Opinion

CAPITAL HIGHLIGHTS With Republicans regaining majority control of the Senate, U.S. Sen.

A growing number of Texas homeowners are forgoing buying homeowners’ insurance as premiums skyrocket, according to a recent report from the Texas comptroller. Recent natural disasters – hurricanes, severe storms and wildfires – have prompted some insurers to limit or even eliminate coverage in Texas.

As our country goes to pot, I find myself more focused on personal matters, such as this hopeful item I read on MSN.com: Researchers have identified a molecule called osteopontin, which is a potential game-changer for people who are losing their hair. That’s good news for fellows like me, whose hair has been slowly receding for years.

On September the third I went to the city to have my dumpster which they called a trash bin picked up. Due to the fact that I couldn’t afford the extra $36.00 a month at this time due to the prescriptions I had to buy out of pocket. After I had signed what I thought was to have my trash bin picked up a day or two later the city brings me another trash bin. So, I called them about it and was told that they didn’t know what happened but would get them both picked up. Finally, they were picked up on October 24th.

Texans who wish to vote early in the Nov. 5 general election have until closing time Friday, Nov. 1 to do so. Secretary of State Jane Nelson is encouraging voters to double-check their precinct numbers and candidate selections before casting their ballots.

I recently listened to actor Stanley Tucci being interviewed about getting older, and he shared some words of wisdom. (No, he didn’t suggest that older people should spend more time grooming their ear and nose hair – even though we should.) He said that we shouldn’t let aging consume us because there is so much for us to see and do. Or, in my case, there is so much more Tex-Mex to eat.

Springing forward or falling back, daylight saving time was something my father always dreaded. Having to reset all the clocks in his house behind or ahead by an hour twice a year meant he had a lot of work to do — and he didn’t enjoy doing it.

CAPITAL HIGHLIGHTS The federal judge who has repeatedly found Texas in contempt for not fixing its foster care system has been removed by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals after a threejudge panel faulting U.S.

Early voting for the Nov. 5 general election begins Monday, Oct. 21 and ends on Nov. 1. Texas voters will be choosing from a full slate of candidates, from president to U.S. senator to various county positions.

This year, my eldest and most expensive daughter embarked on her senior year at Texas A&M University – and my wife and I embarked on another year of wondering whether or not credit cards can actually implode from overuse. Having a senior Aggie daughter has made me wistful about my own time at this storied university, when I, too, did my best to ensure that my parents couldn’t retire until they reached their late hundreds.