Tag Archives: Texas

Is Texas Next?

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SPUTNIK NEWS

The UK’s Brexit referendum has inspired an activist group from Texas named Texas Nationalist Movement to organize its own voting in a bid to secede from the United States. That’s according to the Guardian newspaper, citing president of the organization Daniel Miller. Sputnik spoke to Miller in an interview.

“Recent polling in 2014 showed that 54% of Republicans, about half of independent voters and over a third of democrats believe that Texas should become an independent nation,” Miller said.

Map of the world
© Photo: Pixabay

He said that he is confident that if Texans gets the chance to go to the polls and vote on this issue after a free and full debate, “Texans would choose to live under free governance.”Talking about whether he received any feedback from the Washington on this matter, Miller said that the Federal Government, aside from the response that they gave in relation to the White House, has responded with silence and indifference.

“The Federal Government has its own set of problems to deal with at this point. Whether it is the economy or massive unrestricted immigration, war issues, the Federal Government has a lot on its plate and it does not know how to handle it,” Miller told Sputnik.

He further said that as the referendum draws closer, the Federal Government will react in a way similar to how they have reacted to Brexit.

Talking about the issues that Texas could end up facing if it separates from the United States, Miller said that it is important to separate facts from fear.

“They want people to fear governing themselves so that they have the power. What the opposition has to offer the people of Texas has been centered on fear. If Texas was standing as an independent nation right now, could this opposition convince Texas to join a nation that has 90 trillion dollars’ worth of national debt?” the president of the organization said.

Miller further said, “Would it join the nation that has 175,000 pages of federal laws and regulations? I do not believe that anyone can make a case at this moment in time for Texas to join the Union, so therefore, it is easy for us to make the case that we should leave the union.”

He further said that the fact is not whether to choose to stay or to leave, but the fact is that just like in the UK it is important to be able to debate on this.

“We have to be able to show that it is possible for the first world powers, for major economic powers to go and have public debates, to have adult conversation about governance and then to go and have a vote on it and that’s all we are asking for,” Miller concluded.

The latest initiative of Texas Nationalist Movement is not the first attempt to hold a referendum in a bid to secede from the United States. Back in 2012 a similar “Texit” petition gathered more than one hundred twenty five thousand votes, but was shot down by the White House.

Texas was an independent republic from 1836 to 1845, when the United States annexed it. Texas Nationalist Movement emerged in the late 1990s and is reportedly backed by more than two hundred sixty thousand Texans.

Its member’s campaign for the state’s secession, arguing Texas would be politically and economically better off as an independent country.

from:    http://www.amtvmedia.com/why-texas-wants-its-independence/

Thank You, Texas Senator Wendy Davis! #SB5 is Dead

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Cecile Richards

President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood Action Fund

Some Amazing News Out of Texas

Posted: 06/26/2013 10:08 am

You can practically hear the shouts this morning as folks all over the country wake up to – I can’t believe I get to write this – some amazing news out of Texas.

The final hours of the fight against one of the most extreme anti-abortion laws in the country ended the way it all began: with a citizens’ filibuster – albeit somewhat less official.

For eleven hours, State Senator Wendy Davis led a marathon filibuster while the whole nation watched. Opponents of women’s health did everything they could to push her aside, and she held her ground to block a bill that could have shut down 37 of Texas’ 42 providers of safe and legal abortion.

When some politicians finally used legislative maneuvers to stop her, the crowd took over. For more than 15 minutes, supporters who had packed into the capitol screamed, cheered, and chanted to bring the Senate to a halt. I was standing on the Senate floor, and I can tell you that the sound of democracy was nearly deafening.

Even Lt. Governor David Dewhurst was forced to admit that this “unruly mob” was “the most incredible thing” he had ever seen in his life. And as long as I live, I will never forget the moment I was lucky enough to stand in the capitol rotunda and read a text message from Senator Davis:

“I love you guys. The Lt Gov has agreed – #SB5 is dead.”

The fact of the matter is, here in Texas, we’ve started something no one can stop. They lit the fuse in Austin – but the fire is catching all over the country. People don’t want politicians making women’s private medical decisions, cutting off access to lifesaving preventive care or safe and legal abortion – and they absolutely will not stand for it.

A few nights ago, as things were heating up on the ground in Austin, Rachel Maddow asked: “Texas – who knew?”

We knew.

And we did it.

from:    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cecile-richards/some-amazing-news-out-of_b_3503092.html

Volcanic Activity – Mexico/Texas Border

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5/19/2013 — Mexico Plume near dormant Volcano very close to Texas border

Late afternoon, going into sunset , May 18, 2013 (100UTC May 19, 2013) … several plumes appeared in central west Mexico — quickly followed by large prominent columns (steam or smoke?) produced near the Texas border.

Location .. somewhere very close to:

29°12’52.46″N , 102° 1’15.06″W

If you look at the area on Google earth, you will quickly come to see

1) It is a desert

2) There are several very old (dormant) volcanoes at this location

plumes volcano may 19 2013

from:   http://sincedutch.wordpress.com/

 

 

Irving, Texas Earthquake

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Earthquake in Irving, Texas

Last update: September 30, 2012 at 11:49 am by By

Earthquake in Irving, Texas
The epicenter was only 3 km from Irving, Texas. The extremely shallow depth of 5 km resulted in a very strong experience, even with a relatively weak Magnitude. A max. MMI of IV has been reported by the USGS (light shaking).
The earthquake happened at 23:05 local time.
The reason of the earthquake will have to be researched by seismologists.  Texas had multiple small to moderate earthquakes the last couple of years. Today’s earthquake is one of the weaker ones.
Some people even felt the shaking in Ennis, which is relatively far away from the epicenter.
We can confirm that the epicenter is below Irving as most on the people online in this site are coming from Irving.
The mainshock was followed by a lower intensity aftershock about 5 minutes later.
We appreciate the many I Have Felt It reports from people who have felt the shaking.
Earthquake-Report.com does not expect any serious damage or injuries from this earthquake, however small cracks in walls and falling objects will certainly have happened here and there.
Update 04:54 UTC : Aftershocks can be expected as the earth layers are looking for a balance. These aftershocks are rarely bigger than than the first shock. The night may be disturbed by such events. They will normally only be felt very close to the epicenter,  in this case Irving.
Update 05:05 UTC : Luckily and as expected, we could not detect any damage so far
Update 05:21 UTC : USGS listed the epicenter at 32.847°N, 96.956°W.. That’s just southwest of Las Colinas Country Club near North McArthur Blvd. and West Rochelle Road. It was southeast of DFW International Airport. However, this has to be taken with a serious error margin. Seismology is a very complex science and in this case the horizontal error margin was set at 11.7 km and the vertical one at 3.1 km. The exact epicenter will only be located later on.
Update 05:34 UTC : We will have to wait until tomorrow morning before a final assessment has taken place. Hopefully all of you will have an undisturbed sleep.
Update 11:42 UTC : 6 hours after our latest update, we can now confirm that local authorities did not receive any report of damage or injuries. In addition to what we have told so far, we also mention that the greater area has been hit by a number of similar quakes since 2008.

from:    http://earthquake-report.com/2012/09/29/complete-earthquakes-list-september-30-2012/

No More Critical Thought in Texas

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 Check this out, an article by Danny Weil:

Texas GOP Declares: “No More Teaching of ‘Critical Thinking Skills’ in Texas Public Schools”

Saturday, 07 July 2012 08:03 By Danny Weil, Truthout | News Analysis

Texas Textbooks.Textbooks, which are assigned and shared, in a classroom at Hutto High School in Hutto, Texas, April 5, 2012. (Photo: Ben Sklar / The New York Times)

from the article:     “The Republican Party of Texas has issued their 2012 political platform and has come out and blatantly opposed critical thinking in public schools throughout the state. If you wonder what took them so long to actually state that publicly, it is really a matter of timing. With irrationality now the norm and an election hovering over the 2012 horizon, the timing of the Republican GOP announcement against “critical thinking” instruction couldn’t be better.  It helps gin up their anti-intellectual base.

The Texas GOP’s declarative position against critical thinking in public schools, or any schools, for that matter, is now an official part of their political platform. It is public record in the Republican Party of Texas 2012 platform. With regard to critical thinking, the Republican Party of Texas document states: “Knowledge-Based Education – We oppose the teaching of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) (values clarification), critical thinking skills and similar programs that are simply a relabeling of Outcome-Based Education (OBE) (mastery learning) which focus on behavior modification and have the purpose of challenging the student’s fixed beliefs and undermining parental authority.” (page 20, Republican Party of Texas, 2012).

Yes, challenging beliefs or claims is considered insubordinate, immoral and could lead to rebellion, disobedience or perhaps worse: revolution. For the Republican Party and their followers, thinking is subversive, imagination is a sin and the Republican Party in Texas and elsewhere is working to codify this into public policy. The plutocrats can’t have a working-class citizenry that is asking questions of those in power, be they parents or bosses; instead, the people must be taught the ideology of what is morally acceptable, what rules and regulations to follow. and even more importantly, how to accept and internalize hierarchical authoritarianism. Critical thinking is a direct challenge to the “leaders” and their claims on authority, and any opposition to vertical arrangements is ethically unacceptable to those in power.”

And there is much more in the article.  To read the full article, go to:

http://truth-out.org/news/item/10144-texas-gop-declares-no-more-teaching-of-critical-thinking-skills-in-texas-public-schools

Timpson, Texas 2nd Earthquake

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Second earthquake in 7 days near Timpson, Texas, USA

Last update: May 17, 2012 at 2:40 pm by By 

Most important Earthquake Data:
Magnitude : 4.3
UTC Time :   Thursday, May 17, 2012 at 08:12:01 UTC
Local time at epicenter : Thursday, May 17, 2012 at 03:12:01 AM at epicenter
Depth (Hypocenter) :  5 km (3.1 miles)
Geo-location(s) :
Very close to Timpson, Texas
45 km (27 miles) NE of Nacogdoches, Texas   

Update 14:23 UTC :  A lot of people are very concerned that an even bigger earthquake may be striking the area. First of all we have to say that aftershocks which are stronger than the initial mainshock are only happening now and then. The vast majority of aftershocks are less powerful than the mainshock and are gradually getting weaker. Although very rare, it can not be excluded neither as today’s aftershock is showing.  Aftershocks may also be expected in this case.

Update 14:14 UTC :  news-journal.com (PanolaWatchman.com) writes that Shelby County Sheriff’s dispatcher Jacob Allen said the only injury report received so far was an elderly woman who fell out of her bed and cut her arm. Allen said the quake caused broken windows and fallen dishes, but no major damage had been reported.

Update 14:13 UTC :  Following the Texas State Historical Association, earthquakes were reported in Rusk in 1891, Center in 1981, and Jacksonville in 1981. In other words, they are extremely rare in this area of the country.

Update 14:10 UTC:  The home security camera inside a Texas house (location unknown) shows the kind of shaking that was experienced. Based on this footage, we believe that it must have been not too far from the epicenter. Although the origin of the video cannot be traced, earthquake-report.com has no reason to believe that this was a setup.

Update 09:31 UTC : Earthquake-Report.com does thank the Texas people for sharing their experience with the rest of the world (especially with their fellow Texans).  I Have Felt it descriptions are still the best Earthquake value to be found. Magnitudes and Focal depths are of course important, but every earthquake (even with the same values) will be felt differently all over the world.

Update 09:28 UTC :  On May 10, we had a surprisingly “more than normal” number of earthquakes in unusual areas. It all started in Timpson, Texas with later during the day moderate quakes in Indiana and Oklahoma! We are of course very curious to see if a similar occurrence will be the case today. Normally, we do not expect it to happen again.

Shaking map courtesy USGS – Greenish area is the Moderate shaking area

Update 09:14 UTC :  Last earthquake gave only few moderate aftershocks, which hopefully will be the same today.

Update 09:09 UTC :  Timpson and Tenaha are the towns where a Moderate shaking will have been experienced.  Center, Carthage, Logansport, Nacagdoches, San Augustine, Tatum and Henderson will have experienced a (theoretical) light shaking. The area beyond this radius a weak to very weak shaking. These theoretical scenarios are based on the earthquake parameters in combination with the Felt intensity of historic earthquakes.

Update 09:07 UTC :  Today’s earthquake happened in the middle of the night (03:12 local time), which is always a very scary experience for the people living close to the epicenter. A very shallow hypocenter adds to this experience.

Update 08:56 UTC :  EMSC (European seismological agency) reports an initial M4.6 at a depth of 2 km. As you can imagine, we prefer the USGS data as most accurate in this case as USGS has a lot of equipment all over the territory.

Update 08:53 UTC :  Based on theoretical estimates, 14,000 people will have experienced a moderate shaking and 143,000 people a light shaking. At Earthquake-Report.com, we can confirm these intensity expectations (based on the felt reports we have received).

Same epicenter area than the May 10 earthquake which was (only) M3.9.  Only 6 km from Simpson, TX
The Experience report we received minutes after this aftershock, was right in stating that it felt stronger then the initial one. Serious damages are not to be expected, at max. a few cracks in walls and objects who are falling from shelves etc.

Earthquake May 10 – M3.9
This is what we wrote on the May 10 earthquake : Moderate earthquake below Timpson, Texas
” I was sitting at the computer when the entire house shook. I thought someone had ran into the house.” said Caroline Davis from Timpson.  The earthquake was initially reported as a M3.9 earthquake and later decreased to a M3.7 at a very shallow depth of 5 km. Some local media are reporting the epicenter just South East of Garrison, although USGS  maps the epicenter clearly below Timpson. Based on the Magnitude and the kind of shaking Caroline Davis has felt, we think the present location below Timpson is right. Defining the exact epicenter of an earthquake is always very difficult. It needs complex computing and an error margin is always included in the reporting of the seismological agencies. In this case the Horizontal error margin is  10.4 miles and the vertical 1.9 miles.
The max. shaking intensity as reported by people who have felt it was MMI IV (light shaking) to V (moderate shaking), enough to be scared seriously if you feel it.
The earthquake was felt well in a radius of 15 to 20 miles around the epicenter. Felt by few people in a radius up to 75 miles.
Some people reported a shaking of ca 10 seconds.
No damage or injuries have been reported so far. Earthquake-Report.com, following earthquakes worldwide every day of the year, expects NO damage or injuries from this earthquake. Fallen objects are always a possibility though.
Update : According to a meteorologist at the NWC, no damage has been reported in the area.  He said he did not know how an earthquake could have hit the area, as there are no significant fault lines.
Update : A resident from Garrison county said the earthquake caused cracks on bricks at his house.

for more information and updates, go to:   http://earthquake-report.com/2012/05/17/second-earthquake-in-7-days-near-timpson-texas-usa/

Another Reason to Visit Texas

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Want to Shoot Bigfoot? It’s Legal in Texas

Life’s Little Mysteries Staff
Date: 11 May 2012 Time: 01:42 PM ET
An artist's interpretation of Bigfoot.
An artist’s interpretation of Bigfoot.
CREDIT: Karl Tate, LiveScience Infographic Artist

Anyone seeking ultimate proof of the existence of Bigfoot should head south. In Texas, it is legal to shoot and kill this legendary giant ape, known in other parts of the world as Sasquatch or Yeti, which has never been discovered.

According to an official with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission, Bigfoot isn’t listed as an endangered species, so you’re free to kill as many as you want.

“If the Commission does not specifically list an indigenous, nongame species, then the species is considered nonprotected nongame wildlife,” David Sinclair, direction of the law enforcement division at Texas Parks and Wildlife, wrote in an email response to a curious Bigfoot believer. “A nonprotected nongame animal may be hunted on private property with landowner consent by any means, at any time and there is no bag limit or possession limit.”

John Lloyd Sharf of Salem, Ore., contacted Texas Parks and Wildlife to inquire whether Bigfoot was protected in Texas. As one of the 29 percent of Americans who believe Bigfoot inhabits the country’s remote woodland areas and is just really difficult to find, Sharf was apparently motivated by the concern that the as-yet-undiscovered creature could face extermination in the state.

“So, it is the case all individuals of an unknown species … could be exterminated without criminal or civil repercussions — essentially causing extinction?” Sharf said he replied to Sinclair. At Cryptomundo, a popular “cryptozoology” discussion forum and blog, Bigfoot believers are forming a plan of action to deal with what they see as the potentially disastrous outcome of this loophole in the Texas hunting laws, which would allow Bigfoot to be hunted to extinction before a living specimen could be studied. [Hunter Captures UFO in Nevada]

“I would advocate a small group of trained hunters, under close supervision and observing all necessary safety precautions shooting a SINGLE individual to provide a type specimen,” wrote a user who goes by the name AreWeThereYeti. “Then, once the existence of Sasquatch was proven, immediate steps could be taken to attach an endangered/protected status to both the species and its habitat.”

What do you think? Would you shoot Bigfoot? [Vote here]

from:   http://www.livescience.com/20248-shooting-bigfoot-legal-texas.html

Sacred White Buffalo Calf Murdered

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White buffalo sacred to Lakota Sioux found mutilated

 

View more videos at: http://nbcdfw.com.

By Frank Heinz, NBCDFW.com

Lightning Medicine Cloud, a rare white buffalo born in 2011, and his mother were found dead at the Lakota Buffalo Ranch in Texas this week just weeks after the calf’s father was fatally struck by lightning.

The rare animal, sacred to the Lakota Sioux, was about to celebrate its first birthday during a powwow on May 12.

NBC 5 has learned the calf was found mutilated and skinned on the ranch northeast of Dallas. The next day, the calf’s mother was found dead as well.

Read the original report at NBCDFW.com

Hunt County Sheriff Randy Meeks has opened a criminal investigation into the livestock deaths, although Meeks said they have not yet classified the crime. The Texas Rangers and other state agencies are assisting.

“I feel very confident we’ll work together with a renewed vigilance to find whoever this is that perpetrated this heinous act,” Judge John Horn said during a news conference at the ranch Friday.

Arby Little Soldier, the owner of the ranch, would not comment on the specifics of the white calf or his mother.

Lm Otero / AP

A rare white buffalo walks in a corral in Greenville, Texas, in June 2011. The calf and its mother were found dead this week.

“I will not say what has happened to this animal,” he said. “I will not say what has happened to the mother. Ben, the dad that protected this calf was struck by lighting April 3 when we had the tornado when it hit Lancaster. Lightning … struck Ben, and I seen him go down. My people, my brothers, my sisters are hurt by what has happened here on this ranch. You don’t think things like this are going to happen to such a sacred animal, a sacred family.”

Little Soldier said Lightning Medicine Cloud’s legacy will carry on and that the powwow scheduled for May 11-12 will go on as planned — only now, they will memorialize the rare animal as well.

“The powwow will continue on. I welcome you all to come grieve with us, mourn with us and celebrate with us,” Little Soldier said. “Ecclesiastes said, ‘There is a time for life and a time for death.’ My little boy went on home. His mother went on home. His dad went on home. They’re all together, and God bless them. This legend will go on forever.”

Little Soldier said there is a reward of $5,000 leading to an arrest and capture of the person responsible for the deaths of Lighting Medicine Cloud and his mother.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Hunt County Sheriff’s Department at             903-453-6800      and ask for either Sheriff Randy Meeks or Lt. Tommy Grandfield.

 

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/06/11560167-white-buffalo-sacred-to-lakota-sioux-found-mutilated?litefrom:

Texas Panhandle Pounded by 4 Feet of Hail

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Texas Hailstorm Leaves Panhandle Chest-High In Ice And Mud (PHOTO)

Posted: 04/12/2012 8:05 pm Updated: 04/12/2012 8:08 pm

For over two hours Wednesday afternoon, cities in the Texas panhandle were hammered by a hailstorm that left quarter-sized balls of ice stacked chest-high in some areas, Time NewsFeed reports.

The deluge began around 3:30 a.m. Over the next few hours, fast-moving hailstones pummeled the area north of Amarillo, Tex., which had lately been sitting in mud and dust due to a lack of precipitation, according to the news organization. The hail mixed with the mud and dust to create four-foot high mounds that shut down a major highway for the next 18 hours.

The National Service Office in Amarillo posted a striking picture on Facebook of a local fireman standing between the mounds and the floodwaters, accumulating due to melting ice and heavy rain.

See the photo and raw footage of the flash floods below.

Krissy Scotten, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service Office in Amarillo,told msnbc.com that the rain and floodwater cause the drifts, and chest-high mounds like the ones shown in the photo are uncommon.

“I can assure you we do not have big rocks like that in West Texas,” Scotten told msnbc.com. “Anytime you have hail accumulate 2 to 4 feet high and get over three inches of rain, no matter how it occurs, it’s pretty incredible.”

Brian Thomas, the sheriff for Potter County, concurred with Scotten, saying the hail mounds were erratic.

“This was just one of those weird storms that just sat here and came down extremely heavy in this one area,” Thomas told KAMR-TV.

Luckily no injuries have been reported from the storm, the station reported.

Check out the photo below, courtesy of KAMR and scroll down for video:

from:    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/12/hailstorm-photo-texas-panhandle-amarillo_n_1422218.html

Blazing Texas Fireball

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TEXAS FIREBALL: After nightfall on Feb. 1st, a spectacular fireball appeared in the skies of eastern Texas and Oklahoma. As is often the case for unexpected night-sky phenomena, few pictures are available. The best so far comes from a police dash-board camera in the small town of Little River-Academy, TX:

Eye-witness Daryn Morran reports: “At approximately 756pm CST, over Abilene, Texas, I saw an object falling from the sky much brighter and long-lasting than anything I’ve seen. [The fireball] lasted close to 8 secs before completely burning out. At first, it was bright white, and then started slowing down and getting brighter. Then it exploded like a firecracker artillery shell into several pieces, flickered a few more times and then slowly burned out… awesome!!!”

Another observer in Coppell, Texas, reported a “double boom heard at 8:00:30 CST. [The object appeared to be] 1/2 the size of the waxing moon, and broke into two major chucks with many smaller pieces. It had a ‘white plasma’ (sun-colored) look with a long golden tail.” (This report was relayed by NWS meteorologist Joe Harrris in Frt Worth.)

According to Bill Cooke of NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office, this was probably a natural object–a small asteroid about the size of a car or bus–not a decaying satellite or other manmade space debris. The fireball, which disintegrated in the general vicinity of Dallas-Fort Worth, was bright enough to be seen on NASA cameras located in New Mexico more than 500 miles away. “It was about as bright as the full Moon (astronomical magnitude -13),” estimates Cooke, who is still analyzing data and sighting reports in hopes of calculating the object’s orbit. He might yet figure out where the Texas fireball came from

fr/spaceweather.com