Now We Just Have to Keep Him Alive

After it became clear on election night that Obama had won, my next thought quickly became, "Now we just have to keep him alive." I don't think anyone has talked a lot about that, but on this 45th anniversary of the assassination of John F. Kennedy, I thought I would bring it up.

Yep, 45 years have passed since that happened. For many of the people who voted for Obama, what happened that long ago seems like ancient history. And, yes, it should, because the speed with which things happen has increased since then. Those 45 years equal about twice that much or more now.

I turned 13 years old just a few days after November 22, 1963, so I remember it all pretty well. I lived in Dallas at the time. I had passed thru Dealy Plaza hundreds of times with my parents, so I felt pretty familiar with where it all took place. The Texas Schoolbook Depository had a time and temperature sign on top that you could see from Stemmons Freeway, and I always looked over there to check it anytime we went by on our way somewhere. The entire drama seemed close to home and far away at the same time. It happened downtown, while I sat in a classroom in the Oak Cliff section of Dallas, so it seemed far away. But, it happened in my home town and that seemed really, really close.

Back then I felt like Dallas got a bad rap. Folks from elsewhere called it an evil, violent, hate-filled place. A few years later, when I hitchhiked around Europe, I hesitated to say that I came from Dallas. Whenever someone asked where I came from, I'd just say "Texas." "Oh, cowboys, horses,..." they would smile and say. If I told them I grew up in Dallas, their whole tone would change, and they'd say, "Oh, bad place." I always felt obligated to defend my city. I'd say, "No, no, really it's not so bad. It's just like anywhere else." I usually didn't succeed in rehabilitating Dallas in anyone's eyes.

I still live in Texas, but I left Dallas about 30 years ago. Not because of it's evil or violence, but because my wife at the time wanted to attend grad school at the University of Texas in Austin. Once I left Dallas, I never wanted to go back. Again, not because of its evil, but because of its hyper-conservative attitude. I never knew how conservative and up-tight until I moved away.

Today marks 45 years since an event happened that put Dallas on the world's map. I don't want to move back there, but I still believe that Dallas has had to unfairly live down a reputation that Memphis, Los Angeles, and Silver Spring never did.

Let's remember our highest ideals, and try to bring them to life. And, let's pray that Mr. Obama stays alive to encourage us to do that.

Why That's Longer than Lindsay Lohan's Been Alive!

Yep, I have worked for the people (ahem) of Texas for 25 years now. God help me! Couldn't I find anything better to do? And, besides, doesn't that mean I can retire now? Yes, it does, but I haven't finished with the people (ahem) yet.

Texas Closed for Ice

I got a call this afternoon from my office telling me that they have already cancelled tomorrow. Well, not really cancelled it, because they can't keep it from happening, but they've already called off work tomorrow. I've worked there an awful (that's how we actually pronounce "awfully") long time, and that has never happened before. Whoa, tomorrow must be gonna turn out real bad (yeah, that's how we say that too)!

$20,000 per Alien

The Texas Border Watch pilot project has come to an end. The new legislative session, which began this week, will take up the question of permanent funding. According to an article by the Associated Press the project resulted in the arrest of 10, count 'em, 10 illegal immigrants.

In case you don't know, our governor Rick Perry had 12 webcams installed on the Texas-Mexico border so that regular Texans (and anyone else) could monitor the comings and goings of persons trying to illegally enter Texas. The project had a price tag of $200,000 to get started, and resulted in the apprehension of 10 would be illegals during a month long pilot program. Yeah, that comes out to $20,000 per illegal. I'll bet the illegals would have taken a payment of $20k not to even try to enter Texas.

These Guys Make Texas Look Like a Pussy

The Chinese have finally revealed that they "harvest" organs from executed prisoners to sell on the open market. According to Amnesty International at least 1770 people were executed in 2005 in China. Some activists say that up to 10,000 people are executed each year. Also according to Amnesty there were 60 people executed in the USA in the same period. China even has mobile death chambers (MDC) that travel from city to city. I guess it works like Meals On Wheels, only it doesn't have repeat customers. Manufacturers of the MDCs say that they are much more civilized, because they use lethal injections instead of public firing squads. The makers of the death vans didn't mention that it's much easier to "recycle" the organs, because doctors are involved from the beginning.

Now as far as I know, none of the 60 executees in the USA "donated" their organs to anyone, but probably all of the executees in China did (if you can call it a donation). Think about it though, all these people on waiting lists for livers, kidneys, hearts, and so on, and here's the Chinese just providing a service to those folks. I mean, they were going to kill them anyway, why not get some benefit out of it? Besides, the executees might actually want to donate their organs, not that anyone ever asks them.

Oh, and by the way, the people that buy these "donated" organs are mostly from outside of China. In fact, most are from the USA. I guess it's just effective marketing.