Governor Perry defends his pretentious rental home today. Someone finally told him that former Governor Huckabee of Arkansas moved into a trailer home during his state's renovation project. Perry replied, "Yeah, Texas ain't Arkansas."

Perry's lack of media skills continue to amaze me. But, I guess I should get over it....Mofos.

Librarians speak out all the time against fuct up shit the government does. Torture, The Patriot Act, and a slew of attempts to violate the Bill of Rights, for example.

Today, the Washington Post reported, from the front of the line at the information desk, on the continuing war U.S. librarians wage for our rights.

Flirt with a librarian today to show your support for better oversight of our government's surveillance of us!

Thanks to some Romanian for the hot pic.

The State of Texas should stick with what it does best, screwing the poor and disenfranchised. In a way, the fact that the new online system for the Texas social services departments are a major investment in that direction. Apparently, the thing don't work.

Never one to cause a ripple or stir the pot, State Rep. Patrick Rose, D-Dripping Springs, House Human Services Committee chairman, has said he was awaiting the auditor's report to help guide his panel in increasing oversight of TIERS.

"We will work to make sure the auditor's recommendations are embraced before any future rollout," Rose said.

If I had just heard that a $372 million investment wasn't everything we had hoped for...plus it tickled your ass with a feather on Thursday afternoons...there would be heads rolling in the project manager's office that was supposed to be leading this effort.

I could have had a room full of programmers working on something for the State and I could have done it for hell, $50 million and still had enough profit left over to be living on some island.

The news that Margaret Spellings wants to come back to Texas, make some money, and possibly run for some office -- perhaps senator or governor -- ought to thrill everyone. Maybe she could take on the "Houston drop-out factory" until something opens up!

Stephen Colbert won't be on the ballot for either party in South Carolina. The GOP filing fees are $35,000 and the Dems said "take a hike" and will refund him their measly $2,500 filing fee.

Wait a minute? It's only $2,500 to file to run for president in South Carolina? So that's how Kucinich got on the ballot.

Whew! Will I be glad to put this week behind me. Long hours, tons of work, raging insomnia and too many obligations have worn me out. I need a spa weekend to recover. This kind of week can age such a beauty as myself before my time.

Anyone have super fun plans for the weekend? After I get some rest tonight, I clearly see some Veuve Clicquot in my Saturday plans.

School board politics is like the new, I don't know, thing you get into if you wanna fight for the separation of church and state or whatever.

This lady, one Suzy Roberts of Pearland, raised some hell about Jesus prayers at school board meetings-- or rather, she raised the issue that a lot of Pearlanders don't subscribe to the notion of hell and might be offended by a "Jesus save me from hell"- themed prayer at a school board meeting.

And, OMG, she won!

Note the 40 lb cross being lugged around outside the meeting, and the quote from a person named Florida. Can we have a rule? If your named after a state, you automatically lose any credibility.

A jury in Maryland awarded the father of a soldier kill in Irag $10.9 million from the Fred Phelphs gang of whackos. They protested his son's funeral and claimed they were on a mission from God. I wonder if God is going to deposit the money in their account since they have a net worth of less than a million dollars?

As usual, the Phelps cult refuses to grasp reality and plans additional protests in several states in the coming months. How sad. How terribly sad it must be to live an isolated and crazy existence. I wish I could be with the Lord My Saviour when these freaks show up at the Pearly Gates. His admonition in the form of a court of law wasn't enough to stop them, what will be?

A new report calls 42 high schools in the Houston area "Dropout Factories," citing their 40% or greater dropout rate. Ouch. That stings a little. Let's all turn and look expectantly at Robert Scott and see what he has to say. Ready? And....stare.

How would I spin this? Uhm....Damn hangover...I'm thinking...Uh...that 40% is probably all poor people? No, that won't work. The math is wrong? Yeah, that's what we'll say.

While these numbers are disheartening, we are confident that with the funding secured on the federal and state level, Texas is gaining ground on the ever growing dropout rate among our high school students. Texas is committed to public education and with the new programs aimed at keeping students on track from kindergarten through high school we fully expect to see gains in graduation rates as soon as next year.

Whew! I did it! Everyone satisfied? No? Oh well, fuck off.

The Statesman points out some of the everyday hilarity of my home state. Y'all know she's probably my third cousin twice removed on my momma's side.

Halloween in Austin is always a chance to see the weird get weirder. Last night I saw some great costumes and sadly, in Austin, sometimes you have to ask "Are you dressed up or something or is this just your normal everyday freakness?"

I am suffering from a wicked hangover and I guess I ought to apologize if I accidentally made out with you last night. My bad.

From Consumerist:

Consumerist's ongoing lead recall tally has reached 14,431,550 products recalled just for lead in the first 10 months of 2007.

No toys, no problem! I prefer to spend the holidays reading back issues of The Texas Observer on my seaside patio anyway.

From KHOU

An average of over 30 percent of the children tested every year have lead poisoning. Galveston’s poisoning cases are six times higher than the state average.

Aw, man.

Max Blumenthal, forever on the front lines of the battle to discredit and embarrass the politically active Christian right, pulls no punches despite talk that the movement is crumbling under fractious leadership in the church, and the state.

That Blumenthal is something else!

For the scariest sight you'll see all day, click the permalink.

KUHF Houston (which has asked us to please start calling it "Houston Public Radio" because, um, it's just a personal decision that I want you all to respect alright?) reported a snag in plans to turn the Eighth Wonder of the World into a ginormous hotel and convention center. Because Jehova knows how bad H-town needs another one of those.

Leroy Shafer, of the Livestock Show and Rodeo, explained their opposition to HPR, in a quote featuring the reason, featuring examples, featuring a vision of a future that frightens Mr. Shafer something awful:

"This is a major entertainment complex featuring food, featuring amusements, featuring merchandise shops...The plan for this thing is for thousands of our spectators to go in there and eat and shop and spend money. If they're eating in the food shops inside there or they're buying from the shops inside there, then they're not buying on our grounds."

Here that? THEY'RE NOT BUYING ON OUR GROUNDS!

That's the rodeo's grounds in the back there, dwarfing the dome.

I can't believe I'm so bored with presidential debates that I've stopped watching or caring about them at all. Even Ron Paul on the Jay Leno Show made me turn off the TV. Ugh.

Apparently last night's debate was "Attack Hillary" night. I'm kind of sorry I missed that.

Argentina's First Lady Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner was elected Argentina's president on Sunday. That makes her Argentina's first elected woman president. BBC

As her husband, the outgoing president, stood at her side, she said she would build on his work.

Of course a few articles are comparing her to Hillary but Fernandez de Kirchner said...

"Hillary and I have few things in common: We've both been senators, lawyers and wives of presidents, but not much else.

"I don't want to be compared with Hillary Clinton, nor with Evita Peron, nor with anybody," Fernandez added in the interview with a pro-government journalist on radio La Red. "There's nothing better than being yourself." CNN

One big difference to me is that Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner is kinda hot for a president lady and an older lady. You make up your mind if shes hot.

Photo of Hillary Clinton with Cristina Fenandez de Kirchner.

We totally forgot to say Happy Birthday! to State Representative Borris Miles. So, consider this our belated condolences. Aging is not pretty.

Oil prices shot up to a record high yesterday. The jump in prices was blamed on tension in the Middle East, Mexico cutting production due to bad weather and the ever-weakening U.S. Dollar. It's really the last one that sticks out, doesn't it? I know the dollar is weak, but I've just been counting on a rebound. Where's the bottom?

When do all those Adjustable Rate Mortgages change their rates? How many people will be in foreclosure before Christmas? I''m thinking about starting to stuff cash in a mattress over here!

The dude that coordinated a fake press conference was fired. Officials were so disappointed that maybe they were finally handling an emergency right and some guy f'ed it up for them. In the laundry list of things bungled during this administration I would put this pretty low on the list.

Tony Romo, quarterback for the Cowboys, signed on for six more years worth $67.5 million.

The deal includes $30 million in guaranteed money in the first three years. He will receive an $11.5 million signing bonus and $4.5 million will be added to his 2007 deal to give him a $6 million base salary this season.

On a sports note, A-Rod is opting out of his contract with the New York Yankees. The opting out means that Texas Ranger's owner Tom Hicks won't have to pay about $21 million for A-Rod's contract.

I love sports, but throwing all these millions of dollars around while we have kids without health insurance and other problems in the state just seems kind of wrong. Either way Go Cowboys!

Speaker Pelosi was in Austin yesterday. Not only that, she was talking about environmental policy. The Speaker was in town with Lloyd Doggett and they talked about Congress' plans for environmental policy.

Test your knowledge of porn and Fox News Anchors in this handy quiz. (Loved it!)

The U.N. is clearly trying to warn America that the second time around the world will be paying much closer attention to the lies coming from the White House. The question is, are we? The U.N. says there is no evidence that Iran is building a nuclear weapon, but that doesn't stop Dick Cheney from issuing dire warnings about it.

Vice President Dick Cheney has raised the prospect of "serious consequences" if Iran were found to be working toward developing a nuclear weapon. Last week, the Bush administration announced harsh penalties against the Iranian military and state-owned banking systems in hopes of raising pressure on the world financial system to cut ties with Tehran

Seriously? Are we going to fall for this all over again?

MySpace will host a 'dialogue' with presidential contender Barack Obama today at 12:30 central time. OMG, like he's totally in touch with young people. He understands the importance of social media. He's the candidate that's so...tomorrow.

My eyes just rolled out of my socket.

Rev. Donnie McCurkin's proclamation that "God has delivered me from homosexuality" is a crock of S*hit! God has a lot on his plate today, does he really have time to 'deliver' anything to Donnie McCurkin? Anyone want to take bets on how long before we find out Donnie's been visiting rest stops for anonymous gay sex?

These self-loathing gay men are the new humiliation of uptight America.

The Arlington League of Women Voters will hold a forum on November 5 to discuss immigration policies and hopes to come to a consensus on a position to share with the public and lawmakers. There are high hopes that the forum will provide a calm environment to discuss the issue, but members are prepared to cut the event short if a bunch of dumbass rednecks show up.

President Bush is the spendiest president since LBJ. I guess everything is bigger in Texas...including the voracious spending habits of presidents.

Like how I totally made up that word? Spendiest. I'm diggin' it.

What's next from the The Department of the Obvious?
Texas Legislature Ineffectual
It's Politics over Policy in Texas
Texas Legislature Has The Combined I.Q. of a Bowling Ball