March Madness – Team Logos Deciphered
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Author Archives: Red from Texas
High Water Shuts Down Texas-Louisiana Border
Texas Department of Transportation announced that Interstate 10 at the Sabine River has been closed due to high water.
Due to continued flooding from excessive rainfall along the Texas-Louisiana state line, the Texas Department of Transportation has closed Interstate 10 near the state line.
The closure is needed because the Sabine River is cresting above flood stage and dumping water into the low-lying eastbound mainlanes of the interstate near Orange. Louisiana is expected to block westbound traffic as well.
If you are travelling to Louisiana there are not a lot of alternatives. TXDOT is telling drivers leaving Houston to avoid the area entirely by crossing the Sabine on Interstate 20 which would be an approximately 250 mile detour.
March Madness – Team Logos Deciphered
Actually stands for “Butt Ugly”
Today in Texas History – March 15
From the Annals of Masonry – In 1836, Texian soldier Lewis Ayers was captured by forces under the command of Mexican General Jose de Urrea. Ayers in action under Captain Amon King engaging Urrea’s rear guard when he was captured with 32 other soldiers. The prisoners were ordered to be executed as rebels. One of Urrea officers, Colonel J.J. Holzinger intervened to spare the German prisoners. Ayers was not German but was included in the group to be spared. Legend has it that he was later released after giving a Masonic sign that Gen. Urrea recognized.
Image of Gen. Urrea from tshaonline.org.
March Madness – Team Logos Deciphered
Woody Woodpecker – Meth Addict
Quote for the Day
“I’d vote for him [Donald Trump] over Cruz, because I think he’s the absolutely worst politician in Texas.”
Mark Cuban on Sen. Ted Cruz (TP-Texas) .
Red may have to do some rethinking on Mr. Cuban.
NCAA March Madness – Team Logos Deciphered
Couldn’t decide between the orange or the green Cowboy boots – so I bought one of each.
Today in Texas History – March 14
From the Annals of the Equines – In 1940, horse enthusiasts and ranchers met in Fort Worth to form the American Quarter Horse Association. Among those in attendance were rancher and Quarter Horse breeder Anne Burnett Hall and King Ranch president Robert J. Kleberg. The meeting was the first in a series that led to the formation of an organization to “collect, record and preserve the pedigrees of Quarter Horses in America.” The name Quarter Horse goes back to the origin in colonial times when the speedy horses earned fame for their performance in quarter-mile races. The AQHA was the first to regularize the breed and establish pedigrees. Now based in Amarillo, the AQHA is an international organization dedicated to the preservation, improvement and record-keeping of the American Quarter Horse In Texas, the Quarter Horse brings to mind images of the cowboy, the cattle drive and today – the rodeo. Quarter Horse racing is in decline across the Southwest, but the breed continues to compete in roping, barrel racing and other rodeo competitions.
Image from aqha.com.
Texans Make Bold Play in Free Agency
The Houston Texans went long in the free agent market yesterday – signing Denver Broncos “backup” quarterback Brock Osweiler and Miami Dolphins running back Lamar Miller. The moves are intended to fill two gaping holes in the Texans offense with current QB Brian Hoyer being widely viewed as a capable second stringer at best and the backfield being open following the release of running back Arian Foster.
Red rates the Miller move as a solid decision to pick up a proven running back who has averaged 4.6 yards per carry on weak to mediocre Dolphins teams. Miller also comes in at age 25 (for next season) without too much wear and tear. He has 638 carries in his 4 year career. The last two seasons, Miller also showed himself as a capable receiver averaging over 40 catches. He should be good enough to keep the job for 3-4 seasons if used wisely. Miller has said he wants 20 touches a game. If the Texans are smart, it will be about 15 and Alfred Blue will continue to get work in relief. The $26 million – 4 year deal for LM is not a budget buster. On the proverbial scale, Red weighs this one in at 7.5.
The Osweiler deal is another story. The Texans busted open the bank with a 4 year – $72 million contract for the unproven BO. The sports talk empire in Houston was naturally abuzz over the move with the local sports wags mostly buying the company line. Red has to break with Charlie Palilo, Red’s preferred drive-time radio man, on this one. The Texans have placed at least 10 of the dozen eggs in the Osweiler basket and Red thinks the bottom may not be as strong as beleaguered Texans GM Rick Smith calculates. For those interested, here is what $72 million buys these days. If BO turns out to be a less injury-prone Matt Schaub 2.0, then the deal is probably just on the high side of okay. But for fans expecting Osweiler to take the Texans to the next level (which would be making it to the AFC Championship game), Red thinks probably not. Which means for ol’ Billy Bob Texansfan, this move is likely to disappoint. Safe to say, however, that Rick Smith and Coach Bill O’Brian have staked their careers in Houston on this move.
Entire 5th Circuit to Decide Fate of Texas Voter ID Law
The Texan Republican Party’s Voter ID law passed by the Legislature still has some life. A U.S. District Court in Corpus Christi ruled that the law (known as Senate Bill 14) was in violation of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and that decisions was upheld by a 3 judge panel of the Fifth Circuit. Now the entire Court has decided to hear the case – which is likely an ominous sign for the voters of Texas. The notoriously conservative court of appeals is likely to uphold the discriminatory law whose only purpose is to suppress voter turnout for poor, elderly and non-white citizens.
At trial, the burden was on the law’s opponents to show discriminatory impact and the plaintiffs succeeded. Unfortunately, the State does not have the burden to establish a rationale basis for the law. Unfortunate, because it would be impossible to do so. There is no in person voter fraud in Texas that has ever affected the outcome on an election – at least not on the part of the voters. Texas has been unable to point to more than one or two reported instances of in person voter fraud. Everyone who knows anything about elections knows that all the potential electoral hanky-panky occurs with the mail in ballots. And the Voter ID law does nothing to prevent that. This has always been about Republicans attempting to suppress the vote and nothing more. Shame on the GOP for promoting this farce.
