Sunday, March 12, 2006

priority problems

Just an interesting tidbit here, from a Molly Ivans article about Harry Whittington (and his getting shot by Dick Cheney):
Texas still keeps the nonviolent, the retarded, senior citizens, etc. locked up for ridiculous periods--all at taxpayer expense. If we could ever get to where we spend as much per pupil on education as we do per prisoner, this state would take off like a rocket. In 2003, we spend nearly $15,000 per prisoner, while average per-pupil spending was just over $8,000.
Now how much sense does that make. And how much quibbling is there ever about the funding of prisons?

Saturday, March 11, 2006

Republicans: Building tomorrow's Democrats
Today!

Oh, you're gonna love this one. There's a Dad here in our little Republican enclave of Highland Park*, Texas, who has said that he refuses to pay for his son's education unless he becomes a Registered Republican. The son has refused, and to support himself through school has instead started up a clone of the million pixels of advertisements website pioneered by that guy in England.
Can you ask for a better example of what's wrong with today's Republican? Dad says, "Son, as your pimp-Daddy, if you want any cash out of me, I expect you to sign up for my party, which is, after all, the party of Big Money." Seriously, does this not sound like whoring to you?
It does to me.

One might ask, well, why not sign up, take the money, get the education, then, like any good Texas political type, change sides after you got what you wanted? Well, yeah, you could do that, but doesnt that sound like something someone without any sense of fair play, honor, decency, or gentlemanly behavior would do? To lie, take the money (the most important thing, the be-all and end-all), then run? Like perhaps, a Republican?
It does to me.
So, if you were serious about not being a Republican, you couldnt do it, right?

So, I guess, if you have a certain sense of honor, then you will tell Dad to shove his money and his party, and try and fend for yourself, just like poor people do. Well, sort of. Poor people would probably just go out and get a job, but you've got to admire the kid's entreprenurial spirit, even if it probably will lead to a future place in the Republican party. Most of all, I'd like to extend a hearty "Huzzah!" for not whoring himself. And if it turns out that he just cant cut it, well, I'm sure Dad'll still be there, his superfly Caddilac waiting, still offering that same trick.

Then he can take the money.

For now.


*For any non-Dallasites, Highland Park is one of those towns that was wealthy enough to avoid being swallowed up by the city as it expanded, and so is now surrounded by the city, providing a haven for wealthy, white (second wife) soccer moms and their insufferably spoiled children, where they can pretend that darker skinned people dont actually exist (except to clean up after them).

Simulcast on Daveawayfromhome

Sunday, March 05, 2006

10 things

10 things I love about Texas
  1. Tex-Mex food
  2. the Big Bend region
  3. the music
  4. Enchanted Rock
  5. Blue Bell Ice Cream
  6. Shiner Bock on tap
  7. Kinky Friedman: For Governor!
  8. "winter" in Texas (I'm wearing shorts!)
  9. Mexican radio
  10. cowboy mythology


10 things I hate about Texas
  1. The Endless Summer (not your Beach Boy variety)
  2. the lousy drivers
  3. the town of Pecos
  4. North Dallas
  5. "right to work" laws
  6. Texas Academic Skills testing
  7. "Rentboy" Rick Perry
  8. neuveau Austinites
  9. Mexican TV
  10. cowboy mythology

More local, more vocal

Okay, maybe not more vocal, but it rhymed nicely, didnt it?

I'm starting this blog so that I can deal with Texas stuff without boring non-Texans to tears.

I'm not a native, but have lived here half my life, and feel that qualifies me to write about Texas.