Friday, May 21, 2021

Atrocities Documentation Collation (a week-ending round-up from far left Texas, part 1)


This one will have to appear in segments.  We can thank our lucky stars that the House, in a fit of pique, adjourned for the weekend because the Senate is sitting on legislation approved by the lower chamber by near-unanimous consent.  (That's not to say they are all good bills.)


Nobody is more upset with the week's developments than the women of Texas; mothers and those that would be.  By their own choice and not.


"Somewhat indifferent" might be a little soft.


More on the Guvnah's really great week (for him, nobody else) in the next segment.


A lot of damage done by Speaker Forehead, but don't exhale yet; Dan Patrick's gang is still in town.


In a legislative session that has been by far the most extreme and conservative ever, the two Republican-controlled branches and the respective factions within the TXGOP are still slinging mud -- and Mucus -- like they're all infected with COVID.

They're certainly consumed with a raging case of hate, as the masks and gloves have come off and the knives and bricks and bats come out.  At this point Lege Democrats are like the poor children in Gaza and Yemen: collateral damage.


As you might guess, I have a lot more than three things to say about this ... later.  But also a stand-alone environmental post, Ted Cruz and Louie Gohmert behaving badly, and some criminal and social justice items, all of which I'll try to get done today get to over the weekend.

Here's a few calm-me-downs.


And it's small solace, but stormy weather sometimes produces a beautiful thing, in that 'darkest before the dawn' kinda way.

Tuesday, May 18, 2021

Tongue Out Tuesday Roundup from Far Left Texas


Not thrilled to read about this dude again.


Delilah for Texas issued a challenge to the erstwhile, unaffiliated, indecisive gubernatorial maybe-candidate.


Be a lot cooler if he did.

And while I have spent much time and effort denigrating Texas Democrats, and will likely be compelled by their own ignominous conduct to continue to do so *coughBetocough*, the fact of the matter is that Joe Jaworski is the best -- indeed the only -- choice to replace Ken Paxtoon (not a typo) as attorney general of our Great State.


I believe that Lee Merritt is an outstanding candidate, and is someone I could support in the general election (absent a Green nominee).  But I've known Joe Jaws a long time; I know who he is, and he's the best man for the job.

George Pee Bush, on the other hand, is a running joke.  I care not whether he can dethrone the top criminal in the state.  It's as important that we dispense with these legacies as it is the celebrities who think they're entitled to political careers.

All dovetailing nicely with this segment of Republicans Doing That Dumbass Shit They Do.


Perhaps I'll make the segue to the Lege follies by devoting some space to Greg Abbott's latest cave to profits over people.


This wasn't costing the state a dime.  Abbott swallowed the lie that "nobody wants to work".  So like other conservatives -- including Joe Biden -- they will try to force Americans to take starvation-wage jobs with no benefits, no paid time off, and no hope for advancement.


The appropriate market solution would be, as anyone who's passed Econ 101 would know, to raise wages to attract employees.  But in Texas, companies are on the government dole, so they actually run themselves more like what they think communism must be like.


I think Team Elephant would be horrified to learn that they were as Red as China ... if they were smart enough to figure it out.

Let's see; the Lege, was it?


Yes, as Scott Braddock noted, that's five Caucasian state senators -- four Republicans and one very conservative Democrat -- meeting behind closed doors to resolve issues on a bill codifying discrimination against Texans of color and their voting rights.

On that topic, some justice in another arena -- the appeals court -- might be forthcoming.  Don't hold your breath, but be marginally encouraged.


And with respect to other social justice developments:


And that's my segue to COVID.


Do I need to blog again why, even though I've had both my shots, I will keep wearing my mask?


Let Governor Wheels take his victory lap.  What goes around comes around.


We're all glad about this good news, but as Harvey Keitel said in Pulp Fiction ...

I have lots of green posts that I'll save for another day, perhaps its own post this week.  Here's a little something I've been enjoying lately.


Lesser prairie chickens, the slightly smaller cousin to the greater prairie chicken, can only be found in five states: Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas. Following the original petition to list in 1995, lesser prairie chickens were listed in 2014 as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act. A lawsuit challenging the listing ended in a judge vacating the decision in 2015. Another petition for listing was received in 2016, with a finding anticipated in mid-May 2021.


And my artiste soother.