Thursday, May 12, 2022
Lucky Dorrell 2006 - 2022
We found her -- or she found us -- on New Year's Eve, 2008 while walking our Teddi. Lucky always liked dogs better than people and she was very enamored of Teddi, so she followed us for a few blocks but didn't let us get too close. We lived in West U in a 4-story condo at the time and Mrs. Did worked with her for three hours, finally getting a leash on and up the elevator. It was a year before Lucky let me pet her. We decided she must have been mistreated by a man.
She was a Lab pit mix and you can perhaps see her terrific Cleopatra-Queen-of-the-Nile eyeliner in these photos.
She was living behind a dumpster next to a Chinese restaurant, we learned later from someone while on a walk with her. She had a bloody tail tip and was low-positive for heart worms by the time we got her to the vet. She had a lot of fear all her life, which translated into aggression. She jumped on a guy at the condo coming out of the elevator and tore his jacket, which we paid to fix. She bit a handler at Rover Oaks. When we took her to the dog park she lost her mind, barking incessantly at other dogs and chasing them and annoying the other dog owners. We'd pump her with Benadryl beforehand but that didn't faze her in the slightest. It was the same at the PetsHotel. She couldn't do doggie daycare because of her fixations on other dogs. Once she got bit on the muzzle by a dog she was bothering and they had to take her over to the Banfield people for a couple of stitches.
She was not drama-free. But she was a great watchdog and she loved her sisters and her Mommy. And she became a very calm, relaxed, happy dog in her dotage.
Her hip finally gave out a few weeks ago and she was just dragging herself around, mostly unable to walk or even stand at the end. So we gave her a great send-off, with burgers and chicken and ice cream the past couple of days, and when the vet came to the house this morning we set up her bed outside in the sunshine, which she loved to lie in, and said goodbye.
Now she's with Holly, over the Rainbow Bridge, and she's jumping and running without any pain and they're both together and happy.
She was a good, good, dog.
I'll have the regular Wrangle tomorrow.
Monday, May 09, 2022
Choose or Lose Wrangle
This week's #politicalcartoon by @Branchtoon. pic.twitter.com/XrJQtFnsm0
— Houston Chronicle Opinion (@ChronOpinion) May 4, 2022
PHOTOS: People took to the streets of Austin to show support for abortion rights after news broke that the U.S. Supreme Court intends to overturn Roe v. Wade. Overturning the case would essentially eliminate abortion access in Texas. https://t.co/NxkEzFasdl pic.twitter.com/4yINMT24Q4
— KUT Austin (@KUT) May 4, 2022
People in Texas cities protesting SCOTUS abortion news, a thread:
— Emma Balter (@EmmaBalter) May 4, 2022
It would be beneficial for "The Left" to stop the backbiting and infighting on this issue and unite in order to turn back the Christofascist wave sweeping Texas and the nation. Two things: not holding my breath, and because there are varying definitions of "left" and unite", I should clarify that mine do not include centrist Democrats nor voting for them.
Clyburn and Cuellar share dozens of the same corporate donors. Both congressmen were among the top recipients of business PAC money in the 2020 election and have each received nearly $1 million already this cycle: https://t.co/hUkVetA12L
— Marc B. (@theoceanlawyers) May 4, 2022
I'm capable of voting for a few Texas Democrats in November, provided the party's voters can nominate some that I can support. I can recommend a few more for those of you who vote blue in districts where you live, like Claudia Zapata in TX-21.
That’s a wrap on our Defend Roe Rally in San Marcos, TX! To all who came out or shared your stories, THANK YOU.
— Claudia Zapata for Congress, TX-21 (@PoderConClaudia) May 7, 2022
We stand in solidarity with the millions of people fighting for abortion rights across this nation & beyond.#Roe #TX21 pic.twitter.com/hZPRdPitCi
And I heartily recommend direct democracy. Because it's really the only kind left.
I'm helping a local org make Plan B packets over the weekend here in deep south Texas. People seeking abortions near the border will be the most affected, as displayed a few weeks ago when a woman was jailed for performing a "self abortion," aka getting pills from Mexico. 😐
— Denise Flores (@TheDeniseFlores) May 3, 2022
But Democrats shouldn't kid themselves about their chances in the fall. A lot of people who used to support them won't any longer.
"As a young woman in Texas ..." https://t.co/vE4Z59hMz2 #TXLege #TX2022 #GSR
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) May 5, 2022
Favorite chant from last night: “Voting blue is not enough! Democrats we call your bluff!” There’s huge anger at the Democratic Party right now and the left needs to seize the moment to make a jailbreak. We need a new party for the working class. pic.twitter.com/5vLDyZRag6
— Keely Jane (@KJMWrites) May 4, 2022
Voting more and harder simply isn't going to solve this.
#RoeVWade is about to be struck down by the Electoral College https://t.co/UuOkxzwvKj by @Schwarz
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) May 4, 2022
Fear of loss, fear of threats from 'the other', fear in the voting booth in general may be a prime motivator for conservative troglodytes, but it does not work on people with enough sense to understand the manipulation by the elites and media. That is an increasing number of Americans who still choose to vote, a steadily dwindling number itself (despite the occasional upward ticks).
So prospects are exceedingly grim for the republic. Which is why I'm also advocating for a general strike revolution. I'm increasingly of the opinion that it's our last best option. You see, I'm old and sick but I'm still capable of getting in the way. Because blocking these chuds at every turn, by whatever means, grows crucial.
Very "pro-life" to debate whether or not women who have abortions should be murdered.https://t.co/a5x50FOK02
— The Humanist Report (@HumanistReport) May 9, 2022
Accumulating this much power is not easy and it is very expensive. But anti-abortion forces had a critical ally: corporate America. https://t.co/LU6K8iMoK2
— Tess Fraad-Wolff (@TessFraad) May 4, 2022
Attorney General Ken Paxton made false assertions, omitted key facts and relied on debunked scientific claims when he determined that providing gender-affirming care to trans youth should constitute child abuse, according to medical and legal researchers. https://t.co/EvMnbpIqnn
— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) May 5, 2022
"Gov. Abbott has poured money into Operation Lone Star that could be going toward literally anything actually productive for the state." — @k_huddleston
— ACLU of Texas (@ACLUTx) May 8, 2022
Exactly this. ^^^https://t.co/61obCQow22
Greg Abbott's latest big idea is to get the SCOTUS to revisit every single case for which he didn't like the decision thirty, forty, fifty years ago. Charming.
.#SCOTUS voided the Texas Legislature's 1975 law barring use of state funds for educating illegal immigrant children, & Tyler ISD's attempt to charge them $1,000 each to compensate for the loss of state funding.
— Bob Garrett (@RobertTGarrett) May 4, 2022
Here's more on the case, Plyler v. Doehttps://t.co/f3P4rWcIUP 2/2
And what if we manage to deny him, and Paxton, and the Supreme Court and the Republicans in November? We still have a planet on fire and Texas throwing gas on it.
Uncombusted #methane and VOCs from a malfunctioning flare is a common sight in most #oilandgas fields. This is from Wednesday in the TX Permian Basin.#ClimateEmergency pic.twitter.com/RVVgLH9Gnw
— Methane Hunter (@TXsharon) May 6, 2022
Although Texas is the top aggregate-producing state in the country, it stands alone among the top ten aggregate states in not requiring aggregate miners to engage in any kind of reclamation. https://t.co/IcSxyu5Gxi
— Texas Monthly (@TexasMonthly) May 5, 2022
ALL TIME EARLIEST DATE OF 100 DEGREES EVER RECORDED in Amarillo, Texas shortly after 2:30 this afternoon. #phwx #TXwx pic.twitter.com/bXCR5rcJjM
— NWS Amarillo (@NWSAmarillo) May 7, 2022
Houston is spending $7 billion to expand I-45, which will displace 160 homes, 433 apartments, 486 public housing units, 5 places of worship, and 344 businesses with the loss of tax up to $310 million per year. 80% of those displaced are minorities. In the year 2022. Shameful. pic.twitter.com/1KgynSQGiW
— Hayden Clarkin (@the_transit_guy) May 6, 2022
State Sen. Borris Miles organized Tuesday's hearing. While speaking to a TCEQ member he said, "All we want... all we are asking y'all to do are the right things." https://t.co/RzxLGyqGI3#EnvironmentalJustice #SD13 #fifthward #kashmeregardens #creosote #tceq #txlege #hounews
— Texas State Senator Borris L. Miles (@BorrisLMiles) May 4, 2022
Much of this Wrangle could have been published last week. I'll try to catch up tomorrow or Wednesday with the latest, including the social justice posts. Here's a story you should read if you haven't: Leticia van de Putte's recovery from her terrible accident.
‘I never felt any pain’: San Antonio’s former Texas state senator Leticia Van de Putte learning to walk again after she was struck by a vehicle in Florida almost a month ago. Thank you, @ByJulieSilva - Update @ExpressNews @leticiavdp https://t.co/7xKzNquiAy via @expressnews
— Peggy O'Hare (@Peggy_OHare) April 27, 2022
And a notable passing.
Country music legend Mickey Gilley has died at age 86, according to Pasadena Mayor Jeff Wagner. https://t.co/AdSh0xjsX4
— KHOU 11 News Houston (@KHOU) May 7, 2022
Last: the soothers, starting with a few long walks.
Fort Worth's Trinity Trails will soon be connected to Dallas via a regional trail set to open in 2023.
— KERA (@keratx) May 5, 2022
See an explainer about this "superhighway of trails" by local journalism partner @FortWorthReport: https://t.co/IVVkAGfd1G | @ssadek19 pic.twitter.com/d62JtVZVls
Conquer the Guadalupe Mountains, lollygag through the loblollies in East Texas, or trace a historic railroad near Caprock Canyons on Texas's top backpacking trails. https://t.co/tjVloCoUYh
— Texas Monthly (@TexasMonthly) May 4, 2022
Texas’ first wildlife movie, narrated by Matthew McConaughey, is coming to Texas theaters starting June 3. Check out the trailer and view the list of theater locations at https://t.co/tA3M2ijSV0. Spoiler - we need #MoreNature! #MillionAcreParks #txlege
— Environment Texas (@EnvironmentTex) May 4, 2022
@deepintheheartfilm pic.twitter.com/WaT7nk0Qcp
More than 90 authors are scheduled to attend this year @SABookFestival 📚https://t.co/WA3vkAzrdV
— MySA (@mySA) May 8, 2022
Family of cotton pickers in Eden, Texas, 1895. The resemblance between these men and boys is really quite strong. This photo was taken by A.R.M. Blair and is one of thousands of photos in the Lawrence T. Jones III Texas collection at SMU's Degolyer Library. pic.twitter.com/CVkkp5rbJQ
— Traces of Texas (@TracesofTexas) May 1, 2022
Sunday, May 08, 2022
The SCOTUS Leak/Roe v. Wade toons that might be NSFW
I'll let you choose.
#GeneralStrikeForReproductiveRights#GeneralStrikeForRoe#EndTheFilibuster #CodifyRoeVWade #GeneralStrikeRevolution pic.twitter.com/6S4Jb6mYNK
— 🌹 🔥 Dark Warlord 🔥 🌹 (@drkwarlord) May 8, 2022
Mothers Day Funnies
More of a collection that reflects a future for women who'll be forced to become mothers as a result of someone else's edict. I have at least one and perhaps two more sets of Funnies to post today; an aggregation of more graphic, in-your-face cartoons on the topic du jour, and if my time allows, a collation of some political toon takes on news that is in danger of being drowned in the maelstrom.
Tuesday, May 03, 2022
Completely Broken Wrangle
Everything (including me). I simply don't think I'll be able to ease back into blogging this week after last night.
Texas' "trigger law," passed by the Legislature last May and signed into law by @GovAbbott, outlaws nearly all abortions if SCOTUS strikes down Roe v. Wade. Doctors would face life in prison or $100K fines for performing an abortion: https://t.co/EiueNLG1id #txlege
— Jasper Scherer (@jaspscherer) May 3, 2022
It didn't feel shocking to me, but I do get that shitlibs have to have something to be outraged about on a regular basis (just like MAGAts). Not a fresh outrage, mind you; a recycled one will do just fine, as long as it scratches open all their scabs.
Blaming Jill Stein for getting one percent of the vote instead of, you know, the leading Democrat who managed to *lose to Donald motherfucking Trump* is how you get history to repeat itself. Y'all are like the people who still blame Nader for GWB.
— haj (@hajnal_endot) May 3, 2022
- Obama not codifying Roe
— Gritty is the Way (@Gritty20202) May 3, 2022
- RBG not retiring under Obama
- Obama not fighting for Justice Garland
- Clinton elevating Trump's campaign
- Clinton not campaigning in swing states
- Clinton losing to a reality TV star
- Biden not codifying Roe
Just blame it all on Bernie bros!
I really expected more carping at Susan Sarandon, although I did see a lot of crap dumped on Nina Turner, whose Ohio congressional rematch with what's-her-neolib-face culminates today. It's just more proof to me that if you can't understand the role of people like Mitch McConnell and Susan Collins in the process, then -- as with Ukraine and the Nazis in the Azov battallion -- you can't figure out who your real enemies are. And that appears to be a generational problem for Democrats at this point, not just a cyclical one.
Images of Ambassador Bob Krueger, taken about 10 years apart at his 1983 wedding to Kathy Tobin and 1993 Senate debate with KBH. Last Democrat to hold statewide office in Texas, passed away Apr. 30 at 86. #txlege @bobphoto #RIP pic.twitter.com/gLeivvFdPg
— bobphoto (@bobphoto) May 1, 2022
There is no way that I, or anyone like me, is going to be insulted, or threatened, or scared into voting blue in '22. That ship has sailed.
Let's see what slid down the memory hole over the past week.
As a former Texas legislative correspondent, nothing about Rick Perry's complicity in the coup shocks me. However, I am still shocked by the number of reporters who treated him like either a harmless goof or a moderate who played footsie with fascists. https://t.co/jHhQjXaZuQ
— Richard Whittaker is still at SXSW (@YorkshireTX) April 25, 2022
The office of Gov. Abbott is now asking the public for donations to help pay for charter buses transporting migrants to Washington, D.C. https://t.co/M49ItZPIg2
— WFAA (@wfaa) April 27, 2022
Bonnen potentially returning to Austin as lobbyist to save the huge tax incentives that disproportionately benefitted the ONG corps in his old backyard https://t.co/lwU5dmJb0M https://t.co/8LGXsg6QQw
— Justin Miller (@by_jmiller) April 26, 2022
Texas Governor Abbott’s border crackdown is generating fresh backlash, with Mexico announcing that a new rail line to the U.S. would now go via New Mexico instead of the Lone Star State https://t.co/7eKhJg9aqy
— Bloomberg (@business) April 29, 2022
National Guard members injured or killed on the Texas border get a fraction of the health and death benefits for their families because they were deployed by Gov. Greg Abbott rather than President Joe Biden. Via @HoustonChron: https://t.co/8b6IJZlIUm
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) May 2, 2022
Adding to the speculation that @GregAbbott_TX is eyeing a run for the White House, @HKronberg reports that Abbott chief strategist Dave Carney recently told top tier lobbyists that the campaign plans to raise another $50 million this year #TxLege https://t.co/zbsk5J6m06
— Scott Braddock (@scottbraddock) May 2, 2022
Another $50 million. But get the base to ante up for the buses to DC (and Delaware), and break the state and nation's economy some more. Sounds like a winning platform.
Is our climate broken? Is our response to the apocalypse broken?
"We need to be listening to what the Earth is telling us," says Roddy Hughes of the Sierra Club. "We need to be slowing production."
— Bloomberg (@business) April 29, 2022
Read more in the investigation by @SergioChapa and @DavidWethe: https://t.co/9Jo7z9STyG
New for @FloodlightNews / @TexasTribune:
— Amal Ahmed (@amalahmed214) April 25, 2022
For years, fossil fuel companies have deferred hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines for pollution towards....nonprofits that benefit their own industry.
https://t.co/KOSzNdwOVO
The sweet relief of yesterday's rain in parts of TX didn't drastically change the state's drought outlook, especially in West Texas.#txlege needs to take action on water now. It needs to prioritize conservation, water loss, climate data & more:https://t.co/kJbB4mcnnh#txwater https://t.co/FAYviqYZPl
— Texas Living Waters (@txwater) April 26, 2022
“There simply isn’t enough water available ... We need to urgently rethink how we capture water—and how we consume it.”
— The Meadows Center (@MeadowsC4Water) April 27, 2022
Read more on the State of #OurTXHillCountry: https://t.co/L8vnAZZ7zn #txlege #txwater pic.twitter.com/1e2Itae8Ou
More than 90 percent of all land in Texas is privately owned, giving the lion’s share of responsibility for wildfire prevention to individual landowners. https://t.co/gFoHsQDo0X
— Texas Observer (@TexasObserver) April 28, 2022
Is your energy provider propping up one of Texas’ dirtiest coal plants? If it’s one of NRG’s subsidiaries, it definitely is. Join our social media week of action to close Parish coal by posting & tagging #ParishIsBurning #txlege #EnergyTwitter @NRGEnergy https://t.co/E3Ys2RWqmx
— Emma Pabst (@PabstBlasts) April 28, 2022
Absolute🔥column from @cltomlinson. Generators are trying to get another $1.5b out of consumers in the #ERCOT market & are close to having their consultant hired to be the PUC's consultant, too. "The agency 'is the sole arbiter of whether a conflict...exists.'"#txlege #txenergy https://t.co/yvAy2V3WDg
— Doug Lewin (@douglewinenergy) April 29, 2022
Potential record-breaking heat could push Texas power grid to the brink this weekend https://t.co/N5JM3KbI3F
— Laredo Morning Times (@lmtnews) May 3, 2022
I did find one spot of good news.
Researchers at UT Austin have created an enzyme that breaks down plastic waste, a creation that has the potential to make big impacts on the environment. https://t.co/EfWz6syGWV
— FOX 7 Austin (@fox7austin) May 2, 2022
I'll go easy on our bad-behaving Texpols. Wait; no I won't.
Two PsOS having a rally #TXLege https://t.co/mEU65O1rLW
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) April 26, 2022
Two bigger PsOS having a meeting #TXLege https://t.co/oSb53Tcv1u
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) April 26, 2022
Imagine that @POTUS? Anything to say about that @GregAbbott_TX? How about you #txlege?#CannabisCommunity #Mmemberville https://t.co/JoxrvdAwK6
— Gramps' Place Podcast - Chris Grisolia (@grisolia_chris) April 26, 2022
To paraphrase Alice Cooper: school's almost out for summer, but teachers and books still matter.
“It’s easy to see this is an election year ploy designed to sow mistrust between parents and educators and divide our state based on party affiliation and ideology,” said Shirley Robinson. https://t.co/YPBAIRXjL7
— Fort Worth Star-Telegram (@startelegram) April 27, 2022
Important twist in a Texas election: Pastor Robert Morris of @GatewayPeople Church in Southlake, a top Trump advisor, includes QAnon candidate @LindamoodBobby of Colleyville in his pseudo-endorsements for Saturday election https://t.co/XlRmkmXz5Q
— Bud Kennedy / #ReadLocal (@BudKennedy) May 1, 2022
Here's another Texas megachurch pastor—this time at Second Baptist in Houston—rallying congregants to vote in upcoming school board elections to stop what he calls the "backward way in which we're educating our children through the critical race theory" and the "LGBTQ agenda." pic.twitter.com/LG7RlFdRAe
— Mike Hixenbaugh (@Mike_Hixenbaugh) May 1, 2022
In the year 2022, Texas is still in 1952.
— ♿🕊️ 🙌 💉 Love Beats Hate 👨❤️👨 (@LeftwardSwing) April 28, 2022
📢 Texas residents sue county for removing books on race, sex education from public library. https://t.co/6lPLppHnHf
In solidarity with #librotraficante and all the people who work hard to get our history in schools, not just one side of the story. M.A.S #houston #sanantonio #austin #mouthfeelpress https://t.co/rgk4kHqgYJ
— Mouthfeel Press (@mouthfeelpress) April 30, 2022
I also have way too many instances of the cops -- and their lurid assortment of enablers -- acting like criminals again.
Feathers have evidently been ruffled by recent reports in the Houston Chronicle and elsewhere, examining the nonprofit’s finances as well as the role Crime Stoppers has played in the public square, writes columnist @EricaGrieder. https://t.co/XSrp523aDY
— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) April 27, 2022
Galveston’s civilian review board, which is supposed to review internal investigations into police officers (in closed meetings, without producing public reports) hasn’t met in three years #galvnews https://t.co/t9K8JQheTg
— John Wayne Ferguson (@JohnWFerguson) April 28, 2022
Just a quarter of Texas’ state prisons – 28 of 107 – have air conditioning throughout. “We’re routinely in excess of 110, 120, 130 degrees, and metal furniture becomes too hot to touch.”https://t.co/iIPuZTkrAs
— KXAN News (@KXAN_News) April 27, 2022
"Do most Texans agree with this lynch mob mentality?" asks @TCADPdotORG's David Atwood in #LettersToTheEditor. "Does #Abbott? Does D.A. #KimOgg who was at the prison that day & didn’t seem disturbed by what took place either inside or outside the prison?" https://t.co/2OmjzwWrhO
— Houston Chronicle Opinion (@ChronOpinion) April 27, 2022
.@ATXJustice says current contracts between @austintexasgov and @ATXPOA prevent holding officers accountable for complaints filed against them, including when Sam Kirsch was shot in the eye with a less-lethal round by APD during Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. pic.twitter.com/mIGjY4rMbC
— Natalie Haddad (@natalieontv) May 2, 2022
At least 7 deaths this year tied to Houston-area police pursuits https://t.co/uIYR6xaBV8 via @houstonchron #hounews
— Matt Schwartz (@SchwartzChron) April 25, 2022
Again, there's a bright spot amidst this darkness.
Decriminalize Denton believes they are on track with enough signatures for their ordinance to eliminate low-level marijuana enforcement to qualify for the November midterm elections. https://t.co/wBWffubYut
— DentonRC (@DentonRC) April 25, 2022
And in labor news, the media is fighting back.
#BetterNewsForYallAndAll 📰🌟 https://t.co/faPGH9l2tb
— Alexandra Skores (@AlexandraSkores) April 26, 2022
So I'll segue into the calm-me-downs with a promise to be more active here this week in spite of the horrors everywhere I look.
Trevor Noah at #WHCADinner: Before everyone calls for their Uber rides home, be aware that “@GovAbbott is offering free bus rides for the Telemundo table.” #GregAbbott #border #migrants #txlege #whitehousecorrespondentsdinner pic.twitter.com/18Vwnyzg4E
— John Gravois (@Grav1) May 1, 2022
Nobody writes better songs. Nobody sings better. Nobody’s better on acoustic guitar. But almost everyone has better luck growing tomatoes than my old friend. Happy birthday, Willie Nelson! pic.twitter.com/3cmgGalJzz
— RUTH BUZZI (@Ruth_A_Buzzi) April 29, 2022
🚨 LIGHTS OUT ACTION ALERT! 🚨 Houston Audubon and our partners recommend turning LIGHTS OUT for the next THREE NIGHTS, May 2-4, 2022. Bird migration is predicted to be HIGH for our region. Learn more: https://t.co/F5EiS8LcaS #LightsOutHouston #LightsOutTexas pic.twitter.com/M1Pe2jGSIc
— Houston Audubon (@HoustonAudubon) May 2, 2022
AYE DIOS MÍO! Max Baca of @texmaniacs74 just said this fall there will be a 10 ft statue of Flaco Jimenez at @marketsquareSA outside @MiTierraCafeSA! #puroconjunto pic.twitter.com/S2ukMS4Cs7
— Puro Pinche (@PuroPincheSA) April 29, 2022
In 1961, NASA selected Houston as the home of the Manned Spaceflight Center. The agency is kicking off its 60th anniversary with a long list of events. https://t.co/25IhyRwWxv
— KHOU 11 News Houston (@KHOU) April 28, 2022




























