You Can Still Be A Man In Oklahoma

Beef.
It's what's for dinner.

Recently we visited Oklahoma City. A city on the rise, it's modern accommodations and old west charms are more than appealing. Seriously, it's just like Ft. Worth. It was designed and planned by the same cattle barons along the Chisholm Trail... But I digress... We were there visiting family and it just so happens, the wife is working on a big project there so we got to see that. We walked through the red bricked streets of Bricktown where I just happen to know about a certain steakhouse that folks visiting Oklahoma should never miss.

Micky Mantles.

The steakhouse bearing his name is more than a tribute to his greatness, it's a testament for being a man, and men everywhere.
Picture the rustic, stockyard setting. You stagger into a dark cigar bar. You realize the place is perfect for your needs. You're a stranger in a strange land, but somehow this place is familiar. What is it about this joint? I know, it's a classy place and you are a classy guy... We know what to do, let's sit at the bar and have a cigar AND SMOKE IT!

You see,,, in Dallas and Austin, these cigar bars are a thing of the past... (Hitler put and end to decadence, too...)

Once you've picked out your stogie and the perfect grey goose martini, dirty, with blue cheese olives, you can sit back and enjoy the priceless baseball memorabilia before you.

Then when the spirit moves you, you wander into the darker dining room. You won't see your hand in front of your face, but you will hear the sound of clicking spurs and cattlemen chatter all around you.
The lobster escargot is a must. I like the peppercorn filet, mid rare. Mac N cheese has never tasted so good.*belch*

Don't miss the best steakhouse north of the red river. Just eat it.

After dinner, the staff is more than happy to run down the desserts, but the real message here is, at Mickey Mantles Steakhouse, you can still be a man, you can still be free.
(They don't treat their smokers like animals like they do in Texas.)
And being free is being a man.

A Second "Look" Inside Sun City

In the old Comanche lands of the northern hill country of Texas, there lies a retirement community the likes of which you've never seen. A massive, conservative, voting block of tea-publicans who cling to their "clean" and often exclusionary society with vim and vigor.  Sun City is the name, Georgetown,TX is the place.

Having grown up in Texas, I'm no stranger to the tea-publican mind. I've got more than a few friends who would shout, "Don't Tread on Me," at anytime.
Being of sound mind and liberal body, I often banter with these friends and give them my progressive perspective as best I can. We visit G-Town from time to time and I've been privy to an inside look at this other place they call, "Sun City."

I'll never forget sitting outside the voting precinct on election day--helping a friend and President to be-- at the Sun City Rec. Center in Nov. '08.  I was wearing an Obama shirt and a Cowboy hat.
I was all but accosted... (Seniors=Buzzard$)

Recently we re-visited my right-wing brethren of the dry, ancient lands of central Texas.
As most men of a certain age do, we like to play golf. Guess where we played???

The first 9 holes were a bit rough on us, we'd had a full tournament of Texas Hold Em at the local watering hole the night before.
We needed to stop in at the clubhouse bar for a refreshment.
That's where our story begins and my compadres perceptions about their wise, respected neighbors end...

You see, Suuuunnnnn Ciiiiiiiiiiitttttty's got a Drag Queen in it!
And it freaked out my foursome.

Being the metro sexual that I am, and having chosen a more open society to live in(Dallas), I was engaging in normal conversation with Jennifer, the transvestite behind the bar. Who, as it turns out, owns and runs the place.

I found she and her restaurant to be charming and good. The other three of the foursome got mixed reviews.

Mr. P was the first to stare and shake his head, while Mr. W had already gone into a quiet denial. A zombie-like trance that was unusual, even for him. Mr. S, always the mathematician, was already calculating a "yes sir," or "yes ma'am" answer scenario in his mind, and his follow up response,  should he guess wrong.  As this "trans-fusion" went on, I spoke with Jennifer about a Lee Trevino signed painting on the wall. She gave me a big red smile, her gold earrings shining, her blouse fluttering, her Lucile Ball wig shifting as she served us our sandwiches and beverages to go. We bid her farewell and were out the door. Mr. P muttered to the golf pro, "Why?" The pro responds, "you just gotta get used to it."

As we converged on the 10th, the mood was somber to say the least. Mr. W, who was still coming to terms with what he'd seen, took several intense practice swings as did Mr. S.
It's hard to put into words how disturbed Mr. P was, and still is for that matter.
The Marshall approached, confirmed all their fears and added that the "he-she" could outplay us shot for shot from the blue tees.
Mr. P abused his clubs, kicked the golf cart, paced around, and loudly exclaimed, "Why, why, why would you do that!?"

I remained calm through all this.
I enjoyed every bite of my sandwich as I realized what was really going on in Sun City and what it meant to live there.

Today, Mr. P is sitting at his desk still asking the question, "why would you?" A question asked by many at dinner tables across Sun City.
Jennifer responds, in a much deeper voice, "You want honey mustard on that?"

Never let it be said the tea-publicans of Sun City,TX aren't an all inclusive bunch.

The Weekly Wrangle

The Texas Progressive Alliance, which has some experience in these matters, extends best wishes to the east coast as it recovers from Hurricane Irene. Here now is the roundup ...

Off the Kuff notes that Texas' unemployment rate is at its highest level since the days of the oil bust. Maybe firing thousands of teachers and other public employees isn't such a hot idea.

Bay Area Houston picks up and posts the video of the Sanger ISD administrators who poked fun at Rick Perry in a Hee Haw sing-along skit.

A Houston city council candidate has affixed hundreds of his campaign signs to utility poles -- in violation of both city ordinance and the utility company's rules -- throughout the city, many of them 20- and 30-feet off the ground. This candidate, an attorney, blames "overzealous volunteers" and makes no promise to remove them. This candidate's name is Eric Dick. PDiddie at Brains and Eggs asks the (hopefully obvious) question: does Houston really need another dick on city council?

How can you tell that republicans are batsh*t crazy? Rick Perry has jumped to the top of the polls. CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme has warned you for years.

Libby Shaw at TexasKaos has a roundup of Rick Perry's vast network of crony capitalists for inquiring minds. See Icky Ricky Perry, the Master of Pay to Play Politics.

WCNews at Eye On Williamson shows that state Sen. Steve Ogden needs to check his facts about who's to blame for the budget impasse last session: Ogden's false equivalency.

This week on Left of College Station Teddy continues to look at Rick Perry's Texas. From tort reform that doesn't deliver on promises to water infrastructure neglect that has left Texas a dry state; from crony capitalism that benefits Perry's campaign contributors to the fact that the Lone Star State has the highest percentage of uninsured in the nation. It's hard to mess with Texas when Perry already has.

Neil at Texas Liberal will be taking part in a spoken-word event and concert in Cincinnati on Saturday, September 3 to mark the release of the Aurore Press book Living In The Lap Of Labor. This book is a collection of essays about working in America. Neil has an essay in the book and will be reading from that essay. While it is unlikely you will be in Cincinnati in the week ahead, Neil asks you to stop on by and say hello if you are in fact in town.

The Crooked Man-Jeb Hensarling

Jeb Hensarling and his band of merry pranksters want to save you from yourselves.

   I live in one of the artsy parts of Dallas. Very liberal. My vote does not count. Look no further than my gerrymandered district for answers as to why that is.

I--like so many other Texans--am stuck with a delusional nutbag as my representative in DC.

He's so removed from reality and so full of hypocrisy, that he reminds me of an old nursery rhyme called "The Crooked Man." It goes like this:  

There was a crooked man and he walked a crooked mile,
He found a crooked sixpence upon a crooked stile.
He bought a crooked cat, which caught a crooked mouse.
And they all lived together in a little crooked house called the 5th congressional district.

So it goes today, one little, crooked man endorses another big-time, crooked man for President. I'm not surprised. This is where we are. Hate filled politics have taken over the minds of our leaders like an infectious disease. Here's the article:

--Rep. Jeb Hensarling on Thursday endorsed Texas Gov. Rick Perry's bid for the White House.
"We need somebody who knows how to create jobs. We need somebody who knows how to balance the budget," Hensarling said in an interview. "He'll be very strong in the primary. He's very appealing to social conservatives, very appealing to the tea party and very appealing to pro-growth, chamber of commerce type Republicans."
Hensarling was in town Thursday, along with Republican Reps. Pete Sessions and Joe Barton, for the Dallas Regional Chamber's legislative luncheon at the Hyatt near Union Station.
The Dallas Republican is co-chairman of the bi-partisan committee looking to find solutions to the nation's debt crisis.--

You see, the little crooked man, he voted for all the policies, wars and laws that got our country into financial ruin. Then when someone from the other party took over as President, he became a "budget hawk," a "sophist" if you will. He's a skunk who pisses hot and stanky urine all over the other side until he gets his way. Not caring how many lives of his constituents he destroys. Cronyism at it's finest.
I expect nothing less from a man who's made a living on bad decisions. Ole "Jim" Hensarling voted for Bush Wars, deregulation of Wall Street, cuts to Seniors medicare, etc. etc.. When it comes to wrecking the economy and hurting hard working Americans, "Jim's" voting record speaks for itself.
What's one more horrific decision for the sheeple of East Texas to swallow...

The real question is, how do we fix this chicken-shit district?

Texas Student Checklist for 2011-2012

It's that wonderful time of year that has parents gleaming with pride and feeling nostalgic all at the same time,  I remember it well,  it's Back-to-School Time!!!
I had my new duds, my new pencils, erasers, trapper keeper, lunch money, etc. etc.
(I was fortunate enough to have a parent who was a teacher)
I was eager to join the group, to learn and contribute.
I entered the Texas Public School system a shy, only, lonely child from a broken home. (I had one friend, that I'd met in pre-school, waiving to me when I walked into the first grade classroom)
12 years later I walked out President of the Student Body of one of the largest High Schools in the state.
No computers in the library. No cell phones to call for a ride home. No iPOD.
All that was available to me was my common sense, and some of the best public educators and administrators, not only in the state, but in the entire country.(BirdvilleISD)

Today in Texas, my fellow classmates send their kids off to the same public schools we grew up in. They take photos and post them to Facebook with pride.

Their sweet, innocent children look full of hope that their school will provide an opportunity for them to break out someday and become someone.

This is my wish for them, I decided to give them a checklist:

1. Know your environment.

2. Know the costs.

3. Know your grades.

4. Check your facts.

5. Elect your leaders.

In a world of increasing bullying, we have an opportunity to enlighten our kids and teach them compassion.

If we put our politics aside, we all agree that we love our children.

Love spreads and shows itself in many forms. Learning in today's world of high-tech media is tough on these impressionable minds. Let's lead from the front and practice tolerance. 

To be early is to be on time. To be on time is to be late.

The Weekly Wrangle

The Texas Progressive Alliance reminds you that the Texas Democratic Women of Harris County are sponsoring a Blogger's Panel, featuring several Houston members tonight, as it brings you this week's roundup.

Off the Kuff has one piece of advice for President Obama regarding Rick Perry's presidential ambitions.

The already-existing field of Republican presidential candidates -- along with former Bush administration officials and even the current occupants of the White House -- reacted to Rick Perry's entry into the race, and Letters from Texas reacted to their reaction. The conclusion: they're all screwing this up.

Bay Area Houston says that fact-checking Rick Perry is not for the ignorant.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme is amazed that the always-crazy Congressman Peter King wants Rick Perry to tone it down. No doubt that today's republican is looking to nominate the mayor of crazy town.

WCNews at Eye On Williamson posts on the horror that often is the Williamson County justice and DA John Bradley. A man has spent 24 years in jail for a crime he did not commit -- truly a tragic story.

From Iowa corn dog porn, to "gaps" in the theory of evolution, to passive-aggressive assaults on Ben Bernanke and from Karl Rove, Rick Perry had a no good, very bad first week on the national stage. PDiddie at Brains and Eggs documents the governor's gaffes, faux pas and self-administered gunshots to both cowboy-booted feet.

This week on Left of College Station Teddy continues the "Rick Perry's Texas" series by looking at innocent executions, college denied, child poverty, and even a chart showing that, despite the governor's belief in the 'free market', Keynes has come to Texas.

Neil at Texas Liberal said this week that while circumstance matters, it is best not to let others construct your reality.

Sunday Funnies