Three things to do instead of watching the Weather Channel for Sandy news

From Credo Action Network (with some minor modifications by me)...

Words can't do justice to the fear and peril being experienced by millions of people on the East Coast right now. For those of us who are lucky enough to be out of Sandy's path, it is difficult to know what to do with ourselves.

What we do know is that this is potentially a big moment in the movement to address climate change -- particularly since Mitt Romney and Barack Obama failed to mention it in their debates. (Global warming as a topic came up in every presidential debate since 1988. But not in 2012.)

There is growing evidence that storms like Sandy will be the new normal rather than a freak of nature. There will always be storms, but as the oceans warm and the Arctic melts, Sandy is a foreboding glimpse of the stronger storms (along with floods, droughts, wildfires, etc.) of the future.

So in between checking on your friends and loved ones in Sandy's path, looking at the latest disaster pics online, refreshing The Weather Channel home page (or seeing if the polls have changed in Ohio), here are three valuable things you can do instead, and right now:

1. Commit to vote against anyone who denies climate science or who expresses doubt that attacking global warming is an urgent priority. The League of Conservation Voters maintains a useful scorecard of our Representatives and Senators' votes on the environment.

2, Donate to a local emergency shelter or to the Red Cross.

3. Listen to Bill McKibben in conversation with Amy Goodman on Democracy Now! explain why Sandy should be a wake-up call, and then share it widely with all your friends and family.

Every good wish for safety and the fastest possible recovery to all on the East Coast.

I'll add three more to this list.

1. If you're an Obama supporter making phone calls to Florida, STOP DOING THAT. Call TransScamada, the assholes threatening protestors' lives, East Texas property owners' land, and our environment by calling them and telling them cut it the fuck out. Or call Democratic-leaning voters in Travis, El Paso, and Hidalgo counties, where Democratic turnout is lagging a bit. Especially since the races in Texas that are contested at this point are down the ballot.

2. If you haven't voted yet and you're still undecided about whom to vote for, then tune in next Monday night to hear two presidential candidates debate issues that include climate change -- and undocumented immigration, human trafficking, gay marriage, and any nation not named China, Israel, Afghanistan, or Syria.

3. Stop obsessing over who's going to win next week. This presidential election is all but over. The corporate media needs to keep promoting the horse race, however, so just tune it out.

The last-week-to-vote-early Wrangle

The Texas Progressive Alliance urges you to take advantage of early voting this week -- if you haven't already done so -- as it presents this week's roundup.

Off the Kuff looks at the 30-day finance reports for various legislative races.  

BossKitty at TruthHugger is sick of the prevailing backwards attitude of some GOP candidates. Maybe their flawed understanding demonstrates where America's education system has failed: Legitimacy Denied for Rape and Climate. And, with permission, is able to share this awesome Republican Rape Advisory Chart that speaks for itself. And BossKitty sees significance in the clash between a hurricane and a cold front: God’s Will And The 2012 Election.

The Texas Cloverleaf asks if no paper ballots mean no problem at the polls?

It's closing in on 10 years since the GOP took full control of Texas. WCNews at Eye on Williamson has a rundown of how things have changed.

Not all Republicans favor rapists... but all rapists -- just like all racists -- vote Republican. PDiddie at Brains and Eggs gets the breaking news straight from a rapist himself.

Rick Perry has his own Solyandra problem Libby Shaw tells us about the governor's high tech investment bust. Unlike the phony baloney Soladra issue, Rick's little scheme managed to pick four losers to back. Read all about it at TexasKaos.

At the local level, Neil at Texas Liberal said that Ann Johnson merits your support and your efforts in Texas House District 134. At a global level, Neil said that global warming may well play a part in the big super storm impacting the United States.  

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme wants to know how shooting a truck full of unarmed Latinos from a helicopter can be good criminal justice procedure for the DPS?

Houston freeway blogging

In the Burma Shave tradition.



Watch for it again next week on US 59 N, between Greenway Plaza and the downtown exit. A press conference is scheduled for Tuesday, October 30, at 5 p.m. at the Montrose bridge.

Sunday Rape-is-not-Funnies

Not all Republicans favor rapists

But all rapists, just like all racists, vote Republican. That's only the opinion of one rapist, though. Herewith, the darkest humor you -- certainly I -- have read this election cycle.

Hi! I’m a rapist. I’m one of those men who likes to force myself on women without their consent or desire and then batter them sexually. The details of how I do this are not particularly important at the moment — although I love when you try to make distinctions about “forcible rape” or “legitimate rape” because that gives me all sorts of wiggle room — but I will tell you one of the details about why I do it: I like to control women, and also and independently, I like to remind them how little control they have. There’s just something about making the point to a woman that her consent and her control of her own body is not relevant against the need for a man to possess that body and control it that just plain gets me off. A guy’s got needs, you know? And my need is for control. Sweet, sweet control.

So I want to take time out of my schedule to thank you for supporting my right to control a woman’s life, not just when I’m raping her, but for all the rest of her life as well.

You really need to read. the whole. thing.

We are swiftly headed toward a nation that prosecutes women for trying to end a rape pregnancy (or any other one for that matter). We are already one which prevents women -- by law in 31 states -- from denying visitation rights and even custody to the rape baby daddy.

Somebody needs to put The Handmaid's Tale into their Netflix queue.

If this conversation doesn't sway the undecided women who have swung Romney in recent weeks, then something is very wrong in this country. (I think it is swaying them, FWIW.)

Two years ago Republicans ran on jobs and governed on restricting women's reproductive rights. How does anyone think that's going to change in 2012?

Update: You think I'm exaggerating? Really?!

Metro bonds: when no means yes

Boy, I hate to pass along a rape play-on-words today. Consider the following as it is intended, explaining the Harris County referendum on Metro's bond issue, and completely disconnected from that Mourdock stupidity.

When you go to the polls, you’ll vote on a ballot item that allows “the continued dedication of up to 25% of METRO’s sales and use tax revenues for street improvements and related projects” through December 31, 2025.

If you don’t know the facts, you’ll probably vote “for,” since – statistically – you’re with the majority of Houstonians in wanting more and better public transit options (as indicated in Rice University’s 2012 Kinder Houston Area Survey). You’ll walk out of your polling place feeling good about voting for a sustainable Houston.

And, without knowing it, you’ll have just voted to effectively shut down light rail and bus expansion until 2025.

Yeah, I voted 'for' but that's because I wasn't paying attention. Don't make my mistake.

I'm still good with a 'yes' vote on the rest of the propositions.