Tag: Texas

A party I could/maybe/possibly/sometimes believe in…

The Texas Republican Party released their final platform for 2008… there’s a lot of things I think I could really get on board with. And yet there are still many things I think I could do without.

I could list lots of highlights on both sides of the line… but my cousins and Laurie have probably stopped reading already.

I think it’s amusing that the party seems to applaud the freedom of speech for pastors (see ending IRS restrictions on clergy) – yet wants to limit the freedom of speech of those who may want to “desecrate the American flag” (see section on honoring the symbols of American heritage).

“Yes. We’re for freedom of speech. Well as long as you don’t offend me with what you’re saying.”

I wonder if they’d be happy giving full freedom of speech to Dr. Jeremiah Wright or Louis Farrakhan…

So, I’ll let you read the platform for yourself and then share what you think is great/grand/wonderful/horrible in the comments. Let’s see if we can top the site record of 24!

Related ::

The Texas GOP 2008 party platform
The Texas GOP

Coyote Ridge HOA

We had an HOA meeting tonight. Interesting, not super informative but I don’t know what else they would have told us. Anyways we went over some of the budget in a basic spreadsheet format. Thought I’d put some nice images to them because after all – it’s all about the presentation and clarity.

Coyote Ridge HOA 2007-2008 Budget

Coyote Ridge 2007 budget

Coyote Ridge 2008 budget

So there you have it. As you can see landscaping and General and Admin budgets are the largest parts of the budget for sure in 2007. The 2008 budget gives it primarily to General and Admin – 42.27%.
$9,600 of that goes to the Professional Management Firm (aka Premier Communities) in 2008, up from $8,400 in 2007.

Makes the numbers a lot more interesting when you throw those pretty pictures in doesn’t it?

waiting on the snow

well it’s 2:42 p.m. and there’s a “winter storm brewing” in the area.

radar.jpg

Our office was told at 1:50 or so that we would probably shut things down at 2 p.m. today. Lots of people left. I waited until I heard official word and it was bumped to 3 p.m. Doesn’t matter too much though – the last bus headed towards Glenn Heights left downtown at 1:55 and the next one doesn’t get here till 3:15.

Oh well, at least I don’t have to drive home in it. Otherwise I can stick around and wait for Laurie to get off work and drive the two of us home instead.

Maybe we’ll have some fun in the snow tonight. Or just chill like a normal Thursday night. We’ll wait and see.

Baby Jessica, 20 years later

Baby Jessica, aka Jessica McClure, is now 21 years old and raising her son with husband Daniel Morales in Midland.
From the DMN:

There was no fanfare here Tuesday to mark the day in 1987 when 18-month-old Jessica McClure was lifted to safety after falling into the open backyard well.
The young wife and mother is living quietly in this West Texas oil patch city.
“Jessica’s just been a wonderful, wonderful mother,” said her father, Chip McClure. “That’s always been Jessica’s dream, to be a stay-at-home mom.”
In 3 1/2 years, however, her quiet existence might change when all the tributes that were sent to her while the nation waited anxiously for her rescue matures into a payment of $1 million or more.
Many of the sympathetic strangers worldwide who remained glued to television coverage until Jessica was freed from 22 feet below the ground showered the family with teddy bears, homemade gifts, cards and cash.
The cash sits in a trust fund waiting for the 21-year-old to turn 25.

20 years doesn’t seem like that long of a time – but it does make me feel old.