The Bookshelf, Young Texas Reader, Blog Notes, & Texana Youtube Channel


CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO THE PARLOR's FULL LISTING.
The Texas Bookshelf is for single, specific books' reviews and author interviews . The Texas Parlor ranges more broadly than my other websites. The Young Texas Reader focuses on the youngest through teenagers. Texas Blog Notes surveys blogs of historical and literary interest. I've started a Will's Texana Youtube collecting channel where 1,000 videos are collected in 100 playlists . Find Will in Houston or at willstexana {at} yahoodotcom

Saturday, September 29, 2007

La Bloga: Chicano / a authors

http://labloga.blogspot.com/2006/05/man-who-could-fly.html

Chicano Literature, Chicano Writers, Chicano Fiction, Children's Literature, News, Views & Reviews. [También de Chicanas.]

Floricanto and Tejana novels and humor

From out in California Floricanto Press, 3 items are found


http://www.floricantopress.com/

La Picardía Chicana: Latino Folk Humor. Folklore Latino Jocoso. José R. Reyna, Edited by Andrea Alessandra Cabello, University of California, Berkeley, with the Assistance of Gloria Canales. 0-915745-42-9 $35.00 Bulk sales for class use $25.00

Latina Mistress. By R.F. Sánchez 978-0-915745-91-3. 332 pgs. $24.95

La Gringa. By Pedro Martínez. ISBN: 978-0-915745-94-4. 428 pgs. $25.95

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Tx Dept of Ag - Land Heritage Program

http://www.agr.state.tx.us/agr/program_render/0,1987,1848_5409_0_0,00.html?channel=5409

Over 4000 sites recognized, but I didn't find an online list. But it seems I saw a paper version once upon a time.


"The Family Land Heritage Program honors farms and ranches that have been in continuous agricultural operation by the same family for 100 years or more. The program is designed to recognize and chronicle the unique history of Texas agriculture and the men and women who settled this great state and continue the tradition today.
Since the program started in 1974, the Texas Department of Agriculture has recognized more than 4,200 farms and ranches in 232 counties across Texas. "

A map at Family Land Heritage Honorees By County Map 1974-2006 can help.

Saturday, September 22, 2007

TAMU Historic Building models for sale

http://www.aggielandmarks.net/hisbuil.html
Historic Buildings include original structures built prior to the modern age of A&M when women were enrolled and manditory Corps participation ceased.

Academic Building$20.00
Chemistry Building (1929)$20.00
Civil Engineering Building (1932)$21.00
Cushing Memorial Library$20.00
DeWare Field House$18.00
G. Rollie White Coliseum$20.00
Legett Hall (1911)$21.00
Scoates Hall$20.00
Nagle Hall$20.00

(/For those of you who always wanted to buy a college)

American Society Mechanical Engineers - Landmarks

http://www.asme.org/Communities/History/Landmarks/

Texas listing

TEXAS
#52 Saturn V Rocket (1967)
Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Clear Lake City, Texas: largest rocket engines at the time of the first US lunar missions
#160 ABACUS II Integrated-Circuit Wire Bonder (1972)*
Texas Instruments, Dallas, Texas: world's first practical production machine for the assembly of integrated circuits, making possible their economical production
#154 Greens Bayou Generator Plant (1949)
Houston Lighting and Power Co., Houston, Texas: first fully outdoor turbine-generator to be placed in commercial operation
#155 Milam High-rise Air Conditioned Building (1928)
Milam GP Limited, San Antonio, Texas: first US air-conditioned high-rise office building
#242 Split-Hopkinson Pressure Bar Apparatus (1962)
Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas: Mechanical test instrument used to measure and characterize the dynamic response of materials at high strain rates
#227 First Ram-Type Blowout Preventer (BOP) (1922)
Cameron World Headquarters, Houston, Texas: first ram-type blowout preventer, which sealed the wellhead and controlled pressure during drilling and oil production operations
#125 Pullman Sleeping Car Glengyle (1911)
Age of Steam Railroad Museum, Dallas, Texas: earliest known survivor of the fleet of heavyweight, all-steel sleepers built by the Pullman Company
#137 Texas & Pacific #610 Lima Superpower Steam Locomotive (1927)
Texas State Railroad Historical Park, Palestine, Texas: sole surviving example of the earliest form of "superpower" steam locomotives
#145 Southern Gas Association-PCRC Analog Facility (1956)
Dallas, Texas: first computer system to be applied to the design of natural-gas pipeline systems
#231 LeTourneau (1922)
Longview, TX. ASME Landmark since 2004, the Mountain Mover Earthmoving Scraper helped lead to better access to farming land and road, highway and airport building for decades after its introduction
#163 Meter-type Gas Odorizer (1937)
Peerless Manufacturing R & D Facility, Dallas, Texas: early safety device for introducing odor into natural-gas lines to make leaks apparent
#179 Newell Shredder (1969)
Newell Industries, San Antonio, Texas: second and earliest surviving automobile shredder for recycling scrap metal
#173 Burton Farmers Gin Mill (1914)
Burton, Texas: earliest known survivor of an integrated cotton ginning system widely used in the southern United States
#10 USS Texas' Reciprocating Steam Engines (1914)
San Jancinto Battleground State Park, Houston, Texas: last reciprocating marine engines installed in a naval ship
#239 Hughes Glomar Explorer
Built to lift a sunk Soviet submarine from the bottom of the Pacific. Designated as an ASME Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark in Houston, Texas on July 20, 2006
#151 Victoria Dutch Windmill (1840s)
City of Victoria, Parks and Recreation Dept., Victoria, Texas: mid-19th-century wind-powered gristmill of Dutch turret-mill style

National Parks Ser - Historic Landmarks Program

Search for Texas at

http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/


Alamo San Antonio Texas Building
Apollo Mission Control Center Houston Texas Building
Bastrop State Park Bastrop Texas District
Dealey Plaza Historic District DallasTexas District
East End Historic District GalvestonTexas District
ELISSA (Bark) Galveston Texas Structure
Espada Aqueduct San AntonioTexas Structure
Fair Park Texas Centennial Buildings DallasTexas District
Fort Belknap GrahamTexas Building
Fort Brown BrownsvilleTexas District
Fort Concho San Angelo Texas District
Fort Davis Fort DavisTexas District
Fort Richardson JacksboroTexas Building
Fort Sam Houston Fort Sam HoustonTexas District
Garner, John Nance, House UvaldeTexas Building
Governor's Mansion (Austin) AustinTexas Building
HA. 19 (Midget Submarine) Fredericksburg Texas Structure
Hangar 9, Brooks Air Force Base San AntonioTexas Building
Harrell Site South BendTexas Site
Highland Park Shopping Village Highland ParkTexas Building
J A Ranch (Goodnight Ranch) Palo DuroTexas District
Johnson, Lyndon Baines, Boyhood Home Johnson CityTexas Building
King RanchKingsville andTexas District
Landergin Mesa VegaTexas Site
Lexington, USS (Aircraft Carrier)Corpus ChristiTexas Structure
Lubbock Lake SiteLubbockTexasSite
Lucas Gusher, Spindletop Oil FieldBeaumontTexasSite
Majestic TheatreSan AntonioTexasBuilding
Mission ConcepcionSan AntonioTexasBuilding
Palmito Ranch BattlefieldBrownsvilleTexasDistrict
Palo Alto BattlefieldBrownsvilleTexasSite
Plainview SitePlainviewTexasSite
Porter FarmTerrellTexasSite
Presidio Nuestra Senora De Loreto De La BahiaGoliadTexasBuilding
Randolph Field Historic DistrictSan AntonioTexasDistrict
Rayburn, Samuel T,. HouseBonhamTexasBuilding
Resaca De La Palma BattlefieldBrownsvilleTexasSite
Roma Historic DistrictRomaTexasDistrict
San Jacinto BattlefieldHoustonTexasSite
Space Environment Simulation Laboratory, Chambers A and B HoustonTexasStructure
Spanish Governor's Palace San AntonioTexasBuilding
Strand Historic District GalvestonTexasDistrict
TEXAS (USS) HoustonTexasStructure
Texas State Capitol AustinTexasBuilding
Trevino-Uribe Rancho San YgnacioTexasBuilding
Woodland HuntsvilleTexasBuilding

Texas Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks in Wikipedia

Our built environment is a major portion of our preserved history and culture.

Wikipedia has some interesting offerings:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_historic_civil_engineering_landmarks#Texas

Brooks AFB, Old Hangar 9, San Antonio
San Antonio River Walk & Flood Control System, San Antonio
Galveston Seawall and Grade Raising, Galveston
Acequias of San Antonio, San Antonio
El Camino Real (The Royal Road) Eastern Branch, San Antonio
Denison Dam, Denison
Texas Commerce Bank (formerly Gulf, now Chase) Building, Houston
San Jacinto Monument, Houston
International Boundary Marker #1, El Paso
Houston Ship Channel, Houston

http://www.texasce.org/docs/PastLandmarks.cfm

HISTORIC CIVIL ENGINEERING LANDMARKS OF TEXAS SECTION-ASCE
with years of dedication (Click on a project name that is in red to see more information about it.)

National CE Landmarks in Texas
Galveston Seawall and Grade Raising Galveston 2001
Hangar 9, Brooks AFB San Antonio 1998
Gulf Building (Texas Commerce Bank, now Chase Bank) Houston 1997
San Antonio's River Walk San Antonio 1996
Denison Dam (with Oklahoma Section) Red River 1993
The San Jacinto Monument East Harris County 1992
Houston Ship Channel Houston 1987
El Camino Real, Eastern Branch San Antonio 1986
International Boundary Marker No. 1 (with New Mexico and Mexico Sections) El Paso 1976
Acequias of San Antonio San Antonio 1968

Texas CE Landmarks
Bataan Memorial Trainway El Paso 2003
Hays Street Bridge San Antonio 2001
Highland Chain of Lakes Texas Hill Country 2000
Holly Pump Station and North Holly Water Treatment Plant Fort Worth 1992
Medina Dam Lake Medina 1991
Buchanan Dam Lake Buchanan 1990
Original Dallas Floodway Dallas 1989
Houston Street Viaduct Dallas 1989
Corpus Christi Seawall Corpus Christi 1988
El Camino Real, Central Branch El Paso 1988
Mills Building El Paso 1981
Paddock Viaduct Fort Worth 1976
Alamo Portland and Roman Cement Works(San Antonio Japanese Tea Gardens) San Antonio 1976
Franklin Canal El Paso 1976
Galveston Seawall and Grade Raising Galveston 1975
Waco Suspension Bridge Waco 1971

Historic Markers with Other Sections
International Boundary Marker No. 1 (with New Mexico and Mexico Sections) El Paso 1976
International Boundary Markerbetween the Republic of Texas andthe U.S. (with Louisiana Section) Logansport, LA 1980
Denison Dam (with Oklahoma Section) Red River 1993

Other sources:
Texas Almanac
see also: http://www.texasalmanac.com/history/highlights/landmarks/

Texas CE
http://www.austinasce.org/hh.htm (Austin Branch, Texas Section - History and Heritage Committee)

http://www.texasce.org/docs/AwardsNational.cfm (for national awards)

Consider adding to these lists or using them to augment your communites awareness of their history through civil engineering

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Yahoo search finds 1275 podcasts for "Texas"

http://podcasts.yahoo.com/search?t=1&p=+texas

Texas in blogsphere in del.icio.us

The keyword "Texas" brings up 57,228 blogs


http://del.icio.us/

Texas Bigfoot Research Center

For inquiring minds


http://www.texasbigfoot.com/

Texas Digital Library blogs

http://blogs.tdl.org/scholarly/

Mike Cox's Lone Star Books blog

http://lonestarbooks.blogspot.com/

Corpus Christi Caller newspaper blog and books

On My Nightstand
http://blogs.caller.com/on_my_nightstand/

TAMU Publishing Consortium blog

http://bookblog.typepad.com/texas_am_university_press/

A Collection of left bank blogs of Texas

http://www.leftyblogs.com/texas/

Does not include the Rainmaker

9520 Texas blogs

http://technorati.com/blogs/tag/Texas

Banned Book Week and ACLU in Texas

http://www.aclutx.org/projects/bannedbooks.php

Texas official State Seal - History

http://www.sos.state.tx.us/statdoc/seal.shtml

Ed Blackburn and the Texana Review

At http://www.texanareview.com/ Ed Blackburn has confected a warm and attractive pod cast, The Texana Review. And, well, it's useful also for those interested in history, literature, and the land, not a bad trifecta. Ed skillfully produces about a cast a week on the average. For example, he interviews Elmer Kelton (in 5 parts) and Joachim Jackson the Texas Ranger (the star and gun type not the ball hurlers). He considers a number of land and energy questions. But I guess my favorite is his early morning video of his neighbor's house being demolished because as you watch and listen all sorts of wonderment falls forth.

Texas Bob has few children's books

http://www.texasbob.com/bookschild/index.html

Texas and Global Warming - very briefly

http://www.nwf.org/globalwarming/pdfs/Texas.pdf

http://www.citizen.org/texas/global_warmi/

http://www.tamug.edu/labb/Global_Warming_Info.htm

http://texas.sierraclub.org/conservation/20070416.asp

http://www.environmenttexas.org/news-releases/global-warming

http://www.texaspolicy.com/pdf/2007-04-RR08-globalwarming.pdf

http://www.citizen.org/texas/Global_Warmi/Consequences/

http://dmcsystems.org/dmccp/dhkjsh78y98dkj/dmc/content/pages/instance1.php?id=Marston:+Global+Warming

http://www.esi.utexas.edu/spotlights/gwConference.html

Houston Chronicle Houston History blog

Despite the assumption that Houston is built JUST SO somebody can igore yesterday, the venerable rag takes up the cause


http://www.blogs.chron.com/bayoucity-history

North Texas Regional Library System blog, podcast

Good for professionals to glance at from time to time. A full description of the Dobie grants for small Texas libraries is there. There's also a note of a children's bookstore closing. Other more technical material serving librarians is chocked here.
Oh! There's a desciption of their podcasting project "Librarian Live," http://librarianlive.pbwiki.com/

Honeygrove Tx: setting of One Tree Hill tv show

Yes hear the sounds and music as OTH shoots in Honeygrove

http://www.othpodcast.com/media/Suffering_Version_FINAL_FINAL3.mov

Gunsmoke as radio before tv

Some folks have captured early radio shows like "Gunsmoke" before James Arness.

This episode features "Texas Cowboys"


http://calfkillerotrpodcast.blogspot.com/2007/06/texas-cowboys-gunsmoke.html

Book review: Preacher: Gone to Texas

Yes, a myspace entry.

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=158348630&blogID=296347211

Passport to Texas via Parks & Wildlife Dept podcast

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has distributed radio show via its Passport to Texas. A variety of the are also posted as audios here.


http://passporttotexas.org/listen/

Texas Observer blog

For a view from the left side of the river, try the Texas Observer's blog
http://www.texasobserver.org/blog/

Dallas New Books Blog

The Dallas Morning News ( a Belo production) has a book blog that often has Texana notes there within.


http://books.beloblog.com/