Sunday, January 31, 2021
Sunday "Party of Trump" Funnies
Monday, January 25, 2021
The Weekly Wrangle from Far Left Texas
Anyone else worn out from these "Hold my beer" challenges between our Lone Star Coupks?
United States Senator holds actor more accountable for swear words than he will ever hold the previous president for insurrection and sedition. https://t.co/5uVmW4bFbW
— Rob Trishman Jr. (@RobTmanJr) January 24, 2021
Deciphering Ted Cruz' mask - Senator Cruz is furiously unsatisfied with the black dildo he recently purchased. He has given it a one-star review and left instructions for his Amazon driver to "come and take it." pic.twitter.com/IMapfFl5qw
— Thomas M. Atkinson (@thomasmatkinson) January 21, 2021
Abbott tweeted in part "Contrary to what Austin leaders think no one has a right to urinate & defecate wherever they want. Homelessness promoted by Austin has also endangered public safety." https://t.co/ZgrKypjvcu
— CBS Austin (@cbsaustin) January 20, 2021
“I’m tired of people pushing me around and talking behind my back.”
— Queef Cyclone©️ (@QueefCyclone) January 19, 2021
~ People in wheelchairs, Greg Abbott
NEW: Two months ago, Texas Lt Gov @DanPatrick put out a big cash bounty for proof of voter fraud.
— Lauren McGaughy 🌟 (@lmcgaughy) January 22, 2021
Now, one tipster said he can't figure out how to get the reward.
We've repeatedly asked Patrick why. His spokesman called our questions "stupid."https://t.co/YcqXqnEghy #txlege
— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) January 25, 2021
Texas Republicans are gonna be Texas Republicans. AG Paxton cranky because he didn't get a pardon. https://t.co/0CIcxKLl8j #txlege
— ChrisTomlinson (@cltomlinson) January 20, 2021
Paxton is leaving state government in less than two years. One way or another.
Ken Paxton won’t resign, and the Texas House won’t impeach, but TEXAS VOTERS and Joe Jaworski can exit Paxton permanently. The Joe Jaws 2021 Texas Tour is underway. Texas Democratic Clubs: book a date with Joe at joe@JaworskiForTexas.com https://t.co/fDLtBI8s0M
— Joe Jaworski (@JaworskiForTX) January 24, 2021
Maybe Texas Republicans will police themselves, but I won't hold my breath. I'd rather see the GOP, here and everywhere, cleave itself in two.
When will the SREC step in and tell Allen West enough is enough... he can’t raise money, he can’t build coalitions, and now he is pushing people to join Gab??? #txlege pic.twitter.com/CW2A7DCEww
— Luke Marchant (@_Luke) January 24, 2021
On the lower rungs of Lone Star deplorables:
JUST IN: Texas man who tweeted about assassinating Rep. Ocasio-Cortez on Jan. 6 faces charges in Capitol riot, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. https://t.co/YgD7XI6Tp5
— NBC News (@NBCNews) January 23, 2021
Garret Miller of Richardson posted along with his selfies that he "just wanted to incriminate himself a little LOL". Mission accomplished.
The yeoman's work of identifying the Texas insurrectionists came not from police but from local progressive activists, who've been dealing with these knobs in their communities for a long time.
NEW: Court records show Dr. Hasan Gokal took vial from public #COVID19Vaccine site, gave 9 doses to friends and family, including his wife. @KPRC2Joel has latest, @KPRC2 at 4. https://t.co/fka9PpnY2B #hounews pic.twitter.com/yZsTWiIo64
— Aaron Fernandez-Wische (@KPRC2Aaron) January 22, 2021
Update:
👀👀
— Zach Despart🖊️ (@zachdespart) January 25, 2021
“In the number of words usually taken to describe an allegation of retail shoplifting, the State attempts, for the first time, to criminalize a doctor’s documented administration of vaccine doses during a public health emergency,” the judge wrote.https://t.co/mkYxqJ7gxx
"What is it about the pandemic that’s made people toss common sense in exchange for legalism?"
"They’re more focused on the profits than on how to prevent infections and deaths."https://t.co/wIOIhsagT9
— Texas Observer (@TexasObserver) January 23, 2021
NO NO NO! New tent facilities to be built in South Texas to house migrants | KTSM 9 News https://t.co/7y25C9bq5E
— Jenn Budd ✊🏻 (@BuddJenn) January 22, 2021
Bud Kennedy at the StartleGram reports on the Oathkeepers' ties to Fort Worth-area LEO. Jenna Ryan, the Frisco realtor who demanded a pardon from Trump after her insurrection antics were well-documented on social media, said she rode on that private plane to DC "because of a cute guy". Who got with another girl. Sami Sparber for the San Antone Current wrote about the Texas-based anti-vax org that collected over $100,000 in PPP money last year.
Informed Consent Action Network was among five anti-vaccine groups that collectively received more than $850,000 in federal loans from the Paycheck Protection Program, the Washington Post reported ... The organization received $166,000 in May, according to founder Del Bigtree. [...] The Austin-based nonprofit has more than 43,000 followers on Facebook and regularly posts information questioning the safety of the coronavirus vaccines. Facebook and YouTube penalized Bigtree’s online anti-vaccine talk show last year for violating misinformation policies and downplaying the severity of the pandemic.
Lauren Drewes Daniels for the Observer blogged that Dallas County had sought an equitable vaccine distribution plan, and the state said 'nope'. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and BLM activists continue negotiations on a civilian police accountability board (why these discussions are moving so slowly I leave to your imagination.)
“My thought process is that we’re stagnated,” said Ashton P. Woods of Black Lives Matter Houston.
Woods, along with other community activists, have said they’ve worked for years to see some of the reform policies come into fruition and argues change can begin now.
“Many of the recommendations from this advisory council, much like others, looks like it’s collecting dust on the shelf,” Woods said.
There are positive developments.
Austin's brand new DA, Jose Garza, is bringing charges against police officers who assaulted a black man, via grand juries, after reviewing a case that had been cleared by the police department 2 years ago & ignored by the prior DA. https://t.co/MuA9rJLqKE
— Taniel (@Taniel) January 23, 2021
Tricia Cortez at LareDOS took note of Trump's border wall ... hitting the wall.
There was an election over the weekend, and as expected two Republicans go to a runoff for the vacancy in the statehouse. One is a wealthy business owner and one meets the governor's seal of approval. TXElects:
Jacksboro attorney and Jacksboro ISD trustee David Spiller will face Nocona boot manufacturer Craig Carter in a runoff election to fill the unexpired House term of Sen. Drew Springer (R-Muenster).
The Texas Signal talks about a preliminary effort to create a pipeline of candidates for US attorneys and federal court judges. Better late than never, I suppose. This is a microcosm of the Donkey Party's ineptitude in one glance: a total failure to understand or wield power. Why did DC Senate Democrats go into hibernation when Obama was president, failing to force a single judicial confirmation until Harry Reid finally sucked it up and eliminated the filibuster for those? Why couldn't they figure out a way to stop Moscow Mitch from confirming a third of the Supreme Court and a fourth of the entire federal judiciary -- nominated by an impeached president -- over the past four years? And for the past week, McConnell has again taught a master class in obstructionism even as Majority Leader Schumer extends his hand of cooperation and draws back a bloody stump?
To bring this point back home: how does the Texas Democratic Party have a Latino chairman for the past 8 years and lose counties in the RGV to Trump?!?
Something is deeply wrong, and it can't all be the fault of the worst Republicans in the country. Maybe TexDems can just wait until, you know, demographics turn the tide for them.
Less than 10% of Texas voters are now rural. Over half are suburban and 40%+ are urban. https://t.co/pLR6Eg6aR3
— Donny Ferguson (@DonnyFerguson) January 20, 2021
See, by the time this saves their hides, the Gulf will be lapping at the state Capitol's south steps.
Here's a business news update.
This would be another mega-factory for Austin — 10 times more expensive than what Tesla is touting. https://t.co/pdw5l4DnJQ
— AustinBizJournal (@MyABJ) January 22, 2021
"Clean #energy is growing fast in Texas...This is where the jobs are going to be and where the economy is heading," said Raj Prahbu. @ClimateNexus https://t.co/kUtE7edGua
— EcoWatch (@EcoWatch) January 25, 2021
As alternative fuels rise, carbon-based energy sources fall.
"Hollub had followed the oil patch rules—looked on the bright side, bet on the come—and entangled herself in one of the biggest, boldest, no-good, very-bad oil field dramas in decades.
— Texas Monthly (@TexasMonthly) January 24, 2021
Even worse, she was the star." https://t.co/UtdfqiJZTf
That doesn't stop Mr. Tesla from fighting for the right to drill for natgas near his launching pads in Boca Chica.
SpaceX is sparring with a Texas oil company to drill for natural gas https://t.co/q6uXgkIM4p pic.twitter.com/3MoWpkRbpy
— The Verge (@verge) January 23, 2021
More snark, in keeping with this blog's motto (at the top, in case you forgot):
Do I win https://t.co/qORzSkUdrU pic.twitter.com/GzCvty1B24
— Ketan Joshi (@KetanJ0) January 22, 2021
I'll call this next segment "end of an era".
The last Sears in the Houston area is closing permanently > #hounews https://t.co/fdZTuCm23W
— KPRC 2 Houston (@KPRC2) January 23, 2021
Jeff Balke for the Houston Press sadly (at least for this blogger) detailed four things we will miss with the departure of George Springer to the Toronto Blue Jays. And former Rockets owner and automobile titan Charlie Thomas passed away from COVID.
I have a handful of Texas music links.
How do you get from San Antonio's Chicano soul groups of the 60s to Selena, La Mafia, Shelly Lares and the 90s Tejano boom? Manny Guerra is one answer.
— Cat Cardenas (@catrcardenas) January 22, 2021
Learn about the legendary producer in my latest for @TexasMonthly's Texans You Should Know series. https://t.co/2HEIVavIeA
Socratic Gadfly has Janis Joplin singing a Mercedes-based river for Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. The Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts and Sciences in Lubbock
And I'll wrap it today with these.
Lauren Hough tears apart an essay from a Californian who moved to "Austin" with absolutely no sense of geography, reality, or self-awareness.
Here’s what you can see at Houston’s Sundance Film Fest https://t.co/sirjB6u75q
— Matt Schwartz (@SchwartzChron) January 21, 2021
On Jan. 23, 1971, a Houston disc jockey climbed the Astroneedle at Astroworld and stayed there for ten days to bring POWs home from Vietnam. https://t.co/yLacnQJEJQ
— ABC13 Houston (@abc13houston) January 24, 2021
A view of the San Jacinto Monument from above. This is a still image from a pretty neat video of the Battleship Texas and the monument. You can really get a sense for how the ship and the monument are oriented etc... View the video here:https://t.co/PY0fmm3hFi pic.twitter.com/QnoK2GlRmo
— Traces of Texas (@TracesofTexas) January 25, 2021
Sunday, January 24, 2021
Sunday "Biden Signs" Funnies
Please read this essay by Jack Reilly about the slow demise of political cartooning. And support the craft if you can.
Thursday, January 21, 2021
Lone Star Leftist Round-up *updated
Joe Biden's administration has begun. And plenty of the policies he plans to prioritize will affect Texans.https://t.co/swBTsQARMk
— Texas Standard (@TexasStandard) January 20, 2021
(Like me, David Collins is hopeful but not optimistic about the next four years. Pages of Victory seems to feel the same -- perhaps somewhat less so -- as well.)
Ken Paxton failed to secure a pardon and John Cornyn is tweeting in a subdued manner. Both were far outdone by Greg Abbott and Ted Cruz, each of whom eyes future election prospects. Update: Johnny felt left out; tried to make up lost ground.
Sean Hannity : What can I tweet to make me sound dumber?
— Aʟᴀɴ F. Sᴄᴏᴛᴛ (@CapeCodTweetaah) January 21, 2021
John Cornyn: Hold my beer. pic.twitter.com/PE7rEFzE5k
It's clear neither Abbott nor Cruz is going to let an opportunity to disgrace himself get past him.
“Ted Cruz has long had a public reputation as an unctuous asshole.” https://t.co/MSesRxnBHz
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) January 18, 2021
Trump may very well never step foot in Texas again, but the specter of Trumpism is not going away. And for now, neither are the Texas politicians who so fervently aided him.https://t.co/1fbGnoPa9p
— Texas Observer (@TexasObserver) January 21, 2021
When Ted Cruz says "come and take it" I hope he knows 'it' means his senate seat. Expell the traitor now. https://t.co/YiD5o5AFZr
— Bluepool (@BadgerStew) January 21, 2021
If we can't force him out, then we can at least cut off his money supply.
New political action committee calls on Sen. Ted Cruz donors to ask for refunds https://t.co/uYODcHdDh9
— KVUE News (@KVUE) January 19, 2021
The same does not hold true for Govnuh Helen Wheels. He's a multi-millionaire and an adroit fundraiser. We'll need to be more creative.
Six-figure donor club on @GregAbbott_TX's latest TEC report: pic.twitter.com/mhbhqgJA26
— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) January 18, 2021
"The most offensive thing he's ever heard" happened this week.
Because a man in Texas never aimed his gun at a President. 😡
— josh tavlin (@anotherjoshua) January 19, 2021
Gov. Greg Abbott Says He’s Offended By Vetting Of Texas National Guard In DC – CBS Dallas / Fort Worth https://t.co/vpmiBc1aYV
Kids in Cages
— Russell Foster for Texas (@RussellFosterTX) January 19, 2021
Women being raped by ICE in detention & forced to have hysterectomies
32,000 Texans Dead from a pandemic
Tent cities across Texas
Food Pantry lines miles long daily
But do go on about how making sure we don't have people attack the inauguration is offensive to you. https://t.co/Q4ptIuRfab
Greg Abbott Feigns Outrage Over National Guard Vetting @GregAbbott_TX #VoteThemOut https://t.co/n9nXCfmhQA
— Shell_Seas (@LivingBlueTX) January 19, 2021
Abbott may or may not be smarter about pandering to the Trumpist base than Cruz, but he's certainly no less obvious about it.
In 2019 @HuffPost exposed a Texas National Guardsman as a member of the white nationalist group Identity Evropa. He was allowed to remain in the Texas National Guard. https://t.co/XmQL6KNUEg https://t.co/Rt66lrkvIV pic.twitter.com/J5BxEJ8QPK
— Christopher Mathias (@letsgomathias) January 19, 2021
Over 60 Texas counties said that they won’t enforce unconstitutional gun laws. Now Governor Abbott says the state as a whole should do the same and become a “Second Amendment sanctuary” state. #txlege https://t.co/vwBCPrv6ed
— The Texan (@TheTexanNews) January 18, 2021
Gov. Abbott excludes Sylvester Turner, Lina Hidalgo from Houston briefing on vaccine rollout https://t.co/LnDWHSV81H
— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) January 19, 2021
There are more "Texans Behaving Badly" downpost; we'll pause from that to consider the Texas Lege, which doesn't reconvene until next week ... but their bad behavior from last week is still reverberating around the state.
Texas Senate committee chairmanships announced by @DanPatrick show only one Democrat, @whitmire_john, and zero senators of color. 9 of the 31 senators are Black or Hispanic. 4 senators of color are in top 10 of seniority. https://t.co/2lqFQs0d9z
— John C. Moritz (@JohnnieMo) January 15, 2021
Sen. Charles Schwertner is the new chair of the Senate Committee on Administration.
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) January 15, 2021
In 2019, Schwertner gave up a chair after UT-Austin investigated allegations that he sent lewd messages and a sexually explicit photo to a graduate student. #txlege https://t.co/70vrAg6fn9
Texas GOP Chair Allen West says Republicans in Texas should ignore “fairness” in redistricting and instead see mapdrawing as a “strategic opportunity” to gerrymander to benefit Republicans. #fairmaps #txlege https://t.co/rY7owLXfuK
— Michael Li 李之樸 (@mcpli) January 19, 2021
Without @PPTXVotes, Texans on #Medicaid struggle to find health care | @TexasTribune by @ShannonNajma #MedicareForAllhttps://t.co/LtKUPi5dXU
— IndependentLeft.news - Updated 2x Daily! (@IndLeftNews) January 20, 2021
❤️/RT, follow on FB/Twitter/IG/YT & email sub!🐦#InaugurationDay2021
Shaefer Edwards at the Houston Press takes note that the statehouse and Senate disagree on COVID testing -- and media access to legislators in their respective chambers -- as the session gets under way. In spite of the initial difficulties, Texas Democrats resolutely soldier on.
Two Democrats have added a constitutional amendment to the list of proposals meant to curb the governor’s emergency powers. The joint resolution by @NathanForTexas and @RafaelAnchia would allow #txlege to meet in a special session to respond to a disaster.https://t.co/GqyI9dha3p
— The Texan (@TheTexanNews) January 17, 2021
Texas bill would make it illegal to display a firearm at a public demonstration https://t.co/7eRxfvVoGd
— KHOU 11 News Houston (@KHOU) January 19, 2021
Confederate Heroes Day should be eliminated & #txlege can do so with @jarvisjohnsontx’s HB 36. It should be one of the many steps that Texas takes in reckoning with its own history. 2/2 -THhttps://t.co/yB1N2lFQwj
— Donna Howard (@DonnaHowardTX) January 19, 2021
Once more: shame will not force the seditionists out, so some good old-fashioned effort to sweep them out in 2022 is required.
Twenty-two Texas Republicans incited the violence at the Capitol on January 6th.
— Progress Texas (@ProgressTX) January 19, 2021
Twenty-two Texas Republicans need to resign or be removed from office. No unity without accountability. https://t.co/3h11CoUtsn
The early line is prohibitively against that. And not only because Gilberto Hinojosa is making others take the fall for him.
New: Top two staffers at Texas Democratic Party are leaving https://t.co/GXj2e4syCZ
— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) January 21, 2021
A smattering of mostly unrelated bad news and good news:
The Texas Department of State Health Services said in a tweet Friday that the pandemic has never been worse in Texas, and it has never been easier to catch COVID-19 in the state. https://t.co/gh1BD2hIgV
— FOX 4 NEWS (@FOX4) January 19, 2021
Owners abruptly forced a Houston hospital to close its doors after it fell behind on rent. Doctors attempted to treat patients in the parking lot but private security and police prevented medical staff from retrieving equipment from inside.https://t.co/V7NdLyhOlk
— Dan Cohen (@dancohen3000) January 19, 2021
Texas... isn’t sending their best https://t.co/ARcEj0Jh4x
— Pinkerbell ANTIFA Space Force General 🏴🚩 (@PinkerbellPixie) January 19, 2021
Two East #Texas men have been arrested in connection with the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol https://t.co/SL5FgI6SSe
— KVUE News (@KVUE) January 19, 2021
The Chicks raised $18,000 to put toward the removal of Confederate monuments in Bastrop during a virtual concert Monday https://t.co/PFVRk1aX1T
— Austin 360 (@austin360) January 19, 2021
This Houston group will turn BP's land into a nature trail https://t.co/MWExYrOIX9
— Laredo Morning Times (@lmtnews) January 19, 2021
The Root quotes NBCDFW 5 about the story of a Denton County woman, faced with racial harrassment from a neighbor, who called law enforcement about the threats and was told to "stay away from (your) house until this blows over". The Appeal writes about Austin's dysfunctional crime lab and how it may lead to another wrongful execution.
Closing out this week with the softer side news items.
"On a stretch of highway between Concepcion and Premont, less than a mile from the unremarkable intersection of FM Road 716 and FM Road 1329, a miracle is growing." https://t.co/ae5xcGCGpa
— Texas Monthly (@TexasMonthly) January 17, 2021
Allison Crook shared this shot of Sonny and @cher in Vernon, Texas to promote the movie "Good Times" in 1967. Allison remembers that Sonny and Cher were on the stage at the Plaza Theater. Her parents owned a clothing store in town and were involved in the promotion. pic.twitter.com/fDgpE1Nt2w
— Traces of Texas (@TracesofTexas) January 16, 2021