Thanks, Greg.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott finally issued a mask order for the large cities and counties in this state. You’ll get a warning the first time you’re caught without a mask and a $250 fine the second time.
Now let me tell you a story, newly elected Harris (think Houston) County Judge Lina Hidalgo, a Democrat, tried the same thing several weeks ago. Texas Republicans called her a tyrant and the governor overruled her, shaking his finger at her. They clutched pearls, and called names, and put the back of their hands against their foreheads, and swore an oath to protect democracy against people’s rights to kill other people.
You know what they are calling the governor today? Groundbreaking. A damn hero.
But Honey, a 29 year old Latina is still a tyrant.
If only Abbott had listened to her.
As bad as Abbott is Patrick is a bigger jackass. The other fool is the Governor of Florida. Patrick should be impeached for his comments about Dr Fauci. Ha ha on the chance of that happening.
1One early on listened to the advice of medical experts.
The other waited until the hospitals filled, and the bodies piled up.
But, eventually, they both came to the same conclusion.
2It’s OK If You’re A Republican
but
It’s Always Criminal If You’re A Democrat.
So sayeth the “liberal media…”
3As I scanned through Judge Hildago’s references, I noticed they were sprinkled with back handed compliments and outright insults:
************************************
Nick Tabor (November 28, 2018). “Can a 27-Year-Old Neophyte Run the Largest County in Texas?”
“This is not Mexico”: Texas official criticizes county judge for speaking Spanish”. The Washington Post.
The last one and dated most current said it all:
“Lina Hidalgo, 28”. 2020 30 UNDER 30: LAW & POLICY. Forbes.
Babbit’s term is cast in stone.
30 under 30 have yet to write theirs.
4This will come as no news to anyone, and especially Texans: A-Butt is a moron. Finally he sort of kinda recommends masks. “For large cities and counties” …. that is so 120 days late, and like what? maybe small towns and counties are immune. Ask CA and those ‘churches’ that defied science. 70 people can be a significant vector.
However. The good news? If conservatives are finally grabbing a clue, maybe we can get it right this time. Sure would help if there was national leadership to say “let’s do this and do it right” so we aren’t doing this “fire drill” forever.
5I would like to suggest that if you live in a smaller town and you choose not to wear a mask – you cannot fill a hospital bed in the larger towns.
Also, since I live in a large city – can I do a citizen’s arrest whenever I see a maskless moron – and can it be accompanied by an egg thrown at them?
6The thing that pises me off is a couple weeks ago he had a fine time making fun of her to anybody who would listen. He was referring to, IIRC, the mayor of Laredo finally figuring out that a mayor could not require masks but a business could. So just require a business to require masks to enter. What BS. That SOB thinks he call overrule any local anything. Just like when Denton citizens voted for no fracking inside the city limits. The GOP leadership said they couldn’t over ride Texas law.
7He’s either grown some to accompany what moral compass he has, or he’s noticed which way the wind is blowing and hopes to get some leaning-to-the-right D’s for next time he wants some votes. I kind of hope it’s the first. Naive me always hopes for the best from people and I’m not always disappointed. Not always. So far. And I’m old.
8Well, isn’t her age about equal to their combined IQ? If you add in DeSantis?
9He’s ground breaking alright – lots of ground – to put dead bodies into it.
10Without hypocrisy and stupidity, what would GOOPers have to say?
11Please be safe JJ !
12And everyone else!
We all need to be able to celebrate together a Biden win in Nov!!!
By the way Texans, if you haven’t read Sinclair Lewis and you’re still stuck with him. Just a suggestion. Why not call him what he is?
~Babbitt |ˈbabət|
noun dated, chiefly N. Amer.
**********************************
a materialistic, complacent, and conformist businessman.
~ Derivatives
13~ Babbittry |-trē| noun
~ Origin -1922: from the name George Babbitt, the protagonist of the novel Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis.
https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/babbitt/summary/
He is not breaking ground. He is breaking wind.
14She’s a Rock Star. And a work horse too.
15https://www.texastribune.org/series/coronavirus-texas-cases-san-antonio/
Sorry, that link was supposed to be to a Texas Tribune story about the most honorable Hidalgo.
16She’s a rock star that kicks ass.
But in a behind-the-scenes kinda baddass way when required.
P.P. @15&16, Take your choice from the search list of TxTrib “Lina Hidalgo” articles from the link below. An interesting Democrat, and clearly destined for greater things.
In San Antonio/Bexar Cty, Mayor Ron Nirenberg and County Judge Nelson Wolff have been dealing with Abbott’s and the Rethug’s stupidity for months too.
I’ll guarantee that rank and file MAGAots will never notice such hypocrisy, stupidity, and perfidy.
https://www.texastribune.org/search/?q=Lina+Hidalgo#gsc.tab=0&gsc.q=Lina%20Hidalgo&gsc.page=1
“
17And where is the Article in the HC and the following Legal suit laying every ‘rona death in Harris County from the time he overruled her order until yesterday at the feet of this POS Texas Murderer in Charge?
18I thought the governor of Texas had basically no power. How does he shake his finger at a judge, much less overrule her?
Latinas under 30 are terrifying to old white men. Think Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
19Buttermilk Sky @19, You may not be familiar with a Texas “County Judge”.
20It is not normally a judicial position, it’s the elected ‘chief executive’ position of Texas counties. The County Judge is head of the other elected ‘County Commissioners’, and they are all responsible for all the administrative and legislative functions of county government. They do handle some judicial things like probate, iirc.
Is there any market fr face masks that make you look like Herman Cain?
21Yesterday at least some hospitals in Houston announced they are at 100% capacity for Covid patients. Stay safe and stay away from Republicans, JJ.
And if anyone wants to actually read the original Babbit:
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1156
Since many of us are sorta stuck at home a lot, that Project Gutenberg site has many free out-of-copyright books and might be of interest.
Another project does something similar, but carries out much more extensive efforts to make the books both look good and be correctly converted:
https://standardebooks.org/
(I’ve loaded up on all the P.G.Wodehouse they have). Finally, if you’re into math and sciences, Springer-Verlag has now made many of their books freely available on-line. You can find a browsable list of some of them at:
https://hnarayanan.github.io/springer-books/
S-V has made the full set of titles available as a spreadsheet – an unfriendly way to provide them. If you poke around, you can find Python scripts people have written to download their entire open catalog’s worth.
Me? I’m reading “Strange Functions in Real Analysis”. Who could resist a title like that?
22Surly Professor, if you enjoy audiobooks YouTube has a wide assortment (even some Wodehouse). I’ve listened to Antony Beevor’s WWII histories and a lot of short stories. AdBlocker essential.
23Thanks, Buttermilk. I don’t like audio books, because half the time I think they go too slow, and the other half of the time I’m going “heh? what was that?” in a typical grouchy old man way. Like Mel Brooks as the 2000 year old man, but less amusing and good-natured.
But I understand they are great for people who have a long commute to/from work. Right now mine is 12 minutes (and 9.5 minutes if I bike), but friends and relatives in Fort Worthless report 1 to 1.5 hours each way. And in California there’s stories of people with 2 hour commutes one way, simply because they cannot afford housing any closer to their work. Yikes.
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