Swine and Wine

Last night we went to Feast for one of their wine dinners. This one was called "Swine and Wine". It was a five course + dessert (I guess that would make it 6 course) dinner.

I would call it a "Tasting Menu" except that tasting menus usually have small portions. In this case, the portions and the pours were quite generous. I am not very good at taking photos of food, but I have integrated some photos, and my comments, into the menu below:

‘Swine and Wine’ Dinner

Tuesday February 3 6.30pm

1^st Course

Pork Rillettes

Borgo Magredo Prosecco, Italy

The pork was braised and just as tender as it could be. Combined with the little conrichons made the tart/fat/unami flavors just pop out. I could have eaten this all night long. The Prosecco when great with this dish. But I think that Prosecco goes with just about everything.

2^nd Course

Roast Pork Belly with Radish and Orange Salad

Mustiguillo Mestizaje, Valencia, Spain

This was the highlight of the evening for me. There is nothing like the melting softness of pork fat married to the crispness of the crackling. The little orange slices and radishes helped tart up this extremely flavorful meal. One bite of fat, one bite of crisp, one bite of sweet, one bite of tart. The wine was very unusual - a grape I had not hear of before (a bobol) but it marched to the same drummer as this course. Good match

3^rd Course

Nose, Tail and Trotter

Montepeloso Eneo Toscano, Super Tuscan, Italy

This is, of course, a nod to the "Nose to Tail" dining made famous by Fergus Henderson at the St John Bar in London. James Silk, one of the Chefs and Owners of Feast worked with Fergus in his youth. (In reality, James is not too old now). The tail was breaded and fried, the trotter was braised and (mercifully) removed from the bone, and the nose was, well, cooked. I loved the tail. You had to pick it up and eat it with your fingers. The trotter was good, and the nose was - - interesting. I did not like the texture. It was sort of like eating a nose. The flavor was good, but I could not really get over the texture. I ate about 1/2 of mine. Doreen had to cover hers up on her plate. It looked just like a pig nose. The wine was an excellent super Tuscan. I like super Tuscans. Think of them as Chiantis that don't make the legal cut to be called Chianti. And almost always for the better.

4^th Course

Pork Confit Tart, Duchess Potatoes, Braised Celery with Ham

Conreria D’Scala Les Brugueres Blanc, Priorat, Spain

Now we are onto the main course. The Confit was made about 2 months ago, and left to age under a layer of fat. It makes my mouth water just thinking about it again. It was made into a tart, and the crust was also especially delicious. The duchess potatoes we might call "twice baked". Baked, mashed, baked again until a bit brown and crispy on top. Wonderful. The celery didn't really do anything for me. I am not a huge celery fan - cooked or raw. I had a bit, and let it sit. The wine was very strange, but oddly enjoyable. A white Priorat! Yes, indeed. Refresing and a nice counterpoint to the richness of the confit and spuds.

5^th Course

Roasted Pork Loin with Crackling, Roasted Potatoes, Garlic Rutabaga, Brussel Sprouts and Apple Sauce

Calvet Thunevin Constance, Langedoc Roussillon, France

By this time we were all getting a little full. The roast pork was described as a typical English Sunday roast. The potatoes we nicely browned on the outside and soft in the middle. The rutabaga (sometimes called Swede) was earthy and garlicy. The brussel sprouts we crispy on the outside, and not at all overdone. Apple sauce was apple sauce. Can't complain about that. The wine was a good Langedoc which complemented the whole lot put together. Now I was really full.

Dessert

Plum Duff

Château Tirecul La Gravière Les Pins, France

Finally the dessert! Oh. It was good. The crust was flaky due to the use of pork fat and beef tallow. The filling was plum. Plum Duff. The wine was a "poor man's Sauternes" Sweet and nice. A great way to end the meal. I am still full now, almost 24 hours later.


Here we are about midway through the meal:

Davis and Lisa at the end of the meal. Lisa is falling over from eating so much:
It was really good.

Make Mine a Stoli!

Caught in a Downpour - Proof Blog - NYTimes.com

Wikipedia

The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposed deletion of the article below. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was no consensus. MBisanz ^talk 06:51, 31 January 2009 (UTC)

That means I stay.

For now...

George Orwell

"Every generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after it."
- George Orwell

Last year I read Down and Out in Paris and London by Orwell. Well worth the time it took. He lived hard for a while.

"easy money is oft times hard"
-Steve Forbert

Train station in Leipzig

Leipzig

On the convention floor in Leipzig

On the tram in Leipzig

This is the tram on which we were rapping.

My boss is the one who took the photo.

Personal Myths

A friend of Doreen's thinks that she invented 3D Seismic. As flattering as that sounds, she did not. She even wrote him a note saying that she did not. But it is part of his personal myth for Doreen. It is a source of great merriment for us whenever we see him (which is seldom)

A friend of mine believes in her heart of hearts that I made an investor presentation in rap. I know why she believes this, but it is stuck in her head and she just cannot get it out.

The reason that she believes this is that when I was working for Bell Geospace and we were in Leipzig for an EAGE convention. My boss and I were coming back to our hotel from the convention center, and we may have had a beer or two. So we started rapping on the tram.

It's tricky to rock a rhyme, to rock a rhyme that's right on time.

Especially on a tram.

Fire

Before fire, they ate us.

After fire, we ate them.

Sock Puppets, Meat Puppets, and poking the bear.

Some of you may know that I am listed on Wikipedia (well, at least for now I am). And that is the gist of this post.

I got on Wikipedia originally because of my board seat at PGS. All the other board members were on the Wiki, and lo and behold, I was, too!

Then I poked the bear. I thought it would be cool if I would have my birthday listed on the "Births: July 6" entry. But the calendars are very closely monitored, and it was quickly removed. Then my entry itself was listed for removal. I poked the bear, and the bear bit back.

There is a (fairly short) discussion about whether or not my listing will stay. I do not know if it will or not. That is not for me to decide.

What I cannot do (though it is tempting) would be to create a bunch of new Wikipedia identities and then have them all say great things about me. Those are called "Sock Puppets" and are strongly discouraged.

The other thing I cannot do (and you, dear reader, should not do) is recruit all my friends to rally to my defense. These are called Meat Puppets. (Not Meat Puppets the band. They are quite good, but not the same thing)

The Wikipedians are very strong willed. And not very nice at times. (But they always say "Don't take it seriously") So I am steeling myself for a potential unpleasant result.

But please, don't be a Meat Puppet. (seriously)

And I promise to never poke the bear again. (Who am I kidding? I live to poke the bear)

Happy Burns Day!

Address To a Haggis		Addressing the haggis
Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face, Great chieftain o' the puddin-race! Aboon them a' ye tak your place, Painch, tripe, or thairm: Weel are ye wordy o' a grace As lang's my arm.	(sonsie = cheeky) (aboon = above) (painch = stomach, thairm = intestine)
The groaning trencher there ye fill, Your hurdies like a distant hill, Your pin wad help to mend a mill In time o' need, While thro' your pores the dews distil Like amber bead.	(hurdies = hips)
His knife see rustic Labour dicht, An' cut you up wi' ready slicht, Trenching your gushing entrails bricht, Like ony ditch; And then, O what a glorious sicht, Warm-reekin, rich!	(dicht = wipe, here with the idea of sharpening) (slicht = skill) (reeking = steaming)
Then, horn for horn, they stretch an' strive: Deil tak the hindmaist! on they drive, Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve, Are bent like drums; Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive, "Bethankit" hums.	(deil = devil) (swall'd=swollen, kytes = bellies, belyve = soon) (rive = tear, ie burst)
Is there that o're his French ragout Or olio that wad staw a sow, Or fricassee wad mak her spew Wi' perfect scunner, Looks down wi' sneering, scornfu' view On sic a dinner?	(olio = olive oil, staw = make sick) (scunner = repugnance)
Poor devil! see him ower his trash, As feckless as a wither'd rash, His spindle shank, a guid whip-lash, His nieve a nit; Thro' bloody flood or field to dash, O how unfit!	(nieve = fist, nit = louse's egg, ie. tiny)
But mark the Rustic, haggis fed, The trembling earth resounds his tread. Clap in his wallie nieve a blade, He'll mak it whistle; An' legs an' arms, an' heads will sned, Like taps o' thristle.	(wallie = mighty, nieve = fist) (sned = cut off) (thristle = thistle)
Ye Pow'rs wha mak mankind your care, And dish them out their bill o' fare, Auld Scotland wants nae skinkin ware That jaups in luggies; But, if ye wish her gratefu' prayer, Gie her a haggis!	(skinkin ware = watery soup) (jaups = slops about, luggies = two-handled continental bowls)

Doreen and I watched The Dark Knight yesterday.

Apart from being a little too long, I thought it was pretty good. Heath Ledger was excellent as The Joker. It is nice to have really crazy bad guys. (he wears the make-up to cover scars. You hear a couple of stories about how the scars were made, so you don't really know what the truth was. But you are pretty sure his father was involved)

The Batman was played by Christian Bale. I can take him or leave him. His girlfriend was played by Maggie Gyllenhaal - I like her in just about everything she does. But the best was Alfred - played by Michael Caine. He used the same accent (his real accent?) he used in The Man Who Would Be King. Morgan Freeman was Lucius Fox (the R&D guy) He was pretty good, too.

I never read any comic books (as opposed to comic strips. Now if there was a movie about Mary Worth or Apartment 3G I would be all over that!) so I don't really have the back story of these comic book movies (we also recently saw Ironman. Robert Downey Jr is great. Can't wait for Sherlock Holmes) which leave me at sort of a disadvantage sometimes. Why is Bruce Wayne saving the world? How did he get his money? Why does he only go out at night? (I know, I know he is the BATman. The BATman - get it? but why?) It is a mystery.

But I am pretty good at the willing suspension of disbelief thing. So I just sit back and enjoy it...

Randolph LeBlanc Jr. RIP

My Uncle Randy passed away this week. He was married to my Aunt Charlie (Charlotte) - one of my mother's sisters.

He was very good to me when I was a child. I grew up in Appleton, WI (about 20 miles south of "that foolish Green Bay" as my father would say) but visited south Louisiana (Franklin, in St Mary's Parish) every summer.

Uncle Randy was always the fun uncle. He ran St Mary's Iron works, a fabrication plant that serves the sugar industry and the offshore oil industry. He had boat (a wooden Chris Craft that later sunk)
and took me offshore more than once.

He loved to eat, and to drink, and was, well, just a touch bossy (I know, I know "de mortuis nil nisi bonum". But that wasn't too bad. I, myself have on rare occasions been called bossy) I just loved going to visit him and his whole family.

(Thanks to Claire Vath (his granddaughter) for the photo. I took it without permission. I hope you don't mind)

Britannica rags on Wikipedia (again)

This is an interesting blog entry by Nicolas Carr:

All Hail the Information Triumvirate! (The Web, Google, and Wikipedia) | Britannica Blog

It talks about how Wikipedia is starting to dominate all Web information. (read the entry. It isn't really that long, and it is interesting)

I am a bit skeptical of his snarky conclusions ("Wisdom of the Mob") because of his position on Britannica's Editorial Board of Advisors (would you trust someone on the board of GM when they criticize Fords?) but some of his points are interesting.

I use (and occasionally contribute to) Wikipedia. It is astounding how good (and how fast!) the Wikipedians are.

Here is a case in point:

If you ever read anything about coffee, there is a myth promulgated in all "conventional" sources that it is the second most traded commodity in the world (after oil). I posted (originally on the "discussion" page) how that was patently untrue (one word: Iron). Since then, the Wikipedia article is one of the few that does not repeat this inaccuracy.

While I don't have a copy of Britannica, I would place money that they claim coffee is the second most traded commodity.

Anecdotally, Wikipedia wins.

Old photos

Doreen and I are in the process of assembling old photographs to get them ready for scanning. (We are using a service called Scan My Photos) Some of the photos can't be sent off, so I had to scan them here.

This is a photo taken at my high school graduation - that would have been in May or June of 1975.



That is me looking at the photographer.

I remember the day quite well. My old debate partner (Kimberly Taylor) beat me out to give the commencement speech. She was talking when I saw the photographer walking on the field (We had an outside graduation. It was the first time that my high school (Appleton High School West) had an outdoor graduation)

I watched him instead of paying attention to Kim. (I had heard her speech before anyway. Something about this not being the end, but the beginning, and the challenges we face. You've been there. Love you Kim, but it's true)

I even noticed him snapping the pictures.

This was on the front page of the local paper (The Appleton Post Cresent) the next day.

Sliders at Little Bigs

We went to one of Doreen's park's events this evening for "Young People" (I don't think we would qualify as members) at a great restaurant in town called Reef.

It just so happens that the owner of Reef also own a "slider" restaurant that opened recently by our house, We stopped there after the event to get a trio of sliders for supper.

And I got to tell you - there were unbeleivably good! I am glad we can walk there as the parking lot is crowded.

Little Bigs is worth a trip for anyone who lives in Houston.

Larry McMurtry

We went to see Larry McMurtry speak at Rice University this evening. He is the author of the books (among many others) Lonesome Dove, The Last Picture Show, and Terms of Endearment. He also co-wrote the screenplay to Brokeback Mountain.

He is about 73 years old, and while still certainly creative and productive (he just finsihed another novel) comes across as a very cranky old man.

He really, really loves books. And by books, I don't necessarily mean the contents, but the physical books themselves. Doreen and I certainly share that feeling with him, but he seems to be taking it to an extreme. It seems he believes that nobody under 40 reads books anymore, and that the publishing industry, along with bookstores, will soon fail. He even thinks that the Kindle is a bad thing.

It was interesting to hear him talk, though. And one thing for certain is that the crowd was old.

Now, Apropos of nothing, we did run into our learned friend David Archer there. (I do not believe, though I may be wrong, that he hails from Archer City). For a while, no matter where we went to see a cultural event, we ran into David. Once, we even ran into him (and his lovely better half, Phyllis) in New York City! (Imagine that!)

He is in

Some people should not use Linux

WKOW 27: Madison, WI Breaking News, Weather and Sports -27 News Troubleshooter: Woman blames Dell for missing online classes

Let's call things as they are.

Obama has too much to lose to start cow kowtowing to special interests like this:

4G war, conflicts of interest loom behind possible DTV delay

That is actually not change I can believe it. It is politics as usual.

The appearance of impropriety is sometimes just as bad as impropriety itself.

Bush, by Eugene O'Neill - James Fallows

Many links lately, not much personal insight. Too much work. But the following is interesting:

Bush, by Eugene O'Neill - James Fallows

The top 25 Bushisms of all time. - By Jacob Weisberg

The top 25 Bushisms of all time. - By Jacob Weisberg - Slate Magazine

The most horrible thing you will read today

Do not open this (it links to a local TV station story) unless you have a strong stomach

It reads like a Cormac McCarthy story.

What is the most disloyal dog breed? The Explainer's 2008 Question of the Year. - By Daniel Engber - Slate Magazine

From Slate:

What is the most disloyal dog breed? The Explainer's 2008 Question of the Year. - By Daniel Engber - Slate Magazine

Make sure you read down to the last paragraph - the "Bonus Explainer". You wil get a chuckle.

From the author of Liar's Poker

Worth the time it takes to read:

The End of Wall Street's Boom - National Business News - Portfolio.com

Bittman on a new start to the new year

The Minimalist - The Latest Must-Haves for the Pantry - NYTimes.com

Effective tax rates in the US

Greg Mankiw's Blog: The Progressivity of the Tax System

Welcome 2009!

I am not the type to make New Year's Resolutions. I have never done so, and will not start now. But I do like to look forward to the new year. And to review about "lessons learned" from the old.

I enjoyed somethings about 2008. The election (with everything that came with it!) some of the trips we made. Catching up with old friends. The last couple of weeks has been especially enjoyable around the house. We didn't leave town, but we did have some great times here. (See our day late NYE party, our very private NYE dinner, making goose gumbo [a tradition now] from leftover Christmas goose, and the preparation for Christmas itself)

I won't dwell on the badness of 2008, but it was mostly focused on the performance of our investments. Of course, as a good friend said not long ago, it is all about Cash Flow right now. Forget Net Worth! (words to live by)

I trust that in 2009 we will see the economy stabilize, oil prices go up to a more rational level that will sustain exploration as well as alternative solutions.

I believe that my company will return to a more robust level of growth in 2009 (from a very anemic, though positive! growth level in 2008)

And I hope that the health of my loved ones and myself remains good in 2009.

I don't think that 2009 will be an easy year. But that isn't the point, is it?

Happy New Year!

The Omnivore's 100

This is sort of cute. It comes from a UK website, with all that means. I only stuck off one item (roadkill) but I would not be a bit surprised if I have eaten it in China, Indonesia, South America, or maybe somewhere in Louisiana.

Here's the game:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten. (I also italicized the things I have not eaten for clarity)
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile (but I have eaten alligator)
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10.Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12.Pho
13. PB&Jsandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47.Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Blaze resting after Christmas

Christmas Dinner

We had a very nice Christmas dinner with family and friends.

See photos here.

Following is the menu:

Christmas Dinner with Doreen and Dan.

December 25, 2008

Opening Treats:

Artisanal bleu cheese and hand made olive spread.

Bleu cheese from heirloom sheep discovered on the north island of New Zealand. Aged in caves used by the Maoris after their battles with Captain Cook.

Olives harvested from 400 year old olive trees from the Perugia region of Italy. Brined in salt from salt mines originally opened by the Roman Emperor Titus.

Dinner:

Holiday Scalloped Potatoes

Potatoes, cream, butter, cheese, and onions. Potatoes are a recovered species from the high Andes found by Hiram Bingham while searching for Machu Picchu. Dairy products are cruelty free from free range Holsteins, but only the first 10 minutes of milk is used from the milk run as that is the most flavorful part. Onions come from European “Stone Soup” kitchens specializing in onions for baking

Sister Shubert Rolls

Baked by the Monasterios de las Descalzas Reales in Madrid. Flour is hand ground on ancient stone mill wheels, powered by the barefoot nuns themselves.

Roast Goose

Free range “Lavender Sebastopol” goose from the Holderread Waterfowl Farm in Covallis Oregon. Holderread is located in the picturesque foothills of the Pacific Coast mountains in Oregon. We have enjoyed raising and studying domestic geese and ducks continuously since 1961. We specialize in purebred waterfowl that possess a unique blend of superb production and exhibition qualities. Birds bred by us are exceptional layers, fast growing and have won top honors at the largest poultry shows in North America and Europe, including Supreme Show Champions at the American Poultry Association's annual National Shows. Our breeding program encompasses more than 20 heritage goose varieties and 40 heritage duck varieties, including some of the world's rarest and most unique breeds.

Apricot Stuffing

Windblown apricots from California’s central valley flavor this delicious and almost calorie free stuffing designed to complement the natural juiciness of the roast goose.

Horseradish Beets

Beets from the famous Beets Me farm in Coeur du Lane, ID. Natural red flavenoids add to the nutritional value of these root vegetables. The horseradish is imported from Japan and is hand ground by Buddhist Monks on their yearly sabbaticals from the Temple of the Sleeping Buddha.

Red Cabbage

An old world family recipe that combines the healthy effects of both bacon drippings and cruciferous vegetables. The cabbage is hand harvested by peasants in the foothills of the Ural mountains.

Green Beans

Blanched, blistered, and browned, these green beans have been individually selected by Haricots Verts experts in the Provence region of France. Hungarian Smoked Paprika and pine nuts from Friuli finish off the flavor explosions.

Dessert:

(it’s a secret)

(wine selection will include champagne, pinot noir, and a dessert sauterne)

Happy Newton!

The Ten Days of Newton - Olivia Judson Blog - NYTimes.com

Time to Reboot America

Tom Friedman - Time to Reboot America - NYTimes.com

Kaiser vs Czar. Some things last forever

Strange Maps

Death by Natural Disaster - By County

Following is an extremely interesting map and story about death by natural disaters:

SciGuy: What's the deadliest area of the United States?

Thought for the day

"The great thing about not planning is that failure comes as a complete surprise rather than being preceded by a period of anxiety and worry."

Warren Buffett

767 to Houston

CO 47.

I don't like the 767s. The only good thing about it is the single row down the middle. No noisy neighbors!

stupid, uncomfortable foker 100

fokker 100

this is inside the fokker 100 that I am on to AMS.

plane to amsterdam

klm would not check me in to iah.

that peeves me.

in the train station

waiting for the Fkytoget train

in the Oslo National Theater statiom

Washington Insiders

Some of y’all know that I am on the board of PGS, a Norwegian Geophysical Services company. What you probably don’t know is that I have to be reappointed every year. And one of the people on the nominating committee is C. Maury Devine, who is currently living in Washington DC, and counts as my one “insider” contact in our government.

Maury is very close with Hillary Clinton, and almost certainly would have been part of her administration had Hillary won.

Maury and Roger O’Neil, our other Nominating Committee member joined us for the Board Dinner. Jens Ulltveit-Moe(our chairman) asked her to talk about the mood in Washington, and how the transition was going.

She was part of the Carter administration and said that she has never seen a better transition than Obama’s. The problem that the Obama team may have had was that they were running as outsiders, and that outsiders just don’t know how Washington works. She said that the Carter and the Clinton transitions were disasters for that reason. Nobody they brought in wanted to work with the folks that were there. (She also confirmed that the Clinton to W transition was extremely ugly. Clinton staffers really did pry the “w” keys off of the computers. She also said that President Bush is being very gracious and helpful to the transition team. He will be able to take some credit for how well this is working)

She also said that the mood is the best she has ever seen it, in spite of the financial crisis and everything else. Obama’s choices, his attitude, his approach are all going to make it better. She said that there is a palpable feeling in DC that this recession can be handled, the war can be handled, everything can be handled. Jens then said “Yes, we can” That has really become a shorthand for an attitude that change is possible. (Last week we went to see Robert Wilson speak in Houston. He used the same phrase to the same effect)

The Europeans at the table were all really happy about Obama, and about what he is doing. Everyone has been very impressed with the quality and speed of his appointments, and the amount of face time he is spending explaining all his decisions.

I asked Maury if she was going to State, and she said no, that she was going to be an advisor. She also said that watching Obama work that she believes he was the absolute right choice.

She also said that this recession will end in September of 2009.

tarmac @ AMS

waiting at the gate

Yesterday morning I flew to Dallas to meet with a client.

I got back to Houston about 5:00 pm. I then had to go to my car (leaving security, obviously) to grab my luggage and my coat, and get on a flight to here - Amsterdam.

Now I am waiting to get on a plane to Oslo.

Once in Oslo I go directly to the office and meet with the people who will decide if I should keep this position.

I hope I am awake enough to convince them to say yes.

KLM flight to Oslo

Finally! a differently colored plane.

Security here in AMS had a problem with my reading glasses and Parker Sonnet rollerball pen. sort of odd.

We are supposed to be loading directly. As you can see, the plane is here. But no people.

on the plane

a boeing 767

on the plane to Houston

Little Plane to Houston

another embrair

on the small plane

small plane to Dallas

this is an Embrair ERJ.

I cannot stand up in the plane.

An award I never knew about

The Book Design Review

Good and Bad customer service from Sirius Radio

I have Sirius satellite radio in my car. The first year was free, and then last November, they called me up and asked me to resubscribe. Following a good salesman's script, they first asked if I wanted to get a lifetime subscription - but I demurred. They then told me what it would cost to get one year, or two year's subscription. I asked for two year's (you save a bit of money) and charged it to my American Express card. I though that was that.

Until I got a notice today telling me that they were ready to charge my next year's subscription to my Amex card. What? So I called up, and asked what was going on. The first fellow I spoke with said: "Sorry. You only paid for one year. There is nothing I can do" I told him that I felt that they made a mistake, and they should give me the second year's subscription at the incremental price from a one year, to a two year subscription. He said that was impossible, but he would connect me to a supervisor. 20 minutes later, I hung up.

I called back, and told the same story again, a second time. The woman who answered said that they have no record of me asking for a two year subscription, and there was nothing she could. She put me on hold, assuring me that she would come back every two minutes to let me know what was going on. 10 minutes later, I hung up.

SO I called back a third time. Again, I explained to the guy (Paul) who answered what the problem is. He understood immediately, and said, "Let me see what I can do. I want to give you a credit for the delta between the two fees. But I need to put you on hold for a moment to get authorization". He put me on hold, and less that two minutes later he was back and had credited my account the amount between the two charges.

Bad
Bad
Good.

I give them credit for fixing my problem. I only wish it did not take three calls.