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.

Today in Texas History – December 4

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From the Annals of the Wildcatters –  In 1928, Carl G. (the Big Swede) Cromwell drilled the world’s deepest oil well.  Cromwell was the drilling superintendent of the Texon Company.  Texon was working the rapidly expanding field on University of Texas land in Reagan County. He also acquired his own leases and became known as an honest, generous, free-spirited wildcatter. In association with company engineer Clayton W. Williams, Cromwell experimented in drilling deeper than the average 3,000 feet. In 1926 Williams located a site and Cromwell’s crews began work. In late November 1928, because of mounting expenses and problems, Cromwell was directed to shut down. Instead, he disregarded orders, went into hiding, and kept drilling. On December 4, the well came in at 8,525 feet.  It was the deepest oil well in the world for another three years.

Today in Texas History – December 1

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From the Annals of Baseball –  In 1964, the Houston Colt .45s changed their name to the Houston Astros.  The name change coincided with the move to the Astrodome (officially the Harris County Domed Stadium) beginning with the 1965 season.  The word “Astro” does not appear in the English language and is Greek prefix.  The name honored Houston’s position as the center of the nation’s space program with NASA’s Manned Spacecraft Center in Clear Lake. The name change and relocation to the Astrodome did little to improve results on the field.   Attendance increased dramatically – but not because of the Astros.  Fans from around the country came to see the phenomenon of baseball being played indoors.

Can Sid “Cupcake” Miller Possibly be as Stupid as he Appears?

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So Sid manages to offend the depressed, suicide counselors, Pakistanis andpretty much anyone with a sense of decency all in one fell swoop.  You have to be a special kind of moron to do that – almost a moron savant it would seem.  Sid’s 10 gallon hat holds about a half-pint of brains and 9.9 gallons of excrement passing for cerebral matter (aka “shit for brains”).

Today in Texas History – November 30

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From the Annals of the Southern Rebellion – In 1864, Rebel commander Hiram B. Granbury was killed at the Battle of Franklin, Tennessee.  The battle was a near-complete disaster for the Rebel forces under the command of John Bell Hood and they lost more soldiers in that battle than in any other one-day battle of the entire war.  The loss was not quite the end for Rebel forces in Tennessee as that came shortly afterwards at Nashville.

Granbury was born in Mississippi and graduated from Oakland College. In the 1850’s Granbury moved to Waco where he was admitted to the Texas State Bar and served as chief justice of McLennan County.  After secession, Granbury recruited the Waco Guards and was elected by the troops as Major.

On February 15, 1862, he was captured with his command at the Battle of Fort Donelson – one of U.S. Grant’s first brilliant victories.   He surrendered and was taken as a POW.  Later that year, the Rebel officers were paroled as part of an officers exchange from prison. Granbury was given an early parole to take care of his terminally-ill wife Fannie.  Granbury returned to service after his parole and was ultimately commissioned brigadier general.

The city of Granbury in Hood County is named for him and a statute of the Rebel leader sits on the Courthouse square.

So is Red honoring Granbury by relating this history?  No, he is stating the known facts.  Are Hood County and the State of Texas honoring Granbury by continuing to have a city named after him and a statute on the Courthouse lawn?  Yes, and Red fully supports taking down such monuments to traitors.  Renaming entire cities is a more difficult proposition that will take some time to deal with.

Red’s NFL Picks – Week 13

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Red was a mediocre 3-3 on the straight match-ups last week and is holding his own at 43-29 for the season.  The money line was tough on ol’ Red as he went 2-4 with his bookie.

Answer to last week’s trivia:  From 1923 to 2013, the Packers and Lions have played 22 games on Thanksgiving Day.

This week’s trivia: When was the last scoreless NFL game played and which teams managed to score zero points?

Your Nada Game of the Week: Vikings over Falcons.    Case Keenum could have been a Texan!  In fact he was a Texan – twice and managed to win two games coming in out of the cold to end the season in 2014. And the Texans did not even give him a second look in 2015.  Okay he was bad with the Rams in 2016, but who wasn’t?  Given a chance in Minnesota (because Sam Bradford is a particularly delicate flower – no knock on Sam but that’s the way it is), CK has flourished with 14 TDs, 5 INTs and a 96.7 QB rating.  And meanwhile in Texas, Tom “the Turnover Machine” Savage is playing out the skein with the Texans.  Oh, what could have been.  This week is a big challenge for the Vikings but they look up to it.  Given the firepower of these two offenses, Red likes the over at 47.5. Minnesota 30 Atlanta 27.

Your Zilch Game of the Week: Titans over Texans.  Despite having been clobbered (and that is putting it mildly) by the Texans in Week 4, Red will take the “improved” Titans giving up 7 to the floundering Texans.  Hopefully, Mrs. Red has something planned for Sunday so that Red doesn’t have to watch another whipping.  Tennessee 24 Houston 9.

Your Zero Game of the Week: Eagles over Seahawks.  Red thinks the Eagles walk over the depleted Seahawks and will gladly give up 5 points to any eager Seahawks fan. Eagles overcome the reverse triple time zone, hipster adjustment factor hex and continue their march to a No. 1 playoff seeding in the NFC.  Another loss for Seattle and they still will not be in danger of falling out of playoff contention – mostly because the Panthers or Falcons must lose this week.  Heck, even the Cowboys-OTNAs winner this week will be within striking distance in the NFC.  The Eagles only problem may be clinching the NFC East too soon and relaxing a bit.  Which – all-in-all is not a bad problem to have.   Philadelphia 35 Seattle 21.

Your Zip Game of the Week:  Patriots over Bills.  Why not?  Red has sort of avoided the Pats this season because it just isn’t much fun picking them to win and picking them to lose is – well, usually a losing proposition.  But every team deserves a gander from Red during the season.  Pats top rated offense looks unstoppable right now.  Nothing short of divine intervention would keep them out of the AFC title game but for their pathetic defense.  But this is the era of offense.  Take the over at a hefty 49 – unless the weather looks iffy – then take the under.  New England 31 Buffalo 20.

Your Skunked Game of the Week: Dolphins over Broncos.  A well deserved spot in this week’s Shit Bowl for two failing franchises.  Sometimes there is just no point in analyzing these things.  So Red will simply give the usual warning to hide the Drano, Windex, Tidy-Bowl and Comet lest ye be tempted to mix up a deadly Tequila and house cleaner cocktail at halftime of this doleful dung duel.  That said, Red likes the under even at a lowly 38.5.  Beat that!  Miami 14 Denver 9.

Your Big 0 Game of the Week:  Ravens over Lions.  There is a huuuge difference between 7-5 and 6-6 entering December.  The team that wins this one has a real potential playoff path.  The loser has to count on a lot going wrong for other teams.  Nobody is scoring much on the Ravens right now, so Red likes the under at 40.  Baltimore 17 Detroit 14.

Today in Texas History – November 29

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From the Annals of the Methodists –  In 1838, Rev. Jesse Hord entered Texas at Gaines Ferry on the Sabine River.  Hord had volunteered for service in Texas and was assigned to the Texas Mission District by the Methodist Church in October of 1838. In October he traveled by horseback with his fellow missionary Isaac Strickland to Texas.  The day after entering Texas he preached his first sermon at San Augustine.  Hord had converted to Methodism at age 17.  Four years later he was admitted on trial into the Tennessee Conference where he was ordained him a deacon in 1836 and an elder in 1837.  He was charged with forming a circuit in the Houston area and he established the first Methodist congregations at Richmond, Matagorda, Brazoria, Bay Prairie, DeMoss, Texana, Velasco, East Columbia, and Houston. His 500-mile circuit included twenty congregations. He is considered the founder of Methodism in Texas.

Today in Texas History – November 27

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Major Land & Water Features - Louisiana

From the Annals of the Borders –  In 1941, the State of Louisiana lost its legal challenge to the eastern border of Texas.  Louisiana claimed that its western boundary extended not to the middle of the Sabine River but to the western bank.  The exact boundary has been the subject of much legal wrangling.

Price Daniel Sr. wrote an informative if somewhat dull history of the boundary dispute for the Southwestern Law Journal.