Recently in Texas Category

What books should you consider as holiday gifts for the Texan in your life, or for someone who would like to learn more about Texas?I have some suggestions.As you can see from the picture above, Hamburger Wearing An Astros' Hat would very much like to learn more about Texas. Hamburger is a member of my Texas Liberal Panel of Experts.You will also please note that Hamburger is trying to use some Republic of Texas currency to buy...

Above is a picture of the front page of yesterday's Houston Chronicle.I took the picture outside on the hot and parched Texas grass.It sure is hot.The newspaper above reports that Texas farmers and ranchers have suffered major losses due to the current drought in Texas, while at the same time Texas Governor and Presidential candidate Rick Perry denies the existence of global warming.While nobody can be sure that one cause of the terrible weather in Texas for...

I'm already so sick the constant Perry Watch, and it's only August 2011. We may have to get through MONTHS of this.  If you do even a modicum of research, you'll find an interesting article about "Brain Biases & News" and see that people who are deemed attractive by our shallow US standards generally are considered Teflon-coated and given a "pass" on many things. (http://www.brainbiases.com/2008/11/beautiful-people-bias.html) That's one reason Sarah Palin won't go away, and why we're going...

The good Americans you see in the picture above were protesting today outside the Houston office of Republican U.S.  Senator John Cornyn.These loyal Americans were demanding tax increases for the most wealthy, good jobs, and a federal budget that invests in America. They were out protesting because they know that the work of freedom is up to each of us.Our Tea Party/Republican Party foes never rest in helping the rich get richer, and in making...

I've bought two art books in recent weeks that show Texans working together and respecting the land and culture of the Lone Star state.These two books are shown above as they are being read by two members of the Texas Liberal Panel of Experts.On the left, Extinct--A woolly mammoth--is reading Alexandre Hogue--An American Visionary.On the right, Cactus is reading The Texas Post Office Murals-Art For The People.Both of these titles are published by Texas A & M University.Alexandre...

Republican Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples is very excited about federal money coming to Texas.(Above--Todd Staples, on the left, with U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk. Texas looks to the federal government and the Obama administration to help generate international business for the Lone Star State.)  From the website of the Texas Department of Agriculture---Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples today announced the Texas Department of Agriculture has awarded $750,000 in federal funds to the city of Nacogdoches for sidewalk...

President Obama has declared 45 Texas counties to be disaster areas because of wildfires and drought.(Above--Homes destroyed by Texas wildfires earlier this year in the vicinity of Possum Kingdom Lake. Photo by unherdable) Federal money and other federal assistance will now come to Texas because of President Obama's decision.These fires and the never-ending statewide drought are problems that Texas cannot resolve without additional help from Washington.That's fine as far as I'm concerned. Sometimes in life you need help.Maybe this...

There is a challenge in the works to the newly-enacted Texas Forced Sonogram law.From the Houston Chronicle---"A national abortion rights group has filed suit in federal court to stop implementation of a new Texas law that requires women seeking an abortion to undergo a sonogram and have details of the fetal image explained to them. Claiming the amendment to the state's Woman's Right To Know Act is unconstitutionally vague and violates physicians' freedom of speech, the...

Republican Texas Governor Rick Perry has referred to himself as a prophet in an interview with Fox News.(Above---The Prophet Elijah Receives Bread and Water from an Angel by Peter Paul Reubens (1577-1640). I suppose it is possible that Governor Perry lives on bread and water in the $10,000 a month Governor's Mansion he lives in at taxpayer expense.) Here is what Governor Perry said---CAVUTO: You have kind of like the Chris Christie phenomenon: very popular outside your state, still popular but not...

Texas Governor Rick Perry will be adding so-called sanctuary city legislation to the ongoing special session of the Texas legislature. From the Houston Chronicle---"Gov. Rick Perry on Tuesday added a ban on "sanctuary cities" to the agenda of the special session..despite opposition from outnumbered Democrats concerned about issues including racial profiling. As approved in the recently ended regular session by the Texas House, which has a GOP supermajority, the legislation would bar local governments from preventing law enforcement...