white ghost shivers...

we saw the quirkiest band play last night at the brick. seriously, it's the oddest show i've ever been to. it was fabulous. and really fun.

hailing from austin (they're doing an EXCELLENT job of keeping austin weird), they're spending about a week bringing their particular brand of acoustic vaudeville (yes, you heard me) to the sunflower state.

here's a note from their myspace site that perfectly describes the evening:



o my!
what a show!
i shiver with delight.
delicious. glorious. silly. sad. raunchy.
little hot tomato in a red dress.
hot tunes. hot music men.
hot night in a cold city.
we must play together.
love,
ruby

i'm pretty sure my life will never be the same. for whatever reason...

quote of the day...

the war in iraq is the biggest evil on the planet earth right now, closely followed by reality tv.

benjamin zephaniah, dub poet, bulb#5

a word of advice from my good friend nicole kenley crowell...

an optimal parking space at your local supermarket is not defined by said parking spot's proximity the supermarket entrance. instead one should endeavor to find the closest spot possible to a cart corral so as to alleviate the frustration of hauling your cart (and your ass) across the parking lot to its proper disposal.

go ahead and try it. soon you, like me, will be proclaiming nicole to be quite possibly the smartest person ever.

justache...

spotted this t-shirt last night at jardine's...

absolutely brilliant.

i heart ny...

so did i tell you that i went to new york last month? well i did. and i LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF IT.

a few highlights: i narrowly missed the transit strike, had my picture taken with santas in central park, got lost only once (and technically i wasn't lost - i knew exactly where i was, i just wasn't sure where i was supposed to be going), had lunch with my friend katie (a fellow WHS alum), saw some live music, walked across the brooklyn bridge, and had a proper introduction to new york pizza.

it's official. i heart ny.

thanks to the good folks at continental airlines (i also heart onepass miles) and the sensational anh dang for enabling me to have such a lovely christmastime visit to this fabulous city.

tell me if you've heard this one...

so my recurring dream made an appearance last night. that damn thing absolutely destroys me emotionally. fortunately, it only takes about a day to recover.

so how, you ask, did i medicate? a killer yoga class with a pride and prejudice chaser.

i'm a complete masochist...

and she moves at the speed of the world...

and there's bullets on the highway

and there's sorrow in the belly of the world
but there's hope just like the morning sun rising
on the shoulders of a little girl
and she moves at the speed of the world

from speed of the world, a new song by barclay martin

you're the reason god made oklahoma...

until i was in the fifth grade, we lived on the nipper place - a section of land where we farmed alfalfa, burned our trash, rode our bikes down a long dirt road, and chased skunks out from under our porch. the nipper place was eighteen miles from town.

farm kids unite!

anyway, after a lightning strike blew out our TV, we never replaced it. instead, we turned on the radio. back in the day, KGNC in amarillo played 70s and 80s country (you know, country music of the past decade...). the sounds of the oak ridge boys, ronnie milsap, the highwaymen, and dolly parton were my elementary school soundtrack.

fast forward twenty years...

two encounters this week with harry's country club have taken me back to those days when my age was measured in single digits.

fortuitously, when i was in houston this fall, lauren introduced me to her favorite radio station - country legends 97.1. as i was reminiscing my favorite country hits of the 60s, 70s, and 80s last week, (and recovering from my mandrell sisters shock), i remembered lauren's radio station. i promptly located them online and ever since, country hits of the 60s, 70s and 80s have been filling the air in my dining room-slash-office.

a few of my favorites:
deeper than the holler - randy travis
y'all come back saloon - oak ridge boys
who's cheatin' who? - charly mcclain
lousiana saturday night - mel mcdaniel
good hearted woman - waylon/willie
you never even called me by my name - david allen coe
king of the road - roger miller (who, by the way, grew up just down route 66 from my grandparents)

i'm sure, at some point, i'll move back in to listening to my iTunes, but for now, this sure hits the spot.

beware the white bronco...

drink apple juice 'cause OJ will kill you

if loving you is wrong...

barclay had a gig last night at harry's country club down in the river market. after he finished playing, i was sitting with some friends, and we realized that our shirts were all variations on the same color (which, coincidentally, happened to match our napkins...).

to which i responded "we're like the mandrell sisters!"

and they all said, "who?"

"THE MANDRELL SISTERS, people!!! you know, barbara, louise, and irlene? they had a variety show in the 80s and their outfits were variations on one another. they all played different instruments - i remember irline played the drums"

no luck.

"i mean, i've heard of barbara mandrell..." "barclay, have you ever heard of the mandrell sisters?"

"who?"

oh good lord...

"are you sure you're not making this up?"

so to prove my own lucidity, as well as serve you a proper introduction to the sisters mandrell, here you go.

i'll bet these people have never watched designing women, either...

absolutely pitiful...

Spurs should fear finals matchup with Pistons

As stingy as Detroit's defense was, the biggest mismatch occurred on the glass where the Pistons grabbed 56 rebounds (including 16 of their own missed shots) to the Spurs' 32 (including only four offensive caroms). The Pistons' big men were quicker laterally, quicker to the ball and quicker off their feet than were Duncan, Rasho Nesterovic and Nazr Mohammed (who only saw six minutes of action).

ugh.

my sentiments exactly...

The Comforts of Soup
by Christena Eng
for NPR's series Kitchen Window

When people in the Northwest talk about the incessant rain, I look out my window and curse the blue sky. More sun in California. I long for the wet winters in Oregon and the afternoons I spent years ago in my studio apartment cooking soup. A pot would last a week.

I am reminded of the energizing chill in that corner of the country, the smell of the air outside after a night of hard rain and the red scarf that helped to keep me warm. Soft and thick, it was one of my favorite items of clothing. It now sits neatly folded near the bottom of a dresser drawer, mostly untouched.

When friends in New England speak of the biting cold, I sympathize. They grumble about the low temperatures and slick pavements; I worry about their health and safety. But I envy them as well. When they describe the icy weather, I think of the small, cozy kitchens to which they will eventually return.

I imagine the steam rising from the bowls of soup they will undoubtedly enjoy: hearty chowders prepared with russet potatoes, chopped clams and heavy cream, spicy gumbos simmered with chunks of seafood, meat and vegetables. I get nostalgic for places I am not.

On cold days in the Bay Area, when close friends and neighbors complain about falling temperatures and increasingly wet roads, I smile surreptitiously. Deep down, I welcome the wild weather. Finally, there is an excuse to make soup. Craving things like split pea and barley, I eagerly dig into recipes collected from books and magazines.

One rainy afternoon, I consider making a pea and ham soup by Australian food writer Donna Hay or a squash, parma ham hock, sage, onion and barley broth from British chef Jamie Oliver. In the end, I settle on hamburger barley soup, made from a recipe given to me years ago by an older sister. It promises to be easy and satisfying, tasty and comforting.

First, I brown the beef. Ground turkey could substitute well, too; I make a mental note for the future. Using a pot instead of a frying pan helps to facilitate cleanup. Into that large pot, I add chopped tomatoes, tomato juice, water, vegetables, seasonings and barley, saving the carrots and potatoes for later. When things come to a boil, the heat gets turned down.

As the soup simmers, I work on other things. I write. I wander through the house, tidying up the living room and the bedroom. I flip on the radio. I surf the Internet.

Roughly 45 minutes later, back in the kitchen, now warm and fragrant, the colors in the pot are impressive: deep reds, dark and light greens, sprinkles of black. Carrots and potatoes go in next, giving the dish additional colors and textures.

While the ingredients continue to cook, I grab my keys, my coat and my red scarf, and head for the front door. I go for a walk around the neighborhood. The chill in the air outside keeps me alert. Life is good, I tell myself, wiping a raindrop from my forehead. And when I return home, there will be soup.

you can find the original article, as well as recipes mentioned above on the NPR website

in case you were wondering...

how to do harsh death metal vocals
how to play guitar like eddie van halen
how to dress for a real metal show (not a nu metal show)

and most importantly...
how to sing in church without feeling embarrassed

New Online Dating & Friendship Finder for Farmers, Ranchers, Country Folks...

...and the sincere, down-to-earth people who respect and cherish the rural lifestyle.

from the farmersonly.com website:

Welcome!

I'm Jerry Miller, founder of FarmersOnly.com. There are basically two groups in America. Group one: their lives revolve around four dollar cups of coffee, taxi cabs, blue suits, high heels, conference rooms and getting ahead at all costs in the corporate world. If you fall into this group you're probably in the wrong place. Group two: they enjoy blue skies, wide open spaces, raising animals, appreciating nature and truly understand the meaning of Southern hospitality, even if they don't live in the South. This group makes up America's Heartland. This is not a geographic area, this is a slice of America with good old fashioned traditional values, values that were never lost by the farmer.

So why did I start this new online dating and friendship finder?

I truly feel there is more of a need for this matchmaking site than any other singles site on the web. You see, as owner of a company that works with thousands of farms and ranches across the country, I've met a number of single farmers of all different ages with one thing in common--they were all having a difficult time finding someone special. Why? Let's face it, how many new people do you meet working on the farm all day?

I also talked to a number of people living in very small towns surrounded by farmland, where everybody already knows everybody. If they didn't marry their high school sweetheart, they were also having trouble finding their match, because living in a rural area and working long hours (often two jobs) makes it difficult to find time to meet someone new who understands the small town, country lifestyle.

One farmer told me the story of her frustrations in trying to find her match. She thought trying online dating may be the answer and joined some of the big national online dating sites. What she found was that the city folks that dominated these online dating sites couldn't relate to her lifestyle. They wanted to meet at 9:00 p.m. for a cup of coffee when she would typically be preparing (going to bed) for the next day, which started at 5:00 a.m. Caffeine at that hour was the last thing she needed!

City folks just don't get it!

Because their stories were so common, I decided to do some research.

When I looked for sites for farmers or ranchers online dating, I found sites that claimed to cater to farmers, ranchers, and country dwellers, but the majority of postings seemed to be from people living in big cities. How many farms have you seen in New York City? Just looking at the postings, they sure didn't look like farmers to me! I decided to create an online dating service that's 100% for farmers, ranchers, and those who can relate to the rural and country lifestyle.

Instead of asking what your astrological sign is, at FarmersOnly.com I ask if you raise or breed alpacas, horses, cattle, chickens, dogs, goats, rabbits, sheep, grow crops, or if you're an organic farmer, student farmer, cowboy, cowgirl, or just a farmer wanna be! How many singles sites do that?

The fact is, most online dating personals and online dating sites have partnerships with one another. FarmersOnly.com is not affiliated with any other online dating service and we will not sell your name or information to any other dating services online, so our postings are unique and not a carbon copy like many of the others.

I hope you enjoy your time at FarmersOnly.com. Your suggestions are always welcome as I strive to make this site the best it can be for farmers, ranchers, cowboys, cowgirls and country dwellers throughout America's Heartland.

Jerry Miller
Founder, FarmersOnly.com

P.S. Posting a photo greatly increases the odds of meeting that special someone!

Listen to an interview with Jerry Miller on NPR.org

merry christmas, texas style

so last month nicole and i were headed to the grocery store when we passed this fabulous display of lone star/holiday spirit. lest you think these people are over the top, about seventy-five percent of texans would similarly festoon their homes if they could figure out a way to do it. and, they'd leave it up all year long.

says lyle lovett, "that's right you're not from texas, but texas wants you anyway..."

i'd like to tell you about my cousin ben...

from the amarillo globe news

First Lt. Benjamin Britt may have developed his love of country and sense of duty from within, his father said Monday.

"He loved Wheeler, he loved Wheeler County, he loved the Panhandle, and he thought Texas was the greatest state in the United States," Dave Britt Jr. said.

Ben, an Army platoon leader, died Thursday when an improvised explosive device detonated near his position during a dismounted patrol, according to the Defense Department's Web site. He was 24.

Spc. William Lopez-Feliciano, 33, of Quebradillas, Puerto Rico, also died in the incident. Both were assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.

Ben's parents and two younger brothers received notice of his death 8 a.m. Friday, December 23rd, Dave Britt said.

Ben died instantaneously, they were told.

The family last spoke to him Sept. 28, before he went to Iraq, his father said. Ben called to say they wouldn't be able to reach him by phone anymore.

"He was compelled to withhold information, but reading between the lines, he was showing us he was fixing to go over," Dave Britt said.

Ben e-mailed his mother, Mary Britt, two or three days before his death to let her know he was OK.

He knew the dangers he was in and faced them because of his values, his dad said.

His family taught him respect for freedom, the constitution and God since his birth, Dave Britt said. One of Ben's grandfathers fought in World War II and the other in Korea.

But just as Ben eventually bested his father in chess, a game the son learned from the dad, the family eventually learned from Ben's example.

"I'm very protective of the values that Ben held close to his heart," Dave Britt said. "And if I can do half as good a job representing him as he did representing all of us, I'll be happy."

Ben excelled in everything he tried, his father said.

As a tackle for the Wheeler High football team, he played in two state championship games and was named to the 1998 all-state first team. He was valedictorian of his class and an Eagle Scout.

He attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and, after Sept. 11, 2001, reaffirmed his commitment to serve in the officer corps.

"He was gung-ho Army, and he knew what was going to happen," Britt said. "He didn't know he was going to get killed, but he knew he was going to face combat. And he welcomed it because he was representing his country."

ben's service was held monday. it was simultaneously tragic and lovely. he was loved well. and will be sorely missed.