Go Mexico, and take Santa Anna with you
When you think about it, 175 years really isn’t that long a time in the grand scheme of things.
This month, however, it’s a really big deal in Texas. (But then what isn’t a big deal in Texas?) It was in 1836 that a group of brave revolutionaries collectively thumbed their noses at Mexico and penned the song “We’re Not Gonna Take It”, which later became a big hit for Twisted Sister.
The words were written by a committee of dudes who met just up the road from here. Then they went a few miles south of town and picked up a couple of canons and went to help defend the Spurs at the Alamodome. By the time they got there, however, the Spurs had already lost (typical!).
Mexico was coached by a guy named Santa Anna. Why someone would be named after an old, fat man and a girl is beyond me, but that’s the way it was. They had already whooped up on the team from Goliad and were determined to keep their winning streak alive at Houston which, given the sorry state of the city’s pro teams, wouldn’t have been too hard.
Along the way, a guy named Sam Houston and some of his buddies bushwhacked the Mexicans, and in a matter of a few minutes ended their season. As a result, Santa Anna took his ball and went home. He said Houston and his cronies could have Texas and he really didn’t like it that much anyway.
Yeah, whatever…
So that, in a nutshell, is what we are celebrating this month. And wouldn’t you know it, Waller County is smack dab right in the middle of where a lot of that stuff happened. That’s why local cities and county officials are commemorating the big anniversary by doing absolutely nothing.
Apparently the 175th anniversary must have snuck up on them. It was kind of hard to see it coming from so far away. In all fairness, I’m the pot calling the kettle black because I haven’t done a special story for the paper.
If anyone in Waller County is a descendant of anyone who fought for Texas Independence, I’d like to hear from you so we can do a story. My wife and sons are apparently descended from a man who fell at Goliad. We are still working to verify that.
Ancestry is a fascinating subject. Lately I’ve been researching the Southern side of my family. I’ve made some eye-opening discoveries. My great-great-great-great-grandfather fought in the Revolutionary War. Two greats before him, the first Southern came to America from England.
On my mother’s side, I’ve been told that my great-grandfather Gust Ekborg was one of Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders and was even wounded at the Battle of San Juan Hill. I have yet to find any evidence of that, but I’ll keep looking.
Where’s the beef?
Not long ago Taco Bell got its bell rung when someone sued the fast food chain because it allegedly has only 36 percent beef in its beef mixture. While the company disputes that, you might want to know that two of the big three hamburger chains do not use 100 percent beef under their buns. Burger King and Wendy’s have seasonings and/or fillers. Only McDonalds uses 100 percent beef.
How do I know this? I have a son with Celiac’s disease. It is a genetic disorder that causes his body to reject wheat gluten. When he was first diagnosed, we checked out the restaurants thoroughly. Wendy’s and Burger King have wheat in their meat. Not only that, but they cook their fries in the same oil they use for breaded fried foods, such as chicken. Only McDonald’s has dedicated fryers for their fries. To Wendy’s credit, however, Luke can eat their chili, and he loves it.
It’s also safe to say that Chic-fil-A doesn’t use a single bit of beef in its sandwiches. Luke can eat there if we order his chicken grilled and not breaded. Their waffle fries are also safe for him to eat. We loves us some Chic-fil-A!
You would be surprised at the number of foods that contain wheat. Some ice creams, root beers, colas, candies, and even some brands of popsicles have wheat in them. A good clue is to look at the ingredients. If you see caramel coloring listed, most of the time it is burnt wheat. Modified food starch often contains wheat.
So, before you go asking Taco Bell “where’s the beef?” you might want to ask that of any place you dine on some divine bovine.
This month, however, it’s a really big deal in Texas. (But then what isn’t a big deal in Texas?) It was in 1836 that a group of brave revolutionaries collectively thumbed their noses at Mexico and penned the song “We’re Not Gonna Take It”, which later became a big hit for Twisted Sister.
The words were written by a committee of dudes who met just up the road from here. Then they went a few miles south of town and picked up a couple of canons and went to help defend the Spurs at the Alamodome. By the time they got there, however, the Spurs had already lost (typical!).
Mexico was coached by a guy named Santa Anna. Why someone would be named after an old, fat man and a girl is beyond me, but that’s the way it was. They had already whooped up on the team from Goliad and were determined to keep their winning streak alive at Houston which, given the sorry state of the city’s pro teams, wouldn’t have been too hard.
Along the way, a guy named Sam Houston and some of his buddies bushwhacked the Mexicans, and in a matter of a few minutes ended their season. As a result, Santa Anna took his ball and went home. He said Houston and his cronies could have Texas and he really didn’t like it that much anyway.
Yeah, whatever…
So that, in a nutshell, is what we are celebrating this month. And wouldn’t you know it, Waller County is smack dab right in the middle of where a lot of that stuff happened. That’s why local cities and county officials are commemorating the big anniversary by doing absolutely nothing.
Apparently the 175th anniversary must have snuck up on them. It was kind of hard to see it coming from so far away. In all fairness, I’m the pot calling the kettle black because I haven’t done a special story for the paper.
If anyone in Waller County is a descendant of anyone who fought for Texas Independence, I’d like to hear from you so we can do a story. My wife and sons are apparently descended from a man who fell at Goliad. We are still working to verify that.
Ancestry is a fascinating subject. Lately I’ve been researching the Southern side of my family. I’ve made some eye-opening discoveries. My great-great-great-great-grandfather fought in the Revolutionary War. Two greats before him, the first Southern came to America from England.
On my mother’s side, I’ve been told that my great-grandfather Gust Ekborg was one of Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders and was even wounded at the Battle of San Juan Hill. I have yet to find any evidence of that, but I’ll keep looking.
Where’s the beef?
Not long ago Taco Bell got its bell rung when someone sued the fast food chain because it allegedly has only 36 percent beef in its beef mixture. While the company disputes that, you might want to know that two of the big three hamburger chains do not use 100 percent beef under their buns. Burger King and Wendy’s have seasonings and/or fillers. Only McDonalds uses 100 percent beef.
How do I know this? I have a son with Celiac’s disease. It is a genetic disorder that causes his body to reject wheat gluten. When he was first diagnosed, we checked out the restaurants thoroughly. Wendy’s and Burger King have wheat in their meat. Not only that, but they cook their fries in the same oil they use for breaded fried foods, such as chicken. Only McDonald’s has dedicated fryers for their fries. To Wendy’s credit, however, Luke can eat their chili, and he loves it.
It’s also safe to say that Chic-fil-A doesn’t use a single bit of beef in its sandwiches. Luke can eat there if we order his chicken grilled and not breaded. Their waffle fries are also safe for him to eat. We loves us some Chic-fil-A!
You would be surprised at the number of foods that contain wheat. Some ice creams, root beers, colas, candies, and even some brands of popsicles have wheat in them. A good clue is to look at the ingredients. If you see caramel coloring listed, most of the time it is burnt wheat. Modified food starch often contains wheat.
So, before you go asking Taco Bell “where’s the beef?” you might want to ask that of any place you dine on some divine bovine.
posted by Joe Southern | 9:40 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home