Monday, June 29, 2009

Pre-Fourth Wrangle

Time for an extra-patriotic rendition of the Texas Progressive Alliance weekly blog post roundup.

Off the Kuff takes a look at the latest Lyceum poll on the Governor and Senate races in Texas.

Neil at Texas Liberal suggests that instead of blowing off your fingers lighting fireworks -- during a drought in Harris County no less -- that maybe you would be better off reading a book instead.

With 2010 spinning up, it's funny to watch all the different players already on the field line up to take their first hits. McBlogger, of course, thinks they're all deeply in need of a little advice which he graciously provides (with surprisingly sparse use of profanity)!

WCNews & Dembones at Eye On Williamson post on the latest controversy involving the Williamson County commissioners court: Budget officer not just a good idea, it's the law.

John at Bay Area Houston says turn out the lights, the family values party is over.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme thinks online Texas Republican commentary on Mark Sanford is interesting.

The similarities between Mark Sanford and Ray Bolger (as the Scarecrow in "The Wizard of Oz") are just too weird, notes PDidde at Brains and Eggs.

The Three Wise Men are willing to pay a tax on their favorite junk food to pay for health care reform.

WhosPlayin.com's video bring you EXTREME Congressional Town Hall -- Special "Losing our freedoms" edition, sponsored by Prozac.

Over at TexasKaos, Libby Shaw calls our attention to Confessions of a Former Health Insurance Exec: "We Dump the Sick". Who knew? All the posturing , hypocritical , offers of self-reform and insurance relief are just so much bogus cover up for an industry too greedy to ever be trusted to regulate themselves!

The Texas Cloverleaf discusses gay pride, bar raids, and millions of gays marching in DFW this past weekend during the 40th anniversary of Stonewall.

Burnt Orange Report covers TX-10 Congressional candidate Jack McDonald's campaign expansion in the Austin area.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Farrah Fawcett 1947 - 2009 and Michael Jackson 1958 - 2009

More to write about these two '70's icons -- they were closer to equal in pop culture influence than my teevee is currently demonstrating -- when I have time to write about it.

For now, there is a definite emptiness I feel when I look at their images and consider all that they were at the apex of my youth. There is a scene in Saturday Night Fever where John Travolta is looking in the mirror, feathering his hair with the blowdryer (I used to be able to do that). Reflected in the mirror is that poster of Farrah. You know the one: all hair and teeth and nipples. My younger brother had one up in the bedroom we shared. The Bee Gees and Michael Jackson and the discos were my generation's Twitter. We social-networked on the dance floor.

Jackson and I were just one month apart, age-wise. Farrah, you know by now, grew up in Corpus and went to UT, where men -- well, boys I suppose -- lined up at her dorm to ask her out.

Respect and links to others and pictures to be posted later.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

And starring Mark Sanford as Ray Bolger




I'm afraid there's no denyin'

I can't say I'm not lyin'
I'm just a hypocrite!


(de-dee, de-dee-dee-dee-dee)

I went to Argentina
To see my señorita,
And I stepped into some shit!


How about a second verse?

There's no need to search that mountain,
I'm not naked in some fountain,
I'm sorry for bein' gone.

I just went south of the border,
Cuz I have a brain disorder,
I just had to get it on.

So I left my wife and children,
because I'm ethic-ally barren
And I had some on the side.

You would think that I would suffer
And the media somewhat rougher.
Good thing I'm Republican.


(Shamelessly ripped off from here)