Sunday, May 22, 2022

"The Replacements" Funnies

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Friday, May 20, 2022

Mudslinging and Shitstirring Wrangle


Hard to delineate, but we'll classify K-Pax and Pee Bush in the first.  If you've had your teevee on this week, you've probably noticed.


TexDems didn't want to be left out.


Some people would rather focus on the policy failures.


Well and good for them, but if you read this piece from Svitek regarding Paxton's acolytes, the one thing you should take away is that reasoning, logic, and facts are impermeable.


And if you're still under the impression that the Democrats are different, or better ...


Voting harder, red or blue, isn't going to change any of this.  But hey, if that's still your jam, go on with your bad self.  I'll even grant that there are some Dems worth giving a chance, inside and outside the Great State.  Here's a few.


But there's many reasons why the list is short, and why Beto O'Rourke is not on it.


And you can meet her this Saturday in H-Town and see for yourself why she's the best choice for governor in November.


Lots more later, maybe tomorrow but more likely Monday.  Here's a few soothers.


I worked with Big Daddy Horridge at Lexus of Clear Lake from '99 to '02 ( I was the F&I guy; he was the top salesman).  He was just as animated and hilarious in real life as we was on the sidelines in the Dome.  Condolences to his loved ones.

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Tuesday, May 17, 2022

Another Election Wrangle


Tuesday is the busiest election day of the year so far, as five states -- Idaho, Kentucky, North Carolina, Oregon and Pennsylvania -- hold their 2022 primaries. And for the GOP, it will be another test of whether to move on from former President Donald Trump. Coming off Nebraska last week -- his first loss of the year -- Trump has endorsed candidates in seven major primaries on Tuesday, which should give us a clearer answer as to his power in the party. And even in races where Trump has no skin in the game, Republicans are considering nominating someone in his incendiary, illiberal mold -- which could make it harder for the GOP to pick up seats in November.

Then there's us.

Early voting for the May 24 runoff election (began yesterday) and runs through Friday.

State candidates’ runoff campaign finance reports are due tomorrow and likely will become available online Tuesday. These reports disclose contributions received and expenditures made between February 10 and May 14.

Gov. Greg Abbott leads Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke 46%-39% according to a new Dallas Morning News/UT-Tyler poll.

Abbott leads among White voters 58%-30%, and among men 52%-34% (not printed but calculated from other population results). O’Rourke leads among Black voters 59%-16%; Hispanic/Latino voters 46%-36%; and women 44%-40%. Abbott leads O’Rourke among independents, 38%-31% (calculated from other population results, although the crosstabs indicate his lead among independents is 16%-6%, almost certainly a misprint).

Turning to the May 24 runoffs, Atty. Gen. Ken Paxton leads Land Comm. George P. Bush 41%-35% with a quarter of primary voters undecided. Paxton’s lead is larger among “certain” voters, 46%-31%.

More on the poll from Bob Garrett of the DMN...


... and HK at QR.


And more on the intraparty infighting.


ICYMI:


And some grist for the mill.


If it wasn't clear before, El Patron really doesn't like Col. Kim.  This isn't the party unity winning election cycles are made of.

Not talking about Texas Democrats any more today.  This weekend in Houston you have an opportunity to meet Delilah Barrios, the Green running for Texas governor (the one Kuffner can't name in the DMN poll with the fucked-up numbers... which "ain't bad" for Beto LOL).


We made it through the weekend without any rolling blackouts due to electricity shortages, but it wasn't because we raised our indoor temps, if the comments here are to be believed.


Governor Helen Wheels' luck is holding.  Or maybe it's his messaging.


It helps when your base is stuck on stupid.


And I think I'll dispense with blogging about Texas Republicans for the day after this last bit from our greater senatorial evil.


Let me open the social justice news with a couple of environmental justice items.


And close with the calm-me-downs.

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Sunday, May 15, 2022

'Learning to Live with Undesirable Outcomes' Funnies

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Friday, May 13, 2022

Wrong Track Wrangle from Far Left Texas


Gosh, I wonder if some truth is finally sinking in.


It's a good thing that Texas Democrats are poised to take advantage.


Uh oh.  Well, they've got a bit less than six months to figure it out and get back on track (the right track, or the left track, or even the centrist track, whichever you prefer to call it).  Maybe I should emphasize some of the worst-behaving Texas Republicans over the past week or so.


I guess that's my segue to the latest climate updates.


And here's my hodgepodge of social justice news.


The Texas Observer has a new editor-in-chief.


And the rest of my soothers for your weekend perusal.

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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.
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Monday, May 09, 2022

Choose or Lose Wrangle


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.


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.


And I heartily recommend direct democracy.  Because it's really the only kind left.


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.


Voting more and harder simply isn't going to solve this.


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.


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.


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.


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.


And a notable passing.


Last: the soothers, starting with a few long walks.

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