#Texas State Capitol

[deadpresidents]

Which state capitol building is the nicest in your opinion? Any fugly capitol buildings?

I may be biased because I was born and raised in Sacramento and have spent countless hours in Capitol Park over the years (two of my friends even got married there!), but I think California's State Capitol building is gorgeous:

And I hate to give credit to Texas for anything, but the Capitol building in Austin is pretty impressive, especially when you see it in person (however, as a California native, my first visit to the Texas Capitol resulted in quite the culture shock when I saw all the Confederate monuments):

As for the ugliest, I think the Hawaii State Capitol in Honolulu looks like a credit union:

And the New Mexico State Capitol in Santa Fe looks like the admissions office of a small community college:

What does everyone else think? Any other choices?

[rabbitcruiser]

Texas Independence Day

Texas Independence Day on March 2 commemorates the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence on the same date in 1836. Inhabitants of Texas proclaimed independence from Mexico and established the Republic of Texas with the signing of this declaration by over 59 delegates.

Children’s events, re-enactments, live band music, and cook-offs are all part of the festivities. Storytelling sessions about how Texas gained independence from Mexico and became a republic are among the other activities.

History of Texas Independence Day

A congress of Texians and Tejanos convened at Washington-on-the-Brazos during the Texas Revolution and declared Texas’ independence from Mexico, and they became known as Texans. The delegates elected David Burnet as interim president and confirmed Sam Houston as commander-in-chief of all Texas armies.

In addition, the Texans adopted a constitution that guaranteed the unrestricted practice of slavery, which had previously been banned by Mexican law. In the meantime, in San Antonio, the Alamo was still under siege by Mexican General Antonio de Santa Anna, and the fort’s defenders awaited the last Mexican attack.

Santa Anna ordered his troops to invade the Alamo on March 6. The first and second Mexican charges were defeated by Travis’ artillery, but the Texans were overpowered in less than an hour, and the Alamo was seized. All of the Texan and American defenders were murdered in fierce hand-to-hand combat when Santa Anna instructed that no prisoners should be taken. The Alamo’s only survivors were a small group of civilians, chiefly women and children. During the siege and storming of the Alamo, hundreds of Santa Anna’s soldiers died.

Six weeks later, at San Jacinto, a huge Texan army led by Houston surprised Santa Anna’s forces. The Texans overpowered the Mexicans and took Santa Anna. The dictator was forced to acknowledge Texas’ independence and withdraw his troops south of the Rio Grande. Nine years after the Texas Declaration of Independence was written, the Republic of Texas was annexed to the United States by the collective agreement of the United States Congress.

On December 29, 1845, the United States Congress officially recognized Texas as a member of the Union. Sam Houston Day and Texas Flag Day are also celebrated on March 2, albeit they are not legal holidays.

Texas Independence Day timeline

1835

The Texas Revolution Begins

The revolution begins on October 2 as a rebellion instigated by colonists from the U.S., supported by Tejanos, to oppose Mexico’s centralist government.

1836

The San Jacinto Battle

The Republic of Texas wins its independence on April 21 with victory at the San Jacinto River.

1845

Texas Joins the Union

On December 29, the United States Congress recognizes Texas as a constituent state.

1846

The Mexican-American War Begins

Mexico goes to war with the United States over the Republic of Texas’ annexation.

Texas Independence Day FAQs

How do Texans greet one another?

“Howdy,” the official Texas greeting, is much more than a witty remark voiced by Woody, the “Toy Story” cowboy. True Texans use the word as a popular greeting.

Can Texas leave the U.S. legally?

Texas v. White, a landmark Supreme Court ruling, says that states cannot leave the union by state legislation.

What is the slogan of Texas?

In February 1930, the Texas state motto of friendship was established. The slogan was probably chosen because Texas, or Tejas, was the Spanish translation of the native Indian tribe’s “thecas or teyshas”, which means “friends or allies.”

How to Celebrate Texas Independence Day

Attend a festival: Attend one of the festivals held on Texas Independence Day to celebrate. There are tons of activities for children and adults to have a fun time.

Participate in a reenactment: Join a reenactment of the famous events during the Texas Revolution. Play dress-up and reenact the battle of the Alamo with friends.

Learn more about Texas: Texas has a lot to offer. From excellent barbecues to live music, the Lone Star State has tons of attractions and rich history.

5 Facts About Texas That Will Blow Your Mind

Dr Pepper was made in Texas: Dr Pepper was first publicly introduced in 1904 and is now distributed all over the world; it was invented in 1885 by Charles Alderton in Waco, Texas.

First frozen margarita: Mariano Martinez, a Dallas restaurateur, invented the first frozen margarita machine.

Six flags: Texas’ Six Flags theme park is named after the six countries that have presided over Texas; Mexico, Spain, the U.S., France, the Confederate States of America, and the Republic of Texas.

Powers that be: Texas has an independent power grid, it is separated from the rest of the United States.

Nightcrawlers: Bracken Cave in Texas houses North America’s largest bat colony.

Why We Love Texas Independence Day

It’s a source of inspiration: The story of the Texas Revolution is the perfect example of snatching victory against the odds. The Texans made the impossible a reality when they defeated their Mexican rivals who far outnumbered them.

It’s a crucial page in the history books: The road to independence is a story that will be passed down for generations in Texas. The legendary battles and tales of bravery will be remembered for years to come.

Appreciating the war heroes: Texas Independence Day is an opportunity to honor the sacrifice of those who fought for Texas’ independence. Their names are not forgotten and their deeds remain fresh in the memories of their successors.

Source

[harriswalz4usabybr]

Speech Vice President Harris gave in Austin, TX!

~BR~

[katiajewelbox]

Reminds me of Sailor Moon!

Source: Photographer Christoper V. Sherman's Facebook page

[hellonew-yorkgirl]

Reisebericht Texas 2024: Wir erkunden Austin

[ellewritenow]

[blurglesmurfklaine]

“Austin is a small town” NO THE FUCK IT AINT????

[travelella]

Texas Capitol, Congress Avenue, Austin, Texas, USA

Mitchell Kmetz

[filling-lives-with-adventures]

[sarikaposts]

German Town, Fredericksburg, Texas 

[rabbitcruiser]

Texas was admitted as 28th state of the Union on December 29, 1845.

[harriswalz4usabybr]

Friday, October 18, 2024 - Kamala Harris

The Vice President, Colin Allred, Beto O'Rourke, and Stacey Plaskett headed north to the state capital of Austin for a day of campaigning. The 'official' schedule of the 3 events in Austin is below.

Event #1 Event Location: First Watch Event Type: Local Congressional Democrat Breakfast Event Time: 8:00 - 10:30 CT *The campaign met with local Texas State Congressional members of both chambers. This session served as a way for the campaign to learn a bit more about the complexities of being a democrat in the deeply conservative state and also allowed for the campaign to pass on some talking points for them to use in their local work when campaigning for their race, Colin Allred's race, and the Harris-Walz campaign.

Event #2 Event Location: Fixe Southern House Event Type: Campaign Fundraiser Event Time: 13:00 - 16:00 CT *The campaign held a fundraiser hosting some local donors and some volunteers who have been leading major door knocking campaigns in the state of Texas. We are looking to launch some new ads in the suburbs of Dallas, San Antonio, and the deeply red counties in the panhandle of Texas. Some of these fundraised dollars will be used to make that happen.

Event #3 Event Location: Moody Center Event Type: Campaign Rally Event Time: 19:00 - 22:00 CT *Full-text of this speech will be released shortly.

~BR~

[simonh]

Graffiti Train Bridge And Skyline, Austin, Texas by Randy von Liski Via Flickr: This view of downtown Austin shows the Graffiti Train Bridge across Lady Bird Lake. The plate girder-style bridge was constructed in 1936, but it sits on the stone piers of a previous bridge. Over the years, multiple layers of artwork and graffiti have been painted on its sides. The graffiti offers a unique and ever-changing perspective, adding a vibrant touch to a view showcasing Austin's ever-evolving skyline.

[cathscreations]

Austin - The City of Cranes

[why-animals-do-the-thing]

average United States contains 1000s of pet tigers in backyards" factoid actualy [sic] just statistical error. average person has 0 tigers on property. Activist Georg, who lives the U.S. Capitol & makes up over 10,000 each day, has purposefully been spreading disinformation adn [sic] should not have been counted

I have a big mad today, folks. It's a really frustrating one, because years worth of work has been validated... but the reason for that fucking sucks.

For almost a decade, I've been trying to fact-check the claim that there "are 10,000 to 20,000 pet tigers/big cats in backyards in the United States." I talked to zoo, sanctuary, and private cat people; I looked at legislation, regulation, attack/death/escape incident rates; I read everything I could get my hands on. None of it made sense. None of it lined up. I couldn't find data supporting anything like the population of pet cats being alleged to exist. Some of you might remember the series I published on those findings from 2018 or so under the hashtag #CrouchingTigerHiddenData. I've continued to work on it in the six years since, including publishing a peer reviewed study that counted all the non-pet big cats in the US (because even though they're regulated, apparently nobody bothered to keep track of those either).

I spent years of my life obsessing over that statistic because it was being used to push for new federal legislation that, while well intentioned, contained language that would, and has, created real problems for ethical facilities that have big cats. I wrote a comprehensive - 35 page! - analysis of the issues with the then-current version of the Big Cat Public Safety Act in 2020. When the bill was first introduced to Congress in 2013, a lot of groups promoted it by fear mongering: there's so many pet tigers! they could be hidden around every corner! they could escape and attack you! they could come out of nowhere and eat your children!! Tiger King exposed the masses to the idea of "thousands of abused backyard big cats": as a result the messaging around the bill shifted to being welfare-focused, and the law passed in 2022.

The Big Cat Public Safety Act created a registry, and anyone who owned a private cat and wanted to keep it had to join. If they did, they could keep the animal until it passed, as long as they followed certain strictures (no getting more, no public contact, etc). Don’t register and get caught? Cat is seized and major punishment for you. Registering is therefore highly incentivized. That registry closed in June of 2023, and you can now get that registration data via a Freedom of Information Act request.

Guess how many pet big cats were registered in the whole country?

97.

Not tens of thousands. Not thousands. Not even triple digits. 97.

And that isn't even the right number! Ten USDA licensed facilities registered erroneously. That accounts for 55 of 97 animals. Which leaves us with 42 pet big cats, of all species, in the entire country.

Now, I know that not everyone may have registered. There's probably someone living deep in the woods somewhere with their illegal pet cougar, and there's been at least one random person in Texas arrested for trying to sell a cub since the law passed. But - and here's the big thing - even if there are ten times as many hidden cats than people who registered them - that's nowhere near ten thousand animals. Obviously, I had some questions.

Guess what? Turns out, this is because it was never real. That huge number never had data behind it, wasn't likely to be accurate, and the advocacy groups using that statistic to fearmonger and drive their agenda knew it... and didn't see a problem with that.

Allow me to introduce you to an article published last week.

This article is good. (Full disclose, I'm quoted in it). It's comprehensive and fairly written, and they did their due diligence reporting and fact-checking the piece. They talked to a lot of people on all sides of the story.

But thing that really gets me?

Multiple representatives from major advocacy organizations who worked on the Big Cat Publix Safety Act told the reporter that they knew the statistics they were quoting weren't real. And that they don't care. The end justifies the means, the good guys won over the bad guys, that's just how lobbying works after all. They're so blase about it, it makes my stomach hurt. Let me pull some excerpts from the quotes.

"Whatever the true number, nearly everyone in the debate acknowledges a disparity between the actual census and the figures cited by lawmakers. “The 20,000 number is not real,” said Bill Nimmo, founder of Tigers in America. (...) For his part, Nimmo at Tigers in America sees the exaggerated figure as part of the political process. Prior to the passage of the bill, he said, businesses that exhibited and bred big cats juiced the numbers, too. (...) “I’m not justifying the hyperbolic 20,000,” Nimmo said. “In the world of comparing hyperbole, the good guys won this one.”

"Michelle Sinnott, director and counsel for captive animal law enforcement at the PETA Foundation, emphasized that the law accomplished what it was set out to do. (...) Specific numbers are not what really matter, she said: “Whether there’s one big cat in a private home or whether there’s 10,000 big cats in a private home, the underlying problem of industry is still there.”"

I have no problem with a law ending the private ownership of big cats, and with ending cub petting practices. What I do have a problem with is that these organizations purposefully spread disinformation for years in order to push for it. By their own admission, they repeatedly and intentionally promoted false statistics within Congress. For a decade.

No wonder it never made sense. No wonder no matter where I looked, I couldn't figure out how any of these groups got those numbers, why there was never any data to back any of the claims up, why everything I learned seemed to actively contradict it. It was never real. These people decided the truth didn't matter. They knew they had no proof, couldn't verify their shocking numbers... and they decided that was fine, if it achieved the end they wanted.

So members of the public - probably like you, reading this - and legislators who care about big cats and want to see legislation exist to protect them? They got played, got fed false information through a TV show designed to tug at heartstrings, and it got a law through Congress that's causing real problems for ethical captive big cat management. The 20,000 pet cat number was too sexy - too much of a crisis - for anyone to want to look past it and check that the language of the law wouldn't mess things up up for good zoos and sanctuaries. Whoops! At least the "bad guys" lost, right? (The problems are covered somewhat in the article linked, and I'll go into more details in a future post. You can also read my analysis from 2020, linked up top.)

Now, I know. Something something something facts don't matter this much in our post-truth era, stop caring so much, that's just how politics work, etc. I’m sorry, but no. Absolutely not.

Laws that will impact the welfare of living animals must be crafted carefully, thoughtfully, and precisely in order to ensure they achieve their goals without accidental negative impacts. We have a duty of care to ensure that. And in this case, the law also impacts reservoir populations for critically endangered species! We can't get those back if we mess them up. So maybe, just maybe, if legislators hadn't been so focused on all those alleged pet cats, the bill could have been written narrowly and precisely.

But the minutiae of regulatory impacts aren't sexy, and tiger abuse and TV shows about terrible people are. We all got misled, and now we're here, and the animals in good facilities are already paying for it.

I don't have a conclusion. I'm just mad. The public deserves to know the truth about animal legislation they're voting for, and I hope we all call on our legislators in the future to be far more critical of the data they get fed.