Immigration up date, and National Age Group Championship

The immigration issue in Ransom Canyon is getting much better, I was reminded by one of those little honkers that the language is French Canadian, not Canadian French. Okay, picky, picky, I knew that anyway but was just testing them. They have stopped carrying the demand signs around on their beaks and seem to be making themselves at home quite well. There will be other issues to deal with in the future since we are having a water shortage and the question is where will they sit their butts when the water is too low. Another concern is Ransom does not have a school system so will they be accepted in the Slaton or Roosevelt school system. This has gotten much more involved than our little 1000 population community had expected, but we will deal with it.

The National Age Group Triathlon Championship was last weekend in Smithville, Missouri(close to Kansas City)at Smithville Lake. It was a tremendous success and all of the athletes were very happy with the venue and administration. Mark Livesay did a great job of directing this race and the staff from USA Triathlon was there in force helping him. As we all know it is difficult to have two cooks in the kitchen, which is what happens with the NAGC being owned by USA Triathlon. They get involved with the on site race director and sometimes the division lines are not well defined. From what I could gather these problems did not exist in large form and it is only human that there might be some disagreement when the heat gets turned up a little. But, it appeared that all of the pre-race planning and implementation was done very well and whatever problems came up prior to the race, were handled well.

Well it is official, "Kinky" Friedman is on the Texas Ballot running for Governor and he will be listed as "Kinky." His first name, the best I can determine is James, but he only goes by Kinky and in his books you will not find his given name. This determination of placing his name as Kinky on the ballot had to be granted by law, whoever that is in the state that does such things. The other candidate running against the incumbant Ralph Perry is "Grandma" Strayhorn, however, she must use her given name and can't use "Grandma," also determined by this same law guy(probably the Attorney General of Texas). When ask by President Bush what his platform is, Kinky answered: "My platform, Mr. President, is that I'm not a politician. My platform is that I'm not a bureaucrat. My platform is that I'm a writer of fiction who speaks the truth. My platform is to fight the wussification of this great state, to rise and shine and bring back the glory of Texas. My platform is, no hill to a climber. My platform is to remember they went out searching for Sam Houston to try to persuade him to be the governor--and he was the greatest governor this state has ever had--rumor has it that they found him drunk, sleeping under a bridge with the Indians." On second thought, maybe I don't really want a platform. They might try to put a trapdoor in it. Greerism--I love this state, but I am concerned as Kinky is about the "wussification" process that is going on and we must protect it by having elected officials like him. There is room for honesty and everyone elected does not have to be "slick." Texas trivia--The State Capital in Austin is the nation's largest statehouse, with a dome seven feet taller that that of the National Capitol in Washington, D.C.

Off to do a bike ride, and pack for Irongirl Texas, July 23rd, Irving, Texas(Las Colinas),

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