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.

Teacher Hands Out “Ghetto Awards”

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A middle school teacher in Sulphur Springs apparently has a tradition of handing out “Ghetto Classroom Awards” to students.  The Root reports that the teachers have landed in a bit of hot water over what they claim was intended to be a joke.  Some parents found the awards decidedly unfunny.

Jerrika Wilkins sparked controversy after posting a photo of the certificate on Facebook, explaining that it was part of the “8th Annual Ghetto Classroom Awards,” given to her eighth-grade son at Sulphur Springs Middle School for saying “Huh?” a lot in class, the report says.

 

Wilkins told Fox News that her son was “pretty hurt” by the award. “He feels pretty inferior,” she said. “You know, he want to succeed. You know, it just kind of hurt his feelings.”

The school’s principal called an emergency meeting, at which, Wilkins says, one of the teachers, Tim Couch—who also serves as pastor at the Cross Branch Cowboy Church in Sumner, Texas—apologized. The other teacher, Stephanie Garner, offered to resign, but the family said they didn’t want that, Fox writes. The district also issued an apology to the family.

The family said that they were told the awards went out to all the kids in the classroom as a joke and were not meant as a racial slur.

“‘Ghetto’ was not supposed to be a malicious intent to degrade him,” said Wilkins. “It was supposed to be all in fun. I didn’t take it that way.”

Today in Texas History – June 9

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From the Annals of Judaism –  In 1870, Mr. Tuck, the grand master of the Masonic Lodge of Texas, laid the cornerstone for Temple B’nai Israel in Galveston.  Rabbi Jacobs of the New Orleans Portuguese Synagogue officiated. It is believed that this was the first time an ordained rabbi functioned in Texas. Temple B’nai Israel is the oldest Reform Jewish congregation in Texas. The earliest mention of the congregation is found in the October 8, 1859, edition of the Galveston Weekly News. The earliest extant temple record dated August 16, 1868, records the normal meetings that led to the establishment of the congregation.  On March 27, 1870, S. K. Labatt was asked to secure a charter for Congregation B’nai Israel from the next session of the Texas legislature.

Get Your Conspiracy Theory Here – Hot Off the Press. Oh, and The End Times are Near by the Way.

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The Express links Jade Helm 15 with the asteroid that is coming to wipe out humanity in late September.  Apparently, the U.S. government is training the troops to deal with the panic and chaos that will occur when a planet killer hits at the end of the summer. And the Large Hadron Collider is going to create a black hole that I guess will attract the asteroid.   But, if it really is a planet killer . . . oh never mind.  Just read and enjoy.

Accordion Kings and Queens Rocks

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One of the best free music performances of the year is almost always the Accordion Kings and Queens show at the Miller Outdoor Theatre in Houston.  This year the featured performers were Los Texmaniacs from San Antonio.  These guys are incredible performers and tremendous musicians and go see them if you get the chance.  The show would have been great with just them, but they brought in David Hidalgo and Steve Berlin from Los Lobos to really get things rocking.  If that wasn’t enough, Flaco Jimenez and Augie Meyers of Texas Tornados fame pumped it up another notch.  There is nothing like going from Volver Volver Volver to Hey Baby, Que Paso.   Red has seen some incredible acts at the annual festival, but this year’s lineup was the best yet.

The undercard featured Jerome Baptiste and the ZydeKo Players from Crosby.  Red liked them good enough to buy a CD.

Today in Texas History – June 8

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From the Annals of Arson –  In 2008, the historic 1856 Governor’s Mansion was set ablaze by a Molotov cocktail thrown on the front porch.  Fortunately, most of the historic paintings and furniture had been removed to complete a major renovation of the historic residence. Gov. Rick Perry and his wife Anita were living in another mansion at taxpayer expense during the renovation.  The fire gutted the home.

A special commission investigated set up to investigate uncovered several security flaws. Among them, the DPS found seven security cameras not working. Some DPS staff were also not adequately trained, and at least one DPS officer not at his post. For some unknown reason, it took almost 3 years for the DPS to release surveillance video showing the arsonist throwing the fire bomb into the mansion. The video shows a shadowy figure running to the front doors, lighting a Molotov cocktail, and running away.  But to this day, the crime remains unsolved.

There is a $50,000 reward for anyone with information that leads to an arrest.  You can call Texas Crimestoppers at (800) 252-TIPS (8477) or the state fire marshal’s arson hotline at (988) 252-8477 if you think you have information that might solve this mystery.

Our Obese State

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No one will ever accuse Red of being svelte – but at least I try. At the Dyanamo match  last night (a rousing 4-2  victory over the Red Bulls) a woman in the row in front of us was so fat that she broke the seat. Plop on her ample behind as the seat bottom gave way under her considerable gross tonnage. The kind of person you don’t want sitting next to you. Stadium personnel did an excellent job of responding to the calorie caused crisis and managed the situation in a professional manner. Red is not a fat shamer, but if you take up your seat and 27%  of the seats on either side – do us all a favor and watch on TV.

Texas Sinking

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Red actually tried to watch an episode of Texas Rising the other night.  There is a fine line between just plain awful and god-awful.  Texas Rising isn’t even close to the border.  It was without a doubt the worst thing Red has tried to watch in quite some time.  Since Red knows his Texas history pretty darn well, it didn’t really matter that he jumped in on the episode retelling the story of the massacre at LaBahia.  Red could probably deal with the completely inaccurate geographical depiction of the events (still looking for those mountains near Goliad) and even some messing around with the actual historical events, but what cannot be overlooked is the completely wooden acting, the lame dialogue, the turning of interesting historic personages into absurd caricatures, and the complete lack of a coherent narrative.  Red made it through about 40 minutes before calling it quits.  The early bad reviews of this series gave it too much credit.  Seldom has there been anything less worth watching than Texas Rising.

More Piling on the “Texas Miracle”

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Now that Rick Perry has joined the already crowded GOP Presidential candidate field, look for even more examination of the so-called “Texas Miracle.”  Paul Krugman is the latest to jump on the bandwagon bashing Perry’s claim to have led the Texas economy to great things through low taxes and lax regulation.  Krugman concludes, “that tax cuts are a universal elixir that cures all economic ills is the ultimate zombie idea — one that should have died long ago in the face of the facts, but just keeps shambling along.”  And while he is at it, Krugman throws Kansas under the bus too.

The states, Louis Brandeis famously declared, are the laboratories of democracy. In fact, Mr. Brownback himself described his plan as an “experiment” that would demonstrate the truth of his economic doctrine. What it actually did, however, was demonstrate the opposite — and much the same message is coming from other laboratories, from the stumble in Texas to the comeback in California…

Nothing that has happened in the past quartercentury has supported tax-cut mania, yet the doctrine’s hold on the Republican Party is stronger than ever. It would be foolish to expect recent events to make much difference.

Still, the spectacle of the Texas economy coming back to earth, and Kansas sliding over the edge should at the very least make right-wing bombast ring hollow, in the general election if not in the primary. And someday, maybe, even conservatives will once again become willing to look at the facts.

Today in Texas History – June 5

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From the Annals of Banditry –   In 1880, Myra Maybelle “Belle” Shirley Reed, married her third (or possibly only second) husband, Sam Starr.  Belle, known as the “Bandit Queen” married Starr in the Cherokee Nation.  Reed’s family (the Shirleys) were from Missouri and had supported Confederate marauders including Quantrill. By the end of the Civil War, the Shirleys had been forced to relocate to Scyene near Dallas.  In July 1866 Cole, Jim, Bob, and John Younger and Jesse James, outlaws who had ridden with Quantrill, used the Shirley home as a hideout. Belle’s first husband, Jim Reed rode with the Younger, James, and Starr gangs.  Despite later popularization, they were vicious and remorseless criminals who killed, looted and pillaged in Texas, Arkansas, and the Indian Territory. Jim Reed was killed by a deputy sheriff in 1874 in Paris.  Belle may have married Bruce Younger.  Even so, Belle and Sam Starr were married and engaged in their own criminal exploits.  They  were charged with horse stealing, and  Belle received two six-month prison terms.  Starr was later killed in a shootout with an Indian policeman.   Belle allegedly continued her amorous ways.  Her loves included Jim July (or Jim Starr), Blue Duck, Jack Spaniard, and Jim French. In 1889, while she was living in the Choctaw Nation, an unknown assassin ambushed and killed her.