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.

New Meaning to “Get Your Guns Up!”

KHOU is reporting that Texas Tech will allow guns in the classroom.

Texas Tech University plans to ban guns in its recreation center, chapel and some dorms, but won’t prevent students with concealed handgun licenses from carrying in classrooms, the school announced Tuesday.

The policy, which was finalized by Interim President John Opperman, will be reviewed by the Texas Tech University System Board of Regents in April. Under state law, the board doesn’t have to approve the policy but can change it if it sees a need.

“I am confident we have submitted a set of recommendations that respects the spirit of the law while reflecting input from our community,” Opperman said. 

Today in Texas History – March 30

From the Annals of Reconstruction – In 1870, President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Act to readmit Texas to Congressional representation.  The Act followed Texas new constitution and election of a state government and most importantly, Texas’ ratification of the 14th and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution.  Texas was readmitted upon the following fundamental conditions:

First. That the constitution of Texas shall never be so amended or changed as to deprive any citizen or class of citizens of the United States of the right to vote who are entitled to vote by the constitution herein recognized, except as punishment for such crimes as are now felonies at common law, whereof they shall have been duly convicted under laws equally applicable to all the inhabitants of said State: Provided, That any alteration of said constitution, prospective in its effects, may be made in regard to the time and place of residence of voters.

Second. That it shall never be lawful for the said State to deprive any citizen of the United States on account of his race, color, or previous condition of servitude, of the right to hold office under the constitution and laws of said State, or upon any such ground to require of him any other qualifications for office than such as are required of all other citizens.

Third. That the constitution of Texas shall never be so amended or changed as to deprive any citizen or class of citizens of the United States of the school rights and privileges secured by the constitution of said State.

One could argue that all three conditions were violated – at least in spirit – by Texas for decades.

 

Is There Anything Ted Cruz Doesn’t Lie About (cont.)?

Apparently,  the answer is “Yes.”  The National Enquirer has reported that Sen. Ted Cruz (TP-Texas) has had extramarital affairs with at least 5 women. The junior senator from Texas (or “Pervy Ted” as the NE would have it) denies the allegations.   Notorious campaign dirty trickster Roger Stone stands by the accusations and has thrown down the gauntlet basically taunting Cruz to sue him.

Well for once, Red believes that Ted is telling the truth.  There is no way that there are 5 “non-professional” women out there who are willing to have coitus with Cruz.

As for Cruz denying copulating with members of the Order Rodentia, Red remains skeptical for now.

50 Years Later, ESPN to Air Texas Western’s Victory over Kentucky

Wednesday night ESPN will air original footage of what may have been the most important game in the history of college basketball.  Although some controversy has arisen about whether ESPN is showing the actual TV footage or re-editing coaches’ film, that pales in comparison to the controversy at the time.   The championship game at Maryland’s Cole Field House between Texas Western (now UTEP) and Kentucky featured an all black line-up against the all white Kentucky team coached by virulent racist Adolph Rupp.  Rupp refused to recruit black players and gloried in his white supremacist rhetoric.  Don Haskins, the TW coach, had no such prejudices.  In fact, after hearing Rupp’s comments, Haskins was determined to play an all black line-up the entire game.  None of the 5 white players on the TW squad saw any minutes on the court in the championship game – the first time that had happened all season.  The game forever exploded the sick myth that black players could not win without the guidance of white players on the floor.  Rupp complained for years that the championship was stolen from him.

Today in Texas History – March 29

From the Annals of Flood Control – In 1965, the Army Corps of Engineers began the deliberate impoundment at Sam Rayburn Reservoir.   Construction on the reservoir had begun in 1956 at which time the project was known as “McGee Bend Dam and Reservoir”, because of its’ location immediately upstream from McGee Bend on the river.  In September, 1963, the 88th Congress adopted a special resolution changing the name to “Sam Rayburn Dam and Reservoir”, in honor of the recently deceased Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Sam Rayburn, a long-time champion of soil and water conservation.

The dam is an 20,000 foot earth embankment with a concrete power-intake structure and flood-control outlet works located near the right end of the dam. SRR can store up to 4,442,400 acre feet of water encompassing a surface area of 153,800 acres. At top of flood control pool, elevation 173 feet above mean sea level, the reservoir can hold 3,997,600 acre feet of water encompassing a surface area of about 142,700 acres.