Forgive Me Father, For I Have Sinned . . .

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I brought a loaded .38 Special to Mass.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of El Paso has announced that it will not allow concealed or open carry in its churches.   According to KFOX-14, the Chancellor of the Catholic Diocese of El Paso, Patricia Fierro, has indicated that the decision will into effect by next week.

KFOX14 wanted to find out how people felt about the diocese’s decision not to allow open carry.
 
Harry Sorensen, of West El Paso, says, “I think it’s a good idea on the church’s behalf. That’s their prerogative that they want to do. If they feel comfortable with people having weapons in the church that (is) their business.”
 
Daniel Fraire, of West El Paso, says, “I don’t think there’s any reason why we need guns in a church.  Although, there have been attacks in a church so I can see why people would want to take their gun in a church in a way.” 
  
Fierro doesn’t think their policy will impact whether people still go to their church.
 
“I’m thinking we might lose members if we allow them to bring guns into the church . . . But I think they’ll feel more secure if we keep the guns away.”

People have their own theories about the impact the decision could have on churchgoers.
 
Sorensen says, “They probably won’t go to church if they aren’t allowed to carry but that just depends on the person I suppose.”
 
“Why not see it both ways?” says Fraire.
 
He says, “Allow two separate Masses. Have one where guns are allowed and one where guns aren’t allowed. At least you can divide the people based on that.”

And the parishioners can fire in the air after the homily.

Today in Texas History – January 12

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From the Annals of Print Journalism –   In 1886, editor Simeon Newman published the last edition of the El Paso Lone Star.  Newman had learned the trade in Las Vegas, NM.  After teaching school for several years, Newman signed on in 1871 as an apprentice newspaperman for the Las Vegas Weekly Mail. A quick learner apparently, he bought the paper six weeks later.  The Weekly Mail regularly attacked the “Santa Fe Ring” for corruption.  After a ten year fight, Newman was enticed to move his paper to  El Paso and renamed it the Lone Star.  Newman continued his crusading ways in El Paso.  A staunch, Methodist, Democrat and reformer, Newman  chose “Hew to the line, let the chips fall where they may” as the Lone Star’s motto.  He attacked gamblers, saloon keepers, gunmen, and the criminal element, but also directed his diatribes at anyone he believed guilty of corruption.  This approach left Newman with few friends or supporters.  He was ultimately forced to close the Lone Star.

Today in Texas History – January 11

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From the Annals of the Civil War – In 1863, the last remaining soldiers of the Fourth Brigade of Walker’s Texas Division were captured at Arkansas Post. The Texas Division was reputed to be the only division in the Confederate Army made up entirely of troops from a single state.  Organized in October 1862, the Division was named after Maj. Gen. John George Walker, who took command on January 1, 1863.   It was nicknamed the “Greyhound Division,” or “Walker’s Greyhounds” as a testament to the troops ability to endure long marches during the conflict to reinforce troops at critical junctures.  Initially, the division was made up of four brigades. The Fourth Brigade, under the command of Col. James Deshler, was stationed at the Arkansas post until it was captured intact and ceased to be an active force for the remainder of the war.

Image of John G. Walker from maritimetexas.net.

Abbott Proposes 9 – Count ’em – 9 Constitutional Amendments

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Gov. Greg Abbott (TP-Texas) appears to have bigger things on his mind than simply running the state that he was elected to lead.  Abbott has come out with a call for a constitutional convention and 9 proposed amendments to the Constitution that would fundamentally alter the federal-state system that has worked pretty darn well for almost 225 years.   To put this in perspective there have been exactly 27 total amendments to the Constitution in more than two centuries and 10 of those were essentially done in a deal to get the Constitution ratified in the first place.

Abbott’s plan is mostly a direct attack on the U.S. Supreme Court – a profoundly c0nservative institution for the most part.  Red finds this a bit strange from a former Justice of the Texas Supreme Court who had no problem interpreting (some would argue making) law to benefit and kowtow to the corporate masters and insurance company overlords that rule that Court.  Abbott was more than willing to carry their water at the expense of the rights of ordinary Texans.  Among his more foolish proposals are a balanced budget amendment – something that any economist worth his salt will tell you is a prescription for economic disaster.

Here are the short hand descriptions of what Abbott proposes:

  1. Prohibit Congress from regulating activity that occurs wholly within one State.
  2. Require Congress to balance its budget.
  3. Prohibit administrative agencies—and the unelected bureaucrats that staff them—from creating federal law.
  4. Prohibit administrative agencies—and the unelected bureaucrats that staff them—from preempting state law.
  5. Allow a two-thirds majority of the States to override a U.S. Supreme Court decision.
  6. Require a seven-justice super-majority vote for U.S. Supreme Court decisions that invalidate a democratically enacted law.
  7. Restore the balance of power between the federal and state governments by limiting the former to the powers expressly delegated to it in the Constitution.
  8. Give state officials the power to sue in federal court when federal officials overstep their bounds.
  9. Allow a two-thirds majority of the States to override a federal law or regulation.

Today in Texas History – January 8

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From the Annals of the Civil War – In 1864, the Boy Martyr of the Confederacy was hanged in Little Rock, Arkansas.  David Owen Dodd, a native of Victoria then living in Arkansas, had carried some letters to business associates of his father in Union held Little Rock.  He obtained a pass to return to his family in Camden, but a guard destroyed it when he  entered Confederate held ground.  After spending the night with his uncle, he wandered back into Union territory.  Union soldiers determined that he did not have a pass and upon a search found that he was carrying a notebook with Morse code annotations describing the location and strength of Union troops. He was arrested and tried by a military tribunal.  Dodd represented by attorneys T.D.W. Yonley and William Fishback, who was pro-Union and later became Governor of Arkansas. The defense consisted mostly of a plea for amnesty, which was rejected by the tribunal. Dodd was found guilty of spying and sentenced to death.  His hanging before a crowd estimated at 5000 was reportedly botched likely resulting in a slow death.  At the time, Union sympathies were strong in Arkansas and a constitutional convention was in session to enable the state to rejoin the Union.  Dodd’s execution renewed tensions between Union and Confederate factions. Dodd quickly became a folk hero and a force behind renewed support for the Confederacy.

The Future of Air Travel – Boeing 797 or Hoax?

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797The Boeing 797 is rumored to be a 1,000 passenger airplane with a blended wing and fuselage design. The 797 has been developed by Boeing in cooperation with NASA Langley Research Centre.  The radically new airliner will have a wing span of 265 feet and it designed to fit within the newly created Air Terminals for the 555 passenger Airbus A380 which is 262 feet wide.

The new design has several advantages – the most important being the lift to drag ratio which is expected to increase by 50%.  This will make the new jet an estimated 33% more fuel efficient than the A380.   The jet also has what is termed ‘high airframe rigidity’ which reduces turbulence and creates less stress on the airframe and also increases fuel efficiency.

The 797 is expected to have a 10,000 Mile range cruising at Mach 0.88 or 654 MPH.  No rollout date is yet set.

797 2

Or is this a hoax?

 

Red’s NFL Picks – Wildcard Weekend

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It’s Wacky Wildcard Weekend time and Red is excited – even though he will miss the Texans game to watch a high school soccer tournament.

Red Rates Himself – For week 17 Red was 1-5. Only the OTNA’s came through for Red. Red remembers something about diminishing marginal return from his Econ 101 class. For the Season 53-43. Not even a particularly good record in the AL West.

Your Best Wildcard Pick of the Week: Seahawks over Vikings. Red wasn’t the only prognosticator stunned by the Seahawks dismemberment of the Cardinals on Sunday. One expected to see body parts randomly strewn over the turf of the University of Phoenix Stadium (the stadium oddly named after a university with no football team) after the game. But the Cards have a bye week to recover and regroup. Red doesn’t think the Seahawks will make it to the Superb Owl but he does think that they can handle the Vikings on the road. The rubric Red typically follows for his post-season picks is “Quality Wins” – meaning wins over teams that themselves had winning records. In some cases Red will chalk up a QW for a win over an 8-8 team that had a difficult schedule or lost several close games.   The Seahawks have 3 QWs – all coming after Thanksgiving which adds extra weight. They beat the Stealers, Vikings and Cardinals – the last two in very convincing butt-whipping fashion. The Vikings have 2 QWs over the Packers and the Chiefs both by 7 points or less. That and the head to head 38-7 thumping they suffered at the hands of the Seahawks in Week 13, make the Seahawks Red’s overwhelming favorite to win this week. Seattle 20 Minnesota 13.

Your Really Darn Good Wildcard Pick of the Week: Packers over OTNAs. The Packers, to put it mildly, did not rebound well from the shellacking at the hands of the Cardinals (who were in turn – oh damn it, just read the previous prediction) as they lost the division to a decent Vikings team in Week 17. Red boldly pronounced last week that the Packers needed to win to go anywhere in the playoffs. But now, he realizes that the Pack really needs to have its back up against the wall with the guns of the firing squad aimed at their huddle in order to really focus and deal with a team that they should beat – like the OTNAs. The Packers come in with 3 QWs over the Seahawks, Chiefs (back when everyone was beating the Chiefs apparently) and Vikings – but two of those wins were in Weeks 2 and 3. Since Thanksgiving, the Pack has only managed middling wins against the weak sisters and hasn’t come close to beating a decent team since pummeling the Vikings in Week 11. The OTNAs have a big ZERO QWs and their best win was a 35-25 victory over the 8-8 Bills. They also have an inexcusable loss to the division doormat Cowboys. Red hopes that the moribund Packer offense can remember where the end zone is located on Sunday.  Green Bay 35 Landover, Md. 29.

Your So-So Wildcard Pick of the Week: Bengals over Stealers. A really tough rubber match that is hard to call with uncertainty in the line ups. Is Dalton the back-up for this one and will he play if McCarron falters? The Stealers will score points and the Bengals have to keep up. Red would avoid this one if he could, but that is not how Red rolls. Stealers have 3 QWs over the Cardinals, Bengals and Broncos. Bengals racked up 3 QWs against Stealers, Seahawks and Chiefs (ahem!). Throw out the offsetting QWs and Red gives an oh-so-slight edge to the Stealers – but is picking the Bengals anyway.    Cincinnati 28 Pittsburgh 27.

You’re Probably Lame-Ass Wildcard Pick of the Week: Chiefs over Texans. Red may have been right when picking the Texans to win this season –but it clearly escapes his memory right now. Of late, picking the Texans to lose has hurt Red’s average, but Red is willing to take one for the team. The last playoff meeting between a Houston team and the Chiefs was on January 16, 1994. The similarities (and differences) abound. The Oilers had started the season 1-4, only to rebound with 11 straight wins (including a Christmas Day win over the dynastic 49ers) and secure a division championship. This year both the Chiefs (1-5) and Texans (2-5) had rocky starts before going on runs to the playoffs. The Oilers had a feared defense under the always overrated Buddy Ryan. The Texans defense under Romeo Crenel may not be feared, but it may be better than the 94 Oilers. The Chiefs had Marcus Allen, but neither team had a first class running game. With Joe Montana and Warren Moon at the respective helms, both teams relied heavily on a passing attack to move the ball. The game on Saturday will feature two exemplars of the “caretaker quarterback” that actually proves successful a remarkable amount of the time. With Alex Smith and Brian Hoyer taking snaps, neither team figures to light it up through the air. The 94 game was a defensive struggle with the Oilers leading 10-7 going into the 4th quarter. Then both teams started scoring. The Chiefs won 28-20 when Montana led the team to three 4th quarter touchdowns – something that was supposed to be impossible against a Buddy Ryan defense. But in retrospect, the 9 sacks of Moon and 7 fumbles (2 lost) probably made the difference in this one. Red looks for a similar result on Saturday. The teams will thrust and parry to little effect until late in this one and then it will be a wild affair to the finish. On the QW front, the Texans have 2 with wins over the Bengals and Jets, as do the Chiefs with wins over the Stealers and Broncos. But neither team has played anyone in over a month. The Chiefs have an excellent wide-out and tight end in Maclin and Kelce. The Texans have the better receiver in Hopkins and nothing at tight end. Neither team has much of a running game. The Texans have the edge on defense, but the Chiefs are no slouch in that category. The Texans have proven they can score points against the weak sisters of the league. Can they move the ball on a good defense? Probably enough to keep it respectable, but not enough to win. One big play will probably decide this one. Kansas City 20 Houston 17.

 

Today in Texas History – January 6

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Caprock CSP 1From the Annals of the Conquistadors – In 1540, the Spanish Viceroy of Mexico, Antonio de Mendoza, commissioned Francisco Vázquez de Coronado to lead an expedition to search for the Seven Cities of Cíbola. The Spanish were intrigued by the report of Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca who had described the cities after finding his way back to New Spain following his long wandering through Texas, New Mexico and northern Mexico.  Another explorer, Marcos de Niza, later confirmed Cabeza de Vaca’s report. Coronado and 1,000 men set out from Culiacan April of 1540 and he did not return for more than two years.  He found Cíbola – but they were the Pueblos of western New Mexico and there was no gold.  Undaunted, he was induced by the captive El Turco to search for gold in Quivira located somewhere in present day Kansas.  Quivira turned out to be a village of the Plains Indians eking out a subsistence living.  in his wanderings, Coronado did explore the Llano Estacado in the Panhandle and Eastern New Mexico and “discovered” Palo Duro Canyon and the Caprock in West Texas.

Photo from the top of the Caprock in Caprock Canyon State Park.

Is it Just Red, or is Ted Cruz’s New Ad Just Plain Weird?

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Sen. Ted Cruz (TP-Texas) launched a new TV ad in New Hampshire featuring hordes of well-dressed “accountants and lawyers” invading the US across what is supposed to be the Rio Grand and a border fence (notably, no one is seen actually scaling the fence).  The focus of the ad is a claim that if the aforementioned hordes of accountants, lawyers and presumably other professionals were illegally crossing the border and driving down salaries for those occupations, then the swells would be up in arms about illegal immigration.  First, this presupposes that illegal immigration has actually suppressed wages and implies that GOP policies which have helped to keep real incomes flat ever since Reagan’s inauguration have nothing to do with the problem.  Second, it’s just plain weird.