Yeah, that's right. Bash Texas all you want. At least when a celebrity runs in THIS state

[jobycom]

we kick his ass to the curb. Howsa bout it, California? You taking notes? Reagan? Arnold? :rofl:

"Early returns suggest that Kinky Friedman, the humorist and musician, will not be the Democratic nominee for Agriculture Commissioner."
http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/politics/entries/2010/03/02/kinky_friedman_appears_likely.html

Now if we can just stop electing Rick Perry and John F'ing Cornyn, we could really brag a little. :(

[KingFlorez]

1. We might have made some poor choices in the past

But we are still solid blue on many levels, not just splotches of blue here and there like Texas.

[jobycom]

3. Hey, I'm searching for my little ray of sunshine before all hope is dashed in November.

If I could only find two examples in the last forty years, you are kickung our hinies. :)

[NYC_SKP]

5. And we have Yosemite National Park, nobody else has anything close.

[jobycom]

6. Wow, that's gorgeous!

We do have Big Bend, though.



And the Guadalupe Mountains:



It's a beautiful state, once you get past the politics. :(

[NYC_SKP]

7. You've got San Antonio, too!

I chose this picture because I had a hand in designing the buildings there at the Botanical Gardens. :P

[jobycom]

9. Yeah, I love San Antonio. Haven't been to the Botanical Gardens in decades.

It was beautiful, though. :) Congrats.

[provis99]

13. and San Antonio also has evangelical kook Rev. John Hagee!

Congratulations!

[hatrack]

30. I think that top photo is Glen Canyon just below the dam . . . . in Arizona

:hi:

Not to bust your chops - Big Bend and Guadalupe are both amazing places!

[jobycom]

35. Um

Er...

It's a big bend. :rofl:

[hatrack]

39. For starters, the water's way too clear to be the Rio Grande . . . .

On edit - missed the pun - thank you! It is a big bend!

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~jensenl/visuals/album/2006/glen/

A few miles outside of Page, Arizona, the Colorado River takes a sharp turn, almost making a full circle. This spot has come to be known as Horseshoe Bend and is one of the more impressive views I have seen. It can be reached by a short 3/4 mile hike on a wide flat trail. See below for a map.



http://www.worldofstock.com/closeups/NEA1890.php

http://www.travisnovitsky.com/Beyond-Minnesota/Arizona/8480409_NDmiY/1/513493016_Dyrop#513082157_opBSV

http://www.detoursaz.com/glen-canyon-antelope-flagstaff.html

http://www.zazzle.com/horseshoe_bend_arizona_poster-228613074644880800

[beyurslf]

2. While there may be plenty of good things to brag about Texas (great college basketball?)

I am not sure you should brag about your choices in politicians. Had ya'll voted differently 15 years ago or so, GW Bush would just be drunken son of a former president.

[Initech]

4. See the difference between Texas and California - in my half of CA we worship celebrity culture.

It's everywhere, it's unavoidable. In Texas you can easily ignore it because you don't have an entire city that's dedicated to filmmaking.

[aquart]

8. Okay. First, just the fact that you consider Kinky a celebrity....

Which is completely distinct from MOVIE STAR...Let's see how you all would vote for Bruce Willis or Tom Selleck.

[jobycom]

10. Well he didn't get famous by being smart in politics.

He's a celebrity here.

They'd bounce Bruce or Tommie here. It's not a California kind of state. Back in 1964 John Wayne, who was loved here, tried to get into politics, campaigning heavily for George Bush for the Senate. Ralph Yarborough beat him easily. Texas doesn't see celebrity the same way California does.

[alfredo]

23. it was this photo that killed an political ambitions.

[jobycom]

36. Yeah, something about guys with camel toes...

:wow:

[alfredo]

38. It was obvious he dressed himself.

[asdjrocky]

11. We have the best weed.

That's all I'm saying.

[jobycom]

12. We have kudzuu.

Our weed could eliminate your weed. :)

But I hear you. :hi:

[asdjrocky]

14. Three words-

Grand Daddy Purp.

And I hear you. :hi:

[alfredo]

26. Yeah, but Daniel Boone National Forest Blue beats them all.

[tularetom]

15. I think there's a celebrity who could win an election in Texas

SHit, I'd move there just to vote for him.

[jobycom]

18. Only in Austin. Well, maybe San Antonio.

:rofl:

[tularetom]

20. Bet he'd make a pretty good run in San Marcos.

Based on my experiences.

BTW one of my favorite (recent) Willie stories:

My sister in law was visiting recently and one night we were watching TV when a teaser came on for the 11 o'clock news - "What did the police find in Willie Nelson's tour bus that could get his band in trouble with the law?". And my S-in-L says with a straight face "Boy, I wonder what that could be?"

We ROFL for 10 minutes. (You'd have to know her - she really was serious).

[jobycom]

28. Don't tell anyone in San Marcos I said this...

But San Marcos is a suburb of Austin. :)

Yeah, they'd kill me if they heard that, and there are ways that San Marcos is quite independent, but it's still the place that Austin liberals who get tired of the big town move to (unless they can afford Wimberly).

Good old Willie. A friend of mine worked for an auto repair place where one of Willie's people (road crew manager, or something like that) brought a van in to be repaired. An hour after he picked the vehicle up, he walked back into the office. "One of your guys stole my pot," he said, with no hint of embarrassment or self-consciousness. Sure enough, they got the guy to admit it. :) Apparently in Willie World weed is not something to be shy about. :rofl:

[alfredo]

27. He has campaigned for the Renowned Gatewood Galbraith.

Gatewood has long been an advocate for Pot and industrial hemp. Woody Harrelson is also a Gatewood supporter.

Here's a good video of him in action

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mt27O-vQnAM&feature=related

[era veteran]

16. I like Kinky

Would have made a better gov than Perry.

[LeftyMom]

17. When we split off from Southern California (which is really just Oklahoma with breast implants)

we're going to keep our water and they'll keep their moron politicians. Everybody wins*.

Hell, that asshole doesn't even live here. Seriously, he commutes by helicopter from some stuck up LA suburb.

*Except for Southern Californians, but fuck them. :P

[jobycom]

19. Yeah, if we could split Texas we'd have a chance, too.

Cut the state in half right around Georgetown, and we'd get some decent folk in office around here. Toss out everyone east of Houston, and we'd be downright human.

[DefenseLawyer]

21. No offense to Kinky

but comparing his "celebrity" to Arnold's like comparing Duffy Waldorf to Tiger Woods.

[jobycom]

29. Not in Texas.

Maybe where you are.

[DefenseLawyer]

31. Yeah, uh, no.

Half my family lives in Texas, I've spent far more time there than I would like in the last 40 years. Kinky Friedman isn't more famous than Arnold Schwarzenegger, in Texas or anywhere else. Granted, in Texas, the average person has probably heard his name, but he's barely a celebrity. He is an interesting guy, I will grant you that.

[jobycom]

33. No, uh, yeah.

I'm in Texas. Kinky is a Texas celebrity. Arnold is some wierd guy from California that people liked in Predator but don't trust because of his accent. Whether Kinky is more or less famous that Arnold isn't the issue--he's still a celebrity here in Texas.

[DefenseLawyer]

34. Bless your heart. Texans are nothing if not delusional.

Everything's bigger and better in Texas. California may have a worldwide film star that was actually elected to office, but Texas has an obscure singer who has sold 50 records, most to his immediately family, who lost in a ill-fated, semi-serious run for office. Okay you win. Kinky Friedman is a force to be reckoned with and Texas is awesome. Accept my apologies for messing with Texas.

[11 Bravo]

22. What's the deal with the Kinkster? Conservative? Liberal? Libertarian?

I don't know much about his politics, but I kind of like some of his music.

[NoPasaran]

24. Kinky's politics are pretty much non-existent

And hopefully we're done with him. He should stick to music.

[jobycom]

32. Sort of Green-ish Libertarian, if that makes sense.

He's like Willie on labor and farm issues, more "common sense conservative" on business.

Roughly, he's pro-choice, pro teacher payraise, anti-immigration, mostly anti-death penalty, pro gay marriage, pro alternate energy (especially biodiesel, since his buddy Willie is so invested in that, but also wind power, like Pickens). He sides with Republicans on some local issues, like immigration and toll roads.

Not really a bad slate of ideas, with a couple of exceptions. He's more liberal than Obama on a lot of issues. But he's more opinionated than consistent. His ideology sounds more like an old guy sitting in a barber shop commenting on the day's headlines than someone who has spent a lifetime developing an ideology. As a politician, he comes across as a clown more than a serious candidate. For instance, when asked about his stance on abortion, he hedged, saying "I'm not really pro-choice, but I'm not really pro-life. I'm just pro-football."

[SoCalDem]

37. opportunist / self-promotion..n/t

[joeybee12]

25. You're awful loose with the word "celebrity"

Kinky Freidman?

[Orsino]

40. Texas couldn't stand up to George Bush.

They would be sitting ducks, too, for Arnold-level celebrity--just as nearly any other state would be.