A Texan and His Word.

As you know I am a proud Texan. Something that endears me to some and is frowned upon by others. Regardless of how you feel about Texan pride one must admit that it is based on a profound history of brave and honorable men and women. Unfortunately since the time of the Carpet Baggers, not all those that make it in Texas government deserve the right to call themselves Texan.

This is true of Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson. I have no idea if Mr. Patterson was born in Texas or not, but I can tell you he can't be a Texan. You see, the State of Texas received a generous donation of land near Big Bend under the condition that it be conserved. The deed stipulates that the land must remain in public hands unless written permission by the donors is received. Unfortunately Mr. Patterson instead decided to pull a move befitting the seediest Yankee lawyer and put the land up for sell to the highest bidder. When asked about receiving permission from the conservationists who donated the land, he stated that he would ignore that restriction in the deed because it is unenforceable.

That may be, but my daddy taught me that a Texan's word is gold. That a promise in Texas is stronger than any contract. Now I'm not stupid, I know that this is a quaint view, but damn it, if the State itself can't keep a promise what does that say about being a Texan?

Venus and Jupiter

It has been a while since I have left for work before 06:30 as I did this morning. So it was a surprise to be greeted to an astronomical event. The Venus and Jupiter, two brightest objects in the sky outside of the Sun and the Moon, were in the sky right next to each other. Now, I know very little about astronomy but this was pretty cool. I wonder how often this really happens.