The Soviet Republic of Texas

The editors of the Washington Post don’t agree with the Republican redistricting of Texas.

Whodathunkit?

For redistricting—quite the inverse of elections—is a process in which politicians get to choose their voters. It is a process that a healthy democracy would seek to reform.

 

I haven’t heard any cries for reform coming from the left in the 130+ years when Texas had a Democratic majority doing the exact same thing today’s Republicans are doing.

CaliFrance

Is it just me, or is California starting to resemble France?

This is what happens when you allow the nanny-state mentality to take hold.  When a government or employer gives its citizens benefits which they haven’t earned, other than by refusing to work, all the government does is encourage further striking.  After all, why work to better your situation when you can achieve the same via blackmail?

Andrea Yates

Andrea Yates is attempting to starve herself to death out of grief over killing her kids.

Good for her.  I hope that goes well for her.  

Don’t support the death penalty?  Read this and tell me you don’t want to see this sorry excuse for a human being rot in hell.

Texas Redistricting to the Courts

Gov Perry signed off on the new map, and it’s now headed to the courts.

I’m not familiar with the Voting Rights Act, so this struck me as curious.

The upcoming court battle will be fought over minority voting rights as protected by the federal Voting Rights Act. The act prohibits the dilution of power and influence of minority voters by either packing them into as few districts as possible or by splitting minority communities into multiple districts to diminish their influence.

 

So does this mean that once minorities achieve a significant voting block in an area, they are guarenteed control of that area forever?  So if we now have 7 “Hispanic” and 2 “black” districts, we can’t ever have less than 7 & 2?

Bloom Editorial

Harold Bloom opines in today’s OpinionJournal that we need a general to be elected president, and Wesley Clark’s the man.

Money quote:

Weigh Gen. Clark’s qualifications against President Bush’s performance, and who seems likelier to lead us effectively in the years of trouble ahead of us?

 

Let’s see.  In Clark, we have a man whose only track record consists of a poor showing in Bosnia.

In Bush, we have a man with a proven track record of not taking crap for third-world pissants who think they can kill our citizens and soldiers at will.

Given only a choice between only those two, I’ll take my chances with Bush, thank you very much.

“A” For Ambition

Think big - you never know what you might actually achieve.

Read the rest

Digital Camera For Sale

Digital camera for sale.  One user only.  Must sell to help pay medical bills.

Read the rest

Poor Planning

Oh man, I’m not touching this one with a ten-foot pole.

Read the rest

God is Pissed

At this point, you just go back to bed and hope you wake up in the morning.

Read the rest

Elvis, The King

This is one reason why Elvis will always be the King.

The collection includes a World War II-era Colt pistol, a Golden Beretta pistol and a derringer pistol Presley used to carry on stage with him, tucked into one of his boots.

 

That, and the fact the he would shoot the TV if he ever saw Robert Goulet on it.

Ohio Concealed Carry

If you live in Ohio, do your part for concealed carry by strapping on a few firearms and parading around your neighborhood.

If you can get the Rambo look going, that’s even better.

Does it really make sense to allow open carry, yet prohibit concealed carry?

Gun Show Loophole

For the 800,000th time, THERE IS NO GUN SHOW LOOPHOLE!!!

If there is a loophole, it has nothing to do with gun shows.  To buy a firearm from a dealer, you must get a background check.  To purchase from a private party, you don’t.  There’s your loophole.

Let’s quit hiding behind the “gun show” misnomer and be honest - the gun grabbers want to require background checks for all gun sales (which would, by sheer coincedence, virtually eliminate private guns sale by law abiding citizens).

Estate Sale

Here’s another one for John at Arrgghhh!!!

Looks like you could pickup some quality hardware if/when the cops ever return it to his estate.

The stash also included Czech grenades and live “Bouncing Betties,” bombs that bounce on the ground and explode in the air. Investigators also found two World War II-era .30-caliber machine guns that could sell for as much as $30,000 each, Wilson said.

 

Not the explosives of course - just the .30s.

Decline of Southernism

The Houston Chronicle had this good article on a general decline in the number of people who identify themselves as Southern.

I’m been giving this some thought, and I think the mobility of our society has a lot to do with this.  When I look at my grandparents’ generation, they rarely ventured more than 30 miles from home.  Growing up in the backwoods of East Texas, this meant that the community where they were from did many things as a community.  Be it a fair, bazaar, or just a market in the local square, the traditional Southern get-togethers were a highlight of their lives.

However, as my parents’ generation came along, they began venturing further from home.  As a result, there was less identification with the small rural community, and less incentive to participate in folksy community events.  

And with my generation, the trend has continued.  I can remember attending festivals in the local square, and sharing in that atmosphere of pride and celebration of our heritage.  As my grandparents’ generation has passed, however, many of those traditions, and many of those customary local events, have gone by the wayside.  Folks are simply not interested in getting together on a Saturday nice for some old-fashioned fun, when they can drive 30 miles to the nearest movie theater or club for some more modern entertainment.

Killing Willy

Screw the whales.

Ping that sonar.