Texas Kaos

Sorry we have been off the air for awhile but don't think we haven't been busy here in Texas. WE had one of the biggest voter turnouts in decades for our March primary. I Survived The Texas Two Step but just barely. LOL

I want to dedicate "My Kind of Girl" by Collin Raye to the strong Women of Texas!!!


Don't Mess With Texas Women

Rick Noriega is Campaigning Hard for Youby: boadicea

Rick's op-ed was printed in the San Angelo Standard-Times:

I remember a time in this nation when working hard and playing by the rules ensured the fulfillment of that dream. But now, I see a different America, a country where families struggle to fill the gas tank to get to work, put groceries on their credit cards, or take an extra job or two to pay for medical bills.

Too many people can no longer put a little bit of money away at the end of the month for savings. That feeling of security, so central to the American Dream, is eroding for today's families.

Texas should be represented in the U.S. Senate by someone who will fight to bring the American Dream to all Texans, not just the wealthy few.

In the past six years, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn has failed to address the problems Texas faces - from immigration and the economy to energy policy and education. That's why I'm running for Senate - to find real solutions that put Texans first.

Read the rest of the story at Texas Kaos

What can be done to keep the momentum for change going? by lightseeker

Are we bloggers and our readers then doomed to be armchair critics who rail against the night and but are finally impotent to change anything?

I don't know the answer to that question. I do know that it is all too likely to happen. It is all too easy for the cycle to repeat itself as we , Cassandra-like , kibitz from the sidelines.

What went wrong before was clear go me from my knowledge of the Civil Rights Movement. We oversold voting and charismatic leaders as THE singular, one time solutions to our ills. They are not and can never be such. As the Obama and Hillary phenomenea crests and proceeds to dim, somebody (read us and others we enlighten) must educate the newbies about what a long, hard struggle it will be.

The second thing that went wrong was a failure to work at changing the fundamental framework of public expectations and understandings. Carter won because he promised not to lie to us, to clean up the corruption of politics symbolized, but by no means completely subsumed, in Watergate. He lacked an agenda bigger than these simple propositions, in my opinion. Either that or, as the consummate outsider, he simply was inept in pushing it. In the end , I knew what he stood against, but what he stood for was lost in translation. Obama and Hillary , I think, both have done better jobs of intimating an agenda for positive change (here and here) . Additionally, I think they are better at the game of Washington politics then Carter was. Keeping policy front and center in the campaign and in governance would help transform public expectations. We,all of us on this blog, can play a part in this.

Education of these new activists is the key answer to all the questions raised. Personally, I am involved with a group called I belong to a group in Houston called DFH , Democracy for Houston. It is a spin off of the Dean presidential campaign. My avowed goal is to educate these new voters, to train them.

I had the great pleasure of interviewing Mike Engelhart who is running for 151st District Court Judge in Harris County. You can check out Mike's web site at Engelhart for Judge

Mike, his lovely wife Eva and their two boys Joey and Zachary

Be sure and check for Mike's diaries on Texas Kaos

Not a Draft Movement Anymore!!! Rick Noriega Announces Exploratory Committee
by: refinish6

Rep. Rick Noriega has announced he will will fill out the necessary paperwork to explore the race to defeat Junior Cornyn. Along with the draft rick movement, 49 of his Texas legislative colleagues sent a letter asking Lt. Col. Rick Noriega to run also.

The Draft Rick Noriega movement will soon be a grassroots support system for helping elected this great man as our next Texas Senator.

Get Well Soon To Kuff
by: refinish69

Texas Kaos sends it warmest wishes and thoughts of Love and Healing to Kuff as he is recovering from pneumonia

Texans need your help.

If you can help out with the flood disaster response in Marble Falls - Hands on Central Texas is posting calls for volunteers. Please see http://www.handsonce... where you can sign up for different
projects that need volunteers.

It takes a village... Sara Hickman headlines benefit picnic on Saturday in Austin area
by: roses

I've known the Roberts family for years, and since their son, John, was born two years ago, I've learned firsthand that it really does take a whole village to raise a child, especially if that child has special needs. John Roberts has septo-optic dysplasia, a birth defect of the brain and eyes. Though rare, as of 2006 it is the new leading cause of blindness in infants. John also has cerebral palsy and three additional rare eye conditions. It takes a large community of family and friends to make it possible for John to receive the ongoing therapies he needs.

So... musicians, chefs, local farmers and business owners, and many others have joined together to put on an awesome benefit picnic tomorrow (Saturday, June 30, 4 pm till sunset) at the Roberts farm near Manor--rain or shine! (There will be shelter in case of rain.)

To make a donation to help John, check out brother John Roberts

Check out the great Act Blue Page from Texas Kaos. Show some love to the candidates Texas Kaos is trying to help and remember to come join us in the fight.

On The Difficulty Of Writing, Or, The War Hits Home
by: fake consultant

I do not want to write this story, and I have been stuck for about ten days because I do not want to face the reality of this particular situation.

But here it is.

Last Friday was the day The Girlfriend and I had to travel to Fort Lewis, Washington, to attend the military departure ceremony for one of our two godsons.

He enlisted in the Army National Guard, and now it’s time to go to the Middle East.

There was no mystery or great surprise that he would be going, and the news is not all bad.

He is not in a Stryker Brigade; thank whichever deity you support, nor a military policeman. It is theoretically possible that the support role he will be filling will actually be moderately safe, which is about the best spin I can offer considering the circumstances.

He and his brother are our two godsons, and we have literally been looking out for them since the days of their birth. To illustrate the point more clearly, I was his birth photographer.

The Girlfriend and I attended Lamaze-twice-to allow us access to both deliveries, but circumstances caused us to miss his older brother’s birth by eight hours.

We have been the “bad” godparents ever since-the ones who introduced them to Beavis and Butt-Head, and Ren and Stimpy, and Skittles and Jolt Cola and Archie McPhee.

It isn’t as though I didn’t try to nip this in the bud.
I suggested the Air Force (a subject I can speak about from personal experience), but I was clearly not as persuasive as I could have been.

Which is how we found ourselves at Fort Lewis.

The families assembled in a hangar on base, a small band offered up patriotic music, important officers offered up inspiring words, and an award was presented to the officer who managed the required paperwork that made the deployment possible. Finally, with a clanging of warning bells, the hangar doors were opened to reveal the soldiers we were there to honor, standing in formation.

Nobody reacts to the officer who says: “This is the last time I will have the chance to address all of you...”

Everyone wants to look brave, soldier and family alike; but there is no way to sit in a room with small child noises filling the space, and not know the future will likely be so, so tough for some of those little children.

Goodbye Cindy Sheehan
by: lightseeker

In what she described as a ''resignation letter,'' Sheehan wrote in her online diary on the ''Daily Kos'' blog: ''Good-bye America ... you are not the country that I love and I finally realized no matter how much I sacrifice, I can't make you be that country unless you want it.

''It's up to you now.''

[snip]

''I have endured a lot of smear and hatred since Casey was killed and especially since I became the so-called ''Face'' of the American anti-war movement,'' Sheehan wrote in the diary.

How Courage is involved
by: Stewart True Courage

In all the *fuhrer* over the House Speaker's machinations this weekend, it may seem a trifle pollyanish to bring up my own organization's recent action to bestow awards on legislators. But there really is a relationship here.

In case you missed it, the True Courage Action Network recently ran a poll and asked everyone who follows the Lege which senator, rep, and advocate demonstrated the greatest courage defending Texas from the kleptocrats who are fighting right now to hold on to power. The poll winners are:

Best State Senator: Rodney Ellis
Best State Representative: Mike Villarreal
Best State Advocate: ACLU of Texas (represented by Will Harrell, Sonia Santana, and Kat Dean)

In addition, TCAN's own members chose to honor:

Sen. Mario Gallegos for: Defending Voting Rights in the Senate
Rep. Rafael Anchía for: Defending Voting Rights in the House
Sen. Royce West for: Promoting Ethics Reform
Rep. Jim Dunnam for: Delivering a Passionate Floor Speech
and
Craig McDonald of Texans for Public Justice for: Delivering a Daring Testimony.

All these individuals and organizations have the guts (well, we prefer the term "Courage") to stand on principle regarding ethics issues -- often against their own political best interests. Contrast that with the current jockeying for power in the House by people who get away with saying anything to get elected because our electorate is so ill-informed.

When accepting our awards, these winners insisted that they weren't heroes, that other people contributed more, that they were just doing what they thought they had to do. They were also eager to point out that having a network of friends in the activist community had been essential for them to pass legislation that's good for Texas and Texans.

Iscariot Caucus Still Full of S**t
by: boadicea

Capitol Annex has the rundown:

Democrats for Reform, is, of course, the group of Craddick-allied Democrats who put out a "reform" agenda earlier this year.

The reality of their agenda, however, is that it didn't amount to much and that this group actually circumvented some other good reforms.

Restore full funding of CHIP- HB 109 does not fully restore CHIP to pre-2003 levels

Reform Medicaid eligibility- vague, unclear - cannot point to anything definitive

Restore the TEXAS Grants scholarship fund- 7,000 fewer students will receive TEXAS Grants than in 2003

Repeal tuition deregulation- HB 2382 by Coleman (definitely NOT an Iscariot) was the sole piece of legislation this session repealing tuition deregulation

Anti-Abortion Terrorism Suspect Arrested in Austin
by: moiv
The American-Statesman reports the arrest of Paul Ross Evans (left) , 27, of Austin for the attempted bombing of an Austin clinic that provides abortion care.
Law enforcement officials made the announcement at a news conference this afternoon.

"Our initial estimates are that the device could have caused serious injury or death within a hundred-foot radius," Assistant Police Chief David Carter said. "I do believe the threat has been removed."

Evans made an initial appearance before a federal magistrate this afternoon. Evans, who was crying, had an attorney appointed for him.

[:::]

The bomb was in a soft-side insulated cooler and contained 2 pounds of nails, a battery, a 12-inch piece of copper pipe, a mechanical timer and a propane cylinder, according to an affidavit from an FBI agent that was used to arrest Evans.

Inside the pipe was potassium nitrate, which can be used to manufacture gunpowder, and a type of sugar called dextrin, the affidavit says.

There was also a device that would detonate the bomb ...

Well, My Cat Is In The Hospital
by: annatopia

The contamination has spread to the human food supply. Poultry in Missouri and pigs in several states are now being tested for contamination. When is this going to end?

Claude, my fourteen year old baby, threw up Monday night. We didn't think much of it because, well, cats puke sometimes. But with all the recall mess, I watched him very closely Tuesday.

Tuesday he spent the day curled up in a corner of our bedroom. When I felt his ears and throat, he was very very warm. I tried to get him to eat, and he wouldn't. He also threw up the water he drank.

thank you to everyone for sending your healing thoughts and prayers. it has helped to comfort me at this difficult time.
unfortunately, claude didn't make it.

Texas Journalism Awards "Tainted"
by: lightseeker
Texas Press Club Awards May Be Tainted - Forbes.com
By JEFF CARLTON 04.24.07, 10:08 AM ET

The Press Club of Dallas may have to review the last three years' worth of Katie Awards, one of the Southwest's most prestigious journalism prizes, because of the possibility they were rigged, the club's president said.

The entries for the 2006 Katies apparently never went before judges, and competitions from 2004 and 2005 are being probed, club President Tom Stewart said Monday.

by: moiv
As reported by the Dallas Morning News and Vince at Capitol Annex, Warren Chisum's HB 175 -- a "trigger bill" to make abortion a felony in Texas should Roe v. Wade be overturned -- appears to have gone down for the count.

A stiff anti-abortion bill is probably gone for the legislative session, dragged down partly by a budget analysis that showed outlawing all abortions would cost the state more than $400 million in health care costs over the next three years.
[:::]
The cost from ending abortions in Texas would come from an estimated 63,000 more births, of which 67 percent are likely to be supported by Medicaid, according to projections from the nonpartisan Legislative Budget Board.

Based on current abortion rates of about 78,000 a year, the board estimated that if abortion were illegal, 20 percent of women would go to a state where the procedure was legal. The remainder, based on projections, would carry their pregnancy to term and require medical and social support.

While Warren Chisum says his bill failed to make the cut because "It got hung on a bad vote in committee," and Vince Liebowitz wonders whether "some in the Legislature are simply tired of voting for bad public policy time and time and time again," a projected bill for $400,000,000 in social services was just as likely the real sticking point for the solons of the Tax Relief State.

Laura Bush: No one has Suffered More from Iraq than George and Me
by: krazypuppy

Yes. Laura Bush really did say that no American suffers more than she or Georgie do.

Laura Bush speaking on the Today Show told Anne Curry that the American people need to know that "no one suffers more than their President and I do."

Are you listening America? None of you suffer more than Laura Bush & hubby George do.

Not the families of the 3333 Americans who died in Iraq. Certainly not those 3333 Americans (because they are, well, DEAD) who were sent to their deaths by her husband based on false information, false reasons, and by unqualified leaders. Not the 26,000+ Americans who have been injured in Iraq.

Texas Kaos

Happy Easter from the Texas Kaos Gang!!!!

The show starts out with part of an interview with Boadicea one of the front pager at Texas Kaos blog and she also has her own blog - Boadicea.

There is a blogswarm dedicated to the separation of church and state, which will be held Easter Weekend, April 6-8, 2007. In the show, I discuss some of my feelings dealing with respecting all families. To get more information on the separation of church and state check out First Freedom First .

Warren Chisum & Women Who "Try Things on Their Own"
by: moiv
Texas State Representative Warren Chisum made national news in February by endorsing the idea that teaching the theory of evolution in public schools is unlawful: Copernicus got it all wrong, and the rumor that the Earth rotates around the Sun is only a Kabbalistic plot. His hasty assertion that it was all a misunderstanding is belied by his effort to force Texas high schools to teach a Bible curriculum full of misrepresentations and outright lies.

Chisum's stunning ignorance of science and American history is surpassed by his bland disregard for the lethal nature of another of his current initatives. Should Roe v. Wade be overturned, Chisum's HB 175 would make abortion a crime. Illegal abortion currently kills at least 68,000 women each year - somewhere in the world, another woman dies in the time it takes to read this story - but for Warren Chisum, that's not worth worrying about.

For the rest of the story, check out < a href="http://tinyurl.com/2jndqy">Texas Kaos

TXU takes back blackmail threat
by: lightseeker

DALLAS - TXU Corp. told regulators Friday to disregard a threat to shut down some of its power plants because of a dispute over accusations of price manipulation and said it might even put some mothballed plants back into operation.

Chief Executive C. John Wilder acknowledged that the company had mishandled the situation and promised to "get it right the next time."

For more on the story, check out Texas Kaos.

Mitt Romney Proves He is a Bigot Yet Again.
by: refinish69
Mitt Romney, in an effort to win support from the ultra conservatives, calls for a new try at the Federal Marriage Amendment. This type of Bigotry and hatred has marked the Republican party for so long that it seems it is the only way they know to campaign.
For more on the story, check Texas Kaos.

Dan Patrick (R) Walks Out on First Muslim Prayer in Senate
by: krazypuppy

The man who has shown his compassion (not to mention his IQ) for women by offering to buy their babies from them for $500, showed his tolerance for religious freedom at the Texas Senate...by walking out on the first Muslim prayer ever held in the Texas Senate.

Yes. That's right. Dan Patrick, the reichtwing radio talk show host whose "baby buying" bill was first reported by TexasKaos' moiv and has since brought widespread condemnation of Patrick, the Texas GOP and (of course) Texas, walked out on the very first Muslim prayer held in the Senate and then had the audacity to call himself tolerant!

"I think that it's important that we are tolerant as a people of all faiths, but that doesn't mean we have to endorse all faiths, and that was my decision," he said later, "I surely believe that everyone should have the right to speak, but I didn't want my attendance on the floor to appear that I was endorsing that."

Patrick was the only Texas Senator to walk out on him.

For the rest of the story, check out Texas Kaos

Easter Bonnet

Hope you enjoy the show!!!!

There's No Bidness Like Soul Bidness
by: livesinashoe
Senator Dan Patrick (R., Houston) has introduced Texas Senate Bill 1567, captioned "Relating to the creation of the adoption incentive program." The text of the bill can be found here, in html,.pdf and Word formats.

This bill proposes to pay each and every Texas woman who opts for adoption rather than abortion the sum of 500 American dollars. To incentivize adoption in this way is dangerous for the women of Texas, and exposes them to emotional damage and suffering beyond their imagining at the time of adoption. The damage can be so severe that it can be tantamount to losing one's soul.

Check the rest of the story at Texas Kaos

Another Democrat with Spine: Rep. John Murtha (D-PA)
by: lightseeker

You have to see the video. Trust me you will not regret it.
Here is a man who is focused squarely on serving the best interest of the American people and of our sons and daughters in uniform.
When he says that we should only deploy troops who are "trained and mission ready", he means it. When he says that a vote against this appropriations bill is a vote against the troops , he frames the issue beautifully.

See the rest of the story and the link to the videao at Texas Kaos.

My response to Big Oil's BIG GUNS
by: TXsharon

Hee hee

Big Oil sent out their big guns after little old me just because I tried to help Wise County residents understand the truth about Groundwater Conservation Districts--a truth Big Oil does not want us to know.

As I explained in my Op-Ed piece that was published in the Wise County Messenger on February 22nd, and in my diary here: Oil and gas exemption should be eliminated Groundwater Conservation Districts are not going to have ANY control over oil and gas companies because Groundwater Conservation Districts are EXEMPT.

For the rest of the story, check out Texas Kaos

Another AIDS Ride Diary
by: BeckyH

So, I have asked folks who work at AIDS agencies about their finding, and, as usual, it isn't good. Warning, the following diary is not for the faint of heart. Actually, it is purposefully intended to break your heart.

About AIDS in Austin: Austin has experienced over 4,400 diagnosed AIDS cases through December, 2006. Over 2,300 of these men, women and children have died.The CDC estimates 25%-30% of HIV-infected people - perhaps as many as 1,500 Central Texans - do not know that they are HIV-positive, because they have not gotten tested or tested recently. Of Austinites with full AIDS, about ? are 20-29 years old. Given an average incubation period of about 10+ years from infection to AIDS, this suggests they were infected with HIV in their teens or early 20's. Of 1,300+ HIV cases in the last 7 years, 53% are white, 22% are black, and 23% are Hispanic. Currently, about ¼ of those with full AIDS are African-American, but only 10% of the population is black. Latinos are about even (about ¼ of both cases and population), as are whites (55% vs. 60% of population).
For the rest of the story, check out Texas Kaos

It's A Mystery Why Gonzalas Still Has His Job
by: fast2write

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science."
- Albert Einstein

Under the Microscope
by Glynn Wilson

My favorite answer to just about any political, social or technological question these days is: "It's a mystery."

When it concerns the workings of computers and the Internet, it's "a dang old dot dot dot mystery."

Life is full of mysteries. Love them or hate them, you can't avoid them.

There are things we can know; things we can't.

For a journalist or a scientist, even a social scientist, this can be infuriating.

But you learn to live with it.

One of the things we humans do to deal with all the mysteries of life is to turn for answers to literature, movies or music. Some people turn to tabloids and soap operas. But they are not worth considering in this discussion.

Why is it that some news stories "get legs" and tons of airplay, and others don't?

I've been in and around the news business for almost 30 years and sometimes still don't get it.

Is the paternity of Anna Nicole Smith's baby or Britany Spears' shaved head and rehab experience really that much more interesting than Natalie Maines' musical fight with Bush and miraculous comeback?

For the rest of the story, check Texas Kaos

Now Gov. Perry is off to Dubai! Outrageous UPDATE
by: Branded Brazoria link
Did I miss something? When exactly did Dubai and Texas become such buddies we seem to be on a corporation and politicians exchange program? While I like Dubai, especially their indoor snow skiing center, in the desert, what exactly is Governor Perry doing going while in the midst of a very important legislative session?

Seriously, it's not like the Texas Legislator is in session for long drawn out periods of time, but ol' Perfect Hair has taken his wife and a couple of aides for a week long trip around the Persian Gulf.

Breaking News!! TYC Juvenile Sex Scandal ousts TYC Board's Resignation
by: refinish69
link

I guess they had to wait till Perry was out of town so he didn't have to answer any questions.

TYC Board Resigns After Approving Rehabilitation Plan

Board members of the state's troubled youth prison system resigned en masse Friday.

The members of the Texas Youth Commission board acted after recommending a system-wide rehabilitation plan. That calls for stricter inmate supervision and new procedures for reporting and investigating sex abuse allegations.

Media Matters Sunday Campaign Deserves Your Attention
by: krazypuppy
link
On our left bar, you'll find an advertisement for what I call Media Matters Take Back Sunday campaign. Instead of linking here, I ask you to click the advertisement since it helps TexaKaos.com out.

The campaign is based off their report which found that news programs on Sunday still favor Republicans and rightwing viewpoints despite the 2006 election results. Sunday news shows, despite the relatively small audience, set up the news cycle for the week and greatly influence the frame for Americans who watch and drive the news.

Introducing the Man Who Will Beat John Cornyn
by: boadicea
link
From the diaries. Richard Morrison ran one of the strongest netroots campaigns in the 2004 cycle against Tom DeLay. He's having some password troubles, so I'm posting this on his behalf. Boadicea

In 2004, when I challenged Tom Delay at the height of his power, it was seen as a fool's errand. The Majority Leader of the House was considered unassailable.

I and my campaign team assailed him nonetheless, because it was a job that needed doing. When we held him to 55%, it was clear that Fortress Delay had more than a few cracks.

In 2008, we have another job that needs doing. Time to replace John Cornyn in the Senate. And Cornyn's numbers show him to be vulnerable to a strong, people-powered candidate from the Democratic side.

Is there such a candidate? I believe there is. I'm asking you to help me draft him into the service of his state and his country once again.

My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-fdd832855fb3325e53d9375c8f3cd57f}

Welcome to the first of many shows from Texas Kaos. This is a sister site for Texas Kaos blog. The show is an introduction to the world and some insights into what we will be doing in the future. Come join us as we fight to take Texas and America back!!!!