edited by: Ted McLaughlin,
Texas Editor
Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Leonard Cohen The Movie 
In 2003 the Republican controlled Texas Legislature ushered in massive tort reform requiring a change to the Texas Constitution by a vote of the citizens of Texas. By a very slim margin Texas citizens embraced tort reform to lower health care costs, expand health care coverage, [...] 
The gentlewoman from Arkansas Walmart Big Pharma takes center stage in advance of Joe Lieberman's second act ...As noted yesterday, the Chronicle endorsed Annise Parker for Mayor in the runoff election.
With city tax revenues eroded by the continuing recession, the next occupant of the office must be a prudent fiscal manager as well as a leader who can make hard decisions on spending priorities. That [...]
Sheriff Adrian Garcia wants to take another crack at building a new jail facility. As was the case in 2007, when a referendum to float bonds for a new jail was voted down, this too would be voted on by the public. Garcia recognizes he has work to do [...]
Want to meet the candidates who are in the December 12 runoff? Here’s your chance:
You are invited to attend …
2009 Runoff Candidate Meet and GreetDECEMBER 3, 2009 – 6:30 PM – The Upper Kirby Building
(details below)
CNU-Houston, Houston Tomorrow, Emerging Green Builders, and Citizens’ Transportation Coalition are proud to host [...]
Redmond and Elvis over at Bob Cesca's Awesome Blog are doing a hilarious chapter-by-chapter review of Sarah Palin's "Going Rogue," which they have re-titled "Why Me Not President?" So far they have covered Chapters One and Two. I'll share a few excerpts,' [...] Via Mike McGuff, the women of the Houston Fire Department have gotten in on the calendar-for-charity act, something their make colleagues have been doing for awhile. Here’s what it’s all about.
Our mission is to represent the diversity, strength, and femininity of the mothers, daughters, sisters, and [...]
In case you missed it Friday night and can't wait for Sunday night's replay, here's the Mayoral "Debate" on PBS's "Red White & Blue" show. Turns out Gene didn't show up, even though he was invited and had agreed to show up. Maybe he was resting up, because the next [...]
We don’t know why we yawn.
Bored? Sleepy? Just woke up? Or is it a signal of arousal, that is, time for bed? Or a signal of relaxation, a sign to others that we feel safe and so they can feel safe?
Scientists don’t know, but are you yawning [...]
Twenty years ago, the United Nations General Assembly approved the Convention on the Rights of the Child. This human rights treaty declares that those under the age of 18 must be protected from violence, exploitation, discrimination and neglect. 
I thought the comments made about the president during Bill Clinton's term were pretty bad, and at times some of the comments made about George Bush were probably over-the-top too. But they both pale in comparison to the racist lies and accusations being hurled at President [...]
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid managed to hold his caucus together in order to get the 60 votes necessary to simply open debate on the Senate version of the health care reform bill. Unfortunately, several of the “moderate” Democrats who got on board have already said they won’t accept a [...]
Alright. Alrighty, then. A mere thirty minutes ago, I was posting some blatherings and then said, "Hey, them's crappy blatherings," and low and behold, they were gone. The work of the Lord or some strange subconscious slight of hand? The world may never know, but nevertheless,' [...] Even money says that you did not watch Bill Moyers Journal on PBS last night. Did you? Thought not. I did.
I found his commentary very interesting and extremely relevant. He equated President Lyndon Johnson’s march to war in Vietnam to the pressure President Obama is now under (mostly from the [...]
The Great Unemployment Mystery by Peter Stern Unemployment in the U.S. is at its highest rate in many decades. Apparently it is a mystery that only a Sherlock Holmes or Charlie Chan can solve because President Barack Obama has not fought significantly to bring jobs to hardly-working [...]
Normal false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Recently, a reader asked us what the latest prison numbers are for Texas and the nation. The Sentencing Project (disclaimer – these people pay me every few weeks) provides the latest numbers on their website [...]
Heather Havrilesky has a quasi-jokey column that precisely illustrates the reasons for my long-held view that Oprah is the opiate of the (white middle class female) people.
Yesterday, when word got out that Oprah will be wrapping up “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” which has been on the air since 1986, [...]
She has applied again to be a recognized volunteer at the school, and again, has been denied. The first part of a grievance procedure is to meet with the superintendent before taking it to the school board. (Here's from the previous time she was turned down).
Shapiro to file for re-election while sights set on U.S. Senate seat
Saturday, November 21, 2009
By TERRENCE STUTZ / The Dallas Morning News
AUSTIN – Sen. Florence Shapiro of Plano said Friday that she will file for re-election for her state Senate seat next month, [...]
Among the runoff elections, only one does not include a candidate that was endorsed by the Chron in the first round. That race is City Council At Large #1, and today the Chron made their choice for the runoff by endorsing Karen Derr.
[Derr] would bring to the position well-honed [...]
From the White House weblog:
In an address recorded in Seoul, South Korea, the President discusses his trip to Asia. He talks about his push to stop nuclear proliferation in North Korea, Iran, and around the world. He talks about promoting America’s principles for an open society in China while making [...]
[...] 
Prisons are big business.The Cameron County Commissioners’ Court on Friday approved a contract with LCS Correctional Services Inc. that will allow the county to transfer nearly 100 inmates to the company’s privately run detention center in Nueces County. [...] 
On Wednesday night, Lewisville Parks held a public meeting to discuss future directions for the city's park system. About 30 people attended the hour and a half meeting.Lewisville Parks Master Plan Public Meeting - Segment 1 of 3 [...]
If you want to learn what it takes to make it in the movie business, sign up for an upcoming seminar to be held December 3rd at La Posada. You'll be doing yourself and Gene Belmares a favor.' [...] 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 [...]
No dual endorsement this time! There is no link online yet, but I have a hard copy that I've turned into jpegs. Click on the images to make them larger:Shorter Burka: “KBH says in her new TV ad that she’s needed in the Senate. So why is she running for Governor?”
It’s a good question. And given that no one knows what KBH will do, it’s the reason why this keeps coming up.
Despite protestations to the contrary [...]
We already know why you should stay away from Steven Hotze. But Allen Blakemore is the Horace and Jasper to Hotze’s Cruella de Vil, and the same warning applies to him as well. But don’t take my word for it, listen to a dissatisfied customer of [...]
This is cool.
A deal between the city and Reliant has the electric retailer converting 10 of the city’s new Toyota Prius gasoline-electric hybrids into plug-in vehicles with greater fuel efficiency and the ability to recharge through a standard home power socket. Reliant is also installing 10 charging stations for [...]
Well, no. But they do seem to be levying bigger fines, so maybe their gums are a little harder.
By every measure, the agency is issuing more — and larger — fines, the records show.
“There’s been a shift to focus more on enforcement and compliance,” said the commission’s chairman, San [...]
From a Collin County press release issued Friday:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Health Care Services
825 N. McDonald St. Suite 120
McKinney, Texas 75069
www.collincountytx.gov
November 20, 2009
(McKINNEY, Texas) -- Collin County Health Care Services received an additional 8,600 doses of H1N1 vaccine today from state health [...]
Making the rounds in the Latinosphere is former Florida House Speaker and Republican senatorial candidate Marco Rubio and his take on President Ronald Reagan’s immigration policy.
I don’t know if I want to hang my head in shame or die laughing at the irony of it all. One [...]
This is the Best Church of God folks holding a tongue-in-cheek demonstration against an atheist billboard in Chicago. [...] 
Big procedural test vote on health care reform today in the U.S. Senate. Here’s a message for them.
UPDATE: The Senate voted to cut off the Republican filibuster of its health care reform bill, 60-39. Now the real Senate debate begins.
Related posts:[...]
Who's Gonna Do It?
exhibit A: his tweets
In which Glenzilla 
El Chapulin
