These UnunitedStates

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This is the zeitgeist of our world as of July 4, 2022! The United States is far from united. Today, we hold these truths that all races are NOT created equal, that all genders do NOT have unalienable rights, that our government has become as corrupted, usurpatory, and tyrannical as King George III. We the people, misquote and misinterpret the Constitution to justify our actions. We have daily mass shootings. We have racially motivated killings. We have reckless, irresponsible leaders acting on conspiracy theories and driving us to destruction and disunion….and then we have  #AlexJones babbling about Cyborg Slaves of Satan. Hallelujah! Holy Shit! Where’s the Tylenol? #UnunitedStates

Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade

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Roe v. Wade is literally as old as I am. (They began arguments 1 month after I was born.) Today, in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision, held that the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion, thus overruling Roe v. Wade (and Planned Parenthood v. Casey).

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Breaking Records In Heat and Inflation

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I thought this was newsworthy. The US is going to fry this weekend, and it’s going to cost a lot more to eat, sleep, travel, and cool down. The high temperature forecast for my area in Texas on Saturday is 99F, but we’ve already topped 100F this year, and we’ve been hot since early May. It’s the I-10 corridor that is really going to cook.

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The 2022 Hurricane Season

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This year CSU again predicted an above-average season with 19 named storms, 9 hurricanes, 4 major hurricanes.

Not to go too far off on a tangent, but in 2020 CSU predicted 16 named storms, 8 hurricanes, 4 major hurricanes. Four months later they revised these numbers to be 24 named storms, 12 hurricanes, 5 major hurricanes! We ended 2020 with 30 named storms, 14 hurricanes, 6 major hurricanes!

In 2021 they predicted 17 named storms, 8 hurricanes, 4 major hurricanes. We ended 2021 with 21 named storms, 7 hurricanes, 4 major hurricanes.

From the National Hurricane Center, the 2022 Atlantic tropical cyclone names are: Alex, Bonnie, Colin, Danielle, Earl, Fiona, Gaston, Hermine, Ian, Julia, Karl, Lisa, Martin, Nicole, Owen, Paula, Richard, Shary, Tobias, Virginie, Walter.

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Russia Invades Ukraine

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Vlad the (Impudent) Impaler
Vlad the (Impudent) Impaler

Have you seen this guy? Of course you have. It’s ol’ Vlad. The Putinator. The Russian President for Life. Well, about 10 days ago he went off his meds and attacked – excuse me, launched a ‘special military operation’ – in the sovereign nation of Ukraine with soldiers, tanks, bombs, missiles, etc.

In the past 10 days over 1 million people have crossed the border to neighboring Poland, Romania, Moldova and Hungary. Estimates range from 136 to 2,000 Ukrainians have been killed so far.

Some of the Ukrainians fought back with what else – the quintessential weapon of choice – Molotov cocktails made by an Ukrainian brewery.

The 2022 Primary Election in Texas

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It’s midterm election season once again, and somethings have changed: the Texas Legislature redrew district maps. I was in US Congressional District 17, now District 10. My State House District stayed 14. My State Senate District stayed 5. I was State Board of Education District 8, now District 10.

The Primary Election this year is March 1 (early voting starts February 14), and the General Election will be November 8 (early voting starts October 24). As usual, the Texas Tribune has a useful primary election guide.

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Texas to allow carrying guns without a license or background check

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So this is a thing now…

AUSTIN, Texas — Texas is poised to remove one of its last major gun restrictions after lawmakers approved allowing people to carry handguns without a license, and the background check and training that go with it.

Source: ABCNews.com

I got a License To Carry a few years ago, and I passed background checks for every gun I purchased. I’m with the LEO on this one – I object! I think all gun sales (private too) should require a background check. And people that carry should have a License To Carry (LTC) license.

UPDATE:

Governor Abbott signed House Bill 1927 into law on June 16, 2021, and it takes effect September 1, 2021. (Source: Texas Tribune, Texans can carry handguns without a license or training starting Sept. 1, after Gov. Greg Abbott signs permitless carry bill into law)