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October 28, 2001
Brahms Requiem at the Meyerson
Sunday, October 28, 2001
That was pretty cool. I just got home from performing "A German Requiem" by Johannes Brahms at the Meyerson Symphony Center. The architecture of this place is just stunning.
The local United Methodist Churches pooled their choirs and orchestras to put on this performance, and it was an absolutely amazing experience.
The music, tonight, was profoundly moving...mostly because I was making it. I love this piece of music. I must confess, until I get a chance to study a piece of classical music closely I don't really get a lot out of it. Performing it, of course, entails MUCH study, and it paid off in spades tonight.
Wow. I'm still buzzin'. Soon, I hope, I'll get pictures and recordings of the performance. More info will follow here.
Must run. Socializing commences presently..
Posted by Lee at 01:13 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 27, 2001
HALLOWEEEEEEEEEEEN!
Saturday, October 27, 2001
Had a pretty cool time last night. Thursday night, I stayed up 'till about 6am studying for a Friday midterm in my circuit analysis class. Thank heaven that there are people who like circuit design, because I certainly do not. Somebody else gets to make the black boxes that will keep my aircraft a-flyin'.
So, I take the test basically in a sleep-deprived daze. Apparently, it worked. I either did pretty darn well, or I was horribly horribly horribly confused as to what I was supposed to be doing.
So. I shamble into work, dog tired. I perk up a little bit at this point, because I like the people I work with, and the job that I do. That, I think, makes me luckier than a lot of people. Anyhow, I recall that I'm going to go to a Halloween party with my friends Niki and Chris at the Studio Movie Grill. I haven't the faintest idea what I'm going to be for the costume contest. So, as I'm driving home, I decide that I'm just gonna put on my dad's cowboy apron and go as "The Last Minute Cowboy". I then remember that Dad has a hat and a great pair of boots. Hmmm...this is shaping up.
So I bounce through the door, "Hi Dad! I'm raiding your closet!" Dad: "Uhhh...OK." and I bounce out the door and over to the SMG. (That's the super-secret secret code name for the Studio Movie Grill, the happiest place on Earth. Except for Tijuana.) The movie (From Hell, about Jack the Ripper) was profoundly disturbing. Note to self: Don't watch horror films while eating pizza. You'd have thought I'd learn after watching Hannibal while eating chicken fingers. OK. So I'm dense.
So, Chris finds the center of his generic surfer-dude costume when his fiancee Niki tells him that he's Jeff Spiccoli from Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Hopefully, I'll get some pictures from the party up here, and you can see just how apt the characterization is. 
Niki is dressed up as Chris's beach blanket betty. John is dressed up as James Dean, but he decided to skip rolling up smokes in his T-Shirt when the only available pack were girl cigarettes. Good call, dude. Kyra (sp?) was dressed up as an enchanting fairy princess.
So, spinning the Mix 102.9 Wheel O' Prizes, I win the new Cranberries CD. Great angsty Irish band. Awful obnoxious web site. Be forewarned. And I think I'm feelin' pretty good, since I like The Cranberries and now I own a CD with a label that says: "This compact disc is the property of the applicable record label and is being provided for promotional use only. Resale in unlawful and may be punishable under federal and state law." So, unfortunately, it's yet another record album that the artists didn't get paid for. Someday, I might get together the gumption to rant about how evil the record industry is, but for now I'll let Courtney Love do it. Caution: Raw language ahead.
Anyhow.
So, I'm enjoying my new Cranberries CD, and all of a sudden, it's time for the costume contest! Yay! So there are about a dozen people dressed up tonight. The employees of one of the Frederick's of Hollywood stores were apparently promoting their, ah, wares. Several young ladies were wearing outfits from the movie Moulin Rouge. Haven't seen it yet, but everybody raves about it.
These costumes were, well, a bit distracting. I figured I don't have a chance to win. But hey...anything can happen.
So, we get up in front of the (rather dead) crowd. And then, the radio personality, Lisa, says that we're all supposed to dance the Time Warp to see who wins the costume contest.
Everybody except me gives said radio personality a blank stare. I, on the other hand, grin slyly, because I do in fact know how to dance the Time Warp.
Stand back, people.
OK, so the music starts after some technical difficulties. Everybody is sorta milling about. A couple people start dancing, but they're NOT dancing the Time Warp. I, on the other hand, am. I FLING the cowboy hat across the room, and the place goes nuts. I'm dancing the Time Warp like a madman, and everybody's trying to figure out what's wrong with the guy in the apron.
We get through the chorus, and Lisa stops the music. I'm sorta annoyed, because it's just getting to the best part. So, the hosts of the party all put their heads together, and come up with five semi-finalists. I'm one of them. Wow! Pretty cool! One of the Frederick's girls is dressed up as a bumble bee. A very very shapely bumble bee, in big clunky boots. She says to me, smiling a cute little smile, "If you win, I'm gonna kick your ass!" I say, "Well, little lady, with those boots, I'm a-scared!" And we both laugh.
Little did I know.
So, they do an Applause-O-Meter thing on the five semi-finalists. The Purple Pimp Daddy didn't get much love. The guy dressed up as Dracula (the Gary Oldman one) did OK, as did his date who called herself Morgana and was toting around a chalice full of dry ice. Cool, says I. Miss Buxom Bumble Bee did pretty well, and I actually got a respectable showing myself. Surprise surprise!
So, they announce the second place winner: Count Dracula. Cool, says I. That's a good costume.
First place: The Bee. Yeah, I'd have voted for her too.
Grand prize: Guess who? It took me a minute to figure out that the cowboy they were talking about was me. Wow! Pretty cool! I take out my oven mitt six-shooter, and fire a celebratory barrage over the crowd. Pictures are taken (hopefully they'll be up on the radio station's home page Monday. I'll link 'em if they are). I collect my prize: A new DVD player, and a stack of movies. Woo woo! It's cool to be me!
So, I wound up trading the DVD player to my friend Ann, who had a nice car stereo she wasn't using. Mutual advantage is a beautiful thing, my friends!
So, tonight, instead of sleeping like a sane person would, I'm writing this to you nice people. THEN I'm going to bed.
Like, now.
Posted by Lee at 01:09 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 11, 2001
Admiral Yamamoto
Thursday, October 11, 2001
I'm pretty excited. I found a biography of one of my personal heroes today, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. Admiral Yamamoto commanded the Japanese navy through the Second World War, until he was (very cleverly) taken out of commission by a pair of American P-38 Lightnings. Admiral Yamamoto was the mastermind behind the Pearl Harbor attack, and was absolutely mortified that the Japanese diplomats in Washington failed to deliver the formal declaration of war to the American government.
Admiral Yamamoto to me has always personified honor. Although he did not agree with the path his country was set upon, he worked and fought brilliantly to try to accomplish the task.
In the first six to twelve months of a war with the United States and Great Britain, I will run wild and win victory upon victory. But then, if the war continues after that, I have no expectation of success.
-Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, 1940
Admiral Yamamoto was a great admirer of Western culture. He believed that there was no reason for Japan and America to be enemies. Unfortunately, the Japanese Army, led by Hidekei Tojo, had greater aspirations and forced Yamamoto to choose between his beliefs, and his duty. Like General Robert E. Lee, Admiral Yamamoto subsumed himself in his duty.
Admiral Yamamoto felt a great kinship with President Abraham Lincoln. Both men were born in poverty to rise to the height of power. Yamamoto wrote:
A man of real purpose always puts his faith in himself. Sometimes, he even refuses to trust the gods. Thus he falls into error from time to time. This was true of Lincoln, but that does not detract from his greatness because a man is not a god. Making errors is part of the attractiveness of a human being; it inspires a feeling of warmth and arouses admiration and devotion. In this way Lincoln was a very human person. Without this quality, one cannot lead others. Only if people have this quality can they forgive each other's mistakes and assist each other.
I don't know if I could come up with a more concise declaration of some of my own basic principles. A wise and honorable man, and a superb warrior. Would that we had more people of his strength today.
And now for something completely different.
Posted by Lee at 01:05 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 09, 2001
World Trade Center Redux
Tuesday, October 9, 2001
I've seen this sentiment a couple times, and I sorta want to take it apart. It was sent to me by somebody I like and respect very much, but I didn't want to reply directly because I wasn't sure I could make clear my objections. I'm going to write them and refine them here, and then maybe send my friend the link. This notion really troubles me, and I want to put my finger on why it troubles me so.
Billy Graham's daughter being interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her "how could God let something like this happen?" and Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response, she said "I believe that God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives, and being the gentleman that he is, I believe that he has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us his blessing and his protection if we demand he leave us alone?"
Let me state bluntly. I think this is an inappropriate and tasteless sales pitch for Christianity. At best, it's preaching to the choir (the sentiment on the face of it appeals to Christians) but at worst it's a condemnation of religious freedom.
The Christian leaders who say that schools are trying to stamp out prayer are grinding an ideological axe. There is nobody walking around in the classroom, telling children that they are not allowed to pray in class. They ARE telling grown-ups that it is inappropriate for teachers in secular schools to lead the children in prayer. There's a WORLD of difference! Since the schools are funded by the public (vouchers are a topic for another day), it's imperative that they provide a healthy environment for all students. Teachers leading students in Western-style (Judeo-Christian) prayers is certain to cause alienation.
I am a Christian. I believe in God, and in Jesus. I do not believe, however, that I have a monopoly on Ultimate Truth. I don't believe that any mortal is wise enough to say to a person "Your religion is wrong. Everything you have been taught from childhood is incorrect, and if you don't believe the way I say this book tells you to, you are going to languish in everlasting torment." The God I believe in gave us free will and reason, not so that we could choose to do what we are told, but to explore our faith and our life, and find the right thing to do.
I have personal experience with this sort of low-key oppression. When I was in third and fourth grade, I attended the Canyon Creek Christian Academy, a Baptist private school not far from my home. I was talking at recess with some friends of mine, who had been raised in the Baptist faith, and we were discussing evolution versus creation. I had been raised in the Methodist faith, which is rather a lot more liberal than most Baptist dogmas. My classmates and I were actually having a pretty civil discussion. I was explaining my (then limited) understanding of evolution, and how it fits into what the Bible says, and they were taking a more literalist interpretation. Later, the teachers spoke to me (alone. I remember specifically standing with my back in a corner with two teachers towering over me, glaring at me) instructing me to never, ever talk about such things at school again.
I was devastated.
I didn't understand what I had done wrong. I was absolutely sincere in my beliefs, and in my desire to talk and learn with my classmates. I couldn't understand why that was wrong. I remember praying that morning in class for God to fix whatever was wrong with me that I didn't think the same way everybody else did. Thankfully, that prayer was not answered...at least not the way I thought it would be.
I took away from that encounter an iron resolve: I will take responsibility for my own faith, and I will choose my beliefs based on my knowledge, and my personal relationship with God. I will listen to the viewpoints of others, and strive always for a closer understanding of Truth, but I will not compromise my God-given reason by simply accepting what an authority figure SAYS is true.
Although I was fortunate in the fact that my self-esteem allowed me to rise to the challenge and take a strong (but, after that, quiet) stand for myself, it is easy for me to understand why a young student might feel like they HAD to do what the teachers say God wants them to.
I don't believe that God wants converts this way. I believe that God wants His children to love Him because of His grace, and His mercy, and His great love for us. I do not believe that He wants us to fear his wrath. I do not believe that He needs to intimidate us into following His teachings.
I certainly do not believe that He allows six thousand innocents to be murdered by an evil psychopath to frighten us into changing our ways.
So no, Ms. Graham, I must respectfully disagree. The arrogant belief that our way is the only way is the first step on the Devil's path. It's the first step on the path to zealotry. That path ends in horrible deeds that offend God. Deeds like the Crusades, the Inquisition, the Salem witch trials, and the terrorist attacks of September 11th.
The problem is not that we don't institutionalize prayer. The problem is that we (the world) are deluded into thinking that the people around us are so different, and our beliefs are so incompatible, that we must kill one another in order to be beautiful in God's eyes.
To this, I say no. Never. This is not the way. This perversion of God's will may not stand.
OK. Now for some levity.
One of my guilty pleasures is The Onion. It's absolutely brutal satire, with scathing diatribes and horrible language. It's also brilliantly written. Think George Carlin.
Below is an edited post from their coverage of the World Trade Center attacks. I would have linked directly to the story, but it DOES have God using the F word, and I just couldn't do that. My grandparents read this site, for heaven's sake! (Hi Grandma and Granddad!) So, I bleeped out the harsh language. If you want to read my version, click here. If you're interested in reading the original (unedited) story, or the other stuff they've done on this tragedy, click here. But don't say I didn't warn you.
Posted by Lee at 01:04 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 07, 2001
BBQ Ribs
Sunday, October 7, 2001
I'm putting up my dad's barbecue sauce recipe, which I've fooled around with some. (Mostly just by adding beer.) It's really tasty. I'm also including instructions for cooking yummy Baby Back Ribs. Lemme tell you...Chili's gots nothin' on me.
Lee's Shiner Barbecue Sauce
1 1/2 cups catsup
4 tbl vinegar
4 tbl worchestershire
2 each onion -- chopped. Red onions are nice.
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cloves garlic -- minced
4 tablespoons brown sugar (molasses)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 bottle Shiner Bock
Add beer (carefully!) to sauce, add all ingredients, simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. If the spirit so moves, add a bit of cornstarch or masa dissolved in warm water to thicken.
Baby Back Ribs
Now, there are as many ways to do ribs as there are pigs in Christendom. But this is the way I like 'em.
Start with Enough Ribs. Enough Ribs is a nebulous quantity. Guesstimate that one rack will maybe just barely satisfy two people, and go from there. For appetizers, three people per rack should be ample.
Get a big pot, at least as tall as the ribs are broad. You want to stand the ribs up on end, and wrap them around inside the pot. I use a huge Calphalon soup kettle, and it holds two racks nicely around the sides. Pour in about 1-2 inches of beer. For my kettle, that took two bottles. I used Shiner Bock, which is now my go-to cooking beer. One of these days, I'll try the same thing with Guinness. I think the rich chocolate flavour of Guinness will make for a very interesting base. Note: Please do not use some nelly American pilsner for cooking. You might as well use water.
Steam the ribs for about half an hour. This will greatly reduce your time on the grill.
Now it's time for fire. If you have a two-burner gas job, light one burner and cook the ribs on the other side. You can achieve a similar effect by putting all your charcoal on one side of the grill, and cooking on the other side. What I do is cook 'em indirectly for about 15 minutes turning once, then put them over direct heat for about three or four minutes per side to give 'em a crispy outside.
If you want, experiment with some of the commercially available dry rubs on the ribs before you throw 'em on the grill. There are lots available (I like Lysander's).
I like to serve my BBQ sauce on the side. You can, if you wish, baste the ribs with sauce as they cook. I prefer to let the delicious flavor of the meat speak more loudly, and use the sauce as a condiment.
Please email me and let me know what you think!
Whew! That's good eatin'!
Posted by Lee at 12:59 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 04, 2001
Taco Bell Hijinks
Thursday, October 4, 2001
This is about the neatest program ever. It's a high-resolution 3-D solar system. Pretty cool, eh?
This is the site with the rules for the Design Build Fly competition. Just in case you was wondering.
This is what happens when you have a thing for squirrels, some FLASH skills, and too much time on your hands. Note that it contains some harsh language and, well, odd imagery. Really odd.
So last night, George, Tommy, and I went on a food expedition. We had been engaging in a deep, philosophical exploration of the nature of love, and we were hungry. Jack In The Box sounded good.
I don't know if you've ever driven in Texas, but if you have, and your IQ is above six, you've noticed that parking lots are designed exclusively by people whose IQ is less than six. It's horrible. So here we are, piled into George's Civic, trying to figure out how to get into the Jack In The Box parking lot. Apparently, the route involves single combat with crazed guard dogs. So, we opted to park in the parking lot which surrounds the JITB on all sides. Why doesn't there exist a driveway between the two? Apparently, that's a stupid question to ask. I did in fact ask that question, and you wouldn't believe the look I got from the JITB guy. More on him later.
So, we walk to the door: Locked. Drat. So we decide to walk through the drive thru. The first problem we encountered was how to activate the trigger, informing the JITB employees of our presence. While Tommy jumped up and down on the treadle, I put on my thinking cap. I noticed that the treadle was not pressure sensitive, but used an electromagnetic induction sensor like traffic light sensors do. So, I put my pocketknife, my keys, and my wallet chain on the treadle.
"Welcome to Jack In The Box, may I take your order?"
Victory!
We placed our order and strolled to the pick up window. We got the guy's attention, and tried to give him our money. He shook his head, and tapped on the inside of the window.
I was uninterested in why the man was tapping on the window. I just wanted my Sourdough Jack (with complementary Dallas Cowboys' Antenna Ball. Woo.) I wouldn't have thought the transaction was too complicated: We have money, we want food. Basis of American capitalism, right? Well, apparently, JITB has a different set of priorities. The sign that the guy was tapping on said that they didn't accept walk-up orders. I was flabbergasted.
"You mean, just because I'm not sitting in a car, you don't want my money?" I asked. "Right." says the JITB drone. "Hold on...you've already made our food! It's right there behind you!" explained Tommy. "....huh?" says the JITB guy.
At this point, I figure I've had about enough of this nonsense. I look across the guard dog pit, across the street, and notice a Taco Bell. Brain says "Run for the border!" Gastrointestinal tract says "Uuuuugh!"
Brain won.
So, we dodge traffic across the street, walk up to the drive-thru ordering place, placed our order, REALLY surprised the clerk (who was both courteous and attractive, and didn't seem to have any problem with our lack of a vehicle). We got our food. We went back to Tommy's place. We ate our food, and my tummy was in fact unhappy.
So, what's the deal, Jack? We've got all these commercials about you being the off-the-beaten-path sort of fast food joint. But I walk up to your drive through, and my money's not good enough? What's up with that? I wouldn't have thought that legal tender changed value if it passes through a car window first.
But then again, what the hell do I know? Oh yeah. I know not to eat at Taco Bell. Ugh.
Posted by Lee at 12:53 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
October 03, 2001
Lobster Magnet!
Wednesday, October 3, 2001
You'll love Lobster Magnet.
Today, I went to a meeting for my AIAA chapter's Design Build Fly competition. We're going to design an electrically powered remote controlled airplane capable of carrying 24 softballs. We're permitted 5lbs of NiCad battery packs, 55lb gross takeoff weight, and we have a specific set of motors we can use. Note: This is a big model airplane, and it's going to be incredibly underpowered. It's going to be quite a challenge to design a plane clean enough to get off the ground with its rather substantial payload, and also complete the six laps of the field (two loaded, and four unloaded) in the allotted 10 minutes. But that's why they pay us the big bucks, right?
Hey, who gets big bucks? I didn't see anything about big bucks! I want the big bucks option, please!
We spent today hunting the Internet for suppliers of engines, propellors (I want to use a ducted fan) and other accoutrements. I found this amazing site where a guy is building an RC model of the Boeing X-32a Joint Strike Fighter. The model will be capable of vertical takeoffs and landings, as well as conventional wing-borne flight. This is an amazing achievement for even a large scale model. I can't wait to see how it works for him!
Word for the day? Kazakhstan. I found some web sites today for my speech class touting business services in Kazakhstan. Now I'll know what to do if I'm ever in Kazakhstan and I need somebody to write me a business plan. God bless the Internet!
Music for the day? Lean On Me by Rockapella. These guys are awesome.
Fun toy for the day? Launch a penguin into orbit. You'll be glad you did.
Posted by Lee at 12:51 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack