Cavalcade of Food: Late-Winter Whimsy

It's above freezing in Michigan once again, and Kevin shows us his newly redecorated dispay windows, full of colorful kitchen appliances and nostalgia, not to mention the elephant next door. BTW, it's sunny and 80 degrees here in Texas.

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When Woodstock Came to Texas

Poster for the Texas International Pop Festival,
August 30 - September 1, 1969.
(from Wikipedia)

It may surprise some of my truckbuddies to learn that Texas had its own hippie rock concert on Labor Day weekend, 1969, just a couple of weeks after the famous one in New York state.  I'm surprised, too:  I never heard of it, and neither did M.P.  We were both still in high school, far away from Dallas. And I was too square to care; still am. But as matter of social history in my own lifetime, it was interesting to stumble upon these news videos and reminiscences of the event, which some surviving participants say was life-changing.

First, an official video from the City of Lewisville, a little ways north of Dallas proper, where the festival was held in a large open field next to Interstate 35.  The site has been heavily redeveloped since then (see maps).  The promoter who first appears at 1:36 is a son of the founder of the Six Flags theme parks, Angus Wynn, Jr.

It says a lot about small-town Texas that the upright, God-fearing citizenry at the time were outraged, not by the long hair, rock music, and drugs, but by all the nekkid bodies skinny-dipping in the nearby lake in broad daylight!  The locals knew the kids were naked because they were out there in their motorboats, intently scrutinizing all that indecency through binoculars.

Notice what the newsman in the next clip says about "it's hard to know what to call these young people" - most of them were "weekend hippies" whose hair and clothes were still within the limits of respectability. In the next few years, what was strange and different, even shocking, in 1969 became ordinary:  that's how the fashion industry works. 

Just a couple of years after this event, I was sitting in a goverment class when the instructor posed a discussion question:  "What is a hippie?"  We all looked at each other mutely as we realized that "hippie" had become "normal."  Long-ish hair, flares or bell-bottoms, wide belts, long sideburns, mustaches, beards, and hip-hugging blue jeans - most young men dressed that way, at least for slogging around campus, regardless of their socio-political orientation.  The words "hippie" and "groovy" were already obsolete; but blue jeans - workman's clothing - became the default choice for casual wear, and remain so to this day. 

But 1969 was the starry-eyed Age of Aquarius:  harmony and understanding, sympathy and trust abounding.  It's poignant to hear the earnest young folks in these clips spout all those utopian sentiments of peace, love, and joy: "just be yourself, do what you want to do - people will love you for it." A happy thought, a hopeful thought - but mistaken. Human nature just doesn't work that way. But they surely found that out later on. 

This last video opens with a crotch shot that proves more than words ever could that rock and roll is all about sex, and vice versa.

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I Have No Words

From the Book of Common Prayer:

Eternal God, in whose perfect kingdom no sword is drawn

but the sword of righteousness, no strength known but the

strength of love: So mightily spread abroad your Spirit, that

all peoples may be gathered under the banner of the Prince of

Peace, as children of one Father; to whom be dominion and

glory, now and for ever. Amen.

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Sunday Drive: Beethoven, Moonlight Sonata

From the video description by pianist Paul Barton:

Mongkol is a 61-year-old former logging elephant. His captive-held life was spent hauling trees in the Thai forest. His body shape is deformed through hard labor, he lost his right eye and tusk in this brutal logging practice. Mongkol was rescued and brought to Elephants World to spend the rest of his days relaxing peacefully in freedom by the River Kwai. I discovered Mongkol is an extremely gentle, sensitive elephant who enjoys music, especially this slow movement by Beethoven which I play to him occasionally in the day and night.

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Waitin' for the Weekend

"Just Say Yes": sweet photos with a common theme, how nice.

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What We're Watching: The International Male Story

We watched this last night while eating supper at the kitchen bar. I'm sure many of my truckbuddies will recall thumbing though those catalogs as M.P. and I did in the 70's.  It wasn't nearly as good as Playgirl, but sometimes it was all you had to dream on.

Bonus: In this a local news report on West Hollywood in 1980, you will get a glimpse of the International Male store there. I never knew they had an actual store building.

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Russ Cooks! Swiss Steak a la Johnny Mac

Last night for our Sunday dinner I made Swiss Steak, and M.P. loved it - gave me an A+!

Swiss steak with tomato gravy over white rice; fried Italian green beans; garlic Texas toast.  First course was that lusicous garlic soup (not shown) left over from last week.  Click to enlarge.

It was really a joint production, though - M.P. did all the prep work (mis en place), and had everything already chopped, measured, and laid out for me when I got to the kitchen.  This was a very tasty, very filling meal:  a real treat.  M.P. thanked me profusely, and I was proud to have cooked something to delight his tastebuds, instead of the other way around as is usual at our house.

I had seen this video by Johnny Mac, the Sauce and Gravy Guy, and it looked so good and so easy, I just wanted to try it myself.  I followed his directions, but at M.P.'s suggestion, added a couple of drops of Louisiana Hot Sauce™ and 2 teaspoons of sugar; also a quarter-cup of chopped bell pepper.  Cooked and baked it all in a cast iron deep skillet* for 2 full hours; the meat came out fork tender and scumptious, the tomato gravy full of luscious flavor.

If any of you fellas want a real man-pleasing meal, this is it!  We highly recommend Johnny Mac's simple recipe. Total prep time for me, first time out of the chute, was 45 minutes, not counting all the pre-prep work M.P. did.

* - I'm not affiliated with the Lodge company; I just think everyone who likes to cook ought to have one of these handy things.  It's a skillet and a dutch oven all in one; and the handle makes it super easy to use on top of the stove or in the oven for all kinds of roasts, stews, soups, and whatever.  It will last forever with proper care, which is very simple.

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Today's Sermon: Talarico Condemns Christian Nationalism

Texas state representative James Talarico, running now for a U. S. Senate seat, delivered a powerful and compelling sermon two years ago in his home church of St. Andrew's Presbyterian in Austin.  M.P. and I were most impressed. Talarico has a master's degree in education, as well as a Master of Divinty degree.

I didn't know they still made young men like this. We agree with all his main points - though there are some fine points of history and theology he skates over a bit too quickly, in my opinion. Still, his thesis that the Christofacism engulfing the country today is both un-Christian as well as un-American is indisputably true, and he makes the case splendidly.

We hope to vote for him in the general election. But there is one nagging question in the back of my mind - here is this clean-cut, well-educated, well-spoken young man . . . still single at 36? Why? A cursory online search turns up no mention of wife, girlfriend, ex-girlfriend, or any other relationship. If he were a Catholic priest, that would be understandable, but he's a Presbyterian. As much as I like what he says, there's something not quite right about this picture.

So what gives?  Perhaps some enterprising reporter will dig into this mystery. Meanwhile, he and Buttigieg are the two best hopes we see for the future of America at this point in time. God bless them.

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Waitin' for the Weekend

"Beefcake Sampler #2" by Clint Collide:

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The Pork Boys Do Mardi Gras, 2026

I'm afraid I don't have much to show from this year's feast; M.P. cooked all evening, so it was past midnight when we sat down to eat, and we were so hungry we couldn't take time to photograph the food.  So this is really just for our future reference - a couple of pics of the beautiful table setting M.P. spread out in purple, green, and gold with Mardi Gras beads and masks:

Click to enlarge.

Dinner was delicious:  We began with M.P.'s famous garlic soup - made from about 20 or 30 cloves of garlic, but it's not overpowering as you might think; very tasty and satisfying indeed, and a bit sweet.  The entree was boned Cornish game hens stuffed with minced chicken livers and fried a crispy golden brown; also golden gravy (regular gravy with a pinch of turmeric added for color); and browned rice.  

For dessert M.P, made a cinnamon King's Cake, very sweet and buttery, not dry and tasteless as most bakery cakes are nowadays.  This has become our yummy new tradition.

That's all, folks!  But I must make note of last night's whimsical "Dinner of the Spheres" that M.P. dreamed up - scrumptious Swedish meatballs in gravy, steamed Brussels sprouts with Thousand Island dressing on the side, and little round new potatoes sauteed in lemon-garlic butter.  A delightful meal.  While we ate it at the kitchen bar, we watched The Making of Fantasia, a fusion of art, music, and animation that somehow was a perfect accompaniment to our fanciful dinner.

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Like Ships in the Night: Two Christian Leaders

Two men of different races, generations, and backgrounds, one departing, one just arriving, whose faith has informed their politics - not the other way around.  Hope is still alive.

The Reverend Jesse Jackson, 1941-2026; may he rest in peace after his long, weary struggles for civil rights and justice for all:

Texas state representative James Talarico, born 1989, in a censored interview with Stephen Colber:

For 50 years, the religious right, a political movement - that's the perfect description for it - they convinced a lot of our fellow Christians that the most important issues were abortion and gay marriage:  two issues that aren't mentioned in the Bible, two issues that Jesus never talked about. Jesus in Matthew 25 tells us exactly how you and I and every one of our fellow believers, how we're going to be judged and how we're going to be saved:  by feeding the hungry, by healing the sick, by welcoming the stranger. Nothing about going to church, nothing about voting Republican. It is all about how you treat other people.

Don't tell me what you believe; show me how you treat other people, and I'll tell you what you believe.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Bonus:  Talarico speaks at a town hall in Laredo last week:

This man speaks my language.  He's young enough to be my grandson, but he talks with mature wisdom and confidence.  Wow.  

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