Author Archives: Red from Texas

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About Red from Texas

I'm proud to be Red. I have lived most of my life in Texas and I love this place. Here are a few things you should know about me. 1. I am happily married and intend to stay so. 2. I live in a house that is older than you, unless you are really old. 3. I own 2 rifles and a shotgun. I think handguns are just trouble. 4. I have never killed a man, but have taken out some deer and hogs. 5. I was a good student, but never close to being valedictorian. 6. In no particular order I like the Houston Texans, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Astros, FC Barcelona, Tottenham Hotspur, Texas Longhorns and Houston Dynamo. 7. I hate Dallas but always have a good time when I go there. 8. I was a Dallas Cowboys fan for 26 years but declared that I was no longer a fan during the 1987 strike. 9. I don't own any pets. I like cats, and a good dog and I have met at least 3 of them in my lifetime. 10. I think the best part of Texas is west of I-35. 11. I own two pairs of cowboy boots, but don't wear them very often. 12. I don't have a pronounced Texas accent, but can affect one when needed. 13. My last meal would be fried shrimp with tartar sauce, a baked potato with all the fixins', a dinner salad with 1000 Island dressing, yeast rolls and chocolate fudge pie for dessert. 14. I'm an old Dad, but my children are none of your business. 15. I have two degrees from UT-Austin and somehow managed to fall in love with and marry an Aggie. 16. Most of my family are right-wing nut jobs but I love them anyway. 17. When I get to play golf on a regular basis, I shoot in the low 80's. 18. I don't get to play golf on a regular basis. 19. I think Fort Worth is the best town in Texas by a long shot. 20. I have a mean herb garden. Regards, Red P.S. Remember it's not a color, it's a state of mind.

Today in Texas History – June 29

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From the Annals of the Democrats –  In 1928 the Democratic National Convention concluded in at Sam Houston Hall in Houston.   Houston deal-maker and civic leader Jesse Jones was instrumental in bringing the convention to Houston and it was the first national convention held in a Southern state since the Civil War.  The intent was to sway the Protestant and Prohibitionist southern wing of the Democratic party to the Catholic, Anti-Prohibition candidate Al Smith. The Texas delegation led by Governor “Dry” Dan Moody wasn’t buying and displayed open hostility towards Smith’s nomination. Women’s temperance groups and Baptist ministers held round-the-clock prayer meetings  to invoke God’s intervention to prevent  Smith’s nomination.  The majority of delegates were not swayed and saw him as their only hope of victory over the Republicans in the fall.  The delegates gave Smith a resounding first ballot victory with no other candidate even close behind. Smith did not back down and his strong anti-prohibition acceptance speech  further alienated many Democrats.  In November, Texas went for Herbert Hoover – the first time a Republican presidential candidate carried Texas.  The massive defection of Texas Democrats to Hoover was attributed both to Smith’s antiprohibition views and his Catholicism.

Today in Texas History – June 23

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From the Annals of Equality – In 1919, the Texas House passed the Nineteenth Amendment which provided women with the constitutional right to vote. The Texas Senate passed the amendment on June 28.   With the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment in August of 1920, Texas women finally had the full right of voting.

 

Supreme Court Upholds UT-Austin’s Admission Standars

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The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the University of Texas at Austin’s admissions process which gives a small advantage to black and Hispanic applicants.  The decision yet again allows US colleges to use of affirmative action in their admissions procedures.   The 4-3 vote was a defeat for Sugar Land’s favorite litigant Abigail Fisher who has repeatedly claimed that she was unfairly denied admission because of her whiteness.  After being denied admission into UT-Austin in 2008, she has been relentless in her campaign to end even the slight hint of affirmative action that UT-Austin uses in an attempt to preserve some diversity on the 40 Acres.  Fisher – who did not qualify for automatic admission – claimed that black and Hispanic students who were less qualified got in over her.  But Thursday’s decision brings her case to a close. The ruling will likely have national implications in that the Court has again reaffirmed that colleges have some leeway to use affirmative action in picking their students.

Red Calls the Copa America Centenario Final

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Red’s original call for the Copa America Centenario final was Argentina over Mexico.  But then Chile gave Mexico an incredible ass-whomping in the quarter-finals and will now face Argentina on Sunday in New Jersey.  So we are left with a rematch of last year’s Copa America final which Chile won on penalties on its home turf in Santiago.

Red thinks that Argentina breaks through this year and brings home its first major trophy since it won the CA in 1993.  After being ever so close in the 2014 World Cup Finals, La Albiceleste takes this one.  Red expects a close and high scoring game this time instead of the 0-0 draw in regulation that led to a shoot-out.  The U.S. soccer crowd needs that kind of excitement.  Plus, both teams have their scorers performing at top level in this tournament.  Messi and Higuain for Argentina and Vargas and Sanchez for Chile have scored a total of 18 goals between them.  Losing Lavezzi for the final will hurt, but  Angel DiMaria is back so Argentina will not miss a beat.  The only possible hitch for Argentina is if it comes down to a big play for Higuain who has choked away opportunities in the last two big finals for La Albiceleste.

Argentina 4, Chile 3

And for the third place game, well who really cares other than the players who might not get another chance to play in the CAC.

USA 2, Columbia 1

What’s in a Name?

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The 93 year old South Texas College of Law has decided to change its name.  The only independent law school in Texas will soon be known as the Houston College of Law.  The STCOL board apparently believed that the school needed an even closer association with its home city.  Board Chairman J. Ken Johnson commented on the change

The law school has been an integral part of downtown Houston for almost a century. Our students are within walking distance of some of the nation’s biggest law firms and the city’s courthouses are in our back yard. With our diverse student body that mirrors Houston’s population, we will remain dedicated to educating future generations of attorneys.

Red for one does not really view Houston as being in South Texas.  Houston falls into its own category.  Will this require a lot of resume changing?

Today in Texas History – June 22

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From the Annals of the Dictators – In 1876, Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna passed away in Mexico City.  Known as the Eagle and perhaps derisively called the Napoleon of the West, Santa Anna rose to power on numerous occasions and suffered as many falls from grace.  As a young officer in the Spanish Army Santa Anna quickly distinguished himself as a capable fighter and leader and then played an important role in the Mexican war for independence from Spain. In 1833, he won election to the presidency  by an overwhelming popular majority. Unable to resist his megalomaniac tendencies he proclaimed himself dictator in 1835. That move gave the nascent Texas revolution the impetus it needed to finally take hold. Texians took advantage of Santa Anna’s overthrow of the Mexican Republic as an opportunity to break away and form an independent Republic of Texas.

Determined to crush the Texas rebels, Santa Anna took personal command of the Mexican army and on a long march through barren country facing unusually cold weather including a surprise blizzard.  His forces were already depleted when they stormed the Alamo.  Some historians believe they were further demoralized by the brutal execution of 400 Texan prisoners at Goliad.  On the Texian side, “Remember the Alamo” and “Remember Goliad” became the rallying cries for a reinvigorated Texan army.  Santa Anna then made a crucial mistake by dividing his forces and penetrating too deeply into Texas territory.  Convinced that the Texians would not attack even though they were encamped less than a mile away at San Jacinto, the contingent of his army under his direct command was destroyed and Santa Anna was captured.  He ransomed himself by agreeing to order the majority of his army still in the field (and under competent command) to retreat below the Rio Grande.

One might think that a humiliating defeat such as San Jacinto would end a career, but political instability in Mexico over the next 20 years allowed Santa Anna to repeatedly regain-and lose-dictatorial power. Santa Anna’s standard modus operandi was to seize power and then retreat to his hacienda allowing others to do the dirty work of governance.   All told, he became the head of the Mexican government 11 times. Overthrown for the last time in 1855, he spent the remaining two decades of his life scheming with elements in Mexico, the United States, and France to stage a comeback.  It was not to be.  He died in poverty and obscurity in Mexico City at the age of 82.

The Biggest Sporting Event in Houston Since . . .

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Tonight’s semi-final match between World No. 1 Argentina and 31st ranked USA (tucked neatly between the Czech Republic and Algeria) will be the biggest sporting event in Houston since the World Series in 2005.  Sure there have been a couple of NFL Wildcard Playoff games and the occasional playoff appearance by the Rockets.  But this is the world’s most popular sport in a match featuring the highest ranked team in the world in a tournament that is clearly vying for the second most important soccer event behind only the World Cup Finals.  The 16 team Copa America Centenario features 3 of the top 5 teams in the world (Argentina, Columbia and Chile) and 5 of the top 10 (add in Brazil and Uruguay).  The  24 team UEFA European Championship also features 5 of the top 10 and more teams in the top 50, but it’s contests have not been particularly compelling match-ups so far.  And it will be hard to top the semi-final group of the CAC with Argentina, Columbia and Chile making up a world-class field.  Only the US seemingly doesn’t belong and was helped along by the poor showings of Brazil and Uruguay in not making the knock-out rounds.  We will see how it shakes out in Europe and if those final rounds will feature the same quality of competition.

Red Calls the Semi-Finals:

Argentina 4, USA 1   Red has been a big Argentina fan ever since Mexico 86 when Diego Maradona led El Albiceleste to its second World Cup title.  But he is also loyal to his national squad – so this one will be interesting as Red really can’t lose no matter who wins.  If Argentina moves on they have a chance at their first major trophy in an incredible 23 years – an eon for Argentinian fans.  It the USA wins, it is a huge boost for soccer in this country and a chance for the USA to claim its biggest tournament win ever.  All that said, it seems unlikely that the USA can keep up with the dynamic and versatile attack of El Albiceleste.  Even without DiMaria, the Argentines have world best player Leo Messi and Italy Serie A superstar Higuain along with an entire team of players that can put the ball in the net (Otamendi even!).  And while the Argentine center defense is somewhat suspect, the US is missing its best pure striker in Bobby Wood and will be somewhat hobbled in midfield with the absence of Bedoya.  Look for the USA to make a game of it until about 70 minutes in and then the superiority of the Argentinian squad will put the game out of reach.

Chile 3, Columbia 1   The only possible problem for Chile is an emotional let down after their complete annihilation of Mexico in the quarter-final. Columbia did not play like the No. 3 team in the world in having to go to penalties to defeat a game Peruvian team.  And Costa Rica beat them rather convincingly in group play.  Meanwhile, Chile has rounded to form after an opening loss to the powerful Argentines.  Look for the top scoring duo of Vargas (6 goals) and Sanchez (3 goals) to handle a Columbian squad that has had trouble getting balls on target all tournament.  Vidal sitting out is a problem, but look for Chile to press, press, press and control the action throughout the match.

 

 

Secessionists Take Heart from Brexit Movement

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Secession fever never completely cools among certain Texans.  And the Texas Nationalist Movement in particular is taking advantage of the impending Brexit vote to pump for a similar vote on Texas secession.  The Guardian has the story from Daniel Miller, the leader of TNM, and his group’s plan to create an independent Texas – one suspects with him at the helm.

How closely is Daniel Miller tracking the news ahead of the referendum about whether Britain should leave the European Union? “Hourly!” he grins. The Sun’s recent editorial calling for the UK’s departure got him quite excited.

Miller, though, is not from London or Liverpool. He hails from Longview, Texas, and we are talking in a cafe in the bleakly industrial Gulf coast town of Port Arthur, some 5,000 miles from Westminster.

Culturally, too, we are a long way from Europe. Heck, we are even a long way from Dallas. But the referendum matters deeply to Miller and like-minded Texans. As the president of the Texas Nationalist Movement, which wants Texas to secede from the United States, he is hoping for a Leave vote that he believes will ripple all the way from Austria to Austin.

“There are a lot of people asking, if Brexit why not Texit?” he says. “I do talk with some folks over there on a pretty regular basis that are involved in Ukip and the Conservative party.”

Today in Texas History – June 21

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From the Annals of the Border Wars  –  In 1916, the U.S. military expedition against Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa was attacked by Mexican government troops at Carrizal, Mexico.  The attack nearly brought the two nations to war.  The controversial expedition was led by U.S. Brigadier General John J. Pershing and was in response to Villa’s attack on Columbus, New Mexico in which 17 Americans were killed and the town center burned and Villa’s execution of 16 American citizens in Mexico.

The final struggle of the Mexican Revolution was between federal forces under the command of Venustiano Carranza’s government and Villa, the last revolutionary holdout.  By 1915, Villa had been fairly well contained to the mountains of Northern Mexico and from there had staged his raid on Columbus on March 9.  Cavalry from the nearby Camp Furlong pursued the Mexicans, killing several dozen rebels on U.S. soil and in Mexico before turning back. On March 15,  President Woodrow Wilson ordered Pershing to begin a punitive expedition into Mexico to capture or kill Villa and disperse his rebels. The expedition eventually involved some 10,000 U.S. troops and personnel. It was the first U.S. military operation to employ mechanized vehicles, including automobiles and airplanes.

The expedition proved futile as Pershing failed to capture  Villa.  For almost 11 months, Villa eluded Pershing’s troops aided by his intimate knowledge of the mountains of Northern Mexico and his popular support from the locals.   The expedition created unrest in Mexico and a diplomatic crisis between the countries which came to a head when Mexican government troops attacked a detachment of the 10th Cavalry at Carrizal.  If not for the critical situation in Europe, war might have been declared.  By January 1917, the failure of the expedition was obvious and after continued pressure from the Mexican government, Wilson ordered the troops to return to the U.S.

Photo of Villa, Pershing and Obregon from 1914.

 

Today in Texas History – June 20

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From the Annals of the Horse Troopers –   In 1852, Fort Clark was established by two companies of the First Infantry under the command of Major Joseph H. LaMotte along with an advance and rear guard of U.S. Mounted Rifles.  The U.S. Army post was located at the site of Las Moras Springs just outside of present-day Bracketville.   The site was a favorite camp ground for Comanche, Mescalero, Lipan and other Native Americans.  The enormous spring was a stopping place on great Comanche War Trail leading into Mexico.  The Fort was an important link in the line of defense against raiding war parties.   It also served as a base for the famous Seminole-Negro Indian Scouts and served as an active post through World War II.

Today the site is most famous for its fabulous spring fed swimming pool – the third largest pool in Texas.  Legend has it that the commander of the fort sent a requisition to create the pool at the request of his wife and was turned down.  He resubmitted it as a requisition for a horse-watering trough and was approved.  The 100 yard long pool is an ideal spot for summer recreation under the towering cottonwood and oak trees and a must-do for Texas swimming hole aficionados.

Photo from fortclark.com.