Labor Day

Labor Day

This year Labor Day was a little different. Melissa Clouthier out of Houston asked if we had forgotten what Labor Day was about. Yes? Good!

But this year Labor Day brought the winds and the fire. Tropical Storm Lee whipped the wind in Central Texas. Drought, dry land, electricity, and maybe arson brought the rest. We evacuated on Monday night and got back to our home on Tuesday morning, against orders I might add. We didn’t have permission to come back, but I’ve never believed that a free person has to ask permission to act in their own best interests.

I know people who have lost homes - I know many more who are stunned at the rapid destruction of their property but who are thankful they still have their lives. When we left here Monday night I felt as if I would throw up, vomit up all the stress and heartache of what I knew was coming. I cannot imagine the thoughts, feelings, and experiences of those who actually did lose their homes and possessions. I will try to help in some way over the next few days to ease at least some of their burdens.

Thanks to all the new Facebook friends. This has been an experience trying to help in some way to at least get information to those who were outside the “evacuation zone” and had no way of knowing what was going on.

Labor Day. I won’t forget this one.

The Debate

Just finished watching the debate and these are first impressions, as I remember.

Santorum – Has 7 kids….I actually fast forwarded through the rest of his remarks. Every time.

Gingrich – He would make one terrific history teacher; and somebody needs to give him a job in an administration, somewhere sometime doing something harmless (Secretary of Education?).

Bachman – She sure is pretty. $2 a gallon gas….Reagan said….something. Why didn’t they ask her about submitting to her husband? That sure is a pretty airplane they’re standing under.The hair is going to get in the way.

Romney – Romneycare (“Dammit, ask me about anything else – you put one little massive government program into place and that’s all they remember you for”). He’s smooth. But he didn’t answer any questions. He left no impression of any kind.

Paul – Wow – and not a good “wow”. He starts to make sense, then he’s off like the Roadrunner cutting a u-turn and heading back the other way.

Cain – Secretary of Commerce. Love the pizza. Got some good ideas but he's blown it weeks ago not knowing anything about foreign affairs.

Huntsman – He’s pretty too. Nice tan – absolutely incapable of answering a question without invoking Reagan. OK, Maybe I missed some flash of genius but the word that came to mind is “smarmy”.

Perry – OK, maybe I’m prejudiced as I’ve been following him for the last ten years. His flaw tonight? He answered the questions directly which is never good for a politician. On the other hand he stood by what he has said about social security (It’s a Ponzi scheme); immigration (boots on the ground, secure the border then we can talk); and Karl Rove has said a lot of over the top things. And to quote Ron White - "If you kill somebody in Texas, we're gonna kill you back!"

Politics Today

Been awhile - don't know if anybody's paying attention. But a few things popped up over the last couple of days.

As a member of the Legion I've got to say that whoever wrote the Won's speech did a good job of it. It was delivered nicely. Too bad he didn't mean any of it.

The Indianapolis Muslim Congressman who thinks we want blacks to be hanging from trees is probably too uneducated to know about black slavery under Muslims. If he's not uneducated then he's a poltroon, a racist, and a disgrace. I vote for the latter.

Sarah - we love you, but your expiration date is past.

Rudy, your expiration date is so far past you've soured. You were never going to be President - you couldn't even carry the New York of the South.

Michelle Bachmann - Really? "I don't know how much God has to do to get the attention of the politicians. We've had an earthquake; we've had a hurricane. He said, 'Are you going to start listening to me here?' " Even if that's a joke, people died in the hurricane. It's not funny and it shows that you're really not ready for this. Not all of us conservatives are that enamored of your version of Christianity.

Perry's unelectable. I still remember standing in a hall in Boston the first time I saw Ronald Reagan speak and heard the newsies saying how he was unelectable. I guess we'll see.

Is Romney ever going to admit that single payer doesn't work?

Keeping Austin Weird

That’s the catch-phrase here in my adopted city, the “liberal bastion” of Austin. A lady told me last week that the only bad thing about Austin is that 15 minutes after leaving the city you’re back in Texas with all the conservatives. I told her that was one of the best things about it. But it’s not just politics - last week I was sitting at a stop light at Red River and 6^th Street, right in the epicenter of keeping it weird when I was passed by four people on unicycles. I had about gotten used to the flocks of Segways that roll by every once in awhile, but four unicycles is still something to remark on. Kind of like the ostrich in my front yard a few years ago. Keeping it weird.

The Won stopped in Austin for a fundraiser last night. Oh sure, the El Paso trip was earlier in the day but he was preaching to Mexicans and illegals out there. Here was for grabbing money, and Austin is the only place in Texas weird enough to give him any. The rolling roadblocks to ease the motorcade through town were advertised all day so his arrival at 5 PM rush hour wouldn’t have any effect on the traffic. Hundreds of police cars blocked intersections 30 minutes before the motorcade rolled through so I had plenty of time to sit and watch what I used to take part in. I counted a bunch of Suburbans, including the latest cast of my brethren providing communications – hard to miss with that dome on top. I finally passed and it seemed a few people were excited to see it.

But. This morning I was at Jim’s, an old Austin establishment getting some breakfast at 5 AM. I’d about finished my migas when a couple of older gents came in and got their regular table and commenced the coffee drinking and problem solving. Of course I had to listen and it wasn’t hard to hear – “You know I like Obama, but I don’t see any reason that he couldn’t have met with Perry….he is the governor” – “Yeah and I don’t see any reason they haven’t released that federal money for the fires – didn’t take too long for Alabama – he had time to come and get some money here” “Yeah, I’m gonna have to think about that some”. And I heard more grousing like that today hanging around places where those things just aren’t said. After all - This is the place where “Obama is Awesome”.