Texas
updated
4:33 p.m.
Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief, breaking a week-long official silence, actually has something good to say about what needs to be done on the gay bar raid in his city last week. He wants a thorough review of what happened at Rainbow Lounge – a thorough review conducted by federal prosecutors. The U.S. Attorney in Dallas, James Jacks, said Moncrief has already discussed the issue with him. And,...
SocraticGadfly - 4:21 p.m.
You know the drill. The day before Thanksgiving, you eat something very different than the Turkey you're going to have for days afterward. Similar thing for the 4th of July, I propose. Since it's more of a cultural thing, here's some very un-American culture for the day. Enjoy ... And just in case my patriotism comes into question, some good old fashioned American culture to lead...
Greg's Opinion - 4:20 p.m.
Sarah Palin announced today that she will be stepping down this month as Governor of Alaska , prompting some speculation about her motivations for doing so. What do you think? Take the poll below and let us know: Online Surveys & Market Research ...
WhosPlayin? - 4:06 p.m.
I got back from the grocery store and saw a burst of blog traffic on this space and wondered why. Well, now I know. Claiming she can be more effective outside government than inside (so can my left butt cheek, for that matter), Sarah Palin is resigning as governor of Alaska : According to Alaskan TV , July 26 is the effective date. If, as all speculation claims, it’s to get an early start ...
SocraticGadfly - 2:42 p.m.
Barely 72 hours into Draft Earle and so far there has been press coverage all over the state. And now, Burka whose crystal ball seems ever focused on 1994 when it comes to Democratic prospects in Texas, has said it's a dead candidacy . Which is funny coming from someone like Paul 'There's No Way Craddick Loses The Speakership' Burka. Now, we all make mistakes from time to time and I'm no excep...
McBlogger - 2:41 p.m.
Where will the former President of the United States spend his first 4th of July after leaving office? Woodward, Oklahoma . But this isn’t a reward for loyal Oklahoma Republicans who still stand by “W”. It is a paid gig. Located about a 2 ½ hour drive northwest of Oklahoma City, Woodward will pay George W. Bush to come speak at their Independence Day celebration. No one will say how m...
Fort Bend Democrats - 2:41 p.m.
Apparently Sarah Palin just announced her resignation as Governor of Alaska. (CNN coverage) Is she gearing up for 2012 Presidential run, getting out ahead of some unknown scandal, or something else entirely? Discuss! ...
Lubbock Left - 2:02 p.m.
Watching MSNBC, Sarah Palin just stepped down as Governor of Alaska. What the heck is the deal? She said something about the scandals and costing the state money, etc., but I have to believe there is a big shoe about to drop. My bet would be the probes into her have exposed a big legal problem, that or she is sick and isn't telling. Weird! Dungeon Diary ...
Dungeon Diary - 2:02 p.m.
Ok. lets see. What could possibly make Sarah Palin the darling of the republican party to resign as the governor? Here are some ideas: A sex scandal is brewing and she doesn't want to tarnish the "family values" nametag of the republican party. (Sorry Sarah, but you are too late) Levy knocked up another one of her kids. (little bastard. Last time he will be invited to stand on the stage of t...
Bay Area Houston Blog - 2:02 p.m.
Two days ago I was in Galveston, Texas. I had lunch at a restaurant on the Seawall. The restaurant had two floors and I was eating out on the upstairs balcony. There was a couple with a small child also out on the balcony. The couple was feeding french fries to seagulls. The seagulls were flying around and the couple [...] ...
TexasLiberal - 1:31 p.m. - 3 clicks 
To mark the Fourth of July, I’ve posted a video of some of my favorite British Subjects. It’s a video of Public Image Limited’s Public Image from 1980. It’s a hell of a song. I’m posting this video in honor of my separatist ancestors who came to Massachusetts from England in the 17th century. I’m posting it for my fellow aging punk rockers. I’m posting t...
TexasLiberal - 1:31 p.m.
OK, maybe "good" isn't a word most people use to describe the summers around here, especially this one so far. But let's not let that stop us from reviewing a fine selection of summer-themed songs: 1. Summertime Blues - The Who 2. Fourth of July, Asbury Park - Bruce Springsteen 3. Summer Song ......
Off the Kuff - 1:30 p.m.
Well you could have knocked me over with a feather. Sarah Palin just conducted a news conference at her Wasilla home , amid raucous waterfowl in the background (and Russia not in the view). She announced that not only will she not seek re-election as governor of Alaska , but she will also be stepping down as governor on July 25 th . At that time, at the state’s annual Gov...
Half Empty - 1:30 p.m.
One of the under-recognized achievements of the 81st Texas Legislature was the addition of two amendments by state Rep. Sylvester Turner to the Department of Public Safety's Sunset bill requiring the agency to implement an indigence program for its Orwellian-named Driver Responsibility surcharge. (See pp. 186-190 of the bill -pdf). According to material from the vendor, MSB Government Services ...
Grits for Breakfast - 12:03 p.m.
Ugh. Billy Mays is dead. His family and an advertiser want to run an ad with him in it. Why? " He would have wanted it that way. How tacky. I continue to have no interest in Michael Jackson. Asaraco Smelter-Still nasty -El Paso Is there really a difference between Obama's terror policy and the Bush policy? President Obama may mouth very different rhetoric,” said Anthony D. R...
Somervell County Salon - 10:24 a.m.
from <http://www.teapartyday.com "On Saturday, July 4th, be part of the Taxed Enough Already (TEA) party rally in your community. Help organize a local TEA Party." The closest one will be in Cleburne at 11 AM, July 4th. It will be at Hulen Park, about 10 blocks south of the court house square. There will be the traditional 4th of July parade at 10 AM. ...
Somervell County Salon - 10:24 a.m.
First, here's Texas Watchdog's take on it. (Interesting-I notice Jennifer Peebles says she doesn't vote in elections). And here's from Editor and Publisher And here's the website. ...
Somervell County Salon - 10:24 a.m. - 2 clicks
Octavio Sanchez, former Honduran government minister of culture, spells out the Honduran constitution and how former President Manuel Zelaya essentially removed himself from office : Under our Constitution, what happened in Honduras this past Sunday? Soldiers arrested and sent out of the country a Honduran citizen who, the day before, through his own actions had stripped himself of the presidenc...
SocraticGadfly - 10:24 a.m.
David Brooks, in one of his better columns, says three baseline things : 1. Chinese leaders assume American consumers will never have the same 1995-2005 binge; 2. The U.S. government will not get its fiscal house in order 3. Young Chinese, fueled by the Net, have become more nationalistic. I halfway agree with 1, at least halfway agree with 2, and am not totally surprised by 3. Results? Brooks ...
SocraticGadfly - 10:24 a.m.
The Spaniards, at the time of the American Revolution, actually had more social freedoms than the 13 colonies/states. Treatment of slaves was less harsh and more defined under law. And, they weren’t “papist thugs.” So, that’s your anti-jingoistic message for the Fourth of July this year, my American friends. There is no god and I am his prophet. ...
SocraticGadfly - 10:24 a.m.
When you have people like Ceci Connelly already in the pocket of the insurance industry The Politico has a detailed smackdown of the Post’s business side egregiousness. That said, if the Post lost $19.5 million in the first quarter, it’s obviously trying to scrape up money from somewhere. Ironically, per the Politico story, the first salon was on healthcare (page 3 of story): “Offered at $...
SocraticGadfly - 10:24 a.m.
Paul Krugman has a sweeping riff on the latest job and wage numbers, the possibility of inflation, the growing need for more Obama Administration economic stimulus work and more. Ironically, or whatever, after that gloom-and-doom tale, he goes on to accuse many of his fellow economists of scaremongering — about inflation. I’m sure Krugman’s right in the short term, but is he right in the long t...
SocraticGadfly - 10:24 a.m.
In a series of four speeches, Education Secretary, Arne Duncan, spells out what reform means in the Obama administration. I'm a little skeptical of the desire to re-authorize NCLB, even in modified form. It's not so much what the administration would like a new NCLB to be, so much as the reality that any route through Congress will inevitably throw in a few foul ingredients - usually for the sake...
Greg's Opinion - 10:23 a.m.
Keep Canada Weird ! After scoring on a 21-yard pass to put Toronto ahead 6-0, Bruce removed his helmet, shoulder pads and uniform top, then laid down in the end zone. Bruce said he was honoring the memory of Jackson by pretending to be buried. I don't know that it's necessary for me to review how many things are wrong with this scene, but that shan't stop me from doing so anyway. Item ...
Greg's Opinion - 10:23 a.m.
Via the AAS, In just 30 hours, Legislature sends 2 of 3 bills to Perry, then adourns. What needed to get done, safety net bill and transportation funding, got done. What didn’t need to get done, CDA’s and the “transportation bank”, didn’t. After less than 30 hours of fast lawmaking, the Texas Legislature adjourned [...]...
Eye On Williamson County - 10:23 a.m. - 2 clicks
Noted douchebag, buttertroll and ratfucker Karl Rove called someone dour AND IT WASN'T FORMER VICE PRESIDENT DICK 'CALL ME DICK' CHENEY. It was Maureen Dowd. Of all the people in the world to get into a pissing match with, this one has got to be the dubest he could have possibly picked. My only hope is that the fight will get so bitter, so nasty that they'll kill one another, a la War of...
McBlogger - 7:56 a.m.
Since I first wrote about "scent lineups" conducted by dogs, this questionable forensic tactic has garnered a lot more attention with another civil suit filed in Victoria and critical national news coverage ( in USA Today ), all focused on Texas' chief proponent and practitioner of scent lineups, Fort Bend Sheriff's Deputy Keith Pikett. Now thanks to Radley Balko I discover there's a simi...
Grits for Breakfast - 7:22 a.m.
Could pollution be the cause of health problems in Sunland Park? Many residents suspect that it is. They consider the Asarco smelter in El Paso and the Camino Real landfill in Sunland Park to be the major sources of contamination in their community. Will a non-crony government agency help these residents find out? ...
South Texas Chisme - 5:47 a.m. - 4 clicks
Coal-fired power plants are the dirtiest of all power plants when it comes to carbon dioxide emissions. The leading greenhouse gas is blamed for global warming. It's the basis for a worldwide push in stricter regulations and renewable energy sources. Why, then, does a proposed second coal-fired unit at Goliad's Coleto Creek Power Station face such quiet local opposition? ...
South Texas Chisme - 5:47 a.m.
After less than 30 hours of fast lawmaking, the Texas Legislature adjourned Thursday having resolved two of the three problems Gov. Rick Perry wanted them to fix. Lawmakers approved and sent to Perry bills that will keep five state agencies — including the transportation, insurance and racing departments — in business for the next two years and that authorize the expenditure of $2 billion in vot...
South Texas Chisme - 5:47 a.m.
The fire fighters and the Mayor are not amused. Tug of wars within the Brownsville Fire Department that have brewed for years have escalated with a dog, named Chief, now at the center of controversy and the mayor's proposal to oust the fire chief. For now, Mayor Pat M. Ahumada Jr.'s proposal to evaluate and seek the ouster of city Fire Chief Lenny Perez at next week's City Commission meeting fizz...
South Texas Chisme - 5:47 a.m.
Houston’s largest police union, citing the death of six officers during Mayor Bill White’s tenure, called on the mayor and City Council this week to hire more officers, restore $14 million in overtime pay and overturn the long-standing policy of not questioning residents about their immigration status. In a letter to White, Gary Blankinship, president of the Houston Police Officers Union, called...
South Texas Chisme - 5:47 a.m.
A former Corpus Christi State School employee accused of failing to report fights among its mentally disabled residents will testify against former co-workers accused of organizing the fights, her attorney said, after an appeals court postponed her trial. The 13th Court of Appeals ordered Thursday that the trial of Stephanie Garza on Monday be put on hold. Garza agreed in exchange for immunity t...
South Texas Chisme - 5:47 a.m. - 2 clicks
Something I'd realized recently is that almost everyone in city government who is or would have been term-limited out is running or has run for another office. Mayor White is running for Senate. City Controller Annise Parker is running for Mayor. Council members Ronald Green, Pam Holm, and MJ Khan ......
Off the Kuff - 5:47 a.m. - 3 clicks
Shannon Tompkins gives us an update on the feral hog situation. Feral hogs seem to be everywhere. At least they are in Texas, where we are cursed with the nation’s largest population (an estimated 1.5-2 million animals and growing) of the amazingly destructive, prolific and adaptable non-native wild swine. Yes, feral hogs ......
Off the Kuff - 5:47 a.m. - 2 clicks
Have an iPhone? Want to have facts and contact information about your Texas Legislature at your fingertips? Then take a look at MyTexasLege, now available for download. From their press release: Created by a former Texas House staffer, My Texas Lege provides all the important information needed to contact your member ......
Off the Kuff - 5:47 a.m. - 3 clicks
Well, he's taken the first step towards running for something, anyway. Democrat Ronnie Earle today filed paperwork with the Texas Ethics Commission to run for office in 2010 but did not specify which office he will seek. The former Travis County district attorney has been mentioned as a possible candidate for governor. He ......
Off the Kuff - 5:47 a.m.
I wrote last week that Texas has enough ongoing corruption cases to support a single-issue Texas Bribery Blog, and two recent examples provide a case in point. Somehow I missed the story about a "urine monitor" at the Harris County probation department who was "charged with bribery in May for allegedly taking $200 to submit a fake drug test form." As it turns out, though, it wasn't just a one-ti...
Grits for Breakfast - 5:46 a.m.
If you ever wondered what your tax dollars are being spent on for health care for members of Congress here is a pretty good article about the subject. Congress has access to the same health benefits as all federal employees. And you pay for it! The government's share of FEHB contributions was fixed in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997. The rule of thumb for congressional staffers and Cabinet memb...
Bay Area Houston Blog - 5:46 a.m.
If the people of California had a brain among them, they would be actively seeking a way to allow Michael Jackson to be buried on the grounds of Neverland Ranch, the ranch restored to its former glory and declared a state park. Millions of the pop star's faithful followers from around the world would swarm to the site. It would make Elvis' Graceland pale in comparison. The window of opportunity i...
Prairie Fire Journal - 12:41 a.m.
This story was interesting: " Last week, during the early evening hours, federal law enforcement agents, assisted by local authorities, took part in an arrest procedure known as, Operation Community Shield. The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) and officers from the Lewisville Police Department coordinated a raid on the Blue Goose rest...
WhosPlayin? - Thu 8:28 p.m.
Special Legislative Session Ends --- Well done, citizens of Texas Lawmakers are leaving the Austin Capitol, going home to their families after Governor Rick "Dirt bag" Perry failed to get his special interest pro-toll bill approved by the Legislature. Many individuals and anti-toll groups got involved getting their family, friends and neighbors to...
Somervell County Salon - Thu 6:07 p.m.
I don't know if it's a record, but a little more than 30 hours after they gaveled in yesterday, both chambers adjourned sine die today, bringing the blink-and-you'll-miss-it special session to a close. As noted yesterday, the two bills deemed to be actual needs, SB2 to extend the life of ......
Off the Kuff - Thu 6:06 p.m.
Now that the brief special session is over, Rep. Diana Maldonado will open a district office in Round Rock on Thursday, July 9. “My district office will be a valuable tool and resource for constituents throughout House District 52,” said Maldonado. “I look forward to using this office as a central location to meet and [...]...
Eye On Williamson County - Thu 6:05 p.m.
Clear Lake teabaggers are going to have a rally on the 4th of July with special guest speaker Paul Bettencourt, the same Bettencourt who quit as Harris County Tax Assessor just two weeks after winning the election. His topic will be "Sticking it out during hard times". Bettencourts' former office has come under fire recently concerning the Assistant Voter Registrar who has been moonlighting se...
Bay Area Houston Blog - Thu 6:04 p.m.
The legislature wrapped up its special session today. Both chambers passed on a controversial toll road bill and chose to go home for Independence Day rather than slog it out in Austin for another week. Bills renewing five state agencies and authorizing $2 billion in transportation bonds for highway construction sailed through both chambers, save for a scuffle over a Transportation Revolving Fund ...
Floor Pass - The Texas Observer - Thu 4:59 p.m.
Have you been following the dust up that came out of Todd Purdum's Vanity Fair article on the relationship between former Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin and the McCain campaign? This sucker has got some legs. Now we have two CBS News reporters, reporters who were embedded in the McCain campaign and are writing a book about it, who have come out with a little t...
Half Empty - Thu 4:58 p.m.
» NYT: U.S. Marines Try to Retake Afghan Valley ... More than an exercise of new troops added to the region, this looks like a new approach that's well overdue. Case in point ... The British have had too few troops to conduct full-scale counterinsurgency operations and have often relied on heavy aerial weapons, including bombs and helicopter gunships, to attack suspected fighters and...
Greg's Opinion - Thu 4:58 p.m.
Today, with a day’s notice, my newspaper company, Today Newspapers, officially shut its doors. Since The Dallas Morning News is the god of local media, including for people south of the Trinity whoring after recognition, I give you its official version of the story . I will have a series of blogs on details. For people in the Dallas Metroplex, who may think the city of Dallas south of the Trini...
SocraticGadfly - Thu 3:38 p.m. - 7 clicks
Via Postcards, Senate leaders: Private toll-road bill DOA. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Senate leaders just announced publicly what senators had confirmed an hour ago: A bill to continue to allow more privately built toll roads to be constructed is dead in the special legislative session. And lawmakers plan to finish their other business — approving the [...]...
Eye On Williamson County - Thu 2:32 p.m.
I was amazed by this video of the rehearsal of Michael Jackson's last tour. Posted on CNN it shows his amazing attention to detail and talent. Too bad we will never get to see him perform it live! Embedded video from CNN Video Dungeon Diary ...
Dungeon Diary - Thu 2:32 p.m.
Hopefully there will be some MSM reporters heading out to Ward County to cover the trials of two former TYC employees accused of sexually abusing inmates when the case finally gets underway July 23, as reported by AP . This news confirms my sense that it was a recalcitrant judge , not some hesitance to prosecute on the part of the Attorney General, that was holding up prosecutions in these high-...
Grits for Breakfast - Thu 1:10 p.m.
Burleson doesn't think so-bought a fancy car with a grant so that.. Burleson’s SWAT team has responded to assist other agencies that do not have SWAT teams or whose SWAT team needs backup. Response scenarios include potential incidents at Somervell County’s nuclear power plant , with the area’s railways, natural gas wells and Spinks Airport as well as deployment with the ...
Somervell County Salon - Thu 12:43 p.m. - 4 clicks
On TPWD website. July 18, 2009 — Dinosaur Valley SP — Stargazing Party — A starry, starry night brings Dr. Raymond Benge of Tarrant County College to present an informative program on Astronomy followed by a look at the night sky. Dr. Benge and staff provide telescopes or bring your own. Accessible for the mobility, visually and hearing impaired. Dusk-till &nbs...
Somervell County Salon - Thu 12:43 p.m. - 2 clicks
We Facebookers are supposed to get more control over privacy settings , but that’s not all. Some other changes are coming too. There is no god and I am his prophet. ...
SocraticGadfly - Thu 12:41 p.m.
I'm taking a sort of vacay right now. Nope, not going anywhere. Nope, not sitting around drinking margaritas. Actually working on stuff I have to get done that I've been putting off... wait. THIS IS NOT A VACATION. I"VE BEEN DUPED! Next week going to catch up posting some stuff I have around here, including audio of some of the recent meetings. Somebody's writing a book about loose canno...
Somervell County Salon - Thu 12:06 p.m.
And, um, what's the reason people just don't make their own cookies? I mean, people. It's not tough. Doesn't take long. And costs less than buying a tube of E coli from your dairy section. ...
Somervell County Salon - Thu 12:06 p.m.
Terri Hall has her take on what happened yesterday, Legislature blinks as it contemplates largest tax increase in Texas history. If CDA’s are dead and this has been done, House takes out ‘revolver’ on HB 1, aka the “transportation bank”, and the Sunset safety net passes. This session may be done quick without any [...]...
Eye On Williamson County - Thu 10:42 a.m. - 2 clicks
Roger Cohen offers several thoughts , beginning with the one that Mir Mousavi’s late surge in the Iranian presidential election caught Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei off guard. Meanwhile, Cohen says both sides in the recent presidential race are struggling with the issue of who reaches out first to the U.S., and in what way. There is no god and I am his prophet. ...
SocraticGadfly - Thu 10:09 a.m.
...never stay together for long. From QR : U.S. Senate candidate Roger Williams reports that he raised more than $400,000 at a Saturday fundraiser in Weatherford. The former Secretary of State is exploring a run for the Senate seat when (or if) incumbent Kay Bailey Hutchison steps down to pursue the office of Governor. Based on his campaign’s release, Williams now appears satisfied that...
McBlogger - Thu 10:09 a.m. - 5 clicks
Want another reason to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell? How about this one . A gay sailor was murdered in California on the base. He had told his family he was being harassed, but he could not go to authorities or risk discharge. This policy is not only hurting our military it is resulting in DEATH! If the president is not willing to use the bully pulpit and prod Congress along the path to repea...
Dungeon Diary - Thu 10:09 a.m.
Via the Center for Public Integrity, Investigative Journalism Conference Releases Declaration. More than 25 non-profit journalism groups, including the Center for Public Integrity, the Center for Investigative Reporting, National Public Radio met over the last three days in Tarrytown, New York, to explore collaborative possibilities for investigative journalism. Today, the groups released their Po...
Eye On Williamson County - Thu 9:07 a.m.
What will be going on in Houston and around Houston this Fourth of July? Will the near-majority of Texas Republicans who say that Texas would do well to leave the union observe the holiday? ( Above–John Trumbull’s Declaration of Independence from 1819. Please click here for a key as to who is who in the painting.) Will parents talk to kids [...] ...
TexasLiberal - Thu 8:42 a.m. - 2 clicks
In an understatement of the month story, researchers say genetic tests for mental illness propensity are far, far away . Technically, it’s 30,000 gene variations, not 30,000 separate genes, for schizophrenia, but, headlines for blogs or Twitter can’t be too long. Of course, this is another example, also, of how the highly-touted idea of genetically personalized medicine is just as much just aro...
SocraticGadfly - Thu 8:42 a.m.
It’s clear that whatever semi-delusional dreams South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford had of running for President in 2012 went by the boards when he dropped his pants in Argentina, and possibly elsewhere, over the last several years before getting caught. Now, it looks like a book deal he had is probably also kaput . Hell, I think Penguin should give him more money if he’ll tell all, including a rea...
SocraticGadfly - Thu 7:28 a.m.
No joke, The View's Elisabeth Hasselbeck copied a cookbook ... A lawsuit in federal court in Massachusetts alleges that Hasselbeck lifted "word for word" content from a book on celiac disease written by a self-published author on Cape Cod. Hasselbeck's book, "The G-Free Diet: A Gluten-Free Survival Guide," has appeared over the past month on several best-seller lists. Author Susan Hasse...
McBlogger - Thu 7:28 a.m.
Keep the Pressure on Lawmakers! Throw Privatizing Texas Transportation Out the Window Gov. Rick Perry and certain lawmakers are trying to approve 2 bills that will give the green-light to privatizing our roads into long-term tollways. It's up to Texans to ensure that new toll taxes will NOT be an issue for our children and their grandchildren. ...
Somervell County Salon - Thu 6:57 a.m. - 2 clicks
I am going to be taking a ten-day hiatus as I travel down south to Mexico to visit my girlfriend who is studying Spanish. Becky has been gone for 3 months and will not return to the states until September. That makes for a perfect excuse why I should visit Mexico now more than ever! Until mid-July folks! ...
David Ortez - Thu 6:42 a.m. - 2 clicks
Isiah Carey asks "Have you ever heard of cork recycling?" I've heard of bottle recycling, plastic recycling, and even computer recycling but never cork recycling. Apparently, some Houston area liquor stores are on a campaign to recycle corks from wine bottles. In fact, one store in The Woodlands will donate 2 ......
Off the Kuff - Thu 6:41 a.m. - 6 clicks
Bad economic times are good times for Texas prisons to fill their vacancies. Texas has just 1,262 correctional officer jobs now open, compared with more than 3,700 openings just over a year ago. Officials say more people have become guards because of pay incentives and the struggling economy. "It's the economy. No ......
Off the Kuff - Thu 6:41 a.m. - 7 clicks
I linked to this Statesman article yesterday in regard to Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst's expectations for the Senate in the special session. It also contained this bit about Dewhurst's view of his future: Dewhurst, in his first interview since before the regular session ended June 1, reiterated earlier statements that he ......
Off the Kuff - Thu 6:41 a.m.
Rep. Todd Smith takes Governor Perry to task for vetoing HB3148, which would have exempted some teenagers who had engaged in consensual sex with a minor less than four years younger than themselves from having to register as sex offenders. Gov. Rick Perry vetoed one of the most morally compelling bills ......
Off the Kuff - Thu 6:41 a.m. - 4 clicks
Many of my republican buddies continue to defend the high cost of electricity deregulation by blaming the failure on the fluctuating cost of natural gas. Unfortunately the argument doesn't hold water, but they really don't seem to care. Maybe this will help. Here is a comparison between what we had pre-deregulation and what we have now. Pre-deregulation: Only one company sold electricity, in...
Bay Area Houston Blog - Thu 6:05 a.m.
Congratulations to Gloria. She has worked long and hard for the Nueces County Democratic Party at the headquarters, in the field and with the Texas Democratic Women. Here's a copy of the email I received. Please join Gloria Caceres for her official campaign announcement for Nueces County Commissio...
South Texas Chisme - Thu 5:44 a.m. - 3 clicks
Crony is as crony does. A push to allow for new privately run toll roads hit a pothole Wednesday as the special legislative session opened, with the measure likely to be drastically scaled back or ditched. The idea was “struggling to find support,” said Senate Transportation and Homeland Security Committee Chairman John Carona, R-Dallas. Good. Perry is still flogging for his cronies while the Te...
South Texas Chisme - Thu 5:44 a.m. - 3 clicks
Texas Gov. Rick Perry met a deadline Wednesday to request federal stabilization funds for education — with 18 minutes to spare. Perry was the last of the nation's governors to submit an application. Missing the deadline could have meant losing more than $3 billion in federal money for education funding, from preschool to college. Much of the money is intended for salary increases for teachers, l...
South Texas Chisme - Thu 5:44 a.m. - 3 clicks
A study on whether a new international port of entry is needed in the Lower Valley is not getting the support of U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas. Reyes on Wednesday said he opposed the city's study for a new commuter bridge because it was focusing only on land between the Bridge of the Americas and the the Zaragoza Bridge and not other locations. He said that the feasibility study should inc...
South Texas Chisme - Thu 5:44 a.m. - 4 clicks
The Fort Worth police chief says the head injury to a young man at the bar happened while he was in TABC custody. Witnesses say the young man was slammed into the wall by officers first. Maybe finger pointing will lessen the chances of a cover up. Officials for the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission have acknowledged that a man was severely injured Sunday while in the custody of a TABC age...
South Texas Chisme - Thu 5:44 a.m. - 3 clicks
The Obama administration launched investigations of hundreds of businesses around the country Wednesday as part of its strategy to focus immigration enforcement on the employers who hire illegal workers. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has begun notifying businesses of plans to audit their I-9 forms — employment eligibility documents that employers fill out for every worker — the agency told...
South Texas Chisme - Thu 5:44 a.m.
Answering yes, if faintly, are several indicators , including a slowing pace of layoffs, a slowing pace of manufacturing contraction, etc., along with the prognostications of economists, labor analysts, etc. But, note that those just indicate recovery seems to be around the corner. They don’t say it’s here yet. Answering no, or at least, that the corner is at the end of the next block, is ...
SocraticGadfly - Thu 5:44 a.m.
Inmate families offer the best and most frequently cited source of assistance for offenders who want to turn their lives around, but too often the state treats them as criminals, too, instead of as partners in promoting their loved ones' rehabilitation. That trend was exacerbated by a Texas Supreme Court ruling last month allowing the state to deduct money from inmate commissary accounts to pay...
Grits for Breakfast - Thu 5:44 a.m. - 5 clicks
Finally, we’re getting a real healthcare reform bill from the Senate Health, Education, Labor Committee, that, on paper at least, offers real national healthcare with a single-payer option ; in addition to the single-payer option, the estimated 97 percent coverage is close enough to a cigar to legitimately say this is national healthcare. I don’t know if the $750/employee fee on companies who do...
SocraticGadfly - Wed 10:40 p.m.
Dog days don't usually set in until after the 4th. But this year, right after the Solstice, the heat and the drought took hold big time. What was a garden of Eden here at my place has all of a sudden turned to gold. When I walk around, the dried grasses and weeds make that 'rice krispies' sound that is so familiar in summer in Texas. The deer are really hurting, their ribs starting to show. Where...
Somervell County Salon - Wed 8:59 p.m.
South Carolina Republican Party Chairwoman Karen Floyd has added her name to the swelling chorus of calls for Gov. Mark Sanford to resign. “For the past two days, I have been speaking with Republican leaders across South Carolina,” she said in a statement. “There is clearly a growing view that the time may have come for Governor Sanford to remove himself and his family from the limelight, so...
SocraticGadfly - Wed 8:24 p.m.
(I, along with 3 other members of consumer organizations, had an opportunity to sit with Chancellor Mike McKinney when he was the Chief of Staff for Governor Perry to discuss mandatory binding arbitration. He was a complete arrogant jackass. Seems that the Texas A&M faculty thinks so too.) From the Valley Morning Star : COLLEGE STATION - The Texas A&M University faculty has given ...
Bay Area Houston Blog - Wed 8:23 p.m.
I was dismayed to read in the Reporter today that while the court issued a 90 day burn ban, they have NOT banned fireworks, admonishing us to use our common sense. Well, this doesn't make any sense to me. I guess this means that once again I will have to rely on prayer that some idiot doesn't accidentally burn down the neighborhood. ...
Somervell County Salon - Wed 7:31 p.m.
Omigosh. Hub and I went several years ago to the Tower of the Americas and had such panic attacks we couldn't even approach the ledge on that thing. I can't imagine crawling out no a glass ledge you could see through. I don't know how other people feel when they are up in those tall buildings, but I've been to the John Hancock building a couple of times and couldn't get near the glass bec...
Somervell County Salon - Wed 6:03 p.m.
Tadd McVay has been ordered into federal prison for his part in falsifying company records to shmooze Wall Street. McVay was hired by Scrushy. McVay has said he was promoted to chief financial officer at HealthSouth in late 2002 and signed a phony earnings statement rather than lose his job, which paid him $400,000 a year. Scrushy was acquitted of criminal charges, but a judge ruling in a sh...
Somervell County Salon - Wed 6:03 p.m. - 5 clicks
Oklahoma Sen. Jim Inhofe, Mr. Anti-Science himself, in claiming the Waxman-Markey bill wouldn’t get more than 35 votes in the Senate, called Al Franken a clown , then justified it by saying that’s what he did for a living. There is no god and I am his prophet. ...
SocraticGadfly - Wed 6:02 p.m.
Was it just a routine check for intoxicated patrons at Fort Worth’s Rainbow Lounge last week, or was it possibly homophobic cops “ loaded for bear ,” as one patron there claims? If witness allegations that cops walked in with hands full of plastic handcuffs, well, then the latter is true. As for Chad Gibson, still hospitalized with traumatic brain injury , patron cellphone photos show him on t...
SocraticGadfly - Wed 6:02 p.m. - 6 clicks
Now normally, when you get one of these evangelicals, political or not, caught out there in the open with their pants down and messin’ around they make a public statement that usually includes an apology, sometimes a tearful one, and then they clam up and get out of sight waiting and hoping for the furor to die down. And it usually does, because America is fickle by nature, and ...
Half Empty - Wed 5:14 p.m. - 2 clicks
Morning brought some more keets, ducklings and chicks; this time I got some lavendar and pied keets, so they will grow up to be some interesting guineas. I have them separated from the chicksn and ducklings since they are so much smaller but will try to merge them all together when the keets get bigger and feather out. Puppy continues to be pretty dang good at being potty-trained... or maybe it's...
Somervell County Salon - Wed 3:43 p.m.
So of the three items on the call for this special session, two of them are sailing along. SB2, the Senate bill to keep state agencies like TxDOT alive, has already passed the full Senate by unanimous vote and will be taken up by the House tomorrow, where HB2 passed ......
Off the Kuff - Wed 3:41 p.m. - 4 clicks
As you saw from the Senate's pre-filed bills, there are a number of items being pushed by legislators that aren't a part of the call for the special session. If one believes Governor Perry, it's unlikely that anything else will get added, at least if the session is on track ......
Off the Kuff - Wed 3:41 p.m. - 3 clicks
House Democratic Leader Jim Dunnam pointed out that there’s no need to extend CDA’s in Texas. He also emphasized the misplaced priorities of putting corporate toll roads ahead of children’s health insurance, A few fireworks in transportation committee meeting. Rep. Jim Dunnam just hit the roof in a House Transportation Committee hearing on extending “comprehensive developm...
Eye On Williamson County - Wed 3:41 p.m. - 7 clicks
If I did exist, which I didn’t, I’d tell you to STFU. Stop claiming I am a political oracle . But, Joe, if you do run, you are a Republican. Make sure you keep your pants on. There is no god and I am his prophet. ...
SocraticGadfly - Wed 2:33 p.m.
I found this site tonight on Facebook and am extremely excited. I think Ronnie Earle has the perfect combination of intelligence and personality to really impress people all over the state and take the Office of Governor back for real Texans! Vince has a post up about this Draft over at Capitol Annex . One of the reasons I like Earle is the fire and passion he brings to everything he does...
McBlogger - Wed 1:37 p.m.
Someone reminded me that today is Canada Day, Canada ’s equivalent to America ’s Independence Day. This isn’t something most Americans know about. In fact, most Americans are in the dark about other countries’ national holidays. Remembering our one day is apparently sufficient. One other day Americans may know about is El Cinco de Mayo, a Mexican national holiday...
Half Empty - Wed 1:36 p.m.
While people go on about the death of Michael Jackson, an adult who often kept company with children that were not his own, the United States Supreme Court has made it more difficult for black folks to get promoted at work. In a 5-4 decision , the Court ruled that the city of New Haven, Connecticut could [...] ...
TexasLiberal - Wed 12:27 p.m.
According to population estimates released today by the U.S. Census Bureau Round Rock was the second fastest growing city in the U.S. in 2008. Only New Orleans grew faster. The population of New Orleans grew 8.2 percent in 2008, faster than any other large city in the U.S., according to population estimates released today by [...]...
Eye On Williamson County - Wed 12:26 p.m. - 2 clicks
If you were an outside vendor, would you accept a state of California IOU, backed in part by a GOP-dysfunctional state Assembly and Senate ? I’m thinking that even GOP businessmen who preach against taxes all the time are going to blink hard at what the anti-tax obstructionism in the Leaden State has now brought about. There is no god and I am his prophet. ...
SocraticGadfly - Wed 11:50 a.m.
Vanity Fair’s Todd Purdum, as part of his long expose on Sarah Palin, discusses the denouement of her pregnancy with Trig , and ventures the simple guess that she absolutely, positively, had to have Trig Palin born in Alaska. Purdum notes of the state and its mentality: John McPhee wrote, “Alaska is a foreign country significantly populated with Americans. Its languages extend to English. Its ...
SocraticGadfly - Wed 11:50 a.m.
Early Sunday morning, 40 years after the Stonewall Riots, TABC and Fort Worth PD raided a gay bar in Fort Worth. A few things were strange... the bar had only been open for a week and it was clear from the get-go, this raid wasn't about service at the bar. It was about harassing the patrons of the bar. Asterisk has a detailed account of what happened that night pieced together from multiple sou...
McBlogger - Wed 11:50 a.m. - 4 clicks
So, finally, we can see just what was on those credit cards she's been hiding from us... drumroll please... New details in Dukes' corrected reports show that she used campaign funds for gifts for constituents from Family Christian Stores, fees for the sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha, gas from Chevron and utilities from the City of Austin. Umm, WHAT?! Sorority fees are a campaign expense? ...
McBlogger - Wed 11:50 a.m.
» Chron: Hampton starting to look like a sound investment (Richard Justice) Astros pitcher, Mike Hampton, turning things around ... He'd won two of his nine starts for the Astros, and his ERA was 5.62. Since then it's been a turn-back-the-clock stretch including Tuesday night's six innings and one run allowed against the Padres. The Astros had gambled he still had something in t...
Greg's Opinion - Wed 11:50 a.m.
Today is Timothy Cole's birthday, and the Texas Legislature opens its special session I'm headed up to the capitol soon to attend a: Press conference commemorating Tim Cole's birthday and requesting the Governor add a posthumous pardons constitutional amendment to the call for the special session ( AUSTIN )// Senator Ellis, Ruby and Cory Session, Tim Cole's mother and brot...
Grits for Breakfast - Wed 11:50 a.m.
Via SCOTUSBlog , I notice the Supreme Court this week agreed to hear two interesting looking criminal cases: Docket: 08-1175 Title: Florida v. Powell Issue: Must a suspect be expressly advised to his right to counsel during questioning and if so, does the failure to provide this express advice vitiate Miranda v. Arizona ? Opinion below (08-1175, Supreme Court of Florida) ...
Grits for Breakfast - Wed 11:50 a.m.
Vince at Capitol Annex has all the information, Draft Ronnie Earle For Texas Governor. One name that keeps cropping up in discussions about 2010 races is former Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle. He hasn’t ruled out a run, but he hasn’t decided to run, either. Toward that end, I and a handful of online and offline [...]...
Eye On Williamson County - Wed 11:50 a.m. - 7 clicks
That should be the message that every state legislator should hear and understand. Selling off our state’s transportation future to corporations for 50 years, for profit, that won’t improve congestion is a bad idea. Every elected official in Texas needs to know that voting for these give-aways will put their political future in jeopardy. [...]...
Eye On Williamson County - Wed 11:50 a.m. - 6 clicks
By Matthew Berger - TerraViva EU - Wed. July 1, 2009 LONDON (IPS) - Governments and interest groups around the world followed the U.S. House of Representatives' vote Friday on the first U.S. policy to limit the country's greenhouse gas emissions. They were especially interested in Europe, where a system similar to the bill's cap-and-trade scheme already exists and where EU countries agreed last...
About Air and Water - Wed 11:49 a.m.
SOMEWHERE FOR EVERY SEASON, KERN, KERN, KERN (TL) -- A testy little exchange resulting from a Vanity Fair piece on Sarah Palin started my Wednesday with a chuckle. The less-than-flattering profile prompted Bill Kristol to leap to Palin's defense and......
Token Liberal - Wed 8:45 a.m.
The Collin County Observer has learned that District Judge Greg Brewer of the 366th District Court has sent a letter of resignation to Governor Rick Perry and County Judge Keith Self. Sources at the courthouse have confirmed that Judge Brewer, who has served on the bench since 2007 resigned yesterday, effective September 1st, 2009. According to county officials, Judge Brewer gave no reason for hi...
The Collin County Observer - Wed 8:45 a.m. - 6 clicks
The Minnesota Supreme Court has confirmed what we already knew—By a 5-0 margin the Minnesota court has decided that Democrat Al Franken beat Republican Norm Coleman in last November’s Minnesota U.S. Senate race. (Above–A nice Minnesota scene–A rock formation known as Palisade Head overlooking Lake Superior. ) Here is a story about the decision from the Minneapolis Star-Tri...
TexasLiberal - Wed 8:45 a.m.
Interim President Roberto Micheletti and his country have been threatened with suspension from the Organization of American States unless exiled ex-President Manuel Zelaya is restored to power within three days. Micheletti says he’s ready to talk , whether with the OAS, Obama Administration or the UN, as protests I his favor continued to be larger than those for Zelaya, but nobody will dialog...
SocraticGadfly - Wed 8:45 a.m. - 5 clicks
Please... No Toll Road Agendas During Special Session Dear Lawmakers, Please do NOT approve the toll road agenda during the Special Session. The majority of your constituents do NOT want more toll roads in Texas. You really should listen more to their voices. In addition, you all know by now that toll roads are nothing more than spec...
Somervell County Salon - Wed 7:31 a.m. - 7 clicks
A 26-year-old customer who was injured early Sunday at a gay bar south of downtown was in the custody of an agent with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, not a Fort Worth police officer, Police Chief Jeff Halstead said Tuesday night. "They were not my employees," Halstead said during a meeting at an east Fort Worth church. That will get the TABC guys talking. I hope. Here's an improvemen...
South Texas Chisme - Wed 7:29 a.m. - 7 clicks
Having moved to Lancaster, suburban Dallas, not too long after the brouhaha over Hall’s Waste Management work, also mentioned in the story , I agree that he’s a poor choice for Environmental Protection Agency Region 6 administrator. I don’t know if he has an inside track over Al Armendariz (a better choice), or anybody else, or not, but I don’t want him. There is no god and I am his prophet. ...
SocraticGadfly - Wed 7:29 a.m. - 4 clicks
Is electricity deregulation finally working? NO! But rates are significantly lower this month than it was one year ago. The lowest rate for a 12 month contract is by Amigo Energy at 10.7. (might want to check out their reputation ) The highest rate is 14.6 by First Choice (ditto). Reliant is at 14.0 and TXU is at 13.5. Last year the rates were much higher: Consumers can lock into to a rel...
Bay Area Houston Blog - Wed 7:28 a.m.
Nueces County DA, Carlos Valdez, said donations to Bañales from Celis cronies might give the impression of bias as does Bañales' connection to defense lawyer Tony Canales. The district attorney’s motion stated the judge received campaign contributions from lawyers and firms with whom Celis split fees. The motion also implied Celis attorney Tony Canales could help Bañales if he wanted to become a ...
South Texas Chisme - Wed 4:57 a.m.
Ignoring a plea from a member of their governing board, faculty leaders at Texas A&M University on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a no-confidence vote aimed at the system’s chancellor, Michael McKinney. “This is not that we believe Chancellor McKinney is a bad person,” said Michael Benedik, a biology professor and member of the faculty senate. “Do we have confidence in his ability as a leader? ...
South Texas Chisme - Wed 4:57 a.m.
The special legislative session that starts today includes measures to allow private companies to build more toll roads across the state — an idea opponents have dubbed “the largest tax increase in history.” Gov. Rick Perry, who called the special session and sets its agenda, wants lawmakers to continue five state agencies that otherwise would expire, to permit highway bonds to be issued — and t...
South Texas Chisme - Wed 4:57 a.m.
The White House has accepted the resignation of an imprisoned federal judge whom the House impeached on allegations of sexually assaulting two women and lying about the assaults. President Barack Obama’s acceptance of U.S. Judge Samuel Kent’s resignation, effective Tuesday, ends Kent’s $174,000 annual judicial salary, as many members of Congress wanted. Kent will have to wait at least a week for...
South Texas Chisme - Wed 4:57 a.m.
John Cornyn, as a Republican, is all about being a ... Republican. Making the United States and/or Texas a better place isn't important. George Bush ruled that way and we all know how that turned out. Al Franken will be seated in the Senate soon, giving Democrats 60 votes in the Senate. Cornyn says Democrats will 'own' the results of Congress now, i.e. Republicans are not helping to solve probl...
South Texas Chisme - Wed 4:23 a.m.
The special session gets started today, with the stated goal of being done by the weekend. House Speaker Joe Straus thinks his chamber can get everything done in three days, while Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst is even more ambitious than that. "The Senate will get it done in less than three ......
Off the Kuff - Wed 4:23 a.m.
Some of you may know that my wife, Tiffany Tyler, has been working with Central City Co-Op. Last year, she helped launch the farmers market they run at Discovery Green - she was its first manager - and has continued to work with them on their Board of Directors. Central ......
Off the Kuff - Wed 4:23 a.m.
One gets used to disappointments with Rick Perry. In late 2007, the appointment of Bryan Shaw, a Texas A...
Off the Kuff - Wed 3:26 a.m. - 6 clicks
The main advantage Tom Schieffer has over his actual and potential rivals for the Democratic nomination for Governor is that he's actually out there on the trail right now, and stuff he's saying is in the news. Schieffer is traveling across the state, introducing himself to Texans as a Democratic candidate ......
Off the Kuff - Wed 3:26 a.m.
I entertained this topic over lunch with friends in which we all shared our opinions of who had the edge in the 2009 Mayoral Election of the City of Houston. When it comes to the four candidates … who is the candidate to beat? In order to answer that question though one must understand who enjoys the support of the establishment. There is only one candidate that in my opinion is enjoying an ...
David Ortez - Wed 12:42 a.m.
Facebook Facebook is wonky tonight. Don't know what the problem is but some links I click take me to the wrong page. Oh well. Speaking of Facebook, I think the format of that forum and the ease of posting a random thought have taken a toll on my writing here. Maybe I'm romanticizing the distant (in internet terms) past, but it seems like in past years, I wrote longer, more substantial and p...
WhosPlayin? - Tue 10:11 p.m. - 3 clicks
In case you are not familiar with the story line, let me refresh you. Either consciously influenced by President Barack Obama, consciously kowtowing to him, unconsciously doing one, the other, or a bit of both, or else lazily taking the line that Central American military activity automatically equals "coup," U.S. media has largely continued to claim a coup took place in Honduras earlier this wee...
SocraticGadfly - Tue 10:11 p.m.
The Danish government says it wants the remaining process in the Copenhagen round of climate-control negotiations, before the actual December Copenhagen summit, sped up . “It is time for a frank and open dialogue so the participating countries can make clear their positions, their concerns,” said Danish Climate Minister Connie Hedegaard. That said, the U.S. was one of the top 10 big polluters ...
SocraticGadfly - Tue 7:04 p.m.
The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism In THE SHOCK DOCTRINE , Naomi Klein explodes the myth that the global free market triumphed democratically. Exposing the thinking, the money trail and the puppet strings behind the world-changing crises and wars of the last four decades, The Shock Doctrine is the gripping story of how America’s “free market” pol...
Somervell County Salon - Tue 5:24 p.m.
The Public Record Army's Prescription To Combat Soldier Suicides: Christianity Jason Leopold The Public Record Monday, 11 May 2009 00:00 By Jason Leopold A recent edition of the U.S. Army's suicide prevention manual advises military chaplains to promote "religiosity," specifically Christianity, as a way to deter distraught soldiers from comm...
Somervell County Salon - Tue 4:48 p.m.
"So the House passed the Waxman-Markey climate-change bill. In political terms, it was a remarkable achievement. But 212 representatives voted no. A handful of these no votes came from representatives who considered the bill too weak, but most rejected the bill because they rejected the whole notion that we have to do something about greenhouse gases. And as I watched the deniers make th...
Somervell County Salon - Tue 4:24 p.m.
The Amarillo Tea Party will host a rally July 4 to protest high taxes. The last Tea Parties turned into anti-Obama-anti-federal government rallies as much as a complaint against taxes. And while the Tea Party’s manifesto calls for limited government, limited spending and lower taxes at all levels of government, taking to the streets, even peacefully, isn’t the way to deal with lowering local...
Panhandle Truth Squad - Tue 4:23 p.m.
John Hall, a regulator-turned-lobbyist, is gunning hard for the top job at the regional EPA office. Like Zelig, Hall’s been showing up everywhere—in D.C. to plead his case with the feds, in Port Arthur, Austin and Corpus Christi to try to and convince community activists and enviros to back off their criticism of of him. Hall’s [...]...
The Texas Observer Blog - Tue 2:46 p.m. - 4 clicks
The title of this post is the headline over a USA Today article published today voicing criticisms of Fort Bend County Sheriff's Deputy Keith Pikett's use of bloodhounds to conduct " scent lineups ," which have led to false accusations in two recent cases including one that resulted in a DNA exoneration . According to USA Today: Two federal lawsuits are casting a harsh spotlight on an inves...
Grits for Breakfast - Tue 2:45 p.m.
In a recent Observer story we reported that Texas has the highest number of construction deaths in the nation — 142 people died in 2007, according to Dept. of Labor statistics. As our story went to press three workers plunged to their deaths in Austin from a high-rise condo. Apparently, Texas’ appalling safety record finally [...]...
The Texas Observer Blog - Tue 1:42 p.m.
What a tool... Referring to the Constitution as "almost like the Bible," Wurzelbacher said of the Founding Fathers: "They knew socialism doesn't work. They knew communism doesn't work." Yes, they did. Almost 30 years before the author of The Communist Manifesto was even born . What vision! Mr. The Plumber then went on to discuss progressive taxation (without even mentioning the ...
McBlogger - Tue 1:42 p.m.
Just out this afternoon is the Minnesota State Supreme Court’s decision that former SNL writer, performer, and darling of the left wing, Al Franken, has won the election to the US Senate. Here is the text found at the end of the Court’s opinion : “For all of the foregoing reasons, we affirm the decision of the trial court that Al Franken received the highest number of votes legal...
Half Empty - Tue 1:42 p.m.
Minnesota has a new Senator, Al Franken (D-MN), former SNL star and talk show host has won a victory in the Minnesota Supreme Court . His opponent, Republican Norm Coleman formally conceded in a press conference ending speculation as to whether he would appeal to the US Supreme Court. Finally after months of legal battles Minnesota has representation in the Senate. Additionally, the Democrats...
Dungeon Diary - Tue 1:41 p.m.
Sylvester Turner will not run for mayor this year. I'm sure he appreciates the attention, however. Just as well ... I'm still in the "Lean Gene" category. Meanwhile, in the "Has my life really devolved to the point where I'm quoting Burt Levine articles?" category, the answer seems to be " Yes, it has. " Emphasis mine for the sake of noting new names in the mix ... African Americans ...
Greg's Opinion - Tue 1:01 p.m. - 2 clicks
» FWST: North Richland Hills and other DFW suburbs aim to fend off blight Not yer grand-dad's suburbs anymore ... North Richland Hills is proposing the largest push in its history to address aging housing, hopefully before it becomes a blight, officials say. "Deteriorating housing is like a cancer in a city," said Mayor Oscar Trevino. "It spreads. How goes the oldest parts of a ...
Greg's Opinion - Tue 1:01 p.m.
In Kuff’s preview of the upcoming special session, Special session starts tomorrow, he links to this AAS article that points out the potential problem that corporate toll roads, aka CDA/PPP’s, may cause. Here’s the article by Ben Wear, Toll road item may threaten session. No matter who’s language is used the best thing for [...]...
Eye On Williamson County - Tue 1:01 p.m.
First item worth noting, this piece from Kronberg regarding what Dunnam is thinking of in terms of a proper duration for the Special... DUNNAM: NO PLANS TO SLOW ANYTHING DOWN Wants to be clear on CDA reauthorizations; otherwise plans to expedite speedy session The Austin rumor mill continues to churn about grand plans by House Democrats to throw a little sand into the gears of the spec...
McBlogger - Tue 11:18 a.m.
Results from three new surveys by the Urban Institute provide a lot of new detail and analysis regarding barriers to successful reentry for prisoners returning from TDCJ to Houston. See their recent reports: One Year Out: The Experiences of Male Returning Prisoners in Houston, Texas Women on the Outside: Understanding the Experiences of Female Prisoners Returning to Houston, Texas W...
Grits for Breakfast - Tue 11:18 a.m. - 3 clicks
Sometimes I do a panorama shot, which is essentially a bunch of shots that overlap each other and are then stitched together. The idea behind this, as described on Boing Boing, is that you take multiple shots of ONE image and then the software removes the people. ...
Somervell County Salon - Tue 10:59 a.m.
Chuck Todd on judicial activism. I'm still trying to determine how anyone of any political stripe thinks that a written test is the definitive best way of determining rank for public safety. Just throwin' this out there, but I'd have to think "ability to use a fire hose effectively" probably ought to rank at least as high in this instance. Then again, maybe we should give wr...
Greg's Opinion - Tue 10:58 a.m. - 2 clicks
Sally Kerns, the woman who set back the public image of Oklahoma over 100 years is at it again. She just can't keep here bigoted mouth shut. Now she blames the recessoin and just about every other problem on gays and pornography. Hold your jaw as you watch or you might lose a tooth when it hits the floor! Dungeon Diary ...
Dungeon Diary - Tue 10:57 a.m.
By Ben Wear - AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF - Tuesday, June 30, 2009 The spoiler of Gov. Rick Perry's midsummer's dream of a three-day special session could be the "Nichols language." The consensus seems to be that few problems exist with the first two items on Perry's session "call" — essentially the allowable agenda for the session — that would extend the life of five state agencies, including t...
DFW Regional Concerned Citizens - Tue 10:57 a.m.
The Hardee's unit of CKE Restaurants is rolling out a new product which is, no joke, a biscuit hole (whatever that is) that's been deep fried, then rolled in cinnamon and sugar and served to you hot with icing in which to dip the balls of fried dough. Do you have any idea how much restraint I exercised just there talking about fried dough balls? There is, however, a small problem. The com...
McBlogger - Tue 9:32 a.m. - 3 clicks
Puppy doing well-I made him a couple of chew toys from some collars from old shirts. Quick note about comments. If people keep it civil, I don't really care if we agree or not. But if you come to MY house (my blog) and insult not only the owner of the blog, mischaracterize what's on it, and insult the posters, your comments won't be posted. My analogy is that it's like being invited to my home f...
Somervell County Salon - Tue 9:26 a.m.
Wedding march to your own hit song ... check. Wedding held on your own 7-acre, Studio City mansion ... check. Wedding attire consisting of untucked shirts and flip-flops ... check. Credit where it's due: Eddie Van Halen is still cooler than everyone else combined. Guitar virtuoso Eddie Van Halen is no longer a solo: Saturday night he married Janie Liszewski, his girlfriend of three years...
Greg's Opinion - Tue 9:24 a.m.
A few lengthier reads from the past week or so here. » TNR: Who Lincoln Was (Sean Wilentz) ... Just over 25,000 words to basically conclude that Abraham was much less an American saint and far more an American politician . There are points where the review seems excessive in scope, but it's still an entertaining read. The article is intended to commemorate the 200th anniversary of...
Greg's Opinion - Tue 9:24 a.m.
I have long believed that the "great" designers of men's and women's fashion are on crack, but now I have proof. The latest "trends" from Paris Fashion Week are beyond ugly. The men walking down the runway looked like someone hated them and made them wear the crap that adorned their near perfect but scrawny bodies Hugo Boss was about the only designer that had anything close to attractive, and ...
Dungeon Diary - Tue 9:24 a.m.
YOU ARE INVITED TO A RECEPTION FOR TOM ! WEDNESDAY NIGHT - JULY 1, 2009 , 6:30 – 8:30 pm Ambassador Hotel - Ballroom WHO IS TOM? Tom Schieffer – Democratic Candidate for Governor · Lifelong Democrat – Only Current Candidate for Governor · Forme...
Panhandle Truth Squad - Tue 8:37 a.m.
"Toll" is just another dirty 4-letter word Telling people not to use toll roads if they don't want to and then building them is almost like telling people not to breathe if they don't want to . They are going to be hurt. Why? Because we all will be paying toll road TAXES even if we "don't use them". &n...
Somervell County Salon - Tue 8:23 a.m.
I noticed an article from about the last week (Houston Chronicle) where shareholders that had been bilked due to CEO Richard Scrushy falsifying company earings (remind you of Enron????) want their judgment that they won against him in a civil lawsuit. That case was won by them in the last couple of weeks. From Insurance Journal of June 22 2009 An Alabama state judge has ordered forme...
Somervell County Salon - Tue 8:23 a.m. - 2 clicks
Federalist Paper #9, written by Alexander Hamilton, is a winner. In Federalist #9, Hamilton speaks for the Union of the States under a central government. The intent of the Federalist Papers was to help win ratification of the Constitution in the New York State and elsewhere in the nation. The 85 Federalist Papers were written by Hamilton, James Madison [...] ...
TexasLiberal - Tue 8:23 a.m.
Wednesday starts the Special Interest Special Session Reprinted by Peter Stern with permission from Terri Hall and TURF PRESS ADVISORY Contact: Hank Gilbert, Board Member, Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom (TURF), President of Piney Woods Subregional Planning Commission, (903) 570-3613, WEB: www.TexasTURF.org Legislature poised...
McBlogger - Tue 8:22 a.m. - 2 clicks
"Toll" is just another dirty 4-letter word Telling people not to use toll roads if they don't want to and then building them is almost like telling people not to breathe if they don't want to. They are going to be hurt. Why? Because we all will be paying toll road TAXES even if we "don't use them". How? We will pay the extra tolls at the cash register when we purchase goods and...
McBlogger - Tue 8:22 a.m.
Paul Burka has a piece up about Sen. Watson's chances in the '10 gubernatorial race. Honestly, it's not a bad read but it's a conventional analysis about an election cycle that's going to be strange in many ways, in state that is anything but conventional, especially right now. Where Burka and I differ on this is that while I think Sen. Watson can easily slide through the primary, I do not thin...
McBlogger - Tue 8:22 a.m.
I thought this was an interesting anthropological observation : "The most important way to think about this is that lion prides are like street gangs," says [lion researcher Craig] Packer. "They compete for turf. The bigger the gang, the more successful it is at controlling the best areas. The main difference from humans is that these are gangs of female lions." ...
Grits for Breakfast - Tue 8:22 a.m.
Wednesday starts the Special Interest Special Session Reprinted by Peter Stern with permission from Terri Hall and TURF PRESS ADVISORY . Contact: Hank Gilbert, Board Member, Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom (TURF), President of Piney Woods Subregional Planning Commission, (903) 570-3613, WEB: www.TexasTURF.org . ...
Somervell County Salon - Tue 6:48 a.m. - 3 clicks
R.J. MacReady over at the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals blog analyzes possible implications for Texas from last week's Melendez-Diaz ruling by SCOTUS. Though Scalia expressly cited Texas' statute on confrontation of lab experts as an example of state law that already complied with the new ruling, MacReady thinks Melendez-Diaz could result in a change to how Texas courts view confrontation in...
Grits for Breakfast - Tue 6:22 a.m.
Surprise. Surprise. The police say it was business as usual . Police officers did not target gays during a bar inspection early Sunday in which one man was injured and seven people were arrested, Police Chief Jeff Halstead said Monday. How can the Chief know that for certain so soon? Did he just take the officer's word for it while ignoring what the patrons said? "There was never, ever anyone ...
South Texas Chisme - Tue 5:34 a.m. - 5 clicks
In Grayson County last year, officials were enamored of the idea that they could expand their local jail without taxpayers "footing the bill" if they built it out much larger than necessary, allowed a private company to operate it, and leased out empty space to the Department of Criminal Justice. But with the jail building decision drawing near, TDCJ's population is down and they're not leasing a...
Grits for Breakfast - Tue 5:33 a.m.
Are we at war with Mexico? I don't think so. The Obama administration is developing a plan to seek up to 1,500 National Guard volunteers to step up the military’s counterdrug efforts along the Mexican border, senior administration officials said Monday. The stopgap measure between the Defense Department and the Homeland Security Department, and comes despite Pentagon concerns about committing mo...
South Texas Chisme - Tue 4:57 a.m.
While Mayor Pat M. Ahumada Jr., his attorney and a state prosecutor were ordered not to talk about the mayor's check scandal Monday, he looks forward to the "end of this chapter" of his life where he faces criminal charges. ... The charges against the mayor stem from a $26,139 check that the city issued to Tarsia Technical Industries Inc. of Hauppauge, N.Y, on Oct. 22, 2008, that ended up in Ah...
South Texas Chisme - Tue 4:57 a.m. - 3 clicks
The owner of Casa de Muse laughed in the face of tree huggers , denied her Austin heritage and earned a stern finger shaking from all who wear Birkenstocks, by willfully allowing two mature pine trees to be whacked down in her front yard in Fort Bend County this weekend. The homeowner - a former Austinite who really should know better than to tick off the Choose Life! Save a Tree! crowd - cla...
Musings - Tue 4:57 a.m. - 2 clicks
Thanks to the Houston Chronicle Clear Lake section for posting this lost cat notice . Lost cat in Bay Knoll Subdivision in Clear Lake Name: Squeeky. Lost: June 20, Cardinal Creek Court in Bay Knoll subdivision, north side of Clear Lake area in Houston. Description: Black, short hair, green eyes, female. Has her claws. Very friendly. Meows alot. Contact: johncoby@sbcglobal.net ...
Bay Area Houston Blog - Tue 4:56 a.m.
The Texas attorney general and BP have reached a partial settlement in a lawsuit against the oil company for what the state claims were repeated environmental violations at its Texas City refinery. Earlier this month, the state sued BP for what Attorney General Greg Abbott said was a “pattern of unnecessary and unlawful emissions” at the refinery between 2000 and 2007. I'll bet somebody (Gregg A...
South Texas Chisme - Tue 4:21 a.m. - 2 clicks
More than two years ago, a pair of former administrators at a remote West Texas juvenile prison were indicted on charges accusing them of sexually preying on teenage boys at the facility—a development hailed by the state's attorney general as a first step toward justice in a statewide scandal. But the cases have languished in court. And the delay could spell trouble for the prosecution, say atto...
South Texas Chisme - Tue 4:21 a.m. - 2 clicks
Mondays mean many things to me: back to work, plenty of Star Trek: The Next Generation to watch, and a fresh copy of “Randy’s Roundup” in my inbox. “Randy’s Roundup” is our Congressman’s weekly dispatch. From Monday’s Roundup (I prefer “Wrong-O”), discussing the Cap and Trade energy bill that passed the House: As I said on [...]...
Lubbock Left - Tue 12:20 a.m.
This from the Dallas Morning News' Ed Housewright writing in the McKinney Blog: State preservationists love old courthouse I had a story today on the Texas Historical Commission trying to save the recently abandoned Collin County Courthouse. Many consider the 1979 building generic and boring. The historical commissioner head, however, says the six-story cube is a "good example of a modern for...
The Collin County Observer - Mon 9:45 p.m. - 3 clicks
Judge injured in training accident in Collin County June 29, 2009 Reporter: KXII-TV Staff McKINNEY, TX -- A district judge from Collin County is recovering after being hurt in a training accident over the weekend. Collin County authorities say a gun loaded with blanks accidentally went off near Judge John Roach Jr. on Saturday. Roach was part of a training scenario in a courtroom where traine...
The Collin County Observer - Mon 9:45 p.m.
Lubbock is tooting it's horn as having the lowest unemployment rate in the state. May unemployment statistics released by the Texas Workforce Commission show Lubbock's unadjusted unemployment rate at 4.6 percent. However, while the official number of unemployed workers in Lubbock grew by 500, the total local workforce also shrank by another 400 workers. Furthermore, official unemployment statisti...
Prairie Fire Journal - Mon 7:45 p.m. - 4 clicks
You've probably seen the ads or heard the Republicans repeat the lie that 119 million Americans will lose their private health insurance if the government is allowed to offer a public option in the insurance market. This number comes from a report published by the Lewin Group back in April. But contrary to the lies being circulated by Republicans, the report doesn't say that 119 million Americans...
Prairie Fire Journal - Mon 7:27 p.m.
Administration Plans Will Help Cut Pollution, Grow Economy Washington, D.C.--President Obama today announced new energy efficiency standards for lightbulbs--standards which could obviate the need for the amount of energy produced by 14 dirty coal-fired power plants. The president also announced plans to speed up the release of some $346 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding de...
WhosPlayin? - Mon 6:47 p.m.
It’s Fourth of July week, and so it’s time for an extra-patriotic rendition of the Texas Progressive Alliance blog roundup. Off the Kuff takes a look at the latest Lyceum poll on the Governor and Senate races in Texas. Neil at Texas Liberal suggests that instead of blowing of your fingers lighting fireworks–during a drought in Harris [...]...
BlueBloggin - Mon 6:45 p.m. - 2 clicks
Referred to an article last week in the Waco Trib in which the sheer volume of water that the Brazos River Authority wants to use was discussed, for the 2 proposed nuclear reactors in Somervell County. Editorial about how running dry on water will ruin Texas's potential for growth Central Texans should be both heartened and just a little scared about Trib staff writer J.B. Smith’s ...
Somervell County Salon - Mon 2:52 p.m. - 3 clicks
Veterans can apply now! Now that Texas Legislators approved the bill for total home property tax exemptions for 100% Disabled Veterans and Gov. Perry signed the bill into law, the Texas Comptroller's Office is offering a download of the application form. A 100% Disabled Veteran must complete the application and attach a copy of the letter sent to the veteran b...
Somervell County Salon - Mon 2:52 p.m.
This is news? I have been blogging about all the poisoned and defective products from China for years and just now the press and the Consumer Products Safety Commission discovers that China has been exporting poisoned and defective crap to us for years? Read this and weep . Dungeon Diary ...
Dungeon Diary - Mon 2:50 p.m. - 4 clicks
Enjoy ... Nico Pitney elaborates a bit on the exchange at HuffPo . Apparently, Milbank had some real classy things to say during the break after this segment. And I dare say that for a guy who seemed enamored about Obama in a swimsuit , I can think of a lot better names to call someone that belie much less of a freudian slip. ...
Greg's Opinion - Mon 2:07 p.m.
This morning I went to the Harris County Administration building in Downtown Houston so that I could register my car. I know you can do it online and I understand why many people might take advantage of that option. But I often go Downtown, and I feel that clerks at the county building need jobs. The clerk who [...] ...
TexasLiberal - Mon 1:10 p.m. - 2 clicks
Overturning a ruling that was upheld by Supreme Court Justice Candidate Sonia Sotomayor, the Supreme Court today, in a 5 to 4 decision, rewrote the rules on how and when municipalities can evaluate whether someone is going to sue them. The Court ruled that the City of New Haven, Connecticut cannot exercise its prerogative in anticipating racial bias lawsuits. The cas...
Half Empty - Mon 1:09 p.m. - 2 clicks
Though much positive legislation died in the 81st Texas Legislature's closing days , I never went through the good criminal justice legislation that did finally pass and become law this year. This isn't a comprehensive list; let me know what I missed in the comments: Eliminating LWOP for juveniles Perhaps the bill passed with the most significant national implications was SB 839 by Hinoj...
Grits for Breakfast - Mon 1:09 p.m. - 3 clicks
I wrote yesterday about Susan Mclendon's battle in the courts to get permanent guardianship of her son Luke Humphrey (or, at the very least, something beyond the highly restrictive visitation rules that are currently set out ). There isn't any way that I have time to do any full justice to the large body of documentation that shows what a travesty occurred, but I have some video clips o...
Somervell County Salon - Mon 11:51 a.m. - 5 clicks
Finally, a new judge has been appointed in the TYC sex-abuse cases out of the West Texas State School, so we can likely expect a trial date to be set sooner than later. The state had been ready since last year but the district judge in Ward County had refused to set a trial date . Reported AP: An Odessa judge is now handling the cases against two former West Texas youth prison officials accuse...
Grits for Breakfast - Mon 11:16 a.m. - 6 clicks
From Bay Area Times Gary Swanson said he could not discuss the suspension. He disputed Moore's claims, saying students received "appropriate consequences." Student Services Director Margot Tobias upheld the suspension, and Moore has appealed to the assistant superintendent. "She may have felt that her purpose was valid," Tobias wrote about the taping, &quo...
Somervell County Salon - Mon 9:57 a.m. - 2 clicks
