France was the only country other than the U.S. to recognize the Republic of Texas. That led to the establishment of an embassy in Paris. The inscription still exists on a building near the Place Vendome. Christopher Dickey of the Daily Beast points that fact out to latter-day Texas secessionists and takes a look at relations between the slave dependent young republic and France during the early days of independence.
From the Annals of Diplomacy – In 1838, the United States and the Republic of Texas signed the Convention of Limits setting out the method for formalizing the disputed boundaries of the fledgling republic. Both parties to the agreement were to appoint surveyors who were to determine a boundary from a point on the Sabine River to the Red River which would form the northeastern limit of Texas. The agreement had the effect of establishing the Red River as the northern boundary and the U.S. recognized Texas claims to disputed territory along the Red River (then named Red River County which comprises the present day Bowie, Red River, Franklin, Titus, Morris, and Cass counties).
Please don’t claim that you are surprised to find out that a State Mental Hospital cannot ban visitors from bringing guns into the facility. Hospital officials, however, were taken off guard when they recently discovered that under Texas law the longstanding practice of prohibiting handguns at the ten state psychiatric hospitals was illegal – and had been for years.
“Patients in our facilities are a danger to themselves or others,” Cathy Campbell, a policy coordinator for the state hospitals, wrote in a December email. “It seems inconceivable that we would require visitors to store box cutters but allow them to bring a gun on campus.” But despite Campbell’s concerns, the law in Texas does not allow the state-run hospitals to ban handguns.
Tom Benning of the Dallas Morning News has the whole sad story of how the Texas Legislature failed to foresee the consequences in their zeal to promote more guns in the state.
Lawmakers who passed gun carry laws in the 1990s don’t appear to have contemplated the scenario. Carve-outs in the law and later legislative tweaks fuzzed things. At some point, “no guns” signs were posted at those hospitals. And until last year, the setup went largely unnoticed.
Officials with the Department of State Health Services have now taken steps to mitigate the risk of a patient accessing a gun – posting signs, for example, that ask visitors to voluntarily keep guns away.
But at least one facility, Austin State Hospital, has been slow to put up the new signs — which remain difficult to notice. And though there’s optimism that lawmakers will address the issue next year, the state remains in somewhat uncharted territory.
“It defies comprehension,” Dorthy Floyd, superintendent at Terrell State Hospital, wrote in an email in January. The News obtained the emails under the state’s open-records law after the gun policy earned international attention in January.
State-run psychiatric hospitals are just one of several government institutions re-evaluating their firearms policies these days. Private mental hospitals continue to have the right to bar guns on their property.
From the Annals of the Police State – In 1873, the Texas state legislature – once again in the hands of the then reactionary and racist Democratic Party – repealed the law that had authorized the State Police. The TSP had been formed during the administration of Governor Edmund J. Davis to combat crime during Reconstruction and the force worked primarily against racially based crimes. Even worse for the unreconstructed Texans was the fact that the force included black police officers. The TSP were replaced by the reformed Texas Rangers. The state would not have another police force until the creation of the Texas Department of Public Safety in 1935. The DPS would not have a black trooper until Adolph Thomas graduated from the DPS Academy in 1969.
Ah, who is Red kidding? The Texas Tribune reports that Texas Agricultural Commissioner Sid “Cupcake” Miller has come up with yet a third explanation for why his trip to participate in the Dixie National Rodeo in Mississippi was billed to the taxpayers. First, we were told that Miller decided to set up a work meeting with Mississippi agriculture officials when he wasn’t roping calves, but those meetings fell through. Then, we were told the trip was intended to be personal in nature and was it was but a mere mistake to book it as a business trip. Red knows you can hardly wait for the next iteration of the explanation for the perambulations of the good commissioner.
Miller has told the Tribune there was “absolutely no validity” to the complaints from liberal advocacy group Progress Texas that led to the Rangers investigation, calling them “harassment.”
“There’s nothing absolutely illegal or wrong with either of those trips,” he said.
But on Thursday, Miller’s political consultant told the Tribune a new version of the Mississippi trip. He said it was always supposed to be a business trip to meet with Agriculture Commissioner Cindy Hyde-Smith and that those meetings did occur, contrary to what his boss has previously said.
“I think there was some discrepancy about whether or not he had a meeting with her on that trip,” Smith said. “He met with her multiple times. He went to the rodeo with her.”
Tribune attempts to confirm whether Mississippi officials met with Miller have been unsuccessful.
As for Miller’s rodeo-ing while on a state-paid trip, Smith said there was nothing wrong with it and compared it to buying souvenirs while on a business trip.
“He can’t flip a switch and say, ‘I’m no longer the agriculture commissioner here, and I’m the agricultural commissioner now,’” Smith said.
Miller, who had hip surgery this week in Fort Worth, was not available for an interview. Last week, his staff said he was on medical leave. And the week before that, the Tribune was told the commissioner’s schedule was too full to allow one.
Red guesses that “Jesus Shot” thing didn’t work out exactly as planned if Miller needs hip surgery. And if Red ever finds that switch, he damn sure is going to flip it.
The Barker and Addicks Reservoirs are reaching historical levels after the recent rains in Harris County. For the first time ever, the National Weather Service has issued flood warnings for both reservoirs. The Army Corps of Engineers also released a statement warning residents living behind the reservoir to be ready for flooding.
The water level in the Addicks Reservoir was measured Wednesday night at 101.4 feet and is expected to crest at 103.2 feet, surpassing the previous record for the reservoir of 97.46 feet set in March 1992. The Barker Reservoir was 93.8 feet and expected to crest at 97.7 feet, also exceeding the March 1992 record of 93.6 feet.
Officials say the dams are not expected to reach 100 percent capacity. However, part of the reservoirs are on private property. If the water levels rise more than anticipated, area roadways and some subdivisions will be flooded.
Harris County Judge Ed Emmett said officials are considering acquiring sandbags for deployment on “non-governmental land” behind the Addicks and Barker reservoirs due to the potential flooding of homes.
From the Annals of the Revolution – In 1836, Texian forces under the command of Gen. Sam Houston defeated part of the Mexican Army encamped at San Jacinto under the command of Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. Santa Anna overextended his troops by crossing the San Jacinto River without his full field artillery and isolating his unit from the larger commands of General Filosola and Urea. Houston would likely not have attacked but for learning that Santa Anna had divided his army and only had about 1200 troops at San Jacinto. It was as close to a chance at an even fight as Houston would ever have. Convinced that the Texians would not attack even though they were less than a mile away, Santa Anna incredibly failed to take necessary precautions and the Mexicans were routed in a surprise attack that lasted only about 18 minutes. Had Santa Anna attacked the Texians in battle formation, they likely would have been routed and the idea of an independent Texas would have been dead for years to come. Santa Anna was captured after the battle. Houston realized that his chances of defeating the rest of the Mexican Army were not good and that Santa Anna was his best bargaining chip. He resisted calls to execute “El Presidente” and to save his life, Santa Anna ordered the remainder of the still overwhelming Mexican forces in Texas to return to Mexico. If Urea and Filosola had refused to obey the order they likely would have been Mexican heroes for generations and Texas independence would have been problematic at best. But the generals grudgingly complied and withdrew.
“America has always been best when she is lying down with her back on the mat.”
Sen. Ted Cruz (TP-Texas) in unveiling his new campaign theme of “Yes we will (steal the nomination from Donald Trump).”
Ted obviously was not kidding about that lack of sleep. Is Ted calling America a whore? Or just an easy rack?
Dear Red ,
I’m about to ask you to make a sacrifice (I’m an Old Testament Christian after all) in the next 48 hours. But before I do, I want you to know: I wouldn’t ask you if I hadn’t already done it myself (If you don’t believe me check out the burned doves and occasional ripped open sheep on my back patio).
Please let me briefly explain.
You see, running for President of the United States is a significant sacrifice (mostly of the opportunity to vote in the Senate – the job I was elected to do). Only through prayer and many late night discussions (I love pillow talk) with my wife, family, and closest friends did I make THE decision (Not that the outcome was ever in doubt).
And I must share with you — I’ve committed to sacrificing a great deal for our campaign:
Time with my family: Spending almost every day on the campaign trail or fighting on the Senate floor (at least once a month) means precious little time spent with my wife, Heidi, (I think that’s her name) and my daughters (I forget their names but damn they’re cute) — the very family that gives me the motivation and drive to fight (well that along with my raging narcissism).
Health and sleep: My runoff campaign for the Senate in 2012 took a toll (I wouldn’t wish my varicose veins on my worst enemy), but now I’m sacrificing even more sleep with long nights and constant travel (which explains some of my bizarre outbursts). And the pizza diet (you know I prefer Canadian bacon) is a staple on the campaign trail.
Finances: the cost of campaigning back and forth across the country for president is increasingly expensive (but paid for with other people’s money), but Heidi and I are willing to invest our livelihoods into this sacrifice (because win or lose a big book deal is coming).
Personal time: You think of this the least, but as a candidate, my days are no longer my own (in fact, they are bought and paid for by the Koch brothers). Days start before dawn and many times don’t end until early the next morning (only the adulation of the crowds keeps me going). There is almost no personal time when you run for president (it takes three aides to help me take a shit).
Red, I’ve chosen to sacrifice part of mine and my families lives (our lives, damn it, our lives – I’m just like Abraham) to run for President (my lifelong dream)— but I think you will agree with me that the sacrifice is well worth it (or maybe not).
Today, I’m asking you to make a sacrifice —–. Will you join me by making a special, one-time (did I say one time? Jeez, the staff is going to be pissed off about that one) gift (it’s like Christmas every day at the Cruz headquarters) to my campaign?
I’ve asked my staff to put together these secure links below so you can make an instant and secure sacrificial gift — it can be done in just 5 minutes.
I CAN SACRIFICE $35 (a dove) TO RESTORE AMERICA >> I CAN SACRIFICE $100 (a lamb) TO RESTORE AMERICA >>
I CAN SACRIFICE $250 (a cow) TO RESTORE AMERICA >>
I CAN SACRIFICE $1000 (a bull elephant) TO RESTORE AMERICA >>
Will you be a courageous conservative and make a special gift today to help restore America? I can only reach this goal with your help.
I wouldn’t ask you if 1f I wasn’t willing to make the same sacrifice myself (I managed to work in sacrifice 15 times – if that doesn’t get the evangelicals all riled up and ready to get out the credit cards – nothing will); and 2) the stakes weren’t so high (later tonight, they are going to drive the stakes through my hands – how’s that for sacrifice).
Red (I used your name 3 times, Red, make that 4, Red, oh shit now it’s 5 – please make me stop)—, time is critical, and if you will, please make this special gift in the next 48 hours — I would be so grateful (I’ll raise your taxes just to prove it).
For liberty (and the greater glorification of all things Ted Cruz,
Ted Cruz
With more rain on the way, nervous Houstonians may not even be aware that two aging dams stand between them and catastrophe. It’s not a new problem. Check out Steve Jansen’s article in a July 2012 edition of the Houston Press. As if you didn’t have enough to worry about.
Addicks and Barker have also been weakened due to the natural decline of dams that are made out of a big pile of dirt. According to a 2010 study released by the United States Society on Dams, soil and rocks that have been used in dam construction tend to deform, erode and lose strength over time.
As a result, Houston’s most valuable and proven flood-control mechanisms might not be able to protect the city against a 25-year storm event, says Lawrence Dunbar, a former head of the Army Corps of Engineers’ flood control and reservoir regulation section in Chicago.
“The Corps isn’t quite sure how these voids got formed. Therefore, they’re not sure if you get another big rain and the reservoir fills up again, even if it doesn’t get high as it got before, they’re not sure it can hold and voids won’t form again,” says Dunbar, a licensed professional engineer in Texas since 1983.
In the 1980s, the Corps installed concrete walls inside the earthen part of the dam to discourage leakage. However, the concrete wasn’t installed above or below the culverts, which need replacing in the worst way.
“That’s where they found these voids — under the culverts,” says Dunbar. “What happens when a void forms is, it can basically let water blow through under the culverts or through the dam. When that happens, it’s bad and dam failure is imminent. It’s a big concern,” says Dunbar.
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