Blogging From The Armpit of Texas aka Abilene

No, I haven't been chased out the beautiful Texas Hill Country...yet. I am just visiting West Texas because that's where my wife's family happens to reside, for now. While I haven't really blogged for a week now many things have been going on which I will be covering next week.

You know like a real Texas House Speaker's race between two Republicans. It's only a matter of time before its between several Democrats. But hey its the only game going on now.

I will also be writing about the news concerning former Attorney General Dan Morales. Funny thing is that even as a young kid when I first met him I asked one of his former coworkers, "He seems like a real oily politician...is that just me or what?".

Coal Plants in Texas! It seems funny to me that a state like Texas, which sits on a natural gas reserve estimated to be equal in energy as the oil reserves in Saudi Arabia, that the Republicans want to muck up our air with coal fired plants.

I won't express my Christmas wishes now but I will tommorrow. So until then...

Gratias Tibi Ago Deus

Wonko's Bud

History Making Ceremonies Completed

Last Sunday, I had the pleasure to witness history on the steps of the Hays County Courthouse. Liz Sumter took the oath of office as the first woman to hold the position of Hays County Judge. Unfortunately, our camera went dead so I wasn't able to record the even and post it here. But I was standing next to our recently returned Congressman, Lloyd Doggett, during the event.

The following Tuesday, Sherri Tibbe, the first woman to be elected Hays County District Attorney, took the oath of office along with the rest of the new commissioners Ford and Barton. Though they don't officially take office until January, it was nice to see Judge-elect Sumter take the oath. I didn't get to see the Tuesday event because we had a medical emergency.

I did talk to some people at the Sunday event, and we wondered what would be the effect on the various mayors in Hays County that used their office to support the out going Republican County Judge and Commissioners. I for one take a very dim view on those who would take a partisan stand from a nonpartisan elected position. It's one thing to say that Susan Cifford-Narvaiz supports a Republican candidate. It's quite another thing to say that the Mayor of the City of San Marcos Texas supports a Republican, as did the other various mayors in Hays County.


Gratias Tibi Ago Deus

Wonko's Bud

Childhood Memory

Actor Peter Boyle died last night at the age of seventy-one. I know most people will probably think of Everybody Love's Raymond when they think of Peter Boyle. For me it's Young Frankenstein and later Johnny Dangerously.

I can remember seeing him for the first time in a movie called "Young Frankenstien". The year was 1975 and I was very young, in fact, it was the very first movie I was allowed to see alone. The movie theater in San Marcos was new and I sat in the front row. I can remember some people in the sparse audience complaining that the film was in black and white as the show began. But what did I know, just about everything I saw was in black and white. At the time, my family had only a twelve inch black and white television. at this point in my young life, I had only seen a couple of movies at the old drive in movie theater that were in color. It was located where the Wal-mart now stands.

I remember now how much I enjoyed the film. My favorite scene takes place in the blind hermit's (Gene Hackman) hut and Frankenstien's Monster (Peter Boyle) is invited in. I never laughed so much and rarely do I laugh that hard when I watch a movie. I was hooked on comedies from a very early age because of that movie. It wasn't until much later in life that I discovered other movies in which Mr. Boyle worked on that I came to realize that he wasn't a comedic actor.

This is one childhood memory that I will always cherish. I think I'll order up that movie today. For a few minutes I'll pretend that I am sitting in a little movie theater where it's 1975 and it's safe for a little kid to go to the movies alone.


Gartias Tibi Ago Deus

Wonko's Bud

Big Picture's and Party's

First the party, on 12-10-06 at 2 pm newly elected Hays County Judge Liz Sumter will be sworn in on the steps of the Hays County Courthouse. She is the first woman to hold the position. On 12-12-06 Democrats recently elected to the Hays County Commissioners Court and the new District Attorney will be sworn in at the Hays County Justice Center. Refreshments to follow the swearing in ceremony.

There have been many going's on around Central Texas and Hays County in particular. Such as Sights and Sounds of Christmas on the beautiful San Marcos River. The search for a new SMCISD Superintendent. The Hays School District football team moving on to the 4A Region IV Division II finals. I would be remiss if I failed to mention SMCISD Rattlers football team march to a possible 5A Division II state championship. Not last but certainly sad, soon to be former Republican County Commissioner Susie Carter's melt down in Commissioner's Court over fellow Republican County Commissioner Conley's appointment to oversee contract negotiations with the State of Texas. She was against his appointment which will only be until the new Commissioners Court is seated. It was all very sad and very personal.

Now for the Big Picture, the other day my friend over at Dos Centavos, posted something that got me thinking. The comments that I left really got to me, click on the above link. It has to do with making politics and elections relevant to more people. I don't know how to do it but I have been thinking a great deal about it. This has been part of a whole introspective phase that I have been going through.

For the last year, I have been reading a whole lot of blogs. Some of the ones that I enjoy the most I have linked to my blog. I have been wondering if political and social commentary blogging should be more than anger and fear. I say anger and fear because bloggers seem to be angry or fearful about one thing or the other. I don't exclude myself from the above description. I have read few postings that are "up lifting", for lack of a better term.

Politics has got to be about more than pulling people down or tearing people apart. It should be about bringing people together and building people up. It may sound naive, but I think that we have forgotten how to debate. By debate, I mean where ideas can be put forth and truly discussed. A debate where my logic can be flawed but not the process' that brings them forth. Don't get me wrong, I still dislike extreme Republicanism and Libertarianism as political philosophies. I just think that by truly listening to the above ism's that Democrats in particular can learn from and develop a more sound political philosophy.

You should know that just because I have been thinking about Big Picture's doesn't mean that I am not willing and able to engage the, "Nattering Nabob's of Negativism". It only means that until something really gets to me I will be resting and waiting. Since I have been taking the occasional break since November 7th, during which I have been tending to family business and pondering, I think that I will be spending more time researching and preparing for debate.

Gratias Tibi Ago Deus

Wonko's Bud