Houston, TX. Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Mutton Bustin’. FDR’s First Fireside Chat.

 

For “Travel Tuesday” let’s visit Houston and The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo:

Houston is in the Texas Gulf Coast Region:

“ Home to some of the best beaches in America, the Texas Gulf Coast region draws millions of visitors to this Texas playground. Stretching some 350 miles from South Padre Island & the Rio Grande Valley, all the way to Beaumont & the Louisiana border, this region is renowned for its wildlife & natural beauty, as well as the home of America's space program. Discover the Beaches of the Texas Gulf Coast Region.”

“Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States of America, and the largest city in the state of Texas.  It is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown, the fifth-largest metropolitan area in the U.S. with over 6 million people.

In August 1836, two real estate entrepreneurs—Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen—from New York, purchased 6,642 acres (26.88 km) of land along Buffalo Bayou with the intent of founding a city. The Allen brothers decided to name the city after Sam Houston, the popular general at the Battle of San Jacinto, who was elected President of Texas in September 1836.

In 1900, after Galveston was struck by a devastating hurricane, efforts to make Houston into a viable deepwater port were accelerated.

 

The following year, oil discovered at the Spindletop oil field near Beaumont prompted the development of the Texas petroleum industry. In 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt approved a $1 million improvement project for the Houston Ship Channel.

 

In June 2001, Tropical Storm Allison dumped up to 40 inches (1,000 mm) of rain on parts of Houston, causing the worst flooding in the city's history; the storm cost billions of dollars in damage and killed 20 people in Texas. By December of that same year, Houston-based energy company Enron collapsed into the third-largest ever U.S. bankruptcy during an investigation surrounding fabricated partnerships that were allegedly used to hide debt and inflate profits.

In August 2005, Houston became a shelter to more than 150,000 people from New Orleans who evacuated from Hurricane Katrina.

One month later, approximately 2.5 million Houston area residents evacuated when Hurricane Rita approached the Gulf Coast, leaving little damage to the Houston area. This was the largest urban evacuation in the history of the United States.”

Geology

Underpinning Houston's land surface are unconsolidated clays, clay shales, and poorly cemented sands up to several miles deep. The region's geology developed from river deposits formed from the erosion of the Rocky Mountains. These sediments consist of a series of sands and clays deposited on decaying organic marine matter, that over time, transformed into oil and natural gas. Beneath the layers of sediment is a water-deposited layer of halite, a rock salt. The porous layers were compressed over time and forced upward. As it pushed upward, the salt dragged surrounding sediments into salt dome formations, often trapping oil and gas that seeped from the surrounding porous sands. The thick, rich, sometimes black, surface soil is suitable for rice farming in suburban outskirts where the city continues to grow.”

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Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

 

 

 

 

https://wwcm/Video/LiveStreamofShowEvents.aspx

Video       Live Stream of Show Events

Upcoming Shows:

Kenny Chesney

Tuesday, March 12 Kenny Chesney is a veteran of the country music game. He's performed just about everywhere there is to perform, won just about everything there is to win and accomplished just about everything there is to accomplish.

Jake Owen

Wednesday, March 13 This Florida native got his first big breaks opening for Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood. He has released 2 full albums and performed at the CMT Music Awards.

Pitbull

Thursday, March 14 If you said you've never bobbed your head or sung along to a Pitbull song, you'll likely be lying. He has collaborated with the likes of Chris Brown, Marc Anthony, Ne-Yo, T-Pain and more. See him perform his bag full of fun hits this Thursday night.

Blake Shelton

Friday, March 15 Blake Shelton is not only recognized as an award-winning country singer, but as husband to country musician Miranda Lambert and co-judge of NBC's The Voice. He is a two-time winner of the award for Best Male Vocalist at the Country Music Association Awards. This is Shelton's third Rodeo Houston performance.

Luke Bryan

Saturday, March 16 Academy Award of Country Music-winner Luke Bryan hails from Georgia and will take the stage of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo for the very first time on March 3. Bryan release two No. 1 hits in March of 2009: "Rain is a Good Thing" and "Someone Else Calling You Baby".

George Strait, Martina McBride, Randy Rogers Band

Sunday, March 17 George Strait, commonly referred to as the "King of Country", has produced more hits to reach #1 than any other recording artist in the history of recording artists. He has sold more than 68.5 million albums in the U.S. to date.

Martina McBride has made appearances on both the country music charts as well as the adult contemporary charts. She is the strong voice behind the hit single, "My Daughter's Eyes".

The Texas native members of Randy Rogers Band have had seven singles top the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. The group has four studio albums under their oversized belt buckles.

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Schedule of Upcoming Events

Click on the Calendar and see what’s going on that day: http://rodeohouston.com/Events/Schedule/ArtMID/1001/ArticleID/171/March-12-%e2%80%93-Daily-Activities

*Value Day Wednesdays include $10 upper level Rodeo tickets, plus values throughout Reliant Park each Wednesday of the Show.   **During Spring Break Stampede, March 11–17, enjoy extended hours at the carnival.

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RODEOHOUSTON BP Super Series IV Champions Are On Their Way to the Semifinal Round

Latest news about that: http://rodeohouston.com/AboutUs/LatestNews/Article/ArtMID/494/ArticleID/229/RODEOHOUSTON-BP-Super-Series-IV-Champions-Are-On-Their-Way-to-the-Semifinal-Round

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Youngsters Mutton Bustin’

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Mutton Bustin & Carnival   Mar 6, 2013 By Jerry & Gloria Quincy

“We drove back to Houston again today, this time for the "Mutton Bustin" part of the rodeo and the carnival.

It was cool watching 8 year olds try to stay on bucking sheep for 8 seconds, most of them fell off as soon as they passed the gate. I tried to get good pictures but it was all a blur, they came out and fell off in seconds. The place was packed and we could not even find a seat, we stood where the sheep were fenced and one of them kept coming up to me to have his head rubbed. He sure seemed much calmer and sweeter than the ones the kids rode on. They tossed those kids off and ran around bucking just like bulls. :-) It was cool to see and we highly recommend if you are ever near Houston for this huge rodeo.

The carnival part of the show was incredible too. I have never seen so much food in one place, we had a lot to choose from and still ended up having simple BBQ sandwiches on jalapeño bread. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, also called Rodeo Houston is the world's largest live entertainment and livestock exhibition. It has been held at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas, since 2003. It was previously held in the Astrodome. In 2011, attendance reached a record high of 2,262,834 people requiring more than 24,000 volunteers, it is huge!

The event is 20 days long. It is kicked off with the Downtown Rodeo parade..see earlier update from Houston for more about the parade, I added over 80 pictures from that one. The show features championship rodeo action, livestock competitions, concerts, a carnival, pig racing, barbecue and the Rodeo Uncorked and more. There is something to do during this 20 day event for everyone. We will probably go back for at least one more.” By Jerry & Gloria Quincy of ADVENTURES IN OUR AMERICAN DREAM.      37 pictures at: http://www.mytripjournal.com/travel-722104

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On This Day:

FDR gives first fireside chat, Mar 12, 1933:

“On this day in 1933, eight days after his inauguration, President Franklin D. Roosevelt gives his first national radio address or "fireside chat," broadcast directly from the White House.

Roosevelt began that first address simply: "I want to talk for a few minutes with the people of the United States about banking." He went on to explain his recent decision to close the nation's banks in order to stop a surge in mass withdrawals by panicked investors worried about possible bank failures. The banks would be reopening the next day, Roosevelt said, and he thanked the public for their "fortitude and good temper" during the "banking holiday."

At the time, the U.S. was at the lowest point of the Great Depression, with between 25 and 33 percent of the work force unemployed. The nation was worried, and Roosevelt's address was designed to ease fears and to inspire confidence in his leadership. Roosevelt went on to deliver 30 more of these broadcasts between March 1933 and June 1944. They reached an astonishing number of American households, 90 percent of which owned a radio at the time.

Journalist Robert Trout coined the phrase "fireside chat" to describe Roosevelt's radio addresses, invoking an image of the president sitting by a fire in a living room, speaking earnestly to the American people about his hopes and dreams for the nation. In fact, Roosevelt took great care to make sure each address was accessible and understandable to ordinary Americans, regardless of their level of education. He used simple vocabulary and relied on folksy anecdotes or analogies to explain the often complex issues facing the country.

Over the course of his historic 12-year presidency, Roosevelt used the chats to build popular support for his groundbreaking New Deal policies, in the face of stiff opposition from big business and other groups. After World War II began, he used them to explain his administration's wartime policies to the American people. The success of Roosevelt's chats was evident not only in his three re-elections, but also in the millions of letters that flooded the White House. Farmers, business owners, men, women, rich, poor--most of them expressed the feeling that the president had entered their home and spoken directly to them. In an era when presidents had previously communicated with their citizens almost exclusively through spokespeople and journalists, it was an unprecedented step.”

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Yesterday:

Ray and I checked the wiring to the Heat/Air unit, and we couldn’t find anything wrong with it.  It was still deader than a door nail.  We even took a panel off, checked and sprayed all the spade connectors inside the unit.  So we called Jim, the mechanic down the street.  His wife had asked me to cut their dog’s nails, so LilMiss came too.  Jim checked it with his big multitester, and the wires were hot to the junction box, but no farther.  That unit is at least 13 years old, so I guess it has had it’s day. 

After trying to locate another heat/air unit, I finally had to drive down to Spring, TX to buy one. 

The man is coming to do the house inspection at 2.00pm, so Ray and I will have to get busy installing it today.