The Texana Review - Podcasts

Trans-Texas Corridor: A Democratic Process?

In our modern milieu, when a governmental authority asserts its power, the impact on certain individuals' lives is often lost on those not directly affected.

However, those that aren't directly affected should not pass off the issue as "not their problem," especially when it involves today's form of government.

Government ALWAYS needs watching, very carefully.

Whether the issue is right or wrong depends, in the final analysis, on the people and how loud a voice they can put to that issue.

In Texas, we live in a democratic society and the opportunity for the individual to express his or her opinion remains a fundamental right and an occasion for them to plea their case.

Given the Texas power structure, that may or may not be enough to sway the direction of things.

That's kind of where the pros and cons of the Trans-Texas Corridor debate is today.

Here's a video where a goodly number of Texans stand up and express their opinion.

9:51 minutes

Your Comments are welcome - look for the Comments link below

 

 

Heads up by TexanaTV

 

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Trans-Texas Corridor: Boondoggle or Visionary?

The Trans-Texas Corridor (TTC) has been in the works for years now and has been quietly promoted by Texas Governor Rick Perry, the staffs of the Texas Department of Transportation and other Texas governmental agencies and numerous persons in the private sector.

Although there has been opposition to the project since the idea softly made its way into the public's attention earlier this decade, the last two years have seen many heated town and county meetings where incensed landowners wanted answers from governmental officials about this "superhighway."

There have also been changes in state law that complicate things a bit.

What follows over the next several months will be a series of podcasts and videocasts on the subject of the Trans-Texas Corridor.  You'll hear and see both pro and con on the subject.  Your conclusions will be reflected in the Comments section of each posting, that's if you care to leave a Comment.

First, let's take a look at the story as presented by this well-done video piece from the Texas Department of Transportation's website promoting the TTC.

12:00 minutes

Your Comments are welcome - look for the Comments link below.

 

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Video copyright: Texas Department of Transportation. Heads-up by TexanaTV

 

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Yikes! More Snakes!

There's been a movement afoot for more than several years now amongst those who spend a lot of time in the Texas outdoors.

That movement is to nurture the endangered Texas Indigo snake.

"Why?" you may ask.

Because those of us who tromp around the countryside for whatever reason - work or play - understand how a rattlesnake bite can ruin our day.

As it turns out (and is absolutely fine with me!), the Texas Indigo considers rattlesnake a delicacy, as you'll see in this short slideshow.

If you're squeamish, I suggest you NOT watch this!

If not, watch...

 

 

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Yikes! Snakes!

If you don't think the warm weather has made our Texas rattlesnakes happy, have a look at this!

Watch...

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Sharon Spinks talks about her book, "Law on the Last Frontier"

I met Sharon Spinks in San Angelo where she was speaking at an author’s conference for area high school students.

She had recently published a book titled “Law on the Last Frontier,” framed around the exploits of her grandfather-in-law, Texas Ranger Arthur Hill.

Several weeks later, Sharon and I met in Abilene to chat about her book.

"In a career forged in the saddle on scout duty along the Rio Grande, Arthur Hill witnessed dramatic changes in his working life as a Texas Ranger from 1947 to 1974. Whether inspecting brands, deterring smugglers of everything from cattle to candle wax, or giving horseback pursuit across unforgiving terrain, often into Mexico, Hill found himself immersed day to day in a world that straddled centuries as well as cultures." - from dust jacket

Watch our chat!

Watch with Windows Media Player...

Get "Law on the Last Frontier" at Amazon.com HERE

 

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Nature greets me to San Angelo

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I arrived safely at the ranch in Coke County north of San Angelo last week, exhausted from all the packing, loading the truck and drive from Houston.  But soon as I stepped out of the truck's cab, I breathed in a large breath of west Texas air that extinguished my fatigue.

Although I still have stacks of boxes all around and my studio is a disaster, the boxes and organization will have to wait so I can ramp up The Texana Review again.

Yesterday, after working through several of my files, I stepped into the kitchen for a beverage.  I glanced out the window and, lo and behold, there were a couple of whitetail bucks sizing each other up. I know the rutting season is just about to begin, so I watched as these two circled one another, then started sparring.

I leapt to the box where I thought my video camera was and sure enough found it.  Here's what I watched through my kitchen window from about 40 yards.

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Poet Laureate Larry Thomas profiled by KTRK

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Houston ABC's TV station KTRK reporter Katisha Cosley caught up with Larry Thomas in June and brought in this report on the 2008 Texas State Poet Laureate, Larry Thomas.

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Branard Street Demolition, Houston, Texas

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I was sleeping late that Saturday morning when I heard the big diesel fire up on the street outside my studio. Peeking through the window blinds, I saw the big backhoe from Houston Demolition easing off its trailer next door.  I dressed rapidly, grabbed a Red Bull and my video camera and watched this machine make matchsticks out of the house next door in less than 30 minutes. Awesome!

8:30 minutes

Sponsored by

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What's there to like about Texas? A lot!

One of my sponsors, Charles Lusk of Lusk Properties, Inc., brought this to my attention the other day knowing that I'd been on the road a lot lately.  He also knows that what he likes about Texas and what I like about Texas parallel very closely.  Anyway, how could anyone not like Gary Nunn and this slide show.  Enjoy!

Immigration by the Numbers

While most of us in Texas are accutely aware of the problems of illegal immigration and the challenges ahead for dealing with it, many, if not most of us are too busy to take the time to try to get our arms around the big picture.  Although this piece is already six months old, it's a good way to get a perspective on the immigration issue.  If you've not already seen this, take 14 minutes and watch this video.  It's a sobering view. Roy Beck's celebrated demonstration of the population consequences of current U.S. immigration policies has entertained and shocked audiences across the country. This video is packed with the facts and analysis that make moral and practical sense of a complex and highly contentious issue. http://NumberUSA.org