I'm going to just come out and say it: I love Joe Biden.
His speech at the Democratic Convention last night was not only rousing and passionate, but underscored my already gleaming opinion of the man, save the contrived "more of the same" McCain rhetoric. Still I agree with most, if not all, of what he had to say and, believe it or not, he actually appeared sincere!
When Obama entered at the end of Biden's speech, the appearance was admittedly awkward. In a somewhat last-minute announcement, he declared that he would deliver tonight's speech at Denver's Mile-High Stadium. This news didn't settle well with me. Admittedly, I've been uneasy since learning of an Obama-assassination plot earlier this week. Maybe I'm being paranoid but I don't feel that speaking in an arena such as Mile-High Stadium will provide the most favorable safety conditions for the presidential hopeful or his camp.
This morning I overheard two coworkers discussing a story on the front page of the Statesman in which David Liebe, a newspaper columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, intentionally left his 11-year-old son at a McDonald's after the two engaged in some sort of an argument. Liebe, who claimed to live only "a few blocks" from the restaurant, returned shortly thereafter to find police officers questioning his son. After a long lecture from the cops, father and son apologized to each other and the two were sent on their way. This past Tuesday detectives arrived at Liebe's home and arrested him on charges of child abandonment and endangerment. Ever since, newsrooms and blogs around state have been buzzing with discussing over Liebe and what qualifies as poor parenting skills.
One of my coworkers disapprovingly recounted a story about driving through the desert with his brother and his brother's young children. The kids were acting out and, after repeated reprimands, the brother had enough. "If you two don't stop fighting," my coworker mimicked, "I'm going to pull this car over and make you get out!" Apparently he actually pulled over, in the middle of 50 miles of barren desert mind you, and even opened a car door. Contrary to what he'd hoped to accomplish, the children actually took him up on his offer and bolted from the car, running into the dry expanse of the desert. My coworker said that he and his brother had to wait nearly two hours for the children to return, which they did only when they became thirsty. The image of this continues to make me laugh, though my coworker still cannot find the humor in the situation.
In my family, the threat of "pulling the car over" was always an idle one. I honestly cannot remember a time when my cousins or myself were so misbehaved that my mother, father, or relative literally wished to pull the car over and make us get out. Granted, I am not a parent, but I would never kick a child out of a car and intentionally abandon them in any location — be it a McDonald's parking lot "a few blocks" from my home or the middle of the freaking desert.
Blue Velvet Vintage, my favorite Austin vintage clothing boutique (next to New Bohemia, of course), closes it's central location at 2100 Guadalupe St. and moves its inventory to 217 W. North Loop, on Thursday, Aug. 21.
At the risk of sounding like an old-timer at 25, I can remember when Blue Velvet was located off of Dean Keaton and Red River streets. Alas, greener pastures await on North Loop Blvd., as Blue Velvet joins the ranks of such Austin treasures as Room Service Vintage, Monkeywrench Books, and the Parlor. If you recall, North Loop also once housed to the now defunct vintage clothing store Slinky Whistle Bait, run by local fashionista sisters Donna and Erica Barton.
So there you have it. You've got until Sunday, Aug. 24, to purchase every item at Blue Velvet's Drag location at 50 percent off. After Sunday, everything is then marked up to 75 percent off and that's not even the best part! On the last two days in August — everything in the store is $1. Good luck with those last days. You'll be clawing over the XXXL, size 42 section.
Some douche in my favorite store!!
