Posted on

Boom goes the thunder. Enter a brave new world of Houston football!

A clap of thunder about 2 o’clock this morning sharply transferred me from Dream Land into the here and now.

I immediately rose and went to the window, as I always do, to see the rain coming down in buckets. It’s called “drought behavior.” Shortly after listening to the torrential rain and various booms of thunder, the electricity flashed momentarily. It wasn’t enough to stop the alarm clock but a “beep” did warn me that my sleep apnea CPAP machine had stopped. Pushing the button to restart Mr. CPAP, I momentarily wondered whether I should get up and set the alarm on my cell phone as a hedge against a longer lasting lapse of electric power. I said: “ZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzz … ”

No matter how crappy my day was otherwise, I eventually and fully woke this morning to a new world. The world into which I had awakened had never before came forth with a Houston Texans playoff win. But lo and behold, Bevis and Butt-Head, here we were.

Although I half-assed picked them to win during a post last week I was really kind of doubtful as to the reality of such a feat. Sure enough, the Texans beat the Cincinnati Bengals 31-10 with air connections, ground-pounding  and defensive moves combining the two.

Andre Johnson rightly — as he is greatness and has been with the Texans for a long while — scored on a 40-yard pass play in which he made Bengals DB Adam “Pacman” Jones look like “Old Man” Jones. Pacman showed his great sportsmanship by storming off the field and shoving his defensive coach when the latter tried to say something to him. What a class act, that Pacman. Maybe it’s time for him to get serious about that hip-hop career.

Tailback Arian Foster, as was superbly described by CultureMap Houston’s Chris Baldwin, had the “Texans’ logo shaved into his head like a high school kid getting pumped up for the big homecoming game. It’s a move that delights his teammates, bringing a bunch of pros back to when they played the game for fun.” Foster infected the fans with that fun by scoring twice including a beautiful 42-yard run that brought a flashback of big man Earl Campbell from the “Luv Ya Blue” days.

Rookie J.J. Watt — an associate of Buckingham U. Badger during his college days at Wisconsin — looked as graceful as a ballerina when the defensive end leaped for an interception from Bengals QB Andy Dalton and ran the 29 yards for a game-changing touchdown.

It brought me a little happiness to see the Texans, who were battered, bruised and beat-up this year, pull off this impressive win. But I suppose that is just my fan-dom showing. Oh what the hell.

The Oilers Texans have their work cut out for them in the next go-round with the Ravens in Baltimore. The Birds beat them up pretty good when they last met, which was in Houston. As seemed to be the case last week, a lot of the sports talk people I sometimes hear on the radio have already written off the Texans. Yet it really doesn’t matter because even if they were somehow to pull off a conference championship or, God forbid, a Super Bowl win, they won’t get the respect they deserve. That’s just the way it goes if your radio or TV market isn’t named New York, or Dallas. Or if you are trying to be the “anti-homer” station.

It is wishful thinking but I pick Houston 20 Baltimore 19.

My other picks:

Denver 28

New England 21

LBJ has one last miracle in him.

Green Bay 35

New York Giants 20

Looks like a Manning won’t be going to the Super Bowl this year.

New Orleans 35

San Francisco 10

As long as Drew Brees ain’t hopped up on that cough medicine he advertises, the Saints look good. Just kidding about the cough medicine.

 

Posted on

Complexities of the coast, fog, smoke and all that jazz

Today I ended up doing squat. That kind of made me feel bad since I had intended to do more than squat. I even thought about going to the beach but I was concerned about smoke.

A massive – or so I was led to believe — wildfire had been burning in the area of the McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge. The beach I go to is McFaddin Beach, a part of this U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service area. I stuck my head out the door last night to check the temperature and I detected the rich, though not totally unpleasant, odor of smoke from burnt organic material. How do I know all that? Well, for one thing I grew up in the Pineywoods of East Texas where one could tell the smell of lingering woods fires from all else. Secondly, I’ve now lived here in Beaumont, about 45 miles from the uppermost Texas Coast, for awhile now and likewise recognize the distinct smell of burning coastal prairie.

This morning I woke up to a story that had gone, well, worldwide from what I’ve seen. A more than massive car pileup occurred near Port Arthur that was purportedly caused by a mixture of smoke and fog. The mess involved between 50 and 200 cars. That particular area is probably 20 miles South of where I live and about an equal distance from near where the marsh fire has been burning. It was pretty much a mess with 54 people injured, four critically. Helicopters, ambulances and buses took the injured to, I suppose, all the area hospitals.

I was kind of confused this afternoon when I read an article on the AP wire, quoting our county’s emergency management director saying the large marsh fire which I had heard so much about, was now out. I sent the EM coordinator an e-mail, asking how long these fires continue to smolder, because I took it that the smoke involved in the pileup was from the large fire I had been reading about. So far, I’ve not heard from him. I would be surprised if he does write me back.

The marshes abutting the beaches and extending for varied distances in all directions except South are part of the 1 percent of southeastern Texas-southwestern Louisiana tall-grass coastal prairie remaining from the some 7 million acres in pre-settlement days. I grew up looking at stately trees and gradual hills, saw a little of the world here and there and for the longest it took me a while to find the marshes attractive. But yes, I do find those marshes pretty and even more so because I know they are all that is what is left of ancient land in our particular environs.

A spark from welding was what was said to have caused the marsh fire which burned, according to at least one story, 10 acres. I think I’ve seen other stories indicating more acreage than that have been charred. But sometimes the fires on the wildlife refuge in Southeast Texas and as well in the federal area across Sabine Lake in Cameron Parish, La., are set in so-called “prescribed burns.” This is how it works, the US F&WS says:

 “Burning, if done at the right time of the year, will reduce the amount of dead marsh hay present and allow other species to grow. If fire is suppressed, several years of dense marsh vegetation will shade the surface, preventing other seeds from germinating or surviving. A productive burn removes vegetation that is just above ground and is usually conducted while there is still some surface water. Water acts as a barrier for the soil, preventing it from getting “cooked” while removing the vegetation. After a fire, most vegetation sprouts from the roots and the marsh is quickly covered with new growth. In addition, many other species of plants will sprout from seed as the sunlight warms the soil. “

Okay, well we’re getting out past the oil platforms. I talked to a nice lady at Sea Rim State Park, next door to McFaddin Beach, this afternoon and they reported no smoke at all. As a matter, she didn’t even see any fog coming to work this morning. However, she said perhaps several other marsh fires had also been burning in addition to the larger one.

I suppose that is the spotty nature of coastal weather and marsh fires. If I get my butt in gear and try to actually do something, such as go to the beach, I will make sure the fog is sufficiently “burned off” (no pun intended — at all.)

Posted on

Between the Texans and the Bengals this Saturday, I pick …

Let’s talk sports. Why? Why do I always ask myself that? I don’t know. I really shouldn’t be talking to myself while writing “my blog.” But after all, it is “my blog.” Enough said? Stop that!

The Houston Texans make their playoff debut this Saturday at Reliant Stadium. If I had a few hundred bucks to throw around I would buy a ticket and try to find a hotel close to the MetroRail. But I don’t. So I will have to watch it on television. That is probably just as well. Even though the noise level will likely be turned up in Reliant by Texans fans, I am uncomfortable screaming profanities out loud in public, even if no one can hear them. I expect a few profanities from my way.

Many folks, both those learned in sports and those who just shoot off their mouths seem to think that the three losses the Texans suffered since they beat Saturday’s opponent, the Bengals, have something to do with whether Houston can rise to the challenge in their first post-season game in history. This is while others compare them to or see them an offshoot of the Oilers, that once-beloved team that left long ago to become the hated Tennessee Titans. Well, let’s take this sordid history apart.

1. The wicked, wicked Bud Adams took the Houston Oilers franchise to Tennessee in 1996 after he was unable to extort a new stadium out of the Bayou City.

2. The Oilers became the Tennessee Titans.

3. A new franchise called the Houston Texans started up in 2002.

4. The Texans languished in sometime-mediocrity and sometime-not-so-bad until this season.

5. This year’s Texans were viewed with great anticipation by a number of the country’s sports pundits. The team, indeed, had its best season despite an unfortunate string of injuries that left the team as a synonym for a MASH unit. Probably the best receiver in the NFL, Texans’ Andre Johnson was plagued most the season with first, one Achilles heel problem and then another on the other leg. Starting quarterback Matt Schaub went out for the season with a broken foot in week 10. The next game saw backup Matt Leinart with his first start, which lasted all of the first half after which he went out for the year with a broken collarbone. Third-string rookie T.J. Yates then took over. Yates has looked impressive, but he suffered a separated shoulder in the last regular season game. More on that.

6. The Texans lost three straight games after winning the AFC South. The last loss was to the Titans, during which Yates went out with the shoulder problem. Fortunately, the injury was not to his throwing arm and Yates has reportedly “looked good” in practice. Still, one has to worry about some Bengals linebacker intentionally trying to turn the young Yates’ non-throwing shoulder into a piece of battered meat. Jake DelHomme, who was signed after the Houston quarterback battering began, started for the first time as the Texans’ fourth-string quarterback last Sunday. DelHomme is a Ragin’ Cajun who played for University of Louisiana-Lafayette and led the Carolina Panthers to a one-point Super Bowl loss in 2003. He steered the Texans, during the meaningless game with Tennessee, to a last-second comeback. However, the Texans lost when they failed to convert a two-point conversion.

Houston has, for several years, had the reputation of failing to seal the deal. That has been an occasional problem this year although they finished the regular season with a 10-6 record. Still, the Texans can often make one’s blood pressure travel in directions that it shouldn’t.

Andre Johnson should be back Saturday against Cincy as should Yates and Arian Foster, who is one of the NFL’s tip-top running backs with almost 1,225 rushing yards this year. “Depth” be thy name of Houston’s backfield, what with Foster, Derrick Ward and Ben Tate, the latter who was just shy of rushing 1,000 yards during the regular season. Other major offensive threats to the Bengals will include receivers Owen Daniels, Kevin Walter and Joel Dreessen not to mention the Pro-Bowl-snubbed Houston offensive line.

Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips will, for the second week in a row, call defensive plays from a press box as he is still recovering from kidney and gall bladder surgery. News accounts say his dad, coaching legend Bum Phillips, told friends the defensive coordinator and former Dallas Cowboys head coach had a tumor “the size of a volleyball” removed from his kidney and gallbladder. Coach Gary Kubiak said the younger Phillips is doing well but would like a more comfortable chair in which to sit on Saturday. If anyone deserves a better chair, it’s Phillips. A lesser-experienced, more ego-involved coach might have felt deflated after being cast adrift by Somebody’s Team — Dallas. But Wade P. bounced right back in Houston and has put together one of the top three defenses in the NFL. While that defense may have faltered a slight bit in the past couple of weeks, they still are solid and have seen Bengals QB Andy Dalton and his offensive squad before.

There is really nothing in particular that points toward why the Texans should lose Saturday but the Bengals are a slight favorite. I think most are expecting another close game between Houston and Cincy. So I should join the crowd and likewise expect something like a 24-20 game in favor of the Bengals. But what the heck, if you can dream, why not dream.

I pick Houston in a 45-12 screen pass/ground attack fest. And if I’m wrong? I don’t really know anything about football anyway.

 

Posted on

What passes for reality in “Election 2012” a.k.a. “The Twilight Zone”

What is reality?

That is a question asked by those whose station in life run from philosopher to stoner as well as folks who meet at the intersection and on the edges. As we enter into a presidential election year the inquiry seems particularly appropriate. That is due, in part, to the wildly unreal race during 2011 for the person who will become the Republican nominee this year to run against President Barack Obama.

A week or so ago, I spoke to my friend Paul in a Skype conversation in which this very topic emerged. Paul, who is an educator in Tokyo and a former journalism classmate of mine at Stephen F. Austin in Texas, said the whole shebang might just as well be one big TV “reality” show. That begs the question then, what form would that show take? “Dancing With Republicans?” Well, maybe not. At least Newt Gingrich has made his feelings known about reality shows, in his particularly cynical and hypocritical way.

In fact, Gingrich — whose star hopefully has fallen in the GOP race once and for all — illustrates just how unreal is our daily reality show that has become the Republican race and has been egged on by the national media.

The former Speaker of the U.S. House and veteran pol has in the past couple of weeks whined about the attack ads unleashed upon him by the likes of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. The Newt claims Romney is attempting to “buy the vote.” The charge of Gingrich’s “Romney-boating” is made, of course, because Gingrich has not yet accomplished the funds he needs to buy the vote.

In what most people see as reality there is little difference between the negativity of campaign ads and the viciousness Newt has let loose among his colleagues while House speaker. Gingrich has shown himself adept at both. Then there is the speaker’s problems with marital fidelity in between the periods he decries the national lack of family values caused by liberals.

As the Iowa Caucuses come to a head Tuesday one could find in that state more two-faced politicians than in a circus freak show.

Rick Perry is as guilty as they come in the “do as I say, not as I do” brethren. Here we have our good-haired governor of Texas who can both assassinate a coyote while jogging and shoot off his mouth about his state seceding from the U.S. Perry decried the federal handouts to help the economy but had a hissy fit when he could not get more government largess for Texas. All through the campaign, Perry talked tough until suddenly during an autumn New Hampshire speech he acts like a cow who stumbled upon loco weed. Ol’ Good Hair wildly gesticulated, cradled a bottle of maple syrup and just generally acted a fool leaving many wondering if the governor himself might have been into to the loco weed.

Speaking of acting a fool, the Godfather of Pizza Herman Cain had some wondering if his presidential campaign was not itself an act. Liberal msnbc host Rachel Maddow seemed convinced that the Cain campaign was a piece of performing art. Just think, not in terms of a presidential campaign itself but rather a compendium of bizarre acts — quoting from “Pokeman,” Uzebeki, beki-stan-stan, his 999 economic plan being written by a guy who works in a Wells Fargo bank. Art? Perhaps.

Then there is the reality of Ron Paul who many in his own party find him too real. He wants to bring all the troops home — from everywhere. When’s the last time that happened? In 1812, maybe?

The list goes on. Santorum. Bachmann. Two evangelical right-wingers who would really like to rule a Christian theocracy.

Finally, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. How real is he? Romney has pulled off the “being for it before he was against it” act to a degree that exceeds his fellow Bay Stater, former Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry. Romney is opaque to the extent that if George W. Bush was to look into his eyes, he’d likely see Vladimir Putin’s soul provided Putin was standing behind of Romney.

The reality show will roll into high gear later this summer once the television networks attempt to pull some entertainment value out of the national political conventions. Then, here come the zingers!

The story starts out real-ish, then along the way one wonders if reality is what one is actually witnessing, until finally one questions their own sanity. Like that wise old sage Rod Serling said: ” You’re moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You’ve just crossed over into the Twilight Zone!”

Except one probably shouldn’t expect substance.

Posted on

The right side of Texas in song

The title of The Atlantic’s Top 10 piece “The Geography of the Year in Music” sounded like a good idea at the time. I envisioned, perhaps, a top 10 of cities mentioned in popular music for the year or something of the sort. Instead, it was kind of, how can I say this, boring as hell. Essentially, the piece uses information which a doctoral student in urban planning gathered through a database of hit songs or hit-making acts per city. The result was how many singles were produced per 100,000 for a specific city. Just trying to explain it here has already taken more out of me than was intended.

Look, I know the writer wants to write a piece and the doctoral student in urban planning wants to play with data. I am sure a large number of people will read the article because The Atlantic is bordering on the kitten’s PJs as far as I am concerned. I just found the article left me feeling as if I was in the Recovery Room after major surgery.

But I feel as if I too can write an article that combines what are, to me, the interesting topics of geography and music. Furthermore, I believe that I can bore the hell out of you as well if you are so disposed. Otherwise you might find some redeeming quality or, God forbid, learn something in my little Internet list, which examines:

The Top 5 East Texas Towns in Song

There is no hocus-pocus-focus with statistics here. Believe me, I work with stats part-time and sometimes even that is too much. These towns are picked as favorites of mine and mine alone because of the song, the town or the combination thereof. Purists might argue the tie for No. 5 are not really East Texas and perhaps they aren’t in soul. I say: “Get a map.”

1. “Rock and Roll Doctor” — Sung by the late, great Lowell George with Little Feat. “It’s just a country town but patients come/from Mobile to Moline from all around/Nacogdoches to New Orleans/in beat-up old cars or in limousines/To meet the doctor of soul, he’s got everything.”

2. “She’s Crazy For Leaving” — The No. 1 country single for Houston native and great songwriter Rodney Crowell. Crowell attended my alma mater, Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches. “So I punched out my truck on a telephone pole/No she never looked back she just said “go driver go.” Well I know I could a caught her/But I ran out of luck/She was long gone to Lufkin by the time they cut me out of my truck.”

3. “Stars on the Water” — Another, older Rodney Crowell tune. “Beaumont to Biloxi/Sea breeze at your door/Gypsy rains, dang hurricanes/White silver sandy shore/Blue Light lounge is shinin’/Way out on the view.”

4. “Teneha, Timpson, Bobo and Blair” — A real oldie by East Texas singing cowboy Tex Ritter. The song refers to communities in Shelby County, to which I know I have been to the first two. Perhaps it was an Army cadence call and for sure something called out in a crap game, Tex explains all in his song.

5. (Tie) “Galveston” — The 1960s hit penned by Jimmy Webb and sung by Glen Campbell. I had long heard it was a protest song about the Vietnam War, but knowing the lyrics, I didn’t see it. Webb later said he had imagined the line “I clean my gun and dream of Galveston” as during the Spanish-American War back in the island city’s heyday.

5. (Tie) “Midnight Special” — A traditional folk song made famous by blues legend Huddie Ledbetter a.k.a. Leadbelly. My favorite version is, of course, by Creedence Clearwater Revival on their “Willie and the Poor Boys” LP recorded in 1969. “If you’re ever in Houston/Boy you better do right/You better not gamble/And you better not fight/Cause the sheriff will grab you/And the boys will bring you down/The next thing you know boy, you’ll be prison bound.” I don’t know if those are the exact words. It’s one of those songs meant to be sung in the way you feel. ‘Cept you best sing Houston. Leadbelly’s words likely doesn’t portray the image that the Houston visitors bureau would like you to visualize. Still, Huddie Ledbetter’s words about Houston law enforcement remains fairly accurate.