“When he is speaking, he is lying.  When he is silent, he is stealing.”

Said of Jay Gould.

From the Annals of O’ Pioneers –  In 1825, Dr. Felix Robertson and 32 men left Nashville, Tennessee for Leftwich’s Grant.  Robert Leftwich had belonged to the Texas Association.  The Association was formed to by a group of Nashville investors to obtain a colonization grant from Mexico.  Leftwich had received a grant in his own name and later transferred it to the Association on the condition that it be referred to as Leftwich’s Grant.  The Robertson expedition explored the country along the Brazos, Leon, Lampasas, Salado, and San Gabriel rivers for several months before returning to Tennessee. In the spring of 1830, Sterling C. Robertson, a member of the expedition, and his partner Alexander Thomson Jr. began recruiting families to come to Texas.  However, the Mexican Law of April 6, 1830 prevented any further settlement by Americans in new areas.  Instead, the Tennesseans settled in Stephen F. Austin’s colony.  Eventually, Mexico awarded a new contract to Sterling C. Robertson as empresario and the area was called Robertson’s colony.

This week’s NFL Prediction Six-Pack

“Gentlemen, it is better to have died a small boy than to fumble this football.”  John Heisman

 “Gentlemen, it is best to ignore the ravings of your clinically insane coach.”  Red

Last week 3-3.  For the season 22-26.  This is my week for sure!

Late Season Update:     The dream is still alive.  In 2010, the Seahawks were the first NFL team to make the playoffs (in a non-strike season) with a losing record at 7-9.  It is theoretically possible for a team to make the playoffs with a 6-10 record if they win all of their division games and no other team in the division wins more than 6 games.  Some claim it is even possible for a 5-11 team to make the playoffs.  Not being quite so greedy, I have long dreamed of the glorious day when that first 6-10 playoff team takes the field. That dream is still alive because of the pathetically weak NFC South.  The Falcons and Saints head up the division with mighty 4-6 records followed closely by the Panthers at 3-7-1.  Even the lowly Buccaneers are not out of contention at 2-8.  Yes, that’s right – a 6 game winning streak would likely put them into the playoffs given the competition in this shithole of division.  Red doesn’t have time to work out all the iterations, but a 6-10 team playing in January is looking more and more likely.  Stay tuned.

Your I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead (Again) Pick of the Week.

Chiefs over Raiders.   The Raiders are going to win a game this season, but not this week.  Chiefs should be able to sleepwalk through this one.  By 9:30, Red will be watching reruns of Bonanza.    Kansas City 38 Oakland 10.

Your Dead Reckoning Pick of the Week

Texans over Bengals.   Red will have to listen to this one on the AM Radio because he plans to be hunting in deepest darkest bottomland near the Navidad River on Sunday.  Homecomings for the Red Rifle have not been so friendly and his frustration continues this week.  The Texans’ defense is statistically weak but structurally sound.  Expect Romeo to throw the book at Dalton.  Expect Mallet to have another workmanlike game if the O-Line gives him time to unleash the cannon. 8-8 still looks like the most likely outcome for the Texans but 9 is not out of reach if they bamboozle the Bengals. Houston 24 Cincinnati 20.

Your Dead Head Pick of the Week.

Ravens over Saints.    A Saints loss will help keep the dream alive. See above.  Red likes the Ravens plus 4 on the road on the sparkly turf of the SuperDome.  Red is going heavy on the over here at 50.  Both Flacco Joe and Brees can light up the scoreboard on a good night.  Last week Red hit it big on the Patriots to beat the Colts and to cover the daunting 57 point over.  So there you have it.  Baltimore 34 New Orleans 27.

Your Dead Solid Perfect Pick of the Week.

Cardinals over Seahawks.   For this late in the season, there are not a lot of really good match-ups this week.  Only the Lions-Patriots game rivals this one for Red’s NFL GAME OF THE WEEK!.  Cardinals have a chance to all but eliminate the Seabirds from repeating as division champions with a win and post a franchise-record best 11-1 record after 12 games. The Seahawks are the most unsurprising team in the league.  Red hesitated to even pick them to make the playoffs and it will likely be close – especially if they lose this one.  This week Lynch is still pissed about the 100 large hole in his pocket for stiffing the media.  That could be trouble for the Cards. More trouble if Stanton collapses under the Hawks’ defensive pressure.  It will take defensive points to win this one.   Arizona 23 Seattle 20.

Your Dead Man Walking Pick of the Week.

Bears over Buccaneers.    This week’s Shit Bowl is likely to be played on a very cold toilet seat at Soldier Field.  The Bears are a mystery.  The Bucs just plain suck.  Resist the temptation to prepare that final Tidy-Bowl and Rum cocktail if you dare to watch this boring bowel battle on Sunday. Chicago 13 Tampa Bay 3.

Your Wanted Dead or Alive (Again) Pick of the Week.

Giants over Cowboys.  There is no question that the Cowboys should win this game.  Their bruising rushing attack should be enough to wear down the piss-poor Giant’s defense – especially on a snowy frozen field.  This is a critical early-late season game for the Boys.  With the Eagles likely to beat the Titans and then with the Eagles coming to town for Thanksgiving, they could easily be two back with only 4 to play.  Giants are misfiring on all cylinders and haven’t beaten the Cowboys in a good while.  Now is the time.   New Jersey 24 Arlington 23.

In case you haven’t been paying attention, Governor Rick Perry has been indicted over his attempt to force Travis County DA Rosemary Lehmberg from office by threatening to veto state funding for an anti-corruption unit in her office unless she stepped down after being arrested for DWI. Perry would have named Lehmberg’s replacement.  The special prosecutor in  Perry’s criminal case is arguing that Perry “abused his authority, and he improperly used the threat of a veto to indirectly achieve what he had no power to do directly.”  This of course is a vicious political prosecution that is somehow being led by a Republican special prosecutor and overseen by a Republican judge.

All of this raises the issue of how our poor idiot Governor treated other officials with similar issues.  At least two other DA’s have been convicted of DWI – but they were good god-fearing Republicans so naturally the Governor did not see the need for any action.

And now it is revealed that Wayne Roberts, who heads up the Governor’s signature creation, the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, was convicted of driving while intoxicated in 1990 and 2006.  And he was charged  and fined for public intoxication in Virginia in 2000.

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/headlines/20141115-perry-promoted-aide-with-three-alcohol-offenses-on-record.ece

Photo from http://www.motherjones.com

From the Annals of Valor — In 1943, Marines Staff Sgt. William James Bordelon of San Antonio and First Lt. William Dean Hawkins of El Paso were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for their heroic actions in the horrific battle for Tarawa.   Bordelon landed on the beach under intense enemy fire that killed all but four men in his tractor. He remained in action even after he was hit providing cover fire for a group scaling a seawall.  Disregarding his own injuries, Bordelon went to the aid of two wounded men in the water. He was killed when he singelhandedly attacked a Japanese machine-gun position. Hawkins  was in command of a scout-sniper platoon.  His unit moved forward under heavy enemy fire and neutralized the enemy troops assaulting the main beach positions. He repeatedly risked his life to direct and lead attacks on pillboxes and enemy installations.  Hawkins was seriously wounded in the chest, but refused to withdraw.  He fought until he was mortally wounded by enemy shell fire. The airstrip on Tarawa was named Hawkins Field in his honor.

Dallas and Houston have been rated among the worst cities in the U.S. for veterans.  Surprisingly, San Antonio does not fare that well either in the WalletHub study.

http://houston.citybizlist.com/article/223543/dallas-houston-among-worst-cities-for-veterans

From the Annals of the Saints Go Marching In  –  In 1845, the first group of Mormon settlers to come to Texas arrived in Grayson County.  The group of dissident Mormons was led by Lyman Wight.  They spent the winter at an abandoned fort near Preston, and then moved on to Austin by June of 1846. They remained there until 1847, at which time the established their own community near Fredericksburg which they called Zodiac. There Wight implemented what he term the “common stock principle” – a strict form of communal living.  Zodiac attracted a number of Mormon dissenters.  However, in 1849, Wight was excommunicated by the Mormons in Utah for failure to follow Latter Day Saint doctrine and insubordination to LDS authority. A flood on the Pedernales River destroyed Zodiac in 1851.  There is nothing left of the site today.

From the Annals of Industrial Progress –   In 1837, the Morgan Lines’  steamship Columbia arrived in New Orleans.  This was the first voyage of the first steamship line in Texas.  The Morgan Line was founded by shipping and railroad magnate Charles Morgan.  The Morgan Line later expanded its shipping into a new port called Powderhorn, which grew into Indianola and was a chief port of the line until destroyed by a hurricane. By 1858 the Morgan Line was operating three trips a week between Galveston and New Orleans, and by 1860 the company had a monopoly on coastal shipping.

Painting of the Morgan Line steamer Lone Star from http://www.maritimetexas.net

Galveston has been listed as one of the 10 worst places in the nation to buy real estate.  As one older gentlemen who fought in the Korean War once said, “There only two places I wouldn’t buy real estate – North Korea and Galveston.”

http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/bayarea/news/article/Galveston-listed-as-one-of-the-top-ten-worst-5891013.php

Photo from http://www.momontherocks.net

From the Annals of Artillery Mysteries    In 1835, the citizens of Cincinnati, Ohio decided to provide Texas with two cannons for use in defense against an assault by the Mexican Army.  The cannons were likely six-pounders that were forged at the Greenwood & Webb foundry.  The cannons were shipped downriver to New Orleans and then transported to Galveston where they arrived in early April of 1836.  On board the ship were twin sisters Elizabeth and Eleanor Rice who may have participated in the official delivery of the cannons to the Texas authorities.  That is believed to be the origin of the name “Twin Sisters” by which the field pieces became known.  They were delivered to Sam Houston’s army and first saw action at the Battle of San Jacinto and were the only artillery under his command.  The Twin Sisters were loaded with grape, iron bits, horseshoes and whatever else was handy as the Texas forces had no cannonballs.  It is believed that the opening salvo from the Sisters greatly contributed to the disorganization and panic of Santa Anna’s surprised forces.

After Texas joined the Union, the Twin Sisters became federal property and were transferred to Louisiana.  One of them was sold to a foundry for scrap and a private collector purchased the other.  George Williamson, the commissioner for Louisiana to the state of Texas, determined to find the cannons and return them to Texas.  He was successful and Louisiana appropriated $700 to refurbish the Sisters and ship them again to Galveston.  The Twin Sisters had one last round of service at the Battle of Galveston during the Civil War.  After that, their final disposition is not completely clear.  The general consensus is that Henry North Graves took the Twin Sisters and buried them near Harrisburg to prevent them from falling into Union hands.  The story is questionable because Graves later had the opportunity to retrieve the cannons, but never made any concerted effort to do so.  Their final resting place remains a mystery.

Photo of replicas from the San Jacinto Monument grounds.