Category Archives: Texana

Peso picks

Posted on September 18, 2007 | Comments Off on Peso picks

Here’s an idea that deserves a look, especially if you play electric guitar: Turning Mexican pesos into durable guitar picks, for what afficionados say is a unique, deep sound like a harmonic bell. And here.

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Posted in Scribbles, South of the Border, Texana

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The return of the plague

Posted on September 15, 2007 | Comments Off on The return of the plague

Every time we pass through the gates of the Dell campus of the Jewish Community Association of Austin–the local JCC, in other words–I say a prayer for the smiling but serious off-duty state troopers and city cops working the guard booth for extra pay. There’s time because we have to slow down and weave around the large orange barriers intended to thwart a speeding truck bomb. Although if the driver was a suicider, he probably wouldn’t be concerned about speed. VDH, no alarmist, explains what’s going on better than I have seen it in a while.

MORE: The powerful, controlling (let’s not forget wealthy) Jewish lobby. Subject of a new bestseller.

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Posted in Israel, Scribbles, Texana

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Water, water everywhere, in Texas

Posted on September 14, 2007 | Comments Off on Water, water everywhere, in Texas

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This is why the annual fall rains are not going to be as appreciated as usual this year. What do you know? Texas is a blue state, afterall. This year, anyway.

Via Banjo Jones 

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Posted in Texana, Weather/Climate

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Hillarity & Ma

Posted on September 2, 2007 | Comments Off on Hillarity & Ma

Seems Hillarity is strong enough in the polls now that the pundits already are handing her the nomination. Yet I cannot help but think that she can’t possibly win, especially when the non-Dems who comprise the majority of voters realize that Slick Willie comes with her. Take a page from Texas history and the first woman governor, Ma Ferguson. After Pa Ferguson got impeached, in a dispute over some banking laws, Ma got elected governor herself. Pa, naturally, came with her. But he had never generated any scandal of morals by messing with the help. Later, she would be accused of signing some questionable pardons. If I remember correctly, Old Bill did two out of the three all by himself, raising his negatives pretty high. Unless enough people have forgotten. They might have forgotten the pardons, but who could forget Monica and her famous dress?

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Posted in Scribbles, Texana

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The web on the Web

Posted on August 30, 2007 | Comments Off on The web on the Web

It’s a chilling reminder of Aragog, the giant, man-threatening spider of Hogwarts, but entomologists say the giant web on a nature trail at Lake Tawakoni State Park in northeast Texas is more likely the communal effort of ordinary-sized spiders. But who knew ordinary spiders were into communal efforts?

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Posted in Science/Engineering, Texana

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Adios Senor

Posted on August 28, 2007 | Comments Off on Adios Senor

Also, welcome home where you belong, Alberto. I agree with Scott that when it comes down to it, Gonzales’ troubles mainly center around his being Yet Another Texan, in addition to being a Republican and being appointed by Bush the Younger. His firing those US attorneys was just business as usual for both parties. When the Dems have the White House they remove their share whenever they please. Making it out like Gonzales did something unusual was the unusual part here. But being a Texan didn’t help him a bit. It never does for long beyond the state lines.

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Posted in Scribbles, Texana

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Gone but not forgotten

Posted on August 26, 2007 | Comments Off on Gone but not forgotten

Among the few Alamo survivors (yes, there were a few), one claimed to have witnessed the death of Lt. Col. William B. Travis. The witness was Joe, Travis‘ slave and body servant. I mention him because the Texas State Historical Association marks this as the day that Joe escaped from slavery in 1837, one year, five months and twenty days after the fall of the Alamo. He would have been about twenty-four years old. History doesn’t record what happened to him, but Stephen Harrigan’s wonderful novel, The Gates of the Alamo, has him a waiter in a posh restaurant in Mexico City. Texana writer Mike Cox reports on what little is recorded of the details of Joe’s escape, and his burial place.

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Posted in Texana

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