BlogNetNews.com » Texas

TRAIL BLAZERS: Sen. Hutchison continues to blast Democrats' health care plan

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:43:20 -0500

In what is becoming a near-daily ritual, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, hammered away this morning at Democratic plans for health care reform on the Senate floor, calling proposed cuts to Medicare "astounding."

Hutchison and Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, led a Republican discussion to highlight concerns about $384 billion in proposed [...]

TRAIL BLAZERS: Bill White, now running for governor, sees little hope for Hutchison

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:31:35 -0500

The pundits say Houston Mayor Bill White has an uphill battle to win the governorship. Texas hasn't elected a Democrat statewide in what, 15 years? But now that he's officially running, he's willing to play pundit himself, at least when it comes to the GOP field.

In his view,' [...]

Bay Area Houston: Live Blogging: Houston Pastor A Time to Speak

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:25:00 -0500

12:44
Someone named Rick Scarbough(?) of Vision America. He helped fight against the hate crime bill. Truly an anti-gay conference of Pastors. No telling who is on this webinar. Claims this is a national race(?). Claims to have sent out 80,000 emails against Annise. Encourage men of God to use [...]

Burnt Orange Report: Hank Gilbert Endorses Shami, Drops Gubernatorial Bid, & Files for Ag Commissioner

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:24:53 -0500

Hank Gilbert has just announced via conference call that he will not seek the Democratic nomination for Governor of Texas. He will instead file for the office of Agriculture Commissioner, returning to the office he was nominated for in 2006 where he received the most [...]

Dallas South Blog: Old School Friday: Gone but not forgotten

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:24:30 -0500

Though many deserve consideration on this weeks OSF theme -Luther, Left Eye, Marvin Gaye, M.J. and many others, I’m dedicating the entire post to Aaliyah. She made so much wonderful music in such a short period of time. Even with 4 videos represented here, I’m still missing One in a [...]

Eddie G. Griffin (BASG): TASER International Crimes Against Humanity

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:21:00 -0500

Manipulating the Truth about Tasers

THIS IS A PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

To insure Public Safety against tyranny by the exercise of excessive state powers to use force, we call into question the use of TASERs as a means of compliance control by law enforcement, in the United States. [...]

TRAIL BLAZERS: Hank Gilbert switches from gov race to ag commissioner

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:20:01 -0500

Democrat Hank Gilbert says he's quitting the race for governor and will run again for Texas agriculture commissioner. He made the announcement as Houston Mayor Bill White was telling a Houston crowd he's getting into the governor's race. But Gilbert says he's not backing White -- who's seen by some [...]

Brains and Eggs: Gilbert will run for Agriculture Commissioner, endorses Shami

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:20:00 -0500

In our conference call (just completed) Hank Gilbert stated that he would switch from the gubernatorial contest to a re-challenge of Todd Staples for commissioner of agriculture, and endorsed Farouk Shami in the Democratic primary.

My best to Hank, his family, and the campaign's staff.

Update: From [...]

THE BRAZOSPORT NEWS: On football: Big 12 Champs & Texans-Jags

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:09:00 -0500

We see via our favorite sports betting emporium that the Texas Longhorns are 14.5 point favorites over the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Saturday night's Big 12 Championship game at JerryWorld in Arlington, Texas.

That's a lot of points to give in a football [...]

SocraticGadfly: Attack Pakistan?

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:02:00 -0500

Obama promises a surge in Afghanistan and at least one member of the bipartisan foreign policy establishment says, let's have a real war instead.

Especially since Pakistan is already leery of any smaller-level war expansion by Obama, Jones' idea above is just nuts.There is no god and' [...]

Burnt Orange Report: Bill White Announcement Open Thread

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:01:52 -0500

Listening or watching Bill White's announcement? Share your thoughts in the comments below. Here are some links to all of the action:

Live Stream on Bill White's Website Live Stream on Houston's ABC13 Follow the action on Twitter with hashtag #bw4tx

My major question is whether [...]

Left of College Station: Video Lunch: Direct Democracy

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:00:00 -0500

[...]

Vaqueros & Wonkeros: It's official. Bill White is running for governor

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:59:20 -0500

Houston mayor Bill White announced today that he wants to be the next governor of Texas. Nearly two weeks ago, White said he was considering the possibility of running for governor on the Democratic ticket. Another Democratic candidate for governor... [...]

Texas Prison Bid'ness -: Emerald targets Mineral Wells for "ICE detention center" for third time

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:57:26 -0500

Emerald Corrections has come back to the city of Mineral Wells for a third time in an attempt to construct a 500-1000 bed speculative detention center. This time, on a divided vote, the city council approved negotiations with the prison company. According to the Mineral Wells [...]

SocraticGadfly: Friday scatblogging - mammoths and Indians

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:51:00 -0500

The common version of American Indians taking over the New World is that they hunted the wooly mammoths and other creatures to extinction.

Well, mammoth scat says, in their case at least, it ain't quite so.There is no god and I am his prophet.' [...]

The Bayou: Bayou pic of the day: 25 reasons to LOVE Beaumont

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:46:00 -0500

Wrong business. We're definitely in the wrong business. It's been confirmed. Here are the top 25 paid BISD employees, in all their glory.One reader thinks the publishing of this here list is "immoral." Perhaps they meant the sky high numbers.So this is obviously for last year (since Ortego is now' [...]

SocraticGadfly: Friday scatblogging with our evolutionary cousins

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:35:00 -0500

It ain't just dogs that do it, chimps and bonobos do, too.

It? Coprophagy, or poop-eating.

Read why, right here.There is no god and I am his prophet.' [...]

McBlogger: It's ok if you give some folks asthma...

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:24:04 -0500

...just please, stop giving them cancer. That is the message the State is sending to O&G operators in the Barnett Shale.

[...]

Dallas City Hall Blog: U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson to seek stimulus funds for levee repairs

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:22:48 -0500

No one knows how much it will cost to repair Dallas' levee system, but it won't be cheap.

The levees must be raised and widened and could need substantial internal support - possibly in the form of slurry walls - to meet the U.S. Army Corps of [...]

The StandDown Texas Project: Life Without Parole Is Worse Than Execution

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:10:07 -0500

That's the title of a Dwight Lewis column in the Tennessean. Lewis is also a member of the paper's editorial board. LINK

They say good newspaper columns should read like you're listening to some good music. But how do you write such a column when the state has just taken a man's [...]

Blue Dot Blues: Holly Turner files for HD 47

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:10:00 -0500

The first Republican candidate in Travis County has filed - Holly Turner, who announced for HD 47 last week, has officially entered the race as of 10:30am today. [...]

Burnt Orange Report: Watch Bill White Announcement Live at Noon, Listen to Farouk Shami Interview Live at 2pm

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:07:28 -0500

The Bill White press conference will live stream at 12pm (Noon) on his website - http://www.billwhitefortexas.com/

Hank Gilbert will also be hosting a press call at noon; we will report what he says as soon as we hear it.

Farouk Shami will be doing a [...]

The StandDown Texas Project: Additional Coverage of the Woods Execution

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 10:59:51 -0500

Chris McGreal writes, "Texas executes man at centre of mental disability row," for the Guardian. It's datelined Washington, DC.

Texas has executed a child killer at the centre of a bitter dispute over what defines legal mental impairment after several courts ruled that he could be put to death despite a low [...]

RIGHTWINGSPARKLE: Who Is The Enemy?

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 10:56:00 -0500

I suppose you have heard by now that on the night of Pres. Obama's Afghanistan speech given at West Point, Chris Matthews of MSNBC said on air that he found it interesting that Obama had made the decision to speak at "the enemy camp."

It was a despicable thing [...]

Blue Dot Blues: Holly Turner files for HD 48

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 10:45:00 -0500

The first Republican candidate in Travis County has filed - Holly Turner, who announced for HD 47 last week, has officially entered the race as of 10:30am today. [...]

The StandDown Texas Project: More Problems at HPD Crime Lab

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 10:43:29 -0500

The Houston Police Department Crime Lab was the scene of a multi-year scandal in its DNA unit. Problems were also reported in other units, as well. Now, the Houston Chronicle reports, "HPD fingerprint unit is focus of criminal probe." It's written by Moises Mendoza and Bradley Olson. It appeared [...]

Dallas City Hall Blog: East Dallas man says he'll tear out fake lawn

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 10:43:20 -0500

David Flick attended yesterday's appeal for a man who's been told he can't have a fake lawn in Old East Dallas.

He writes: After months of fighting City Hall, Jose Escobedo is throwing in the towel.

Or, more accurately, the turf.

Escobedo lost his appeal Thursday to the City' [...]

The StandDown Texas Project: Selective Empathy

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 10:28:28 -0500

That's the title of Linda Greenhouse's latest post at the New York Times Opinionator blog. LINK It's a must-read. Several excerpts:

In overturning a death sentence this week of a Korean War veteran whose lawyer failed to inform the jury about the man’s combat-related traumatic stress disorder, the Supreme Court [...]

TexasLiberal: Snow In Houston—What Is Snow?

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 10:10:37 -0500

It is snowing in Houston today. One to two inches are expected. (Above–Woman wearing mini-skirt in a 1969 New York City snowstorm.) While that might not be big news in much of the country, it rarely snows in Houston. Today’s snow is the earliest recorded snowfall ever in Houston. What is snow? Here [...]

The Rag Blog: RIP Bobby Keane : The Rise and Fall of a Music Man

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 10:09:00 -0500

Ritchie Valens, left, and Bob Keane, then president of Del-Fi Records, on TV show in Los Angeles, 1958. Photo from Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images.Musician and music biz progidy:The ill-starred life of Bobby KeaneBy Carl R. Hultberg / The Rag Blog / December 4, 2009Bobby Kuhn was born in [...]

MOMocrats™: Mikulski, Snowe, Collins, Vitter bring victory for women's health in Senate bill; ensure preventive care

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 10:08:08 -0500

Number of comments: 0

Straight from Kaiser Health News today (bolding mine, to highlight crucial points):

"Senate Bill Moves Forward, Amendment Ensures Coverage For Women's Preventive Care"

Los Angeles Times: "After days of delay, Senate Democrats pushed ahead Thursday with their drive to pass a healthcare bill by Christmas, approving the first amendment to their giant [...]

The StandDown Texas Project: Bureau of Justice Statistics Capital Punishment Numbers for 2008 Available

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 10:04:11 -0500

The Crime Report posts that the Department of Justice publication is online. LINK

The Bureau of Justice Statistics has just released statistics on capital punishment in 2008. According to the report, 37 prisoners were executed in 2008—36 by lethal injection and one by electrocution. All those executed were men; 20 were white, [...]

The Ellis County Observer: Bob Carroll to Switch Races, Run for 40th District Court?

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 10:00:18 -0500

The rumor from downtown Waxahachie coffee shops is that former Court at Law No. 1 Judge Bob Carroll, R-Midlothian, will switch races from county judge to the 40th District Court, which became an open seat when longtime Judge Gene Knize, R-Ennis, announced he would not seek re-election. If Carroll switches races, [...]

I Blame The Patriarchy: Hugs, Twisty: “I just need to commandeer your uterus for a sec.”

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 10:00:06 -0500

Number of comments: 10

Rejected comment from reader bilbertson on an August, 2007 post entitled UterusWatch 2007, in which I discuss a couple of legislative efforts to restrict women’s access to abortion, one of which required written consent of the “father”:

[Dear Twisty]

I know I’m commenting on this much later than it was posted [...]

Gold-Plated Witch on Wheels: Palin Says Birth Certificate a "Fair Question"

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:46:00 -0500

This is gonna drive the moonbats nuts, providing them new and additional information proving Sarah Palin is crazy and all Republicans are in the toilet with her. On a radio interview yesterday, Palin said Barack Obama's birth certificate is a "fair question."
Palin suggested that the questions were fair [...]

Blue Dot Blues: Day 2 - Bill White announcement coming

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:42:00 -0500

Number of comments: 0
It was only a matter of time - former Houston mayor Bill White is set to make an announcement about his campaign today, and the Chron thinks it'll be he's running for governor.

It's a crowded field on the Dem side, with Farouk Shami (I saw an ad' [...]

Three Wise Men: The “Grand Bargain” of Health Care Reform

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:40:49 -0500

Paul Krugman, on what I believe is the single most powerful argument for health care reform:

… the proposed health care reform links the expansion of coverage to serious cost-control measures for Medicare. Think of it as a grand bargain: coverage for (almost) everyone, tied to an effort to ensure [...]

Gold-Plated Witch on Wheels: Unemployment at Only 10%

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:31:00 -0500

I guess we're supposed to be happy about this.
The unemployment rate unexpectedly fell to 10 percent in November as employers cut the smallest number of jobs since the recession began. The better-than-expected job figures are a rare note of encouraging news for the labor market.
Hooray! Sure, we're [...]

The Daily Hurricane: Awaiting the Great Blizzard

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:22:05 -0500

Some odds and ends from around the intertoobs before I head out in search of the perfect snow shovel in preparation for the Great Texas Blizzard of '09:

Someone put the G-nO-P on suicide watch, unemployment is coming down.

What a shocker, Sarah Palin' [...]

Bay Area Houston: The Republican in the Race for Mayor has Surfaced. Sorta

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:05:00 -0500

It was just a matter of time for candidate Gene Locke to attempt to surface as the republican in the race, not as a candidate with "conservative values" but as one who has lost his own base. A door hanger in Clear Lake, obviously directed towards [...]

Politicker TX - Texas Politics News, Reaction, and Analysis: [Bay Area Houston] The Republican in the Race for Mayor has Surfaced. Sorta

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:05:00 -0500

Burnt Orange Report: Giving HOPE for the Holidays

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:03:00 -0500

It's heartbreaking to think that in a nation as wealthy as ours, there are so many folks struggling to meet their most basic needs here in our communities.

Luckily, here in Central Texas, some of our grassroots volunteers have put together a way to make [...]

Relaxed Politics: Harry Reid – 1 … Judd Gregg – zip, nada, zero

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:00:15 -0500

Number of comments: 1
So, Judd Gregg Idjit-NH *says* he was *just* pointing out *procedural moves* to his fellow idjits in the Senate. Surprised he didn’t say *move along, nothing to see here, move along* too. But that would mean he pays attention to public perception of repugnants’ idjit actions and tows the party [...]

Left of College Station: Local News: Steve Ogden Files for Reelection

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:00:00 -0500

Ogden Says He's Running
By Matthew Watkins

From the Bryan-College Station Eagle

State Sen. Steve Ogden filed for re-election Thursday -- a reversal from his September announcement that he wouldn't run in 2010.

The Bryan oil and gas business owner will face Huntsville businessman Ben Bius' [...]

The Rag Blog: Harm's Way : Escalation and the GI Suicide Crisis

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:49:00 -0500

Mental health and the suicide rate:Sending soldiers into harm's wayBy Michael Anthony / The Rag Blog / December 4, 2009President Obama recently stated that sending more troops into harm’s way in Afghanistan is a solemn decision -- one that he would not rush. As a veteran, I find the decision [...]

Pondering Penguin: The White House Jobs Summit

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:49:00 -0500

As the newest unemployment numbers are reported today, this from a press release: "The unemployment rate, which had risen to 10.2% in October, declined to 10.0% in November. This decline primarily reflects an increase in the number employed, as measured by the household survey. Despite the welcome decline, the unemployment" [...]

Letters from Texas: Sarah Palin Book Tour Update

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:40:00 -0500

As Sarah Palin brings her book tour to Texas today, Letters From Texas thought this might be as good a time as any to remind you pesky commie pinko reporters about The Official Sarah Palin Book Tour Media Guidelines:

1. if you're a foreign reporter, you're not invited.

2. if you're' [...]

Beginning To Wonder: Thanks Mike

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:33:00 -0500

For another trip down memory lane:

[...]

Grits for Breakfast: Cold weather odds and ends

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:26:00 -0500

Here are a number of recent stories that deserve Grits readers attention as we all hunker down and wait for the cold weather to blow in:

Fire and Innocence
At the Texas Observer, read David Mann's essay on arson, innocence, and 72-year old, Cambridge educated arson expert Gerald [...]

Three Wise Men: House Votes to Preserve Estate Tax

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:25:45 -0500

The House voted yesterday to preserve the estate tax at current levels, in an effort to avoid the expiration of the tax completely in 2010 and its resumption at 2001 levels in 2011:

The House approved a measure Thursday that would make the current estate tax rate permanent, setting it [...]

Brains and Eggs: White in for governor (and other filing news)

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:23:00 -0500

Even though he still hasn't said so himself (that is to be tonight, downtown), the Chron says Bill White is a candidate for governor:

Mayor Bill White will formally enter the race for governor today, instantly becoming the Democrats' best hope of winning a statewide office in [...]

UrbanGrounds: Washington Times

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:09:19 -0500

Number of comments: 1
Washington Times. The U.S. Office of Special Counsel, a federal investigative agency, found that a government election commission had refused a man a high-ranking position because he was a Republican. [...]

UrbanGrounds: Small Dead Animals

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:05:59 -0500

Number of comments: 1
The Bottle Genie. And as it turns out, the concerted efforts of a protective mainstream media to ignore the scandal turned out to be worst possible course of events for the University of Anglia’s motley CRU and their supporters in the wealth distribution industry. [...]

UrbanGrounds: Mark Steyn

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:03:27 -0500

The ‘science’ of global warming! I would urge the delegates at Copenhagen to listen to the experts and issue a comprehensive statement fully reflecting the rigorous scientific evidence. Here’s my draft: “OH F–K THIS.” [...]

Dog Canyon: False Positives and Negatives in Health Care

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:00:59 -0500

Number of comments: 1

Most doctors recommend regular checkups for their patients. A physical is designed to screen for the issues that most commonly threaten our health; often this involves doing lab tests, x-rays, and, at certain times in life, procedures such as mammograms, colonoscopies, and tests [...]

musings: These Ministers Speak for Me

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:00:00 -0500

I deplore the anti-gay attacks in the mayoral race and Locke seeking them out and accepting them. It's hypocritical to claim a moral high ground while condoning hate. Hate is wrong. I was wondering yesterday what happens when one of the hateful anti-gay mailers, with a Locke endorsement, arrives [...]

The Whited Sepulchre: Harold Meyerson wants another stimulus from your bathtub so he can get more water into your bathtub. Or something like that.

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 07:38:43 -0500

When Harold Meyerson, resident Obama apologist for the Washington Post, publishes an editorial, Professor Donald Boudreaux of George Mason University usually rips Meyerson into small bite-sized fragments.I have but one goal here. In this post, I want to predict how Boudreaux will rip Meyerson's head from his body. I think [...]

Zippidy Doo Da: The Armed Citizen

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 06:39:00 -0500

Juan Rodriguez never even knew the names of the people who rented the house across the street.
He was asleep at 2 a.m. on Thursday when a single gunshot rang out in his northwest Harris County cul-de-sac. Three armed men had just robbed his neighbors. Rodriguez grabbed his handgun and [...]

Bluedaze.: Aruba Petroleum Hydraulic Fracturing Operation

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 06:37:00 -0500

Aruba Petroleum hydraulic fracturing operationin a Wise County back yard.Welcome to the Ruggiero home in Wise County. They bought 10 acres, built a nice fence and a barn then bought their 9 year old daughter, Reilly, a horse for Christmas. Now they have to board their horses at a cost [...]

musings: Locke's Law Firm Has A Diversity Problem

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 06:30:00 -0500

Oh, well. Turns out it's not the Controller's office that has a diversity problem at all - it's Locke's law firm. Instead of the 71% minorities like in Parker's office, Locke's law firm has these dismal figures:

A grade of "D" from the multi-bar Diversity Committee
only [...]

Off the Kuff: Today’s the day for Bill White

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 06:08:00 -0500

If you’re anything like me, you have probably received multiple communications from the Bill White campaign inviting you to come down to the Hilton Americas at noon and hear White say officially what office he’ll be pursuing. The Chron attempts to preempt him.

Mayor Bill White will formally [...]

Kuff's World: Runoff EV report, Day 4

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:51:43 -0500

Consistency, thy name is early voting runoff turnout. Here are the in-person totals for each of the days so far: Monday = 5,834 Tuesday = 5,726 Wednesday = 5,787 Thursday = 5,772 Flat as Houston itself. It'll be interesting to...

' [...]

Off the Kuff: University Line takes a step forward on funding

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:48:00 -0500

Finally!

The light rail route known as the “University Line” is close to clearing the first major hurdle for obtaining federal funding.

The Federal Transit Authority notified Metro this week that the project has entered a 10-day congressional notification period. If no member of Congress objects by Dec. 10, then the [...]

First Door on the Left: Court “restricts” religious expression

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:01:30 -0500

Number of comments: 5

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans has ruled that students in the Plano, Texas school district may only distribute Christian propaganda religious materials before and after school, at three annual parties, during recess and at designated tables during school hours. Middle and high schoolers can also [...]

Grits for Breakfast: Test possible innocence cases among Bexar DNA cache

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:53:00 -0500

I'd neglected to mention a remarkable story out of San Antonio last month ("SAPD to review previously untested rape kits," Express-News, Nov. 17), with the discovery of thousands of untested rape kits in unsolved cases which were retained but never tested:

The San Antonio Police Department announced Monday it' [...]

Texas Kaos: Disgraceful: Senator John Cornyn Opposed Anti-Rape Amendment

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 12:53:49 -0500

It seems that 30 misogynist Republicans in the U.S. Senate are totally OK with rape, at least where women are concerned. Predictably in yet another routine attempt to serve their corporate masters, (this time the GOP stood by Halliburton) Republicans voted against women and for corporate contempt of rape victims. Some [...]

Only In It For The Gold: Andrew Sullivan on SwiftHack

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:43:00 -0500

Not really a climate blogger though he sometimes plays up Jim Manzi's stuff, and a sort of conservative-in-spirit (though gay) anti-Republican, Andrew Sullivan is one of my main sources of information. He was brilliant on the Iran pseudo-election and is consistently on the mark about what drives the US' [...]

I Blame The Patriarchy: Spinster aunt explains comedy

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:59:14 -0500

Number of comments: 10

Whenever I hear some guy say that feminists don’t have a sense of humor, I want to punch that guy in the face.

What I mean is, I want to take a bunch of tiny razors and glue’em to a glove, kind of around the knuckle area, and put on this [...]

Brains and Eggs: The Locke campaign's self-immolation

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 08:20:00 -0500

We're nearing the merciful end of a bad campaign run by a really bad candidate and some truly awful staff.

Parker campaign manager Adam Harris called the claims from Tejano Chair Sandra Puente and black Dems' leader Gabrielle Hadnot "twisted and misleading." Using the same spreadsheet from [...]

I Blame The Patriarchy: Godbaggianism originates at cellular level

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:32:04 -0500

Number of comments: 10

Need cash? Got any Jewish eggs? Sell’em on Craigslist for 8 large! No Methodist, Buddhist, or Secular Humanist eggs, please. God can tell the difference.

True story: when my ovaries were amputated, biopsied, and interviewed by clerics, it was found that my eggs did not subscribe to any supernatural fantasies [...]

Letters from Texas: FUBloopers in the News

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:54:00 -0500

Somebody who dishes it out to others as often as I do should be able to take a shot every once in a while, and here's a pretty good one.

While at News8Austin earlier today taping an interview for later broadcast, I suddenly broke into an unexpected' [...]

I Blame The Patriarchy: Hugs, Twisty: fan mail from a flounder

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:10:05 -0500

Number of comments: 10

Email from David Finnigan to twisty.faster
Sun, Nov 29, 2009 at 5:10 PM

[Dear Twisty,]

paragraphs like this:

‘Compulsory feminism, unlike the heartwarming compulsory capital ‘M’ misogyny the shoving down of which our throats are all accustomed to, is apparently nothing short of child abuse. One nervous misogynist, Australian Family Association spokesman John [...]

I Blame The Patriarchy: OzWatch ‘09: Misogyny on Parade

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 07:55:21 -0500

Number of comments: 10

Displaying an astonishing capacity for patriarchy-blaming, somebody in charge of public education in Victoria AU wishes to implement anti-violence-against-women training in a couple of schools. It’s called “Respectful Relationship Education.”

Possible classroom activities include students acting out scenes of sexual coercion after which students would suggest more appropriate behaviour. [...] [...]

I Blame The Patriarchy: Spinster aunt reads amateur op-ed piece

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 11:20:34 -0500

Number of comments: 10

Every morning Google sends urgent feminist alerts to my inbox. It’s hilarious, the contexts in which writers of Internet crap chuck that word “feminist” around.

– Rihanna has a new album; she left her abusive boyfriend, so she’s a feminist icon now.
– You can wear false eyelashes and [...]

Letters from Texas: FUBAR in the News (AKA "desperate cries for help")

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:55:00 -0500

I've been out of town, but on my way out the door last Thursday I was interviewed by Statesman Capitol Bureau Chief Jason Embry about the emergence of a new candidate for Texas Governor. Let's just say I was less than completely impressed.

"I would love to live in" [...]

I Blame The Patriarchy: Funny sexism: harms outweigh benefits

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 08:03:29 -0500

Number of comments: 10

The No Shit! Department at Spinster HQ brings you breaking news from 2007: Study shows that sexist jokes induce actual sexism!

Two long years ago psychology researcher Thomas E Ford et al authored a paper revealing that when dudes sit around guffawing at dumb blonde jokes, they are more likely [...]

THE BRAZOSPORT NEWS: Obama meets Major-Major

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:57:00 -0500

The feud between President Obama and Fox News is simmering down, as evidenced by this video, but there's still fence-mending to be done.' [...]

Letters from Texas: FUBAR in the (old) news

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:16:00 -0500

It's hard to believe it's taken me 15 months to get around to this after receiving a few requests long ago, but here is President Bill Clinton greeting Senator Leticia Van de Putte and me, on the podium of the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Since the footage is at the [...]

Letters from Texas: Hopson's sittin' in tall cotton now!

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:45:00 -0500

After my recent post on the matter, I really thought I was finished discussing Chuck Hopson.

But in light of Hopson's former Republican opponent Brian Walker's endorsement of Hopson today, I thought it might be useful to hear in Hopson's own words how much weight to place' [...]

PrairiePundit: A wishy washy call to arms

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 07:17:00 -0500

Charles Krauthammer:

We shall fight in the air, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields, we shall fight in the hills -- for 18 months. Then we start packing for home.

We shall never surrender -- unless the war gets too expensive, [...]

PrairiePundit: What is plan for Taliban sanctuaries?

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 06:44:00 -0500

Seth Jones:

...

... the most difficult issue is largely outside of General McChrystal’s control (and got short shrift in President Obama’s speech at West Point): undermining the Taliban’s sanctuary in Pakistan. Thus far, there has been no substantive action taken against [...]

South Texas Chisme: What's with CPS Energy?

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 06:13:00 -0500

Secrecy?After word leaked out in October that building two new nuclear plants might cost as much as $4 billion more than had been publicly projected, Mayor Julián Castro expressed dismay at the city-owned utility's penchant for secrecy.

“The CPS Energy culture needs to shift towards greater transparency,” he [...]

South Texas Chisme: Residents hurt by chemical companies to get a pittance

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 06:05:00 -0500

The lawyers and the companies come out just fine.Under the agreement being considered, the three chemical suppliers — all of which shipped pesticides to the old Hayes-Sammons Chemical Co. — would pay $4.2 million, to be divvied up among the more than 1,800 plaintiffs. All those who have entered claims [...]

South Texas Chisme: Bill White is officially in the race for governor

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:59:00 -0500

White will face four opponents in the Democratic primary, and the winner of that contest will take on the victor of the Republican fight between Gov. Rick Perry, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and activist Debra Medina. [...]

South Texas Chisme: Why would new meters mean higher bills in Nueces County?

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:52:00 -0500

Because AEP is charging you for those meters.Residential customers will begin seeing a new $3.15 surcharge in their electric bills starting in January.

The Public Utility Commission of Texas approved the surcharge, which helps AEP Texas recover about $430 million it will spend installing more than 1 million smart [...]

PrairiePundit: Socialism makes countries weaker

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:50:00 -0500

Opinion Journal:

For our money, one of the better parts of President Obama's speech at West Point this week was his connection between a healthy economy and U.S. national security. To quote: "Our prosperity provides a foundation for our power. It pays for our military. It underwrites our" [...]

Off the Kuff: Universities Line takes a step forward on funding

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:48:00 -0500

Finally!

The light rail route known as the “University Line” is close to clearing the first major hurdle for obtaining federal funding.

The Federal Transit Authority notified Metro this week that the project has entered a 10-day congressional notification period. If no member of Congress objects by Dec. 10, then the [...]

PrairiePundit: Iran makes arrest for national student day

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:41:00 -0500

Washington Times:

Iranian authorities have rounded up scores of student activists in a bid to head off what several young people said will be massive demonstrations on university campuses across the country Monday.

Monday is National Students Day, named for the day in 1953 when armed forces [...]

Off the Kuff: HISD Trustee runoff overview

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:40:00 -0500

Here’s the Chron story on the two runoffs for HISD Trustee. It echoes a theme from that Examiner story we saw yesterday.

The outcome of the races could reshape several board debates — particularly over wages for construction workers, efforts to hold weak teachers more accountable and the role [...]

Off the Kuff: One Voice for Choice

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:33:00 -0500

I don’t usually get involved in the national stuff, but I’m totally on board with this idea and hope you will take action as you can.

Ever since Stupak hijacked the health care bill, we’ve been watching. So far, nothing looks like it has any chance of success of [...]

Off the Kuff: Taking on Tarrant

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:25:00 -0500

Democrats have made huge strides in Texas’ large urban counties in recent years. The main holdout has been Tarrant County, which has remained solidly blue. Is 2010 the year things change? Maybe not, but it ought to be an interesting electoral season anyway.

The death of longtime Tarrant County District [...]

TexasVox: Green-up Your Life! Flushing trees down the toilet

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 05:19:42 -0500

By Kirsten Bokenkamp From office paper, to toilet paper, paper towels, paper coffee cups, newspapers, paper bags, magazines and catalogs, notebooks, napkins, and packaging, we cannot escape our dependency on paper products. Check out some of these crazy facts related to paper manufacturing and use: Deforestation causes more global warming pollution than [...]

blogHOUSTON: Mayor White to use Houston crime rate as a selling point in race for Governor

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 04:37:17 -0500

MAYOR WHITE OFFICIALLY CHANGES WHICH ELECTED POSITION HE'S RUNNING FOR: White, a three-term mayor who is balding and known for something of a bland personality, is expected use self-deprecating humor to tell a Hilton Americas crowd of supporters t...' [...]

Libertarian Republican: Sarah Palin says on radio interview Obama's place of birth, a "fair question"

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 04:28:00 -0500

Rusty Humphies is a syndicated radio talk show host out of the Northwest. Over the years, he's taken a hard right libertarian/conservative stance, particularly on matters of Islamic extremism and fighting the War on Terror. He's known for outlandish on-air skits and producing spoof songs mocking liberals.
[...]

The Collin County Observer: Van Taylor announces run for Texas Legislature, District 66

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 03:12:06 -0500

A third candidate has entered the race for Texas Legislature, District 66 presently served by Rep. Brian McCall.

Last week Rep. McCall announced he would not be running for re-election. Former Plano City Councilwoman Mabrie Jackson and businessman Wayne Richard have already announced their candidacies for the District [...]

Pulp Friction: Party Crashers: A Microcosm of ...

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 02:26:00 -0500

Party Crashers: A Microcosm of America

I wanted to let the news of the party crashers at Obama's first State Dinner sink in before I wrote about it.
Something about it was eating at me, and now I know what it is.
America [...]

The Collin County Observer: FDWIL - The Race for Collin County District Clerk

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 02:23:52 -0500

In his continuing series of profiles of local races, Frisco's DWI Attorney, Hunter Biederman takes a look at the candidates in the race Collin County district Clerk.

His original article can be read on his blog, The Frisco DWI Attorney & Lawyer Blog.

Bill

=============================================

The Race for Collin County District [...]

Three Wise Men: Links for 2009-12-03 [del.icio.us]

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 02:00:00 -0500

What Is Living and What Is Dead in Social Democracy? [...]

The Collin County Observer: County makes H1N1 vaccines available at no cost

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 01:47:16 -0500

From a Collin County Department of Homeland Security press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

December 3, 2009
Contact: Pamela Nishimoto, Public Outreach Educator, (214)491-6855
HEALTH ADVISORY: H1N1 Influenza Vaccine

(McKINNEY, Texas) – Collin County Health Care Services is providing H1N1 vaccine for no charge [...]

Lubbock Left: The People’s Watchdog: Jeff Weems for Railroad Commissioner!

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 01:36:46 -0500

Jeff Weems announced his candidacy for Texas Railroad Commissioner today in Austin, and he was in Lubbock tonight for his very first campaign house party. I got a chance to meet him, and I am impressed.

With Jeff Weems we have a candidate who knows the oil and gas industry [...]

The Collin County Observer: DMN - Murphy city officials defend officers' response in boy's death

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:44:52 -0500

Fox4 TV aired a short piece tonight about the sad case of Matthew Cantrell, the young boy from Murphy who was strangled in a back yard soccer net. Matthew's Parents filed suit in a federal court earlier this year charging that Matthew's death could have been avoided, but that [...]

Pulp Friction: Is Puff Daddy/P Diddy/Puffy Combs Kidding?

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:33:00 -0500

Is Puff Daddy/P Diddy/Puffy Combs Kidding?

I hate this ad.
I mean, who is this guy?
I can't name or even hum even one song he's ever recorded. He's supposed to be some kind of mogul, but what's behind all the hype?
He reminds me of Kanye' [...]

jobsanger: From Alaska

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:07:00 -0500

From that great blog What Would Jack Do? [...]

jobsanger: Executive Privilege ? Really ?

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:06:00 -0500

A few days ago, there were two party crashers at a special White House dinner. Fortunately, they were just publicity-seeking jerks and did not pose a danger. But they still should not have been able to get through two separate Secret Service checkpoints since they were [...]

The Bayou: Daybreaker: Beaumont man falls in the trash, and we end up with the bill

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:06:00 -0500

It's like that scene in Star Wars, where Luke, Han, Chewbacca, and Princess Leia fall into a space-age trash compactor. As the walls start to slowly contract, Han turns to the rest of them and says, "One thing's for sure. We're all gonna be a lot thinner."Funny on screen, not' [...]

jobsanger: Tigerwoodsgate

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:05:00 -0500

Political Cartoon is by Pat Bagley in the Salt Lake Tribune. [...]

jobsanger: Children's Rights

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:04:00 -0500

The other day, I wrote a post about the United Nation's Convention on the Rights of the Child. This treaty seeks to protect basic rights for children around the world, including the United States. Every nation in the world has signed this treaty except the [...]

jobsanger: Progress ?

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:03:00 -0500

Political Cartoon is by Daryl Cagle at MSNBC.com. [...]

jobsanger: World Cup Draw Will Happen Today

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:02:00 -0500

The waiting is finally over. The 32 teams, including the United States, that qualified to participate in the FIFA World Cup (soccer) tournament will find out today what group they are going to be in, and who else will be in that group. The tournament [...]

Houston's Clear Thinkers: Shelby Foote

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:01:00 -0500

I would enjoy listening to the late Shelby Foote reading a phone book.... [...]

jobsanger: It's Obama's War Now

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:01:00 -0500

Political Cartoon is by David Horsey in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. [...]

La Sanbe: It's Now Open

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 22:34:00 -0500

[...]

Yellow Doggerel Democrat: Dialing For Dollars

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 22:19:03 -0500

For this post to make sense, you have to know two things: 1. I have had the same land-line phone number for over 25 years. 2. I am not, to the best of my knowledge, in any kind of long-term debt. ... [...]

Dungeon Diary: New York Senator Monserrate - Convicted Abuser Voted Against Gay Marriage

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 22:16:00 -0500

A nice little tidbit exposed on the Daily Show. Once again Jon Steward is a better reporter that CNN, FOX, and all the other networks combined. He even showed the surveillance footage used to convict him of assault against his girlfriend.

I will post the video as soon as [...]

David Ortez: Roy Morales Endorses Annise Parker

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 21:43:28 -0500

Hot off the presses folks is this mailer from formed Houston Mayoral Candidate Roy Morales. In fact, it is soo hot, the ink got on my [...]

Gold-Plated Witch on Wheels: The Death of Newspapers

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 21:41:00 -0500

The inky wretch part of my soul just curled up with a huge pain in the gut after reading this:
As of yesterday, some section editors at all of the company's papers, including The News, will now report directly to Carr's team of sales managers, now referred to as [...]

THE BRAZOSPORT NEWS: For $50, you now can get married in a Houston dance hall

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 21:41:00 -0500

There's a new business in Houston designed for the get-married-quick crowd, we read here in The River Oaks Examiner.

Channel 39 already has jumped on the story (see embedded viddy), choosing to focus on the really quick, spur-of-the moment, let's-fuckin'-do-it, walk-up marriage crowd. Those ceremonies all take [...]

Freida Bee: Coming Out All Over the Place

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 21:26:00 -0500

Oooh baby, this title sets up all sorts of punchlines. Punchlines, punch lines. What's the relationship there? Someone needs to spike the PBR for you to laugh at my next sentence: If I had a wiener, I'd never keep that (wince) thing in my pants. Now' [...]

Rhymes With Right: Secret Service Head Rebukes The Make-Stuff-Up Media

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 21:14:00 -0500

Remember how the folks in the MS(U)M told America that there was a huge increase in threats against Barack Obama compared to his predecessors? Remember how the Left-o-sphere insisted it was a sign of how the right wing was really... [...]

Off the Kuff: Runoff EV report, Day 4

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 21:04:00 -0500

Consistency, thy name is early voting runoff turnout. Here are the in-person totals for each of the days so far:

Monday = 5,834
Tuesday = 5,726
Wednesday = 5,787
Thursday = 5,772

Flat as Houston itself. It’ll be interesting to see how things are tomorrow given the weather forecast. I’m [...]

Off the Kuff: Filing season opens for 2010

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:51:00 -0500

Today is the first day to file for the March 2010 primaries. BOR is following the action from Travis County. No surprises yet – those usually happen later in the period – so far it’s mostly incumbents filing for re-election. I’ve received a bunch of press releases related to [...]

Libertarian Republican: Rep. Aaron Shock: Death Tax spells Death to the Family Farm

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:49:00 -0500

Every single Republican voted against Democrats' permanent Estate Tax

From Eric Dondero:

The vote in the House yesterday was 225 in favor, 200 opposed. Every single present Republican voted against the Dem's bill. (20 Dems joined in with the GOP.)

Jim Lagense of [...]

UrbanGrounds: Al Gore Cancels Appearance at Copenhagen

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:42:00 -0500

Even The Goricle knows that the global warming hoax is up... [...]

Libertarian Republican: Death Tax Debate: Texas Congressman says Taxation is Legalized Theft, even when you're Dead

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:37:00 -0500

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) on the floor of the House yesterday, debating the Estate Tax on C-SPAN (via TP)

Now, after someone dies and someone comes in and steals from them, we consider that in most society reprehensible. … But when the government comes in, [...]

Bluedaze.: The Ruggiero's are getting fracked by Aruba Petroleum

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:33:00 -0500

Here's what it looks like at Tim's and Christine's.Videos coming...' [...]

PrairiePundit: Pace of drone war in Pakistan to pick up

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:33:00 -0500

NY Times:

Two weeks ago in Pakistan, Central Intelligence Agency sharpshooters killed eight people suspected of being militants of the Taliban and [...]

PrairiePundit: US not delivering on promise to Mexico

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:17:00 -0500

Washington Post:

...

The Merida Initiative, signed by President George W. Bush and Mexican leader Felipe Calderón in 2007, promises Black Hawk helicopters, night-vision goggles and drug-sniffing dogs, as well as a more robust crime-fighting partnership between the United States and Mexico. So far the [...]

The StandDown Texas Project: Killer With Low I.Q. Executed in Texas

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:12:33 -0500

That's the title of James McKinley's report this evening for the New York Times. LINK

Bobby Wayne Woods was executed Thursday evening in Texas after his lawyers lost a battle to persuade the courts that he was too mentally impaired to qualify for capital punishment.

Mr. Woods, 44, was convicted of [...]

Libertarian Republican: Libertarian Republican to take on Pelosi on her home turf

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:05:00 -0500

From Steve Maloney:

Is this the challenger who will eject Pelosi?

From WND, Dec. 1:

A libertarian conservative has declared his plans to "take out Nancy Pelosi" in the 2010 election to stop her from devastating the nation.

John Dennis, [...]

Libertarian Republican: 2009 has been a Great Year for Libertarian Republicans

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:01:00 -0500

MOVEMENT NEWS

End of the year summary for the Libertarian Republican movement. The bottom line, according to RLC National Chairman Dave Nalle - more Libertarian Republicans now serving in public office than in 2008.

RLC Election Results 2009

The Republican Liberty Caucus endorsed 38 pro-liberty Republicans [...]

Relaxed Politics: But Mom!!

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:55:29 -0500

Number of comments: 12
But Mom! I wanna be Goppy! Goppy is a better ‘merikkan! Please mommy! The donkey’s a girl in bell bottoms and a hippy hat! Share and Enjoy: [...]

Libertarian Republican: Climategate Update! Fox's Neal Cavuto interviews Cato's Pat Michaels

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:48:00 -0500

Cavuto: Climategate claims its first victim

"Top scientist caught up in the scandal stepping down, while in Australia key global warming legislation just voted down unexpectedly. Is cap and trade next?"Cavuto's guest libertarian Pat Michaels was mentioned in a number of emails from scientists at the [...]

Bluedaze.: Did Devon Energy give Selwyn School a new ride for the Playground?

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:47:00 -0500

Selwyn School in Denton, Texas has a brand new piece of playground equipment right next to the soccer field where children run play and inhale deeply. It's also right next to where the preschool plays.From the GIS map on the Texas Railroad Commission, it appears there will be 3 wells. [...]

PrairiePundit: Iran thugs follow protesters into Turkey

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:44:00 -0500

Guardian:

Political activists who escaped to Turkey after fleeing Iran's post-election unrest claim they are being subjected to a campaign of threats and intimidation by agents of the Islamic regime.

Several have told the Guardian that they [...]

The Ellis County Observer: The Mansfield Observer | http://mansfieldobserver.blogspot.com/

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:39:54 -0500

Mansfield has a sliver of residents who “claim” Ellis County (as if Ellis County were a street gang.) http://mansfieldobserver.blogspot.com/ So I’ll be working with readers in that city to monitor that town’s government. Plus, regional cooperation among citizens and cities should always include our northwestern most neighbors. Same goes for Grand Prairie. http://mansfieldobserver.blogspot.com/ Betcha [...]

konagod: Meat: It's What's For Dinner

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:27:00 -0500

Well, not literally, since we're both vegetarians and have been for about 18 years. But we just walked out on the patio and scared away a rather large opossum. Txrad said, "those things scare me." I replied, "Not me; they're tasty."

Yes, I have eaten opossum as well as [...]

Texas Moratorium Network: Texas Executes 24th and Last Person for 2009; Almost 50 Percent of All U.S. Executions in U.S. in 2009 Conducted by Texas

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:02:00 -0500

Bobby Wayne Woods, 44, was executed Thursday, December 3, 2009 in Huntsville, Texas. He was the 24th person executed in Texas in 2009, the 208th executed since Rick Perry became governor and the 447th executed in Texas since 1982. There have been, so far, 49 executions in [...]

musings: Early Voting Totals Through Thursday, December 3rd

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:55:00 -0500

Still holding steady! Nearly the same total for in person early voting for each day through day 4. Extended voting hours begin Saturday. Early voting ends next Tuesday, with Election Day being Saturday, December 12th. Click on the image to make it larger.

[...]

Half Empty: Did the Salvation Army Drop Its "Humbug Policy?"

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:50:00 -0500

OK, a couple of posts back I castigated the Salvation Army for requiring that a family member who wants their needy children to receive a free new unwrapped gift from their Angel Tree program show a social security card beforehand. Today I see in The Chron that the Houston [...]

PrairiePundit: Democrat Lincoln in trouble in Arkansas

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:47:00 -0500

Rasmussen Reports:

Senator Blanche Lambert Lincoln has found herself right in the middle of the national debate over health care, and that’s a tough spot as she prepares to face Arkansas voters in 2010.

As she did in September, Lincoln trails four possible Republican [...]

Zippidy Doo Da: Chupacabra Report

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:46:00 -0500

News that gets my goat..

Today’s Chronicle Lite has a column titled “Let Texas use innovation to solve food stamp woes” stating that Federal bureaucracy keeps states behind times. The article was written by state Reps. Wayne Christian, R-Center, Dan Flynn, R-Canton, Ken Paxton, [...]

SocraticGadfly: Obama job summit - more for show?

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:46:00 -0500

It seems like he, and his administration, such as Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, offered little of substance themselves. He is just not getting it, perhaps? Could this, we hope, kill neoliberalism?

Beyond that, things like green jobs are good and fine, but not many will materialize in the [...]

PrairiePundit: Climate too hot for Gore

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:33:00 -0500

From the Washington Times:

Gore cancels personal appearance in Copenhagen
He must fear questions about the climate hoax. [...]

The Rag Blog: Roger Baker : Can the Economy Recover?

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:18:00 -0500

Cartoon from Talking Union.Can the economy recover?And, for that matter, should it?By Roger Baker / The Rag Blog / December 4, 2009[Steven Chu, U.S. Secretary of Energy] was my boss. He knows all about peak oil, but he can't talk about it. If the government announced that peak oil was' [...]

blogHOUSTON: HPD still won't release audit of fingerprint unit

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:09:46 -0500

MORE ON HPD'S FINGERPRINT PROBLEM: "One employee, put on administrative leave with pay after the audit into the unit ended in October, is being investigated for alleged misconduct involving 'handling a piece of evidence,' said Tim Oettmeier, an e...' [...]

Houston Strategies: Houston vs. Chicago, Seattle, Portland - plus stagnant stadiums, giving thanks, and more

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:04:00 -0500

Some smaller items for your weekend reading pleasure:
The Wall Street Journal recently had an op-ed titled "What Oprah's Departure Means for the Windy City," which serves as a warning to Houston and other cities:"Chicago is a city of magnificent parks and world-class cultural institutions and universities. But it" [...]

Bay Area Houston: Locke's Loose Lips: On Diversity

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:02:00 -0500

A day after the Tejano Democrats and the Houston Black American Democrats issued a press release claiming Gene Locle's opponent lacked diversity in her hiring practices, bloggers disclose that her office is 71% minority and now the Houston Chronicle claims Gene Locke's lawyer [...]

Politicker TX - Texas Politics News, Reaction, and Analysis: [Bay Area Houston] Locke's Loose Lips: On Diversity

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:02:00 -0500

Zippidy Doo Da: [nt]

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:44:00 -0500

[...]

The Travis Monitor: Lamar Smith on Stolen Jobs

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:20:00 -0500

RedState, Rep Lamar Smith has an idea for getting millions of Americans back to work: Enforce immigration law and give the jobs they took back to Americans. [...]

The Local Crank: Kay Bailey Hutchison: Clueless

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:18:35 -0500

2009: Barack Obama takes his own sweet time before deciding to send more troops to Afghanistan as requested by General McChrystal. Republicans are OUT. RAGED. 2008: George W. Bush completely ignores General McKiernan’s request for more troops in Afghanistan. Republicans say NOTHING. Obama grants the request in February, 2009. [...]

Memoirs From a Young Conservative: Candlelight Posada

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:14:13 -0500

It’s that time of the year! The McAllen Candlelight Posada is this weekend. This event is fun for the whole family and includes entertainment, music, food booths and the best funnel cakes in the world. My mom and dad both served as Chairs of the event in the past. The McAllen [...]

Memoirs From a Young Conservative: In Collegiate News…

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:11:13 -0500

I mean this all in good fun, as I truly do love my roadrunners…but…honestly, UTSA WOULD be the ones to come up with this. You’ve seen those coffee vending machines where you put in a buck and a stream of hot java fills the cup? Now, imagine that with beer. A group [...]

Memoirs From a Young Conservative: Back from Hiatus

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:08:11 -0500

Did ‘ya miss me? Unfortunately, school has kept me preoccupied this semester…but I’m back. First up on the agenda: Have you heard? Empower Texans PAC has joined the many others in endorsing Governor Rick Perry for re-election! The campaign put together this neat video: How can you help? Become a Perry Home Headquarters today. Sarah [...]

La Sanbe: School Cancelled For UISD

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:03:00 -0500

Word on the street is that United ISD has cancelled classes tomorrow.

LISD is mulling it over.

UPDATE: Pro8News just reported that classes are ON at UISD. UISD website states that classes will resume on Friday. No verbal confirmation from any UISD administrator has been made.

UPDATE: [...]

Latina Lista: U.S. justice will decide if Arizona humanitarian worker is a criminal for saving lives

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:00:10 -0500

Critics of No More Deaths' volunteer Walt Staton say the 27-year-old web designer, theology student and human rights advocate has to go to jail because he broke the law.

In June 2009, Staton was convicted for littering when U.S. Border Patrol agents spotted him in' [...]

TRAIL BLAZERS: Barbara Ann Radnofsky uses light touch

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:52:06 -0500

Straightforward. Stuffed shirt. Serious. Wonkish. Back in 2006, when she ran for the U.S. Senate, you could tell Barbara Ann Radnofsky was a lawyer. And a real serious lawyer. After two decades in the galleys at monster Houston corporate law firm Vinson & Elkins, she had the credentials -- [...]

The Bayou: Bayou pic of the day: Jesus laid an egg

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:51:00 -0500

A couple in Burleson, just outside of Fort Worth, "believes God has given them a divine sign." Actually, he just answered the age-old question. You know, the one about the chicken or the egg. Based on this pic, we can now hazard a guess. [...]

The Rag Blog: Bob Simmons : A Medical Mission to Palestine (Documentary Video)

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:42:00 -0500

A Medical Mission to Palestine - Part 1 from Telebob on Vimeo.Good works done by good people:A Medical Mission to PalestineBy Bob Simmons / The Rag Blog / December 3, 2009See Parts 2-4 of A Medical Mission to Palestine, Below.The hardest part of making this documentary was trying not to [...]

The Ellis County Observer: Elisa Norman | Messiah Expects Torah Observance

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:37:15 -0500

Number of comments: 1
Messiah Expects Torah Observance In our contemporary environment of coddled culture, permissive parenting, and emotional pseudo-religious experiences, we have lost sight of the transforming beauty of the scriptures. The plain meaning is so simple, but the message gets buried under layers of misinterpretation. To clear the muddle and find the gems, we [...]

Dungeon Diary: Uganda Be Kidding Me!

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:30:00 -0500

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Dungeon Diary [...]

The Ellis County Observer: Codex Alimentarius And H.R. 2795: Banning of Organic Farming?

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:27:01 -0500

Codex Alimentarius And H.R. 2795 Posted by JRed Link: http://www.lookupfellowship.com/2009/08/codex-alimentarius-and-hr-2795.html Revelation 6:5-6 – “And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his [...]

Rhetoric & Rhythm: Musical interlude

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:46:00 -0500

I'm going to have to get me some Leon Russell music...' [...]

THE BRAZOSPORT NEWS: You've got to hand it to the Taiwanese -- they know how to cover a Big Story

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:29:00 -0500

Reports Dvice

While Western news channels have been full of the usual archive footage of: Tiger's house; Tiger and wife; Tiger holding golf trophies aloft; TIger excavating his nose for gold-plated boogers, the hi-tech nations of the Far East have gone one further. Taiwanese channel Apple Action [...]

Dallas Criminal Defense Lawyer Blog: If Florida had bar reciprocity....

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:22:53 -0500

I wouldn't leave. I've been in Key West for 24 hours and this is paradise. When I left Dallas it was snowing and I was fighting traffic on 360. Here, the weather is perfect and "traffic" is mostly golf carts and mopeds.

Where to start? First, there is the [...]

TRAIL BLAZERS: Laura Bush dedicates Texas' newest literary landmark building

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:19:10 -0500

Former first lady Laura Bush was in Austin Thursday to help dedicate the newly remodeled Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building as a National Literary Landmark. The archives and library building is the fourth structure in Texas to receive receive the designation. Others are [...]

The StandDown Texas Project: In the Aftermath of the Simpson Execution

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:09:54 -0500

Chuck Lindell writes,"Questions about late death penalty appeal," for today's Austin American-Statesman.

Lawyer David Dow was called before the state Court of Criminal Appeals on Wednesday to explain why he blew a court-imposed deadline by filing an appeal within 48 hours of his client's execution.

The inmate, Danielle Simpson, was executed Nov. [...]

TexasVox: West Texans Question How Proposed Tenaska Coal Plant Would Affect Water Availability and Water Quality

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:56:39 -0500

Citizens aware of extreme drought conditions point to potential serious conflict over water if coal plant were built (Abilene) – The Multi-County Coalition, Sierra Club, Public Citizen, and individuals from the West Texas areas of Sweetwater and Abilene raised questions about how a proposed Tenaska coal plant would affect water availability [...]

TexasFred's: Inmate With Low I.Q. Nears Execution in Texas

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:52:57 -0500

Number of comments: 10
Inmate With Low I.Q. Nears Execution in Texas HOUSTON — A 44-year-man whose lawyers claim he is mentally retarded is scheduled to be executed Thursday evening in Huntsville, Tex., unless the United States Supreme Court agrees to hear his case. The man, Bobby Wayne Woods, whose I.Q. hovers around the level [...]

Dungeon Diary: NY Democrats Who Voted Against Marriage Equality - Traitors!

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:44:00 -0500

OK so here are the names of the NY Senators who voted against Marriage Equality:
AddabboAubertineDiazHuntleyKrugerMonserrateOnoratoStachowskiNone should be reelected and any LGBT person or their allies should actively work to oust them in the primary. With Democrats like these they might as well be Republicans (but please don't elect more' [...]

Brains and Eggs: War. What's it good for?

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:30:00 -0500

[...]

PrairiePundit: Perry vs. Hutchison is Bush vs. Reagan?

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:26:00 -0500

The NY Times Magazine does a profile of the Texas governors race and notes that most of the Bush alumni are backing Hutchison. The Senator is probably winning the endorsement primary, but Perry does have the endorsement of the most popular Republican right now--Sarah Palin.

In the early [...]

RIGHTWINGSPARKLE: Meet Lt. Col. Allen West

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:18:00 -0500

This fine gentleman is running in Florida District 22 for the U.S. Congress. It is with men like this the GOP will thrive. Listen to the end. It's worth it.

Love it. Love it.

via ACE [...]

Blue Dot Blues: Yawn: Watson files for reelection

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:00:00 -0500

Number of comments: 0
In the "no surprise there, but damn it anyway" category, State Sen. Kirk Watson has filed for reelection.

Apparently, much to the chagrin of the lefty community in Travis County. [...]

A CAPITOL BLOG: "ACapitolBlog" is Now Available on Kindle

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:58:00 -0500

I'm very proud of this little 5 year experiment in constituent communication we call "ACapitolBlog". This January the 1st marks the official beginning of the five year anniversary.

It is therefore fitting, on the eve of this important anniversary, that we announce our' [...]

PrairiePundit: Job summit leaves out business that fuels our economy

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:51:00 -0500

Energy Tomorrow:

API's President Jack Gerard and Devon's CEO and Chairman Larry Nichols called the White House Jobs Summit a "missed opportunity" during a conference call with reporters this morning, and wondered why the oil and natural gas industry was not invited.

America's oil and' [...]

Dog Canyon: Perry: Texas Now All “Urbany”

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:48:33 -0500

Number of comments: 6

In Robert Draper’s well-done NYT Magazine piece on Rick Perry and Kay Bailey Hutchison, Perry goes on about how under his leadership, Texas is no longer hard — it’s gone all “urbany.”

“I think it was Sheridan that said, ‘If I owned hell and Texas, I would [...]

The Ellis County Observer: Debra Medina Confirms Anti-Loop 9 Town Hall; Kinky Friedman Close to Finalizing

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:44:34 -0500

Number of comments: 2
GOP gubernatorial candidate Debra Medina confirmed her attendance at a grassroots-organized anti-Loop 9 town hall in February. I’m meeting with other organizers Friday in Cedar Hill to finalize the plans and the location, but Medina is an ardent toll road opponent. This event will be two days before the crucial March [...]

The Ellis County Observer: Fox 4: Slama Road Slaughterhouse Will Be Built ‘For Custom Orders’

Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:25:46 -0500

Number of comments: 1
Link: http://www.elliscountypress.com/news/132/ARTICLE/5235/2009-12-01.html Fox 4 Link: http://www.elliscountyobserver.com/index.php?s=halal E-MAIL THIS PRINT THIS MOST POPULAR PDF VERSION XML VERSION TXT version Slaughterhouse will be built anyway for ‘custom orders’ WAXAHACHIE – A KDFW Fox 4 news report indicates that Shamsul Ahmed plans to proceed with his plans for a halal slaughterhouse, despite county commissioners rejecting the facility Monday, Nov. 23. According to Fox [...]

BlogNetNews.com » Texas

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