A Trans Group Did Not Target Texas Children
Texas voters have been receiving a mailing from the Texas Transgender Student Union this week. This group does not exist! It’s not a legitimate student organization or advocacy group. It’s a fictitious entity used in an unsolicited political mailer and messaging campaign across Texas. If you received one of these in the mail, you are a victim of political astroturfing. This is the deceptive practice of orchestrating a top-down, funded campaign to create the false impression of spontaneous, bottom-up “grassroots” support, employing the herd instinct mentality against the target group. This particular campaign is designed to alarm conservative voters to drive them to the polls. It should go without saying…
James Talarico and the Influenza Blues
MAGA politicians are so scared of Talarico’s popularity, that they are laser focused on finding the slightest excuse to attack him. This requires lots of lies and truth-twisting. Way back in 2022, Talarico said he has cut back on red meat and pork for health reasons. The right has viciously attacked him for that statement, labeling him a vegan. Even *IF* he were vegan, why would that be an issue? But of course, he’s not a vegan. For a lot of years now, I also have cut way back on meat, and incorporated more whole grains and vegetables into my diet. Does that make me a bad person? I find…
How Much Diesel?
About 4 million barrels of diesel is used each day in the United States. Trump has made a deal with Putin to immediately release 300,000 tons of diesel. This is approximately 2.25 million barrels, which is a little more than a half day’s supply. Next month Russia will send us 500,000 tons. That’s approximately 3.75 million barrels. Still less than a day’s supply Following that, we will receive a million tons. Then another 3 million tons. That totals 4 million tons, which is about 30 million barrels altogether. That’s around a week’s supply. We will be lining Putin’s coffers, while lowering diesel prices here by a negligible amount. It’s hardly…
The Tillamook Cheese Controversy
Of all the reasons to call for a boycott, this Tillamook thing is just about the most colossally ridiculous. The gullible are falling for it due to blatant misinformation spread by fearmongers taking advantage of people’s prejudice and ignorance. If you’re going to boycott Tillamook cheese, then be sure you also boycott fresh fruits and vegetables, dry beans, rice, and most other single ingredient pantry staples, since those are also Halal even though they don’t have a seal saying so. Kosher and Halal don’t share exactly the same rules, but are extremely similar. Both require that certain unclean ingredients are not used- many of the same ingredients you’re already trying…
Who is Responsible for Current Oil Prices?
Nothing much to see here, just a misleading meme designed to trick the gullible into believing that Biden is responsible for the high fuel prices. I’ll cover it point by point for those who are open to the truth. Who Shut Down the Keystone Pipeline? Nobody. It was never shut down. It has been in continuous operation since 2010. The meme is probably referring to the Keystone XL. TC Energy Corporation, which owns the existing Keystone pipeline, proposed the Keystone XL. That one would have started in in Alberta, Canada, joined the existing Keystone pipelines at Steele City, Nebraska, and from there, the oil would have moved on to the…
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to College
If you are a regular reader of this blog, you may have already read my two posts Me, in Search of Self and The School From Hell, both of which are precursors to this post. I mentioned in the latter that my home situation had deteriorated and I was becoming increasingly suicidal. Someday, I will explain what was going on, but I put it off because I’ll have to relive a lot of trauma, and I’m not ready for that. So anyhow, I dropped out of school, which dashed all my college dreams, and left home. It was either that, or I was going to kill myself. For about the…
Just Buy Local – or Not
So many recalled foods and other consumables lately! And every time the subject comes up on social media, some people start yelling, “Just buy local!”. This post is about the problems surrounding recalls, and goes into the reasons that buying local is not an option for most people. The USDA, FDA, CDC and various other government organizations have a variety of departments and methods to keep our food safe and slow the spread of diseases that could potentially cause pandemics. Keep in mind there is a certain amount of overlap between food safety and disease spread. These agencies came about in the first place because of contaminated foods causing wide…
The Odd Case of Oxford U vs. Henry Symeonis
Beginning in 1264, anyone receiving a Master of Arts degree from Oxford University had to swear they would never forgive Henry Symeonis. This requirement was lifted in 1827, but by then, it had been a few hundred years since anyone knew who Henry Symeonis and why students were taking an oath against him. How it Started The year was 1242. Nobody knows what precipitated the act of violence, but a man named Henry Symeonis, along with a group of other people, murdered an Oxford University student. Rather than jail them, King Henry III fined Henry and his accomplices £80 and ordered them to leave the town of Oxford. 22 years…
How the U.S. States Got Their Names
Following are the 50 States’ names with brief explanations of their origins. Please note, this list may have some inaccuracies, because as I researched the state names, I often found multiple explanations at various sources, many of which contradicted each other. So I had to try to choose the options which seemed to be confirmed by the most legitimate authorities. I used the word “Indian” rather than “Native American” in the cases where I was quoting or paraphrasing historical sources. ALABAMA: Named after a Muskogean-speaking Creek Confederacy tribe called the Alabamas, Alibamons or Alibamus. The word is roughly translated as ‘clearers of the thicket’ or ‘herb gatherers’. ALASKA: From the…
Hantavirus Facts
Hantaviruses are a deadly family of viruses spread primarily by infected wild rodents, such as deer mice, rats, and voles. Infected rodents are carriers only; they do not get sick or show symptoms. Hantavirus infections in humans are rare in the United States. Since surveillance began in 1993, there have been a total of 890 reported cases nationwide. On average, the country records fewer than 30 to 40 cases annually, primarily isolated cases in western and southwestern states. How Humans Contract Hantavirus Infected rodents shed the virus in their urine, droppings and saliva, which settles onto the ground or other surfaces that come into contact with the rodents. Humans can…
James Talarico
James Dell Talarico is a Presbyterian seminarian, and former educator who has served since 2018 as a member of the Texas House of Representatives. He’s the Democratic nominee for the 2026 U.S. Senate election in Texas. He’s been causing a bit of a political stir lately. The response from the left and moderates has been positive. The reaction on the right, however, is downright hateful. “He can’t be a Christian because he’s a Democrat!“, they proclaim. This, from people who claim to be Christian but cherry-pick the Bible. My political and religious views do not 100% line up with those of Talarico’s, but what I see in him- he doesn’t…
More Doctors Smoke Camels!
A Brief History of Tobacco Tobacco is native to the Americas. It was cultivated and used in pipes, as cigars, and as snuff by indigenous peoples for medicinal and ceremonial purposes as early as 6000 BC. In the 1500s, Spanish and Portuguese sailors carried it to Europe, where it became wildly popular. A French diplomat named Jean Nicot presented tobacco to the French court as a medicinal herb. It’s use became fashionable amongst the French nobility, and it was soon all the rage throughout Europe. (The word nicotine was derived from Jean Nicot’s name). As the European appetite for tobacco grew, American colonists began growing it to meet the demand.…
