From the Annals of Dancing Queen — The founder of the Kilgore College Rangerettes, Gussie Nell Davis, was born in Farmersville in 1906.  Davis started the Rangerettes in 1940 and led the group until her retirement in 1979.  The Rangerettes have performed at an Inaugural Parade (Eisenhower), the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and numerous halftime shows.  Davis was inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame in 1989.

I personally have always preferred the Tyler Jr. College Apache Belles.

The Grand Old Partisans are succeeding in suppressing voter turnout in Texas.  It’s dirty work, but someone has to do it.  And by all accounts, the Voter Suppression Act is working.  Expect lots of election contests in close races this year.  If enough voters are denied access but cast provisional ballots, then there is a real possibility that a losing candidate in a close race has a shot at challenging the results based on the Voter ID law.

http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/politics/houston/article/Little-demand-for-voter-ID-cards-but-some-hit-5865476.php

The Eighth Wonder of the World sits in decrepitude while the voters of Harris County and their elected officials dither about its fate.  The only thing loyal to Houston tradition and historical practice would be to tear it down.  That is what we have always done with our historical landmarks.  Why should the Astrodome be any different.  In fact, it would be disrespectful to do anything else given this city’s history. This is a slash and burn city.  Tear it down.

Photo taken from nrg Stadium on 11.2.2014.

From the annals of engineering marvels – In 1891 construction began on the Pecos High Bridge near Langtry, Texas.  The bridge which was completed in 1892 served the Sunset Route of the Southern Pacific Railroad.  The bridge was supported by 24 towers and spanned 2180 feet crossing the Pecos over a deep gorge.  At 321 feet high it was the highest railroad bridge in North America.  Famed Judge Roy Bean served as the coroner for many of the men killed during construction.  The bridge served the railroad for over 50 years and was replaced by another even higher bridge in 1944.  It is worth a stop at the roadside park high above the river on the southeast side of Hwy 90 to view the new bridge and the magnificent gorge of the Pecos River as it nears its confluence with the Rio Grande.

When I was a single man, I frequently would neglect to buy candy for Halloween.  Despite that, I would still greet the few trick-or-treaters that would come by.  When prompted, sometimes I would respond with a harsh “Trick, because I have no treats!”  That always confused them to no end as they had no clue as to the origin of the standard Halloween catchphrase.  But I always had a large collection of change handy, and would then ask if they wanted money in lieu of the non-existent candy.  They never refused the nickels, dimes and quarters that I would dole out.  And occasionally I would hear one running to the next house yelling “Trick or Money!”

Photo from http://www.mobiledge.com

Texas’ cynical voter ID law appears to be having the exact effect that Republicans hoped it would have – reducing the actual number of votes.  Oh, it’s no big deal to get an ID, except if you don’t have a birth certificate.  And we wouldn’t want students voting with a voter ID because they might vote for – you know – people who aren’t old white men.  One hopes this the last gasp of a dying political breed in the Lone Star State, but I ain’t holding my breath.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/30/texas-voter-id_n_6076536.html

Last Bus to Woodstock by Colin Dexter

I started watching Endeavour on PBS last year.  If you haven’t seen the show and are a fan of procedurals and especially a fan of British procedurals, you must give this series a try.  Endeavour Morse is a young Detective Inspector on the Oxford City Police CID.  He has very blue collar roots but is an Oxford dropout who has somehow trained his incredible intelligence and curiosity on detective work.  The series is the prequel to the Inspector Morse series which ran for many seasons (and which I have never watched).  Curiously, the sequel series – Inspector Lewis – is also running at this time.  All this by way of introduction to Last Bus to Woodstock which is the first novel in the Inspector Morse series.  It is a grim but gripping tale of the murder of a young office worker outside a local pub who was last seen waiting for the “last bus to Woodstock” a suburb of Oxford.  We are introduced to Morse (whose first name we do not learn) – a hard drinking, crosswork puzzle solving, sports car loving senior detective on the Oxford force who quite possibly fancies himself as a ladies man.  The novel has an appropriate number of twists, turns and rabbit trails and a reasonably satisfying conclusion.  SPOILER ALERT.  The only thing I will say is that the novels – like the series – tend to have murderers who come from the most ordinary walks of life and the rich and powerful are frequently suspected but never arrested.