Will Phillips for President 2030.

Will Phillips was awarded the Outstanding Television segment award at the GLAAD Media Awards on March 13. This is his acceptance speech:





Here's the money quote:
"I believe that activism is important. Activism is change. It is the fuel, lubricant and engine that drives the slowing moving turtle-mobile that is progress."

This is the face of the next generation. We adults may struggle to understand and come to grips with LGBT rights but it is a non-issue for kids like Will. As Andrew Sullivan would say - Know Hope.

My Pi Day that almost wasn't

So, it's Pi Day- March 14 - 3.14 - and all that. Naturally enough, we went in search of pie this afternoon. First we headed towards the Village Inn only to discover that it was no more. Our lone outpost of pie yumminess from the Midwest had folded up shop and not bothered to send us a memo.

After circling the shopping center where it used to be, confirming that indeed there are no Village Inns within reasonable driving distance; we looped around the Parmer-Lamar-Howard Lane triumvirate TWICE before finally successfully heading back north to Round Rock.

We discussed several possibilities and decided upon 620 Cafe and Bakery. Once upon a time this used to be a nice little family restaurant. Now, it's hit upon hard times. While still a functioning establishment, it was, much to our chagrin, closed.

Increasingly desperate for pie, we decided to try Cracker Barrel. One abysmally bumpy road later we arrive there to find that yes they have pie. Apple pie. Only apple pie.

Now fully affirming our quest we forged ahead. Willing to spare no expense we headed to La Madeleine. Alas once a gain we were thwarted. Lots of tasty desserts were to be had - cakes, croissants, tarts, madeleines, napoleons and cookies. But no pies.

Then inspiration struck and we headed towards one place in Round Rock that we knew had pie - Louisiana Longhorn Cafe. 

Where I proceeded to have peach cobbler. Not pie, technically, but a dessert with fruit and a crust and ice cream. So shoot me. Everyone else had pie.

Happy Pi Day!

A Second American Civil War

I'm a native Texan as the name of this blog implies. As a Southern girl, and we won't argue here whether or not Texas is truly a Southern state, the Civil War's influence was intense. It shaped and still shapes much thinking and much of our shared history. It was a shameful moment in that shared history yet one that is still not fully understood to this day.

Was it fought to free the slaves or was it about state's rights? Perhaps it was the Southern plantation owners last ditch effort control the future of US government. What role did religion play in breaking apart the Union?

I look at all these things and then look around me at the American landscape as it stands today and I weep.

I weep when I read about Oklahoma attempting to create legislation that says they don't have to abide by federal law on hate crimes.

I weep when I read about the Virginia governor trying to tell state agencies and colleges to strip protection for sexual orientation and gender identity from their anti-discrimination codes.  Or when a Mississippi high school cancels its prom rather than allow a lesbian couple to attend.

I weep when I read about the Ugandan "kill the gays" bill or Fred Phelp's "church" or any of the other Christianist leaders talking about how downtrodden and discriminated against and endangered they are.

I weep when I hear one more tale of Governor Big Hair and his anti-federal government screed.

They all remind me of my history. They remind me of the decade leading up to the American Civil War. A decade filled with divisiveness, religious intolerance and schism, turmoil and hate speech. It seems more and more like the decade we are living in, one where the people have lost faith in their political system and one where religion is used to justify hatred and intolerance, is more and more like the 1850s.

We seem unable to compromise. A huge segment of our population seems filled with fear: fear of losing their way of life, fear of change, fear of loss of power. A large portion of our economic engine (read corporations) are desperately trying to maintain and formalize their hold on our government. Much like the Southern plantation owner tried to maintain their grip on their federal government in the 1850s.

All the while we are egged on in ever increasing fervor by talking heads whose only true responsibility is to their pocketbooks. The Becks and Limbaughs and Coulters and Malkins of this world don't really care about the people desperate for an answer. They only care about themselves and their money. Yet their "free speech" serves only to divide us.

Those who will not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.

Somedays...

Other people just say it best.

John Cory is one of those people. Go read his post on Reader Supported News.  Then sign the petition. I'll wait.

Back? Is that not simply the most direct and eloquent description of what's wrong with politics as usual? Democrats need to wake up or come November they won't have to worry about a super-majority or reconciliation because they truly won't have enough votes to elect Al Gore as dogcatcher.

Here in my little corner of Texas, I have no choice. The Williamson County Democratic party couldn't manage to get someone on the ballot to run against John Carter. So, it's two more years of his special breed of insanity. For the presidential election, we had a line out to the street for Democrats waiting to have the precinct convention. This year, no one showed up except myself and my husband. Not even the precinct chairman. In 2008, the Republicans had about 5 people show up. They were in and out before we even got in. Same 5 people showed up this year. They were in and out before we finally gave up waiting. The nascent Democratic base in Texas is facing an uphill battle of major proportions. In no small part because our party leadership is lacking. Sound familiar?

Do they even deserve our support? The only thing that keeps me from checking out on all things political is the thought of a return to Republican disrule.

Hope is an ever diminishing quality.

Sean and Sarah sittin in a tree...

I saw this headline on Crooks and Liars :

Sean Hannity: Sarah Palin is Smarter Than Obama

And my eyes crossed and my head momentarily thought about imploding. Then I read the article and got a giggle. Apparently Juan Williams, whoever the hell that is, is a rarity on Faux News. He has a real brain. He points out, and its just funny as hell, that ol'Sean is thinking with his little brain and not the the one above his shoulders.

This, I think, explains so much about the Right's fascination with Palin. Even for the women. I mean, Anne Coulter would do her. Not that any sane person would get anywhere near Coulter's "personal" space, but then Sarah isn't sane. Seriously, I think this is the answer. The Right all finds Palin maddeningly sexy and it's short circuited what Saint Ronnie left of their brains.

(Speaking of St. Ronnie, did you know there's a bill in the House to change the portrait on the 50 from Grant to Reagan?  You all know what I think of Reagan. What do you want to bet that the Dems can somehow manage to stop this bill? And it won't take a supermajority to do it, either.)

Any way. I don't think much of Sean Hannity and even less of Sarah Palin. They deserve each other and our country deserves better. And just for the record - President Obama is much, much smarter than Palin. In fact, there's no comparison. It would be like pitting a Harvard educated lawyer against a beauty queen. Oh, wait...