From the editor: During my tenure at the Valley Inn & Country Club on Central Boulevard in the late 60's, Brownsville had two all-night restaurants downtown we used to order food for hotel guests; Higgies and Fisher's Cafe.
Fisher's also operated a restaurant at the Brownsville Airport.
Rene Torres has been kind enough to send us a menu for Fisher's as well as a montage of photos from the cafe.
While the baseball league folded, others were inspired to compose patriotic music.
The Valley baseball league of 1942 had a premature ending because of WW II, but it was not because of lack interest, but due to lack of rubber—which was listed as rationed item.
With war came a change of lifestyle—almost everything that was readily available before the war was rationed during the conflict.
Even baseball, the only sport that has its own song, “Take Me out to the Ball Game,” suffered shortages. While the local boys took the diamond like every other season, in ’42 an unexpected culprit caused the demise of the league.
The dough boys from Moore Field in Mission, Harlingen Air Force Base and Fort Brown,who were part of the league, were not affected by the lack of rubber.
The civilian teams: Mission 30-30, Magnolias of Harlingen and San Benito, at mid-season declined to play away from home. Not having extra tires prevented them from playing away games and thus the season took a curtain call before its time.
Valley sporting activities were not totally absent during the war. But one thing was certain—many, who had roamed the playing fields before the war, were then seen carrying a duffle bag.
For those that stayed home…Civilian Defense director and then mayor of New York, Fiorello La Guardia, challenged every American to give an hour a day for the USA.
The Valley did its part, especially in Brownsville because of its proximity to the coast.
While many in Brownsville participated in the war effort there were two men who stood out for their work in an expected way.
In 1942, two Brownsville men (described as Latin Americans men by the Herald) were also inspired, just like Norworth was, to compose a song.
Frank Alvarez and Jesus “Chucho” Carillo were so inspired by patriotism in defense work that they jointly wrote a song entitled “National Defense March Song.”
The song was first introduced to the public at the Kiwanis club defense meeting at the El Jardin Hotel. Members of the club gave their praise of the song expressing, “That the song had all the depth and feeling so necessary of any patriotic song.”
The words were written by Mr. Alvarez, who incidentally completed every course in civil defense work offered in Brownsville.
Carrillo, who set the words to music, was an excellent piano instructor and well known among local musical groups.
The song was copyrighted, and the words are as follows:
“You can hear the words of volunteers
Ready to defend this hemisphere
Our country we are ready to back
If a foreign foe does dare attack
For we are going to join the army now
And we are proud of it and how
For our country to defend
We’ll do the best we can
For we all love our liberty,
On we go marching and training
To perfectly do our sacred duty
For we’re all for Uncle Sam
Nothing can stop us we have our aim
For our Freedom we stand one for all, all for one
And we’ll defend our Liberty.
Let’s go marching to our defense
For our Freedom we will bear the expense
Army and Navy Air Corps and all
Let’s stand United
Freedom shall not fall.”
“Take Me out to the Ball Game,” survived through the decades and today is the unofficial anthem of baseball.
Allow me to close with words of patriotism as written by Stephen Decatur…
“Our Country!"
In her intercourse with foreign nations, may she always be in the right; but our country, right or wrong.”
The October 26 collision looked almost staged, as if two large boats couldn't be navigated without running into each other.
While that waterway has long been available to the Philippines, not only for fishing boats but for other commerce, China has been slowly choking that down by creating settlements on the many islands and atolls.
A barrier installed by the Chinese impeded traffic for a bit until a diver from the Philippines cut the cable attaching it to the ocean floor on September 25.
Anyway, what the Chinese have succeeded in accomplishing with their maneuvers and games is to revitalize a U.S.-Philippine relationship that had floundered during the Duterte regime, 2016-2022.
But, now that Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. is running things, two U.S. naval bases will be constructed in the northern province of Luzon, supplementing the five other military outlets manned by American soldiers on a rotating basis.
BTW, the South China Sea is not only a critical waterway but it covers 11 billion barrels of oil and 190 million cubic feet of natural gas, something else to fight about.
Actually, $10,000 to a billionaire would equal a mere $10 to a millionaire, roughly the price of a six-pack of premium beer at 2023 prices.
OK.. . . Most everything has a price; $250 to unlawfully park in a handicapped zone, $500 to park next to a fire hydrant, $200 to drive 45 MPH in a 30 MPH zone, $10,000 to smear a judge with excrement.
Trump is just following the old adage; "count the cost." He's counting and, so far, it's not a big strain on his pocket book.
No. A mere $10,000 fine is not a deterrent to shitting on a judge for a self-proclaimed billionaire.
What about being locked in a cell without access to the internet or a microphone?
Who or what is the largely unknown 51 year old congressman from Louisiana?
Well, for one, he's an 2020 election denier and a supporter of the January 6 insurrection.
No, Johnson did not actually enter the capital on that fateful day, break glass, overturn desks or attack police officers, but he was clearly seen on video just outside wearing a red MAGA cap.
Johnson was also the primary signatory in an Amicas Brief filed in the State of Texas to overturn the results of the 2020 election, disputing the results in four swing states: Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
The brief's title page was introduced by "Representative Mike Johnson and 125 other Republican members of the House of Representatives."
7 such representatives were named as Amici Curiae or "Friends of the Court," that is, folk with no legal standing, but keen interest. Among those 7 were Representatives Kevin McCarthy, Steve Scalise and Jim Jordan.
Filing that brief, Johnson was in constant contact and consultation with Donald J. Trump, who told Johnson that he'd pay particular attention to see "those who actually sign the brief."
The Supreme Court threw out that brief, stating, among other things that the State of Texas had no relevance with regard to election rules in other states.
So, what is the significance of a relatively unknown representative, the most pro-Trump of the House, being named Speaker?
Johnson's election as Speaker demonstrates beyond doubt that the 435 member House of Representatives is under the control of its right wing faction.
Moderate Republicans have no place, no standing, no influence in today's G.O.P.
The Republican Party is no longer the abode nor reflective of the conservative principles of Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, George Herbert Walker Bush or Howard Baker.
The U.S. House of Representatives is now under the control of the Marjorie Taylor Greene, Jim Jordan and Mike Johnson ilk, all acutely infected with Trumpism.
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| Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer |
The latest nominee to fail is Minnesota's Tom Emmer who was voted down by the Republican Right because their Fearless Leader referred to him as a "Globalist RINO" who voted to certify the 2020 election, a sin the rough equivalent of refusing the Kool-Aid at Jonestown.
"Vote that leftist Commie down!" was the implied battlecry from The Don and his cultist minions complied.
So, yes, boys and girls, while the Republican Party currently does enjoy having the majority in the 435 member House of Representatives, they've been unable to govern, failing the most elemental of political skills; creating a consensus.
A party that can't even agree on Speaker of the House has little chance of passing legislation of any kind, an impasse created by the divisive, infectious disease of Trumpism.
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| Former TSC Instructor Tom Tynan |
Tynan, who reportedly devoted every nonteaching hour to a volunteer role in defending our southern border and walked the TSC campus fully armed, has written a brief self-description on Linkedin, stating that at TSC he'd created "the best construction trade program in the country."
Tynan's Linkedin upgrade does put the "plumb" back into plumbing, an improvement from his previous bio that claimed he taught "plumming."
Tynan makes it clear that he's looking for work, or, as he phrases it, "looking for a new place in the Houston area to continue the mission."
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Geronimo (Jerry) Titus McHale, born c.1814 in a tiny pueblo in California del Sur, died 1901, military hero and scribe during Texas Revolution.
McHale is said to have victoriously lead a ragtag group of Texians, Tejanos and escaped convicts against Mexican General Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana at Resaca de la Palma, Brownsville in 1836, a battle that freed Texas from Mexican control.
An unconfirmed legend maintains that, as the battle raged into the night, McHale implored the Almighty to temporarily prevent the sun from setting until his troops had vanquished the enemy.
As was his custom, McHale personally penned a fabricated version of the battle greatly embellishing his own heroics and enemy casualties to enhance troop morale.
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| Pope Gregory XVI (Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari) *According to canonical law an adherent who voluntarily leaves the Church to join a sect is guilty of a mortal sin worthy of excommunication and/or death and such a sin can only be absolved by the Holy Father himself. |
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| Representative George Santos |
Didn't their fearless leader Donald John Trump set that very tone in 2016 when he knocked off 17 G.O.P. challengers with insults, name-calling and mockery on his way to the Presidency?
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| Representatives Marjorie Taylor Green, Matt Gaetz |
Then, in New York, we have the real Donald Trump, Jr. in one George Anthony Devolder Santos, a compulsive liar under indictment, with the chutzpah to self-righteouslessly call out anyone questioning his countless frauds.
Yet, it was the Grand Ol' Party's wiser heads who blocked Jim Jordan's egocentric pursuit of the Speaker's job as they knew he had no interest in actually governing, but rather in shutting the government down.
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| Representative Hakeem Jeffries |
But, that solution is too creative for this generation's Republicans infected by the disease of Trumpism, who will instead nominate someone their divided party is incapable of electing and bitch each other out while doing it.
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| Sanders Before Weight Loss |
Sanders, now embroiled in a state controversy described as "Lecterngate," has to field questions daily about the lectern she purchased for $19,000, but never uses.
When a reporter asked her recently why she never uses the fancy, smancy new speaker's stand, she got all huffy and said it's because "the media would talk about nothing else" and not focus on important accomplishments of state government.
One of those accomplishments was an executive order Sanders issued to ban the word "woke" as well as "anti-women words" from use in state government business.
Of course, the G.O.P., led in good measure by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, has made the obliteration of so-called "wokeness" a priority of the first order.
Sanders has also received a lot of attention recently because of sporting a new svelte figure, losing 50 lbs from her plump days as Press Secretary in the Trump administration.
A reporter recently posted Sander's current meal menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
C'mon guys. You're having too much fun with this.
Lieutenant Milton Resendez was shot and killed during a police pursuit at the 1100 block of North Sam Houston Boulevard in San Benito.
At 10:58 p.m., the San Benito Police Department was notified that a fleeing vehicle being pursued by the Texas Department of Public Safety was entering their jurisdiction. Lieutenant Resendez was traveling north on North Sam Houston Boulevard when the fleeing vehicle approached from the southbound lanes. The subjects fired at his patrol vehicle. One bullet hit the front of his vehicle, and the second struck the driver's side door. One of the bullets pierced Lieutenant Resendez in the abdomen below his vest. He was transported to Valley Baptist Hospital where he succumbed to his wounds.
The two subjects were arrested after a pit maneuver stopped their vehicle. They have been charged with evading arrest, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and capital murder.
Lieutenant Resendez had served with the San Benito Police Department for 27 years and previously served with the Brownsville Police Department and Palm Valley Police Department.
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| Sidney Powell and Mentor |
Sidney Powell, the nutty conspiracy theorist is the first player of substance to fall in the Fulton, Georgia case, pleading guilty to, among other things, attempting to tamper with voting machines.
Bail bondsman Scott Hall plead guilty earlier, while Trump lawyer Ken Chesebro rejected his deal and will get his wish of a speedy trial starting on Monday.
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| Vivek Ramaswamy |
He's positioning himself as Trump 2.0 with simply more youth and vigor to "unite our country," but will absolutely pardon Trump at every opportunity once President.
Here in small town Iowa where Ana is fulfilling her contract, a smattering of DeSantis signs are cropping up on the town's manicured lawns, while outside the city limits the farmers paint TRUMP in big red letters on their grain silos.
Joe Biden gets dishonorable mention with "F**k Biden" decals covering the rear windows of pickup trucks.
I smile to myself as a young farmer, seeing my white hair, holds the door for me as I enter Casey's. He might not be so inclined if he could read my Commie leftist boogeyman brain.
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| Director Tom Tynan |
We've just learned that the much-maligned Director of Manufacturing and Construction Education, Tom Tynan, has submitted his resignation.
Of course, the departure of Tynan will not automatically fix the welding program at TSC. There's still the matter of graduates of the program not receiving the AWS Welding Certificates promised and necessary for work in the industry as well as a need for qualified welding instructors at the institution.
Meanwhile, the problems at TSC's vocational arm, ITEC, continue to resonate in our community.
Information indicates that one of Brownsville's largest employers may be ready to launch a substantial complaint with respect to the competence of TSC workers hired at their facility.
If such a complaint involves workers trained with Texas Workforce grants covering their tuition, TSC's problems with their vocational programs become even more serious.
Of course, we've already learned that SpaceX has issued a loud "NO THANK YOU!" to hiring graduates of TSC's industrial/vocational training classes, specifically those trained as welders.
Surely, the Disney song had it right: "It's A Small World (After All)."
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| Dany Tirza Explaining Security at West Bank |
Tirza finds possible connections between the two groups.
Notably, there's an eery similarity in construction of the tunnels under the U.S. Border Wall and recent tunnels discovered under the West Bank wall. Both tunnels were extremely deep, as much as 20 meters(over 65 ft.), using cement and steel construction with lighting, hydration systems and waterproofing.
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| Mexico City Journalist Oscar Balmen |
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| Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson |
In 2021, tape recordings were discovered linking the Sinaloa Cartel to drug trafficking in Turkey.
Well, it would be simple-minded to think the world's largest drug cartel would limit their distribution and not go global.
It's the link to Hamas that simultaneously intrigues and frightens.
That's the same principle that impels us to "finish our plate" despite the fact that we're no longer hungry.
Victor, someone I met and interracted with in the 60's, used to intentionally "leave" some of his dinner on the plate at Luby's Cafeteria because that's what "rich people do." Somehow, I doubt those food scrapings impressed the wait staff or the dishwasher.
My paternal grandmother, who raised a family through the depression, frequently used the phrase "the ritzy" to describe the affluent, and so, tried to emulate such "ritzy" as she went about her daily life of collecting every penny pop bottle she encountered. Despite her efforts, it's doubtful she was ever mistaken for "ritzy."
When I was a kid, most soft drink bottles could be returned for the original 3 cent deposit, although some were only worth a penny. What a letdown it was to learn about the nearly worthless penny deposit bottles!
Some tightwad shopkeepers would only accept bottles for refund in their original cardboard six-pack containers, but, most were not that stringent.
When I was around five years old, I disappeared from home for an extended period, checking out who knows what in my neighborhood. On my return, my flustered, worried father let me know that I'd caused him "five dollar's worth" of anxiety. Even then, I remember thinking it odd to place a monetary value on worry.
Now, at age 75, rather than enjoy the extraordinary craftsman woodworking and furnishings of our 1900 vintage airbnb on the Des Moines River, I focus on the $550 per week rental that flies out of our bank account, mentally adding it to the cost of renting our unoccupied Brownsville apartment.
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I'm not sure I'd be comfortable with millions of dollars of cars in my garage, most I could only get around to driving once a year or never.
Strangely, I link that to the Biblical King Solomon and his "600 wives and concubines," if you gather my drift or pattern of thought.
Anyway, now that I've finally identified myself as a "cheapskate," someone who "thinks poor," what can I do about it?
Likely nothing. There's probably no form of self treatment and I'm certainly not paying "good money" for therapy.
"Money talksBut it don't sing and dance and it don't walk"
Neil Diamond
From the editor: Baby Trump, Rep. George Santos of NY, displays the fighting spirit of his mentor, but not the money-raising skills.
While Trump has raised millions off his indictments, Santos is losing money.
Reading his diatribe below, you'll observe definite Trumpspeak, but, if he wants to stay in the game, he has to learn to money-raise.
Why, even a leftist Commie like the equally corrupt Dem Senator Bob Menendez has raised a cool million bucks since his indictments.
During the same time frame Santos has raised a mere $674. C'mon son, you're gonna need money for defense lawyers!
What's up Georgie boy? Why aren't folks emptying their pocketbooks for you like the are for your exemplars?
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| NY Representative George Santos |
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| Rene Torres at St. Mary's |
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| Rene Torres at UTRGV |
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| Former Fort Brown Golf Course |
The land that was once the Fort Brown Golf Course looks happier now, certainly lusher than I remember it when I played it in the mid-60's
Look at that now lush fairway that used to be given a buzz cut, but no water, and was as hard as an H.E.B. parking lot.
A few of the holes actually butted up against the levee, separated only by a gravel road.
Once, in my immaturity, I thought about hitting a ball across the river, only to see a BP agent, standing on that levee, waving his finger "no."
Even the bad golfer has the memory of a few good shots catalogued in his brain for retelling, but all I remember from Fort Brown is how dry and dusty it was.
Oh, and, of course, the memory of a government agent preventing me from doing wrong.
You had good teachers. Your memory is good. Write more about your school days and your teachers. Thank you.
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| Henry Ford Grade School |
We lived in a subdivision of crackerbox houses built after WWII and the school bus stop was just a few blocks away.
It seemed stupid to me to stand at a bus stop under the Seattle drizzle when you could run a mere two miles through that drizzle to school.
Anyway, I knew a shortcut through a gravel pit.
First grade teacher, Mrs. Crutchfield, was strict, actually stern, and not pleased at all with me as she misinterpreted my actions as "disrespectful to to the American flag."
I only learned her perception of me on the first day of second grade when I eavesdropped on her hallway conversation and argument with my second grade teacher, Mrs. Roebucks.
Roebucks was an early advocate and sent me for testing which involved an interview by a man who peppered me with questions through an opening in a wall.
One of the questions was "Who discovered America?"
My answer was "Noah," which I recall drew a quizzical expression from the examiner.
Anyway, I missed out on second grade and was placed in third with Mrs. Landers.
My immediate challenge in third grade was coexisting with Barbara on a two person desk, especially when she'd made a deep cut marking off 3/4 of the desk as "hers" and, if my elbow so much as crossed that line, she would pinch my skin hard enough to draw blood.
My other challenge was "fly-up," a game we boys played at recess, serving a ball up to ourselves in the air and hitting a "fly" for anyone in the group to catch and then become the "batter."
When I whiffed my first attempt at batting, a much bigger boy took the bat from me, saying I was not "good enough" for the game.
That gave me the idea to go to school early and check out a bat and ball to perfect my "flies" and I became quite adept.
Still, the bigger boys locked me out of the game, calling me a "second grader."
So, I made a complaint to Mrs. Landers who asked for an explanation from my haters, who now changed their story.
"He hits the ball too perfectly so it's easily caught" was their new story and Mrs. Landers seemed to understand, siding with the bat deniers.
Fortunately, my dad lost his job and we had to move to a rent house in downtown Renton, which involved changing schools. Just a couple blocks from our old two story rent house was Henry Ford Grade School.
The school was one of many in America named after the famous car maker in a feeble attempt to get financial support that never came.
But, Henry Ford was a wonderful facility with an indoor gym and performance stage.
In fifth grade I was named to the school patrol, a team of soldiers commissioned to provide safe student crossing of the busy street adjacent to the school.
For one year of service all of us received a free day's pass to Playland in Seattle, where we could enjoy any ride as many times as we wished all day long.
For the rest of my life, I had zero interest in amusement parks, having ridden on every rollo plane, roller coaster, ferris wheel or water ride I'd ever wanted in that one day.
During the sixth grade I was put in charge of the school patrol with the solemn duty of placing the metal replica of a girl fastened to a pipe into a hole in the middle of the street's crosswalk.
Each morning, with my lieutenants flagging the cars to a stop on both sides of the walk, I would march to the street's center line and place the metal girl in position.
We took our duties seriously, but when one of my underlings started throwing his flag in front of cars just to hear their brakes squeal, I terminated the soldier on the spot.
The principal understood and said he'd provide a replacement.
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