What Happens When NASA Employees are Furloughed

October 13, 2025

Some might think it’s all fun and games. It’s not.

NASA employees are in their second week of being furloughed. What happens when NASA employees are furloughed? Not much, literally. Basically employees are forbidden by law to work during a furlough. That means they cannot go to the office. They can’t work from home. They can’t conduct or participate in telecoms.

Do they get paid for not going to work? Depends. If the furlough continues past the pay period employees will not receive their paychecks because, well the government is closed, including the office that issues checks. The question this time is whether they will receive back pay for the time they were furloughed. In the past, or at least the last 4 furloughs, back pay was authorized.

This time might be different. The million of federal employees furloughed might have to suck it up and take a very costly hit all while members of Congress will get full payment. The argument will be easy. “If you didn’t work, you shouldn’t get paid.”, or “If I didn’t work I wouldn’t get paid.”. Even though federal employees were forbidden by law to work they might not get paid leaving them with unpaid mortgages, etc.

Some employees at NASA will be designated as essential such as those who manage the Space Station at Mission Control. Contractors are not affected by the furlough. While the furlough continues some employees may find out they are fired.

But that won’t happen until they get back because, well the government is closed, including HR.


Democrat Albert Wittliff Enters Race for Bay Area’s Texas House

October 13, 2025

Campaign Kickoff is Thursday at Boondoggles 6:00 PM. RSVP Here.

The race for House District 129 might be interesting next year. The current Representative, Dennis Paul, has held this office for 10 years with little to show for his time except to promote Abbott’s voucher bill and gun sanctuary bill. He is now running on his unimpressive record for State Senator.

On the Republican side you have a conservative, Bob Mitchell, running against the former CCISD Trustee, MAGAt Scott Bowen. Bowen’s time on the CCISD School Board was marred with controversy and constant chaos. He was lucky to be reelected with 48% against two other candidates. He lost his bid for a 3rd term by 8% against a real conservative. Bob Mitchell is the former President of the Bay Area Economic Partnership. Unlike Bowen he has the skills to work with others and do what politicians do, politic. Bowen has proven with his two terms on CCISD that he lacks the skills to be a politician.

Albert Wittliff ran for CCISD a couple of years ago. After losing his race, instead of dropping out of the scene waiting for the next election, he volunteered to work with CCISD on security issues, his forte. You can read a bit about him below. The general election could be between a moderate and a conservative if Mitchell wins the primary or between a moderate and an extremist MAGAt if Bowen wins.

Come and meet Albert next Thursday. He is impressive.


No Kings Protest in Clear Lake Saturday Oct 18

October 10, 2025

LOCATION: Clear Lake Rec Center Parking lot. One block north of the Clear Lake Library. 4:00-6:00PM

RSVP Here. Our HPD will be providing security for a safe and peaceful event! Bring your signs. Bring your voice. Bring your friends! Dinner and drinks following!


La Marque Councilman Files Suspicious DBAs

October 10, 2025

Who in the hell would do something like this?

La Marque City Councilman Joseph Lowry. This is strange. Lowry was elected to the La Marque City Council in May of 2024. In just over a year Lowry has brought chaos to the city resulting in multiple lawsuits, resignations, unwanted media attention, and more. You can read a list of his chaotic adventures here.

Back in February of 2022, 2 years before being elected, Lowry applied for an “Assumed Name Record Certificate of Ownership for Unincorporated Business or Profession”, in other words, a DBA (Doing Business As). Unlike his other DBA’s for his concrete business, his fitness gym, and “Heavenly Bodies”, he filed for two business names using his home address for K Yancy and M Salazar. (Click to see the applications) K Yancy could be Kate Yancy, or Karoline Yancy, or Kristine Yancy or Kimberley Yancy, a sitting Council Member. This screenshot is from the County Court’s website:

Turns out about 4 months after these DBA filings Kimberley Yancy filed suit against Lowry (Case #22-CV-0993 | Kimberley Yancy vs. Joseph Lowry) asking for a temporary restraining order. In the end both parties agreed to a settlement including refraining from harassment, personal attacks, and Lowry must stay 75 ft from Yancy’s residence. Strange that Yancy had to agree not to harrass Lowry even though she wasn’t harassing him in the first place. You can read the entire order here. (Go ahead and read it. It is disturbing.)

But why in the living hell would a grown ass man create a DBA using his home address and someone else’s name especially using the name of someone he is being accused of harassing? Who the fuck does that and for what purpose? According to Yancy’s lawsuit, Lowry had access to Yancy’s social security number which should scare the crap out of everyone especially if someone also has created a DBA under that same name. Of course I can hear Lowry saying it wasn’t “Kimberley” it was just “K”. He also created a DBA for an M Salazar. He has had a running issue with claims of fraud and illegal activity against Mandalynn Salazar. Coincidence?

According to Galveston County both DBAs are active. Who the fuck does that? When visiting the County Court House, I noticed an interesting warning posted by the County Clerk, Dwight Sullivan.


La Marque Police Issues Warrant for a 70 Year Old Law Breaking Fugitive

October 8, 2025

BOLO!!!!

You would think the La Marque Police Department would have more pressing issues to pursue besides going after a 70 year old woman for an alleged misdemeanor.

Just a few days ago the ATF and the Galveston County Sheriffs raided a property in La Marque confiscating explosives, weapons, and drugs. The La Marque Police Department was not involved in the raid probably because they were too busy chasing a 70 year old woman for a misdemeanor.

The woman who goes by “The Mark” (La Marque) on Facebook filed a police report concerning fake social media pages created under her name to the La Marque Police. She did not create these pages and made the report as a precaution especially since there has been political unrest in La Marque ever since Joseph Lowry was elected to City Council. Instead of providing protection the LMPD prosecuted her claiming she created the fake pages and then filed a false police report. None of that makes sense.

She will be turning herself in tomorrow which will probably make national news and Congressional hearings to address the allegations. I expect Lowry to drive up in his mini van and his iPhone 13 to cover the event. Meanwhile Council Member Lowry is claiming victory (see below) and is expecting more indictments for others in the area. The Mark makes posts focusing on Lowry and his constant baseless allegations about waste, fraud, and abuse in the City. Most of the posts are simply copies of what he posts on his own Facebook page, which has been removed by Facebook at one time or another but it is back now.

You would think LMPD would be more interested in Lowry’s history of possession of drugs which have been documented, not once, but twice and should have disqualified him from serving. But then again a 70 year-old woman is a pretty easy target. If the charges actually stick it is a misdemeanor and will end in a small fine, a slap on the wrist, and Congressional hearings.

Film at 11.


No Place for Ethics: Republican Representative Chris Paddie

October 7, 2025

I’ve seen a lot of ethics violations over the last 20 years. This one ranks right up there with the best…worst. If you want to read another one of the worst, read about Secretary of State Jane Nelson.

Republicans have lost their “law and order” card. This is just plain sick. Taylor Goldenstein of the Houston Chronicle wrote a couple of articles about former Representative Chris Paddie. He was fined $105,000 by the Texas Ethics Commission for violating the State’s revolving door law. He also created a charity the day he announced his intent not to seek reelection and transferred $450,000 of his donors money to his own charity. He is the Chair of the charity and his son is the Vice Chair.

Lucky for Paddie the Texas Attorney General will not enforce the $105,000 fine and the Ethics Commission has no authority to do so. Like other republicans who have violated the ethics laws in Texas he is just going to ignore the fine. There is no record of the fine or the investigation of Paddie on the Ethics website. There was a formal complaint filed against him but if you have money you can have this complaint and resolution hidden from the public.

After leaving office an elected official can transfer their campaign cash to other candidates, the State, or charities but to create a charity under his own name is an incredible loophole that Texas Republicans will never close. His family can now benefit from the donations his supporters gave him.

According to the article he refunded about $30,000 to donors. I think I’ll look at this at a later time.


La Marque City Councilman Trial Delayed

October 6, 2025

It’s City Councilman Joseph Lowry. If you had planned to attend the hearing you might want to follow this blog for future updates.

The civil trial for case # 24-CV-2218 | Walter Burt, Et Al vs. Joseph Lowry has been postponed. Originally scheduled for Oct the jury trial has been moved to a future date. This case is between the plaintiffs Walter Burt, Burt IV Construction LLC, Kimberley Yancy, CJ Beard, Jim Ross and the defendant Joseph Lowry. The documents are difficult to understand but it seems like this case is about harassment by Lowry. What a surprise.

Maybe this delay has something to do with Lowry’s deposition. According to a document filed with the court Lowry was deposed on July 31, 2025. He was deposed by the plaintiff’s attorney for 51 minutes and Lowry’s attorney for 5 minutes. Maybe that deposition will become public record. I’m sure it would be very interesting. You can read the entire document here.

Updates coming.


Texas City Commissioner gets probation after killing two people

October 4, 2025

Law and order is MIA in Galveston County.

WTF is going on in Galveston County? You have Sheriff Jimmy Fullen lied about his police record and may have his law enforcement license revoked in November. La Marque City Councilman Joseph Lowry is making baseless allegations of fraud and illegal activity while having been charged and convicted with possession of meth. And now former Texas City Commissioner, Dee Ann Haney, is going to jail for killing two people while intoxicated.

But, she was convicted in 2017 and sentenced to 10 years in jail. This week she was caught under the influence again and the judge revoked her probation sending her to jail to complete her 10 year sentence. 8 f***ing years later after killing two people.

What is disturbing is that she received only probation for killing two people. Just probation. So forgive me if I laugh when Galveston County elected officials talk about law and order. GFY.

FILE PHOTO: ear gas is released into a crowd of protesters, with one wielding a Confederate battle flag that reads “Come and Take It,” during clashes with Capitol police at a rally to contest the certification of the 2020 U.S. presidential election results by the U.S. Congress, at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, U.S, January 6, 2021. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

It’s F***ing Friday: Scott Bowen’s Attack on Public Education

October 3, 2025

He just can’t keep his f***ing mouth shut.

Well, actually in this case he did and for good reason. The Houston Chronicle posted an article concerning Cy Fair ISD. It’s detailed, long and a good read. Turns out the so called “Conservatives” running for reelection are fighting each other over the endorsement from the Harris County Republican Party. Who is more MAGAt? Who will bring Bowen’s chaos into the district? Who will attack the gay community, Hispanics, and non-christians while claiming to be a christian?

How does Bowen fit into this chaos? Bowen was referenced late in the article “The chair of the local government committee, Scott Bowen, did not respond to a request for comment.” Bowen not only was responsible for the chaos in CCISD he was responsible for recruiting candidates to run for school boards across the county. In CCISD he recruited some of the most unqualified candidates to ever run for the board. Misty Dawson, Christine Parizo, Pete Lauzon, and Joe Machol. All were gawd awful candidates and all lost. It will be interesting to see who funded the CFISD trustees.

Bowen not only recruited these horrible candidates he found campaign money for them from the two Texas Billionaires who funded Defend Texas Liberty. This group was dissolved after their meeting with a known white supremacist was uncovered by the Texas Tribune. Bowen still associates with these individuals.

Bowen is now running for State Representative so he can further the decline of public schools in Texas. Well at least his gdamn signs are being removed by the City of Houston.


2nd Felony Conviction of La Marque City Councilman for Possession of Meth

September 30, 2025
Give me liberty or give me meth! — Frank Gallager, Shameless

Again. Let’s clear up the issue about La Marque City Council Member Joseph Lowry’s 2nd felony drug conviction for possession of meth.

As with the first conviction in 2004, in April of 2005 Lowry was arrested, charged, sentenced, served time, and 15 years later his conviction was vacated. Here are the details. You can find all the legal documentation referenced here at the State of Washington Pierce County website.

Arrest.
On April 20, 2005 Lowry was pulled over for speeding. He was arrested for obstruction claiming his name was “Jonathon Troy Lowry”. He had outstanding warrants for his arrest. His vehicle was searched. The officers found methamphetamine, blister packs of cold pills, a 12 gauge shotgun, and other items. Lowry had a prior 1997 conviction for Theft in the First Degree. You can read the entire Probable Cause statement here.

Plea Deal
On March 3, 2006, according to the Sentencing Document Lowry pled guilty to the crime of possession. Lowry stated in his own words “On 04/20/05 did knowingly possess pseudoephedrine with the intent to provide the same to a cook who would manufacture methamphetamine.” You can read the plea deal here.

Sentencing
On March 30, 2006 Lowry was sentenced to 29.75 months. It is unclear to me what the sentencing means concerning DOSA (Drug Offender Sentencing Alternative) and time served. You can read the entire sentencing document here and determine it for yourself.

Drug Evaluation
On August 25, 2009 Lowry came into the office for a drug evaluation and possible treatment program. You can read the entire document here. There are details about his life but in short the evaluator did not recommend any treatment.

Conviction Vacated
15 years later as with his previous conviction in Superior Court of Washington for King County, case # 05-1-06568-7 Lowry petitioned the court to vacate his 2nd drug conviction based upon the Washington Supreme Court case State v. Blake. You can read the entire document here.

Applying for City Council. 
A few years later Lowry ran for La Marque city council. On his application he checked the box “I have not been finally convicted for a felony”. Whether checking that box instead of the box that states he was convicted but the conviction was vacated, makes him ineligible to run is for someone with legal experience and not a two bit blogger or an Undercover Investigative Journalist.

In Conclusion.
So there you have it. Arrested. Charged. Convicted. Served time. Vacated. I hope this clears up this situation concerning his 2nd drug conviction.


Bay Area Houston

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