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David Bruce Collins for US Senate—the Official Site

One Game from the Ring Texoblogosphere

30/10/2017

To update last week's introduction, as of this morning, the Houston Astros lead the Los Angeles Dodgers three games to two in the World Series. These were the National League teams of my childhood in Houston and SoCal. In my childhood, and even deep into adulthood, I never would have dreamed that they would meet in the World Series...because they were both in the National League, dammit!

Also, I got to see the Houston Dynamo in a playoff match against Sporting Kansas City last Thursday. Note that I did not say, "I saw the Dynamo win a playoff match," because my friend and I left after the second half because it was 11 pm, and the first 90 minutes were mostly crap. Plus the booing every time Graeme Zusi touched the ball got super-old super-fast. The goal came in the 95th minute, just before the MetroRail car arrived at the EaDo/Stadium platform to whisk us away. Tonight, the Dynamo host Portland Timbers to start a two-legged tie.

Last week, a friend commented on my enthusiastic Let's Go Dynamo! Facebook post with a question about the team's ownership. In particular, he was concerned that the principal owner had written some heavy checks to Republicans. That was true of Phil Anschutz, whose Anschutz Entertainment Group was the majority owner until a few years ago. It's more than just donating to Republican campaigns: His foundation gives to groups whose entire purpose is to make life more difficult for regular folks.

However, the current principal owner is Gabriel Brener. For what it's worth, he has been known to contribute to Democrats, including the Clinton Campaign last year. My friend was assuaged; I'm just amused. These are pro-establishment multi-millionaires supporting pro-establishment campaigns and causes. Is anyone surprised? Yes, I take issue with the Dynamo's military salutes at halftime, the continuation of Brad's Brigade after Brad Davis's retirement, as well as all those corporate box seats that typically go unoccupied. But I have felt drawn to this team and its fan base since its first game as a Houston franchise in 2006, mere months after the Astros' World Series washout against the White Sox. I'd like to see the team and its supporters leaning a little more to the left—crowds at Robertson Stadium (2006-11) got pretty radical at times—but at least the fans aren't sinking as low as, say, Lazio.

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Off the Kuff looks at the latest UT/Texas Tribune poll and wishes the pollsters had a bit more vision.

Socratic Gadfly first offered his take on the Joe Straus retirement announcement and then excoriated the inside-the-Mopac media gaggle for its use of the phrase "moderate Republican."

The PDid slate--recommendations in the ongoing election for Texas constitutional amendments, Houston municipal bonds, and HCC and HISD candidates--is posted at Brains and Eggs. Stace at Dos Centavos also has some advice for Houston and Harris County voters.

In profiling 2018 Texas progressive candidates Lillian Salerno (TX-32), Tom Wakely (Governor), Derrick Crowe (TX-21), and Dayna Steele (Tx-36), Down With Tyranny! merits inclusion in our Wrangle this week.

The Lewisville Texan Journal, returning to its digital roots, rolled its final print edition last week.

Texas frackquakes are getting mapped now, according to Texas Vox.

The Texas Moratorium Network has photos and video from the March to Abolish the Death Penalty last Saturday, at the Capitol.

jobsanger would like to remind you that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone.

In another crude, racially insensitive display, Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller shares a suicide joke on social media. Sid Miller IS the joke, folks.

Houstonia has some suggestions for where you can celebrate Día de los Muertos.

Neil at All People Have Value reviewed the post-hurricane Harvey public art work in Houston called "Toxic Pile of Dirt." APHV is part of NeilAquino.com.

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In more state news and lefty blog posts, Houston sports teams made news for all the right reasons and a few wrong ones over the weekend.

Something yuuuuge was missing from Rev, Franklin Graham's revival in Waco, and David Brockman at the Texas Observer took notice.

An undocumented teenager held in federal custody in Brownsville was finally able to exercise her reproductive choice after a month-long court battle. Doyin Oyeniyi at Texas Monthly provides the account.

The Rivard Report bemoans how unsafe San Antonio is for pedestrians.

Writing for the Houston Chronicle, Dr. Jennifer McQuade of MD Anderson wants to know where our government is in Puerto Rico. And in Techburger, his new blog for the Chronicle, Dwight Silverman gives four reasons why Amazon Key is a bad idea.

Space City Weather examines the Harris County proposals for flood mitigation.

Wes Ferguson at the Daily Post sees fewer Texas high schoolers interested in playing football.

Aaron West at Free Press Houston has more on the history of the three skinheads arrested in Florida for firing a gun at protesters of the Richard Spencer rally.

Shannon Watts, the founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, eulogizes Catherine Vance, a 40-year-old gun safety advocate from Houston who passed away a few days ago.

And Harry Hamid has a few night anthems of a ghoul.

Bite-Size Unit 4 Is Now Available

25/10/2017

Chapters 37-48 of the Bite-Size Hungarian text is now a free download on this site (PDF). It probably got some mistakes left in it, so let me know if you catch any.

Hungarian Reference.com has been a real boon in helping me re-remember what fine points I had forgotten in the past few years. It isn't perfect either, or even complete, what with some pages that just say, "I have yet to write this page."

Sometimes, when composing a language text, it's too easy to include vocabulary words that help illustrate the grammatical points in a chapter, rather than choosing words that might actually be useful. As I ran into that particular wall, I got inspired to put together a list of 100 or so words that are really helpful to know for travelers who don't care to learn those fine points of grammar. That will be up soon. (UPDATE 26 October: It's up!)

Who Let All Those Weasels into the Capitol?

25/10/2017

Le Sigh. Remember how the people of Maine voted last year to switch to Ranked Choice Voting for local and state offices? Remember how for a while it appeared that the Legislature there would overturn it, but didn't? Remember "that depends on what your definition of the word 'majority' is"? Well, now the duly elected representatives in Augusta have kicked that particular can waaaaay down the road.

According to an email blast (which you can also read here) from the Maine Green Independent Party, who worked hard to get that referendum on the ballot and passed, LD 1646 has passed both houses of the Legislature, bearing the title "An Act to Implement Ranked Choice Voting in 2021."

That title would seem to indicate that RCV will happen, although not in time for the next gubernatorial election as the voters had been led to believe. However, there is a multitude of tiny devils in the details.

Good Progressive News from NC and NZ

23/10/2017

North Carolina Did What?
For those of us who worked to get Ralph Nader on state ballots in 2000, one persistent story was that North Carolina had some of the most prohibitive ballot access requirements in the United States. That remained the case right through last year's election, when the Stein/Baraka Green Party ticket won more than 12,000 write-in votes in the Tarheel State.

I am ecstatic to report, for those who have not yet heard, that North Carolina has relaxed its criteria! It didn't even require lengthy, tedious, expensive litigation: Last week the Republican-led Legislature overturned the Democratic governor's veto of Senate Bill 656. Maybe the Republicans in both chambers were thinking strategically, buying into the conventional wisdom that Greens on the ballot will steal votes from the Democrats and restore the governor's mansion to the Republicans—who, after all, own it by divine right.

I am less ecstatic to report that my native state of Oklahoma is still the biggest stick in the proverbial red-clay mud, making third-party ballot lines nigh unobtainable. I still don't know how the Libertarians managed it.

In other news, Texas's ballot access law still sux. (See Section 181.005, currently on page 621 of the 914-page Texas Election Code PDF.)

Still Got Feelings for the Astros Texoblogosphere

23/10/2017

PDiddy's intro: Some of the Texas Progressive Alliance are big baseball fans and some aren't, but all of us tip our caps to the Houston Astros, who delivered a thrilling victory over the New York Yankees in the American League championship's seventh game. The Astros will face the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, beginning tomorrow night.

dbc's perspective: My give-a-shit meter for Major League Baseball has remained in the low zone, with occasional spikes, for most of the last dozen years. The Astros' dramatic fizzle in the 2005 World Series all but killed my love of the game. This year's Astro team has rekindled at least an interest. The players' genial personalities and let's-make-it-fun approach to the game are just as worth celebrating as their on-field performance.

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Off the Kuff noted the plethora of Democratic Congressional candidates, and jobsanger cited Progress Texas for some charts that show Democrats gaining voters in Texas.

John Coby at Bay Area Houston weighed in on the money race in CD-7, and suggested a couple of candidates *cough*Cargas*cough* drop out.

Daniel Williams has a thorough explainer for the seven state constitutional amendments on your ballot in this fall's election.

All five former US presidents—and Lady Gaga—gathered in College Station for a benefit for hurricane relief efforts in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands, according to the Texas Tribune.

SocraticGadfly took note of the latest stupidity of Eddie Bernice Johnson, plus her history, and thinks she should stop running for Congress and needs a Green challenger if nothing else. (dbcnote: There is in fact a Green challenger, Joel Gronau, who plans to run as an independent, hedging against the possibility of the Greens' not securing ballot access.)

"The Eleven," a documentary about the hunt for the murderer of young women in Galveston County in the 70's, was previewed by PDiddie at Brains and Eggs.

Neil at All People Have Value reviewed important public art in Houston. APHV is part of NeilAquino.com.

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More Texas news and blog posts!

In Austin last Friday, Gus Bova of the Texas Observer reported that US Attorney General Jeff Sessions blasted undocumented immigrant "pedophiles," "drug dealers," and "sanctuary cities," while protesters outside chanted, held signs that said "Sanctuary for All" and laid a trampled Klansman's robe in front of Sessions' motorcade, which he drove over as he departed.

Better Texas Blog has concerns about our retirement savings shortfall, and calls for support of Prop 7, on the ballot in the ongoing elections.

Somervell County Salon posts a few logical fallacy resources.

A fight over Texas barbecue is smoldering in Austin, and PoliTex sees Ag Commissioner Sid Miller right in the middle of it.

Free Press Houston reported that a Pasadena metal band member was one of three Texans charged with attempted murder after a shot was fired at anti-Nazi protesters in Gainesville, Florida, where white nationalist Richard Spencer was speaking.

Pages of Victory declares that he is not a Russian bot after disclosing that much of his blog traffic comes from...you guessed it.

And Leif Reigstad at The Daily Post noticed that Ted Cruz got doused with Dr. Pepper in a Senate hearing, and his response was something the Zodiac Killer would do.

"When the World Stopped to Listen": A Non-Review

18/10/2017

PRELIMINARY NOTE: In this non-review, I spell the composer's name Chaykovskiy, a more accurate English transliteration of the Russian Чайковский than the French Tchaikovsky or German Tschaikowsky.

No, this is not a review. It's a rant. You can also find it on Goodreads. But first, some thanks.

I thank Bob Fazakerly, the long-serving keyboard accompanist at my church, for lending me this not-quite-biography. When I first joined the church, our backup accompanist was Jimmy Mathis, a dear friend of Van Cliburn from their Juilliard days, who is quoted extensively in the book.

I also thank Cliburn himself for recording My Favorite Chopin while still hale and hearty, basking in the afterglow of his inaugural Chaykovskiy Competition victory. His Polonaise in A-flat still gives me spinal shivers of awe. Like Cliburn, Freddy Chopin was a skinny, neurasthenic kid who kept his orientation hidden for years and could get crowds swooning with his playing. Legend has it that, by the time he had finished writing that particular Polonaise, he was too weak from consumption to perform it. (Thanks to you as well, Freddy.)

"Election? What Election?" Texoblogosphere

17/10/2017

The Texas Progressive Alliance reminds you that there's an election coming up in a few weeks (and early voting begins next week).

DBC reminds Harris County voters that they can find information on the 2017 election at the County Clerk's electoral website harrisvotes.org. The League of Women Voters, Texas, has its usual high-quality info about the seven proposed amendments to the state constitution, on which all Texas voters can have their say.

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Off the Kuff says that if giving a tax break to homeowners affected by natural disasters is a priority, the state should cover the cost of that tax break to counties and school districts.

SocraticGadfly looks at a couple of recent pieces by a business columnist at the Chronic, and wonders how many of them apply there and if that will ever be asked?

How about Texas Democrats ask Sylvester Turner to run for governor, PDiddie at Brains and Eggs helpfully suggested. (DBCsez: If you know Diddie, you know that he's half jesting, and half pleading for the state to transport Turner back to Austin where he can do some good.)

jobsanger posts eleven steps to a healthier (and fairer) US economy.

Grits for Breakfast knows that criticism of police unions is warranted, but disagrees with the proposed solutions.

Murray Polner at The Rag Blog shares a concise summary of his views on the Vietnam war, motivated by Ken Burns' documentary.

In the Texas Observer's Strangest State roundup, you can read about a cow in Kerrville that looks like KISS rocker Gene Simmons.

The Texas Energy Department's collation of news includes a reminder that Rick Perry is always good for a joke, especially when he's the butt of it.

Neil at All People Have Value attended the weekly Tuesday protest outside the Houston office of Senator John Cornyn. Senator Cornyn is doing a bad job. APHV is part of NeilAquino.com.

And the Lewisville Texan Journal shares the Mom of No's story about teaching the Son of Never Stops Eating how to speak up at a city council meeting.

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More Texas news and blog posts!

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram's PoliTex blog reports that over 6,000 inmates in the Texas Criminal Justice System pooled their commissary funds totaling nearly $54,000 and donated it to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.

The Rivard Report shares Ross Ramsey (of the Texas Tribune)'s analysis of bathrooms, business interests, and ballots.

The TexTrib also was first with the news that a federal judge ruled Greg Abbott violated the First Amendment when he ordered a mock Nativity scene removed from the Capitol two years ago.

Bonddad's most recent thought for Sunday regards the rule of gerontocracy.

Chris Ladd at Political Orphans asserts that Democrats will no more recognize—or effectively oppose--the rise of their own Trump than Republicans did.

Elizabeth Lewis at Burkablog believes we are misdiagnosing the cause of gun violence.

Better Texas Blog dives into the latest revenue estimate from the state's comptroller, Glenn Hegar.

The TSTA Blog laments the lack of role models at the top of our government.

Therese Odell at Foolish Watcher gamely explains what the First Amendment is.

Grant Brisbee at SB Nation isn't a Texan, but he truly gets what the Astros mean to the city of Houston at this moment.

And Harry Hamid has a tale about mutatis mutandis (if you need to look up the meaning, here you go).

"Talk House" Is Meant to Be Difficult to Digest

16/10/2017

Until this past weekend, I had not seen any Catastrophic Theatre productions in the company's fancy new digs, the Midtown Arts & Theatre Center, Houston (MATCH). Following some changes in my life circumstances, however, I resolved to become a more regular attendee. I have loved their work since the early no-fixed-address days of Infernal Bridegroom Productions.

Fortunately, it was no chore to talk Kayleen into going to see a play by Wallace Shawn, what with his being part of the Princess Bride gang. Also, the MATCH features several wonderfully intimate and accessible spaces to catch a show.

I know that I shouldn't get this excited when someone I consider a friend shares a Facebook post of mine, even if it's a friend I consider a cultural genius. I'm too old and jaded for that kind of fanboy reaction. But Sunday morning I awoke to discover that the award-winning artistic director of Catastrophic had shared my bedtime post from Saturday night.

Apart from That, Mrs. Lincoln...
This is not a review of Evening at the Talk House or Catastrophic's staging thereof. Even if it were a review, it would not contain any details about what actually happens during the play's 90 minutes. Any review that included such details would do the play and its author, the estimable Wallace Shawn, a great disservice.

What is important about this play is the statement that it makes—sometimes subtly, sometimes not—about the Western World of the 21st century. It asks what share of the responsibility regular folks (and artists in particular) bear for the millions of premature, violent deaths of people who stand, wittingly or not, in the way of the Global Capitalist Empire. It also dares to imagine a world in which television has rendered live theatre sooooo not worth the effort.

Nicola Sturgeon IS Bonnie Prince Charlie

12/10/2017

Lotte Verbeek as Gillian Edgars in Starz series

This is not Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. (Photo courtesy outlander.wikia.com)

Yesterday I left work early due to a flare-up of a chronic digestive disorder that either induces or results from sinus pain. No practicing physician has ever been able to explain it, much less treat it successfully. But that isn't the topic of this entry.

After I got home, I soaked, slept a bit, ate lunch (probably still not fully digested the today), watched the latest episode of Outlander a second time, and then channel-surfed a bit. In my surfing, I stumbled across a speech on C-SPAN 2, catching it 20 minutes in, that stirred up no small amount of hope for humanity in me.

The speaker was Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of the Scottish Parliament, leader of the Scottish National Party. It was more than a tad serendipitous that I found this speech after spending an hour with Claire, Jamie, Bree, Roger, and Claire's officemate Dr. Joe Abernathy. In Sturgeon's address to the SNP's annual conference (about 51 minutes), there was just enough of the flavor of Geillis Duncan/Gillian Edgars's "We are Bonnie Prince Charlie!" speech from Outlander episode 2.13 to elicit some knowing giggles.

Augustober Texoblogosphere

9/10/2017

News. Sports. Weather. Whatever. It's Houston in October. It's October in Houston. It's all the same, because this most un-autumnal weather is hot enough to melt any artificial demarcations between them. I'll tell ya what ya can do with yer pumpkin spice latte.

The Astros are on the verge of winning a postseason series for the first time since 2005. Game 4 at Boston is happening as I type, with the Astros up 2-1 in the 3rd inning. (UPDATE: Astros 5, Red Sox 4. Astros win the series 3-1.)

The Dynamo are in the thick of a playoff chase, needing to rack up some points at home against Kansas City, then at Kansas City, then back home against Chicago. None of it will be easy for a team that has fallen far from its first-half form.

The Dash seldom got within sniffing distance of a playoff spot this year, finishing eighth of ten. Yesterday, Denise O'Sullivan, a midfielder they waived mid-season, scored the only goal in North Carolina Courage's playoff win over Chicago Red Stars. Another ex-Dash midfielder, US international Morgan Brian, did not play.

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