his posthttp://www.arsenicjulep.com/2009/07/whatever-happened-to-civility-or.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ArsenicJulep)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29492125.post-2698458519803634183Tue, 02 Jun 2009 20:06:00 +00002009-08-03T16:41:54.521-05:009/11abortionanencephalychoiceChristianityDr. TillerYesterday, the New York Times published an editorial on the murder of Dr. George Tiller, the Wichita doctor who became a target because of his willingness to perform to perform late-term abortions. He often helped women who otherwise would have had to carry pregnancies to term that would have threatened their life, health, or fertility, or whose fetuses were suffering from severe, unsurvivable http://www.arsenicjulep.com/2009/06/what-happened-to-turning-other-cheek.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ArsenicJulep)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29492125.post-2570872340806345029Wed, 27 May 2009 04:51:00 +00002009-08-28T08:40:22.255-05:00activismBarack ObamaCongresshealthcareinsuranceRecently, I got an email from President Obama asking me to sign my name and stand with him in demanding health care reform. He also asked for personal stories about health care reform, so I wrote the following: I had health insurance through my employer for eight years. When I was laid off, I continued the coverage through COBRA, although I had to pay the full premiums, which went up by 40% a http://www.arsenicjulep.com/2009/05/healthcare-coverage-for-all-americans.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ArsenicJulep)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29492125.post-1556488991421065554Thu, 02 Apr 2009 23:41:00 +00002009-04-08T00:35:39.535-05:00arccharacterClooneydramaEdwardsERfavefavoritefinalfinaleInnesKovacMaura TierneyNBCParminder NagraSally FieldNBC's television drama ER is airing its final episode tonight after 15 years on the air. I have been watching since the pilot episode aired, dating back to my first apartment in Austin, and I think I can say that of all of the series I have watched or followed over the years, it is the one that has not only touched me the most, but also taught me the most.Although the show has inspired several http://www.arsenicjulep.com/2009/04/why-er-is-my-favorite-tv-drama-of-all.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ArsenicJulep)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29492125.post-5937238556142504978Sun, 15 Feb 2009 20:27:00 +00002009-08-01T06:27:49.095-05:00Bollywood comes to Austin this coming Sunday, Feb. 22, 2009! The show starts at 7 p.m., but come at 6:30ish to finish filling out your ballots and get a bite to eat. As usual, costumes and red-carpet glamour are encouraged!http://www.arsenicjulep.com/2009/02/oscar-party-2009.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ArsenicJulep)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29492125.post-1083998810924077113Mon, 11 Aug 2008 22:32:00 +00002008-08-18T09:21:42.541-05:00Apple ComputerwafflesAlthough I did not actually buy shares of Apple Computer last spring when I should have (now up 57.52%--dang!), I am tracking AAPL's progress on my Google Portfolio page, so I get the company's news feed every day. Last Thursday, the headlines looked like this:Mmmmmmm...waffles! They say that like it's a bad thing.http://www.arsenicjulep.com/2008/08/if-food-channel-did-business-news.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ArsenicJulep)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29492125.post-1459741734298779711Tue, 05 Aug 2008 21:59:00 +00002009-08-08T21:32:30.756-05:00I should preface this posting by saying that a couple of years ago, I started doing research about animal cruelty issues, especially with regard to farm animals. I received an email asking me to participate in an online survey regarding my shopping habits in exchange for a chance to win a $2,000 NM gift card. I did participate in the survey, but was bothered by the question about whether I was http://www.arsenicjulep.com/2008/08/letter-to-neiman-marcus-customer.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ArsenicJulep)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29492125.post-7961526257758271827Sun, 03 Aug 2008 02:00:00 +00002008-08-02T21:10:29.253-05:00Random pet pronunciation peeve:I hate it when people pronounce the title of the movie "Amélie" as if it rhymes with "homily," and with the emphasis on the first syllable. I wonder how many obnoxious tourists accost Mlle Tatou and say, "Aaaah gist luuuuved yew in that movie 'Ommily.'"It's ahh-meh-lee, if you please, with a broad, light "ah," not "aww."There now, I feel a lot better. Which reminds http://www.arsenicjulep.com/2008/08/random-peeve.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ArsenicJulep)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29492125.post-1584410937719219325Sun, 20 Jul 2008 09:07:00 +00002008-07-20T04:56:33.299-05:00cat tear stainscat tearslacrimal stainspet stain removalred yeast stainstear stain removaltearstainsThe internet is a magical tool for some things--finding step-by-step instructions for opening a port in your firewall, for instance, getting an up-to-date exchange rate from Euros to Fijian dollars, or locating biological relatives--that sort of thing. You would think that there would be a page somewhere on removing even the most obscure stains, but alas, it's just the same five or six stains http://www.arsenicjulep.com/2008/07/cat-tear-stain-removal-its-weird-i-know.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ArsenicJulep)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29492125.post-8055709743633020416Sat, 17 May 2008 11:02:00 +00002008-05-17T06:32:29.418-05:00A couple of weeks ago, I wrote part of a post about SXSW and added pictures and video, and then I went back and wrote even more detail about a particular showcase, complete with nifty links to YouTube clips from the movies I was reminded of. Unbeknownst to me, Blogger was having a problem with posting video and photos, and when I hit the "submit button," it didn't post all my text, and it hadn't http://www.arsenicjulep.com/2008/05/technical-difficulties.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ArsenicJulep)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29492125.post-5837207706605513605Wed, 05 Mar 2008 13:09:00 +00002008-04-06T16:17:47.741-05:00Barack ObamacaucusHillaryTexasTravis CountyvideoI looked on the web for video of crazy Texas caucuses, and believe it or not, found one of our Precinct's gathering! That's me in the green sweater, furiously writing down names and addresses.Non-Texans might be wondering why it's taking so long for Texas to count the votes from the caucuses. I was both the Temporary and Permanent Convention Secretary for Travis County’s Precinct 274 (that's in http://www.arsenicjulep.com/2008/03/raucus-caucus.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ArsenicJulep)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29492125.post-7735726519338468660Tue, 04 Mar 2008 05:22:00 +00002008-03-04T00:08:59.463-06:00Barack ObamaprimaryTexasvoteYou'd have to have been living in a cave not to know that Texas has a primary Tuesday, but just in case you're still scrambling to find your polling place, or don't know about the caucus, you can find the info here. Click here to look up your polling place. And here is a .pdf you can download that has all the pertinent information on it. I also have a description of the caucus process in my Feb. http://www.arsenicjulep.com/2008/03/vote-today.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ArsenicJulep)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29492125.post-5526078229011941890Sat, 23 Feb 2008 16:48:00 +00002008-02-23T14:30:21.165-06:00As a Precinct Captain for Barack Obama (Travis County Precinct 274), I have set up a House Party today to reach out to voters, talk to them about the candidates, and educate people about the primary and caucus voting processes in Texas.The details:Host: Julia SpencerTime: Saturday, February 23 at 12:00 PM - 2 hoursLocation: Spider House Cafe2908 Fruth St.Austin, TX 78705Directions: Spider House http://www.arsenicjulep.com/2008/02/spider-house-party-for-obama.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ArsenicJulep)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29492125.post-269655381681527286Wed, 20 Feb 2008 18:15:00 +00002008-02-20T12:47:24.562-06:00Barack ObamaBin LadenCarterIraqtownhall.comThere was an article by Mona Charen posted a few days ago on townhall.com about Barack Obama called "Old Wine, New Bottle." It made a lot of false claims about his policies and intentions, so I posted the following comment to refute a couple of the most troubling misstatements.First of all, Obama isn't advocating subsidizing environmentally friendly or "green" products. You're right, if there's ahttp://www.arsenicjulep.com/2008/02/green-technology-and-diplomacy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ArsenicJulep)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29492125.post-2376357887777300986Mon, 18 Feb 2008 23:39:00 +00002009-08-01T06:56:04.280-05:00Just this past week, I signed up to be a Precinct Captain for Obama in Austin, Texas. My precinct is 274, and our polling place is the First English Lutheran Church. I'm excited about getting out the vote for Obama and making a difference in Texas.I've been practicing articulating why I support Obama, and what the differences are between him and Senator Clinton. A lot of Texas newspapers have http://www.arsenicjulep.com/2008/02/austin-american-statesman-endorses.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ArsenicJulep)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29492125.post-109920993664268232Fri, 15 Feb 2008 12:30:00 +00002009-08-01T06:54:37.199-05:002008best pictureinvitationinviteJunoMichael ClaytonNo Country for Old MenOscarOscarspartyThe writer's strike threw the Oscarcast into question this year, and now primary election frenzy seems to be gobbling up all my time. The official invite is below.For the first time, I will be showing the Oscars in High-Def TV on my new giant screen. Yay!The red-carpet part of the broadcast starts at 7, but I encourage everyone to come around 6:30, get a drink and a bite to eat, and finish http://www.arsenicjulep.com/2008/02/oscar-party-2008.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ArsenicJulep)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29492125.post-8928650420849799900Tue, 12 Feb 2008 06:22:00 +00002008-02-20T08:56:02.840-06:00Barack ObamaDavid Cay JohnstonFrank RichFresh AirMcCain videoNew York TimesObamacyclePeggy NoonanTerry GrossWillam KristolI was looking at Obama's website tonight, and it had a link to call voters in Virginia. That made me think of my friend and Wellesley classmate Leslie G., who lives in Arlington, so I thought I'd call her and see if she were voting tomorrow. She went to an Obama rally at a high-school gym yesterday, and they got there early, but there was a very long wait until the man himself showed up. But she http://www.arsenicjulep.com/2008/02/obama-related-links.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ArsenicJulep)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29492125.post-6915026912558028957Tue, 05 Feb 2008 07:10:00 +00002009-06-08T14:55:19.726-05:00Barack ObamacontributedonatespeechTonight, I'm watching Barack Obama speaking at a rally in Boston the night before the Super Tuesday Primaries.I continue to be impressed by his ability to bring together diverse audiences with his positive message, while not being afraid to tell people (like oil companies and teachers' unions) the hard truth. I'm still unemployed and living off my savings, but I felt compelled to contribute a http://www.arsenicjulep.com/2008/02/if-i-can-donate-you-can-too.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ArsenicJulep)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29492125.post-6753314551488196242Fri, 09 Nov 2007 18:30:00 +00002007-11-09T12:30:49.888-06:00A Coen brothers film about a ruthless killer, this film has been on my list since I saw the first preview. Haven't seen it yet, but Ebert gives it four stars, and says it's as good as Fargo. Is your interest piqued yet? There is a spoiler warning, though, because of analysis of a possible plot hole, so read carefully.read more | digg storyhttp://www.arsenicjulep.com/2007/11/roger-ebert-reviews-country-for-old-men.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ArsenicJulep)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29492125.post-5787298263411942038Fri, 24 Aug 2007 05:39:00 +00002007-10-02T02:13:46.241-05:00animal crueltydog fightingJamie FoxxMichael VickIn an Access Hollywood interview, Jamie Foxx defended Michael Vick's federal dog-fighting and dog-torturing charges by saying,“It’s a cultural thing, I think. Most brothers didn’t know that, you know. I used to see dogs fighting in the neighborhood all the time. I didn’t know that was Fed time. So, Mike probably just didn’t read his handbook on what not to do as a black star. I know that cruelty http://www.arsenicjulep.com/2007/08/jamie-foxx-defends-indefensible.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (ArsenicJulep)0