Some Things Annoying Me Lately

1) Governor Rick Perry is at it again. This time, he vetoed a bill that would require drivers to actually to be safer when driving near cyclists and pedestrians. How are people to be encouraged to get out of their cars if they don't even feel safe on the roads? I say this as a novice road cyclist who is deathly afraid of motor traffic. I would like to become less reliant on my car, but I don't feel comfortable. This bill would encourage people like me to get out of our cars and our on bikes. That would better for Texas, Perry, but you're probably too much in bed with oil and car companies to care about your citizens' safety. I can't wait for the next gubernatorial election...

2) A local food blogger has decided to change her name because a major corporation has gone after her for copyright infringement. She hasn't outed the company, although I wish I knew who it was so I could write them a nasty letter for going after such a little guy. I'm sure she's trying to minimize the damage and not cause any unnecessary trouble, but this is ridiculous. I'm all in favor of people protecting their intellectual property. However, this isn't so much a case of First Amendment rights as one about a corporation creating a witch hunt to "protect its brand." I don't think this is what the writers of the Constitution had in mind when they instituted freedom of speech. The plus side is that a lot more people are reading her blog now.

[A similar case has come up against local rollergirl Crackerjack. Frito-Lay (owner of Cracker Jack snacks) is suing her for stealing their name. Also ridiculous and unnecessary.]

3) This is far less political. I'm in general annoyed with people's lack of cell phone ettiquette. Can't you shut up long enough to place an order? I'll probably return to this in a few days. For now, I just feel better ranting all these things to my gracious audience.

Juneteenth

Seeing as I grew up in Georgia--a state that only removed a racist symbol from its flag in the last ten years--I understand what it's like to be from a place with a blotted history. Texas has more than it's fair share of embarrassments (past and present).

But I was fascinated to learn about the history behind the annual Juneteenth celebration. I mean, I had not idea this happened. I always thought that when Abraham Lincoln made the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862, it freed all slaves in the United States and the Confederacy.

Not Texas. Slaves in Texas were not freed until June 19, 1865 three years later. Union general George Granger and a few thousand troops came to Galveston to enforce the proclamation, thus freeing thousands of slaves in East Texas. The following year, freed slaves starting celebrating June 19, calling in Juneteenth, and it's recognized around the world as a celebration of the end of slavery in the United States. .

Interesting sub-note: According to Wikipedia, slavery was not as common in Hill Country (which includes the Austin area) because German settlers were against the practice. So this area was progressive even back in then...

But Texas still can't make good on this interesting holiday. Several states have adopted Juneteenth as a state holiday, including places as far away as California and New York. But it's not an official state holiday here. State employees can use it as a floating holiday, but it's essentially the same as PTO. That said, people around here continue to have Juneteenth celebrations, so at least the people of Texas recognize the importance of this bit of history, even if the state government doesn't.

Texas Will Secede and Then We'll All Die of Swine Flu

Texas has been in the news a lot lately.

First, our brilliant governor Rick Perry made a joke (or was it more serious? I think so) about Texas seceding from the nation at large because of Obama's stimulus plan.

Despite all the bad sports references, David Faris properly assessed the situation in his op-ed piece Don't Mess With Texas--Get Rid of It. In the event that Texas does seceed and Austin stayed with the larger liberal U.S., I think I'd have to move (as much as I wouldn't want to). Options would be: Portland, Madison, San Francisco, Asheville, New York, possibly Decatur/East Atlanta.

Then there's swine flu. Good grief. I live approximately 80 miles from San Antonio, the location of Texas's 6 cases of swine flu. I'm not about to start wearing a mask, and I think this is just another example of media hooplah. But let's not forget that I'm uninsured and tend to be a conspiracy theorist.

So maybe Texas should seceed and quarantine all cases of swine flu. In which case, I'll hop on the next flight to Portland.

[If you think I'm kidding, read this: Texas Secede!]