Added: Your Home IS Your Castle Now In Texas!

Way to go to the 2007 80th Texas Legislature and Governor Perry for passing and signing the "Castle Doctrine" aka deadly force bill today! The bill, SB 378, gives law abiding residents of Texas the right to use deadly force in their homes, cars and workplaces. The new law will take effect Sept 1, 2007. Until then and previously we were expected to retreat. The best part is the bill provides civil immunity so long as the outlines of the bill are followed exactly. One can't be the aggressor either by taunting or actions, but it's about time a woman's house IS her castle and she doesn't have to flee for her own safety.

Now realistically I still think it's a good idea to avoid the situation if at all possible, get yourself to a place of safety and call the real deal to handle the problem, but once you've done all the above, be prepared to DIY if reasonably necessary. Shoot first and fall apart afterwards! And less any of the anti-gun crowd get their panties in a bunch, I'll happily point out that police and prosecutors can still press charges if they feel deadly force was used illegally. That means you, drug dealers! You'll be immune from civil lawsuits not criminal ones!

The 2nd best part of all this is that an overwhelming majority of the legislature was in favor of this bill and its passage! That's great! This is a great state! Eat your heart out California!

This is from the NRA-ILA and it's important to mention Attorney General Greg Abott's support too!

Governor Perry Signs Critical Self-Defense Reform Bill!

On Tuesday, March 27, Governor Rick Perry (R) signed Senate Bill 378, NRA-supported “Castle Doctrine” legislation. Governor Perry’s signature made Texas the first state to adopt “Castle Doctrine” legislation in 2007! SB 378 will protect individuals who use force to defend themselves in their home, car and their place of business or employment, from criminal prosecution and civil lawsuits. It also states that you have no “duty to retreat” from an attack if you are in a place where you have a right to be, if you did not provoke your attacker, and if you are not engaged in criminal activity yourself.

Please thank Governor Perry and our bill sponsors for their leadership on this issue and their support of the right to self-defense for law-abiding Texas citizens!

Also, please thank Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott (R) for standing up for our Second Amendment rights. Attorney General Abbott took the lead among the States in defending the individual right to keep and bear arms by submitting a brief on behalf of Texas and 12 other States opposing Washington, D.C.’s handgun-ban. Attorney General Abbott assembled the coalition of States, drafted a serious, scholarly legal brief laying out the constitutional foundation for the individual right to keep and bear arms. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit struck down Washington D.C.’s handgun ban as unconstitutional under the Second Amendment on Friday, March 9.

Thanks to Attorney General Abbott for his leadership and initiative on this issue!

ATM'S MUST-READ Blog Post

It's no secret that I think Attila The Mom over at Cheaper Than Therapy is a word genius. She puts words together in such a way that I'm just blown away...she makes me laugh out loud, she makes me cut and paste and send "her stuff" to my kids and close friends so they too can chortle out loud! Her point of view makes me think too. And my kids and close friends will tell you that getting me to think is a major accomplishment. I act, I react, I brood, I worry, I cuss, I go off on tangents, but they don't usually see me think. But, hey, sorry, this is NOT about me - although pretty much everything IN this blog is - it's about talent and The Mom has got it by the double handfuls!

Check out Titillating News for just a tiny taste (all sorts of puns there, trust me on this one!).

UPDATE - HCSO: Damned if they Do, Damned if they Don't

Update:

Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas announced that there will be no search for the body of Tynesha Stewart Saturday night. "There are no remaining body parts," Thomas said at a news conference. "We have determined through this investigation that the defendant dismembered the victim and burned her body parts. There is no body to be found."

ERIN TRIEB: FOR THE CHRONICLE

-------------------->>>

The family and friends pitched such a fit over the Harris County Sheriff's Department saying they wouldn't try and find the remains of the missing slain A&M student that the resulting media hype and hysteria has forced them to reconsider that option. Add to that reversal the fact that they say they now believe she might of been cut into chunks and crammed into assorted garbage bags before being dumped in the dumpster. Poor woman. But thank goodness the X-man and other assorted hate mongers are on the job shoving blame onto the HCSO instead of at the hands of the former boyfriend of the victim. God forbid he be held accountable for any of his actions.

His family went so far as to send word to HER family that they were praying for them. That's nice. And now I expect HER family to say he couldn't help it because he loved her so much he couldn't bear being apart. So instead he decided to part HER.

You want to know the sad part in all this? $500,000. That's the amount that's being earmarked for her recovery. That's assuming she can be recovered. Seems to me that the TONS of garbage that could potentially be covering her up is just the tip of the trash pile. After going through the compacting of the trash truck they aren't likely to find anything! But God knows a half a mil is chump change when it comes to pacifying those addicted to press coverage.

As a card carrying supporter of the HCSO I ought to be ashamed of myself for even writing this, but I'm not. 'Cause I'm also a taxpaying Harris County resident and I think that money could be put to better use. I'm a mom too and I do feel for the families, but shit happens. People kill people all the time. It's his fault, make him pay for the recovery! Oh, no, wait a minute, he's on suicide watch. Chickenpoop.

Well, I feel for my "boys".....yet again they are damned if they do and damned if they don't. I think the ideal solution would be to put the X-man and his buds on the end of the hoes and shovels at the dump and let them REALLY do something newsworthy. Oh, wait, no that would be WORK....manual labor.....that's not going to happen, is it?

Presenting My Great Nephew David!

He's got his momma's eyes too! This is David, the only son of my oldest bro's youngest daughter. (Say that 12 times fast, I dare you!)

This is what his mom had to say about the picture...

Here is the picture of David (serious/tough guy expression) that will be displayed at the Glamour Shots - Woodlands Mall (the Woodlands, TX) starting in April and it will be in one of the windows next to the mini motorcycle. The picture is 20x24- and will be there until July.

Isn't he adorable!

George Strait's Texas Cookin'

I bought George Strait's newest CD It Just Comes Natural and one of the songs on it is Texas Cookin' written by Guy Clark. Here's the lyrics...

Texas Cookin'

I'm going down to Austin, Texas
Ease on down to San Antone
Get that bar-b-que and chili
Eat my fill then come back home
I'm gonna take my baby with me
We gonna have a high ol' time
We gonna eat till we get silly
Sho' do make a beer taste fine

Chorus: Oh my, momma ain't that Texas cookin' something
Oh my, momma stop you' belly and backbone bumpin'
Oh my, momma ain't that Texas cookin' good
Oh my, momma eat it everyday if I could

Well, I know a man that cooks armadillo
Tastes so sweet he calls it pie
I know a woman that makes pan dulce
Tastes so good it gets you high

Get that enchiladas greasy
Get them steaks chicken fried
Sho' do make a man feel happy
See white gravy on the side

Repeat Chorus

Well I know a place that's got fried okra
Beat anything I ever saw
I know a man that cooks cabrito
It must be against the law

We gonna get a big ol' sausage
Big ol' plate of ranch-style beans
I could eat the heart of Texas
We gonna need some brand new jeans

Repeat Chorus

Makes me hungry just typin' it! I make a mean chicken fried steak and cream gravy, but I haven't in a long time. Now I'd go to Hickory Hollow if I wanted some good chicken fried steak.
For the best sausage in Texas, just click on Prasek's Hillje Smokehouse! There is a lOT of great food in Texas! Eat your heart out California....