Category Archives: Texana

More like New Jersey every day

Left Mr. B. with our favorite babysitter this evening and headed downtown to join Mrs. Charm at a reception for one of her old friends. It took almost two hours to get there in bumper-to-bumper traffic, creeping along the speedway MOPAC (Loop 1) at roughly five mph. Not a wreck in site, just beaucoup traffic in the pouring rain. Austin is more like New Jersey everyday. Except, thank G-d, it doesn’t snow.

Early winter, again

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Winter has arrived, says meteorologist Bob Rose of the Lower Colorado River Authority. About a month early. Cold and raining this week, at least through Wednesday. Then highs only in the 50s. Even some snow forecast but not expected to be cold enough for it to stick. Nothing like the above sat photo of 2004’s record snowfall across South Texas. That dark spot on the upper left edge of the snow line is Lake Travis. I could do without a repeat early winter, the same thing that happened to us last year. But since global temps haven’t been warming for twelve years now (contrary to the delusional convictions of so-called climate "scientists" and other warm-mongering politicians) I suppose we have to expect it.

PT-19 trainees

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It never gets this cold in Cuero, southeast of Austin, but these boys are headed to altitude in open cockpits. Taken at the former Cuero Army Air Field in 1942 when this was basic pilot training. I do not subscribe to the "greatest generation" baloney, which I think mainly scorns Korea and Vietnam veterans, but it’s for sure these guys had to deal with some fairly primitive technology. They were just lucky to have the almost complete backing of the whole country during their war.

One-legged jack bed

Was reading a new genealogy narrative pulled together by a cousin of Mrs. Charm’s and came across the phrase of the headline. The description of this old technology wasn’t clear, so I searched it and came up with this which is. It also has some diagrams and a photo to reinforce it. Pretty ingenious.

Tuscola Kid: Winningest College QB

Texas QB Colt McCoy, leading a 51-20 thumping of Kansas last night, became the winningest quarterback in college football history. The Horns will play Nebraska for the Big Twelve title. And, almost certainly, play the winner of the SEC title for the National Championship. Quite a night.

USS Texas

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Nuclear Attack Submarine Texas (SSN-775) on sea trials. From the Navy’s photo archives here. Since October, her home base has been Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

SSN 775 Attack Submarine Texas

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No match, picture-wise, for the old Battleship Texas, but by their nature, subs are hard to photograph in the water. Commissioned in 2006, she’s a worthy new age successor to the old battle wagon. More photos and info here.