Do-Over

I'm having one of those weeks. I'm giving up on this week and starting over again on Monday. Matt, you have the helm and the conn.

LET THEM EAT CAKE......

State Senator Jon Lindsay (Houston) isn't too receptive to the reduction of the Property Appraisal Cap. Could it be he isn't feeling it in his pocketbook like the rest of us???

Straight from the source: HCAD.org

1) 30.8870 acres @ 19951 Kuykendahl Rd. 77379
Appraised Value $467,040 Harris County Taxes = $87.65

2) 17.2000 acres @ 19951 Kuykendahl Rd. 77379
Appraised Value $187,310 Harris County Taxes = $48.80

3) 6.3196 acres @ 19951 Kuykendahl Rd. 77379
Appraised Value $293,200 Harris County Taxes = $896.87

Total Acreage = 54.40 acres (with Homestead)

Total Appraised Value = $947,550

Total Harris County Taxes = $1,033

I need to read this...

CNET News.com: You call that a standard?

I don't even like Dylan...

Which Bob Dylan song are you? Ballad of a Thin Man

Click Here to Take This Quiz Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests.

and I've never heard that song. Link via the Venomous One.

IHT: U.S. payroll clerks get a lesson on dealing with tax deniers

CD02 Watch: So which is it?

National Catholic Reporter: Who's-a-Catholic flap hits congress

It began when The Hill, a twice-weekly publication that acts as Congress’ community newspaper, reported that a group of Catholic House Democrats were planning to unveil a "scorecard" demonstrating that they -- and not antiabortion Republicans -- were the true keepers of the Catholic flame on Capitol Hill. The idea, said The Hill, was to show that Democrats in the House vote with the church on most economic issues and on social policy questions such as immigration.

[snip]

Said DeLauro and Lampson: "We believe we have the right to engage in private, informal discussions about our faith without being subjected to such political attacks. Our group's intent is not to engage in partisan warfare, but to discuss ways to call attention to aspects of Catholic social teaching which instruct our public service and are often neglected in the national political discourse."

Rep. Lampson is it a "scorecard" to be "unveiled," or is it a "private, informal discussion?" You have the right to do either, but others have the right to talk about it as well.

CD02 Watch: NRCC Profile of Judge Poe

NRCC: Candidate Spotlights

Judge Ted Poe is the Republican candidate running against Democrat Nick Lampson in the newly redrawn Second Congressional District. Poe, who won the March 9 primary with a strong 61 percent of the vote, is a candidate who isn’t afraid of taking tough stances and will best represent Texans in what the Cook Report considers a solidly Republican District.

Grumpy Gus

I've been busting my butt at work/our studio and now I've got a cold. Don't feel much like blogging. I get grumpy when I'm sick. I will note this:

New Kid on the Blog

Safety for Dummies is a new Houston area blog from Chris Elam, who was kind enough to send me a compliment on my blog by e-mail. There's one problem. I knew he was younger than me, but dang, he was born in 1980. I now feel really, really old.

Sophie and her kittens make their debut in the Internet! We didn't mean for them to be in the dirtiest part of the garage behind the bricks, but that's where Sophie chose to set up housekeeping. I had blocked this part of the garage off with some old metal shelves, but she jumped over them with a kitten in her mouth. We pulled the shelves out of her way.



Our boy Mason is not amused.



Our girl Lily refuses to look us in the eye, even though she came to be with us exactly the same way.



If you look real close in this picture, you'll see the reason why we're cat chumps. You can see one of the kittens has its head resting on Sophie's leg, looked content and safe.



They'll be available for adoption in about six weeks. E-mail: subs -- at -- robbooth.net

Sea Story and Song of the Day

I have a sea story for every day I was at sea.

One time I spent two months on a submarine. Actually, inside the submarine. There's a hundred and something guys living in very close quarters. Things get a little weird.

One thing to know about the Navy is that if someone does something to annoy you, and you complain, you can count on them doing it over and over again. Cruel? You bet, but it makes it fun for everyone else.

One time, a bunch of us were in line for lunch. Imagine, the kitchen and "cafeteria" combined take up about as much room as a two-car garage. So the cook is playing an 80s greatest hits tape. The song playing is Come on Eileen by Dexy's Midnight Runners.

Poor old Johnny Ray sounded sad upon the radio;
he moved a million hearts in mono.
Our mothers used to sing along, who'd blame them?
You're grown (You're grown up)
So grown. (So grown up.)
Now I must say more than ever.
Come On Eileen. Toora, loora, toora loorye aye.
And we can sing just like our fathers.
Come On Eileen,
oh I swear (well he means) at this moment.
You mean ev'rything.
With you in that dress,
my thoughts I confess were on the dirty.
Ah, Come On Eileen.
Come On Eileen, oh I swear (well he means),
aah come on, let's take off ev'rything.
That pretty red dress, Eileen, tell him less.
Aah come on let's. Aah, Come on Eileen.
Come On Eileen, Tooloorye aye
Come On Eileen, Tooloorye, aye, toora.
Toora, tooloora. Oh! Eileen.
Come On Eileen, Tooloorye aye
Come On Eileen, Tooloorye, aye, toora.
Toora, tooloora. Things won't even change.
Come On Eileen, Tooloorye aye
Come On Eileen, Tooloorye, aye toora.
Toora, tooloora.
Come On Eileen,
oh I swear well he means at this moment.
You mean ev'rything.
With you in that dress,
my thoughts I confess were on the dirty.
Ah, Come On Eileen.

So a guy standing in line says, "What is that sh*t? Can't you play some decent f***ing music? That song's annoying the sh*t out of me!"

So of course, the guy picked the wrong phrase and showed weakness. The cook had an autoreverse button and a particular affinity for "Toora, loora, toora loorye aye"ing.

He assigned a guy to stand there by the cassette player and hit the autoreverse button every time the song ended. He had shifts of guys working for him and they played the song for 24 hours straight. Eventually, guys were humming the song in the engine room, in the radio room, while they were driving the sub.

Nobody complained about the cook's music anymore.

Styopa posts a piece on why it rules to be a guy.

You kids play nice or I'm pulling this blog over!

FWST: Perry-Strayhorn feud over budget escalates

Nor did House Appropriations Committee Chairman Talmadge Heflin, R-Houston, say he knew of any attempts to bypass Strayhorn.

"When it comes to how taxes perform, the way revenue comes in as it relates to the tax structure, that is the comptroller's call," said Heflin, who also serves on the select committee studying school finance. "When it comes to projecting revenue, that is her call."

That's my state rep. Good guy.

This Perry/Strayhorn thing is sad now. I've been a fan of Strayhorn's, but I'm soured on her. In opening our business, her office was the easiest to deal with, and it seemed the most professionally run. I don't understand what strategy she's employing. She seems to be running to the left and the right of the governor now, just criticizing him for everything.

The state convention will be fun.

Party on, Irvin!

The Reliable Source (washingtonpost.com): A Different Kind of Joint Session

Last week the Capitol Police busted a young intern working for Rep. Ron Paul (R-Tex.) for toting a baggie of pot and a bong into the Cannon House Office Building, but they'll have to look the other way when stockbroker Irvin Rosenfeld brings his stash onto their territory today. For more than 20 years, the federal government has supplied Rosenfeld with marijuana cigarettes, which he smokes under doctor's orders to ease symptoms of a rare bone disorder.

Was it National Take-Your-Bong-to-Work Day or something? Nobody told me.

Not so fast, Kevin

PubliusTX: Danger Train: Collision #36

Kudos to Lucas Wall, who did not inject political views on the Iraq War into his coverage of the Danger Train. :) It's the Comical; baby steps should be celebrated.

I'm not so sure kudos are in order. Look at the headline from the ChronicBile: Woman hurt when car runs into Metro train and look at the headline from the KHOU story: Metro rail train hits car near Reliant Stadium. Notice a subtle difference?

KHOU notes this:

Police say a car turned in front of the train at the intersection of Fannin and Holly Hall. The engine hit the car and sent it into another vehicle.

and KTRK notes this:

Police say a train approaching Reliant Park slammed into a Grand Am as it made a turn Wednesday. The car then hit an SUV.

The ChronicBile/METRO asserts this:

A 26-year old woman was taken to a hospital today after the car she was driving ran into the side of a MetroRail train near Reliant Park, the transit authority said.

No information was available about Yadira Bravo's condition. Metro spokesman Ken Connaughton said no injuries were reported among the estimated 50 passengers on the train and the driver of a Ford Expedition that the car struck after hitting the train.

So which is it? I don't see how the Grand Am can hit the side of the train and the train push the Grand Am into another car.

It looks to me that it's possible the METRO PR office (i.e., the ChronicBile) is subtly changing the story to put the driver more at fault than she really is.

I never thought I'd say this...

Houston Chronicle: Houston smog a key topic for Kerry's visit

Mayor Bill White said he has sent the message to the Kerry campaign that he will defend his city if fellow Democrats attack it as polluted.

White, a former chairman of the Texas Democratic Party who raised money for Gore's campaign, said he wants to avoid the partisan squabble then-Mayor Lee Brown faced in 2000 when he did not defend Houston against the Gore attacks that many in the city's business community feared hurt the city's image.

'We need to clean our air in Houston, but we don't need people coming into Houston and lecturing us about it,' said White.

...but Mayor White speaks for me on this issue.

Excuse me, I've got to go sit down. My head hurts.

No

WorldNetDaily: Republican senator: Bring back the draft

Howyoudoin?

News 24 Houston: Metro names new president and CEO

But Frank Wilson has had his critics. During his three-year tenure as New Jersey's top transportation official, he was accused of unethical behavior.

It was alleged he improperly influenced a bid process for a statewide tollway tag system. Reports say Wilson agreed to pay $1,200 to resolve the dispute without admitting any wrongdoing.

Well, as a fellow refugee from New Jersey, welcome Mr. Wilson!

I say we cut the guy some slack on this corruption charge. False allegations are made all the time and the guy deserves a clean slate.

Besides, if the charges are true, he'll fit right in.

The Battalion: Riding the rail - Opinion

There are many dedicated Aggies who would love to attend A&M home football games and other sporting events. However, many times the travel can be too tedious and prevents them from coming to the games. The proposed rail system would make their trip much easier and, in turn, since more people will come to the games, Kyle Field and the Twelfth Man will grow.

Um guys, how many people leave Kyle Field at once? How many will this train hold? How many people will be waiting for hours for a train? How many people will do that twice?

I'm sorry for laughing...

Houston Chronicle: Viewpoints: Not all iFest goers happy

Monorail overhead, overdue
Not too late to be winner

Regarding the Chronicle's April 20 editorial, 'Why no monorail': How sad, those leaders and businesses who killed the monorail idea for their short-term and personal agendas. Monorail could make Houston a city of the future, whereas light rail makes it a city of the past -- and a dangerous one, at that! I don't think it is too late to go overhead with the remaining lines and be a big winner in the future.

Malcolm E. Jones, Kemah

...but all I can think of is that Simpsons episode.

"John Kerry doesn't apologize for being an emotional young man"

Houston Chronicle: Houston lawyer: Kerry 'not fit' to lead

More than three decades have not softened Houston lawyer John O'Neill's anger at John Kerry, a fellow Vietnam War veteran and Navy lieutenant who later turned against the war.

O'Neill, who debated Kerry about Vietnam on the Dick Cavett Show in 1971, says the Democratic presidential candidate is unqualified for the White House because of his criticism of those who served in the war.

O'Neill is speaking out against the Massachusetts senator for having once accused Americans of committing atrocities in Southeast Asia and for military service that he and other veterans claim is less worthy of decoration than Kerry asserts.

Interesting how when a Republican criticizes someone they're always "angry."

Song of the Day: Copacabana by Barry Manilow

At the copa (CO!) Copacabana (Copacabana)
the hottest spot north of Havana (here)
at the copa (CO!) Copacabana
music and passion were always in fashion
At the copa.... they fell in love

OK, so I'm not a big Manilow fan. But he was just on American Idol and that song came to mind. Once, years ago, my wife, my sister, and I were on vacation in Spain and went out to a disco. We dutifully saved up our cab fare but at 5:00 AM we couldn't find any cabs. So we walked the couple of miles home and for some reason (alcohol perhaps?) we decided to have a sing-along on the walk. That's the song we sang and whenever I hear it I think of how hard I laughed and what a good time I had.

Proud Poppa Uncle Chump

My lovely wife managed to get the kittens out of the kind and patient neighbors' yard and into the garage. The mother cat (Sophie) took two of the five kittens into the back of the garage. She left the other three behind up in the front part. We fretted and fretted and finally Michelle took the other three kittens and placed them right near her.

Sophie looked at them like "Oh, that's right, I have more. Where have you been?" She started nursing them and it appears that all five will make it.

Mason and Lily know something's going on, but aren't quite sure what.

Toomey Gives The Specter a Scare

Looks like Pat Toomey is going to give Arlan Specter a serious challenge after all. Toomey took a big hit today though….. Just heard on the news that President Bush is campaigning on behalf of Specter.

QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY : Toomey narrows gap in Pennsylvania GOP primary

Conservative voters have shifted to U.S. Rep. Pat Toomey who has narrowed the gap in the Pennsylvania Republican primary, trailing incumbent U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter 49 – 44 percent among likely voters, according to a Quinnipiac poll released today.

Sen. Specter held a 52 – 37 percent lead in and April 7 poll by the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN uh-pe-ack) University.

In this latest survey, which includes voters who are leaning toward a candidate, conservative Republicans support Rep. Toomey 56 – 39 percent, while liberal and moderate Republicans back Specter 63 – 28 percent. One week before the primary, their mind is made up, 77 percent of Specter supporters and 82 percent of Toomey supporters say.

In the April 7 poll, conservative Republican voters split with 46 percent for Specter and 43 percent for Toomey.

World Class Crashes

Insurance Journal: High Houston Crash Rate Drives Up Insurance Costs

The Houston area far exceeds the national average in the number of serious traffic collisions, contributing to skyrocketing medical costs and giving Harris County the most expensive auto insurance rates in Texas, according to the Associated Press.

County officials said one reason drivers in Harris County are at greater risk of collisions is because the area is growing faster than roads can be improved or patrolled. Now area drivers are even crashing into the new MetroRail trains, putting Houston on course to top the national high for light rail collisions.

'We lead the state in crashes no matter how you define them,'' said Ned Levine, transportation safety program coordinator for the Houston-Galveston Area Council. 'We are among the worst in the country. I haven't found a metropolitan area that's higher than ours.''

The HGAC has spent nearly three years gathering collision statistics from several local, state and federal agencies.

Read the whole thing. And no, I'm not in the habit of reading the Insurance Journal.

Alert the media!

The ChronicBile got some facts wrong, again.

METRO Watch: Main Street rail line built for downtown businesses

Houston Chronicle: Why no monorail: For city's transit riders, two rails better than none

When Metro, during Mayor Lee Brown's administration, wanted to build a rail line in the Main Street corridor, the transit agency had to foot the entire bill with local money.

The cost constraints dictated that the modest line run at the same level as traffic. A spokesman for Metro said a cost analysis was never done for monorail because monorail was unanimously rejected by the property owners and institutions along the Main Street corridor.

It would appear METRO's mission statement gets it backwards. Their job is to provide economic growth for select downtown businesses at the expense of those of us who live and own businesses in the suburbs.

Times Record News: Perry school plan given failing marks

This is a cap on services, not on taxes,' Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief said. 'It's a cap on safety, on fire protection, on libraries, on parks. It strips away our ability to provide services.

[snip]

But Sen. Kyle Janek, R-Houston, became annoyed with protesting local lawmakers.

"Don't just tell us no," Janek said. "What relief should we provide to homeowners who do have 10 percent (appraisal) increases every year?"

Mayor Moncrief, I'd love to get a 10% raise every year. That'd be swell. But out here in the world where people work for a living, instead of leeching off the productive work of others, it doesn't happen.

And why do they always trot out libraries for cuts first thing? Because they like to scare people and keep their little scam going. I've got some problems with the governor's plan (I smoke and am tired of footing the bills for you non-smokers), but he should be applauded for his courage in taking this pro-taxpayer stand.

CD02 Watch: Lampson Uniting Church and State

The Hill.com: Lampson's scorecard bogus: GOP

The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) has accused Rep. Nick Lampson (D-Texas) of trying to mislead voters by preparing a "Catholic Voting Scorecard" that compares the votes of Catholic lawmakers on both sides of the aisle on issues important to Catholics.

Citing an article in last week’s issue of The Hill, the NRCC said Lampson is trying to "draw attention away from his own voting record that flies in the face of Catholic teachings."

Lampson’s chief of staff, Tom Combs, bluntly rejected the NRCC’s criticism, calling it a "gross distortion of what is the beginning of a dialogue between some very sincere Catholic members of Congress. The fact that the NRCC would use it to trash [Lampson] doesn’t speak well to the kind of tactics we can expect between now and November."

Houston Chronicle: Written by Semi-Intelligent Monkeys

Houston Chronicle: Muslim gets 60 years for slitting throat of estranged Jewish friend

Please pay particular attention to the headline the ChronicBile gave this story. I started to read it, expecting this to be some sort of hate crime given that the religious affiliation of the victim and the perp are noted. Now read this paragraph:

Although there was no direct evidence that the killing was a hate crime, attorneys said jurors might have been particularly unsympathetic to Alayed because the slaying raised the specter of Islamic extremism and stereotypes surrounding terrorists.

Nowhere in the story is there any evidence given of what motivated the crime. So where did they get the headline from? Why mention it? Wouldn't a more accurate headline be something like Man gets 60 years for slitting throat of former friend?

In the interest of fairness, I should point out that I have no evidence that the ChronicBile is written by any monkeys.

CD02 Watch: Lampson: Hillary Clinton II?

The Baytown Sun: Lampson campaigns in Baytown

Lampson said that the Medicare system could be fixed, as long as members of Congress recognize that it has to have funding. He also said that he feels the country needs 'some kind of universal health-care plan.'

The Shot Heard Round The World

Always remember the Sacrifice for Our Freedom.....Past...Present...Future....

Boston Globe -- special section -- March 9, 1975 : "The Lexington-Concord Alarm"

At dawn on this morning in 1775, some seventy Minutemen were assembled on Lexington's green. As the drummer boy beat the call to arms, they formed into a rough line. No one spoke. Some readied powder and ball, others cleaned muskets which didn't need cleaning. All eyes kept returning to the spot where the road from Boston opened onto the green; all ears strained to hear the drums and double-march of the approaching British Grenadiers.

Waving to the boy to cease his beat, their captiain, John Parker, gave his fateful command: "Don't fire unless fired upon. But if they want to have a war, let it begin here!"

Stray Cat Chumps

Once again, a stray cat has birthed a litter in the neighbor's bushes. Once again, we'll be giving up our garage for a couple of months so some kittens will have a safe place to grow. Once again, we'll be trying to find homes for some kittens who were born to a cat that was dumped in our neighborhood.

Sigh.

CD02 Watch: "Lampson, Pelosi, Kennedy"

FWST: Democrats unite to defend House seats

Five Texas Democrats targeted for employment extinction by House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land, are banding together in a high-stakes mission to keep their jobs.

The five -- U.S. Reps. Martin Frost of Arlington, Charles Stenholm of Abilene, Chet Edwards of Waco, Max Sandlin of Marshall and Nick Lampson of Beaumont -- are embarking on a series of joint fund-raisers beginning Monday in New York.

The Democratic Party has made saving the targeted Texans a top priority nationwide and is helping in every way it can. Party leaders even successfully pushed millions for pet projects to the five Texans in the transportation bill being hammered out in Congress.

That's my mantra...

GeorgeWBush.com :: Official Blog :: April 11, 2004 - April 17, 2004 Archive

Today we launched the new GeorgeWBush.com! The site features an all-new homepage, where, in addition to getting all of today's news, you can watch the latest video or see the latest weekly photo -- right on the page. The site also highlights ways you can get involved right now -- including your own personal action center on the homepage when you sign up to volunteer. Also launched with the new site is the Kerry Media Center -- your definitive source for daily news on the Massachusetts Senator.

You may have also noticed we've redesigned the blog too. With this redesign, the blog is even more focused on what's happening in the campaign today -- with featured posts at the top, and featured links to what's new on the rest of the site. We've also streamlined the archive pages, providing a full listing of every post by category -- it's interesting see the economic recovery unfold in the complete Economy archive. As always, the blog continues to be fully searchable, and you can grab all kinds of stuff for your site or blog here, including graphics, news feeds, and RSS feeds (broken down by the topic you're interested in). We've also added a text-only PDA edition for readers on the move.

Enjoy!

The Campblog Archive: Funny entry about blogging magazines.

35

Houston Chronicle: 2 riders injured in MetroRail accident

Two people aboard a MetroRail train were injured today when a motorist failed to stop at a red light and collided with the train, Metropolitan Transit Authority officials said.

The accident occurred at 1:20 p.m. as the light rail train was southbound on Fannin with 70 passengers on board, Metro spokesman Ken Connaughton said. Horacio Morales, 38, of the 5800 block of Glenmont, was westbound on Rosedale when he allegedly drove through a traffic light and collided with the train, Connaughton said.

Tom Bazan sent out an e-mail with the link to this story. I hadn't noticed this before, but the ChronicBile has a handy little Flash thing that maps out the accidents.

I hope those people are ok.

Bringing it on...

AP Wire: Republicans ready to deploy heavyweights to win Texas seats

WASHINGTON - House Majority Leader Tom DeLay set the stage for the elimination of a half-dozen incumbent Democrats from Congress in primary races, but it's President Bush who could finish off the rest of them in November.
Although Bush may spend much of the next seven months campaigning for re-election in other states, he will be omnipresent in the Texas congressional races.

Republicans will trot out Bush's name, agenda and record as they try to unseat Democratic Reps. Martin Frost of Dallas, Charlie Stenholm of Abilene, Max Sandlin of Marshall, Chet Edwards of Waco, Nick Lampson of Houston and Lloyd Doggett of Austin.

'This is the easiest campaign year anyone (in Texas) running for national office has, because all you do is embrace Bush,' said Bill Miller, a political consultant who has worked for Republican House Speaker Tom Craddick. 'No matter how Bush does in the rest of country, he's beloved in Texas. He'll carry Texas and you wrap your arms around him and that's how you win.'

I'm helping out with STOMP, so I'll get to see a good deal of this close up. I won't be talking about it much, I'm doing some technical support (unpaid). I wouldn't want to let anything slip.

If you want to help get some more Republicans in office, click the button below:

"Riders"

Tom Bazan points out in an e-mail today that his ealier requests for Metro to reveal the daily light rail ridership numbers are still unanswered.

So, I'm looking at WordPress for blogging software. I know Kev likes Nucleus and all, but reading what Kate had to say about WordPress got my interest. So I'm reading through the WordPress site, and I came across Photo Matt, who's the founding developer of WordPress. He's a Houston blogger.

Small world.

Update: Urrgghh. WordPress requires a higher level release of the MySQL database program than the version my hosting service provides.

Next!

But...

Houston Chronicle: Visual pollution: Take a vigorous stand against new billboards in ETJ

Houston is not blessed with spectacular scenery, but its decades-long fight to get rid of billboard forests along city corridors is beginning to uncover this area's subtle natural beauty. Houstonians should not let one company's brazen defiance of the city's longstanding ban on new, off-premises billboards undo years of beautification efforts.

I like billboards. When I've been to places like Columbia, Maryland or Sugar Land, Texas, I get creeped out by how they try to hide all evidence of human beings.

FWST: Strayhorn replaces campaign treasurer

AUSTIN - In another sign of tension within the Republican ranks, Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn replaced a veteran campaign adviser who expressed concern about her attacks on Gov. Rick Perry, officials confirmed Thursday.

George Strake, a respected Republican elder statesman and former Texas secretary of state, had served as Strayhorn's campaign treasurer since the late 1980s, officials said.

But as Strayhorn intensified her attacks on Perry's record on health and education issues in recent weeks, Strake said he grew increasingly uneasy and told the comptroller about his misgivings.

'Quite frankly, I think those things should be worked out among fellow Republicans,' Strake said. 'To air your laundry like that in front of the press succeeds in grabbing headlines, but it doesn't help much.'

This isn't good for her. It's too bad she's been criticizing the governor from the left. If she had been critcizing him from the right, she'd get a sympathetic audience from the grassroots.

Happy Tax Day!

Houston Chronicle Tax day rally calls for end of federal income taxes

"You should only pay a tax when you make the decision to buy something," said U.S. Rep. John Culberson, R-Houston.

CD15 Watch: What are they smoking?

The Monitor: Thamm to face Hinojosa in general election

McALLEN — Pulling heavily from his base in the northern counties of U.S. Congressional District 15, Michael D. Thamm won the Republican primary Tuesday night.

Thamm, the former mayor of Cuero, now will face Rep. Rubén Hinojosa, D-Mercedes, in the November general election to represent the newly redrawn congressional district.

"It was a good race and I look forward to the fall," Thamm said.

[snip]

Hinojosa, a four-term incumbent, will face a Republican opponent for the first time since 1998. It will also be the first election since District 15 was redrawn last year by the Republican-led Texas legislature, which stretched the district north all the way to Bastrop County.

The changes altered the political balance from heavily Democratic, because of the Rio Grande Valley, to nearly 50 percent Republican.

From the TLC web site, the precincts in this district went 55.7% for the Democrats in statewide races in 2002. 60.7% for John Sharp.

Give me some of what the writer's smoking.

I'm thinking about it

BLOGGER - Knowledge Base - How do I add the ability for readers to comment on my posts? Anybody got any recommendations?

Peace in Our Time

Reuters: "Bin Laden tape" offers truce to Europe

DUBAI (Reuters) - A purported audio tape by Osama bin Laden has offered a truce to Europeans if they pull troops out of Muslim nations, but it vowed to continue fighting the United States and Israel.

The voice on the tape, which sounded like that on previous broadcasts believed to be genuine, also said that the March 11 train bombings in Madrid that killed 191 people were retaliation for Spain's role in Iraq, Afghanistan and with the Palestinians.

A Brilliant Person

...the trailing edge.: Walking music: Squeeze

Guardian Unlimited: Texas Congressman Sues Over Recount

LAREDO, Texas (AP) - Rep. Ciro Rodriguez filed a much-anticipated lawsuit Wednesday challenging a Democratic primary recount that swung the results of the election in his opponent's favor.

Rodriguez led by 150 votes after last month's primary, but a recount requested by opponent Henry Cuellar found 419 previously untallied ballots in the Cuellar strongholds of Webb and Zapata counties. Cuellar, a former Texas secretary of state, finished with a lead of more than 200 votes.

The lawsuit says there is no reasonable way to explain how so many new votes appeared. The suit asks the court to declare Rodriguez the winner or to order a new election in the district, which runs from the San Antonio area to the Mexican border.

``In some 30 years that I have been an administrator, supervisor or involved in elections, I have never seen this large a change in any county in any election,'' said Rodriguez lawyer Buck Wood.

Neeley versus Casey

North Channel Sentinel: Neeley responds to Chronicle columnist

By: David Taylor

Former GPISD superintendent and current Texas Education Commissioner Dr. Shirley Neeley fired back at Houston Chronicle columnist Rick Casey after the writer accused her of 'inflated grades.'

The written sparring began on March 27 when Casey called the picture of success painted by the governor of Neeley's accomplishments at GPISD as 'wrong.'

His main argument, according to his own column, was with some figures mentioned in the governor's introduction of Neeley to the state as the state's new top educator.

'At Galena Park, the number of students taking the SAT or ACT has doubled under Dr. Neeley's tenure. Eighty-two percent of graduates attend college, and their dropout rate is among the lowest in the state.

And the number of students taking advanced placement courses and advanced placement tests has tripled under Dr. Neeley's administration,' said Gov. Rick Perry.

The quote apparently sent up red flags for Casey.

'That figure [the 82 percent] is so impressive that several major papers have repeated it, including this one,' Casey said in his March 27 column.

Casey asserted that the figure was misleading and was the result of a survey, not actual college attendance. He was also critical of the district's interpretation of 'higher education.'

In the survey, 56 percent said they planned on attending either four-year or two-year colleges. Casey seemed to belittle those planning to attend technical or business instates, cosmetology schools or those opting for the military as not necessarily 'higher education.'

Look out Mr. Mayor!

Houston Chronicle: From tows to parking meters, mayor has a plan

By LUCAS WALL

What started out as a trickle in the first days of Mayor Bill White's administration -- synchronizing traffic signals -- will become a tidal wave today when he proposes sweeping changes in how the city manages transportation.

The ordinances that will be spelled out for the City Council this morning are designed not only to make Houston's traffic more functional but more profitable for the city as well.

Those lips you feel on your backside belong to Lucas Wall. If he gets any further, you'll need a doctor to remove them.

Add to my list of other blogs

annika's journal: One Difference Between Us And Them

The troll comment i got this morning reminded me about something i've been thinking about since my visit to the State Capitol last weekend. It's an example to illustrate one difference between people on the left and people on the right.

i know i'm gonna be generalizing here, so save your breath. i'm aware that the majority of people on the left are not freakazoids who need to be locked up. There's some very decent and thoughtful lefties on my own blogroll, for instance. i also know there's some real whack-jobs on the right too, and in fact some of them actually have been locked up. (Right wing crazies tend to stay in jail though, instead of being offered tenure.)

Kiss my butt!

Houston Chronicle: Viewpoints: Taxes, taxes, more taxes

Tobacco taxes win/win

Kudos to Gov. Rick Perry for not only proposing a $1 increase in the cigarette tax, but for expanding that increase to include all tobacco products. Texans Investing in Healthy Families supports this measure because it benefits Texas both fiscally and physically.

A cigarette tax will increase state revenue, even as the number of smokers declines. That has been proved in each of the 17 states that raised their cigarette tax between 1995 and 2000.

In addition, it will reduce the $1.26 billion a year Texas now spends in Medicaid funding on direct tobacco-related health costs.

A tobacco tax increase will save lives and make Texans healthier while serving as a predictable, reliable source of much-needed new state money. It is a definite win/win for Texas.

Dr. Donna Bacchi,
president-elect, American
Heart Association
Texas Affiliate, Lubbock

I've quit smoking several times. You don't want to see it. I get real grumpy and mean. As opposed to my regular sunny, kind demeanor.

Dr. Bacchi, you don't want to see that side of me. I promise.

Pull the Trigger?

Blogs for Bush: Does It Get Any Lower Than This?

Good grief.

Democratic club in Florida urges the murder of the Secretary of Defense. I suspect there will be some official distancing from this club by party regulars pretty dang quick.

Thank goodness for the fat lady

Houston Chronicle: McCaul wins Dist. 10 seat over Streusand

Austin lawyer Michael McCaul defeated Houston mortgage banker Ben Streusand on Tuesday to win the Republican nomination for the 10th Congressional District in one of the nation's most expensive races.

Complete but unofficial returns show McCaul with 63 percent of the vote in the eight-county district that stretches from west Houston to north Austin. McCaul probably will take the seat in next year's Congress, since no Democrat is on the November general election ballot.

Well, I was right and wrong in my prediction. McCaul won, but it wasn't even close. All hail the power of the Craig Dickson endorsement!

Congratulations, Congressman-Elect.

Breaking News: John Culberson Re-Elected

Rapid City Journal: Council, school board winners announced

Custer did not have a city election. Custer City Council incumbents Brian Boyer, John Culberson and Mike Brown were unopposed for re-election.

There's a city councilman in South Dakota named John Culberson. I expect the ChronicBile will soon send a reporter to misquote him and editorialize against him in the news articles. Just for good measure.

Weird Theory

The NarcoSphere: Richard Holbrooke/Samuel Berger DataDump

After all, there are, in Kerry's bullpen, many interesting potential Secretaries of State who, simply put, have shown greater passion for democratic principles in foreign policy: Chris Dodd, Mario Cuomo, Loretta Sanchez (no slouch in 'Homeland Security' or Armed Forces issues; frankly... add her to the VP 'short list' too), Bill Delahunt, Gary Hart, Tim Wirth, Bob Kerrey, Ed Markey… or, here's a tri-partisan bone he could toss the free-marketeers but who also understands the democratic imperative that US foreign policy must regain: Republican-Libertarian Congressman Ron Paul of Texas… not exactly the types to get invited to my garden parties (except for Delahunt and Sanchez, of course), but any one of 'em would be a vast improvement over the Holbrooke-Berger diode (Oxford American Dictionary: 'di-ode (di-ohd) n. any two-element electronic device having only two terminals that allows current to flow in only one direction').

Make of this what you will...

News 24 Houston: Mayor White committed to synchronized downtown signals

When lives are jeopardy people act fast and that's exactly what Mayor Bill White and METRO did as a result of frightening collisions with the light-rail trains.

I think it's a little bit too much cheerleading, thank you.

Wanker

You go Joe!

Houston Chronicle: Viewpoints: Now the liberal 'manifesto'

Scroll all the way down to see someone answer Mr. Gibbons' ridiculous "conservative manifesto."

Thanks, but no thanks

Houston Chronicle: Governor orders special session to pay for Texas' schools

The governor has proposed cuts in local school property taxes to be replaced by new state revenue sources, including a higher cigarette tax, video lottery terminals at racetracks and on Indian reservations, a new $5 state tax on admissions to adult entertainment clubs and closing a loophole in the state franchise tax.

He also has proposed a new statewide tax on business property that has drawn widespread opposition from the business community, which fears being taxed at a higher rate than residential property. The statewide business tax and the expanded gambling would have tough hills to climb in the Legislature because each would require constitutional amendments approved by two-thirds of the House and the Senate. They also would have to be approved by Texas voters.

Frankly, as a smoker, I'm pretty dang tired of being everybody's whipping boy. The problem is not that the schools aren't getting enough of my money. Do you know how much I pay for other people's kids to go to school? We don't have any kids, but we're expected to pony up for schools that don't teach kids how to read and write proper English? And now, you want to increase the taxes yet a-friggin-gain on one of my little pleasures in life?

No. Start over.

Oh yeah, regarding the business property tax, try starting a business sometime. Everybody comes out of the dang woodwork with their hand out. Worse than the Mafia.

Urrggh.

Police Lefties On My Back

I guess, thanks for the link, Amblongus. Go to the second entry from Thursday, April 08. (Permalink wasn't working.)

Does it count?

KHOU.com: Metro's 34th light rail accident

Metro recorded its 34th light rail accident on Monday.

A driver backing out of a private driveway in the Texas Medical Center area grazed a train.

No one was hurt and the damage was minimal.

Adjusting traffic lights is one way Metro plans to help decrease the accident rate. Metro has the highest accident rate for any rail line in the country.

Should it count? I dunno, seems awful close....Let's let Kevin decide.

Fort Bend / Southwest Sun: Perry's plan to cut property tax deserves a chance

Gov. Rick Perry's proposals to cut the property tax rates and impose additional 'sin' taxes to replace the so called 'Robin Hood' school funding plan have received mixed response.

The reaction depends on how a particular segment of the society is affected by the proposal, either positively or negatively.

The entire package of Perry's proposals has several complicated elements and one has to wait for the complexity to be reduced to simplicity before making a judgement call. However, two basic underlying principles of the proposed reforms seem to have a wide appeal. One, the need to cap the property tax valuations and the other, the need to find a viable alternative to the Robin Hood plan.

Perry's proposal to cap the property tax valuations at 3 percent per year, with an adjustment for inflation and population growth, deserves a genuine consideration. One may squabble over the percentage, whether it should b 3 percent or 5 percent, but the need for a cap is legitimate and long overdue.

Vote Today

Precinct 0814 polling location: Link

County Judge Press Release: HAZARDOUS MATERIALS RESPONSE VEHICLE UNVEILED

Houston - Purchased through funding from a 2003 grant from the Office of Domestic Preparedness Homeland Security, the HM-1 vehicle is a fifth generation, state-of-the-art, hazardous materials response vehicle. Manned by a highly specialized crew, HM-1 is designed to provide first-line response for homeland security readiness and hazardous materials incidents in Harris County and the surrounding Houston Galveston Area Council region.

The HM-1 is equipped with radiation detectors, a satellite weather station, a computer based chemical and biohazard assay system, and can travel 450 miles without refueling. The Harris County Hazmat team's mission includes supporting local fire departments in hazardous materials emergencies, participating in homeland securing planning efforts, and training local first responders.

The crew will be on site to answer questions and to explain the use of the unit and its equipment.

I'd be curious to see what it uses for detection of biological agents and what its turnaround time is. Also, does it rely on particle size or does it really determine the content of the agent present?

JJW Watch

The Sweetwater Reporter: Jerry Jeff Walker brings mix of life experiences and music styles to Sweetwater

LOL

Go ahead, make Chuck angry: Welcome to Tabortales.com

We're here, we're Republicans, get used to it

The New York Times Magazine: Can This Marriage Be Saved?

For many years, the Log Cabin Republicans have known the particular torment of being aligned with a cause easily lampooned as ridiculous. You are a what? they are asked in various ways. A gay Republican? A gay conservative? What does that even mean? And by the way, don't you know that your so-called allies actually despise you? ''You're attacked in social settings,'' Patrick Guerriero, Log Cabin's executive director, told me. ''You lose dates. It's not easy.'' What is even more difficult, though, is to have your loyalty thrown back in your face by the very people with whom you have united -- and to arrive at that moment of truth when you must acknowledge that those who have confronted you, or snickered behind your back, may, in fact, have a point.

A pretty interesting and insightful article on the LCR. It comes from the New York Times, which means that it's questionable, but it seems like a fair article.

Hmmmmm...

Kevin gets out his red pen and marks up a Rick Casey column. He finds something strange in Rick Casey: Plagiarist, Poor Journalist, Or What?.

Next, my buddy James Howard Gibbons decided to publish a piece in the ChronicBile responding to conservative claims of bias at our beloved local daily by, well, proving that he's biased against conservatives. Someone should really take him to task for it, and hey there's Owen, going line by line through the piece: The Chronicle's supreme arrogance

CD10 Watch: Nothing New

AP via Tyler Morning Telegraph: All-GOP runoff sets up some family feuds

WASHINGTON (AP) - Call it a Republican rumble.

Tuesday's congressional runoffs feature two high-spending Republicans in Houston who want to lay claim to a newly-drawn district and eight other GOP candidates who seek to challenge Democratic incumbents made more vulnerable by redistricting.

Not much new in that story.

News 8 Austin: Republican candidate Michael McCaul nterview

Of all the primary runoff races, the seat for Congressional District 10 has clearly been the most hard-fought.

Republican candidates Michael McCaul of Austin and Ben Streusand from Houston are running for District 10.

Earlier this week, McCaul visited the News 8 studio to talk about the campaign. Streusand declined to be interviewed.

Haven't watched the interview, but the written version doesn't look like much interesting.

Houston Chronicle: District 10 runoff may cost $500 per vote

The Republican primary runoff for the 10th Congressional District between mortgage banker Ben Streusand and former federal prosecutor Mike McCaul likely will turn on a handful of costly votes.

On Tuesday, just a few thousand voters may select the next congressman representing the 651,620 people who live in the district that includes all or part of eight counties between west Houston and north Austin.

The Chronicle does some long division in this story. It's original, but yawn....

So, the official Rob Booth position on this race is: Be happy if you don't live in this district. If you live in this district, be happy when Wednesday rolls around and this is all over.

Spread the Glenn Love

Long time readers of this blog will remember that I'm a Squeeze fanatic. Although the band is no more, the two main lads from the groups, Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook have been soldiering on, putting out some of the best music being made these days. Glenn in particular has been working his butt off in his touring schedule and been putting on absolutely amazing shows around the US. I made the journey to go out and see him play in Austin, and I wrote a review.

Well, now you've got an opportunity to see a little bit of the Glenn magic. A fellow fan, and movie producer, has made an independent movie about the former pop star traveling the country with two guitars and an RV. She has two movie trailers online, and they capture what I think is the magic of a Glenn Tilbrook concert. In particular, go see the Hourglass trailer. It shows the point in one of his shows where he has the audience provide the percussion while he plays the saxophone solo on his guitar. Ahh, what the heck, just go watch the trailer. You'll love it.

A whole site devoted to snarky anti-METRORail comments. My kind of people: Tales from the Rail - A Chronicle of the Houston METRORail Disaster

Now that that's out of the way

Houston Chronicle: Request to halt Katy Freeway expansion denied

Expansion of the Katy Freeway will proceed on schedule this summer after a federal judge on Friday denied a citizens group petition asking for the project to be redesigned.

[...]

Hoyt dismissed the design presented by the coalition, a group of westside residents and businesses, which included a narrower highway depressed below ground with a MetroRail line running through the center and hundreds of trees planted above.

"It appears the plaintiffs did not properly evaluate their own proposal," he wrote. "They failed to address the fact that to construct lanes below grade would prove disastrous in light of the proximity of Buffalo Bayou and the difficulty, in general, with drainage in the Houston area."

You know, I understand people who live near the freeway having some ideas about minimizing its impact on them. It's part of being a good neighbor to keep them in mind when you're doing things that will affect them. But that doesn't mean the Katy Freeway has to be a river.

The judge did criticize U.S. Rep. John Culberson, R-Houston -- one of the biggest supporters for widening Interstate 10 -- for issuing a news release about the High Occupancy Toll lanes two days before the public-comment period had concluded.

Culberson's action "raises questions of propriety," Hoyt wrote, but concluded it did not violate the law because the formal agreement was not signed until two days after the comment period had ended and the transportation agencies had "an adequate opportunity to review public comments, which included those of the plaintiffs."

Of course he criticized him. It'd be like a day without sunshine if someone didn't criticize Congressman Culberson for making sense and sticking to his principles.

GOPunk :: Conservative is NOT a dress code.

Link via Conservative Punk.

What a cutie!

And Steve's daughter isn't bad either.

Steve's an old military buddy. I keed!

Take your bucolic villages...

Littleton Online: Romney: Town ideal to reduce sprawl

The New England Patriots scored touchdowns in the Astrodome's end zone in Houston in February, but that town's zoning came up a loser when compared with New England's bucolic villages, according to Gov. Mitt Romney.

While Romney described Texas as 'a wonderful place' he visited during Super Bowl, the governor told a packed audience in the Town Offices last Thursday, 'I couldn't find the town center' of the metropolis.

With that in mind, Romney touted his 'smart growth' plan to a bevy of residents, town officials and the media in the selectmen's meeting room on Shattuck Street.

...and shove them up your smart growth.

We don't have a town center. Next question?

Thanks for visiting. Now stay in Massachusetts.

W is a punk, Kerry is a runt....

Palm Beach Post: Conservative punks rock punk politics

WASHINGTON -- Some in the American punk rock scene, whose anthems have long celebrated anarchy and for many years embraced a liberal agenda, are now singing a little louder because of a little-known movement of conservative punks seeking to rally like-minded rockers through a new Web site.

My children!

It seems like a million years ago, but I wore combat boots and went to Cabaret Voltaire in downtown Houston with a copy of Maximum Rock N Roll in my pocket. Listened to the Party Owls and whatever mohawked bands came through town.

Then I moved to Austin and went to the Beach and listened to Doctors' Mob and saw the Dead Kennedys on Sixth Street. I got thrown off the stage at a Butthole Surfers concert at Liberty Lunch.

Now I'm a GOP precinct chairman and listen to Rancid and the Clash. I still have the same views I did way back then. I'm so happy to see these guys...

Vote for Don Zimmerman

AusChron: God Squad Spanks Sager

Who knew that a mundane component of local party politics - the election of precinct chairs - would become this year's sleeper for the Travis Co. Republicans?

Indeed, these way-down ballot races sparked some of the season's bloodiest campaigns, with a handful of contests drawing multiple candidates for seats in key GOP precincts in the March 9 primary. On Tuesday, party voters will decide the winner in four precinct chair run-offs, but don't expect the bickering to end there.

[...]

(A third, smaller faction, known as the Ron Paul Republicans, is out in left field, so to speak, with little good to say about either side. Two of the Ron Pauls are vying for separate precinct chair seats in Tuesday's run-off.)

That's my faction. My friend Big Bad Don is in one of these runoffs. Vote for him or you're a doo-doo head.

Doubtful

The Hill.com: Dems fear Cuellar may switch to GOP

Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) believe and openly speculate that Laredo lawyer Henry Cuellar may switch to the Republican side if his recount victory in the Democratic primary survives legal challenges by Ciro Rodriguez (D-Texas).

Um, no, you're not

Detroit Free Press: Q&A WITH U.S. SEN. JOHN McCAIN: How 9/11, security play out

I'm more of a libertarian than anything else.

Go here.

Too bad for words...but Kevin finds some

Regarding this: PubliusTX - The Comical At Work, I heard the whole thing live. That editor that called in, Steve Jetton, clearly had no idea what was going on, but that didn't stop him from arguing with the family of someone who lost his life in defense of our country.

Otherwise, just read Kevin's article. Afterwards, you can e-mail Mr. Jetton.

Hold Me Back

Israel21c: Israeli company provides first full mission light rail simulator for Houston Metropolitan Transit Authority

Apr. 04 - Arotech Corporation, an Israeli company, announced that its FAAC subsidiary has delivered the transit industry's first full-mission light rail train (LRT) simulator using computer-generated imagery (CGI). As part of a $490,000 contract to the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (Houston), FAAC developed the MR-2000 municipal rail simulator in a partnership with METRO using subject matter experts to ensure that all training objectives would be met. The LRT simulator system is installed at METRO's Rail Operations Center in Houston and incorporates a full size front end of a Siemens train. A seamless 225 degree panoramic field of view is projected to the operator providing a complete CGI visual scene, including rear mirror views. FAAC and METRO are developing a range of computer based training products to complement the MR-2000 simulator. This includes desktop LRT simulators and authoring software tools that transit agencies can use to construct new LRT track alignments and training scenarios. Virtually everything can be controlled in the CGI environment including weather, street traffic, pedestrians, signals, switches and LRT malfunctions.

Man, this is such rich territory for snarky anti-METRO comments. But I'm going to exercise some self-control and not be petty.

OK, just this one. Does the simulator plow into people on wheelchairs?

Jon Matthews Update II - April 2004

Houston Chronicle: Area briefs: Indecency trial set for former radio host

RICHMOND -- The trial of former radio talk show host Jon Matthews, accused of indecency with a child, is scheduled to start June 28 in a state district court here.

State District Judge Brady Elliott on Monday scheduled the trial, Assistant District Attorney Suzy Morton said.
The charge, a third-degree felony, accuses Matthews, 59, of exposing himself to a girl under age 17 on Oct. 9. If convicted, he could be sentenced from two to 10 years in prison and be fined up to $10,000.

Matthews, free on bond, has resigned from KSEV-AM 700.

Add to read list

Jon Matthews Update - April 2004

Herald-Coaster: Matthews trial set for June 28

Judge Brady Elliott set a June 28 trial date for former KSEV radio talk-show host Jon Matthews Monday. Matthews stands accused of third-degree felony indecency to a child, having been indicted in November 2003 for the offense.

Suzy Morton, prosecutor for the case, said she and Matthews' defense attorney Stephen Doggett discussed several "standard" motions in the 268th District Court before Elliott. She said those motions include discovery motions such as for exculpatory evidence, or evidence that could aid the defense, and a motion to list potential extraneous offenses by the defense.

There's more if you follow the link. That's all I know.

Prove me wrong

OK, I'm a geek and a junkie. I admit it.

I've been looking for John Martinez's campaign finance statements: FEC Form 1, contributors and distribution statements, etc. I've been to the FEC and OpenSecrets. Nothing.

If you find anything, email me, or if you're a blogger, feel free to school me online.

Big Fun

Waffles

Guest Blogger: Adopt a Marine

Friends,

If any of you belong to clubs, civic organizations, or church groups that are looking for military personnel to send mail, cards, or packages to, please consider sending to my son, Jeffrey Rooke, or to his Sgt., Jeffrey Ritter. They are Marines currently stationed in the Middle East. My son is getting several packages a month from our family, but Sgt. Ritter receives very little mail and my son says he needs some encouragement from home. Their address is the same, except for the top line which contains their name.

CPL JEFFREY T. ROOKE USMC
COMMAND ELEMENT, RADBN DET
22D MEU, DET B
UNIT 74043
FPO AE 09502-4043

or

SGT JEFFREY D. RITTER USMC
COMMAND ELEMENT, RADBN DET
22D MEU, DET B
UNIT 74043
FPO AE 09502-4043

Some of the items they appreciate:
!! Soft toilet paper !!
Instant coffee or flavored coffee creamer
Sodas or snacks with caffeine
Energy bars or energy drinks
Coca-Cola or name brand soft drinks (with caffeine)
Jerky or beef sticks
Nuts
Sunflower seeds
Gum and mints
Cough drops
Seasonings
Disinfectant wipes
Texas stuff
Non-chocolate sweets: hard candy, jelly beans, gummy worms, sweet tarts, peeps, circus peanuts, etc.

They like things with caffeine or energy items because it helps them to stay awake on long shifts. Things like sunflower seeds keep them occupied. Anything that is a sauce or a sprinkled seasoning will help add flavor to the boring MREs (Meal Ready to Eat). They are in less than ideal sanitary conditions, so anything to help disinfect is appreciated. They are in a very sandy area, so their throats are constantly irritated, so cough drops or sore throat drops are great. And of course, we Texans have to keep up our reputation, so when they get a package from Texas, they get lots of attention for stuff like jalapeno chips, jalapeno-stuffed olives, Texas picante sauce or barbecue sauce, etc.

Please do not send anything that melts. We have been advised that any cleaning or soap products should not be sent in the same package with food products, because the food products will taste like soap. If you wish to send things that can be crushed, such as cookies or crackers, it is good to purchase a cheap plastic shoe box from the dollar store to mail the items in.

I like to send a quantity of two or more of whatever I'm sending, when I can. When one guy opens his package, all his buddies who didn't get anything in that mail call gather 'round to see what he got, and Marines have a tendency to share with their comrades before they keep it for themselves.

Remember as you collect items for donation that it is expensive to mail packages, and everything is by weight! Mailing a 6-pack of toilet paper will cost about $5 or $6 - more than the toilet paper costs! A plastic shoebox filled with goodies will run roughly $9 or so to mail. Drinks are very expensive to send because of the weight. Keep size and weight in mind as you purchase your items - not only for your cost of mailing, but also for the guys! They have to carry anything they don't give away. It's better to send 1 small package every week than 1 huge box once a month.

For any packages over 2 pounds, the Post Office requires a white form called a "Customs Declaration and Dispatch notice" in addition to the normal addressing requirements. It is PS Form 2976-A, and must be filled out by hand. It takes a couple of minutes to complete, so you may want to grab some of the forms the next time you're at the Post Office so that you can have one completed when you bring a package to send out at Post Office. Where you have the option on the form to check Documents, gift, or merchandise, things will go smoother if you just check "Gift".

Last piece of advice: put clear tape over your return address and the mailing address on the package. This is to protect it from water damage or being torn. If you don't do it at home, they will ask you to do it when you get there.

Please don't underestimate how important a little card or postcard can be to a homesick Marine. We appreciate anything you can send for encouragement.

Please feel free to forward this message to other friends who might be interested!

Blessings!
Kathy Haigler
a Marine Mom
gopkat(at)sbcglobal.net

If that ain't country....

FWST: Songwriting outlaw Shaver inspires director

Those stories -- Shaver's sprawling life condensed to a crisp 55 minutes -- are the stuff of pulp novels. Mom worked in a Waco honky-tonk. Billy Joe left school after the eighth grade. Thrown out of the Navy. Lost fingers on his right hand in a sawmill accident. Married and divorced the same woman, Brenda, three times. Lost his mom and wife to cancer within a month of each other and then lost his only son, guitarist John Edwin Shaver, to a heroin overdose. Became, along with Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, an integral part of the outlaw country movement of the '70s that challenged Nashville's country-music supremacy.

Billy Joe is the antithesis to the claptrap that Kevin's been writing about.

To further increase ridership...

News 24 Houston: METRO light-rail ridership exceeds expectations

To further increase ridership, METRO also announced that this weekend, children under 12 can ride the light-rail line for free.

This is the target ridership? 12-year olds?

Arsenal.com: Arsenal v Chelsea

UEFA Champions League Quarter-Final 2nd Leg
Arsenal Stadium, Highbury
Tuesday, April 6, 2004. Kick-off: 7.45pm

Man, I need to win the lottery and live part-time in the UK so I can watch these things live.

Not that there's anything wrong with that...

FWST: Pictures of candidate in women's clothes surface

AUSTIN - His family made a fortune on men's work clothing. But it's Sam Walls' apparent fondness for women's apparel that is dividing the Johnson County Republican Party.

Walls, 64, is in the April 13 GOP primary runoff against Burleson real estate broker Rob Orr for the House District 58 seat. As a leading businessman, former Republican Party chairman and benefactor of Harris Methodist Walls Regional Hospital, Walls seemed the odds-on favorite to win.

The victor is likely to succeed Arlene Wohlgemuth in the Texas Legislature.

But then pictures of Walls in women's clothing -- several of which were provided to the Star-Telegram -- began circulating late last week around Burleson and Cleburne, rival towns on opposite ends of the district.

That's when several Republicans, including the head of the Johnson County Republican Party, confronted Walls and urged him to withdraw from the race.

But Walls dug in.

After rebuffing Republicans who asked him to pull out Monday, he faxed a statement to the Star-Telegram saying he would not give in to "blackmail" from opponents who are trying to use "very old, personal information" to force him out.

"Through intermediaries, my opponent told me to drop out of the campaign or the private information would be released," Walls said. "Now my opponent is using the private information in an attempt to intimate that I am a homosexual, which I am not."

Walls said his family had "dealt with" the issue and he asked for forgiveness.

That's just plain weird. Link via QR.

Estimated

Houston Chronicle: Rail ridership figures called `impressive'

Ridership on the Main Street light rail line is rapidly growing, according to first-quarter statistics the transit authority released Monday.

Some 1.58 million passengers have taken the train in the first quarter of this year, and average weekday boardings -- the transit industry's standard for reporting ridership -- has topped 13,000.

An estimated 604,300 passengers rode the train in March, the highest monthly total logged since passenger operations on Houston's first light rail line began Jan. 1. The March total topped the 558,257 boardings estimated for January, when hundreds of thousands of people rode the new train just to have the experience. Last month's tally was boosted by the three-week Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo at Reliant Park, which accounted for about 169,000 boardings.

To gauge true daily demand, Metro compares ridership figures excluding special events, such as the four-day rail grand opening, Super Bowl festivities and the rodeo. The March numbers show roughly 435,000 nonevent trips made aboard trains, a 22 percent increase over February's nonevent boardings of 357,088. January saw 354,180 nonevent boardings.

I added the emphasis.

I'm on Tom Bazan's e-mail list (he's the best activist in Houston). He's copied us on all of his Open Records requests to METRO for the daily counts of passengers. The one thing that's been making Tom ask all these questions, I think, is how did METRO get these numbers? If you notice in the article, Lucas Wall uses "estimated" an awful lot.

Does METRO have people at every stop counting people who get on the trains? When I rode it, I didn't see anybody....

Well, that's handy

City of Houston: Office of Public Safety and Drug Policy -- Anti-Gang Office

HOMEY, HOME BOY

Fellow gang member from the same neighborhood.

When I go inside the loop I can go up to the guys on the corners and have a conversation with them in their own lingo. That'd be a hoot! Thanks City of Houston!

Link via the Hotline.

Reminder

I think Jon Matthews has a court date today. At least that's what someone told me. If you've got any news, e-mail it in.

Seals the deal...

Longview News-Journal: Candidate became Republican after dream

After four arrests for public intoxication and a dreamlike confrontation with God, Robert Butler decided he was either going to have to become a Republican or face eternal damnation.

The decision has given him a good chance of being elected Texas railroad commissioner.

Well, I know who I'm voting for. Thanks to Matt for sending me the story.

CD10 Watch: I nitpick some more

Katy Times Online: McCaul, Streusand talk issues at forum

A little more than two-weeks before the Congressional District 10 Republican run-off election, candidates Michael McCaul and Ben Streusand discussed health care, homeland security and highway spending during a candidate forum last week.

An estimated 100 people attend the forum, which was sponosored by the Katy Chamber of Commerce and hosted at The Club at Falcon Point.

The Club at Falcon Point, where we rich Republicans gather to conspire, is located in Fort Bend County and thus, is in CD14, not CD10.

I just like to point those kind of things out. Makes me look really cool.

It doesn't get much more local than this...

Houston Chronicle: Alief school trustee race fields 4 candidates

Incumbent Hansen was first chosen in 1993, when he was a professor at Houston Baptist University, to fulfill the unexpired term of a trustee who left the board position in mid-term. Since then, he has been elected in 1995, 1998 and 2001, and is now seeking his fourth full term, one he believes will see the development of more magnet schools for the middle grade levels.

'We have made a lot of progress in dealing with the low-performing students and the real challenge, I think, is to maintain our efforts and offer more opportunities to middle- to high-performing students,' said Hansen, 57, who now manages his investments after his years as a university-level educator.

As a board, trustees will be developing magnet programs for the middle schools, and one of his reasons for seeking re-election is to provide guidance through that process, Hansen said.

I have had the good fortune to meet and talk with Dr. Hansen on a couple of occasions and am proud to give him my endorsement.

The Safer & Terror Free Spain

USA TODAY: Bomb found on high-speed rail line in Spain

I guess the Spanish 'capitulation' election and the subsequent 'truce' with terrorists really paid off. Spain is definitely a safer country now. In fact Spanish tourism and economy should be increasing at a brisk pace......

Helping Senators with their ANWR Backbone

NEWS-MINER: State to offer ANWR coast leases

Since the federal government has so far been unwilling to open the refuge's coastal plain to drilling, Murkowski said he wants to do what he can as governor to tap the region's potentially world-class oil pools.

"It's jobs for America, it's a reduction of our deficit balance of payments and it's certainly great for the American consumer," Murkowski said of his plan. "And it sends a very strong message that we're not going to stand by and be held hostage by OPEC."

I love the way they wrote this press release: Google Gets the Message, Launches Gmail

My candidate's more bloggy than your candidate!

Go check out the comment from March 31. How many Dem candidates are out there commenting on blogs? Huh? Huh?

Thanks for the link....

Liberty's Blog

CD10 Watch: Namby Pamby Liberals Cry

Austin Chronicle: One More Time for Lugo, Canchola

The Rest of the Races

While Lugo and Canchola have the Democrats' attentions all to themselves, local Republican voters have a wide array of races to resolve. Perhaps the highest-profile is the CD 10 run-off between Austin's Michael McCaul and Houston's Ben Streusand, since the winner will face no Democratic opposition in November and will likely automatically become one of Tom DeLay's D.C. minions. Even by the ever-declining standards of the genre, this race has become a stupid mess, with talk of issues drowned out by tub-thumping over which candidate has the larger, tougher, and more conservative Republican penis. Thousands of disenfranchised Austin liberals weep.

That makes the whole redistricting mess worth it.

Brenham Banner-Press: Elliott gives support--Second former opponent endorses congressional candidate Streusand

Ben Streusand, a candidate for the 10th District seat in Congress, has received an endorsement from a second former opponent.

Streusand said today that he has received the endorsement of Patrick Elliott, who was also a candidate for the seat in the March 9 Republican primary.

On KSEV Houston, I've heard ads endorsing McCaul from Sen. Gramm, Sen. Cornyn, and Commissioner Jerry Patterson. Endorsements for Streusand come from Judge John Devine, fmr. HCRP Chair Gary Polland, and Tax Man Paul Bettencourt. Too close to call, but I'll give the edge to McCaul. He's got the Craig Dickson endorsement, and if you don't know what that means, don't charge anyone money for political consulting in west Houston.

Update: Texas Home School Coalition PAC goes for McCaul.