I'm scanning a bunch of family photos in for my mother. The link is here. It's a work in progress. Be warned, I upped the DPI on some photos and they are quite large. Here's a sample of who I'm from:

That's my grandfather on the right, next to him is his brother. On the left is their father's brother, Esting Young Gallion. This picture was taken on the ancestral family home in Catawba, Virginia.

Contumacy - Kickin' Leftist Butt All Over Austin -- I'll be coming back to this one. It was described as libertarian Republican.

I added Jimmy's site to my list of blogs, although it's probably not technically a blog. It's a resource site for Audi owners. But Jimmy's an excellent writer and he does put his trip journals up there, so I have decided that it goes on my list.

UrS4.com | Willkommen | The Ultimate Audi S4/S6 Resource!

Now I go to the Duboeuf site and find this message about e-mailing for permission to link to them. Huh? Hopefully this a translation error. Monsieur, I don't ask permission to link to you. I link to you and if I send you traffic, you can thank me. Or not. But I ain't asking for permission to link to you.

Vacaciones

Today has so far been my first real vacation day. Head cold is receeding, not working at the studio, not doing any work at all.

I went for a swim this morning. Then I just sat on the back patio. There was bright yellow sphere in the sky giving off this amazing heat. I seem to remember from my childhood that we called it the "sun." I didn't realize it was still going, so I sat and baked a little. I did contemplate the one political question that is vexing me.

Would it be ok for me to start drinking French wine again?

Surely Georges Duboeuf can't be held responsible forever for French politicians? I wouldn't want a Frenchman holding me responsible forever for that Clinton fella.

If you agree with me that it's ok, shoot me an e-mail at rob@REMOVErobbooth.net. If you disagree, you better be quick and send me a message. By 5:00 PM you'll probably be too late.

Here is the story of when Jimmy and Charles visited us in California. Make sure to see the jacket tale. There's another story that Jimmy will probably publish as well -- when he and Dave visited us in Maryland and they watched a convenience store become a drive-in.

Jimmy and Charles Go West

So, I've got this week off from work. Taking a vacation. Mr. Murphy (of Murphy's Law fame) did not take a vacation, and gave me a head cold. Slept all weekend, worked Monday, slept all day yesterday until we went to the Alamo Drafthouse and saw Bruce Almighty. Funny - not Dumb and Dumber funny, but funny nonetheless. I'm working in our studio today to give Michelle the day off. So the posting will get back to its schedule tomorrow, I hope.

Oh, and since I've been critical of others -- service at the Drafthouse was great. Good food, Bass on tap, very nice lady serving us.

Hey Lisa Turner

According to this article, you spent your vacation with the Fugitive Democrats in Oklahoma. It also says that you work for Rep. Martin Frost (D-TX).

I'll take your word for it that you were on vacation. No problem with doing that, it's a free country. But if you don't mind me asking, when did you decide to go? When (date please) did you put in your vacation request?

Also, who paid for your trip? I assume you drove and stayed in the Holiday Inn. Who paid for the gas? The meals? The room?

Are you going to ask for reimbursement from anyone?

Courtney, besides being an excellent blogger and all-around good person, has an excellent taste in other blogs.

courtney.blog-city.com Some Questions For the Texas Democrats

Oh man. Laugh out loud funny. Go there. Go there now. Raar!

IMAO: In My World: Orange Alert

Thanks for the link, Kevin!

Reflections - Moses Roses Brigade Update (05/21/03)

---

Dixie Chicks Booed, Snubbed at Country Music Show

I think everyone's kind of missing the point on this. Everyone talks about the Dixie Chicks making antiwar statements. What Natalie Maines said was that they're ashamed that the President is from the same state as them. That's asking a guy like me to take sides between the President, who I voted for and now think extremely highly of, and some people who earn a living by playing music. Now I love music and hold musicians in high regard, but if you're going to make me choose, well you lose.

See HoustonChronicle.com - DPS destroyed records of hunt for lawmakers

AUSTIN -- While under heavy criticism for the way troopers were conducting their hunt for House Democrats on the lam, the Texas Department of Public Safety ordered all records related to the search destroyed.

If they had kept the records the story would be DPS Officials Maintaining Files on Democrat Legislators - Not Destroying Them as Required by Law.

Hey Pete Laney!

(Pete Laney is a state rep and former speaker of the state House.)

When you were on KSEV last week you admitted to Edd Hendee and Mike Richards that there was pressure from the national Democrat Party to sneak out of the state.

1. How was this pressure manifested? (For example, phone calls, personal visits, letters, email)


2. Who specifically applied the pressure? (Names, please)


3. What organizations were they affiliated with? (DNC, DCCC, House of Reps?)


4. Did you receive any pressure from the leadership or membership of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employess (AFSCME)?


5. Did they ask you to leave the state because of redistricting, or was it to just shut down the session in general?

I'm just curious. I'm sure you're busy so I'll wait through the Memorial Day weekend for an answer. Let's say Tuesday will be when you get me the info.

Some Questions for the Moses Rose Brigade

Please read the e-mail (below) I received today and then read my questions. My apologies to the Texas Citizens Network for reprinting your article here. I looked for it on your web site to no avail. I hope several links to your site will make up for it. www.txcan.org

For those who haven't been following the story, the "Moses Rose Brigade" is what I call those Texas Democrat Representatives/Fugitives who went to Oklahoma to break a quorum in the Texas Legislature. (Moses Rose was the guy who abandoned the Alamo.) Without a quorum, they can't act on anything. They said they were blocking a Congressional redistricting bill, but now I wonder....

TexasCAN Legislative Update May 21, 2003

Questions

1. On May 7, 2003, Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos said "I have 12 (senators) who looked me straight in the eye and said they would vote against it [redistricting], period." It takes 21 votes to get a bill intoduced in the Senate. Was Sen. Barrientos corect? If redistricting would die in the Senate, why would you leave town? Source
2. On May 7, 2003, "Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst has said support did not appear to exist in the Senate for the bill." Was Lt. Gov. Dewhurst correct? Source
3. Also from May 7, this is from a Democrat observer of Texas politics: At least two Republicans are rumored to oppose bringing up redistricting legislation in the Senate as well, and Lt. Governor David Dewhurst, who has much bigger fish to fry, has treated the idea like a dead rat under his front porch from the get go. As a Democrat, I'm breathing easier about it.
   Was this gentleman, Charles Kuffner, incorrect in his understanding? Source
4. Sen. Barrientos, what was the vote count on Saturday, May 10th?
5. From this Austin American-Statesman article: Talk of a walkout had been idle chatter until House Democratic Caucus Chairman Jim Dunnam of Waco decided to explore the option. He held a series of meetings that included no more than 10 legislators at a time. Rep. Dunnam, on what date did these meetings begin?

Thinking about it now, maybe calling these guys the Moses Rose Brigade isn't fair. It's disrespectful to the memory of Moses Rose, who was at least honest about what he was doing.

Blog Name Change -> Slightly Rough

I've changed the name of my blog. Rob Booth's Blog was pretty boring. Lacking any creativity I decided to swipe a phrase from one of my favorite songs. It's Cool for Cats by Squeeze. Here's the appropriate part:

To change the mood a little

I've been posing down the pub

On seeing my reflection

I'm looking slightly rough

I fancy this, I fancy that

I wanna be so flash

I give a little muscle

And I spend a little cash

But all I get is bitter and a nasty little rash

And by the time I'm sober

I've forgotten what I've had

And ev'rybody tells me that it's cool to be a cat

Cool for cats

It's kind of a silly song, sort of a Cockney rap. I always liked the way that bit sounded, and on a few days I've looked slightly rough. Chris Difford (the songwriter/singer) is off the drink now, so I hear, but he still looks a little rough.

Right We Are! - A conservative, pro-US, Republican blog by two chicks on the Right side!

WorldNetDaily: Media slanting for Democrats?

This was in question?

---

---

My parents gave me the new Jerry Jeff Walker CD recently, Jerry Jeff Jazz. It's wonderful and I highly recommend it. I think it will be in competition with Harry Nilsson's A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night as late-night listening.

Jerry Jeff Walker Home Page

The Blogsticker Factory

From the Donkey's Mouth

Russia: 'POWER AND THE MONEY, MONEY AND THE POWER...'

Neat...

Steal These Buttons

Glenn Tilbrook's UK tour starts this Friday

MAY

Fri 23 Bulkeley, Anglesey 01248 810 415

Sat 24 Boardwalk, Sheffield 0114 279 9090

Mon 26 Georgian Theatre, Stockton on Tees 01642 860068

Wed 28 Opera House, Newcastle 0191 232 0899

Thur 29 Winter Gardens, Blackpool 0125 329 2029

JUNE

Mon 2 The Brook, Southampton 0238 055 5366

Wed 4 Stables, Milton Keynes 01908 280 800

Thu 5 Jam House, Birmingham 0121 200 3030

Fri 6 Queen's Hall, Narbeth 01834 861 212

Sun 8 Dingwall's, London Stargreen (020 7734 8932), Ticketmaster

(020 7344 4040), Ticketweb (08700 600 100), Wayahead (020 7403 3331).

http://www.dingwalls.com

Mon 9 The Flowerpot, Derby 01332 204955

IRELAND

JUNE

Wed 11 - Whelan's, Dublin.

Thu 12 - Arts Centre, Wexford

Fri 13 - The Lodge, Mallow, Nr Cork

Sat 14 - The Forum, Waterford

Sun 15 - NTL Studio @ The Waterfront, Belfast

Tue 17 - Roisin Dubh, Galway

Fri 20 - Spirit Store, Dundalk

Sat 21 - Spirit Store, Dundalk

Regarding this:

From: newsandviews_list@chuckmuth.com

To: newsandviews@chuckmuth.com

Subject: Chuck Muth's News & Views - May 19, 2003

Date: Mon, 19 May 2003 09:53:31 -0400

[SNIP]

*********************************************

Department of WFA: Waste, Fraud & Abuse



Rep. Jim Nussle has proposed that government spending be CUT by 1%, saying
such a small, teensy-tiny reduction can be made simply by eliminating waste,
fraud and abuse.



But what about veterans benefits, whine the Democrats? "Why we should be
talking about doing a 1 percent cut from people who are hurt in the defense
of their country at the same time we are giving a huge tax benefit to the
wealthiest of Americans doesn't make any sense to me," bleats Mary Ellen
McCarthy, a Democrat staffer on the Veterans Affairs Committee.



Um, Mary Ellen, did you know that according to the General Accounting
Office, the federal government has been sending benefit checks to 5,500
veterans WHO ARE DEAD?!! Their families are cashing the checks anyway.
Ditto Social Security and food stamps.



It's high time such practices are investigated and stopped. We strongly
support Congressman Nussle's "One Percent Solution." Let there be NO sacred
cows in the hunt for WFA's.



********************************************

Chuck is right. Here's a little story. When I was getting out of the Navy, I was sent to the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) class. It's a class that's meant to tell you about your benfits, give job-seeking advice, that sort of thing.

So the Veterans Administration (VA) guy comes in and hands us all a form. He leads us through filling it out (in the military they're awful particular about how forms are done). We're all dutifully checking boxes and writing our Social Security Number until we get to the point where we're supposed to check the box indicating if we're 1. applying for a pension, 2. applying for disability, or 3. both.

Since I had only been in for 8 years and not eligible for a pension, I raised my hand and asked the obvious question "Do I need to fill out this form?"

The guy said, "Well, everyone in this room should fill out this form. It's how you get a VA check."

"But I'm not disabled."

"Everyone should apply for disability, even if you get turned down. Put down anything. Petty Officer Booth, have you ever been to sick call?"

Well the discussion ended up with me and a couple of other guys throwing our forms out. But a bunch of healthy-looking young people were applying for disability.

I'd like to think that this gentleman was trying to keep an eye out for our best interests and make sure that veterans got all the benefits legitimately due them. I'd like to think that the service members were hedging their bets against having to deal with a slow-moving bureaucracy in the future.

But what I'm afraid of is that the VA fellow was trying to bolster his and the VA's numbers of people who had applied for disability. I'm really afraid that a bunch of patriotic hard-working people were turned into a bunch of tax-eaters dependent on Uncle Sugar for their government check.

Worst of all, this took time away from the VA that could have been spent helping my friend Tom's dad, who is in a wheelchair as a result of his service to our country. He has earned the help. I didn't.

Liberal (?) blog from Austin, but he has some first-hand reporting on the return of the Moses Rose Brigade.

The Burnt Orange Report: News Politics, and Fun from Deep in the Heart of Texas

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Margie Raborn on the Moses Rose Brigade

Margie is a staunch defender of liberty living in Colorado County. She's represented in the Legislature by the former fugitive from the law Robby Cook, of Ardmore, Oklahoma.

ArcExplorer -- ESRI's Free GIS Data Viewer

Texas Association of Counties: Welcome

Political State Report: straight from the trenches

DPS seeks help from public in locating missing legislators

Very interesting....A Guide to the Harris County Democratic Party Records, 1952-1977

So may errors...so little time...

HoustonChronicle.com - Two lawmakers show their power-hungry hands

I'm sorry, but peppered tenderloin is not "Texas Barbecue." It's steak cooked on the grill. Good food, I'm sure, but "Texas Barbecue" is:

• Brisket


• Ribs


• Sausage


• Chicken


• Pork Chops

Any of these items slow cooked over smoke is barbecue. Not just any old thing you put on the grill.

ABCNEWS.com : Can Barbecue Diplomacy Shape World History?

So, of course I watched US versus Mexico last night. Not a bad game, but not the most exciting either. It's encouraging that US soccer is to the point where we fans should now be insisting on wins and progress in the World Cup, and not settling for "not embarassing ourselves."

Also, the best news to come out of last night is that the match was sold out. Perhaps we'll get a pro team (they won't ask for a stadium from the taxpayers) and maybe even some World Cup prelims.

Save The United Nations

Not! Just seeing what the enemy is up to. Click above to read the article and be sure to notice this in the end:

Douglas Mattern is president of the Association of World Citizens (AWC); a San Francisco based international peace organization with branches in 50 countries, and with UN NGO status. The website for AWC is www.worldcitizens.org
Douglas is a contributing writer for Liberal Slant.

Re:

Irking N.R.A., Bush Supports Ban on Assault Weapons

By ERIC LICHTBLAU

WASHINGTON, May 7 — President Bush and the National Rifle Association, long regarded as staunch allies, find themselves unlikely adversaries over one of the most significant pieces of gun-control legislation in the last decade, a ban on semiautomatic assault weapons.
More

So are the boys at the NRA going to make noise about running a candidate against Pres. Bush in the primaries, like they did with Ron Paul?

Of course not. Double standard?

This is probably the best site I've seen on the campaign finance/regulation of free speech laws. They appear biased for the new laws, but they give many different voices a shot at commenting.

The Campaign Legal Center: index

HoustonChronicle.com - Redistricting plan has Democrats in uproar

...and this plan has this Republican in an uproar. I would be in Sheila Jackson Lee's district.

Champion Ford - More E-mail I Didn't Ask For

More junk from Champion Ford below (see here for more details):

Dear Rob Booth

Thank you for your request. Please let me know when the best time, and
what phone number to reach you with, to get you the best possible deal
on your new vehicle. I look forward to hearing from you.

Jonathan Banks

Sales Associate

Email: banksj@autonation.com

Phone: 281-530-2277

Notice: You are receiving this email because your email address was used
to receive an on-line price quote, or because it was provided with a
vehicle request. If you did not provide this email address or would not
like to receive our promotional email offers, please Click Here
out.easymailers.com/contact_opt_out.asp?src=BulkEmailFormId-15701> . Please allow a reasonable time to process your request. Most requests are processed within three (3) business days. During such time
you may receive additional emails from us. Please disregard any such
emails received during the processing period.

I've unsubscribed yet again!!!.

I am so happy that this man is president. Sir, if they send you for a left-handed wrench, don't fall for it.

I'd take a bullet for Ron Paul

Here's a message I sent to the Draft Ron Paul for Senate e-mail list.