Daily Rant 2009-01-11

Committee:

A body that keeps minutes and wastes hours.

If you hate a person, you hate something in him that is part of yourself. What isn't part of ourselves doesn't disturb us.

Hermann Hesse (1877 - 1962)

Speaking of political bodies since I spent two half-days recently catching up on Canadian News as reported by CBC Updates for the month of December I learn that the 100 foot Christmas Tree in front of the Quebec Legislature could not be referred to as L'Arbre Noel as that might offend someone of another religious persuasion. Political Correctness has gotten way out of hand.

Incoming President Obama is making all the right foreign diplomacy moves by making the President of Mexico his first foreign visitor and Canada his first foreign tour.

On the Don Valley Parkway in Toronto the driver of a Mercedes was clocked doing 150 MPH. Having viewed the highway web cams of Toronto Roads such speeds are beyond idiocy and the $9000 fine more than deserved. I'm glad I wasn't sharing the road with this menace.

Early this morning I heard one of our migratory warblers busy singing away. Just what he had to sing about in air that hovered just above freezing I don't know unless it was the prospect of warmer climes to come given the crystal clear azure sky.

Before I get so comfortable here in Austin that I never want to leave I've started making plans for the next leg of my Odyssey. In preparation I've done laundry, reordered my stores, sorted paper, and dug out manuals to ready my vehicle for colder weather. I'm headed toward West Texas Hill Country and higher elevations. Near Fort Davis is U of T's McDonald Astronomical Observatory on the way to Marfa where I wish to go gliding and with luck see the famous Marfa Lights.

In the meantime I'm attempting to see as much of Austin as I have time and energy to explore. I've biked the entire 20 miles around Town Lake and will explore bike trails north if I manage to find them today. Went next door to Uncle Billys Brew&Que and quaffed a couple well-brewed Pale Ales and tried their Smokehouse Cobb Salad. I want to go back for more ale and genuine BBQ.

Friday I attended an Austin Symphony Concert in the Dell Hall at the Long Centre. The hall's acoustics deserve every laudatory boast written about them. Save a minor complaint about the lack of lushness and warmth from the string section the orchestra has an extremely professional sound and Peter Bey puts me in mind of a young Sir Andrew Davis when he first came to Toronto though Peter doesn't hop a foot off the floor when he gives a downbeat for a tutti section but he is equally animated in his conducting style. Garrick Olhsson gave us a workmanlike rendition of Dvorak's deservedly obscure Second Piano Concerto and a warmly applauded Chopin Waltz Encore. Rachmaninov's Second Symphony was an hour of pure delight.