Puritans Spin In Their Graves as Pastor Challenges Flock to "7 Days of Sex"

I couldn't make this stuff up if I wanted to. This would be too corny, too unbelievable. And everyone would wish they attended This Church HERE:

7 Days Of Sex Challenge

Posted: Nov 17, 2008 06:10 PM

7 straight days of sex. That was the challenge Pastor Ed Young issued to all of the married couples at his Grapevine church. Too taboo, or right on time? Whatever your opinion, this conversation and tonight's story is strictly for adults. KLTV 7's Layron Livingston sat down with some local pastors to see if the message could make it's way to your church's pulpit.

"Everybody's whining about the economy and about the world....let's move from whining to whoopee!"

The message caught some members of Fellowship Church by surprise, and its perking the ears of East Texans.
"Between a married man and a married woman...the more, the better."

Young says the challenge will help couples in his church focus on each other, reclaiming sex for married people.

"I think I'll try it this evening!"

Reverend Jerome Milton says it's about time.

"God's Word has addressed it, we won't preach it. This challenge sort of stirs all of us up to teach and to preach it, so that people can have a better understanding about it," said Rev. Milton. "And if we don't address this, then I guarantee you, Desperate Housewives will!"

Minister Mark Edge says sex is in the Bible. So why not the church? In fact, he says last week's sermon was about Christian sexuality.
"God's Word is certainly not ashamed to talk about this. God's Word understands. God understands that it is a very important part of our lives....we really should have been talking about this all along," said Edge.

"I think the concept is awesome,"

Pastor Doug Clark agrees, but says it's unrealistic to expect struggling relationships to simply get better with a week of sex. He says sex is more than just physical.

"There's so much about connection, emotion stuff...there's so much about value that's being passed back and forth. If a wife doesn't feel valued, or if a husband doesn't feel love or respected, hey, there's some issues that have to be dealt with," said Clark.

Of course, you have to practice what you preach. Pastor Young says his membership includes him and his wife. They've also accepted the challenge.

And, or course, it's a Texas church. Gotta Love that.

Is K-Y Warming Fluid Scriptural? I'm just askin' here.

No word on whether this congregation is sponsored by the Mormon church. Or the Catholics. Or the Churches of Christ. Or the (Fill-In-Blank-Here).

~~JD~~

The Flu Has Arived in San Antonio

Half the staff of my hospital are hacking, coughing, puking, or calling in sick. Fortunately it appears to be a true 24-hour bug, and they're back at work the next day or two. Fortunately for me, never getting sick anymore has it's advantages.

Also fortunately, the bug appears to be a dead-on match for the flu vaccine this year. People who got the vaccine alrteady are reporting no symptoms at all.

~~JD~~

Rare but Dangerous Hurricane Injuries

One More . . . Another potential danger in Hurricanes:



~~JD~~

Saturday Morning Fall South Texas Sunrise

Your Moment of South Texas Post-Election Zeitgeist

Why I Was Late Posting Monday

One of the things I like to do with my time is volunteering. You meet new people and get to see places you normally wouldn't. Plus I think it's a good idea to shake up one's own status quo from time to time. As Lenin once said, "A little revolution now and then is a good thing."



This is how I ended up . . . on a golf course on a beautiful South Texas afternoon when I don't even play the game. It was the AT&T South Texas Open, which is a stop on the Seniors Tour.


I have no idea who this guy is. I think he's Fuzzy Zoeller, and I'm probably wrong. But I did get to meet him, and get his autograph, which was cool. That's certainly something that wouldn't have happened if I was sitting around the house. You so infrequently see Fuzzy Zoeller bumming a bottled water out of my refrigerator.


Most of what we did was sit around in an air-conditioned tent watching satellite TV (of the Cowboys game) waiting for someone to come in with (a) a headache, or (b) ant-bites, so we could hand out anti-itch cream or ibuprofen or tylenol, such as the case may be.


This being Texas (and part of the South, y'all) The signs that they hold up when the player is putting say "HUSH, Y'all!"


The bad news was when I volunteered to work the Open, I didn't think I was scheduled to work that night at the hospital. Through a miracle of sudden scheduling, it turned out i was after all. That meant no afternoon nap before work, and when I got home this morning, I was beat. (I'd say "bushed", but I don't want to get angry comments from the Obama-istas in the Comments section. Some of them aren't too bright . . . )

So I apologize for the delay.

More tomorrow.

~~JD~~

"Maturity" and "Love" make Homecoming Queen "A Double Blessing"

Okay -- Enough negativity about Obama for today. Let's talk about another reason I love Texas:

Aledo High seniors pick classmate with Down syndrome as homecoming queen

10:09 PM CDT on Saturday, October 11, 2008
By MICHAEL E. YOUNG / The Dallas Morning News

Never has the selection of a homecoming queen sent so many tears falling so freely.

Kristin Pass, an 18-year-old senior with Down syndrome, became Aledo High School's homecoming queen Friday to a joyous standing ovation and the flutter of a thousand tissues on a remarkable night for an amazing young woman.

Her grandfather, Dr. David Campbell of Corsicana, escorted her onto the field and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek as Kristin joined eight other young women in the Homecoming Court to await the results of the vote, cast by the 360-plus members of Aledo High's senior class.

Then came the announcement ... and pandemonium.

"Oh my gosh! I was sitting in the student section and everyone stood up, crying and cheering for Kristin," said longtime friend and fellow senior Meaghan Geary, 17, who first met Kristin in the third grade. "It was great!"

Carolyn Pass stood at the edge of the football field, taking pictures of her daughter and friends' daughters in the court, when the stadium erupted. "It's just something you can't even imagine," she said. "And afterward, everyone was just running down to her, congratulating her. And the other girls in the court, they're all just beautiful girls, inside and out."

Ms. Pass said she spoke later with a friend. "She said the only mistake anyone made was not handing out crying towels."

The vote may have been a surprise, but no one who knows Kristin doubts her popularity, her mother said.

"Kristin has a lot of friends – she likes everyone. It doesn't matter if you're tall or short, pretty, not pretty, smart, not smart – she likes everybody. She has great friends. And Aledo is a great community." "She's just the neatest kid in the whole wide world," added her aunt, Chari Hust of Houston, "and everybody sees that."

Clay Gilmer, who works in the stadium press box, running the scoreboard and clock, said people pushed toward the windows as the young women were introduced. "They were all pulling for Kristin," Mr. Gilmer said.

When she won, he was thrilled. "This has been such a special time, a special week for Kristin," he said. "And I was really taken by the maturity and the love shown by her friends, her peers, her classmates.

"That makes this a double blessing."

Kristin pronounced the evening "exciting" and "awesome." She was so thrilled, her mother said, that she took her crown to bed with her. "She's real proud of it," her friend Meaghan added.

Kristin and her family, including sister Kendall, now a freshman, moved to Aledo when Kristin was in the third grade. She was embraced by the people in town through good times and bad, including the death of her dad, J.T., two years ago.

"We've always had great experiences here," her mom said. "We've been blessed, and I think Kristin brings a lot of blessings to the people she knows."

Her selection as homecoming queen was a wonderful surprise. But Meaghan seemed to have an inkling that it could happen.

"Everyone loves Kristin," she said, "and I didn't know for sure, but in class everyone was like, 'Who are you voting for?' and everybody was like, 'Vote for Kristin, she's so good.' "

Kristin doesn't care what's on the outside, Meaghan said. She's friends with everyone, and everyone admires that.

"She's the person we all want to be," Meaghan said.

~~JD~~

Saturday Morning Gustav Sunrise

The cloudless skies of South Texas start to cloud up. . . .

~~JD~~

Living in the Cone 2008 (Part I); July is the Windiest Month

Hurricane Season 2008 looks to be ramping up fast. Hurricane Dolly is the third "named" storm of the year, and it's only July. (Usually the season doesn't really get going good until August sometime.) So we're already geting the storm warnings and Weather Updates, and bottled water prices are slowly climbing upwards again. We're getting the highway warning signs as well, which are lots of fun to read on the way to work.



As of tonight the projections appear to place Dolly hitting somewhere near the Texas-Mexican border, and most weather-people projecting it will hit just the other side of the border. My guess is that this thing will go to ground on the Texas side of the border as the storm heads more northerly tonight (the winds skew north after sunset and blow north-northwest inland all night. When these inland night winds start blowing tonight, Dolly may well follow.) I'm betting somewhere between Corpus Christi and Victoria (more toward Corpus.)

I noticed on the way home that the usually coludless blue south Texas sky was full of big honkin' cumulonimbus clouds laden with storm water, as the first feeder bands from Dolly agitate the upper atmosphere into action.


Good. We needed the rain.


Meanwhile, Governor Perry has already alerted the National Guard, and every nurse and physician in South Texas has received this e-mail yesterday:

As Tropical Storm Dolly threatens to grow as a Hurricane towards to the Texas border we are encouraging our Nurses and CNA's to call our office and offer your assistance to help others. Additional deployment information will be available within the next 24-48hrs depending on weather.

All Angels will be compensated for their time and efforts at the following rates:

RN's $40/hr
LVN's $30/hr
CNA's $15/hr

Transportation and meals will be provided as well as hotel accommodations. All Angels will be required to bring the following for their personal use:

Sleeping Bag/Pillow
Towel/Soap
Weather appropriate clothing and comfortable footwear
Hat/Cap
Non perishable food/snacks
Drinking Water
Hand Sanitizer
Kleenex
Toilet Tissue
Sunscreen
Sunglasses
Medications
Prescribed Eyeglasses/Hearing Aids

Please Contact:

Debbie or Ann Marie
210-616-9526

We truly look forward to helping others, together we can make a difference!

And this follow-up today:

Thank you to all the Angels who have responded in this time of need!

We have been informed that possible Deployment will occur Friday from the AT&T Center in San Antonio. More information will follow as it becomes available.

As Hurricane Season approaches we kindly remind you that even if there is no deloyment this time there may be some in the furture. Please look for updates from Angel Staffing as events occur. Please contact Debbie or Ann Marie at 210-616-9526 in order to be added to our list.

Gotta go buy bottled water . . . . and fill up my gas tank.

~~JD~~

Happy Juneteenth!

I can't believe I've never blogged about this before! It's so uniquely Texan.

From Wikipedia:

Though the Emancipation Proclamation had been issued on September 22, 1862, with an effective date of January 1, 1863, it had little immediate effect on most slaves’ day-to-day lives, particularly in Texas, which was almost entirely under Confederate control. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the day Union General Gordon Granger and 2,000 federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to take possession of the state and enforce the emancipation of its slaves. Legend has it while standing on the balcony of Galveston’s Ashton Villa, Granger read the contents of “General Order No. 3”:

The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.^[8]

That day has since become known as Juneteenth, a name derived from a portmanteau of the words June and nineteenth.

Former slaves in Galveston rejoiced in the streets with jubilant celebrations. Juneteenth celebrations began in Texas the following year.^[8] Across many parts of Texas, freed people pooled their funds to purchase land specifically for their communities’ increasingly large Juneteenth gatherings — including Houston’s Emancipation Park, Mexia’s Booker T. Washington Park, and Emancipation Park in Austin.^[8] Juneteenth celebrations include a wide range of festivities, such as parades, street fairs, cookouts, or park parties and include such things as music and dancing or even contests of physical strength and intellect. Baseball and other popular American games may also be played.

In literature

Ralph Ellison's second novel Juneteenth deals with this holiday and its traditions. Juneteenth was published posthumously.

Carolyn Meyer's novel Jubilee Journey is the story of one young biracial girl celebrating Juneteenth with her relatives in Texas, while also learning to be proud of her African American heritage.

Ann Rinaldi's historical novel Come Juneteenth is the story of how Juneteenth came to be, and follows the life of the daughter of a young white plantation-owner's daughter in Texas during the Civil War whose family faces tragedy after their mulatto half-sister runs away when learning they lied to her about being free.

Traditions

Juneteenth is traditionally celebrated with a large feast served as an all day meal in a park or outdoor space. The traditional dishes of Juneteenth are served pot luck and usually include portions of barbecue, cakes, fresh fruit and vegetables, and pies.

Now from today's San Antonio Express-News:

Juneteenth sparks memories of celebrations long ago
Web Posted: 06/19/2008 01:51 AM; By Jeorge Zarazua

One of Jerelyne Castleberry Williams' earliest memories of celebrating Juneteenth in San Antonio is being able to, as a teenager, get into Playland Park, an old amusement park on North Alamo Street that shut down in 1980. “Playland

Park was closed to African Americans all year long,” said Williams, now 73. “One day we could go, and that was the 19th of June. I remember getting off from the little job I had and taking my little money to spend. That was the day when the park was open to blacks.”

Williams recounted the story to illustrate not only how much progress has been made, but to show how far back she recalls celebrating Juneteenth in San Antonio.

Juneteenth — an official state holiday since 1980 — commemorates June 19, 1865, the date Union Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger landed in Galveston to impose an order freeing more than 200,000 slaves in Texas. The order came two months after Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union forces and more than two years after President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. A second order instructed the remaining rogue Confederate troops in Texas to surrender to Union troops in the state's larger cities, including San Antonio. As a result, celebrations marking the freedom of slaves have been held in the Alamo City as far back as 1866, the year after Granger's arrival in Galveston.

Today, the Juneteenth celebrations enjoy resurgence across the state, and specifically in San Antonio, where various groups have been able to put together more events in observance of the date than in recent memory.

Highlights include today's Juneteenth Parade, which kicks off at the base of the Martin Luther King Jr. statue on the corner of East Houston and South New Braunfels and ends up at the Freeman Coliseum. Additional festivities will follow there with speeches, re-enactments and music. Celebrations will culminate Saturday with the 13th annual Juneteenth Festival and Family Reunion Picnic at Comanche Park No. 2.

Byron Miller, a member of the Texas Emancipation Juneteenth Cultural and Historical Commission, has been putting together the event, modeled on traditional Juneteenth picnics, since former Gov. Bush appointed him to the commission. “I've seen it grow by the fact that people are a lot more educated by the significance of the holiday,” Miller said. “The major thing that we want folks to understand about Juneteenth is that it not only marked the last day of slavery but it also marked the first day of freedom.”

Williams, as president of the African American Genealogical and Historical Society, said she's excited to see more people celebrating Juneteenth because of its importance to the African American community. “I firmly believe, if you don't know where you've been, you don't know where you're going,” she said.

EN Video: There's also a video repeort on "Juneteenth on the River Walk" HERE.

Juneteenth is significant to me personally because in June 2002 I traveled to San Antonio from the Chicagoland area prior to our move in August of that year. I drove straight through (26 hour drive!), slept the next day, then went out the third day to interview for jobs. That day was June 19th, 2002, and everywhere I went they had a barbecue going and people were wishing me a "Happy Juneteenth." It was a great way to get introduced to South Texas culture.

Being a Yankee most of my life, I didn't have a clue. But I love the tradition and the celebrations today.

Happy Juneteenth!

~~JD~~

Another Reason Not To Trust The Media; The Butt-Screwing of the Seville Apartments Fire

When we first moved to San Antonio, we lived at the Seville apartments for the first three years. The had a lovely large bathroom like this:






And a great living room with fireplace like this:



And looked like this from the outside. In fact, these pictures were taken in the model apartment in building 2 -- the building that burned down on Sunday.



So as I was coming home Sunday morning after a night shift that I found Blanco Road in front of my old apartments blocked off with fire trucks and police cars. later that day (after I woke up) Julian and I took a ride through the complex and found an old neighbor. He told us that one of the buildings had caught fire, displacing 18 families. Once the fire had been put out, it rekindled about 17 hours later, requiring the firefighters to re-extinguish their blaze.

And here's the story as it came out on KSAT TV:

Apartment Complex Catches Fire Twice
Seville Apartments Will Likely Be Demolished

SAN ANTONIO -- For the second time in as many days, fire engulfed a north side apartment complex Sunday. No injuries were reported in either blaze at the Seville Apartments at 133330 Blanco Road.

The first fire was reported around noon Saturday. Fire officials said that a lamp that fell onto a pile of clothes was to blame for the blaze.

Then around 5 a.m. Sunday, the building burst into flames again. "Firefighters and police were hitting our windows, telling us we needed to go outside," said Jimmy Elizondo, a resident.

Fire officials said that 16 units at the Seville Apartments will likely have to be demolished.

A fire captain said that it appeared Sunday's fire rekindled in the same area where the first fire originated, but not sure what caused it. He added that it's very unusual for a fire to rekindle after 17 hours.

Not 16 apartments -- 16 UNITS. By the morning newscast, this became 16 buildings, as in "almost the entire complex".

There's a video available by clicking to the page HERE.

And, for the record -- only ONE building was torn down, KSAT. Check your sources; do the legwork.

Yeesh!

~~JD~~

Another Big Difference between Texas and Indiana: We Actually Prosecute Our Molesters

These two articles very succinctly demonstrate one of the BIG differences in Texas Justice and that pale imitation in Indiana:

We actually prosecute our child molesters here, and we don't actually debate the issue. From the Northwest Indiana Vidette-Times
comes this astonishing tale of the worst kind of predicate molester; who got a wrist slap for his rape/ sexual torture /kidnapping case, with my commentary along the way:

Maximum sentence in sex torture case
BY BOB KASARDA; Friday, May 09, 2008

VALPARAISO | Porter Superior Judge Roger Bradford said the molestation case involved the most egregious acts of mistreatment he has seen during his nearly 28 years on the bench. The 39-year-old pleaded guilty to four felony counts stemming from accusations he began fondling the girl at the age of 10 when she asked him about sex. The abuse became more aggressive and during the start of her school year in August 2004, police said Parsons bound the girl to a homemade restraining device with ropes, handcuffs, Saran Wrap and velcro straps on at least three or four different occasions while torturing her and performing various sex acts.

On one occasion he reportedly forced her to wear his firefighter gas mask, placing tape over the glass viewing area and sticking a sock in the breathing receptacle, police said. Following each of the incidents with the restraining device, Parsons would handcuff the girl to his bed and force her to have intercourse, police said. The forced sex occurred twice each week and Parsons reportedly took photos and placed them on his home computer. "You used me to fulfill your sick fantasies," the girl told Parsons Friday.

So, this is some pretty sick stuff to do to a ten year old girl, right?

Hold onto your seats; it gets worse:

The judge sentenced former South Haven firefighter Michael Parsons on Friday to the maximum 28 years behind bars for turning an underage girl's questions about sex into five years of abuse that culminated in acts of torture.


Parsons, who could complete the term in 12 years or less with credit for time already served and for good behavior, apologized and told the court he was ashamed of his actions.

So, with any luck at all, the girl will be about 21 years old when her molester gets another crack at her. Lovely.

Parsons pleaded guilty to felony counts of child molesting, sexual misconduct with a minor, child exploitation and criminal confinement. Prosecutors dropped nine other charges for the guilty plea.

Another magnificent plea-bargain by Brian Gensel and the Porter County Prosecutor's Office. How nice for them.

Upon his release from prison, Parsons will be required to register as sex offender. As a result of the maximum sentence, he will not be supervised on probation or undergo treatment, but will have some oversight on parole.

Why - The - Hell Not??????? He's a molester; and the worst kind of molester; one who targets pre-pubescent girls. He's a sexual sadist, and has admitted to this in court.

And the porter County Prosecutor's Office AGREED TO THIS in the plea bargain. Peachy.

And the money quote?

Parson's mother, Penelope Parsons, said she does not condone her son's actions, but told the court he is a caring and helpful person.

Really, Mrs. Parsons? When? When he's not living at home in his mother's basement sexually torturing ten-year-olds?

Now, contrast this with this report from KETK news in Tyler Texas:

Mother that forced her children to have sex with each other - sentenced to life

By Tamara Jolee: May 9, 2008 at 9:06 PM CDT

TYLER - Shauntel Mayo - the woman that organized the "Mineola Swinger's Club" and forced her own children to perform there - was found guilty in a Smith County Courthouse Thursday.

The jury decided 29-year-old Shauntel Mayo's fate in less than five minutes.

She received the maximum sentence of life behind bars and required to pay a $10,000 fine for engaging in organized criminal activity. She will be eligible for parole in 25 years.

"The unthinkable," said Smith County assistant district attorney Joe Murphy. "She had her kids have sex with each other and taught them to masturbate. She taught them how to strip. She withheld food from them. All so she could make money."

The so-called "Mineola Swinger's Club" is a place where Mayo forced her kids to go, if they wanted dinner.

Inside that 'club', which was a rented-out business that ironically once served as a daycare and hospital, Mayo and five others are accused of running an operation that forced young children to dance and perform sexual skits for food.

Five of the children are now in custody and three of them are Mayo's kids.

Texas Ranger Phillip Kemp, the lead investigator in the case, testified Wednesday that he believes that at least 15 more kids 'performed' at the "Mineola Swinger's Club" - but the investigation to locate them continues.

In March and less than 10 minutes after deliberating, a Smith County jury found Mayo's live-in boyfriend, 36-year-old Jaime Pittman, guilty of aggravated sexual assault of a child and he was sentenced to life behind bars. Mayo's mother, Sheila Sones, is also charged in connection wtih this case.

At the times the alleged assaults took place in 2005, the defendant's children were a five-year-old girl, six-year-old boy and seven-year-old girl. The sibling's aunt and defendant's sister, who was also six-years- old, also testified she was forced to dance and have sex with the other children.

One after another, the children described in graphic detail of a place they dubbed 'kindergarten.' At 'kindergarten,' they said they learned how to strip, dance and perform sexual acts. First on dolls, then on each other. They also testified about 'silly pills.' Those pills were what each kid described they were given before going on stage. Prosecutors testified that the pills were likely Vicodin.

Upon "graduating" from 'kindergarten' the children said they moved on to "perform" at the club. After patrons paid a fee to get in, the kids say they had sexual contact with other children in front of an audience - including siblings and family members.

Jury members -- six men and four women -- cried as the kids testified. The children would not look at their mother until prosecutors asked them to identify and article of clothing she was wearing.

Another great reason to live in Texas; we protect our kids.

Happy Mothers Day.

~~JD~~

Friday Evening; 1.8 Miles; And Flashbacks to "True Grit"

In case you've been wondering; I'm working the middle of a long stretch of 12+ hour shifts. Twelve hour day shifts (7am to 7pm) at a Long-term Care Facility (LTAC) yesterday and today; and tomorrow is 13 hours at the Dialysis Clinic (4am to 5pm) and then 12 hours at the the LTAC from 7pm Saturday to 7am Sunday morning.

Then church!

So, posting will be abbreviated until Sunday afternoon. My apologies.

So with all this time juggling Julian had to have my car to go to his Junior Prom tonight, so Ariane had to come pick me up after she got out of work downtown at the Dialysis Clinic (15 mile trip). So when I got done, I started walking from the LTAC to the Nursefinders office to drop off my paperwork.

So, I managed to work in a little Walk of 1.8 miles after work -- in 97 degree heat -- mostly uphill. Not a bad workout, really.

Then what to my wondering eyes should appear about halfway there then this:



A snake.

A BIG Goddamned snake!

A big goddamned snake two feet from my feet!

A big goddamned diamondback rattlesnake two feet from my feet!

Eeep!

When those seven rattles on his tail went off I jumped straight up into the air and screamed like a seven-year-old girl!

I took a movie, too:



At the time I thought I was taking a photo -- please excuse my ineptitude as I was busy peeing myself and whimpering to myself. Still, I'm astonished I managed to grow enough of a rudimentary spine to chase down the freakin' snake and take pictures, let alone movies.

The weird part is that this is the SECOND rattlesnake I've seen in two weeks. The first was a two-foot juvenile with no rattles at about 1am last Saturday in our own parking lot. (Julian witnessed that one -- it was too dark for the camera.)

Must be some kind of Texas thing.

I'm going to go lay down and whimper quietly now -- after checking the bed for snakes. . . .

~~JD~~

Tuesday Morning Sunshine Interlude

The Road Not Taken

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

Robert Frost (1874–1963)



A small Savannah; oak trees all.



A Sure sign spring is coming; the wildflowers are sprouting. I have no idea of the name of this little beauty I found in the savannah of oak trees, but it's a pretty little thing.



Single Oak, blue sky, weather fine.



Another sure sign spring is here; cats in the sun. This is Jeannie, as in Jeannie the Gray cat (a play on the X-Men character of similar name.) She's a Russian Blue, and we frequently put a Russian accented voice in her mouth. Imagine Dolph Lundgren in Rocky IV saying, "I will crush you."




~~JD~~

Absolut-ly Nuts!

You may have heard about Absolut's campaign ads trying to curry favor with the La Raza and Reconquista crowd. They go like this:



However, thanks to Ace of Spades, we Texans have an appropriate response:



Hat Tip (And MUCH more information): Michelle Malkin

~~JD~~

Why I Moved To Texas, Part III

The AP (via Yahoo! News) confirms what I've known since 2002 (and suspected since the mid-1980's) -- Texas is a GREAT Place to Live! (And my buddy Raven backhandedly agrees HERE:)

4 Texas Cities Among Top 10 in Growth
Thursday March 27, 9:12 am ET; By Paul J. Weber, Associated Press Writer

DALLAS (AP) -- Four Texas metropolitan areas were among the biggest population gainers as Americans continued their trend of moving to the Sun Belt in 2006 and 2007, according to Census Bureau estimates to be released Thursday.

Dallas-Fort Worth added more than 162,000 residents between July 2006 and July 2007, more than any other metro area. Three other Texas areas -- Houston, Austin and San Antonio -- also cracked the top 10.

Of the 50 fastest-growing metro areas, 27 were in the South and 20 were in the West. Two were in the Midwest, one -- Fayetteville, Ark. -- straddles the South and Midwest and none was in the Northeast. Experts credit much of the growth in the South to relatively strong local economies and housing prices that are among the most affordable in the U.S.

"People are running away from unaffordable housing, from the economic slowdown," said Karl Eschbach, a state demographer in Texas. "I would expect Texas to stay at the top of a slowing game."

According to figures compiled by Eschbach, 16 percent of Americans who moved to other states between July 2006 and July 2007 came to Texas, which led the nation for the second straight year in that category. A report earlier this month by Global Insight found that housing prices in the Dallas area were undervalued by as much as 30 percent.

Sales taxes are relatively low. Gas prices are low due to the proximity of refineries in Houston and Gulf drilling rigs, and food costs are kept low with Texas growing more food than it can use. The Rio Grande valley is one of the best citrus and vegetable growing areas in the U.S., and Texas is traditionally one of the largest cattle-producing states, even if you've never seen a John Wayne movie. While immigrants do have an influence in keeping prices low, that's mostly due to their providing competition to union workers, who can't charge their ridiculously high union wages with the competition from immigrants.

As my friend Raven should know, taxes have a LOT to do with this as well. Her own state of New Hampshire was voted the most liveable state by GQ, in no small part due to it's not having a state income tax.

Just like Texas, Rave -- just like Texas. (Heh.)

~~JD~~

South Texas Rainstorm Meets West Texas Duststorm

I haven't seen anything like this since Desert Storm.

As I drove home last night I began to see small, light spatters of rain on the windshield that dried quickly and left what I thought was heavy, yellow pollen on the windows.

For most of the night the sky was strongly yellow-tinged, even in the streetlight's glow, which was more than eerie, to say the least. However, as WOAI-TV Reports, it wasn't just me; it was everybody in the greater San Antonio area feeling eerie. (Follow the link for a video, too):

There were reports of the muddy rain in Boerne and New Braunfels too. Storm Tracker 4 Meteorologist Jennifer Broome explains that the heavy winds Tuesday kicked the dust and dirt thousands of feet into the atmosphere. The dust simply combined with the rain as it fell resulting in the ‘muddy rain.’

Basically it's a Texas dust storm meets a rain storm. It's unusual here but dirty rain and even brown snow happen on a fairly regular basis for West Texas and the Panhandle. San Antonio car washes should be extremely busy Wednesday.

"Busy" my butt -- they were so jammed-packed, it was impossible to get within a block of any car wash in San Antonio for most of today. As you can see from this picture of our car, it's pretty dirty today. The kicker for me is that (of course) I just washed the car last week.

Dammit.

Another thing that wouldn't happen to me in Northwest Indiana, for certain.

~~JD~~

Friday Afternoon,San Antonio Spring Day

It's been a long, cool winter in San Antonio; which is to say 50's during the day, low 40's to high 30's at night. Periodic rains keep everthing cool and moderately damp, and that's more or less how it's been all winter.

Until today.

When I went to work at 4:00am this morning it was mid-50's and damp outside from another night's sporadic rains. When I came out at 5:30 pm it was bright and sunny, with one of those beautiful south Texas wispy clouded skies that makes you just wish you could gaze into those light, wispy pieces of heaven forever without going blind -- like ice cream for your tired old retinas. The parking garage was still cool, like it had been in the morning, but as I drove down towards the exit I began to feel it.

Warmth. Heat. Warm, luxuriant heat like rich, velvety chocolate pudding that flowed velvety over my outsretched arm from the car window and curled back upon itself, stirring the hair on my arms in an almost senuous manner. San Antonio summer heat has no humidity like most people recognize it. The low (20%) humidity doesn't feel soggy and damp like the Chicagoland summers of my youth; it's liberating, invigorating, and energizing. Even with 98 degrees outside it felt wonderful.

I grinned like a chimpanzee. I rolled all four windows down and sang Biily Joel songs at the top of my lungs all the way to the gas station. The low humidity wicked away any persperation and kept me cool and dry as the hair on my arms did a hula dance in the car's slipstream.

I love this place.

~~JD~~

Thursday Morning; "Cool rain today with temps in the 50's, No Chance of Accumulation"

"The best camera is the one you have in your hand at the time." Quoted by Marcus Henderson Wilder.

~~JD~~

Eagle Pass City Manager Admits Resume Lying; Blames Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy -- Eagle Pass Officials Baffled

You know, I give Northwest Indiana a lot of hell for the small-town politics, liberal judges, and general tendencies to let Pedophiles off the hook frequently in these pages. In large part that's because I'm from Northwest Indiana, and grew up watching the small-town politics. A large number of the people I post about I've met personally and know quite well.

So it's easy to detect the aroma of bull excrement wafting through the news even 1,254 miles away.

South Texas, not so much. I may live here, but I haven't quite learned to sift through the B.S. yet. It's got to be a pretty heavy aroma to be detectable -- like what's wafting in from the lovely little border town of Eagle Pass.

Today's installment from the San Antonio Express-News is the third part of a series of how "Doctor" Glen Starnes lied on his resume and purchased fake degrees to be hired as the City Manager of Eagle Pass. The city Council could care less -- and validates his fraud by offering him the job full-time.

Tells you a LOT about Eagle Pass Texas, doesn't it?

Eagle Pass City Manager Admits Lying
1/09/2008 11:04 PM CST; John MacCormack, Express-News

Faced with clear evidence that its probationary city manager lied repeatedly on his impressive resume, the Eagle Pass City Council shrugged and took a step toward offering Glen Starnes the permanent job.

The decision came after an impassioned 15-minute address Tuesday by Starnes to the council reciting his six months of accomplishments in Eagle Pass and denouncing his critics, including the San Antonio Express-News. "The worst thing they could find on me is that I lied on one part of my resume," said Starnes, who blamed the "old political machine" for his troubles. "If they want to get rid of me, those bad people who are driving these accusations are going to have to keep fighting, because I'm here to stay," said Starnes, who was enthusiastically applauded by the meeting audience and praised by council members after his speech.

The council then voted unanimously to set a special meeting for Tuesday, when it will consider hiring Starnes permanently for the $85,000-a-year job. In the same motion by Councilwoman Maribel Flores, the council ordered a halt to an ongoing probe of charges that Starnes fabricated his job history and educational credentials. Calls made Wednesday to Mayor Chad Foster and council members Joe Sifuentes, Ramsey English Cantu and Flores seeking comment on the council's actions were not returned.

Starnes, however, was quick to tell the Express-News to back off. "I'm putting you on notice that you stop contacting anyone who works with me in trying to tarnish my image. It's none of your business," he said by phone.

Despite Starnes' claim that he merely "fluffed" his resume, an Express-News investigation revealed it to be a work of fiction that includes misspellings and incorrect names. Contrary to his claims, Starnes never worked as an assistant city manager in Converse or as an aide to former U.S. Rep. Jack Fields in Houston, nor did he earn three degrees from the University of Maryland.

And even though council members apparently decided Starnes is worth keeping, some Eagle Pass citizens and former city officials are puzzled and distressed. "He admitted to lying and the council wasn't concerned about that? If I was the mayor and I had someone who lied to me on his resume to get the job, there would be consequences," said former Mayor Joaquin Rodriguez, who led the city from 2002 to 2004. "This is speculation on my part, but he's telling the council he's uncovering wrongdoing and he's going to clean it up."

In a letter sent to Foster and council members before this week's meeting, property owner Jessica Fuentes demanded Starnes' resignation. "The very fact that Mr. Starnes lied to get his job should cause outrage from you and the City Council," she wrote. "His lack of honesty and integrity in obtaining a highly trusted position calls into question his values and yours as a leader."

While Starnes has admitted only to lying about working in Converse, other evidence gathered Wednesday refuted his other claims. Jim Finley, the longtime manager of U.S. Rep. Fields' office in Houston, confirmed that Starnes never worked there, much less for a decade, from 1992 to 2002 as he claimed on his resume. "He may have come in and volunteered a time or two, but I did all the hiring and firing in that office and I don't remember anyone named Glen Starnes," Finley said. "I think the obvious giveaway is that 1996 was (Fields') last year" in office.

Regarding his claim to three degrees from the University of Maryland at Rockville, Starnes amended it in a Tuesday e-mail, saying he acquired them instead from "Rochville University." That online organization sells various degrees, including doctorates in a variety of prestigious disciplines for $599. It promises "no studies, no attendance, no waiting, and no examinations." Instead, degrees are awarded based on "work/life experience." Rochville University is listed on the Web site of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board as being among the many suspect institutions "whose degrees are illegal to use in Texas." The board also notes that it is a misdemeanor in Texas to use a "fraudulent or substandard degree" to gain employment or a position of authority in government.

A source in Eagle Pass with knowledge of the city probe launched last month confirmed that Starnes showed "transcripts" from Rochville University to the City Council to defend his resume claims. But according to a much different resume posted by Starnes on an employment Web site, his recent jobs have been in financial services, including for American Express, Chase Manhattan and MassMutual Financial. This resume does not mention a recent stint by Starnes as a financial services agent for New York Life in San Antonio that apparently did not end well.

"I'm very limited on what I can say," said Dave Odom, the managing partner of the New York Life office. "Officially, by company rules, all I can say is he worked here as an agent for less than a year and resigned in February 2006," he said.

Fortunately, I'm not nearly as limited as to what I can say. This guy doesn't just make Eagle Pass LOOK like idiots; if they keep him, they are, truly, Idiots Indeed.

I wonder if Eagle Pass allows recall elections?

~~JD~~