Author: Dick

Coke. Make it real.

Richard Coke was Texas governor when the present state constitution was adopted in 1876. Back then, the entire document could be stashed inside Gov. Coke’s quite adorable beard. It — the Texas Constitution and not Coke’s beard — has been amended more than 400 times since its adoption.

One week from today Texans have the opportunity to amend the constitution nine additional times. Proposition 2 is getting all the attention because it would define marriage as “solely the union of a man and woman” and would ban gay marriage (or I suppose marriage between man and ewe — say “Baaaaa do.”) The remaining eight proposed amendments would do things such as making Halliburton the official state contractor. Not really! Not yet at least.

The present constitution was made in such a wacky manner because people distrusted government after Reconstruction. Things haven’t changed so much since then except there is a whole lot more government to distrust and the officials who run our government are probably even less trustworthy. But amending the constitution is really getting out of hand. Why the document has been jostled and erased and portions of it cut out and pasted in that it looks like one of those strange ransom notes cut from letters inside various magazine pages.

Now I know a lot of people fret that if they don’t pass Prop 2 and ban gay marriage, Texas will lose its exalted status as most reactionary state. But I still think voters should just not show up for the constitutional amendment election at all. Don’t vote. And when the next set of amendments come around in a couple of years, don’t vote on them either. Then perhaps we will send a message to our legislators that it is time to stop amending the state constitution and perhaps have a document which would make us proud. Crazy dreamer that I am.

This is not a paid political ad but I approve this message nonetheless.

It doesn’t take a weekend out of town like I had this past weekend in Austin to realize that, as much as I like where I live, the radio in this area really blows. And that’s really saying something because I’m within earshot of the nation’s fourth largest city, Houston. Man, you’d think Houston would have a decent radio station. But really, in my estimation, it doesn’t.

Austin does have one really great radio station, KGSR-FM. And you can hear it on the Internet by magically clicking here! Check out their recent airplay: Tracy Chapman, Coldplay, Ry Cooder, Eliza Gilkyson, Rodney Crowell, Delbert McClinton, John Hiatt … And that’s not to mention my hearing old things from Traffic and Little Feat this past weekend. Jesus Tap Dancing Christ that is some good music.

I also have a Louisiana Internet favorite, KBON-FM in Eunice, La. You can savor this experience by clicking RIGHT CHERE! This station has perhaps the best mix of soul, Cajun, Swamp pop, maybe even a surprise thrown in there, that you can find.

I’m glad these choices exist on the Internet because, quite frankly, broadcast radio has gone to hell in a handbasket. At least that’s the case where I live.

“Just wait,” daydreams Alito, “It won’t be long before Bush becomes MY bitch.”

Do you remember recently when I told you the next pick GW made for Supreme Court justice was sure not to please everyone? You don’t remember? Well, I did make such a prediction and that forecast was realized this Monday morning with the rancor of a rehashed passed interference call from some crappy, NFL game the day before.

Appeals court judge Samuel Alito, affectionately called ‘Scalito’ or ‘Scalia-lite’ with reference to ultra conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, seems destined to make the right-wingers dance in the streets with glee while the Dems break out their voodoo dolls and summon the spirit of M.M. O’Hair. The confirmation fight is going to get nasty, I predict, as it should.

I mean, the world just seemed to be tilting the wrong direction on its axis with Harriet Miers. The Democrats were content to not bitch about her nomination while the Bible-beating conservatives ate their young. A course correction was made by GW’s bunch by over-correcting. Yet again our governmental geniuses keep forgetting the past.

Both Democratic and Republican partisans apparently either flunk history or ignore it completely as a legitimate subject. The right may get their man and he may go on to help “win” some of the battles in what is ridiculously termed the “culture wars.” But the minority of fundamentalists are not going to be in charge forever and neither is the Republican Party. And possibly, neither will the Democratic Party when the people get tired of the Republicans. The pendulum eventually swings. It’s inevitable, like death and the little guy getting screwed.

So the stage is set for another political drama. Let it happen! Bring it on! Let that boy boogie woogie!

Here is how sheltered a life I live these days. Until browsing Toy Joy on Guadalupe in Austin last night with my friend, I never knew a Charles Dickens Action Figure ever existed. Now I know.

I can’t think of a time that seeing the Texas State Capitol has failed to leave me awestruck. It is stil quite a sight on this gorgeous, late-October Sunday afternoon.