Escape from Communist N Korea
- The Longhorn Corral
- 15 Replies
Horrific details of Kim Jong-un's gulags emerge in new documentary
In the gripping new documentary Beyond Utopia: Escape from North Korea, harrowing footage reveals the desperate lengths people will go to to leave Kim Jong-un's regime.
The Future of Blue States. We need to set up now a new Underground Railroad for the people stuck in Blue States to escape their communist leaders.
Bill Connelly's Returning Production rankings
- By TedYettis54
- Inside the 40 Acres
- 7 Replies
Returning production rankings for all 134 FBS college football teams
Is Texas A&M's rebuild off the a better start? Is the new-look Big 12 about to be loaded while some College Football Playoff hopefuls rebuild? We look at which teams bring back the most production and who has the most to replace.
He does factor in transfers, but has admitted he isn't super confident yet in how he handles production from incoming transfers
Some notables
18. Ags
25. Longhorns
28. Oregon
47. Georgia
67. OU
70. Ohio State
93. Red Raiders
128. Michigan
Travis arrives at the Alamo: Road to Texas Independence.
- By echeese
- Inside the 40 Acres
- 25 Replies
Travis Arrives at the Alamo
The fuse of the powder keg for Texas Independence was lit on 2 Oct of 1835 with the Battle of Gonzalas and Come and Take It. In an interesting historical footnote, the 1st shots of the Revolution were actually fired on 1 Sept 1835 when the Texicans ship the San Felipe fired upon and then captured the Mexican armed schooner Correo de Majica.
What were the REAL issues leading to Revolution
To fully understand why the Texicans were up in arms, first let us step back to in time a couple years to set the stage. In 1824, Mexico had finally booted the Spanish out of the country and set up their republic, patterned closely after the United States. They even wrote a Constitution outlining the roles of government and the rights of the people. The wheels to the Texas Revolution started rolling in March of 1834 when Santa Anna, who had risen to power, rescinded the Mexican Constitution of 1824 and established himself as the head of very centralized Mexican government. This stripped all Mexican citizens (and the Texicans were Mexican citizens) of their rights. Nor was Texas the only province that rebelled, Zacatecas and Vera Cruz among other Mexican states took arms and rose up against this tyranny. Despite an attempt to paint it otherwise, this was not about slavery as a recent book tried to claim.
In fact in Stephen F Austin’s letters to the 1st Spanish government then well the newly established Mexican government, slavery was never mentioned. Keep in mind, the Spaniard’s originally provided land grants to new settlers to Texas to create a barrier on the frontier between the raiding and rustling Comanches and the large Mexican cattle ranches south of the Rio Grande River.
Stephen F Austin and his father Moses were land empresarios (basically land brokers) originally granted this right by the Spanish then later by the newly formed Mexican government. But not before Stephen was imprisoned in Mexico. SFA had been steadfast on opposing Texas Independence. In January of 1835 he published his “Exposition to the Public Regarding the Affairs of Texas” which called for Texas to be a separate state from Coahuila but still a state of Mexico (it had been Texas& Coahuila at the time).
He would reverse himself on the 8th of September of that year based on the belligerence of Santa Anna and his unwillingness to honor the Constitution of 1824. That same month, some of the prominent Tejanos (Texas settlers from Mexico) including Juan Sequin, Salvador Flores and Manuel Flores agreed to take up arms against Santa Anna and side with the Texicans.
To dispel another popular “talking point”, those who settled Texas did not “steal it” from Mexico. They were in fact invited to settle the almost completely uninhabited frontier land of Texas to create a physical barrier between the large Northern Mexico cattle ranches and the raiding Comanche Indians. Invited 1st by the Spanish, then by the new Mexican govt. And prior to the Spanish arriving, the Maya and Aztec people of Mexico made no claims to the lands north of the Rio Grande
Come and Take It
On 2 October 100 Mexican dragoons engaged with the Texicans at Gonzales, trying to reclaim a cannon given to the Texicans for defense against the Indians, primarily the raiding Comanches. The cannon was little more than a large shotgun. Flying the now famous “Come and Take It” flag, the Texicans opened fire leaving the Mexicans thrashed and they withdrew in defeat.
The city of Gonzales has a small but interesting Museum where you can see the cannon (though pretty sure it's not the original). Worth an hour visit before heading to City Market for some excellent Q.
3 Oct, Santa Anna abolishes all state legislatures across Mexico. As mentioned, Texas would not be the only state to rebel. They would be the only one to be successful.
5 Oct General Cos who is also Santa Anna’s brother in law leaves the garrison at Presidio La Bahia in Goliad in the hands of 30 soldiers and marches the remaining 450 to reinforce San Antonio. Phillip Dimmett would lead the Texicans to overtake the Presidio.
Battle of Concepción
27 Oct Stephen F Austin sent James Bowie, James Fannin and Juan Sequin with 90 men of the Texas Militia (the volunteers) to scout a position to bring the Alamo (were Gen Cos sets up his troops) under siege. The Texican approached from the south near Mission Concepción which is about 2 miles south of what is now downtown San Antonio. Gen Cos, learning the Texicans were nearby sent 275 soldiers to attack them leading to the Battle of Concepción, the 1st major engagement in the war for Texas Independence. This would also be the first time the Texicans Kentucky long rifles would display a technical advantage they would enjoy throughout the revolution. The Mexican army was armed with muskets not unlike what the British carried during the American Revolution. These had shorter ranges and were not particularly accurate. The Mexican ammunition was also very poor. The Kentucky long rifles had almost twice the range and enjoyed a much higher level of accuracy. This would make a large technical advantage for the outnumbered Texicans during the Battle of Concepción. SFA promoted Jim Bowie to Colonel and spilt the 90 man force between he and Lt Col James Fannin.
Austin’s forces also enjoyed the advantage of terrain. They were defending a U shaped gully in a stand of trees, many Pecan trees. The trees blocked the ability for the Mexicans to use their calvary effectively and the grapeshot fired by the Mexican cannon only served to knock ripe Pecans down around the Texicans. The Texicans enjoyed the tasty nuts.
After 3 unsuccessful attempts to dislodge the Texas Militia, the Mexicans withdrew in defeat after about 30 minutes of fighting. They would lose somewhere between 14 and 70 soldiers with only one Texan, Richard Andrews lost. Alwyn Barr in his work, Texans in Revolt is the source for the 14 Mexicans lost while Texas Historian Steve Hardin estimates the losses at over 70.
The Consultation
Early Nov leaders from around the state meet at San Felipie (right off IH 10 along the Brazos river near Sealy They have restored some of the old town including the meeting space) which had been the center of Texas leadership until the revolution, to discuss the plan of action. Their conclusion, restore the Mexican Constitution of 1824 and there would not be a revolution. Strip Mexican citizens of their rights in Texas, they would move to succeed.
The Grass Fight
26 Nov Jim Bowie learns from legendary scout Deaf Smith of a Mexican pack train marching to San Antonio with about 50 soliders Thinking there might be weapons, powder and silver to loot, he and 45 men riding as calvary set off to ambush the mule train. The fight breaks out, Gen Cos sends reinforcements but the Texicans repulse the reinforcements only to discover the mules loaded with fresh grass to feed the Mexican calvary horses. While largely a footnote, the Texicans gain great confidence in their fighting ability. Maybe too much confidence.
28 Nov Santa Anna leads an army of 5,000 from Mexico City with the plan to end the rebels fight once and for all. Along the way he conscripts another thousand mostly peasants into the Army.
1st Battle of the Alamo begins.
5 Dec Under Ben Milam and Frank Johnson, the assault on General Cos’ garrison at the Alamo and in San Antonio begins.
8 Dec General Cos is reinforced by an additional 500 Mexican troops.
11 Dec The battle going poorly, General Cos surrenders. The Texicans parole Gen Cos and his 1000 troops with the promise they will not return to fight the Texicans. They will regret this decision as Gen Cos joins with Santa Anna’s army, breaking his “oath” and return to fight against Texas.
15 Dec With the Mexican garrison under Gen Cos marching south, Edward Burleson resigns as commander of the Alamo garrison and most of the men head home for Christmas.
Late Dec Jim Bowie ordered to join the Matamoras Expedition, leaves the Alamo.
14 Jan JC Neill, now in command of the Alamo with 78 men remaining pleads for supplies and more men. This becomes a familiar refrain.
19 January Jim Bowie with James Bonham returnw to the Alamo with 30 men bringing the garrison just over 100.
1 Feb Elections begin across the state for an Independence Convention.
2 Feb Bowie pleads to Gov Henry Smith for more supplies
Which brings us up to speed.
3 Feb William Barrett Travis arrives at the Alamo with 30 men of the Texas Army. So now you have members of the official Texas Army and those following the Texas Militia, the volunteers. It would become a leadership challenge
The 1824 Flag will fly at my place until 21 April which is both my wife’s birthday (appropriate for a 7th Generation Texan) and. . . San Jacinto Day (sorry buried the lead). And historians disagree on whether a red, green and white vertically striped flag with 1824 in the white center actually existed and flew over the Alamo. Not sure but it underscores that actual cornerstone of the Texas Revolution.
We’ll update this with the key events on the Road to Texas Independence over the coming weeks..
Recruiting Rumor Mill: Pylon Los Angeles
- By Adam Gorney
- Inside the 40 Acres
- 1 Replies
The latest:
n.rivals.com
Rivals.com - Recruiting Rumor Mill: Pylon Los Angeles brings out the stars
Four-star receiver Cortez Mills is ranked No. 100 in the 2025 Rivals250.
n.rivals.com
Instant MBB Analysis: Horns get off the bubble with statement win in Ft. Worth
- By Ketchum
- Inside the 40 Acres
- 93 Replies
Cliffs Notes: In a stretch of five straight games against ranked teams, the Texas Longhorns beat No.25 TCU 77-66 to win in FT. Worth to give the team its third win during this taxing 5-game stretch.
The Participants: NR Texas (15-7, 4-5 Big 12) and No.25 TCU (16-6, 5-4 Big 12)
Pre-Game KenPom Rankings: Texas (No. 35) and TCU (No. 22)
Game MVP: Senior Max Abmas scored two points in the first half and started 2 of 10 from the floor, but he turned into Vinnie Johnson 2.0 in the final five minutes of the game, scoring all 13 straight points for the Longhorns in the final 5:13. Abmas finished with a game-high 21 points.
Key Stretch: With the score tied 64-64, Abmas went on a personal 9-0 run, which actually started with him stopping a TCU fast break by ripping the ball away from Emmanuel Miller. Abmas then scored a lay-up with the foul and made back to back three-point bombs to give the Longhorns a 73-64 lead.
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Thing You Need to Know: The Longhorns won this game by out-hustling and out-wanting the Horned Frogs. It just seemed to the naked eye that the Longhorns got to 4 out of every 5 loose balls and the data pretty much supports what the eyeballs saw, as the Longhorns out-rebounded TCU 34-21, grabbed twice as many offensive rebounds (14-7) and finished +6 in combined blocks/steals. It was the junk-yard dog performance of the season.
Sloooow start: The Longhorns fell behind 16-6 in the first half, as it shot 3 of 11 from the floor, including a combined 0 for 4 from Abmas and Disu. Meanwhile, TCU started the game hitting 7 of its first 9 shots.
Texas Strikes Back: After falling behind by 10, the Longhorns went on a 37-16 run to end the first half, finishing with a 43-32 lead after 20 minutes. Leading the way was sophomore Dillon Mitchell, who finished the first half with 10 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals and this little piece of nastiness.
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Double-Double Machine: Sophomore Dillon Mitchell finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds, which represented his 8th double-double of the season, which is 7 more than he had as a freshman.
Tracking down History: Abmas came into tonight's game as the No.14 all-time leading scorer in the history of the college game, trailing former Kansas star Danny Manning by 18 points for 13th place all-time and he passed him late in the game. Next up? With 2954 career points, Abmas is only 19 points behind Oscar Robertson for 12th place on the list.
Tracking down History II: After moving into 4th place on the NCAA' all-time 3-point shots made list a couple of weeks ago, Max Abmas knocked down 2 of 5 shots from downtown today to move within 16 of third-place Travis Bader (Purdue 2010-14).
ESPN Bracketology: Even on a two-game losing streak coming into this game, Texas has still been able to put itself in a position where it's probably not truly on the bubble line of teams trying to make the Tournament. This win almost certainly means they are entirely off the bubble list coming out of the weekend.
The Participants: NR Texas (15-7, 4-5 Big 12) and No.25 TCU (16-6, 5-4 Big 12)
Pre-Game KenPom Rankings: Texas (No. 35) and TCU (No. 22)
Game MVP: Senior Max Abmas scored two points in the first half and started 2 of 10 from the floor, but he turned into Vinnie Johnson 2.0 in the final five minutes of the game, scoring all 13 straight points for the Longhorns in the final 5:13. Abmas finished with a game-high 21 points.
Key Stretch: With the score tied 64-64, Abmas went on a personal 9-0 run, which actually started with him stopping a TCU fast break by ripping the ball away from Emmanuel Miller. Abmas then scored a lay-up with the foul and made back to back three-point bombs to give the Longhorns a 73-64 lead.
Login to view embedded media
Thing You Need to Know: The Longhorns won this game by out-hustling and out-wanting the Horned Frogs. It just seemed to the naked eye that the Longhorns got to 4 out of every 5 loose balls and the data pretty much supports what the eyeballs saw, as the Longhorns out-rebounded TCU 34-21, grabbed twice as many offensive rebounds (14-7) and finished +6 in combined blocks/steals. It was the junk-yard dog performance of the season.
Sloooow start: The Longhorns fell behind 16-6 in the first half, as it shot 3 of 11 from the floor, including a combined 0 for 4 from Abmas and Disu. Meanwhile, TCU started the game hitting 7 of its first 9 shots.
Texas Strikes Back: After falling behind by 10, the Longhorns went on a 37-16 run to end the first half, finishing with a 43-32 lead after 20 minutes. Leading the way was sophomore Dillon Mitchell, who finished the first half with 10 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals and this little piece of nastiness.
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Double-Double Machine: Sophomore Dillon Mitchell finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds, which represented his 8th double-double of the season, which is 7 more than he had as a freshman.
Tracking down History: Abmas came into tonight's game as the No.14 all-time leading scorer in the history of the college game, trailing former Kansas star Danny Manning by 18 points for 13th place all-time and he passed him late in the game. Next up? With 2954 career points, Abmas is only 19 points behind Oscar Robertson for 12th place on the list.
Tracking down History II: After moving into 4th place on the NCAA' all-time 3-point shots made list a couple of weeks ago, Max Abmas knocked down 2 of 5 shots from downtown today to move within 16 of third-place Travis Bader (Purdue 2010-14).
ESPN Bracketology: Even on a two-game losing streak coming into this game, Texas has still been able to put itself in a position where it's probably not truly on the bubble line of teams trying to make the Tournament. This win almost certainly means they are entirely off the bubble list coming out of the weekend.
What’s on the menu tonight OB?
- By HotCheeto
- Inside the 40 Acres
- 33 Replies
We’ve got homemade chicken fried chicken, golden mashed potatoes, and Italian cut green beans with mushrooms and bacon along with homemade white gravy on the menu tonight!
What’s on the menu for the rest of you degenerates?👀
What’s on the menu for the rest of you degenerates?👀
OT: Cool Culture Critic thread on the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World . . .
- Inside the 40 Acres
- 21 Replies
Culture Critic
@Culture_CritJan 23 • 14 tweets • 6 min read • Read on X
Reminder that Cleopatra lived closer in time to today than to the construction of the pyramids.
Of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World, the Great Pyramid is by far the oldest - yet the only one still standing.
So what happened to the others...? 🧵
1. Colossus of Rhodes:
A war memorial built in 282 BC on the Greek island of Rhodes, marking victory over a great siege on the city.
Rhodians melted down the enemy's bronze and iron weaponry and erected a colossus of the sun god Helios - about the size of the Statue of Liberty.
After just 50 years it was toppled by an earthquake. It lay in ruin for centuries (we don't know precisely where) until the pieces were sold off.
It was so great that people still came to visit the fragments - Pliny the Elder said few could wrap their arms around its thumbs.
2. Lighthouse of Alexandria
The youngest of the ancient wonders, built in the 3rd century BC. Alexandria was then a crucial trade port - the gateway to the Mediterranean.
It was around 400 feet tall, the world's second tallest structure for centuries behind the Great Pyramid.
The lighthouse survived for over 1,400 years. It was gradually destroyed by earthquakes during the medieval period and fell into the sea.
A major discovery occurred in 1994 - some of its remains were found on the harbour seafloor, as well as several statues (pictured).
3. Temple of Artemis
Initially a Bronze Age shrine at Ephesus (in modern-day Turkey). It was destroyed by flooding, rebuilt, then destroyed again by arson.
The third temple was the greatest, and it stood for around 600 years. It was huge - twice the size of the Parthenon.
Paganism was threatened as Christianity swept through the Roman Empire, and in 391 AD, the temple was closed by the Emperor Theodosius.
It was finally torn down by a mob in 401 AD. Only a single column remains today, but some fragments are kept at the British Museum.
4. Mausoleum at Halicarnassus
An enormous tomb built in 350 BC for Mausolus, a ruler of Caria (then part of the Persian Empire).
Crowned by a mighty four-horse marble chariot, it was so great that Mausolus's name stuck as the generic word for funeral monument buildings.
A series of earthquakes destroyed it in the 13th century and some fragments were used to build Bodrum Castle.
You can still visit its foundations in Bodrum (modern-day Turkey) and many of its original statues and reliefs - some of which are now kept in the British Museum.
5. Statue of Zeus
A 41-foot statue of Zeus, the greatest of the Greek gods, erected inside the Temple of Zeus at Olympia.
It was made in 435 BC from gold and ivory, decorated with precious stones, polished bone and ebony. Zeus's head was crowned with golden olive shoots.
By the end of the 6th century AD it was lost.
We don't know for sure what happened, but the temple was closed in the 4th century when Theodosius banned pagan worship. Some say the statue was taken to Constantinople and destroyed in the fire of the Palace of Lausus.
6. Hanging Gardens of Babylon
The gardens are said to date to c.600 BC, built by Neo-Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II for his wife.
Babylonian priest Berossus described them as a series of terraces supported by stone columns and irrigated by pumps from the Euphrates river.
It's the only ancient wonder that we haven't been able to locate. Whether or not the gardens existed at all has been debated for centuries.
No archaeological evidence has yet been found, but they were said to lie in the ancient city of Babylon - near present-day Hillah, Iraq.
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