The Texana Review - Podcasts

Remembrance Day 2009

Here's a small tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice so that you and I can enjoy a Memorial Day holiday.

 

 
Find more videos like this on Texana Talk

ONE OF THE BEST

 

 

My boyhood friend, Bill Wagner, passed over to the other side several days ago, a victim of cancer.

As was his character, he fought the “good fight” for a year and a half, and was surrounded by close friends and an adoring family, who cheered him on as he battled the insidious adversary.

Although we were boyhood friends, Bill and I drifted apart when I left Houston to attend parochial school, later to attend college, work in real estate and soon thereafter, wander around about a bit.

He married an incredibly wonderful woman, Carter Baber, and had, with her, two beautiful children.

As things go in this American generation, he and Carter later dissolved their relationship and went their separate ways.

Both eventually remarried, happily, as I understand.

Bill remarried Susan, whom I met once, and was stricken by her depth of character and that their closeness wasn’t only physical but spiritual as well.

I remember Bill as working in the financial business but also remember him as an avid outdoorsman.

Once upon a time, as teenagers, I remember driving my father’s open-sided Jeep into a laguna in south Texas (too fast for sure) and spotting a group of Javelina, which fled immediately.

“Catch up! Catch up!” Bill shouted.

I did.

And as I gained upon the fleeing throng (about 30 miles-per-hour), Bill launched himself from the Jeep onto a lagging pig like a bull-dogger at the rodeo.

I didn’t see it all because I was driving; braking immediately when I realized my buddy wasn’t sitting beside me.

When I looked back, Bill was sitting on his rear in the short grass wrestling with this wild pig which, in short order, got the better of him and split for the woods.

Whereupon, Bill flopped onto his back and guffawed at the heavens, bloodied, clothing torn and covered in dirt and Javelina hair.

It’s something I’ll never forget.

That was Bill Wagner.

When my wanderings brought me back to Houston in 2005, Bill embraced me as though nothing had changed over the 30 years we hadn’t seen one another.

We lunched occasionally, and he told me his stories and I told him mine. Many not to repeated, don’t you know.

Such is the testimony to the man, his spirit and his love of life.

Though a distant friend now, I will miss you, Bill Wagner, as much as your family does.

Rest in peace, my friend.

A tea party in San Angelo, Texas...

I've been curious about the divisiveness that this nation has been experiencing since the election last year.

A divisiveness, I have observed, that began during the previous Administration.

On April 15th last week, people organized "tea parties" across the nation to express their concern over the direction the new Administration is taking on spending, taxation and a slew of other issues. 

I live in San Angelo, Texas.

We had a "tea party" here.

Attendees seemed to be divided along the two traditional party lines - Republican and Democrat (although there was at least one avowed Libertarian in the group).

I took some pictures of the gathering.

Here they are.

 

Technorati Tags: Texana Review,Ed Blackburn,tea party,taxes

Wildcatting for Wind - Part Four of Four

Here's Part Four of Wildcatting for Wind, sponsored by Texana Talk and Higginbotham Brothers.

Watch ...

Nine minutes

in Quicktime... 

(two minutes-ish to start streaming)

in Windows Media Player...

(30 seconds-ish to start streaming)

Excerpt taken from:

“Wildcatting for Wind: The Texas Experience from Turbine to Market”
Produced by The University of Texas School of Law
Full DVD can be purchased at www.utcle.org

next years’ conference: 

2010 Wind Energy Institute
February 2-4, 2010
Austin Convention Center

 

Technorati Tags: Texana Review,Ed Blackburn,Texas,alternative energy,wind energy,wind power

Wildcatting for Wind - Part Three of Four

Here's Part Three of Wildcatting for Wind, sponsored by Texana Talk and Higginbotham Brothers.

Watch ...

Nine minutes

in Quicktime... 

(two minutes-ish to start streaming)

in Windows Media Player...

(30 seconds-ish to start streaming)

Excerpt taken from:

“Wildcatting for Wind: The Texas Experience from Turbine to Market”
Produced by The University of Texas School of Law
Full DVD can be purchased at www.utcle.org

next years’ conference: 

2010 Wind Energy Institute
February 2-4, 2010
Austin Convention Center

 

Technorati Tags: Texana Review,Ed Blackburn,Texas,alternative energy,wind energy,wind power

Texas History Tidbit: Fort Worth Stock Yards

When the Texas and Pacific Railway finally reached Fort Worth in 1876, leaders in Fort Worth had already decided that making Fort Worth a leading livestock market was the thing to do.

So, they went about it.  Building stock pens and attracting meat packers.

Fort Worth for many decades was one of the nation's largest livestock markets.

Here's another Texas History Tidbit that might shed a bit more light on the subject.

Listen...

Three minutes, thirty-three seconds

Music by Aff The Cuff
under Creative Commons License
Podshow Podsafe Music Network

 

Technorati Tags: Texana Review,Ed Blackburn,cattle,Fort Worth,Texas,history

Wildcatting for Wind - Part Two of Four

Here's Part Two of Wildcatting for Wind, sponsored by Texana Talk and Higginbotham Brothers.

Watch ...

Seven minutes, thirty-five seconds

in Quicktime...

(two minutes-ish to start streaming)

in Windows Media Player...

(30 seconds-ish to start streaming)

 

Excerpt taken from:

“Wildcatting for Wind: The Texas Experience from Turbine to Market”
Produced by The University of Texas School of Law
Full DVD can be purchased at www.utcle.org

 

next years’ conference: 

2010 Wind Energy Institute
February 2-4, 2010
Austin Convention Center

 

Technorati Tags: Texana Review,Ed Blackburn,Texas,alternative energy,Wind energy,wind power

 

Wildcatting for Wind - Part One of Four

In the latter part of January 2009, folks from as far away as Spain and Germany gathered in Austin, Texas to talk about wind energy ... that's wind energy in Texas.

This annual gathering actually began about five years ago, in Sweetwater, Texas; a location of one of the largest wind farms in the world.

About three years ago, Texas surpassed California as the No. 1 producer of wind energy in the United States.

I could go on with all the one-upsmanship typical of Texas vernacular but there's no reason to.

In this day and time it's important to know about wind energy, especially if you're a Texas landowner.

Although I don't like lawyers all that much, the University of Texas School of Law produced a video titled "Wildcatting for Wind," which they showcased at the gathering.  It's pretty good.

They gave me permission to show it off here at The Texana Review.

It's interesting, and informative.

I'm presenting it here for you in four parts. 

Here's Part One - sponsored by The Texana Review and Higginbotham Brothers.

Watch...

Six minutes, ten seconds

in QuickTime...

In Windows Media Player...

 

Excerpt taken from:

“Wildcatting for Wind: The Texas Experience from Turbine to Market”
Produced by The University of Texas School of Law
Full DVD can be purchased at www.utcle.org

 

next years’ conference: 

2010 Wind Energy Institute
February 2-4, 2010
Austin Convention Center

 

Sam Houston Among the Indians - from the Sam Houston Project

Cherokee Elder Robert "Winter Owl" Vann discusses Native Americans and their relationship with Sam Houston.

Learn about the Indian population in North America in general, and specifically in Texas.

Mr. Vann discusses their population, clothing, diet, kinds of shelters they lived in, and many other interesting facts.

Click HERE to watch.

Learn more about the Sam Houston Project -> click HERE

"Dog Pile" by Charles Chupp

I met Charles Chupp about three years ago after stumbling on one of his books at the second-hand book store.

Little later, when the clerk came around and announced, “We’re closing now,” I’d made it more than halfway through the book.

Had to buy it, because I wasn’t finished.

However, was glad to pay the discounted price (being the Scotsman that I am) because it started me on a soul-enriching journey of putting Charles Chupp’s writing to voice, with his permission, of course.

Hope you like my read of Charles Chupp’s “Dog Pile!”

 

Listen...

Six minutes

Music by: Carl Cubbedge

under Creative Commons License Podshow Podsafe Music Network

 

Technorati Tags: Texana Review,Ed Blackburn,Texas,history,Charles Chupp