Conversation of the Day
The Austin Chroncleâs story about President Barack Obamaâs Franklin Barbeque visit has been coasting through the Internet this weekend, thanks to the quick wits of cashier Rugg Webb, a comedian, artist, musician, and occasional drag queen. Hereâs Webbâs exchange with POTUS:
As the president approached, Webb threw his hand down and slapped the counter dramatically.âEqual rights for gay people!â
âAre you gay?â the president asked.
âOnly when I have sex.â
âThatâs when he laughed and said, âBump me,'â Webb says.
Daily Roundup
Up From Tragedy â Human strength is amazing, perhaps even more so when that human is just fifteen years old. The lone survivor of the Spring Massacre, in which six family members were killed allegedly by the surviving victimâs estranged uncle, was released from the hospital Friday and is expected to make a full recovery, reports the Associated Press. What more, the girl, Cassidy Stay, spoke at her familyâs memorial service and was nothing but positive. Quoting from Harry Potter, Stay said, âHappiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.â According to NBC News Stay is âcomforted knowing her parents, two brothers and two sisters are âin a much better place, and that Iâll be able to see them again one day.'â The alleged killer, Ronald Lee Haskell, made his first court appearance on Friday, during which time he âcollapsed in court while listening to prosecutors outline the case against him.â Said an assistant district attorney after the hearing âMaybe reality is finally setting in. This is not television, this is not fiction. He is facing his consequence.â
Hazy Borders â It would seem the lines dividing politicians on Texasâs biggest issue at the moment isnât nearly as defined as the border itself. Itâs one thing to have Governor Rick Perry call out President Obama and insist he make a visit to the disaster zone. Itâs quite another thing, however, to have a Democratic Congressman say the same thing. On Sunday, U.S. Representative Beto OâRourke, of El Paso, said on national television that Obama should have visited âground zero.â OâRourke said a tour âwould have sent an important message to the rest of the country about seriously he views this situation.â The chorus of those seeking a humanitarian solution is growing, thanks in part by the solo effort of the U.S.âs most famous illegal immigrant, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas, who âouttedâ himself in 2011 in a New York Times Magazine essay. As explained in a must-read essay for Politico, Vargas went down to the border to investigate and it turns out he just might be stuck in McAllen, since he lacks the proper U.S. identification to get past the checkpoint. Like the border issue itself, Vargasâs story is very complicated. For more context, be sure to read Vargasâs Q&A with the Dallas Morning News.
Child Problem â Waco just passed a record, one that no one is eager to celebrate. âThrough the end of May, the most recent figures available, [Child Protective Services] workers removed 232 children from their homes, breaking the McLennan County record of 223 for the entire year in 2005,â according to the Waco Tribune in an extensive story. âAt the end of May, there still were four months left in the countyâs fiscal year and [74th State District Judge Gary Coley Jr.] said CPS cases and new removals continue to come in weekly.â No one knows exactly why thereâs such a huge bumpâTexas saw a slight increase in such cases but nothing on par with Wacoâbut Coley, who presides other McLennan Countyâs juvenile cases says a lot of it appears to be meth-related.
When Humans Attack â Texas huntress Kendall Jones took a lot of flak for posting pictures on Facebook of herself and wild game she killed in Africa. Now, the nineteen-year-old Texas Tech cheerleader is apparently on a sort of re-imaging tour. This time, the animals are âcute, cuddly, and alive,â according to the San Antonio Express-News. The Facebook photos show Jones âholding a baby white-tailed deer, and anothe one with her Chihuahua, Nemo.â As expected, animal-lovers immediately attacked with snarky comments, though itâs not nearly as bad as the Facebook pages in support of the girlâs death. Jones does have one photo of her with a (dead) whitetail deer but âNo word if Facebook is considering removing the photo. After all, Facebook did delete the photos of her with the leopards, lions and elephants she killed on her recent trip to Zimbabwe.â For her part, Jones isnât really backing down all that much. âWhile pages and photos are being taken down left and right, Jones herself does not plan on removing herself from the spotlight anytime soon. In January, Jones signed a TV contact to debut for eight episodes in a Sportsman Channel series, she confirmed on Facebook.â
Clickity Bits
The Quiet, Self-Immolation of Reverend Moore
Feds Going After Republican-Designed Voting Map in CourtÂ
Anti-Doping Agency Wants Breaks Put on Lawsuit By Coach of Sprinter Tyson Gay
Explosions In The Sky Isnât Just a Texas Band
Hi-Ho Gold, Away: Lone Ranger Outfit Sells For $195,000
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