Tuesday, October 30, 2012

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.

Monday, October 29, 2012

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?

Sunday, October 28, 2012

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.