Jenn has a lot of cats

illinois gov. JB pritzker responds to ken paxton's threat to arrest TX democrats who fled the state: "they're here in illinois. we're going to do everything we can to protect every single one of them."

Real Texans do not run from a fight. But that’s exactly what most of the Texas House Democrats just did. Rather than doing their job and voting on urgent legislation affecting the lives of all Texans, they have fled Texas to deprive the House of the quorum necessary to meet and conduct business. These absences are not merely unintended and unavoidable interruptions in public service, like a sudden illness or a family emergency. Instead, these absences were premeditated for an illegitimate purpose—what one representative called “breaking quorum.” Another previously signaled that Democrats “would have to go by an extreme measure” of a quorum break “to stop these bills from happening.” In other words, Democrats hatched a deliberate plan not to show up for work, for the specific purpose of abdicating the duties of their office and thwarting the chamber’s business. That amounts to an abandonment or forfeiture of an elected state office. When the Governor calls a Special Session, our Constitution provides that the “Legislature shall meet.” TEX. CONST. art. III, § 5 (emphasis added). It’s not optional. It’s a duty. The absconded Democrat House members were elected to meet and vote on legislation—not to prevent votes that may not go their way. Every session, legislators on both sides of the aisle find themselves on the losing side of a legislative vote. And every session, most of those legislators find a way to disagree agreeably and behave like adults, rather than going AWOL. Text continued in reply to this post

Logo Texas House Democratic Caucus August 3 2025 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 3, 2025 Contact: josh@texashousedems.com +1 (310) 321-2168 TEXAS HOUSE DEMOCRATS RESPOND TO GOV. ABBOTT'S THREAT CHICAGO - After Gov. Greg Abbott threatened lawmakers with arrest and expulsion from the House of Representatives for denying him a quorum to pass his racist mid-decade redistricting scheme, the Texas House Democratic Caucus issued the following statement: "Come and take it."

the Texas House Democratic Caucus issued the following statement: "Come and take it."

Gov. Abbott threatens the TX House Dems who fled the state to stop the redistricting vote, claims he can vacate and reappoint all 51 seats seats.

The House Dems are using the one tool they have to save this crumbling democracy.

So come and take it.

Abbott's letter: gov.texas.gov/news/post/go...

YouTube video by Chumbawamba - Topic The Diggers Song

CURRENT MOOD:

youtu.be/UATNvlF74bQ?...

Dialin' Dems · Texas Democratic Party Join the Texas Democratic Party as we build our year-round organizing machine to take on Donald Trump and Republican extremists across the state. On these calls we’ll be:   📞 chatting with Demo...

I'm attending Texas Democratic Party's event, “Dialin' Dems” - sign up now to join me! www.mobilize.us/texasdemocra...

They did it! The Texas House Democrats have left the state to use one of the only options available to stop Trump's grand scheme to cheat the midterm elections.
Each representative will be charged a $500 a day fine for each absence. Fundraising link incoming.

The labor movement is in full solidarity with this necessary quorum break!

Texas may be the beginning of this redistricting battle, but workers across this country will win the war. Sign the card: bit.ly/thankyoudems

youtu.be/KGlUBOzpkjY?...
Listen. An incredibly low bar has been set by Lost and Game of Thrones being in this list.

Also, Deep Space 9, and Deadwood if we're looking for the great literary works of visual motion media.

I think often about the fading usefulness of interconnected tech due to AI slop, poor infrastructure maintenance, censorship, international politics affecting access. It makes me wonder if/when analogue tech will have a resurgence as the more elegant/cost effective solution to a given problem.

@gregpak.net Would you please boost this? We're fighting the fight down here and need all the visibility we can get.

View from great seats at a Weird Al Yankovic show.

Current status:

Please repost and share wherever you are online, even if you aren't in Texas.

Every single Texan who sees this, please call and email your reps and senators. They have one tool that gets in the way of Trump's order to further disenfranchise our purple state and cheat the midterms.

BREAK QUORUM

Oppose Partisan Redistricting ⭑ 5 Calls The Texas House and Senate are currently holding public hearings on mid-decade Congressional Redistricting. The topic was added by the Governor to the …

5calls.org/state/texas/...

5 Calls just created their first single state campaign to help with contracting Texas representatives and senators.
If you live in Texas, PLEASE call your senator and tell them to break quorum to stop the redistricting bill.
#txlege

Especially when the two cats who hate each other are snuggled up to different legs, and if I move it will start a war.

I love these cats but I also like being able to lie down for a nap and not be immediately swarmed by fuzzy space heaters.

Ooh. Is it a web portal for the state archive or something?

I had to make a facebook account last week because I got elected comms director for one of my activist orgs. A large chunk of the members have most of their conversations in the fb group. I'm unhappy about it.

Texas Republicans have unveiled a more extreme new gerrymander that targets 5 Dems by diluting Latino & Black voting power.

Trump won 30 of 38 seats by >10 points & 27 seats by >15 points. All GOP seats likely stay safe, & none that Trump won by <20 got bluer davesredistricting.org/join/b82658a...

Texas Senate redistricting committee set to vote on subpoenaing Department of Justice official The nine-member Senate select committee on redistricting is planning to vote Wednesday on whether or not to subpoena an assistant attorney general to testify. The Department of Justice official is …

The DOJ letter sent on July 7 was addressed to Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, and said the DOJ had “serious concerns regarding the legality of four of Texas’s congressional districts.”

🦷 If you see this, post something toothy. 🦷

I finished the new Rivers of London book (Ben Aaronovitch) and now I'm very I'm sad that there's no more for at least a couple of years. I'm finally going to do all of the novellas, and the comics.
But, I need a new wizard detective series. Sandman Slim is in the queue, but that's it.

The rally was fantastic, I hope Talarico runs for Cornyn's seat, and Jasmine Crockett for president 2032.

Free spay/neuter clinic happening all week at COTA The Austin Animal Center and Greater Good Charities are offering free spay and neuter surgeries, vaccines, flea and tick prevention, and microchips for dogs and cats at Circuit of the Americas.

TRAVIS COUNTY!
Free spray and neuter for cats and dogs all this week at Circuit of the Americas!
Drop off starts at 7:30am. No limit on the number of pets.
This is awesome, and I'm going to be packing up every tame neighborhood cat I can get my hands on/trap this week.
www.kxan.com/news/free-sp...

It wasn't that version, but we definitely had a beat up paperback of an earlier Henry Roberts translation. Resisting a google quest to find the cover.

Omg. Will you post the cover? I'm wondering if this is the one that was floating around my family when I was a kid.

The amount of discourse on whether or not weight lifting videos are the way to get Rogan bros to vote Democrat is hilarious.

My issue with the weight lifting thing is that there's no message about what the candidate does with strength - no indication they will protect and defend and fight.

Another thing that I've been yelling for a while.
This candidates-lifting-weights commercial trend isn't helping. They aren't using that strength to protect anyone - they're announcing that they can afford a gym membership (or an expensive home gym) and have a lot of time to use it.

Literally just say you’ll legalize weed and won’t let congresspeople trade stocks. Literally just do that.

Texas House of Representatives Texas House of Representatives provides information on legislation, committees, sessions, and the Texas House

the TX redistricting public hearing in houston is getting started

follow along here: house.texas.gov/videos/22389

If you're having a rough day, consider that not only has God restored Ozzy Osbourne to his full powers, but as a welcome gift let Ozzy be the one to kick Hulk Hogan into the pits of Hell.

Native tribal leaders push back on gender-affirming care restrictions for their citizens Native American groups say tribal sovereignty trumps state and federal efforts to restrict or ban gender-affirming care for their LGBTQ+ and two-spirit citizens.

Native American groups say tribal sovereignty trumps state and federal efforts to restrict or ban gender-affirming care for their LGBTQ+ and two-spirit citizens.

From @kffhealthnews.org: