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Ineffectual Posturing

therandomtexan

The Pledge San Antonio city councilman Robert Courage (a mayoral candidate wannabe) is sponsoring the city’s first major gun buyback program, to be held November 19th at the Alamodome. Although it was publicized “under the radar” in the local press, … Continue reading Ineffectual Posturing

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The Cool Just Keeps on Comin’

therandomtexan

Remember this guy? Turns out he’s got competition from this guy. Tip from American Digest. Update:  And here’s a Texan who spent 10 years getting the US Constitution amended; that’s cool the hard way. Update:  Let’s not forget this old fart who broke the sound barrier gimmicking the controls of his Bell X-1 with a piece of broomstick. Continue reading The Cool Just Keeps on Comin’

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Your cat is an ecological disaster

therandomtexan

Cats kill birds. lots of birds. From the New Yorker article “And how many birds does a bird-killing cat kill in one year? (Perhaps three dozen.) Each of these multipliers had a range of uncertainty, so the model needed to be run repeatedly. The number it generated most often was 2.4 billion birds a year. Outdoor-cat advocates were quick to dismiss the paper as ‘junk science.’… But I, too, at first, being skeptical of models, had trouble believing that the numbers could be so vast…. The most dismal number in the Nature Communications paper was its median estimate for the … Continue reading Your cat is an ecological disaster

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Brainfeast: Reading and Speaking

therandomtexan

Two knock-it-outta-the-park posts on the web this week. Stuff to make you smarter and maybe richer: Effortless cool is a detailed process. -Ben Sherman Where was all this stuff when I was in college? high school? Update I’m a big advocate for not hiding your enthusiasm for things,” she [Taylor Swift] said last year in her New York University commencement address.  “Never be ashamed of trying.  Effortlessness is a myth.  The people who wanted it the least were the ones I wanted to date and be friends with in high school.  The people who want it the most are the people I … Continue reading Brainfeast: Reading and Speaking

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Estilo Americano: The Jackpot Mimosa

therandomtexan

This recipe was invented by my wife, pretty much by accident. My wife is a secret foodie, and a big fan of “champagne” cocktails and fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice. A couple days back, she combined the two in a ruby-red grapefruit mimosa, with a sweet kick: maraschino cherries. The Recipe Drop the three cherries into a large wine tulip glass, add the grapefruit juice, then the sparking wine. Carefully, it tends to foam up. Goes great with a Tex-Mex breakfast or a plate of nachos. Continue reading Estilo Americano: The Jackpot Mimosa

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Estilo Americano: Tex-Mex Pickled Red Onion

therandomtexan

Pickled red onion is a go-to garnish for Norteño foods like fish tacos and tortas ahogadas. So how difficult could it be to make? I found a recipe online and gave it shot. OK, but a bit tart, so I added a secret ingredient to make a tasty Tex-Mex version. Ingredients Preparation Slice the onion into rings–it’s OK if they’re a bit raggedy–and pack them in layers into a small jar, sprinkling a bit of salt between layers. Juice the lime onto the onion, give it all a shake, then add the apple cider vinegar and shake again. Store in … Continue reading Estilo Americano: Tex-Mex Pickled Red Onion