MLK DAY: Is Our Children Learning?

Nobody loves MLK more than I.
In fact, I've always regarded him as the greatest American hero.
Standing up to oppression, employing Gandhi-style passive resistance tactics and leading his people to the promised land like an American Moses. He was truly a great man.
Does this mean we should take the day off? Absolutely not.

MLK stood for hard work, a sound education, and character building. None of these things can be achieved when we play hookie.
Instead, students and workers are forced to focus on yet another day off --after a slew of days off-- all-the-while drowning in consumerism just like they did during the holiday season.
It's deplorable, destructive and wrong.

In Texas, schools are closed for over two weeks during Christmas and New Years. Parents, single moms, single dads, caregivers, whatever... are forced to deal with the hurdles of watching their children AND expected to work full time too. (Most Texas Businesses Don't Take Off) Then, we finally get a break when school resumes so our children can get back on track. You see, when you have kids you MUST have a schedule. Routine is everything to keep your child balanced and your sanity intact. Taking another day off for shopping at the mall or spending cash at the arcades and bowling alley may not be what the masses need right now.

Of all the states that take MLK Day off, Texas deserves it the least. With the highest dropout rate in the nation, the greatest number of teen pregnancies, the lowest test scores, the most uninsured kids, the most children living in poverty, the leader in child hunger, the highest reported child deaths, Texas is the worst state to live in as a child. Not to mention Texas' revisionist history books that are infecting the schools like a disease.

Perhaps Texas school children should take the day to learn something. They should strive to stay on track at school, and learn some real history about MLK. They could invite local leaders to speak, hold workshops on equal rights, learn the truth about LBJ and the 1960's, go to a museum... I mean my God, there's so much more to do than go to a movie and shop. The possibilities are endless.

If you want to celebrate MLK then do it at school, at work, in your actions within your community. How about a day off in February instead? (That's Black History Month) Why January?? Why is it that right after the holidays we require another day off??? Keep your goofy parade. No child ever learned anything from a parade except that maybe they are afraid of large crowds...and they should be.

Going Viral In Texas

It's been a weird week in my hometown of Big D. Perhaps this week its should be called Big E.
I like it, I was compelled to comment about it. Ebola. Its right up the Lane. In my family hospital. Across from my favorite diner. Down the street from my child's school. Where I work and live has become it's infected playground. Why here? What happened? When will we learn?

The Satellite trucks are lining Skillman Ave. Anderson Cooper is here in the village. People are freaked out by our very own NBC News 5... They don't just break the news...They MAKE the news...

While this is a tragedy that angers me and scares me (it doesn't scare me) It does afford me with the opportunity to see how our betters react in a crisis. Our "leadership."
So far other than Dallas Mayor, Mike Rawlings, there hasn't been any Texas leader who's acted in a professionally human manner.
Rick Perry is MIA. I mean seriously. This guy is terrible.
The goobernatorial candidates are far, far, far away... Employing their supersecret "hide from the public til the election" campaign strategy. I completely expect it out of Mr Abbott. He doesn't give a damn about those people or anybody else who isn't feeding his war chest. Wendy Davis will come around when she's forced to, but she really doesn't have to. She will carry Dallas County handily and why risk getting infected? Stay in the valley and get those folks registered I say. That's where your votes are anyway...
But the other band of freaks we call the Texas GOP...With them... The silence is deafening.

Where are our leaders???

Jed Hensnarling. Ted Cruz. John Corndog. John Carter. Pete Sessions. On and On and On...
Hell, George W. Bush lives right across the road. Do you know where he is? Ice fishing with Rick Perry and Vladamir Putin. He don't care!

I Tell U What:
Not only will you hear from these petulant children, stringently screaming if there's a crisis that they can pin on Obama. (Might I remind you that the Texas GOP has waged a war against this President and obstructed Congress for 6 years now). They've demonized the minority of democrats here in Texas, slammed and attacked the president in such a disrespectful manner it makes me think my home state is now run by carpetbaggers. --Southern gentlemen are a dying breed.-- And these cretins today in Austin do it with the twinkle in their eye of small child who's just one-upped you. So innocent in their evil it hurts.

Hey TEXAS, here's an idea! Let's fight against decent healthcare and education for our citizens in the name of states rights and party lines, then, when healthcare fails, education fails, fertilizer explosions, and droughts happen we will blame the federal government for not taking care of us properly.
It's what I like to call a "Win Win."
It's the kind of professional hypocrisy Ive come to expect from this Rovian bunch of political hacks. These Teabagger Saints. These dastardly cowards of the gerrymandered districts they represent.
You see...I remember such things.
Personally, It stupefies me that so many have so short a memory... or rather... so selective of one...

Bottom line: If you don't approve of the CDC or the president... That's okay.
In the words of Rick Perry..."Secede."
Otherwise spare us the talk talk.
It's an election year and nobody cares. Nobody shows up at the polls in midterms. However, if you're registered and paying attention... Ebola has handed Texans the biggest reason to date as to why the state of Texas needs NEW leadership. Go Viral Texas! GO VOTE WENDY DAVIS and straight ticket democrat! Early voting begins in 5 days. Don't delay. Unless you're quarantined of course.

Operation Snowball

Living in Texas as a progressive can be frustrating at its best. Being a 4th or 5th generation Texan who remembers when Texas was truly a 'Great State' can be downright debilitating. Today's Texas boasts a 'Fake Great State' mentality that hides itself behind big business and even bigger money; none of which helps the people much. Our once beloved state has become a haven of right-winged extremists armed to the teeth as they wait in line for their anti-depressants at the local drug store. A lunatic fringe of self righteous indignation whereby chest pounding, self-made, trust fund babies can scream "get a job you lazy poor people!" Where those born into privilege can hide out and spew their "I pulled myself up by my bootstraps," horse manure. In layman's terms, Texas is a joke.


Don't believe me? Just take a look at our governor...

Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) raised eyebrows Wednesday at an event in San Francisco when he drew a parallel between homosexuality and alcoholism.

An audience member asked Perry about the Texas Republican Party's recent endorsement of "reparative therapy" for gays during the governor's appearance before the Commonwealth Club of California, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Perry responded that he didn't know whether the therapy worked.
Perry was then asked whether he believes homosexuality is a disorder.
"Whether or not you feel compelled to follow a particular lifestyle or not, you have the ability to decide not to do that," he responded, as quoted by the San Francisco Chronicle. "I may have the genetic coding that I'm inclined to be an alcoholic, but I have the desire not to do that, and I look at the homosexual issue the same way."
That response "drew a murmur of disbelief" from an audience that included many Perry supporters, according to the Chronicle.
Perry made a similar comparison in his 2008 book "On My Honor: Why the American Values of the Boy Scouts Are Worth Fighting For." He wrote that even if homosexuality, though it may be genetic, was still an "active choice" akin to an alcoholic choosing to drink.

I never though I'd say this, but I'm starting to miss Kay Bailey Hutchison. Enter newly-crowned American citizen, Ted Cruz:

“Eric Cantor is a good man, but last night, voters in Virginia made D.C. listen loud and clear. This election should be a reminder to all in Congress — Republicans and Democrats alike — that the conservative base is alive and well, and the American people will hold us all accountable. Each of us needs to do what we said we would do and tell the truth,” Cruz said.

 'Tell the truth Ted' they call him.

Yes, because nothing screams of the TRUTH like Ted Cruz...
Let me help you out there Teddy Boy, Eric Cantor is NOT a good man. That's a blatant lie. He IS a first class obstructionist who lost his seat because the voters in his party's primary felt like he wasn't doing enough to stop the evil black Muslim.  You know, Ted... He didn't HATE enough. You should have taught him how to HATE better, Ted... But I digress...

I could go on all day giving examples of Texas' ineptitude, but the bottom line question is: How does a sane person live in Texas?

We play along and we don't worry about it because it just doesn't matter anymore. Texas is woefully lost, and it always will be. We scream of hope and change in the form of Wendy Davis; who is bright, and clean, and articulate... but will never serve. She'll never serve because she's great. She's waaaaaaay too great. Too great for a not-so-great state.

You see, making fun of the Texas GOP and their platform is like bullying a kid with Downs. It's too easy and makes you feel horrible afterwards. That's why I voted in this year's Republican Primary.
I called it, Operation Snowball.

 The state’s Republican Party has adopted into its 2014 platform a passage endorsing the practice, which, as marketed by the rapidly shrinking “ex-gay” movement, seeks to “convert” homosexuals into heterosexuals. The American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and a host of other professional bodies have condemned reparative therapy as damaging to the health of those people unfortunate enough to be subjected to its quack treatment regimens, which range from repeatedly beating a pillow with a tennis racket to “prolonged hugs” intended to let the recipient “feel the strength of another man”—in a totally non-sexual manner, of course.

 I voted for every Tea Party extremist I could find on the ballot. Why? I want to see how far down the rabbit hole Texas can go. I'm tired of picking on these afflicted, lost souls. There's no business in it for me. Maybe one of them will hook me up with some good old-fashioned Crony Capitalism? Lord knows I could use it.

Wendy Davis Gets It

Standing for something these days gets you noticed.
Wendy Davis is a lady who stands her ground and fights like hell for what she wants.
SO it's no wonder she's getting noticed by some wealthy, out-of-state fans.
Compared to her opponent, she's definitely got the edge when it comes to bringing in high dough from places OTHER than Texas.

Padner,
Let me tell u what,
That's just peachy with me.:)

Kevin Diaz @ the Houston Chronicle breaks it all down here:

 Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, the Republican nominee, has far outraised Davis so far. But in a sign of her national profile, Davis has raised three times the amount of money from outside Texas.

According to a Houston Chronicle analysis, Davis’ $3.8 million in out-of-state contributions amount to about a quarter of her near $15 million take so far. That’s in stark contrast to Abbott, who has hauled in about $1.2 million out-of-state, or just 5 percent of his $22 million total.

Republicans cry foul about outside liberal forces in the Davis campaign, while Democrats complain about the outsized influence of entrenched Texas business interests that comprise Abbott’s top financial backers.
In fact, a close look at the money chase, and the people behind it, lays bare the cross-currents of geography, money and politics playing out across the nation as it suddenly sees Davis – and Texas – in play.

Democrats say Davis doesn’t need to win to put Texas back on the national political map. She just needs to do well enough to put a lighter hue on the state’s deep red image. It’s that image that has given legs to Davis’ story of defiance against new GOP abortion restrictions.

 I'd like to invite you to click the link above and read further about Greg Abbott's backers. It's enough to keep you awake at night wondering what the hell it's all about? Why the hell are we even here?

As for Wendy, she's alive, and wide awake to her situation it seems.
I see in her, a one-woman-show, a transformed national image of what it means to be from Texas. To be a strong lady from Texas. Yes Texas, the original progressive state. 

Melees Ya Flight 370

We'll Never Know The Truth

The morning I woke up to the news of the plane's "disappearance," I knew we'd never know the truth.
You see, without evidence -or sometimes even with evidence- we're all left to rely on the systematic, sardonic, Pravda-like devices of our worldly, corporate conservative, media masters.

I call bullshit.

Now the media is focusing on 'pilot suicide' as the determining factor in the crash.

Still no plane.

However, the "Masters" are investigating the pilots houses and tossing them for clues.
Clues we may never fully understand, but will be fed to us thru feeding tubes in some sort of soylent green-type milk.

CNN has created a virtual world in which one can put themselves on board the doomed flight.

Still no plane.

Stay tuned!
You'll hear words like:

Suicide.
Radical.
Political.
Deliberate.
Skilled.
Authorities.


Here are some words you won't hear:

Boeing.
Stolen Passports.
Terrorists.
Shoe Bombs.
Rescue.
Safety.
Systems Failure.
Military Radar.

STILL NO PLANE.

My heart and my sincere well wishes are with the families of those gone missing and the innocent who SEEM to have perished.

Either way, I can't help but feel of twinge of James Bond villainy going on here.

Wouldn't it be cool if they were all rescued form a giant volcano fortress?

Yeah, that would be pretty neat.

Early Voting For Big D

Alright folks, here we go with some Big D early voting totals in the Party Primary Election.
With two days left for early voting, the results are less than stellar; especially when you consider how much some of you bitch and moan about government.

Total number of registered voters in Dallas: 1,174,398 (that's pretty good)
Total number of early votes for R Primary: 31,817
Total number of early votes for D Primary: 22,699 (these numbers are down due to Voter ID laws)
Total Early Votes: 54,516 out of almost 2 MILLION voters.
We still need to get to election day, but these numbers stink.

Those of you who don't vote, I'd kindly like to invite y'all to STFU...

Remember, if you don't vote, The Big Bad Obama is coming for you.
So bend over and spread them wide, you apathetic chattel.

Ted Cruz Crushes Mexican Kingpin

In case you missed it...

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's most wanted man, drug cartel kingpin Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman, was captured on Saturday with help from U.S. agencies in a major victory for the government in a long, brutal drugs war.
Guzman, known as "El Chapo" (Shorty) in Spanish, has long run Mexico's infamous Sinaloa Cartel. Over the past decade, he has emerged as one of the world's most powerful organized crime bosses.

Texan Ted Cruz knows that his borders have been threatened by murderous drug cartels like this scum for far too long...
Today was a monumental step towards a secure border, and a terrific achievement for both Mexican and US authorities alike...

Texan Ted Cruz don't give a hoot.

He still hate Obama.
He still hate the Fed.
He still play on fears of border insecurity.

Sometimes I ask myself,

What will please Texan Ted Cruz???

*Cut to Ted Cruz and Sarah Palin covered in Reddi-Whip and sucking each others toes*

Okay, Okay, I got it now...

They like to fuck...us over.

Texas Republican Campaign Ads

Forget Ted Nugent, have you seen the Texas GOP campaign ads?
Talk about crass and unfounded, these scoundrels are SHAMELESS in their commercials.
Did they send out a memo and all agree to run the same ad?

Obama sucks and we must fight him...*Pictures of candidate shooting gun*...Obamacare is killing your business...*Pictures of candidate showing a child how to shoot a gun*...Who are you gonna get to fight Obama and the Feds??? ME!... *Pictures of candidates in front of dead animals*... Obama is gonna burn your damn house down...Obama is that intruder in the night... Texas deserves better than America can offer because we create jobs and don't tax business...Texas is good for business...

Yep.
In today's Texas, you'll hear all that feces and more.
Sorry to be the pooper, but if you believe all that, then you're up shits creek with a turd for a paddle.

Please excuse all the defecation references. When I think of Ted Nugent, I can't help it.
It's Deja Poo- The feeling that you've heard all this crap before.

It Just Doesn't Matter

 It just doesn't matter what a Texas Tech "Super Fan" yelled at 19-year-old, Marcus Smart on Saturday during the final minutes of the OSU @ TT basketball game. People from both sides will hear and see what they want to hear and see, and in 48 hours, it'll all be forgotten.

What we saw on Saturday was a scary young black man, LEAP VIOLENTLY at an upstanding older white man, and it scared the hell out of us. 

Hell, I'm surprised someone in the arena didn't shoot Smart dead. On the spot. You know they pack heat in Lubbock.

The Super Fan (Some old fart named Orr) claims to have called Smart, a Big 12 superstar and NBA-bound athlete, a "piece of crap". (Still a racial slur to many young black men). Others have said they heard Orr tell the young athlete to "go back to Africa!"

Whatever it was, Smart didn't like it.

 Later, Smart was handed a 3 game suspension -killing the Cowboys season- and both he and his coach issued a public apology.

Texas Tech's response was non existent, only the Super Fan could save the day by humbling himself and offering to sit out the remaining games that make up the fabulous Texas Tech Basketball season.
He was not punished by the University. His pain was self chosen.

When I think of Lubbock, I think of a quote:

"...white people are afraid of black people. Period. When we fantasize about being mugged or home invaded, what's the image of the perpetrator in our heads? Is it the freckled-face kid from down the street – or is it someone who is, if not black, at least poor?" -Michael Moore

It is frankly amazing that more athletes don’t go after guys like Orr. The fans in Seattle, the ones who cause earthquakes and have become famous as the '12th Man' out there, what they mostly do is yell. Guys like Orr call kids names. Or make obscene gestures at them, the way Jeff Orr did with a Texas A&M player named Bryan Davis a couple of years ago.
  
Smart's apology is one of the most respectful things I've ever seen. You see, African Americans keep their expectations low. That's how they survive, and it's damn sure how they survive in Lubbock.

Also, It's Black History Month and EVERY American should see 12 Years A Slave.

Texas Tech,
I prescribe 200 years of progress and call me in the morning.
Dr. J
 

Say It With Me

Breaking it down for my friends who have temporarily lost their minds this week:

You. Do. Not. Have. The. Votes.

You don't have the votes.

I'll ignore all the misinformation I see and cut to the meat of the thing: You can hate this law all you want, but you do not have the votes to overturn it or alter it. Blame your Founding Fathers for saddling you with this horribly mean form of government where if -- say it with me -- you do not have the votes, you cannot get this thing you so badly want.

We had an election a year ago. The American people gave Republicans the House majority and the Democrats the Senate majority and the White House. They have spoken.

You do not have the votes. Too bad, so sad, you do not have the votes. I'll say it again, because it just doesn't get through the first time:

You Do Not Have The Votes.

The compromise the Republicans keep caterwauling about is on the table. It's the continuing resolution at sequester-level spending. You do have the votes for that. If Boehner brought that up, it would (probably) pass the House, it would definitely pass the Senate, and it would most assuredly be signed by the president.

But this thing you keep asking for, I'm sorry, but ... wait for it ... you do not have the votes.

Anyway, that's all I have to say about that.

Except this: You do not have the votes.

Dinner Is Served -Texass Style

Bottled Water

Fracking Springs

(Now your water catches fire)

Starters

BP Oysters

(Silky and smooth with just a hint of dinosaur algae)

Salads

The CO2 Caesar Salad

(Tossed table-side, by your server, wearing a hazmat suit)

Entree'

  Bob's Splatter Platter

(There's shit in the meat, Bob)

Just Desserts

Western Kolaches

(Exploding with the flavors of various fruits, dipped in a generous serving of ammonium nitrate and served with your very own tank of oxygen)

Boner Petite!

Youth of America

Dear Youth of America,


Instead of attempting to assassinate US Congresswomen in front of grocery stores,

Instead of walking into a crowded movie theater and opening fire on the audience,

Instead of taking your mom's head off with the assault rifle she bought you, then skipping on down to the local elementary school and riddling the bodies of 1st graders with a hail of bullets,

Instead of doing all these dreadful things, you might find a role model...

Who???

Give up?

I've found one for you, he's a 14-year-old Chinese boy... and he's exudes class with a dose of good attitude... and we all know there's something to be said for that...

Guan Tianlang is a 14-year-old from China who will make history as the youngest player ever to qualify for the Masters Golf Tournament.

The eighth grader shot a 1 over 73 on day 1 of the Masters.
On day 2, after a tumultuous round, he was penalized a stroke for an honest error.
When asked if his Masters experience would be disappointing if he missed the cut by the one stroke he replied, "How could I ever be disappointed with this experience."

So to American kids I say, learn from this "class act".

This is how an adult behaves.

Not like some entitled bully with a sour taste in their mouths, but a champion.

A leader...

Not some coward hiding behind his mom's assault rifle, but a hero standing tall, and in the open, on one of the worlds biggest stages, with a set of Taylor Mades...

You American youth need a hobby other than killing innocents...

You might just play some golf instead.

COLD DEAD HANDS

The NRA is sending gun sales to an all time high.
AR-15's are flying off the shelves everywhere in the US, robocalls to Sandy Hook parents are being sent out, urging them to stand up to gun rights.

That's particularly sickening, isn't it?

Some residents of the Connecticut community devastated by December's school shooting said they're outraged over robocalls they've received from the National Rifle Association only three months after a gunman killed 20 first-graders and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
Newtown residents said the automated calls from the NRA began last week and urge people to tell their state legislators to oppose gun control proposals. Some also said they received postcards from the NRA supporting gun owners' rights.
"It's ridiculous and insensitive," Newtown resident Dan O'Donnell told Hartford-area NBC affiliate WVIT-TV, one of several media organizations to report about the robocalls. "I can't believe an organization would be so focused on the rights of gun owners with no consideration for the losses this town suffered."

 20 babies cut down with an assault rifle -which no person has a right to own- and torn to shreds.

Bloodthirsty Americans answer the call by rushing out to purchase the murderer's weapon.

The NRA does nothing, except begin to transform itself from a proud American Institution  -the one that your grandpa would be a member of- to a band of bureaucratic, domestic terrorists.

Meanwhile, folks in Texas continue to shoot one another, or themselves DAILY.

It's enough to make one yearn for the good ol' days of layin' around on grandpa's couch and watchin' live episodes of "Hee Haw."

Jim Carrey as Lonesome Earl with his band in “Cold Dead Hand,” released Monday via “Funny or Die.” (Screenshot from “Funny or Die”)

You know those days???
The days of a kinder, gentler, redneck...
The redneck that sang songs and got lost in a hoedown jig of his own creation.
Not the redneck of today. NO SIR!
Whose bloodlust hath grown, and penis has shrunketh.
What used to be smart folks, now have become believers in "Gun Therapy."
They seem to turn to guns as a solution for everything.
Every problem solved with a gun.
From what I can tell from reading the newspaper, it no worky.

I do know we could all use a laugh.
So let's check out this piece from Jim Carey and the good people at Funny Or Die.

Enjoy!

Jim Carey has never been one of my favorites, but he has his moments...

This is such a moment.

CPAC Shuffle

Chris Christie has the highest approval rating of any Republican in today's America.
74%.

Maybe not such a big deal if only the Republican congress didn't show a current rating of, of,
wait for it,
10%.

Many heavy hitters were on the docket for the wingnut opry, but not it's heaviest hitter, Christie was left off this year's list of screwhead all stars.
So why would CPAC leave out the most popular member of their party?
A man who crosses party lines, a man who gives them the BIGGEST chances of winning in the next election...

The answer: Because Republicans don't know what hurts them or helps them.

In fact, they don't seem to know much of anything about anything.
From balancing budgets to identifying with everyday Americans and THEIR real life struggles.
To managing wars, reforming healthcare, civil rights, paying bills, leading by example...
They don't know shit.

And I like it.

I like it because it ensures a progressive future for this country and it's voters.

You remember the voters???
The ones the Republicans are ignoring right now and will continue to ignore until their party get's slurped up like a Big Gulp being slammed by a racist hockey mom.



So here's to you CPAC!
Cheers!
Keep up the message of the miserable racist who's so ignorant, he/she doesn't even know they're racist.

Psssssst- Politics are driven by elections. FYI.

Sunday Funnies

Red State Reversal

NPR had an interesting question on FB today:  

NPR seeks a breadwinner wife with a part-time or stay-at-home husband for a series about women changing roles. How has this affected the dynamics of your relationship? Are societal expectations keeping up with shifting roles? Please send your stories to nprcrowdsource@npr.org.

I was amazed at the sudden response from so many couples who share this dynamic.
I mean, I know this is nothing new, and there are plenty of couples making this lifestyle work for a long time now, but living in Texas, around so much bravado and hate makes one lose sight of reality.

The fact is, there are a lot of couples who's roles ARE reversed.
More than you think...

Michael Keaton as 'Mr. Mom' was filmed in 1983 if that tells you anything about how behind the times Texas is.

My wife and I live this way.
She's an associate for a global corporation and I'm a retired realtor - now actor - who's become quite the homemaker.
She brings home a STEADY paycheck, while mine can sometimes fluctuate.
We've been married 14 years and have a 3 year old child. 
I help her obtain the 60hrs a week she needs to work by managing our home life. 
As a result, she's a superstar at her office and is also is a terrific Mother to our child. 
I do the rest.

Is it permanent?
Probably not.

Is it effective for both of us?
Certainly.

How has this affected the dynamics of your relationship? 

The dynamics of our relationship are stronger than ever. 
Always compromising, always working together for a common goal, always supporting each others efforts, and nurturing our feelings. 
Our love, honesty and respect for one another is the foundation our family is built on.
When we have a problem, we talk it out. We make concessions. We move on.
Plain and simple.

Are societal expectations keeping up with shifting roles?

In Texas???

HELL NO!!!

In fact, the hardest part of our set-up is dealing with others, (sometimes family and friends) and their narrow-minded views about this and that.
(By 'others' I mean the vast majority of the people of Texas and every other state south of the Mason-Dixon Line.)

Around the rest of America - especially the blue states- yes. Yes, I think societal expectations have already shifted very much and will continue to do so in a progressive, diverse society.

In Texas...NOT SO MUCH and it's due to the neo-conservative, super majority of the state.
Bigotry, hate, fear, smear, sexism, hypocrisy and don't forget dishonesty. 
These are a few of the hurdles that living in a misogynistic, red state like Texas hands us.

Here in Texas, if you're a housewife, you're a hero.
However, if you're a man and you don't work a business-type career job, or make the most money in the house, you're viewed as a weak, sissy, little metro-queer. 
A nogoodnik.
Lazy sponge and pathetic excuse for a man. 
Hang your head in shame, Couch Potato!
U MUST BE A HOMO SEX YOU ALL!!! 

So ignorant.
So arrogant.
(As if our wives are strapping on dildos and screwing us in the you know...)

People...

Texass...

 This was my comment to NPR - of course it was meant to be tongue-n-cheek- it subsequently got removed.

'Non of you broads has ever met a guy like me.'

'I buy every grocery, cook every meal, service both vehicles, oversee maintenance for the house (inside and out).  And still manage to generate a substantial income from residuals for work performed.
I am the ultimate homemaker!'

'Housewives ain't got nothing on me!'

I suggest NPR check the dictionary on the word 'Broads'. 
Used as nothing more than a harmless nudge at those women -whom were not making such lady-like comments on the thread to begin with- and those men who spoke out so fervently against role reversal and for what? Except to just be nasty


I was stunned at the provincialism from many of the comments.
I was stunned at NPR for removing my comment.
If women want to be treated like it's the stone age, I say we oblige...At least on FB.

Weekly Wrangle

The words "pitchers and catchers report" has always made the Texas Progressive Alliance happy as it brings you this week's roundup.

Off the Kuff looks at the partisan shifts in Texas House districts from 2008 to 2012.

We have enough money in Texas to fund our public education needs and expand Medicaid, as well as transportation and water infrastructure projects. But our current leaders don't see it that way. WCNews at Eye on Williamson shows that their adherence to ideology over what's best for Texas is the problem, in Transportation funding, the state budget, and ideology.

Two issues in the Texas Lege last week -- one of them the regulation of payday lending operators -- show bright potential for bipartisan legislation. PDiddie at Brains and Eggs is encouraged by the news.  

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme wants you to know that Lamar Smith is a dim bulb advancing the same old Republican 'ideas' on immigration.

At TexasKaos, Libby Shaw poses the same question to Ted Cruz that was asked of Joe McCarthy almost 60 years ago.



Unfortunately, the answer is no. Read all about it here: Senator Ted Cruz: Have You No Decency?

Neil at Texas Liberal wrote about Houston mayoral candidate Ben Hall. Neil is still posting at TxLib every few days; however he is mostly working on a new website going up in April. That site will feature a photo essay focusing on the value of the things that are around us each day, a metaphorical history of the universe and the Earth, some poems, and a new blog on 2013 City of Houston election politics.

Monday Funnies

King Lear-Can A Old Man Get A Break

I attended the Dallas Theatre Center's production of King Lear last night at the Wyly.

The Shakespearean masterpiece was directed by Kevin Moriarty and has obviously been a life's passion for the director to produce.
He does a fine job of revealing Shakespeare to 'first timers' and longtime fans of the Bard's work alike.
Making Shakespeare a little more streamlined and easier to follow is a good thing.
Let's face it, it's a great thing in today's modern age...

It's well known that Shakespeare and his cronies performed for hours, days, sometimes weeks at a time to riveted, packed houses, audiences who were happy to be entertained at length.
Life was hard. Shakespeare's plays took up the time and made it easier.
Oh, if that were only the case today.
Today, we cut 3 Acts worth of dialogue out of Shakespeare's work to keep people from falling asleep in the theatre or worse!
We squirm in our seats after 2 hours, add another 45 minutes, and you've got people leaving at intermission. Needless to say, our attention spans are lacking when it comes to long plays, and even long films, especially if it's Shakespeare. 

Here's where this production succeeds. It takes you through the filler and the the banter that was so revered by our elders, and gets to the meat of the story. Quick, concise, succinct.
I admire that.
Unfortunately, it's what the world needs now.
It's far from a 'cliff notes' version to be sure, as the meat in Lear is gritty gritty good.

I enjoyed the 'Gordon Gecko' boardroom setting, straight from the 1980's 'Wall Street' motif.
The costumes were equally enjoyable, as at times, I felt myself watching a Michael Jackson music video more than Shakespeare.
The music was menacing and foreboding, the effects, brilliant.

Well cast and performed, the actors had all the tools to bring this King's tragedy home to Dallas.
They delivered.
Especially Lear, whom I didn't see as an "Alzheimer's patient", but rather a PROUD OLD KING who makes mistakes, serious familial missteps which lead to despair by all. Then finally, he is made to suffer the ultimate tragedy.
If anything, I related the King's mannerisms, voice and actions to that of any aging parent facing "the end".
I've seen firsthand how fast, how far a man can fall after he's given up and given in...
Especially an AGING King concerned with his legacy and half mad with aches and pains that come with the lingering thoughts of his own mortality. No. This Lear starts strong and in control. Old, but still in control. Shiny crown on his head, he descends into madness slowly, as any man would who's best friend is a fool.
Lear's message is for all to heed, I believe every man who has a daughter should most definitely see it.

Abbey Siegworth, Steven Walters, Brian Mceleney and Stephen Berenson in King Lear. Photo by Karen Almond.

So many good dramatic decisions here, they outweigh any negative criticism one would care to dream up.

Beware of nudity, violence, treachery, and gun play.
Although, the gun play did seem befitting for a production performed in Texas.

Another triumph for Dallas Theatre and local talent.

BRAVO!

Top Sales In Texass

After two straight months of soaring, assault rifle sales, Texasses are setting their sights on a new product:

It's been said that more AR-15's were sold in Texass last month than Rib-Eye steaks.

Deer Antler Spray.

Better hurry before Obama bans it!!!

Chinese sweatshops are stepping up production as fast as their little hands can make.

Her little ol' arm gets so tard, Daddy.

Damn!

Texasses sure keep them Orientals busy...