Wednesday, March 24, 2010

O Texas my Texas




A lady here in our great state was the benefactress of a fund raiser to help her battle breast cancer except it was a scam and she used the money to get breast implants. She’s been arrested. Lawyers for the scammed are wanting her to pay restitution and maybe have the court order her to have the implants removed.

Some kids in fort Bend County broke into their high schools and stole the computers, uploaded some software and returned them to the school. Then they proceeded to access their student records and changed grades and attendance records (OMG, that's never been done before!). The county prosecutor is deliberating charges because what they did was, of course, illegal. Punishment could range from probation to life in prison. Seriously? Life in prison for changing your high school records?

It's not bad enough that it's a constant battle to keep the christian biblical story of creation out of the science books. Now they want to revise the history books as well. No longer will Thomas Jefferson and separation of church and state be studied. Never mind that separation of church and state is one of the hallmarks of our constitution. The religious right wants this to be a christian nation and if they have to rewrite history to make it so, then so be it.

Back when in the wild west, Texans were the baddest asses around. You messed with a Texan at your own peril. Texas is where the outlaws ran to escape the law. Now instead of being the baddest asses around we're just the most ignorant. What the hell happened?

26 comments:

  1. Texans do have a reputation of being different...but wow!!

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  2. They thought they were too big to mess with!

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  3. *shakes head*

    Christ in a frigging sidecar.

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  4. You know, it's always the bad stories that make the news. The good so often goes unnoticed. We're depending on you, our Texan friend, to shine the light on the good there :)

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  5. The baddest and most ignorant? Yikes, what a combo!

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  6. Ever hear about the capital murder trials of Mary Lou Anderson and Feryll Granger? I covered those when I was a reporter for the Herald Coaster in Fort Bend County. Talk about badasses!

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  7. So true ... what the hell is happening ?

    (and I'm not from Texas but still ... I am from the Wild Wild West)

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  8. Not at all. Texas still has you, and--okay, you don't have Saint Molly Ivins anymore. Keep fightin' though and I'll chip in a word whenever I can.

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  9. I'm sorry to say it does seem that way...

    What happened?

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  10. I don't know what to tell you?? Shaking head here!
    Sorry
    Hugs
    SueAnn

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  11. I still see Texans as stupendous badasses, always have, probably always will. Does that help?

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  12. I'm absolutely certain there are other things going on in Texas, things you would be proud of. I avoid bad news that has absolutely no impact on me, such as the idea of life in prison for the kids falsifying their high school records. News like that doesn't help anyone. And really they will NOT send those kids to prison for life. C'mon.

    That said, this is a fabulous post, Ellen. Texas is kind of like its own country, isn't it? There are states and then there are entities. Texas is an entity.

    Other states that have entity like energy include (at least for me) California, Virginia, Massachusetts.

    You're a super fabulous badass Texan. Oh yeah!

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  13. I watch such goings on in fear & trembling. I guess reading the Handmaid's Tale has made me VERY paranoid about what religious conservatives are up to...

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  14. Reya, I don't watch the news because it's never about good stuff. Still, these little snippets make their way into my consciousness.

    And I know the morons in Texas are no worse than the morons everywhere, well, except for maybe the school board.

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  15. OMG! Did you see the bit on The Daily Show about the Texas group that determines what is included in school text books--VERY SCARY!!!!

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  16. Well, THANK you for that! Texans don't realize that out in the real world they are thought so little of- the ignorance, arrogance and isolation of Texans is scary because of the size and heft of that state. My parents used to live in McAllen- Dear Gawd!Crazy place.You, living there, srrounded by Texas energy have quite a challenge- You are just the gal for the job! What doesn't make you stronger- kills you...Stay strong!

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  17. Unfortunately Texas does not have a monopoly on ignorance ...

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  18. Hey, at least those kids were paying attention in computer science class and are showing series enthusiasm for software.

    I think that out of all the states in the USA, Texas caught the "bigger is better" bug worst of all. And now they are paying for it.

    But there is bound to be some positive news out there somewhere!

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  19. Don't ask me. I find myself scratching my head.

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  20. Must post these lyrics from "That's Right, You're Not From Texas" by Lyle Lovett:

    See I was born and raised in Texas
    And it means so much to me
    Though my girl comes from down in Georgia
    We were up in Tennessee

    And as we were driving down the highway
    She asked me baby what's so great
    How come you're always going on
    About your Lone Star State

    I said that's right you're not from Texas
    That's right you're not from Texas
    That's right you're not from Texas
    But Texas wants you anyway

    That's right you're not from Texas
    That's right you're not from Texas
    That's right you're not from Texas
    But Texas wants you anyway

    Oh the road it looked so lovely
    As she stood there on the side
    And she grew smaller in my mirror
    As I watched her wave goodbye

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  21. Oh, I love Lyle Lovett. He's from around here ya' know. Not just Texas but the greater Houston area. From Kline I think.

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  22. it must be so hard to be a Texan who is thoughtful and progressive and watch what's going on

    it's a bit like how I feel when a show like Jersey Shore makes folks think we're all like that

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  23. The separation of church and state is imperative and our forefathers brilliantly designed our government that way! As a Christian, I respect that. Many don't.

    What I don't respect is removing anyone's rights by sanitizing God right out of our culture. Pray if you want, don't if you don't want. Everybody respect everyone else and leave each other alone.

    Love your commentary as always, Ellen.

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  24. I always saw Texas as a bit more feisty than that. Needs some pep.

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  25. The good so often goes unnoticed. We're depending on you, our Texan friend, to shine the light on the good there :
    home jobs india

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  26. I read about the Texas Board of Education and their revisions to the textbooks. Can anything be done? I hope it is not too late to stop these extremists. I just came back from 4 days in San Antonio,TX for my birthday and loved the town. I did not know it had so much history. It was a lovely trip.

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I opened my big mouth, now it's your turn.