Mas Tortas Para Los Trabajadores

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JoeinAustin

JoeinAustin
Location
Austin, Travis, Rep. of Tex.
Birthday
March 05
Bio
Born in the oil and gas deposit-rich region of North Texas, on the fraying edge of the Permian Basin, my mother was a special ed teacher, my father, a “pumper,” a far more glamorous job among the petroletariat than the name would indicate. I managed to escape the small town that spawned me promptly after High School graduation, a modicum of sanity still intact to ride shotgun with my generous portions of anger and resentment. Some five years later, I copped a BS degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Said institution and I gladly parted ways. In the intervening 20-plus years, though my only ambition has been to have ambition, I have miraculously coughed-up a boatload of freelance articles, a couple of books of dubious merit, and a metric ton of songs of occasionally inspired quality, not to mention a paralegal certificate, 11 years of experience as a legal underling, and tens of thousands of bicycle commuter miles.

Ideologies separate us. Dreams and anguish bring us together. --Eugene Ionesco

I was browsing in the bookstore this afternoon in the midst of a post-swim reverie - Half Price Books, of course, because I am cheap; and found a copy of Eugene Ionesco's Rhinoceros. Now, recently, I had… Read full post »

  Attention film fanatics: Spoilers ahead. Of course, I'm sure most of you have seen it by now, or have at least heard all about it.

It has now been 2 weeks and change since I finally surrendered to my dark whims after… Read full post »


Shall we write the sporting obituary for the Texas Rangers?

It would seem that a team that had lost two straight World Series, getting trounced in the first one, then losing the second in the most horrific, heartbreaking fashion fathomable, would be written off as having a snowball's chance in

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How much do Barcelona and Real Madrid hate each other? The above video may give you some indication,  and this was just an exhibition match, and not a real league tie. Unfortunately, a looming strike may delay real competition in the Spanish League for some time. 

After an ugly… Read full post »

Nixon Agonistes: The Crisis of the Self-Made Man
Nixon Agonistes: The Crisis of the Self-Made Man by Garry Wills
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This may well be the ultimate book on Nixon and his rise to power. However, I shan't pass judgment until I've read his autobiographical, Six Crises. While Perlstein's Nixonland is an insightful overview of/…

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  I  heard about this video while listening to NPR in the car this afternoon. This was taken in the Hackney area of London.  A woman is castigating the rioters. She does not spare the cursing. I don't blame her, seeing as… Read full post »

On the fourth night of  rioting, the chaos has spread from London and Birmingham to Manchester and other environs. It only reminds me of what Morrissey once sang.

 

 
More information about the English riots (I am trying to say England because, to my knowledge, they… Read full post »

Both Politico and the Austin American Statesman have reported that Rick Perry will clarify that he is indeed running for the 2012 Republican Presidential nomination on Saturday. Perry is scheduled to speak that day at the RedState conservative gathering in South Carolina. The reports say that he will… Read full post »

While some 30,000 (some counts go as low as 20,000) souls from throughout Texas and the South trickled into Houston's Reliant Stadium on Saturday for Governor Rick "The Coif" Perry's Dog and Pony Show of Righteousness, up at Cowboys Stadium in North Texas,… Read full post »

Klinsmann

The United States Soccer Federation ("USSF") may be getting serious about the 2014 World Cup in Brazil as well as the Olympic Tournament in London next summer, seemingly having gone "all in" for the dream coach they have sought after for the last five years. They came/…

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Judge Miller
Judge Gray H. Miller
U.S. District Court
Southern District of Texas

 

 

As expected, Gray H. Miller, U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Texas,  dismissed Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc.'s ("FFRF") Motion for Preliminary Injunction ("MPI") against Texa… Read full post »

Uruguay 3 - 0 Paraguay
Suarez 13'
Forlan 41', 90'

Happy fans

Uruguay defeated Paraguay by three goals to nil to win the Copa America tournament on this crisp winter's afternoon at Stadio El Monumental in Buenos Aires. Uruguay's two stars from its 2010 World Cup 3rd Place finish, Luis "Handball" Suarez an/…

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BACK TO BLACK VIDEO STILL
Still from the Video for "Back  to Black"



I cheated myself like I knew I would.
I told you I was trouble,
You know I'm no good.

Amy Winehouse, "You Know I'm No Good."

After  some eight, needless to say, "odd", years of teetering on the edge of oblivion, the careening/…

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Apathy for the Devil

Oh Mr. Kent! It’s quite a tale you weave, my good sir, of your tragic figure cutting no mean swath through that hazy decade formerly and still known as, the 70’s, Iggy, Lester, Bowie, Chrissie,/…

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Kudos to the genius who made this. You speak for many of us. This Austinite and former music journo thanks you.

 I'm having trouble embedding the vid, so here is the link. Cheers.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z66_RnVLOJQ

 If the youtubers take it down, I'll repost it on my site.&n… Read full post »

It is quite odd, being that the great State of Texas is some $27 billion in the hole, that some legislators have taken precious time away from important pencil sharpening and double-entry ledgers to waste time creating political hay about how concerned they are for the safety of college students, all… Read full post »

Mr. Ruby on Rails
 
Blogger’s note: I made the mistake of heading up to North Texas the last couple of days to hang with the famille and watch the Texas Rangers make like wet bags of salt for a National TV audience. In a depressive haze,  IRead full post »

Much has been made of Tuesday evening’s rescue of the 33 Chilean Miners who had been trapped some 2,000 feet underground for 68 days. Doubtless, one cannot help but admire the fortitude of someone who has endured, with no warning or preparation, more than two months of subterranean isolation wi… Read full post »

JULY 22, 2010 9:00PM

When Bicycling Seems too Fast


Early Morn Trail

I've rather  enjoyed my slower pace of life of late. Rather than  bicycling, I've  begun taking lazy strolls  to work, enjoying the  hour  it takes to walk the three or so miles. My mindset has become  increasingly meditative. In such  mind, even somet

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  Sometimes, miracles do happen. Whether they are caused by divine intervention, the accumulation of positive cosmic energy, or just dumb luck is a question I will leave to theologians, philosophers, and daring statisticians. Whatever their origins, the benificiaries of such phenomena are… Read full post »

APRIL 11, 2010 2:39PM

Memories of Texas Stadium




I swear I glimpsed a fedora shape in the dust for just a second as it billowed above the rubble of the euthanized icon.

I shuddered. My eyes became wet. The unthinkable happened. The home in which the NFL's most venerable franchise hatched five Superbowl
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I saw the chickens myself. They flew low through my East Austin neighborhood as they traveled westerly on their way to the Texas State Capitol. They were on their way home to roost. They are there now, happily ensconsed  near the… Read full post »

As someone who has worked as a legal lackey for 13 years, I've read a few cases. The following case, out of the San Antonio Court of Appeals, may be the most entertaining one I've ever had the privilege to read. If you don't hate lawyers already, perhaps a perusal of… Read full post »

I would not recommend this as the appropriate way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, however, the BBC reports that two men held up a bank in Gallatin, Tennessee, a suburb of Nashville today. One was wearing a leprechaun costume.

 FROM THE BBC REPORT: 

"First State Bank in the Nashville… Read full post »

Here's a question  for you: Did the Texas Supremes Act  Liberal in a Recent Decision in Order to  Protect Big Biz?

On Friday, March 12, 2010, the Texas Supreme Court reversed and remanded a $15m-plus jury award against Dallas-based concrete giant… Read full post »