The Texico National Anthem

decended from the ancient mardyrs, one by one they took the last breath in their lungs
lungs were needed for words and they had said them all.

we stand as texicans
together all along
without measure
our love for our God

the communion of saints and resurrection songs can be heard in the western winds
the ghosts of the holy promises He gave sing all the time.

we stand as texicans
together all along
without measure
Our love for our God

to live forever near the carribean sea, watching morning turn into night, never an afternoon
the evening light is red in texico.

we stand as texicans
together all along
without measure
our love for our God

amgdam2
eam3
dgam

Texico (Draft): The Fightin'

    
     The story of how Texas tore itself away from the United States in the birthing days of Texico is the tale of calling bluffs and deadly force. In the teens, and earlier, a bloody war raged south of the U.S. border between Mexican police and armies and the organized crime organizations that truly ruled the country. Hundreds of thousands of people died, many in gruesome and cruel executions. Many in Islamic terrorist-styled suicide attacks. The gutless warriors. Texas, at that time a state of the U.S., was stirred by ancient obligation to intervene, but seemed the lone troubadour of the Mexicans. Unable to let the massacre continue, and despite official condemnations, declarations, and protestations of the rest of the country, the Texans eventually raised an army of over 100,000 though the Texas Ranger's charter to partner with Mexico and crush the drug pushers. Texas, always fertile ground for lawyerly brilliance, took the matter to the courts and continued it's recruitment of new Rangers and weapons stockpiling. Ultimately, it is this case, The State of Texas vs. The United States of America, which allowed the bloodless succession of Texas through courtroom maneuvers, nuanced understandings, and implied indications.

     The recruitment process attracted a wild band of characters to the various county courthouses across the then state. Rescuing the tortured people of the then nation of Mexico was a rally cry not far removed from the Houstonian plea before San Jacinto many years before. The war had by that time spread across the border and into the larger cities and the Texans never acquired a taste for idleness when the fightin' starts. The defensive-minded and reactive police forces were not designed to arbitrate a war through the courts and the need for an offensive was apparent. Texas was being invaded, the U. S. Federal government seemed uncaring, Texans were dying daily by gruesome methods, and the war was finally being covered by all legitimate media sources. The Texas Governor, James T. Barnes, led a massive Texan revolt of the Washington politics. Once all the Texas Senators and Congressmen left Washington in the same plane on a steamy August day, a case was filed in the courts, and the Texas Rangers were making a big comeback. Eventually, the most important part of raising the right force to partner with the Mexicans and crush the druggies was to determine who to reject. The intense demonstrations in the long ago 1960s for peace was the most recent comparison of the public outrage. Only this time the outrage was for outrage. That was the public mood. Some individuals would be outraged at any Mexican and could not be a Texas Ranger. The Mexicans were the victims, as were the Texans. This soldier would require discernment. Judging discernment was the key to recruitment of the legendary Texas Rangers. A force was raised, one that went on to partner with the Mexicans and crushed the druggies. In 2 weeks. The Ranger Navy went underground with the use of two thousand infiltrators and additional surveillance and quickly helped develop a battle plan. The druggies had their infiltrators and additional surveillance as well, but the Ranger Navy spies had one critical advantage that assured the winning battle plan. Satellites. Houston. All that stuff is in Houston. Thank you LBJ. Yes, it was almost like playing a video game when Operation Liberate Mexico launched on Thanksgiving night in 2014. In a shootout, the Cowboys had just lost to the Las Vegas Saints to drop their first game of the year. Jason Garrett had led the Cowboys to two Super Bowl wins and there was no reason to think another was unreasonable. Tony Romo was finally a winner, although his most worthy admires remember the tire change. His true instinct was to serve. Give to win. Less is actually more. The bottom of the scorecard? Your grit is tested. True grit (wonder how the remake will be? the dude, jeff bridges, playing john wayne.). Later that night the final battle for the soul of Mexico began and the next two weeks brought unspeakable battle. Indescribable horrors of war. Modern battle has to be quick. The severity and precision of the weapons and the relentless fury of a well led force will not allow the beaten enemy to endure for long. As long as the politicians don't drop the ball or cuff the hands of the fighters.

     The Texas/Mexico alliance was extremely well led politically by Julio Fransisco Del Corona and L. Dean Fitzgerald acting as liaisons between the Texas Governor and President of Mexico. In communiqué. The force was unleashed without restrictions and the battle plan was executed over the two week period. The druggies that remained alive were in dire straits, meekly offering summits and compromises. L. Dean was the convincer of no compromises. Governor Barnes and the Mexican President publically, and heroically, appeared together on the bridge connecting Laredo to its sister town, Nuevo Laredo, to denounce any compromises. Peace came to Mexico only days later when bands of white flag waving Mexicans walked from the hillsides and valleys of Mexico and abandoned the lords they served. The false gods, the drug gods, promising money to the wayward Mexican youth and now only delivering a thousand hysterical Texas Rangers in tanks and on horseback invading the front yard of the compound. Truly, it took the Texans to convince the Mexicans to use brutal tactics to win the war. It was the only humane way. The druggie refugee prisoners were held in West Texas tent prisons and many have reacclimated themselves into current Texico society. But they were scarred by what they endured and survived in the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas in 14. Most of the drug leaders were killed by these refugees before the official surrender. When surrender came, the highest ranking drug official at the live television/multi media event was the 2nd cousin of the Yucatan kingpin, Felix Soto. Geraldo Rivera hosted the event and to this day, it remains the 2nd highest rated program ever. Behind 9/11. Remember the Towers. Remember the Alamo. Remember the Apostles Creed.....


I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Maker of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:


Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried;


He descended into hell.


The third day He arose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.


I believe in the Holy Ghost;
the holy Christian church;
the communion of saints;
the forgiveness of sins;
the resurrection of the body;
and the life everlasting.


Amen.



     Descended into hell sits alone. Not much is talked about. Oh, the battle! But the dead do rise and are forgiven. Texas and Mexico celebrated the liberation of the country like long lost brothers. And they were long lost brothers, with sisters and wives and mothers and fathers and all the children. The millions. A borderless culture developed in post war Mexico and Texas. Music, food, tourism, commerce, media, and industrial bonds grew strong and vibrant. "I'm Going to Texas" turned into "I'm Going to Texico" when L. Dean Fitzgerald wrote the Texico National Anthem and sang it at the Ballpark in Arlington during the 2017 World Series. Life and business was alive in Texico and the Washington (and Nashville) establishment were frowning. Forgiveness had never come to the Texans for Operation Liberate Mexico. The case of The State of Texas vs The United States of America was working its way through the appellate courts and was about to hit the desk of the honorable John Roberts, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.


       

Don't Got Plans Of Making It In Nashville

i won't mind if you see right through me
i'm confined to a life of transparency
open the blinds in your mind and hear me
you can look right through me
you can look right through me

gather 'round the table if your able
among the sounds of people that are grateful
at sundown, "gotta go see ya later."
i remember not everyone was able
i remember not everyone was able

now understand, this band don't play for cash
low down man who knows he's been blessed
check His hands, they got smashed in the crash
don't got plans of making it in nashville
don't got plans of making it in nashville

on that note, let's keep on writing
texico, start talking 'bout the fighting
you never know, if anyone'll like it
might as well keep on writing
might as well keep on writing

cg

Anatomy of a Roddick

     As mentioned previously and explained sufficiently, a roddick is the term used in the Isner Scoring Method (ISM) for the need to postpone or cancel a prescheduled match. For any reason--injury, conflict, weather even. Last week's mahut ended 2-8 in Keck's favor to take it to 45-15 after six mahuts of the third match to be played by the ISM. J. Vita had recently lost his first Isner match, the second ever, to the same Mr. Keck by a score of 70-35, less worse than my previous defeat to Keck in the first ever Isner Match. During the 2-8 mahut, as I was rushing to the net after a first serve, I felt the plantar fascia pop a little. According to Wikipedia, The plantar fascia is a thick fibrous band of connective tissue originating on the bottom surface of the calcareous (heel bone) and extending along the sole of the foot towards the five toes. I surely felt it but at the time I was getting mouletted 0-7 by Keck and I was more concerned with avoiding the humiliation of that development. To refresh, a moulette is the french term for skunk. A mahut ending in 10-0 is a skunk and as a tribute to Nicolas Mahut, we use the french word. Vita had been mouletted in his Isner match and I shuttered at the thought. I never followed up with Joe immediately after his moulette, but I heard he was wrecked. He came back strong and actually took a few mahuts from Keck, but the start was so poor the inevitable loss to Keck happened a few mahuts later. He seemed changed when I talked to him recently and he's challenged Keck to a more traditional contest, but he will play ISM again one day, probably seeking revenge and, likely, successfully. I did win two of the last three to finish 8-2, even after I was suffering from plantar fasciitis.

     I limped through the night at home, even applying an ice pack at one point. When asked about how the match went by my youngest daughter, I lowly claimed, "Keck, 8-2. He's just tough girls. I think I even tweaked m'foot. I like playin' with guys better than me. Keck's like a machine. A tennis machine. What chagonna do?" All the girls gave my sympathetic nods and assured me that I was one of the best tennis players they'd ever seen. In person, anyway. The "one of" comment hurt, but I knew it was true. Now I was injured and beat. The pop seemed different. More sudden than a sore muscle. It tightened up my calf and howled in the morning. It was painful and it concerned me.

     After the internet helped me with my diagnosis and I began developing my rehabilitation plan, I was mainly trying to stay off the foot and creating reasons to sit. In a foolish act, two days after the injury I went to a Ray Wylie concert at the Granada in Dallas and stood by the stage the entire time. Never understood why the girl singers never came back out after the first two songs, but he only played Snake Farm once and his kid was playing a very blues/rock lead guitar. Lucas Hubbard, I think. His bass player was really good and Ray was excellent. The drummer made the show go very smoothly, lifting the audience when needed and shaking the noise when an important lyric came from the songwriter. Forget his name. Ray Wylie remembered, or made up, all the words and a full shiner bock was poured on me by a guy holding six in his hands. He apologized and offered me one of the remaining beers and we went back to watching the show. Hosted by Okra and attended by David Kent and John Kylie, the concert was worth the additional pain endured by my case of plantar fasciitis.

     Through the weekend I rested the injury, continuing a series of cold packs and keeping to a stretching regimen. Monday brought work shoes and further pain. Tuesday was worse (the morning!). Wednesday was scheduled for our seventh mahut of the Isner match. Keck, anxious to get closer to seventy, was surely anticipating a match. I had not let on that I was experiencing the level of discomfort that had me considering the use of a roddick. Early in the morning, I sent him the message. The foot ached after a brisk walk in to work, and I was confident with the decision. "roddick" I wrote on the title line, then explained my rationale for using one of the two roddicks allowed per match. The next day, after my continued rehabilitation efforts, my foot felt much better. It was a good use of a roddick. The plantar fascia is an important rubberband-like feature of your foot. Stretch your calfs and make sure you got arch supports. Painful if inflamed.




                                       

Cold Meat Blues

cgfc
pillowlike and greasy when i touched the bird
had woken me early with smells I've heard
fc
thighs were soaking with the wings lifted up 
gcfc
white meat was tender and warm when touched

fc
pulled the blade accross the neck
sliced a piece for myself
came apart like a house of cards
gfc
threw the scraps out in the yard
yeah, i threw the scraps out in the yard
yeah, i threw the scraps out in the yard

the bird's now sitting without no bones
just before he went he was thinking of home
got the cold meat blues like i never knew
help me Lord, help me Lord, got the cold meat blues
   

Sunday

always wished on my wish list to be with you all my earthly days.
too bad we sometimes miss just a little of this. it's a shame, we really shouldn't waste a day.
you know it don't end on sunday. that's the day he tells us the path to take.

never knew what could happen to you in a life of desires and mistakes.
felt the burning urges, always surging. takes my mind away.
i always fall on saturday. take the easy way babe, you always look at me that way.

you cut your lip, let it slip, the grip of it's awful sway.
fall time after time, like you're dying. the trip that ends in some dirty old grave.
friday must give us life, click off the light, tell me no lies, just tell me it will always be this way.

you know it don't end on sunday. that's the day he tells us the path to take.
you know it don't end on sunday. that's the day he tells us the path to take.

ea
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b7ae
eharp