Tuesday Night Update - DNC Edition

Tonight, we're sitting here watching the Democratic National Conventions on C-Span. On Thursday night, Lewisville Democrats will watch President Obama accept the nomination for another four years. I'll be there, and I hope you'll join us.

Lewisville Lake was just over 4 feet low at 517.97 feet this morning. Officials remind you to drain and wash your boat each time you leave the lake to avoid transmitting invasive zebra mussels.

OK, let me get this straight: Michael Burgess (R, Lewisville) thinks that Medicare violates the 10th amendment to the Constitution. But he's okay with using Medicare to erase state laws relating to medical malpractice, and federalizing them. Conservatives keep pushing the idea that so-called "tort reform" reduces costs to consumers. The facts just do not bear that out. It may save some doctors a few bucks, but it hasn't put a dent in the cost of health care. If it did, then Texas would have the cheapest healthcare in the nation, and other states would be lining up to imitate us.

Paul Ryan keeps a lyin'

San Antonio bystander with concealed handgun saves the life of a woman being stabbed.

Krugman: Paul Ryan is a "Rosie Ruiz" Republican.

Interesting take on a study showing how extremists tend to ignore facts. I'm not surprised to learn that they think conservatives are more likely to ignore the facts.

Live by the sword, die by the sword.

EPA says DEET is safe, when used according to directions. EPA's last examination of the chemical was in 1998. A widely quoted 2009 study suggests neurotoxicity, but this article has a pretty good explanation of why DEET is still pretty safe, and the headline on that study was alarmist. Meanwhile, Denton County says it will be several weeks before testing shows if the spraying was effective.

10 facts guaranteed to short-circuit Republican brains.