Sunday, October 10, 2021

Sunday Privilege Funnies

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Saturday, October 09, 2021

The *Heavy Sigh* Wrangle



The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has struck down a lower federal court ruling that temporarily blocked Texas from enforcing its ban on abortions as early as six weeks into a pregnancy.

The Department of Justice now has until Oct. 12 to reply to the ruling, and the ban remains in effect until then.

So the horror show is back on.


(I'm sorry to have to point this out again, but clearly this was written and/or scheduled for publication this morning at 5 am without awareness of the 'breaking news' from last night.  Maybe he'll get around to that, but as of 7:30 am ... nada.  Again, my interest in having someone read yesterday's newspaper to me is less than zero, but people can be a little, shall we say, stuck in their ways.  After all, I would've thought the Catholic Church had ended itself a long time ago ...)


So unless a court intervenes, we'll get to see a Sheila Jackson Lee versus Al Green primary for the 9th Congressional District of Texas.  Perhaps one of them will retire before then, but ...


I completely empathize with the Romans who fed Christians to the lions.  I just wish they had been able to do more of that.

There are some small arcs bending toward justice.


Here's what passes for my business round-up.

A story told many times recently but needs repeating:


There was a good listing of distractions in yesterday's post, so I'll just add this one and then get my Saturday going to more enjoyable pursuits.

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Friday, October 08, 2021

The Snarky Wrangle from Far Left Texas


Slightly more serious but no less bad-intentioned ...


John Cornyn couldn't find his ass if he used both hands and a full-length mirror.


This isn't really "analysis", but that isn't Ross Ramsey's fault: "When Texas legislators admit they don’t know what they’re doing".


Not a fan, but if Kim Olson is the only way to get rid of Gilberto Hinojosa, then Tex Donks ought to go ahead and bust that move.  El Padron has had plenty of years to get something, anything done and failed.  Well past time for new blood, but I seriously doubt Olson is the one.


As usual, don't hold your breath waiting for Chaz Kuffner to weigh on this topic.  Speaking of the Yankees ...


Okay then.  A few more sharp elbows.


Another great fall weekend ahead, so get outdoors and do something fun.


And if you're staying put or staying inside ...

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Thursday, October 07, 2021

All Hell (and Lots of News) Broke Yesterday


I had real difficulty just following all of these stories on the Twitter machine.


In order to block the law, Pitman crafted an injunction to “halt existing S.B. lawsuits and prevent new suits from being maintained by the state judiciary.” He forbade state judges and clerks from “accepting or docketing” these cases, and, for good measure, barred “private individuals who act on behalf of the state” from filing them. Finally, he ordered Texas to “publish this preliminary injunction on all of its public-facing court websites with a visible, easy-to-understand instruction to the public that S.B. 8 lawsuits will not be accepted by Texas courts.”

[...]

Perhaps most importantly, Pitman chose not to center the sufferings of the Supreme Court justices who feel beleaguered by the demands of the shadow docket, or of Texas, which seeks to overturn Roe v Wade without being hassled by precedent or legal arguments. Instead, in footnote after footnote, Pitman centers the pregnant people who have relied on the courts to vindicate their rights, and excoriates the state for hurting them, for lying about it, and for its cynical attempts to circumnavigate the rule of law. “From the moment S.B. 8 went into effect, women have been unlawfully prevented from exercising control over their lives in ways that are protected by the Constitution,” he wrote. “That other courts may find a way to avoid this conclusion is theirs to decide; this Court will not sanction one more day of this offensive deprivation of such an important right.”

One can only guess what will happen to Pitman’s order at the 5th Circuit -- which could quickly halt his injunction. It is even less clear what could happen at the Supreme Court, where five ultra-conservative justices seem to think S.B. 8’s devious design lets them off the hook. But for the first time in over a month, Texas women were visible and their needs were urgent to a federal court. And while that may not suffice to reinstitute the right to choose, it is the first glimpse of justice since the twisted Texas law took effect.


^This^ is the executive summary if your time is tight.  Here are deeper dives.


If you're anything like me, you're assessing your cut-the-cord options (or your cutting AT&T out of your life options).  I send these assholes more than $300 a month for wireless and satellite service, and that is going to end ASAP.


This news -- and the ATT developments, along with this heavily-promoted story from the TexTrib about who's funding the border wall -- Bigfooted Greg Abbott and his pals down in Mission yesterday.


Ted Cruz also tried to change the subject, but made himself look like ...


So I shouldn't have been surprised that this hasn't gotten any traction.


Back In Austin, the Lege is still bullying trans kids.


And on the local politics scene, two developments.  First from Bexar County ...


And Sly Turner plays the race card in his still-enlarging scandal over housing contracts awarded to his former law partner.


"We have weathered together many storms and challenges over my last six years. Many. This is another and it is important to weather," Turner told council members. "[I will weather] this one for future leaders who will come behind me and if you allow me to say this, who look like me. ... It's important for me to weather this storm for the future leaders who will sit in this chair, who may look like me, and that's important to me."

I would rather not see the mayor use the Clarence Thomas defense.

The criminal and social justice news just keeps on coming.


And it looks as if Exxon Mobil is succeeding in busting out the Steelworkers union from their Beaumont plant.


This afternoon is Tesla's shareholders meeting, which you can watch at the link below.  I'll be interested to see if Elon Musk announces he's relocating corporate HQ to Austin.


And one calm-me-down.

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