Friday, March 23, 2018

Scattershooting springy events and developments

-- Democratic Senate District conventions are tomorrow.  So is the March for Our Lives.


The big one, in DC, will be televised; there are more than 800 others happening across the world.  In Houston there will be two marches, one at Tranquility Park downtown at 9 a.m. and the other setting off from Heights HS at 10.  Also in Sugar Land, The Woodlands, and Galveston.  There's an awesome after-party this evening.  Crooked Timber has some posters you can download and print.

-- The District K Houston City Council special election loses one candidate but still has two others.  Ashton P. Woods would have been my choice, but he is deferring to "a black woman" for the post, an admirable move.  Woods still plans to be on the municipal ballot in 2019 for an at-large seat.

With that said, We can't just elect the first Black woman who steps up without vetting them to make sure they won't block ordinances that protect Black people on the fringes like the Trans community and the black LGBT community at large. We need people who will have integrity to govern with respect to separation of church and state, and the strength to be open and honest. We need people willing to do what many of the men on council have failed to do, we need someone who will represent the interests of ALL Houstonians and not their donors. It is clear that city government is going in the wrong direction and not taking the time to address racial and economic disparities in Houston's Black & Brown community. Instead, the focus is to criminalize the homeless, beautify the city, and pedal the "Houston is a welcoming city" lie.

Correct me if I'm wrong but this doesn't sound like an endorsement of Pat Frazier, the only black woman in the race that I am aware of.  Update: Until yesterday, when the late CM Green's constituent liaison, Martha Castex-Tatum, filed.  The TexTrib shows she has also worked in CM Steve Le's office.  Her website is still under construction at this update, but her press release published at Guidry News lists previous electoral experience as a member of city council in San Marcos.  Here's a brief excerpt from the Chron's (paywalled) article about the race:

Candidates have until 5 p.m. Monday to file for the District K election, which is set for May 5. The city is maintaining a list of those who have filed, and a map of the district is available here.

-- Trump communicates something (even without a comms director).


He won't veto it (the government will shut down and he'll get the blame). But even if he does, it won't be because of DACA but his precious wall.  Those shithole Democrats who, indeed, abandoned DREAMers left themselves wide open for this.  It's political kabuki, and the Democrats whose names appear in the last link just felt the samurai sword come down on the back of their necks.  It was an act of seppuku they performed last month; Trump just applied the coup de grâce (too many foreign languages?).

I'm looking at you, Bob.

Update: "I will never sign another bill like this again..."  Bullshit thick as a brick.

-- In sunnier news, the Tomball German Festival and Bayou Greenway Day and the Bayou City Art Festival are all this weekend.  And it's almost bluebonnet season.


Halfway between​ Austin and Houston, Brenham is a town that prides itself on its wildflowers. Using "Flower Watch," visitors can check in almost daily on the Visit Brenham website to see what is blooming. As of March 15, the bluebonnets are coming in a little later than usual, but there are a few clusters beginning to gather, and the town expects the season to peak at the end of March.

Among the suggested prime viewing spots is Hwy 290 East and West as you drive into Brenham; FM 1155 to 2679 in Chappell Hill; and FM 2447 and Hwy 290 at First Baptist Church of Chappell Hill (the church welcomes visitors, but requests that the parking lot remain open to members of its congregation).

That Chappell Hill route (FM 1155) is our favorite.  You can pause at the Washington-on-the-Brazos museum at the end, then slide over to SH 6 at Navasota and take a quick shot back to H-Town.  Lots of country dining options along the way.  Go on the weekend of April 14/15 and take in the Bluebonnet Festival before your drive, but be prepared for Houston-size hordes.  Go any other time, especially a weekday (check opening and closing times) to enjoy the experience without the crowds. 

2 comments:

Gadfly said...

And, stop in Brenham and getcha some listeria-contaminated Blue Bell?

PDiddie said...

We did that in years past, when my nephews were still very young (Lord, about 20 years ago now) but the turn onto 1155 comes before Brenham, so we now have two excuses not to do that.