OTBR: Pinyon-Juniper Woodland in the Uintah Basin

Latitude: 40.3128 N
Longitude: 110.4005 W

A child on a road trip with his family asks, "Where are we?" and the father answers, "Let's check the map. We're off the blue roads [the Interstate Highways marked in blue on the road atlas]. We're off the red roads [the US and state highways]. We're off the black roads [the county highways]. I think we're off the map altogether." It was always my dream to be off the map altogether.

After the jump, a few of the random places (and I mean random literally) that I visited vicariously last month that are "off the blue roads".

Twitter Tracks: Politics and Elections

Twitter tracks from March, 2011:

• 2011 03 01 - Vote YES on the RISD bond. And here's why: Strong schools. Good education. No tax increase. http://www.voteyesrisd.org/
• 2011 03 01 - Headline: "Huckabee says President Obama's childhood in Kenya shaped his world view ." Even Mike Huckabee's an idiot. Unless he retracts.
• 2011 03 01 - GasLand (2010): Gas industry pumps toxic chemicals into groundwater all over US. Scary and depressing as hell. Drill, baby, drill. C+
• 2011 03 01 - Is there such a thing as #DontFollowTuesday? If so, I nominate @charliesheen and @GovernorPerry.
• 2011 03 02 - Headline: "Heavy Snow Linked To Climate Change." D'oh. Warm air -> More evaporation -> More precipitation overall, some locally heavy. D'oh.
• 2011 03 02 - Headline: "Pope Exonerates Jews For Jesus' Death." Shouldn't he instead be apologizing for his own sins?
• 2011 03 03 - UN agrees to have ICC investigate war crimes by Gaddafi. US supports move, with exception that no Americans can ever be investigated by ICC.
• 2011 03 03 - Newt Gingrich announces plan to explore possibility of creating exploratory committee to explore whether or not to run for President in 2012
• 2011 03 03 - The Thin Blue Line (1988): Long overdue viewing of this shocking story of how Dallas DA office railroaded an innocent man to death row. B+
• 2011 03 03 - I'm with Schutze. Liberals have nothing on conservatives when it comes to imposing nanny state laws. http://bit.ly/fnBpmq
• 2011 03 03 - Leppert is running a statewide campaign??? Maybe he shouldn't brag about stealing business from San Antonio for Dallas. http://goo.gl/srSAp

After the jump, more Twitter tracks.

How Can Anyone Be Against Open Meetings?

"In October of 2004, a member of the city council in Alpine, Texas, sent an e-mail to other councilmembers asking if they wanted to place a particular item on a future council agenda. The following day, one of the other councilmembers responded to recipients of the first e-mail, stating that she agreed that the item should be discussed. The local district attorney decided that this e-mail exchange violated the Texas Open Meetings Act (TOMA) because the e-mails ultimately involved a quorum of the city council. As a result, two of the councilmembers were criminally indicted by a grand jury."
-- Texas Municipal League

I can understand why some good people may come to the conclusion that public service just isn't worth the aggravation. The idea behind the Texas Open Meetings Act (TOMA) is good, but it doesn't achieve its purpose. It doesn't drive government deliberations out into the open. It simply squelches them. Not by statute, but by practical effect. Good intentions, unintended consequences.

I know, I know, it sounds like I'm against motherhood and apple pie, against the flag, against good governance and for smoke-filled rooms, but ... after the jump, the case against the Texas Open Meetings Act. Not open meetings, mind you. The law.

Richardson Idol: Week Two

The second week of Richardson Idol aired last night from the sanctuary of the Richardson East Church of Christ. This week's sponsor was the Owens Park Neighborhood Association. Twelve of thirteen contestants vying for the grand prize, a seat on the Richardson City Council, appeared, some with fresh material, some reprising their old standards. Neilsen ratings were down a little, but not by much. As the format requires, it is up to the audience (and by audience, I mean me) to eliminate one contestant each week until we have a council. (The recap of last week's show can be found here.)

But before we hear who will be eliminated this week, let's first hand out superlatives ... after the jump.

Excerpts: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Amazon

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot:

I was stunned. The woman I’d been lying next to for days -- laughing, elbowing, consoling -- was now running from me like I was out to get her. "Deborah!" I called after her. "I’m not trying to do anything bad. I just want to learn your mother’s story, same as you." She whipped around, her eyes still panicked, "I don’t know who to trust," she hissed, then ran out the door, slamming it behind her."

After the jump, my review and more excerpts.

Excerpts: The Emperor of All Maladies

Amazon

From "The Emperor of All Maladies," by Siddhartha Mukherjee:

She imagined and concocted various causes to explain her symptoms - overwork, depression, dyspepsia, neuroses, insomnia. But in the end, something visceral arose inside her - a seventh sense - that told Carla something acute and catastrophic was brewing within her body."

After the jump, my review and more excerpts.

Spring in the Steger Garden (2011)

From Flowers

More photos after the jump.