Category Archives: Texana

Texas Ebola moving south?

Posted on October 16, 2014 | 2 comments

I sure hope not but the Belton Independent School District is southwest of Temple, which is a lot closer to the Rancho than Dallas. And three of their elementary and middle schools were closed today and will remain so on Friday for cleaning.

Why? Because at least one of their students was aboard the Frontier Airlines flight from Cleveland that carried Dallas nurse Amber Vinson, lately diagnosed with Ebola and currently residing at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta.

Joe Brown, principal of North Belton Middle School wrote parents today that the one student is being monitored by the county and state health authorities and so far hasn’t developed any symptoms. He doesn’t explain why three schools are closed and being cleaned over one student. As usual, more questions than answers.

Via Sooper Mexican.

UPDATE:  Looks to be plenty more possibles where this student came from, i.e. Amber’s fellow passengers on not one but two Frontier Airlines flights.

MORE:  The daily reported Friday that there are two kids involved at Belton, ages 13 and 8. Still doesn’t explain why three schools are closed. Meanwhile, the daily reported, there’s a Georgetown man who was on Vinson’s flights and he’s self-quarantined. Georgetown’s a lot closer to the Rancho in Austin than Belton is.

AND:  Dozens of possible cases in Dallas have now been cleared. Hopefully the clearances will also work their way south.

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Posted in Ebola in Texas, Obamalot, Texana

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Third Ebola case in Dallas

Posted on October 15, 2014 | Comments Off on Third Ebola case in Dallas

Another health care worker tests positive. The boyfriend of the second case. (See update below.) More contacts to track down and test.

Nevermind staying out of Dallas. If you’re already there, now might be a good time to leave. Before this wildfire spreads farther.

Via Twitchy.

UPDATE:  Third apparently is not the boyfriend of the first nurse but a second nurse. She apparently was in contact with 132 passengers on a Frontier Airlines flight who are now being asked to contact the CDC. Whoo-hoo.

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THE political university

Posted on October 14, 2014 | 2 comments

In stock market terms, what Randa Ryan did when she spent $28,000 of university money on items from her own store was a form of insider dealing. It’s illegal. The feds have sent people to prison for it.

At the University of Texas, however, athletic director Steve Patterson calls it “mistakes were made” and says she was acting with the “best of intent.”

“Texas just doesn’t get it,” writes the daily’s Kirk Bohls. “Where’s the accountability? I’m betting Charlie Strong would suspend Randa indefinitely.”

He might, if Randa were a student football player, but otherwise political correctness may be stronger than Strong at THE university.

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Posted in Texana, The Culture

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A second reason to stay out of Dallas

Posted on October 12, 2014 | 4 comments

“We knew a second [Ebola] case could be a reality, and we’ve been preparing for this possibility,” Dr. David Lakey, commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services, said in the statement. “We are broadening our team in Dallas and working with extreme diligence to prevent further spread.”

Which, once again, involves finding every person and pet this new victim has been in contact with. Not to mention the Center for Disease Confusion’s blaming her for her infection.

Via FoxNews.

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Posted in Science/Engineering, Texana

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Texas-Oklahoma

Posted on October 11, 2014 | Comments Off on Texas-Oklahoma

Probably not going to see a repeat of last year’s upset victory for the Longhorns this morning and afternoon.

The Texas defense is better but they just don’t have much of an offense. Almost none, in fact. So even the daily’s sportswriters don’t expect another upset of the 14– 17-point favorite Sooners.

We’ll probably do best hoping the Zeros don’t run away with it.

UPDATE:  They didn’t, unless you count the pick six and the kick return that helped give them 31 to the Longhorns’ 26, which was all offense for a change.

So the Horns do better (winning the statistics, at least) but still lose, mainly because of too many penalties and other mistakes such as the third-game-in-a-row fumble at the goal line costing a touchdown. They have now won two cupcake games and lost four against ranked teams for a 2-4 season. And it seems likely to get worse with the six games remaining. Half are against ranked teams.

Bye-bye ranking. Bye-bye bowl game.

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Posted in Texana, Texas Football

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Stop Ebola in Texas: Wash your hands

Posted on October 2, 2014 | 3 comments

“Washing your hands and avoiding occasions of exposure will help you more than all the public assurances in the world. If you suspect infection, do your duty and turn yourself in. Odd word that: duty. But duty is what saved the herd in history; saved the herd in World War 2. The very same duty the Left laughs at and lumps in the same dustbin of history as that 100 year old document that nobody reads any more. And science. Not affirmative action or quota or “committed” science. But science, period. Duty and science, not amulets, voodoo, talk shows, assurances,security theater or muted alarms can stop Ebola.” —Richard Fernandez, PJMedia.

And stay the hell out of Dallas.

UPDATE:  Patient Zero died Oct. 8. Now to wait and see if he infected others. Meanwhile, at the Texas State Fair, even Big Tex has ebola on his “mind.”

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Posted in Blogosphere, Ebola in Texas, Obsessions, Texana, The Culture

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The Downton Abbey Economy

Posted on October 2, 2014 | Comments Off on The Downton Abbey Economy

It’s been said that the rise of the tech plutocrats of Silicon Valley (Google, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and LinkedIn) and the simultaneous decline of the American middle class is pushing us toward an economy of the rich and the poor who will earn their daily bread servicing the rich.

SNAP Kitchen, our pretty-well-off Northwest Hills neighborhood’s latest retailer, seems to be a good example of services catering to people who presumably can afford $2 for a deviled egg.

Hey, they’re spicy (Jalepeno, black pepper, etc.)! And cage-free. Whoop-de-do.

SNAP Kitchen (“fresh, healthy take-away”) also sells beef that’s “grass-fed” and produce that’s “conscientiously” picked. Mrs. C. said the latter maybe means they think good thoughts as they snip tomatoes from the vine and pull the carrots from the soil.

(They probably don’t realize that SNAP is the federal acronym for food stamps: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.)

San Francisco (bedroom community of the tech grandees) comes to Austin is what I call it. But the Downton Abbey Economy also works. While it isn’t good for a democracy not to have a middle class, it could be lucrative for the skilled journeyman. And as long as the Abbey keeps it civil, there won’t be any sabotaging of the home heating/AC (the electrical system, appliances and the plumbing) the Abbey doesn’t know how to maintain.

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Posted in Blogosphere, Texana, The Culture, The Economy

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