June 4, 2015

In announcing for president, Perry lets America see him sweat

Read more: http://www.statesman.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/in-announcing-for-president-perry-lets-america-see/nmWZ8/

[font color=330099]Liquid manhood?[/font]

June 4, 2015

Drink mas? Taco Bell to serve alcohol at Chicago location

NEW YORK -- Taco Bell says it will serve beer, wine and “mixed alcohol freezes” at a new location set to open in Chicago this summer.

The chain, owned by Yum Brands Inc., says the restaurant will have a new design it’s testing in urban markets. It says the layout has already been launched in South Korea, Japan and the United Kingdom.

A rendering of the design shows a row of lime-green stools along a bar that peers into an open kitchen, flanked by an exposed brick wall. The chain says the location “will highlight the work of local artists” to give it a neighborhood feel.

The new layout is the latest sign Taco Bell is working to shed its fast-food image and appeal to millennials, who marketers say prefer places and products that seem less cookie-cutter and more “authentic.” Wendy’s, which is also trying to recast itself as a step up from traditional fast-food, has also been pushing a remodeling of restaurants that features more inviting and mixed seating options.

Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/news/nation-world/national/article23068323.html

June 4, 2015

Dallas lawyer makes a case for the term 'liberal'

After years as a shunned word, a new poll shows that more people are now identifying themselves as liberal.

In fact, on social issues, liberals now equal those calling themselves conservative.

It made me think of Balon Bradley, a Dallas lawyer who has always proudly claimed the liberal label — so much so that he wrote a book about it.

Left Winger the self-published book is called. And Bradley identifies himself right there on the cover as “A Texas Liberal.”

Read more: http://www.dallasnews.com/news/columnists/steve-blow/20150603-steve-blow-dallas-lawyer-makes-a-case-for-the-term-liberal.ece

[font color=330099]I'll let some of our fine Texas attorneys make eloquent contributions to this thread. I'm just a humble math major who spent more than half of his life residing in red counties throughout the state.[/font]

June 4, 2015

H-E-B limits egg purchases

Local H-E-B grocery stores are limiting the amount of egg cartons each customer can buy to three.

The limit applies to all sizes of cartons: a customer could get away with buying three cartons of the largest amount of eggs, but no more. The same applies to smaller cartons as well, an H-E-B manager said.

The limit comes as more than 200 outbreaks of the bird flu virus have been reported among chickens in 20 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. More than 20 million chickens have been infected, with most in Iowa, the Department of Agriculture’s website shows.

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local/h-e-b-limits-egg-purchases/nmT57/

June 4, 2015

Texas' New Brand: Nutsoville

By Carol Morgan

In the world of business and marketing, the concept of “brand” is more important than ever in the jargon-heavy existence of corporate-culture-speak. Simply put, a brand is the defined personality of a product, service, company, organization, individual or even, a state in America. It’s as much about what you do as what you claim to be.

In the misty landscapes of the past, Texas’ brand was one of independent thinking, tough-minded resolve and love thy neighbor. We were a little rough around the edges, but we meant well and our intentions were noble. The turn of the millennia began the slow conversion of Texas’ heart and soul and the transformation was complete with the changing of Austin’s executive guard and the ultra-conservative 84th Legislature.

Texas now has a global reputation as Nutsoville. We are seen by others as irrational, illogical, and unreasonable, in sharp contrast to its former stalwart and reasonable brand. If you have any doubts about Texas as the land of insanity take a look at the comments here. A freedom is actually a restriction (depending on who you listen to) and a law creates a problem where there was none before. Nothing is what it seems and creating grand delusions is an essential part of a legislator’s job.

Robert Reich did an excellent job of describing the specifics of how Texas is the state of denial. One day our Governor added to the paranoia of Jade Helm, a melodramatic falsehood dreamed up by hate radio’s nut jobs, and the next day, he begged for federal aid for the Texas floods.

It was awkward, I’m sure.

I wish I had a dollar for every media report card, both humorous and serious, since the sine die and the altero die, altero die (love that dead language!) which tells all of us what we should think of the 84th Legislature. There’s not enough space to list the bad bills that passed and the good bills that should have passed, but didn’t. Or even the problems that were not addressed, such as payday lending, ethics, and anything related to educational—except to tear it down just a little more.

The campus carry issue was about the worst, but then the absurdity kicked in when Greg Abbott vowed to recruit Pulitzer Award professors to Texas’ universities. Seriously, Governor? Or that cringing moment when one university Chancellor said it could have been worse.

In Texas, it's become routine to be grateful for the crumbs leftover from the Legislative barbeque.

To hear the Texas Tea Party tell it, however, the 84th was not nearly conservative enough. I guess they were expecting Hitler? The torch-rifle-carrying mob in Tarrant County even sent a letter to express their dissatisfaction and warn the Legislature that they had better watch their back.

If there’s any consolation for this failing legislative session (or even gratitude), it’s for the hateful legislation that failed to pass, rather than the bills that did. So here’s to those legislators who acted as a line of defense to keep bad things from happening to good Texans. They may not have received the satisfaction of passing their personal bills, but they served their constituents.

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Carol Morgan is a career/college counselor, a freelance writer, and former Democratic candidate for the Texas House. She is the award-winning author of two books: Of Tapestry, Time and Tears and Liberal in Lubbock. Email Carol at elizabethcmorgan@sbcglobal.net , follow her on Twitter and on Facebook or visit her writer’s blog at www.carolmorgan.org

http://lubbockonline.com/interact/blog-post/carol-morgan/2015-06-03/texas-new-brand-nutsoville#.VW_95ka-c1k

Permission granted to post Carol's blog in its entirety.

June 4, 2015

Witness: Argument over game of beer pong led to death of 19-year-old Lacie LaRose

COLLEGE STATION -- The death of 19-year-old Blinn College student Lacie LaRose at a graduation party last month was the result of an argument that began over a game of beer pong, a witness told The Eagle.

The two-bedroom home in the 900 block of San Benito Drive now sits unoccupied. The backyard where LaRose was shot, along with two others who received minor injuries, shows no signs of a party, let alone that a young woman was gunned down there. The residential neighborhood less than a mile from A&M Consolidated High School was quiet Tuesday afternoon, the one-month anniversary of the shooting that police said remains under investigation.

On the night of the shooting, there were between 100 and 120 people at the graduation party where a pay-per-view boxing match drew a crowd that included neighbor Ronald Wayne McNeil, 39.

Landon Duke, the 23-year-old guest of honor at the May 2 party, said McNeil lived across the street and came to the party with two friends. Duke, who was celebrating his pending graduation from Texas A&M on May 17, had never met or interacted with McNeil, a convicted felon.

Read more: http://www.theeagle.com/news/local/witness-argument-over-game-of-beer-pong-led-to-death/article_49f32968-1b0f-5212-9b83-639f5c7cd012.html

Earlier thread:
College Station man arrested after 19-year-old Blinn College student is killed at party

June 4, 2015

A 'humbler' Rick Perry hopes 2016 bid goes better than first, expected to announce today

ADDISON, Texas (AP) — Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry launched his presidential campaign four years ago as an instant front-runner — a proven job-creator with solid conservative credentials, formidable fundraising prowess and perhaps enough cowboy swagger to take Republicans by storm.

Then came "Oops" and Perry's tumble from powerhouse to punchline.

Now he's back, hitting Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina hard and early, and studying up on policy to become better prepared.

A senior adviser to Perry tells The Associated Press that the former governor will make the widely expected announcement that he's in the 2016 race on Thursday in Dallas. The adviser requested anonymity to speak ahead of the formal announcement.

Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/texas/article/A-humbler-Rick-Perry-hopes-2016-bid-goes-better-6305899.php

Cross-posted in the Texas Group.

June 4, 2015

A 'humbler' Rick Perry hopes 2016 bid goes better than first, expected to announce today

ADDISON, Texas (AP) — Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry launched his presidential campaign four years ago as an instant front-runner — a proven job-creator with solid conservative credentials, formidable fundraising prowess and perhaps enough cowboy swagger to take Republicans by storm.

Then came "Oops" and Perry's tumble from powerhouse to punchline.

Now he's back, hitting Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina hard and early, and studying up on policy to become better prepared.

A senior adviser to Perry tells The Associated Press that the former governor will make the widely expected announcement that he's in the 2016 race on Thursday in Dallas. The adviser requested anonymity to speak ahead of the formal announcement.

Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/texas/article/A-humbler-Rick-Perry-hopes-2016-bid-goes-better-6305899.php

Cross-posted in the Politics 2015 forum.

June 4, 2015

A study in contrasts (re: gay marriage)

Tarrant County will comply with marriage ruling with teeth firmly gritted

Tarrant County Clerk Louise Garcia said she had no particular plans to deal with the rush of Fort Worth and other Tarrant County gay and lesbian couples who will apply for marriage licenses after the Supreme Court marriage equality decision is issued other than to comply with the ruling.

We contacted Dallas County Clerk John Warren’s office. Warren has said he wanted to be the first clerk in the state to issue a marriage license. He wasn’t in his office this afternoon, but we’ll let you know how Dallas is preparing for the expected crowds (and financial windfall) when we hear from him. Warren has said in the past he hopes to be the first clerk to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

A marriage license costs $81 in Dallas County and $71 in Tarrant County. Both people must appear in person and provide a valid ID and social security number. Valid IDs include a state ID, drivers license, passport or certified birth certificate with picture ID. Surprisingly, both people must be at least 18 years old and first cousins can’t marry.

Texas has a 72-hour waiting period before the ceremony can take place and must take place within 90 days. The license must be returned to the county clerk’s office within 30 days.

Read more: http://www.dallasvoice.com/tarrant-county-comply-marriage-ruling-teeth-firmly-gritted-10197390.html

Travis County preparing for gay marriage ruling

If the U.S. Supreme Court rules that same-sex couples have the right to marry, Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir plans to be ready.

The clerk’s office, which issues and records marriage licenses from its location at 5501 Airport Blvd., plans to offer extended evening and weekend hours to accommodate the pent-up demand from gay and lesbian couples who have been unable to marry under state law.

“We’re hoping for crowds,” said DeBeauvoir, a strong supporter of same-sex marriage.

When the Supreme Court issues its ruling — expected by the end of June, when the court typically ends its term — a team of lawyers from the county attorney’s office will scour the decision to determine its implications for Travis County.

Read more: http://www.statesman.com/news/news/travis-county-preparing-for-gay-marriage-ruling/nmSyb/

June 4, 2015

Joeybee, set your DVR! Rob Gronkowski and His Brothers Set to Appear on "Family Feud"

I'm a huge fan of game shows, but I do realize that different game shows require different levels of intelligence and self-awareness. Not all game shows are created equally, and not everyone has the chops to participate on all shows.

At the very bottom end of the intellectual game-show scale sits The Price Is Right, where you can look to the crowd to help you cheat and the answers are largely arrived at by guessing (and not even really educated guessing). At the top end of the spectrum, you have Jeopardy!, where a college degree is the cover charge and the ability to have retained reams of useless trivia is the ticket to untold riches.

And then there's the Family Feud, hosted by Steve Harvey, nestled snugly in between Carey and Trebek, right there in the meaty part of the intelligence curve. Not getting too far ahead, not falling too far behind, requiring just enough "game show IQ" to be above pure guessing but nowhere near enough to where you need to recite portions of the Periodic Table of Elements.

-snip-

According to Rob Gronkowski's brother Chris, it was revealed in an interview he was doing on a Boston radio show Tuesday that the family's four oldest brothers and their father would be filming an episode of Family Feud this weekend. Gronkowski, appearing on 98.5 The Sports Hub, did not reveal whom Team Gronk would be facing off against nor did he say if there were any topics that would be off-limits. (NOTE: Nor did anybody answer the question "Why the hell is a radio station interviewing Rob Gronkowski's brother??&quot

Read more: http://www.houstonpress.com/news/rob-gronkowski-and-his-brothers-set-to-appear-on-family-feud-7483525