Happy Halloween!

Thin Veil

Gather in the creatures, the cows, the children, whatever you need
Gather in for winter coming, count and store your roots and seeds
Curl around the burnished colors, pulling close in warm and humid, turning cool at
Edges blurred and gone
Walk into the dark with courage of (jeweled cans in cellars) cuddled rooms thick and close with smells

Happy Birthday, Goblin Princess!

Our Lone Star Girl is 21, today.  She is making history (Herstory!) all the time and Lone Star Pa and I could not be any prouder of this amazing young woman.  Happy Birthday, Goblin Princess!  We love you!

Early Voting Starts Today!

Early voting starts today in Texas, Mamas!

Do you have a plan for getting out to vote?

Remember that there are lots and lots of important races and propositions on the ballot - not just the presidential race.  Be sure to get a sample ballot for your precinct (I got mine from my county's website - you can find your precinct number on your voter registration card) so you can see what is on it and research all the candidates and propositions before you cast your vote. These smaller races and propositions shape our communities and our schools and should not be ignored.

My plan is to do a little more research, including picking up a League of Women Voters guide,  and vote on Thursday when I will have time to take a "lunch" break in the town where I live between meetings for work and vote instead of lunching.  I have a really busy week, but I know this is important so I will fit it in.

I will be remembering the suffragettes who suffered abuse and beatings ad imprisonment so I would have the right to vote.  I will not waste the opportunity they gave me.

What is your plan?  What day will you be voting? 

Wednesdays With The Subversive Children's Book Club: Vaccines!

Flu season is coming on fast but there is still time to protect your family and others by getting flu vaccines for your family.  This installment of the Subversive Children's Book Club features children's biographies of Jonas Salk, American Hero.  Do not get pulled in by the dangerous pseudoscience, mamas - vaccinate your children!  Enjoy!

• Splendid Solution:  Jonas Salk and the Conquest of Polio by Jeffrey Kluger
• Jonas Salk:  Conquering Polio by Stephanie Sammartino McPherson
• Jonas Salk and The Polio Vaccine by John Bankston
• Jonas Salk:  Creator of the Polio Vaccine by Salvatore Tocci
• Jonas Salk and The Polio Vaccine by Katherine Krohn

Action Alert: Give Congressman Farenthold A Call

Oh, Blake.

So tonight I watched my Congressman defend Donald Trump in a television interview.  He minimized the importance of Trump saying he could grab women's genitals and reiterated Trump's sick assertion that such is just "locker room banter".  When pressed as to whether Trump would lose Farenthold's support if he said he liked rape, Farenthold again said it would depend and it was just talk.

(Congressman, that sort of acceptance and defense of rape culture does not represent the women in your district at all well, as you are going to notice.)

Give Blake a call this week, Mamas, and send him an email, too - let him know what you think of his defense of Trump's rape-y talk.  The phone number for his Corpus Christi Office is (361) 884-2222 and his DC Office is (202) 225-7742.  You have to go through the form on his website to email him.

International Day of The Girl

Today, October 11th, is the International Day of the Girl!  Girls are our future - support and respect them.

The theme for this year is Girls' Progress =Goals' Progress:  What Counts For Girls, in recognition that the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals cannot be met without real progress for girls, which is hampered by gaps in data and poor data analysis and application.

What are you doing to support the girls in your family?  In your community?  In your world?  Post some great ideas in the comments section, please!

Last Day To Register To Vote!

Today is the very last day to register to vote and be eligible to vote in the November elections.  If you are not registered yet and wish to do so, you must register today!  You must turn in your completed voter registration card to your respective county by close of business or, if it is a mail-in card, get it postmarked today.

Be a patriot and register to vote!

Less Than Two Days Left To Register To Vote!!!

Tomorrow is the deadline by which voter registrations must be turned in to county offices or postmarked if you are going to vote in the November election, and it is not like those offices or the post office are open at night (or at all today) , so you have less than two days to register!!!

Not sure if you are registered?  Here is a link where you can check and get more information about registration.

Here is a link with information about getting registered in Texas.

Register!!!

Genocide Day

So my kid is off from school for Genocide Day - it is really disturbing that school districts still do this in light of what we know about the deplorable Mr. Columbus and his reign of terror.

Second Debate

The videos that came out last week showing Trump's deplorable 2005 behavior strongly contributed to the tension on display at the second debate last night.  Predictably, Trump proved that his half apology was no apology at all by trying to compare his disgusting tale of bragging about sexual assault to any number of things that he claims that Clinton has done, even though she has been continually cleared of any wrongdoing in all of the instances he brought up, plus attacking her on policy issues with complete lies about his own positions and the actual policies at hand.

Oh, and he called himself a gentleman.

We cannot allow this misogynist disaster of a man to play any role in the governing of our nation.

VEEP Debates

Kaine's interruptions and manner were annoying and Pence was actually quite eloquent, but Kaine had good policy positions to share and Pence had only lies, so....

Wednesdays with the Subversive Children's Book Club: Last Stop On Market Street

Happy Wednesday, Folks!

This edition of the Subversive Children's Book Club highlights a lovely picture book for young children, Last Stop on Market Street by Matt De La Pena.

In this sweet book, CJ and his Nana take the bus after church.  CJ is feeling a little dissatisfied with his simple life, without a lot of privileges, while his Nana points out the beauty of the community around him.  Their destination eventually highlights all that his Nana is giving him and teaching him.

More Friendship State Behavior

Oh, yeah, and Texas is moving forward with cutting about $350 million from the Medicaid program that provides therapy (like the physical and occupational therapy some people need to be able to handle the tasks of independent living when they are older)  to children with disabilities.  That does not sound like something that is going to really work out well for the future of Texas.

Please remember when you vote in November that these are the sorts of pro-life,  family values espoused by Republicans and Liberatarians and these are the sorts of things they do when they have power.  If we care about families and children, we have to get the Republicans in office out.  We have to keep the Republicans and Libertarians seeking office out.

The Friendship State

On Friday, the Governor's Office announced that Texas, a mainstay and expert state in refugee resettlement,  has officially withdrawn from the Federal Refugee Resettlement Program.  And Jesus wept.

SDG Mondays: Conserve The Oceans!

Today's installment of SDG Mondays focuses on the 14th of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources.

This goal has nine associated targets: 

• "By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans

• Minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification, including through enhanced scientific cooperation at all levels

• By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics

• By 2020, conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information

• By 2020, prohibit certain forms of fisheries subsidies which contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, eliminate subsidies that contribute to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and refrain from introducing new such subsidies, recognizing that appropriate and effective special and differential treatment for developing and least developed countries should be an integral part of the World Trade Organization fisheries subsidies negotiation

• By 2030, increase the economic benefits to Small Island developing States and least developed countries from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism

• Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology, taking into account the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology, in order to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries, in particular small island developing States and least developed countries

• Provide access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets

• Enhance the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law as reflected in UNCLOS, which provides the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources, as recalled in paragraph 158 of The Future We Want."

 What do you think of this goal and its targets?  What will you do to try to meet the targets?

 

Texas Influenza Awareness Day

Yesterday, October 1st, was Texas Influenza Awareness Day.  Have you gotten your flu shot yet?

Many people do not think it is important to get the flu shot because they have weathered the flu without too much trouble, but not everyone can.  Young children, pregnant women, the elderly and those who have chronic health conditions like asthma face serious threats from the flu and often catch it from people who think they do not need to worry because they are not in those groups.  More than 200,000 people are hospitalized due to the flu in the U.S. each year and the number of hospitalizations is growing.  When you fail to get the flu shot, you not only increase your own health risk, but you seriously increase the health risks for every child, elderly person, pregnant person and person with a chronic condition with whom you come into contact.

Research has shown that the nasal mist flu vaccine has not proven effective with the strains of flu that are now most common, so be sure to get the shot instead (it is also less safe for people with chronic conditions like asthma or who are otherwise immunosuppressed and so was never recommended for them) .  

There is still time to get the flu shot and have it take effect before flu season takes hold in Texas this year!  It is important so please hurry!

Get yours this week and keep Texas safe from influenza!