Musings of a Liberal Texan

Multiple Musings What an interesting past couple of days! I found out that my high school aged son has a friend who’s mom has similar beliefs to me. Now that might not seem like a big deal, but around here, it’s huuuuuggggeeee. She even worked for a while at the local community radio to which I am an ardent admirer and supporter (KPFT 90.1). Again, might not seem like a big deal but at times it is literally a floating case of fresh water and protein bars to a girl on a deserted island. I have yet to meet her but I spoke with her on the phone and it is very encouraging that there are those that live among us that might actually have similar views. Goosebumps. We, the boys and I, went to Schlitterbahn this weekend, in Galveston. We were going to participate in the Adopt a Beach clean up, but with crazy tornadic weather, we couldn’t get down there until noon. So the boys got the reward without the work. They were willing so that counted for something. It’s not completely finished yet, an...

This is from the site : www.gopauctionhouse.org Pretty revealing stuff..... How The GOP Auction House Hurts You Health Care Under Republican rule, millions more Americans have gone without health insurance, even as health care costs continue to skyrocket. The Republican Medicare bill, which barred Medicare from bargaining for lower prices, kept re-importation from Canada illegal, and punishes seniors with an enrollment cost hike for every year they do not sign up, also provides for an estimated $139 billion in windfall profits for the big drug companies. And despite minimal savings for seniors, it puts the federal budget in the red as far as the eye can see. The Medicare bill is the perfect demonstration of how the Republican Culture of Corruption comes at a cost to the American people every day. $139 Billion in Windfall Profits for the Pharmaceutical Industry Blocks Medicare from Collective Bargaining for Lower Prices Prevents Re-importation from Canada "The Medicare drug benefi...

Does anyone know anything about this? I ordered Revolution for my four dogs online. Of course, this requires a prescription and the internet company was happy to get that from the vet. I gave all the information and clapped myself on the back for saving 20% on this particular product, which gets rid of fleas, ticks and heartworms. Great. I get a confirmation email from the company. Later that day I get another email. The request has been denied by my vet. Huh. That’s weird. So, I call. Hello, blank blank Vet’s Office. Hi. I ordered Revolution online for my four dogs and they said you guys denied to authorize the prescription. That’s right. Why. The Texas Legislature does not allow Internet companies to dispense medications in the state of Texas because there is no way to guarantee the quality. What? It’s not our fault. We aren’t allowed to authorize the sale of Internet meds. Are you kidding? Do I sound like I’m kidding? No not really, but you could have a dry sense of humor. I don’t. ...

Change NOW! Let’s talk reality. As winter approached, suddenly natural gas prices sky rocketed. As spring turns into summer, gasoline prices jump every single day. As summer approaches, we are being warned that electricity will go up 72%. I’ll be honest. I care about gas prices right now because it affects me on a daily basis, but I am disgusted with our lack of leadership and ingenuity when it comes to alternatives to oil/gas. I know for a fact that every aspect of alternatives are out there from vehicles to fuels but they are being blocked. Why has Woody Harrelson been marginalized? He has been driving a vegetable oil (used from restaurants) only bus around for ages trying to promote this environmentally friendly alternative with little to no coverage whatsoever. There is a lithium powered car (the same kind of battery that our cell phones use), as well as a multitude of alternative choice cars out there. So, why haven’t any of our representative made this their issue? Dem, indy or r...

Walk For Farm Animals 2006 With the support of my core group of dedicated vegans, I have decided to be the coordinator for the first Walk for Farm Animals in the Houston area. My very dear friend Lori introduced me to Farm Animal Sanctuary, a fantastic organization that has led my husband and I to discussions about emulation (after the boys have gone to college!). What these guys do is take in farm animals that have somehow fallen through the cracks or off the back of a truck, ended up in a dumpster with thousands of other living baby chicks, or maybe are given to the sanctuary by a farmer who just can’t do it anymore. These guys take in the animals – usually sick, physically damaged and psychologically messed up – care for them and allow them to live their lives out as was originally intended – as living beings within nature. I believe 80% of their funding comes from donation, which is a huge chunk of money. It saddens me that we have to have these tiny islands of sanity and kindness ...

Contributing Writer: Gundl Bhutani Animal agriculture stresses Earth One of the greatest ways we can acknowledge Earth Day Saturday and protect the environment is to shift toward a plant-based diet, centered on fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes, while eliminating meat and other animal products. Raising animals for food is a leading cause of resource depletion and environmental degradation. Meat production is inefficient and results in the needless waste of precious environmental resources. One acre of land could produce 50,000 pounds of tomatoes, 40,000 pounds of potatoes, 30,000 pounds of carrots or just 250 pounds of beef. In the United States and around the world, millions of acres of forests are cleared and burned to create grazing land for cattle and crop lands to grow animal feed. The nearly 10 billion animals raised for human consumption each year in the United States excrete massive quantities of urine and feces. Because these animals are fed and injected with antibiotics...

What a RELIEF! I finally heard back from my most excellent lawyer in regards to the X going to court, without informing me or my lawyer, and getting child support for his two teenage sons reduced from $1200 a month to $352. 1200. Does that seem high? Take into account that this man paid that for less than one year. We have been divorced/separated for twelve years and he has never, ever paid more than 450/month for both boys. When I was living on the edge, staring over the abyss, going without meals, so stressed that I actually contemplated giving up custody because financially I could not hack it and I had to think of the boys, he was making a crap load of money and dragging me through the court system trying to take them from me. He had always said that he was not cut out to care for children, and he has proven that as an invariable fact regardless of the age of the boys. But his mission has always been to punish me. He is a control freak that will never let go of the reality that I...

With the impending elections this year, I have decided that I am going to focus on the issues that matter the most to me, and the candidates will have to address these issues in order to obtain my vote. I am going to remain firm in my resolve NOT to be distracted by issues that only surface during election time only to hide out for another two to four years, and I will not listen to any negative attacks from either side. These are the issues that I expect to be addressed by an incoming hopeful: National Healthcare. I expect to hear a plan that does not attempt to re-invent the wheel. There are many countries, hundreds, in fact, with a national healthcare system. Let’s check out the best ones, find out what’s good and what’s bad from every angle and adapt it to our country. People are suffering in this country. We will increase productivity and reduce stress related health issues if people don’t have to go bankrupt trying to care for themselves and their families. It is ridiculous that...

US Building Massive Embassy in Baghdad By Charles J. Hanley The Associated Press Friday 14 April 2006 The fortress-like compound rising beside the Tigris River here will be the largest of its kind in the world, the size of Vatican City, with the population of a small town, its own defense force, self-contained power and water, and a precarious perch at the heart of Iraq's turbulent future. The new U.S. Embassy also seems as cloaked in secrecy as the ministate in Rome. "We can't talk about it. Security reasons," Roberta Rossi, a spokeswoman at the current embassy, said when asked for information about the project. A British tabloid even told readers the location was being kept secret - news that would surprise Baghdadis who for months have watched the forest of construction cranes at work across the winding Tigris, at the very center of their city and within easy mortar range of anti-U.S. forces in the capital, ...

Post Easter Musings I’ve been thinking about this whole legalistic point of view the right has been taking on immigration. And the thing that keeps getting stuck is how they (the hate radio guys) keep saying repeatedly that they want to get the guys that “cut in line” that “jumped in front of everyone else who is going through the process”. Now, believe me, I hate cutters. I have always hated cutters. There’s an entitlement issue there that really leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. I have no problem, none whatsoever, in letting people who cut know that it is not acceptable. But let’s switch tracks here. Cody fell down the stairs at school. He was in a lot of pain and after calling his pediatrician, I was instructed to go to the emergency room. We went in. I spoke to reception. I filled out paperwork. I elevated his foot. Got him something to drink. Went into the triage nurse, got vitals, went back into the waiting room. Filled out more paper work. And sat. And sat. X came with loud...