Yeah, she's raising hell in the Texas House, much like a few of her cohorts in the Senate.  Driving these good old boys crazy.

I am curious about one paragraph in the DMN:

If state Rep. Jessica Farrar has her way, men in Texas will pay a $100 fine for "unregulated masturbatory emissions" and undergo a digital rectal exam to get a vasectomy, a colonoscopy or a Viagra prescription.

Since a colonoscopy is a lot more invasive than the yearly lubricated finger in the bum (DRE), I assume this is an analogy to the Texas pre-requirements necessary to have an abortion.  However, that doesn't wash since the colonoscopy is not something any guy would elect to do.

It probably doesn't have a ghost of a chance to pass anyway.  Texas State Government = Misogyny-R-Us these days.

Smudge wrote:

They say Texas isn't all that far away from becoming a blue state, and if it did flip, it would change national politics completely.

All the major cities except Fort Worth vote Democrat, and they're the only areas growing in population.  And Ann Richards was Governor of Texas 25 years ago.  The buckle on the bible belt has since been corrupted by the wealthy Xtians.

Smudge wrote:

Baywolfe wrote:

All the major cities except Fort Worth vote Democrat, and they're the only areas growing in population.

I did not know either of those two things. Add to that the inevitable increases in Hispanics due to higher birthrates, and you have Texas turning blue at some point in the future, and with it a significant shift in presidential politics if nothing else.

It's been an interesting political history.  In the Presidential elections, of course they voted Democrat for Roosevelt and Truman and the whole time LBJ was VP or President and for his VP Humphrey, and lastly for Jimmy Carter.  Since then, the wealth and power of big oil has made Texas a conservative corporation.  Nobody in Texas owns the mineral rights to their property.  We're considered "surface owners".



Auto-edited on 2020-08-02 to update URLs

"...and Texas, to my way of thinking, is really a southern state, culturally, more than a western state"

Almost as soon as I typed that bit above, I began to question it. I think the truth is a bit more complicated. And I think it gets at the paradox which is Texas. The part of Texas which is southern is the narrow, provincial, religious and closed minded part -- and all of that exists in abundance. But that's not the whole story; Texas is also forward thinking, bold, daring, optimistic and opportunistic; characteristics which I would argue resemble the idealized western state (if perhaps not the reality of any of them).

Baywolfe wrote:

https://cruelery.com/uploads/157_3-13-2 … -09_pm.png

This chart got me thinking. Many people have said how the citification of the population is increasing the power basis of the Democrats. But the states that are growing the fastest have been the Republican states. Mostly I blame it on the aging populations choice over living in a place with business focus vs social issue spending and the explosion of Christian Fundamentalism and their well oiled political juggernaut.

Auto-edited on 2020-08-02 to update URLs

As far as Texas being "Southern":  My spouse and I have been joking for years that Texas is not the South for the following reasons:
1)  There is no kudzu here.
2)  They don't sweeten their iced tea.
3)  Their "barbecue" is horrible.
4)  They never had Krispy Kreme doughnut shops until the company expanded out of the real South.

Texas isn't the West, either.  Texas is Texas.  It's fucking enormous.  It's nearly the size of Western Fucking Europe all on its own.  It was once a sovereign nation for, like, twenty-two minutes or so, and has never forgotten it.

I have grown to (grudgingly) like some things about Texas.  But the place is not the South.  It is its very own thing, unlike any other part of the country.

George Orr wrote:

As far as Texas being "Southern":  My spouse and I have been joking for years that Texas is not the South for the following reasons:
1)  There is no kudzu here.
2)  They don't sweeten their iced tea.
3)  Their "barbecue" is horrible.
4)  They never had Krispy Kreme doughnut shops until the company expanded out of the real South.

Texas isn't the West, either.  Texas is Texas.  It's fucking enormous.  It's nearly the size of Western Fucking Europe all on its own.  It was once a sovereign nation for, like, twenty-two minutes or so, and has never forgotten it.

I have grown to (grudgingly) like some things about Texas.  But the place is not the South.  It is its very own thing, unlike any other part of the country.

You realize, George, you're telling me I got ALL of it wrong? And count on a Texan to forget the rest of it, and just start talking about how fucking BIG Texas is. I know it's big -- I've driven across it more times than I would like to remember (dear God, but I-10 through Texas goes on forever). I-40 through the panhandle is about the right length; you can do it in a long hour (and still stop in Amarillo to make fun of the people with the dinner plate sized belt buckles).

Okay; truth. I like Tex-Mex. I like real Mexican food even more, but I'd be lying if I denied liking border food. Everything else I still hate (including the part about how they used to be their own country). Jeez.

Dirckman wrote:

I'm actually down in Houston right now to see which neighborhoods I'd consider moving to.  I love Texas for the climate, the food and the quality of life.  I'm currently living in Colorado which has gone so far left in the last few years that I'm moving away.  Colorado has been taken over by smug progressives, potheads, hipsters, social justice warriors and feminists who are moving there in droves.  I just want as far away from those morons as I can get.  I don't like the Texas brand of conservatism, but I welcome it with open arms compared to what I deal with now.  Being in Houston for the last week or so has been a breath of fresh air.  For the most part Houstonians are normal functioning people that have jobs and identify with the gender they were born with.  I can't say the same for Colorado, fuck that place.

Dirckman, before you make any permanent-type decisions, go to Houston in July and see if you still feel the same way about it.

At that point why not just move to San Diego and enjoy year round perfect weather?

I like all of these comments. And, yup, Houston in the summer is something to experience.

Didn't Baywolfe say recently that air conditioning was invented in Texas? I wonder why there.

Emmeran wrote:

At that point why not just move to San Diego and enjoy year round perfect weather?

Because an apartment the size of a discarded refrigerator box costs $3000 a month.  You want to buy a home?  Hope you can afford a starting range of $750,000 to $3,000,000.

Dirckman wrote:

Baywolfe wrote:

Emmeran wrote:

At that point why not just move to San Diego and enjoy year round perfect weather?

Because an apartment the size of a discarded refrigerator box costs $3000 a month.  You want to buy a home?  Hope you can afford a starting range of $750,000 to $3,000,000.

I'm impressed with the cost of houses in the Houston area.  I can almost buy two houses for what my house in Colorado is worth.  I keep thinking there must be something wrong with the neighborhoods, but housing is just inexpensive here even in desirable neighborhoods.

Most of the suburbs are nice.  We lived in Katy for a while.  It used to be that the closer to downtown you were, the more expensive the houses.  My oldest son and his family live in Tomball, it's really cheap out there.  What areas are you looking in?

Dirckman wrote:

Baywolfe wrote:

Dirckman wrote:

I'm impressed with the cost of houses in the Houston area.  I can almost buy two houses for what my house in Colorado is worth.  I keep thinking there must be something wrong with the neighborhoods, but housing is just inexpensive here even in desirable neighborhoods.

Most of the suburbs are nice.  We lived in Katy for a while.  It used to be that the closer to downtown you were, the more expensive the houses.  My oldest son and his family live in Tomball, it's really cheap out there.  What areas are you looking in?

We were initially looking in The Woodlands, but it seemed a little far out for us.  We've liked Spring, TX and Tomball the most so far.  Katy is extremely nice, but doesn't have the neighborhood feel that we've been looking for.

Spring is nice.  You wouldn't believe what 2920 looked like in 1980, it was practically a dirt road.  I lived with some friends in a subdivision named Northampton.  All that area is so easy to get to now with all the new toll roads they built.

Dirckman wrote:

Baywolfe wrote:

Emmeran wrote:

At that point why not just move to San Diego and enjoy year round perfect weather?

Because an apartment the size of a discarded refrigerator box costs $3000 a month.  You want to buy a home?  Hope you can afford a starting range of $750,000 to $3,000,000.

I'm impressed with the cost of houses in the Houston area.  I can almost buy two houses for what my house in Colorado is worth.  I keep thinking there must be something wrong with the neighborhoods, but housing is just inexpensive here even in desirable neighborhoods.

Check your flood/wind insurance rates.

Baywolfe wrote:

Emmeran wrote:

Dirckman wrote:

I'm impressed with the cost of houses in the Houston area.  I can almost buy two houses for what my house in Colorado is worth.  I keep thinking there must be something wrong with the neighborhoods, but housing is just inexpensive here even in desirable neighborhoods.

Check your flood/wind insurance rates.

North of Houston is way out of the flood planes.  I don't think wind has ever been an issue.  Now, poisonous chemicals in the air and water, that's another story.

That explains the explosive diarrhea and why my hair has been coming out in clumps this week.

Smudge wrote:

Baywolfe wrote:

I don't think wind has ever been an issue.

I know Galveston was wiped off the map a century ago, so Houston must be at risk of hurricanes at least occasionally. North Houston may not be in flood danger, but hundred mile an hour winds can do a lot of damage in their own right.

http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/featu … on-top.jpg

Oh sure, you're going to get the odd hurricane every 20 or 30 years but, hell, you want to live on the gulf coast or don't you?  There's a big difference between an island off the mainland 100+ years ago and a well built home in Tomball 100 miles away in the middle of a heavily wooded area. 

We've been in three, Alicia in Houston (the glass from the buildings downtown was four feet deep), and Ivan and Katrina in Mobile, AL.  No structural damage to any of the houses but Katrina sucked because we were without power for almost a week.

What is the quality of life like in the Houston suburbs?  I'm leaving Colorado for the following reasons and hope to never deal with them again:

1.  Homeless people and panhandlers are on every street corner.  They can work, but they're just in Colorado for the marijuana.
2.  Winter. it's mild compared to WY and ND but still sucks the life out of me.
3.  Far left progressives. They are having a protest march or knocking on my door petitioning non-stop.  They are aggressive and annoying.
4.  Colorado state tax.  They take your money, but can't even fix the potholes in the roads.  Not sure where it goes.
5.  Dry air in high altitude.  I've spent my entire time in Colorado feeling lethargic with sinus issues.
6.  High cost of living.  The food, the fuel, insurance, electricity, is all priced higher than anywhere else I've lived.
7.  The people.  I've never known so many people lacking basic social skills.  Just rude fucking people that weren't raised right.
8.  No middle class.  You either live in the ghetto or pay a ridiculous amount of money on a mortgage.

What I like about Colorado:

1.  Best booze selection in the U.S.
2.  Nice scenery

Emmeran wrote:

Sixth largest city in the US of A.

33% Hispanic and growing.  I attended a conference out there 20 years ago and it had one of the largest Cinco de Mayo crowds downtown that I had ever seen.  Yuppies and beaners, you can have the perfect weather, it's a great place to visit but I'm not living there.

Baywolfe wrote:

Smudge wrote:

Baywolfe wrote:

All the major cities except Fort Worth vote Democrat, and they're the only areas growing in population.

I did not know either of those two things. Add to that the inevitable increases in Hispanics due to higher birthrates, and you have Texas turning blue at some point in the future, and with it a significant shift in presidential politics if nothing else.

It's been an interesting political history.  In the Presidential elections, of course they voted Democrat for Roosevelt and Truman and the whole time LBJ was VP or President and for his VP Humphrey, and lastly for Jimmy Carter.

People forget that Jimmy Carter, a Democrat, was seen as the conservative one in the 1976 Presidential Election.

AladdinSane wrote:

Baywolfe wrote:

Smudge wrote:

I did not know either of those two things. Add to that the inevitable increases in Hispanics due to higher birthrates, and you have Texas turning blue at some point in the future, and with it a significant shift in presidential politics if nothing else.

It's been an interesting political history.  In the Presidential elections, of course they voted Democrat for Roosevelt and Truman and the whole time LBJ was VP or President and for his VP Humphrey, and lastly for Jimmy Carter.

People forget that Jimmy Carter, a Democrat, was seen as the conservative one in the 1976 Presidential Election.

Yes, there was a time in this country when Democrat did not necessarily mean Liberal and Republican did not necessarily mean Conservative.  Even JFK for all his Civil Rights efforts as considered a conservative.  Tax cuts, free trade, anti-Communism, etc.

Baywolfe wrote:

Emmeran wrote:

Baywolfe wrote:

Toll Roads everywhere.

Tax

'ware the hidden taxes

Actually, most of the Toll Roads in Texas are privately owned and maintained.  It's call a fee, not a tax, and nobody here makes you drive on them.

That's the great joke of it, if you can't afford the tolls you can't use the road and can't get a job. Toll Roads are the bane of a level playing field.

Fee, Tax, Levy - it's all the same and it's corruption if it is funneled into private profits.  Restricting freedom of movement by imposing hidden taxes is one of the over-riding evils of unfettered capitalism.  Basic American liberties should not be held hostage to profit taking.

Dirckman wrote:

I'm impressed with the cost of houses in the Houston area.  I can almost buy two houses for what my house in Colorado is worth.  I keep thinking there must be something wrong with the neighborhoods, but housing is just inexpensive here even in desirable neighborhoods.

It's all tied to the cost of living in the area, along with demand, of course.  I expect CO is just more expensive to live in than Texas.  In SA you can spend a million bucks if you really want to; but we got a hell of a house--everything we wanted, built to our specs--for slightly less than a quarter-mil, about nine years ago.
I spent eleven (!) years in Dallas and...I really, really like San Antonio.

choad wrote:

‘I could never live in Texas. This is Austin.’

It's a very pleasant place for tourists, no question; but White Austin is the most up-its-own-bum community I have ever encountered (and I spent 5+ years in Chapel Hill, so that is saying something).  San Antonio is 90 minutes south and west, has plenty of touristy stuff and excellent restaurants, is easily as "blue" as Austin and a lot more real.

George Orr wrote:

choad wrote:

‘I could never live in Texas. This is Austin.’

It's a very pleasant place for tourists, no question; but White Austin is the most up-its-own-bum community I have ever encountered (and I spent 5+ years in Chapel Hill, so that is saying something).  San Antonio is 90 minutes south and west, has plenty of touristy stuff and excellent restaurants, is easily as "blue" as Austin and a lot more real.

Austin was great in the early 90's but it got too big.  And San Antonio is blue because it is mostly brown.