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.

Some Justice, but no Peace

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After being found guilty for the murder of Cynthia McLelland the wife of slain Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland, the jury now will determine if former Justice of the Peace Eric Williams will receive life in prison or the death penalty.  The murders of McLelland and his wife in March of 2013 were part of a plot of revenge hatched by the former jurist who lost his JP bench after being convicted of stealing a county computer.  He is also accused of killing assistant prosecutor Mark Hasse outside of the Kaufman County Courthouse in January of 2013.

ABC News reports:

“An assistant prosecutor shouted “I’m sorry, I’m sorry” in the moments before a gunman bent on revenge shot him repeatedly last year in North Texas, according to testimony in the punishment phase of the capital murder trial of a former justice of the peace. 

The jury began hearing testimony Monday to determine whether Eric Williams, 47, should receive life in prison or the death penalty for the March 2013 killing of Cynthia McLelland, the wife of slain Kaufman County District Attorney Mike McLelland. The couple was found dead in their home east of Dallas.

But prosecutors Monday turned their attention to the death of assistant prosecutor Mark Hasse, whom Williams is charged with killing in January 2013. Testimony is set to resume on Tuesday. ‘You will see the patterns of his anti-social behavior and his violent tendencies,” prosecutor Bill Wirskye said while standing near Williams. “You will get a glimpse inside and see what lies beneath this facade of normalcy.'”

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/penalty-phase-begins-texas-justice-peace-27441042

Today in Texas History – December 9

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From the Annals of Spanish Colonial Government – In 1716, Martín de Alarcon was re-appointed Spanish governor of Coahuila and Texas. Alarcón was first appointed governor of the Spanish provinces of Coahuila and Texas in 1705 when there were no active Spanish settlements in Texas.  The last of the original Catholic missions in East Texas had been abandoned in 1699.  After his re-appointment, in the spring of 1718, Alarcon led a party of 72 settlers across the Rio Grande which resulted in the founding of San Antonio de Valero mission and San Antonio de Béxar presidio. Alarcon is credited as being the founder of San Antonio which was by far the most important town in Spanish Texas.  Alarcón also traveled to East Texas to re-provision and inspect the newly built missions and to quell the incursion of the French into the area.  Alarcon’s tenure was short as he was relieved of his gubernatorial duties in the fall of 1719.

Image from http://www.hmdb.org

Red’s NFL Picks – Week 15

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This week’s NFL Prediction Six-Pack

“It wasn’t until after I became famous that people noticed I played in the NFL. I kind of snuck in!”    Terry Crews

As usual, President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho is right on target.

For Week 14 it was a mediocre 3-3.  For the season 27-33.  Running out of time to right the ship.

Your “We Got this Guy Not Sure” Pick of the Week.

Texans over Colts.   I am certainly not sure which Texans team will show up from week to week.  The team that can whup up on the weaklings of the league or the team that folds under pressure to better teams.  Oh wait, that’s the same team.  Can the Texans finally break through after 13 seasons of frustration in the Hoosier State?  And what the hell is a “Hoosier” anyway?  And why would I possibly pick this Texans team to beat the Colts on the road?  And where are my car keys?    Houston 31 Indianapolis 29.

Your “I thought Your Head Would Be Bigger” Pick of the Week

Eagles over Cowboys.   Eagles made Cowboys look foolish on Thanksgiving.  Red sees no reason to call this one any differently.  Philadelphia 38 Arlingtonton 25.

You’re “We Are Running out of French Fries and Burrito Coverings” Pick of the Week.

Bengals over Browns.   And I am running out of steam to write about games that are too damn hard to pick this late in the season. There you have it.  Cincinnati 23 Cleveland 20.

Your “He’s Got a Higher IQ than any Man Alive” Pick of the Week.

Patriots over Dolphins.    Yes, the Hooded Wonder probably does have a higher football IQ than any man alive.  Anyone who can make LaGarrett “the Fat Pig” Blount look like a serviceable NFL running back is a certifiable genius.  It often seems that the Patriots are doing it with smoke and mirrors, but the wins just keep coming.  I like the Dolphins, but as I have said all year, they are at least another year (and a Tom Brady retirement party) away from competing for an AFC East division championship. This one will be closer than you might expect, but not close enough.    New England 27 Miami 23.

Your “I Got a Solution” Pick of the Week.

Cardinals over Rams.   Is your NFL team sucking more than any other?  Here’s the solution.  Move your team to the Mountain Time Zone.  The only two teams that play on Mountain time have the two of the three best records in the league.  Coincidence? I don’t think so.  Cards continue to get it done this week and come close to wrapping up a playoff berth.  Jeff “Enormous Stick up his Butt” Fischer comes close to wrapping up his retirement package after a loss.   Arizona 17 St. Louis 10.  

Your “I Understand Everyone’s Shit’s Emotional Right Now” Pick of the Week.

Panthers over Buccaneers.  The pathetic state of the NFC South can be summed up by this – It’s Week 15, the Panthers are 4-8-1 and they are not out of the race for the division championship.  In fact, they are in the thick of the playoff race, mostly because the 4 teams in the NFC South have won exactly 16 games between them.  So in honor of that sad state of affairs, Red is passing over entirely worthy match ups between the Giants/OTNA’s, and the Jets/Titans games to award the Week 15 Shit Bowl to this beastly bowel battle.  And since Red picked the Panthers to win this sad excuse for a pro-football division, he has to stick with the Panthers.   Carolina 12 Tampa Bay 10.

 

Another Issue of Grave National Importance

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The U.S. Supreme Court has decided to take a case involving Texas’ denial of a specialized license plate to the Sons of Confederate Veterans who petitioned to have a Texas license plate emblazoned with the Confederate Battle Flag that many regard as a symbol of the South’s racist past.

The Dallas Morning News reports:

“A state motor vehicle board rejected the application because of concerns the Confederate flag would offend many Texans who believe the flag is a racially charged symbol of repression. But a panel of federal appeals court judges ruled that the board’s decision violated the group’s First Amendment rights. Texas offers more than 350 specialty plates, the group said in its court filing. They include plates that say “Choose Life,” “God Bless Texas,” “Fight Terrorism,” as well as others in support of Boy Scouts, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, blood donations, pro sports teams and colleges. The state said in its Supreme Court appeal that the decision to reject the Sons of Confederate Veterans’ license plate was not discrimination because the motor vehicle board had not approved a license plate expressing any view about the Confederacy or the battle flag.”

The case absolutely raises First Amendment issues regarding whether the state can award some groups a specialized plate while denying the plate to others because of their political or other beliefs.  For example, could the fundamentalist Mormons petition for a plate that calls for legalization of “plural marriage”?  Or could the Reconquista movement petition for a plate calling for the return of Texas to Mexico?  The matter of line-drawing in First Amendment cases is never easy.  Which makes one wonder why the Supreme Court agreed to hear this case after rejecting similar appeals from other states.

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/state/headlines/20141205-texas-battle-over-confederate-flag-license-plate-headed-to-supreme-court.ece

Court of Appeals Justice Walks

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Longoria was elected to the 13th Court of Appeals in 2012.

The New York Daily News releases dashcam video of Texas 13th Court of Appeals Justice Nora Longoria prior to her July DUI arrest which shows her having difficulty passing the field sobriety test.  The video was not part of the evidence that resulting in her case being dismissed.

“A month after a Texas court  threw out a DUI case against a judge because it lacked strong evidence, police released dashcam video of her arrest that showed her stumble through a sobriety test. The new video, recorded during a July traffic stop in McAllen, showed Nora Longoria struggling to walk a straight line, Action 4 News reported. She teetered and lost her balance several times during her failed sobriety test, the video showed. But Hidalgo County Court at Law No. 8 Judge Rolando Cantu threw out the case last month, marking “other” for the reasoning.”

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/texas-judge-stumbles-dui-sobriety-test-article-1.2035975

Today in Texas History – December 8

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From the Annals of Twin Cities – In 1873,Texarkana was established.  Texarkana, Texas that is.  There are of course two Texarkanas in Texas and Arkansas.  Texarkana (site of a former Caddo Indian village) was strategically located on the Great Southwest Trail which for centuries was the primary route from Indian villages of the Mississippi River country to those in Texas and further west.  Its importance as a crossroads continued when in 1874, the Cairo and Fulton Railroad connected to the Texas and Pacific Railroad at Texarkana.

And despite what the song says there is no place in Louisiana that is “just about a mile from Texarkana.”

I’ve Got Friends in Low Places

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With a backstory as rich as an episode of "House of Cards," the Rick Perry indictment can be a challenging case to keep up with. Here are some things you should know about who's involved, why and what happens next. Photo: Eric Gay, Associated Press

The Houston Chronicle reports that Texas inmate Norman Crittendon has filed an amicus curiae brief in Rick Perry’s criminal case urging the trial court to dismiss the charges against the Texas Governor.

“Crittendon, who is serving a 65-year sentence on theft and weapons charges, on Tuesday filed a friend-of-the-court brief and asked for a hearing. He stated that he would need to be escorted to and from such a hearing, since he’s incarcerated in the Polunsky Unit in Livingston. In his filing, Crittendon said the indictment against Perry is vague and the statute on which it’s based is unconstitutional.”

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Inmate-seeks-to-aid-Perry-5930861.php

Photo by Eric Gay/Associated Press

Today in Texas History – December 5

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From the Annals of Boozing —  In 1933, the 21st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified ending the era of Prohibition in America.  The 21st Amendment repealed the 18th Amendment but still allowed states  to enact their own laws regarding the possession or importation of “intoxicating liquors.”  Surprisingly, Utah was the 36th state to ratify the amendment which achieved the required  approval of three-fourths of the 48 states.  Pennsylvania and Ohio had ratified it earlier in the day.

Riley’s Tavern in Hunter claims to have been the first establishment to obtain a beer license after Prohibition ended.  Some of us are old enough to remember the “liquor by the drink” days when it was still illegal to sell mixed drinks in Texas.