austin: April 2005 Archives

Why oh why do I still live in this backwards-ass state?

The Texas House voted to ban gay, lesbian and bisexual Texans from serving as foster parents, and to authorize the state to conduct investigations into the sexual orientation of current foster parents.

Appended below is a list of people who voted for the amendment. If one of these little cheese-dicks belongs to you, please call them up and spank them.

Once again this brings up one of my frustrations. I'm one of the lucky few in Austin who survived the redistricting still safely in Elliot Naishtat's and Lloyd Doggett's districts. They both vote the right way most of the time, so when these kinds of legislative atrocities come down the pike, I've got nobody to threaten with a burning bag of poop on their front steps. (And talking to Cornyn and Kay Bailey is like talking to a wall, obviously).

So I give money to LGRL and I bitch at my senators and I exhort you folks in other districts who keep re-electing the God Squad to please call them up and teach them some common human decency.

Ironic that being represented by Democrats can be so frustrating in its own special way.

Anyway, the list of holy-rolling lege-attolahs that need your attention:

Rep. Charles Anderson(512) 463-0135
Rep. Todd Baxter(512) 463-0631
Rep. Leo Berman(512) 463-0584
Rep. Roy Blake, Jr.(512) 463-0556
Rep. Dwayne Bohac(512) 463-0727
Rep. Dennis Bonnen(512) 463-0564
Rep. Dan Branch(512) 463-0367
Rep. Betty Brown(512) 463-0458
Rep. Fred Brown(512) 463-0698
Rep. Bill Callegari(512) 463-0528
Rep. Scott Campbell(512) 463-0331
Rep. Warren Chisum(512) 463-0736
Rep. Byron Cook(512) 463-0730
Rep. Robby Cook(512) 463-0682
Rep. Frank Corte, Jr.(512) 463-0646
Rep. Joe Crabb(512) 463-0520
Rep. Myra Crownover(512) 463-0582
Rep. Glenda Dawson(512) 463-0707
Rep. Mary Denny(512) 463-0688
Rep. Joe Driver(512) 463-0574
Rep. Al Edwards(512) 463-0518
Rep. Rob Eissler(512) 463-0797
Rep. Gary Elkins(512) 463-0722
Rep. David Farabee(512) 463-0534
Rep. Dan Flynn(512) 463-0880
Rep. Stephen Frost(512) 463-0692
Rep. Dan Gattis(512) 463-0309
Rep. Charlie Geren(512) 463-0610
Rep. Toby Goodman(512) 463-0562
Rep. Tony Goolsby(512) 463-0454
Rep. Bob Griggs(512) 463-0599
Rep. Kent Grusendorf(512) 463-0624
Rep. Ryan Guillen(512) 463-0416
Rep. Pat Haggerty(512) 463-0728
Rep. Rick Hardcastle(512) 463-0526
Rep. Linda Harper-Brown(512) 463-0641
Rep. Harvey Hilderbran(512) 463-0536
Rep. Fred Hill(512) 463-0486
Rep. Ruben Hope(512) 463-0726
Rep. Charlie Howard(512) 463-0710
Rep. Bryan Hughes(512) 463-0271
Rep. Suzanna Gratia Hupp(512) 463-0684
Rep. Carl Isett(512) 463-0676
Rep. Jim Jackson(512) 463-0468
Rep. Bill Keffer(512) 463-0244
Rep. Jim Keffer(512) 463-0656
Rep. Phil King(512) 463-0738
Rep. Tracy King(512) 463-0194
Rep. Lois Kolkhorst(512) 463-0600
Rep. Mike Krusee(512) 463-0670
Rep. Edmund Kuempel(512) 463-0602
Rep. Jodie Laubenberg(512) 463-0186
Rep. Jerry Madden(512) 463-0544
Rep. Jim McReynolds(512) 463-0490
Rep. Tommy Merritt(512) 463-0750
Rep. Sid Miller(512) 463-0628
Rep. Geanie Morrison(512) 463-0456
Rep. Anna Mowery(512) 463-0608
Rep. Joe Nixon(512) 463-0514
Rep. Rob Orr(512) 463-0538
Rep. John Otto(512) 463-0570
Rep. Ken Paxton, Jr.(512) 463-0356
Rep. Larry Phillips(512) 463-0297
Rep. Chente Quintanilla(512) 463-0613
Rep. Richard Raymond(512) 463-0558
Rep. Elvira Reyna(512) 463-0464
Rep. Patrick Rose(512) 463-0647
Rep. Gene Seaman(512) 463-0672
Rep. Todd Smith(512) 463-0522
Rep. Wayne Smith(512) 463-0733
Rep. John Smithee(512) 463-0702
Rep. Burt Solomons(512) 463-0478
Rep. David Swinford(512) 463-0470
Rep. Robert Talton(512) 463-0460
Rep. Larry Taylor(512) 463-0729
Rep. Vicki Truitt(512) 463-0690
Rep. Sylvester Turner(512) 463-0554
Rep. Corbin Van Arsdale(512) 463-0661
Rep. Buddy West(512) 463-0546
Rep. Beverly Woolley(512) 463-0696
Rep. Bill Zedler(512) 463-0374

Eighteen months ago today, I was hungover like a dog from the party we had had the night before, but I was hoping it was for the last time, because I had resolved a few weeks before that to quit after the party was behind us.

Three days later I wandered into my first AA meeting.

I have no idea how I have managed to stick with it, but I have, and I hope I don't ever go back, because this is so much better than I ever thought it could be.

I won't get a chance to make a meeting to get my chip until Saturday. I want to make sure I pick it up from the Liar's Club meeting at Spider House, since a lot of those guys were there for me during my worst months, and Saturday is the first Spider House meeting I'll be able to make.

To my friends: if you helped me during the past 18 months, thank you. If I helped you, I'm glad. And if you're a total stranger reading this and you want to quit but think you can't, just drop by Spider House some time, Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday at noon. If those guys could do it, and if I could do it, then you can do it.

Two Austin foodie sites to check out:

Food Austin is a new discovery. Daily off-the-beaten-path eatery reviews. So far they've found several places I've never even heard of, and their reviews of places I frequent have been spot on.

Austin Sushi has been THE source for local sushi reviews and gossip since long before sushi became the uber trend food. Started by fellow ex-KOOP troublemaker Jason Leavitt.