george w. bush: "he ain't no texan," said my houston-born friend, as well as others in austin. "he was born in CONNECTICUT. any real texans'll tell ya that. he AIN'T one-a US, and he never WILL BE!!"
... i hope being beaten in the texas gubernatorial race by "shrub" years back had no bearing at all on ex-governor ann richard's recent death. below is lone-star-state-sized satire from the bright and able richards, who, when she took office as first female texas governor, had shirts made up reading, "a woman's place is in the dome."

Ann Richards on How to Be a Good Republican:

1. You have to believe that the nation's current 8-year prosperity was due to the work of Ronald Reagan and George Bush, but yesterday's gasoline prices are all Clinton's fault.
2. You have to believe that those privileged from birth achieve success all on their own.
3. You have to be against all government programs, but expect Social Security checks on time.
4. You have to believe that AIDS victims deserve their disease, but smokers with lung cancer and overweight individuals with heart disease don't deserve theirs.
5. You have to appreciate the power rush that comes with sporting a gun.
6. You have to believe...everything Rush Limbaugh says.
7. You have to believe that the agricultural, restaurant, housing and hotel industries can survive without immigrant labor.
8. You have to believe God hates homosexuality, but loves the death penalty.
9. You have to believe society is color-blind and growing up black in America doesn't diminish your opportunities, but you still won't vote for Alan Keyes.
10. You have to believe that pollution is OK as long as it makes a profit.
11. You have to believe in prayer in schools, as long as you don't pray to Allah or Buddha.
12. You have to believe Newt Gingrich and Henry Hyde were really faithful husbands.
13. You have to believe speaking a few Spanish phrases makes you instantly popular in the barrio.
14. You have to believe that only your own teenagers are still virgins.
15. You have to be against government interference in business, until your oil company, corporation or Savings and Loan is about to go broke and you beg for a government bail out.
16. You love Jesus and Jesus loves you and, by the way, Jesus shares your hatred for AIDS victims, homosexuals, and President Clinton.
17. You have to believe government has nothing to do with providing police protection, national defense, and building roads.
18. You have to believe a poor, minority student with a disciplinary history and failing grades will be admitted into an elite private school with a $1,000 voucher.

here's the latest article from hendrik hertzberg of the new yorker about world opinion toward the u.s.a. in the 5 yrs since 9/11.
in the wake of the 9/11/01 tragedy, countries of the world rallied in sympathy and support behind america.
my, how things have changed.
http://www.newyorker.com/ta...

re "we will never forget"... is anyone else uncomfortable about the implied boast of  retribution in that statement? does that phrase best respect and remember those innocents who died? to me, it smells like arrogant threat, like american policy has for the past near-two terms. it's a phrase from the mouth of the schoolyard bully, the clumsy dullard who pulls c's in class, then at recess stomps on bugs and hurts other children.
i don't think current u.s. policymakers give a hoot about the rest of the world, unless there is a chance to gain profit or spread consumerist capitalism.

read this and agree, deride, or ignore; i don't much care.  however, do read hendrik hertzberg at the above link for an informed and graceful expression of opinion. too bad people like him do not run for president... we are left with the rich, therefore influential, greedy and lazy sons of real heroes to be our future leaders.
or perhaps the current one will be the last, god help us.

warned our mom to watch not even one frame... saw it this summer at a picture theatre in texas... thought maybe i imagined it to be so spectacular because i went alone & movies always digest better when viewed solo, so got an australian copy off ebay and yes, it was just as good this time around... it's called THE PROPOSITION, written by aussie 80s deathrocker poet nick cave & directed by john hillcoat. it stars guy pierce, (sexy beast's handsome & human) ray winstone, emily watson, & my future ex-husband danny huston (yes, son of john) as a tender, learned, but kurtzian monster. it is a bloody, brutal, and  brilliant movie that'll stick in your gut & craw... watch trailers here http://www.theproposition.c... or here http://www.thepropositionfi...
THE PROPOSITION will be out on video here in the u.s. in a week or so. maybe flics will pick it up for next year, is the best we can hope for as far as a wide-screen showing!
god bless flics.

re announcement that underground paper the blackboard will cease publishing - from posting to nick belardes on nlbelardes.com (i think):

the blackboard is an infamous name & very bakersfieldian. the name bears historical weight & the badge of the underdog. the paper was named "blackboard" because the city'd just mowed down the old honky-tonk & it just wasn't right that they did that. it's not a bad-luck name, nick; it's like many bursts of art around here: it grows, it grows, there's hope, we're gonna do it this time, we're gonna pull people out of their stupor, then it bursts. pow! goodbye! those of us who remain, then, remember & maybe fan a flame out of the remaining ashes. or we just bitch!!

i think the name blackboard represents the best qualities of bakersfieldness: stubbornness, nose-thumbing, art made not to fit labels, but to reflect the pugnacious artist. those musicians down at the blackboard, barrel house, clover club, & the rest played hank wms, fats domino, chuck berry, "goodnight irene," whatever song they pleased, without worry about fitting in. no one tried to be pretty or popular or holier than thou or status quo; they just made art, good art, art that was good because it was gritty and true and heart-felt.

the blackboard spirit will live on... tho after all i wrote i know it'll probably start up again under a different name... there'll always be monkey-wrenchers and nose-thumbers, especially here in the town of talented, shrewd, don't-listen-to-nobody, mean & friendly old buck owens, & thank goodness for it. the blackboard spirit will live on...

websites are good, but the digital divide means cyberpapers will always be limited in scope & maybe even sniffing a bit of elitism (despite the net's egalitarian origins)... i'm sure you'd agree, nick, you being a writer and all, that nothing beats the smell of newsprint & the tactile & visual pleasure of touching and reading one, esp if it contains your or a friend's words, or just words that you relish... not to mention that a "real" paper can get to everyone, no matter the size of their pocketbook or home status.

anyhow, that's that for this moment. now jason rickett can rest for a bit, & we can hope another upstart will come along & hoist the underground press flag. i personally hope they keep the old name, not for selfish reasons, but because i just think it's got good ghosts. also, i like reading the historical articles by the two gilberts (geo gilbert lynch & gilbert gia, who are together publishing a book at holiday time), as well as funny political columnist eddie ruff. :) good work, jason rickett, & best wishes!!!

blackboard's website is here til nov: www.theblackboardfreepress.com

local food reviews can be found at this blog: http://gluttonbk.blogspot.c...
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