The judge in the Tom DeLay trial has refused Tom’s motion for a new trial. In regular language that means Tom lost the first round but many more are to come.

However, as of today, Tom is still headed to jail for three years.

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If you live in Texas, you know that tomorrow everybody is showing up at the State Capitol building to tell them that We. Have.  Had it. with cuts to Texas public education.

The rally starts at noon and they’re expecting you to be there, especially if you’re big and take up a lot of space.

Here’s the weather report:  perfect.

You can bring your own signs but I am pretty darn near certain that there will be extras there for you to wave around if you’re short of poster board and markers today.  And if you are, what the hell kind of progressive are you?

BOJ’s (Buddies of Juanita) are moving our usual meet-up eatery to Meyer’s Smokehouse in Elgin (pronounced el-gun by locals), about 20 miles from the capitol building, because it’ll be less crowded than downtown Austin what with SXSW going on plus this gathering.  Plus, Meyer’s is big and they have the best sausage in Texas.  If you’re not a sausage eater, their ribs, beef, and turkey will make your tongue dance.

Meyers website says, “Look for us at 188 US Hwy 290, 24 miles east of Austin. As with any great attraction, they’ve built a McDonalds right next door.”  So, after the rally, make your way to Meyers and find a sitting place in the big room.  We’ll meet you there!

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This is interesting.

Well, in Florida, a state representative has introduced a bill that would impose fines of up to $5 million on any doctor who asks a patient whether he or she owns a gun. This is certainly a new and interesting concept, but I don’t think we can classify it as a response to Tucson. Jason Brodeur, the Republican who thought it up, says it’s a response to the health care reform act.

Okay, I admit it.  All the nuts don’t live in Texas.

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Texas Ultra Republican Congressvarmint Smokey Joe Barton has more than just a few dings in his thinking mechanism.

He’s said some powerful strange things, like the time he apologized to BP for letting our Gulf of Mexico flat ruin their oil.

However, if you can figure this one out, you will be awarded 30 extra IQ points to be used at any time or place, including Juanita’s Famous Scrabble Tournament and Wine-A-Thon, where, of course, you will most definitely need them.

Listen up.  Here goes Smokey Joe’s jaws explaining why we should continue oil subsidies.  He explains that these subsidies are required to keep the companies like Exxon-Mobil from going belly up.

“Over time if you put so many disincentives against any U.S. manufacturing or production company, or oil and gas exploration company, they’ll go out of business,” Barton said.

Barton, perhaps the oil and gas industry’s staunchest support on Capitol Hill, says the subsidies for the industry should remain unchanged “so long as you believe that you believe in the free market capitalist system and they should be headquartered in the United States.”

“Now, Honey,” Juanita stands amazed, “I do believe that Joe is saying we need to nationalize the oil companies.”

“You have to give subsidies to have a free market?  Did he really say that?  I do believe he’s eaten too much crude.”

“Nope,” says Thelma, “he’s just lame brained.”

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As of this minute, Juanita and the entire staff of the World’s Most Dangerous Beauty Salon, Inc., is boycotting Governor Scott Walker’s contributors.

Jot down some of these names and put them in your wallet for the next time you shop.  Do not let your money end up working against the recall in Wisconsin or supporting other radical rightwing stuff.  If you click on the names of the businesses at this link, you will see what products they make.

Here’s a good place to start – Koch Industries.

All GEORGIA-PACIFIC products-

Toilet paper: Quilted Northern, Angel Soft

Paper towels: Brawny, Sparkle, Mardi Gras

Paper napkins: Vanity Fair, Mardi Gras, Dixie

Paper plates/bowls: Vanity Fair, Dixie

Paper cups: Dixie

Invista Products-

Dacron, Antron, Cordura, Lycra, Coolmax, Solarmax, Tactel, Polarguard, Stainmaster, Comforel, Thermolite

And don’t forget Wausau paper and Briggs & Stratton.

And send what money you’d spend on those thing to the recall movement in Wisconsin.