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Help Me to Pretend
Please tell me that New Orleans Saints cornerback Fred Thomas, who just last week I had hoped to return quickly from injury, didn’t allow Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chad Johnson to torch him for six catches, 190 yards, and three touchdowns. Please follow that up by telling me that Saints running back Deuce McAllister didn’t carry the ball a measly 10 times for 40 yards in a 31-16 home loss. I really don’t want to know that rookie sensation Marques Colston had to be carted off of the field with a high ankle sprain. And please spare me the news that the Saints are no longer the sole leaders of the NFC South.
For more on the Saints and the LSU Tigers ...
4:36PM Tue. Nov. 21, 2006,Robert Gabriel Read More | Comment »
Robert Jensen Cancels Thanksgiving
By way of Scott Henson, we see the little culture warriors over at the heretofore unheard-of Dallas Blog are making hay over a year-old essay from UT professor Robert Jensen where the reactionary lefty calls for fasting and atonement in lieu of Thanksgiving. We're reminded of Stephen Colbert, who, lamenting the commercialization of the holidays, said it seems like the War on Christmas starts earlier every year.
2:55PM Tue. Nov. 21, 2006,Wells Dunbar Read More | Comment »
Feds Table New Drug Testing Guidelines
A proposal by the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services to expand drug testing of federal employees to include sampling of hair, saliva, and sweat has been tabled, reports NORML. The new guidelines were originally proposed in 2004, but stalled out after officials at several government agencies voiced concerns that the newer testing technologies weren’t reliable enough to justify the extra expense. Currently about 400,000 federal employees are drug tested using urinalysis – indeed, even traditional urine testing is not without problems since the tests can detect inactive drug metabolites, which are not indicative of current use or of intoxication. Among the problems associated with drug testing are false-positive results for, say, opiate use in people who regularly eat foods containing poppy seeds.
2:42PM Tue. Nov. 21, 2006,Jordan Smith Read More | Comment »
TODAY'S EVENTS
Texas Burlesque Festival
Long Center for the Performing Arts
ATX TV Festival at Multiple Downtown locations
Hyperreal Hoedown fundraiser w/ Loteria, Sentimental Family Band [patio] at Hotel Vegas
MUSIC | MOVIES | ARTS | COMMUNITY
Hunting Blind
You've heard of hunting blinds, but what about blind hunters? Rep. Ed Kuempel, R-Seguin, has filed a bill that would allow legally blind people to arm themselves with a gun and a high-powered lighting device to hunt deer and ducks and what have you. The headlights of a vehicle would also suffice as a perfect deer-in-the-headlights scenario. Talk about shooting fish in a barrel! Cheaters won't be tolerated, though. The hunter must carry proof that he or she is legally blind. House Bill 308 would also require the visually impaired hunter to be assisted by someone who can see pretty good, unless they happen to go by the name of Dick Cheney.
1:03PM Tue. Nov. 21, 2006,Amy Smith Read More | Comment »
National Round-Up
Poli-sci blogger Matthew Yglesias offers a searing indictment of the faux-centrist, neo-liberal thought at The New Republic that cheered the war in Iraq, and their mealy-mouthed mea culpa. Quite the season for those.
More terrifying tales from Seymour Hersh, this time on whether the newly-rebuffed Bush administration is more likely to attack Iran. More Hersh here on the Democracy Now! Web site, where you can download his appearance on yesterday's show.
10:10AM Tue. Nov. 21, 2006,Wells Dunbar Read More | Comment »
Her First House
Toby Futrell: Her first home was a real killer
By Wells Dunbar
TOTALLY SPECIAL TO THE CHRONIC-STATESMEMBER
Monday, Nov. 20, 2006
Part of an ongoing holiday series.
When the workload piles up at City Hall, all Austin City Manager Toby Futrell has to remember is her first house. And all the people – parts of people, really – that are buried under the basem*nt.
It always puts things in perspective when one recollects installing their own siding – working in winter jackets to protect you from the cold. Or the fun of hosing off outdoors after a fevered, animalistic dismemberment has left you soaked in gallons of a stranger's blood.
4:19PM Mon. Nov. 20, 2006,Wells Dunbar Read More | Comment »
NEWSLETTERS
Durant Named Big 12 Rookie of the Week, Again
Freshman and future lottery pick Kevin Durant continues his stellar play (unless you ask Rick Barnes) earning his second consecutive Phillips 66 Big 12 Conference Rookie of the Week honors. Durant is almost averaging a double-double for the season with 22.8 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. He could have gone pro instead of choosing to play for UT this year and will most certainly enlist in the NBA draft following this season. Enjoy his stay here in Austin while you can.
Spartans junior guard Drew Neitzel scored with 2.4 seconds on the clock and Michigan State upset UT 63-61 last Thursday in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic held in Madison Square Garden. UT rebounded by narrowly defeating St. John's 77-76 in the consolation game with Anthony Mason Jr.'s last-second three-point attempt bouncing off the rim. The Longhorns' next matchup is against Nicholls State this Tuesday, Nov. 21 at 7pm here in the Erwin Center.
3:55PM Mon. Nov. 20, 2006,Mark fa*gan Read More | Comment »
On The Road (But Never On the Pill)
Regarding the earlier post about wingnut par-excellence Eric "Contraceptives are Demeaning to Women” Keroack getting paid with your tax dollars to push his hardline views on sex, the tireless bloggers over at at Digby's Hullabaloo point to a PowerPoint of the infamous "oxytocin" presentation here.
Wow.
2:05PM Mon. Nov. 20, 2006,Wells Dunbar Read More | Comment »
Annie's List Loses Director
Kelly White can say "mission accomplished" without having to eat her words. The executive director of Annie's List is leaving her post after breathing new life into the group in less than a year's time. White, the former E.D. of SafePlace, took over the reins of Annie's List in early 2006, replacing former director Sherry Boyles, who left the organization under a cloud of controversy. White and her staff rebuilt Annie's List from the ground up through fundraising, training, and recruiting pro-choice Democratic women to run for legislative seats. This year, the group focused its resources on five competitive House races and won all five, including Travis Co.'s HD 47 seat won by Democrat Valinda Bolton. In a special election earlier this year, the group helped Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, win a special election in HD 47 to replace former GOP Rep. Todd Baxter. White, who narrowly lost to Baxter in 2004, says she will enjoy some down time with her family before deciding her next mission.
1:10PM Mon. Nov. 20, 2006,Amy Smith Read More | Comment »
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