Geostationary Banana Over Texas

When I think about what Texas needs to make it the absolute perfect state, I think Geostationary Banana.

You too?

Well, the future is now. Montreal artist Cesar Saez is making a giant, helium filled banana that he intends to launch in Texas, sending it 20-30 miles up. And we're talking BIG -- 300 meters, or about three football fields for all you non-metric cypherin' Texans. This could happen next year. All I have to say is, "About damn time."

Rick Noriega Update

Some of this old news, but I'm playing catch-up:

Stupid Thing To Say: This from the Houston Chronicle by way of BurkaBlog: Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mikal Watts of San Antonio once tried to pressure a legal opponent into a $60 million personal injury lawsuit settlement by claiming he would have an advantage on appeal because of his firm's heavy campaign financial support to an appellate court's justices, "all of whom are good Democrats." Yeah, that's pretty dumb. But the more interesting thing is Burka's analysis: "Noriega has a great personal story; the question is whether he can raise enough money to get it out to the electorate. Watts has oodles of money, but no compelling personal narrative. The question is whether money or an Hispanic surname is the greater asset in a Democratic primary. Does the name 'Victor Morales' mean anything to you? It meant something to congressmen John Bryant and Jim Chapman, who lost the 1996 Senate primary to the unknown schoolteacher, and the Hispanic vote means more in the Democratic primary today than it did then. ... If Watts wins the primary, his background as a trial lawyer will hurt him, but [John] Cornyn will carry a lot of the baggage that has piled up during Bush's second term. Watts will have enough money to focus the race on Cornyn's record. Noriega has the better shot to beat Cornyn--if he can raise the money.

Tough Time at UT: Things didn't get any better for Watts in his appearance at UT on Wednesday. I think the TCU football team got a better reception than he did. By contrast, Noriega did very well on the 40 Acres last week.

Rick Doesn't Like Bloggers? That's news to me. This is a HUGE non-story. When I met him in Dallas recently, he was very enthusiastic about blogs in general and my blog specifically. Rick's a great guy and he has my vote.

Lest We Forget: Three weeks ago, seven paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne penned an op-ed in the New York Times questioning the effectiveness of the Iraq Surge. On Monday, two of the op-ed's authors, Sgt. Omar Mora and Sgt. Yance T. Gray, died in a vehicle accident in western Baghdad. Noriega wrote yesterday about the loss of Sgt. Mora, who was from Texas City. "It is the right of every citizen to speak their mind, as Omar's brother, Roger told the Houston Chronicle -- a right that belongs to civilian and soldier alike, regardless of rank. Voicing one's opinion, especially from a soldier, is very difficult when 'management' is wrong. Omar, and his fellow soldiers had a better understanding of the cultural matrix in Iraq than what gets reported by the media, he had walked the walk. He spoke from experience when they said 'we operate in a bewildering context of determined enemies and questionable allies, one where the balance of forces on the ground remains entirely unclear.' Sgt. Mora and his soldiers concluded their editorial by making clear 'as committed soldiers, we will see this mission through.' He lived up to his word. Now the challenge lies with the rest of us to listen and bring this mismanaged war to an end." Amen.

Money From Swift Boat Bob Perry: The Startlegram reported that Noriega has taken four contributions totaling $7,000 since January 2006 when Perry's role in the Swift Boat campaign became known. Personally, I wish Rick would give the money back, but I'm willing to wait and hear and explanation.

Kinky in 2010?

It may not be popular with some Democrats, but Kinky Friedman says he's not through with electoral politics but has come to the conclusion that he'll need backing of a major party if he'll have any shot of winning. So he's laying the groundwork for entering the 2010 Democratic gubernatorial primary.

"I consider myself a Democrat in the mold of JFK, [former Texas Gov.] Ann Richards and [journalist] Molly Ivins," Friedman told John Moritz for Sunday's Startlegram. "If God was running as an independent [in 2006], he couldn't have beat Rick Perry."

Kinky, if you run, you've got my support.

Rick Noriega in Dallas Yesterday

Rick Noriega isn't officially running for the U.S. Senate, but you'd never know it by watching him yesterday.

He was here in the Fort yesterday afternoon for a lunch at Joe T's where he spoke to a group of 50 over enchiladas, picking up campaign contributions and the endorsements of Tarrant County State Representatives Lon Burnam, Paula Hightower Pierson and Marc Veasey before making his way through the rain to Far North Dallas for event at the home of Lenna Webb and Bob Franklin.

Noriega's had a good week for endorsements. Governor Dolph Briscoe, Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby and State Senator Rodney Ellis gave him their support, as did the Texas State Association of Firefighters. An endorsment from Daily Kos appears to be forthcoming next week.

Why the endorsements? Why are all of these people lining up behind him now?

Because in the reddest of red states, in the heart of maybe the most Republican state in the country, Rick Noriega looks like he can do the unthinkable: run as a Democrat for a statewide office and win. And after listening to him last night, I'm more convinced than ever.

Part of his appeal is his military bearing. The Texas National Guard lieutenant colonel and Afghanistan vet isn't vulnerable to accusation of being "soft" on security. He can talk about running a convoy and setting up checkpoints because he's been there. As he puts it, he knows the difference between an M203 and an M&M.

"I just got back from two weeks of training at Fort Benning, and when you look at these 18- and 19-year-old kids who will do anything their country asks them to do, you realize they deserve better. They need leadership that is willing to be held accountable."

After six years of the dodge and deflect strategy from Republicans, it's kind of refreshing to hear that. But Noriega also knows that the Republicans aren't going to take this lying down.

"Are we as Texans ready to take a step forward? Our state is off track and if we are going to set things right, we must be ready for the campaign of misinformation that John Cornyn and the Republicans are ready to unleash. They'll use this to divide us so they can maintain power. We have to reject that, but it will be a tough fight."

I can't help but wonder how long will it take before Dallas' own Merrie Spaeth finds a way to swift boat Noriega and tell us he wasn't even in Afghanistan?

But Noriega was there. And he's also served with the Guard along the border, and was tapped by Houston Mayor Bill White to manage the care for 30,000 Katrina evacuees at the George R. Brown Convention Center. That, combined with his background as a legislator allows him to speak knowledgeably on defense, security and immigration issues. If that's what you want, he can do the wonk thing.

But he also has the one-liners down, too. When someone asked the inevitable Larry Craig question, he knocked it over the fence -- "Republicans give gays and lesbians a bad name."

Of course, that wasn't the only bit of Republican hypocrisy that he skewered. He got plenty of shots in at the junior senator from the State of Texas. "John Cornyn voted twice to build a wall along the border. When he's speaking in East Texas, he tells them he voted for it. When he speaks in the Valley, he says he voted against. But he's changed his position on lots of issues since this little chihuahua started nipping at his heels."

And that is part of what makes Rick Noriega such a formidable candidate -- he's an experienced legislator with a significant military background who also happens to be Hispanic. And because he's so strong with issues that Republicans have traditionally owned, he can talk about education, healthcare and social issues without appearing to be "soft" on anything. As he puts it, "Compassion isn't a weakness." Amen, brother.

So who is Rick Noriega? He's the guy Republicans have worried about for years. And he's the guy Democrats have been waiting for. He's a winner.

Help Rick Noriega Today
Today, grassroots activists across Texas are launching a petition to put Rick on the March 2008 Democratic Primary Ballot. The election code gives candidates the option of obtaining signatures or paying $5,000 to qualify a candidate for the ballot. Many candidates opt to just pay the fee because it's the "easy" way to go.

Not Rick. He's building a grassroots campaign, and here's our chance to show the strength of the Noriega grassroots. Texas requires a candidate to obtain 5,000 signatures. Rick wants 25,000 signatures. You can help him get there by signing a petition. Download one here or drop me a line and I'll sign you up.

Also, take time to tell someone about Rick. And, if you are able, send him a few dollars. A small investment in time and money today could mean a Democratic senator from Texas in 2008.

Rick Noriega in Fort Worth and Dallas

Rick Noriega, who I'm sincerely hoping will run for the U.S. Senate, will be in the area today.

This morning, he'll be in Fort Worth as Tarrant County State Representatives Lon Burnam, Paula Hightower Pierson and Marc Veasey host a fundraising lunch event to support his U.S. Senate Exploratory effort. The lunch will be held at Joe T Garcia's on 2201 North Commerce. It starts at 11:30 a.m.

"I am honored to have the support of my friends and colleagues from Tarrant County," Noriega said. "Representatives Burnam, Pierson and Veasey and I have stood side by side in the trenches fighting for common-sense solutions to help Texas families. They are outstanding public servants and advocates for their communities. I am grateful for their invitation to come to Fort Worth, and I look forward to discussing my campaign for change in the U.S. Senate."

He'll be in Dallas tonight for an event at the home of Lenna Webb and Bob Franklin at 17201 Hidden Glen Drive in the 75248. The event is scheduled from 6-8. If you would like to attend, contact Rick Cofer at (512) 771-6266 or rick@rickcofer.com. Campaign contributions will be accepted and appreciated. Please come out and meet the next Senator from the State of Texas.

If you are wondering "Who is this Rick Noriega?" watch the video above.

Best and Worst of College Football

The Best: 59-year-old Mike Flynt is giving new meaning to being a college senior. He's a grandfather and a card-carrying member of AARP. He’s also got one year of athletic eligibility left. That’s why he just returned to Sul Ross State in Alpine and made the Division III football team’s roster, 37 years after he left and six years before he goes on Medicare. He's eight years older than his coach and has two kids older than any of his teammates. He could be in action as soon as Sept. 1.

The Worst: Taking the Red River Rivalry way too far, an Oklahoma City man has been charged with aggravated assault and battery, accused of causing extensive damage to another man's scrotum just because he wore a University of Texas shirt into a local bar. Allen Michael Beckett could be looking at five years in prison for his alleged attack on Brian Thomas. To read the whole sordid tale, check out NewsOK.

An Open Letter to Johnny D. Boggs

Dear Johnny:

I just love that photo and I'm looking for an excuse to run it, so rest assured, it's nothing personal. You are still mi amigo grande. I've been thinking about country music this morning and I'm writing because I respect your knowledge on these matters. Also, you're a handy foil for my morning rant. I'm writing about the Star-Telegram’s Top 100 country songs, compiled by Shirley Jinkins and Malcolm Mayhew. Now Shirley and Malcolm are both fine folks, let’s just get that out of the way right now. Nothing I say has anything to do with them. This is just business. But now that the niceties are out of the way, let’s slash and burn.

Putting together a list like this is bound to provoke people -- you and I both know that. You can't win at it. In fact, you and I have been down this road before when you invited me to participate in the History of Country Music issue in 2001 for Old West Journal, a choice I’m sure you regret daily. Looking back on that list, there’s plenty I disagree with. But of course those are everyone else’s choices. Mine were perfect, I’m sure.

But that’s part of the problem, I don’t remember what I even voted on, and it doesn’t have anything to do with all the booze. It’s just that what I like depends on the day. Ask me next week and you’ll get a different answer.

That said, there are some absolutes.

First, some people don’t belong on the list. I don’t care how many albums she sold, Lee Ann-fucking Womack doesn’t belong on this list ever -- especially not at No. 28. Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, the Judds, Clint Black, Toby Keith, Brooks & Dunn – I have no place for you either. You are the vile spew launched from the mouth of Nashville focus groups. You have no place in the history of C&W. Randy Travis, Vince Gill, George Strait -- you do nothing for me but I will grudgingly allow your presence. Garth Brooks? I haven’t forgotten about Chris Gaines yet. You are the Tom Cruise of country music. For that you will pay. You’re out.

Second, you can’t ignore alt-country: Or Redneck Rock. Or Americana. Whatever you want to call it. It all belongs. You might as well ignore bluegrass. Sez the story: “We kept this list, in the words of Strait, pure country: No Wilco. No Flying Burrito Brothers. No Old 97's. No alt-country -- there's a time and place for honoring those heroes, and this ain't it.” Wrong, wrong, wrong. Wilco’s AM was a better country album than most of the people on the list ever produced. And you know what else? I’d put up Neko Case’s “Running Out of Fools" over LeAnn Rimes’ “Blue” any day of the week. There’s more Patsy Cline in Neko’s song that in Rimes has been able to muster in her entire career. And if you don’t want to get into the purple hair crowd, at least answer me this: Robert Earl Keen, Lyle Lovett, Joe Ely? How can you ignore these guys?

Third, too much kitsch. Oh, my God, where to begin? “Elvira”? “Flowers on the Wall”? “Love in the First Degree”? If you played any of these songs to a detainee at Gitmo, it would be against the Geneva Convention – not that we Americans worry about that kind of thing, mind you. “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” at No. 11? And you’re telling me alt-country doesn’t have a place? One Steve Earle song has more musical nutritional value than the entire oeuvre of the Oak Ridge Boys.

OK, so as not to be too negative, I’m offering up a Top 10 for others to trash as well. I mean, why be a part of the problem if you won’t be part of the solution? So here it is:

1. “Mama Tried,” Merle Haggard. If listening to this doesn’t make you want to get drunk and start a bar fight, well, you’re not me.

2. “Crazy,” Patsy Cline. Patsy’s best vocal with Willie Nelson’s best song. Perfect combo.

3. “Folsom Prison Blues,” Johnny Cash. Because he shot a man in Reno just to watch him die!

4. “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” George Jones. You can’t fight the Possum. Because he’ll get drunk and run you over with his golf cart.

5. “London Homesick Blues,” Jerry Jeff Walker and Gary P. Nunn. Blame ACL, but this song just sez Texas.

6. “Cold Cold Heart,” Hank Williams. I don’t say Senior because Bocephus is irrelevant to me. And this is probably Hank’s most enduring song.

7. “Faded Love,” Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys. This or “San Antonio Rose.” Flip a coin.

8. “El Paso,” Marty Robbins. Did you ever see the music video to this that Steve Martin did with chimpanzees dressed as cowboys? Well, it’s pretty cool.

9. “The Road Goes On Forever,” Robert Earl Keen. You cannot ignore the magnitude of this song.

10. “Wabash Cannonball,” Roy Acuff. The first rock and roll song.

Thanks for reading. You’re thoughts are appreciated. Just remember, it goes straight on the blog, so write accordingly.

All my best,
Steve

Abstinence of Malice

Congratulations, Rick Perry, your state had the nation's highest birth rate among teenagers ages 15 to 19 in 2004, according to a newly released study of children's health.

The Kids Count study, which is updated annually by the Annie E. Casey Foundation in Baltimore, said the Texas rate of 63 births per 1,000 teens remained the same from 2003 to 2004. "It's a touchy subject," Robert Sanborn, president of Children at Risk, told the AP. "We can preach abstinence quite a bit, and there is nothing wrong with that, but it doesn't affect some kids, and apparently it's really not working in Texas."

Good job, Rick. Texas may not be No. 1 in any education or healthcare access categories, but at least we're No. 1 in this. You've made us proud.

RIP, Lady Bird Johnson

I can't say it better than this. "When all the volumes written about her are stacked up and analyzed, here is God's truth: The woman was a marvel — a combination of ability, intellect, purpose and charm that resulted in a rare beauty. Mrs. Johnson was, as we say in Texas, 'the real deal.'"

Is There A Blue Texas in the Future?

When I attended the Breakfast With Burnham event last month, Lon said something that I dismissed at the time at partisan-speak. Lon believes that the Democrats have a chance to capture the State House in the next election cycle. I've more or less resigned myself to living in a Red State for the foreseeable future, so I really just wrote off the comment. That is until I read this op-ed in the Wall Street Journal.

Royal Masset, a political consultant and longtime political director for the Republican Party of Texas--who played a key role in organizing the grassroots support that took the GOP from marginality to an overwhelming majority--has been predicting a reversal for years.

"There's a certain inevitability in demographics," he told the WSJ. "We knew that if we could win 40% of the Hispanic vote," as Mr. Bush did in 2004, "we'd control Texas until 2030." But in 2006, the number of Texas Hispanics who voted Republican fell to between 30% and 35% (depending on the poll).

This shift alone spells trouble for Republicans. Many conservatives may not want to hear it, but Mr. Masset puts the blame on talk radio and cable TV reaction to immigration reform. He says an uncompromising attitude toward comprehensive reform and appeals to fear sometimes carry a whiff of racism that alienates Hispanics.

And if the demographic shift continues to gain momentum, there's a real possibility that Democrats could achieve a majority in the Texas House by 2010. In 2003, Tom DeLay helped redraw the state's congressional districts to give Republicans six new seats in Congress. In just a few years, Democrats could turn the tables. Mr. Masset sums it up this way: "This thing with the Latino vote is deadly serious."

Wow. Could this be true, or is this some doom-and-gloom prediction designed to whip up the Republican base? I haven't been able to imagine a Democrat who could win in a run for a statewide office until I saw this guy -- State Rep. Rick Noriega (pictured above). He'll announce today the formation of an exploratory committee leading up to a U.S. Senate campaign.

Noriega, a five-term House member from Houston and a lieutenant colonel in the National Guard, is a 26-year veteran of the U.S. armed forces, who spent most of 2005 running training facilities in Afghanistan as part of the Texas National Guard. Noriega also ran a National Guard border-security operation in Laredo, and Houston Mayor Bill White had him manage the housing of Hurricane Katrina evacuees at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

"As Americans, it is our duty to stand up and speak when things have gone off the rails," Noriega, 49, said in an Independence Day posting on several Democratic-leaning Internet blogs. "It is in our very fabric, our soul; it is God's requirement of us as heirs to the legacy of this country, to exercise the right to speak out as our forefathers taught us."

This guy looks like a world-beater, or at least a Cornyn-beater. And it looks like he'll be in town Thursday to help Lon Burnham celebrate his birthday at the Botanic Gardens. I think I'll try to drop by and check that out. For more information on Rick Noriega, check out the Draft Rick Noriega blog.

Wound My Heart With Monotonous Languor

That line above is from Verlaine: The long sobs of autumn's violins wound my heart with a monotonous languor. And, although you may not know that line if you are not a devotee of French symbolist poetry, you may know it from the movie about the Normandy Invasion, The Longest Day. The reading of the second line (wound my heart with a monotonous languor) on BBC radio signaled to the French Resistance that the allied invasion would occur within hours. With that, the French set about destroying rail lines, communications, and other German targets to pave the way for liberation.

On this anniversary of D-Day, that climactic day of World War II, I wanted to share that little bit of poetry, but also a few local stories. If you are interested and are suitable equipped, you may listen to original re-broadcast of NBC newscasts from that day on XM, beginning at 12:41 a.m. Eastern on Channel 4.

Mark Stevenson and General Roosevelt
I've known a few D-Day vets through the years. When I was a kid, a friend of my Dad's named Joe Cummings from Waco, a red-haired firecracker of a guy shared his stories about landing in the first wave at Omaha Beach with a unit of combat engineers from the Big Red One. There was also another old friend of my father's who took the time to share his stories, a guy I've mentioned before, Marcus O. Stevenson of Dallas.

On D-Day, Stevenson was aide to Gen. Theodore Roosevelt Jr., the assistant division commander for the 4th Infantry Division -- that's a picture of them together above. They landed in the first wave that morning at Utah Beach. Years later, when I asked him about what I thought going in that day, Stevenson -- by D-Day was already a veteran of landings in North Africa and Sicily -- was succinct in his answer. "I thought we were going to die."

But they didn't. Roosevelt was the only general to land in the first wave on D-Day. When the general learned that the landing craft had drifted more than a mile south of their objective, he made the decision that typifies the American power of improvisation. "We’ll start the war from right here," he said. And young Lt. Stevenson, who Ernest Hemingway would describe later in the Normandy campaign as looking like a sheriff out of the Old West with his handlebar mustache, was right there by his side as history was made.

With artillery landing close by, Roosevelt made his way around the beach wearing a knit cap rather than a helmet and using a cane rather than a rifle. He got the men of the 4th moving inland to their objectives and worked as a self-appointed traffic cop, untangling traffic jams of men and material.

General Raymond O. "Tubby" Barton, the commander of 4th Division, later remembered meeting Roosevelt on the beach that morning: "While I was mentally framing [orders], Ted Roosevelt came up. He had landed with the first wave, had put my troops across the beach, and had a perfect picture (just as Roosevelt had earlier promised if allowed to go ashore with the first wave) of the entire situation. I loved Ted. When I finally agreed to his landing with the first wave, I felt sure he would be killed. When I had bade him goodbye, I never expected to see him alive. You can imagine then the emotion with which I greeted him when he came out to meet me [near La Grande Dune]. He was bursting with information."

Roosevelt and Stevenson made their way inland with the rest of the 4th and eventually made contact with paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne, commanded by another former Roosevelt aide, Gen. Matthew Ridgway. After their first meeting, Roosevelt remarked that Stevenson and Ridgway had a lot of good qualities, much like Stevenson. "Keep it up, and maybe you can be a general one day, too," he said, slapping him on the back.

For his courage and leadership on D-Day, Roosevelt would be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on September 28, 1944. However, he didn't live to see the award. He died of a heart attack on July 12, 1944, while commanding troops in the field, and he's buried with many of his men at the Colleville-sur-Mer Cemetery in Normandy. Roosevelt was 56 years old on D-Day. He had been seriously wounded in the First World War and was already in poor health. He could have stayed home and let men like Mark Stevenson fight it. But he didn't.

The RAF Pilots of Kaufman
The British, French, Canadians, Russians and pretty much everyone else in the world like to point out -- correctly I might add -- that the Americans didn't beat the Germans alone. So I would like to tell another local story to remind us of that.

I discovered Monday that the RAF had a training base in Terrell, southeast of Dallas, thanks to a documentary on KERA. During World War II, almost 2,000 RAF pilots trained to fly there and almost a third of those men went on to perish in the skies over Europe and Asia.

And those young men from England are still remembered by the people of Kaufman County. Many who trained have returned over the years to visit and one cadet, Henry C. Madgwick, returned, became a citizen and served as Mayor of Terrell in the 1990s. Even today, the graves of 18 RAF pilots are tended by locals at Oakland Memorial Park Cemetery with a monument there inscribed with the words of Rupert Brooke: Some corner of a foreign field that is forever England. For those who are interested in finding out more, a book on this subject is available through UNT Press.

To the men and women of the French Resistance, to Joe Cummings and the men of the 1st Infantry, to General Roosevelt and Lt. Stevenson and the men of the 4th Division, to the RAF pilots who trained in Terrell and the people of Kaufman County who supported them, to all of those people who have passed into history and those who are still with us, thank you for the sacrifices you made and the things you achieved.

Horse Slaughter Update

I don’t know how I missed this, but evidently horse slaughter plants in Fort Worth and Kaufman will stay closed. Now that Illinois has outlawed its horse slaughter plant, it appears that this is the end of slaughtering horses in the United States for human consumption abroad.

What The Hell Is A Constable For Anyway?

I've always wondered about this and now Grits for Breakfast answers this burning question for me. The answer: Not freaking much. And to add some fuel on the fire, one commenter sez contends "they file more lawsuits AGAINST their counties than any other set of elected officials." Hmmmm.

UPDATE: And speaking of worthless constables, the FWWeekly's Jeff Prince introduces us to Tarrant County Constable Clint Burgess, who looks like a real firecracker.

UPDATE, PART DEUX: This is going to be my catch-all constable post. This guy is sort of the poster boy for sleaz-easy constables.