It’s rare you see two ordinary words that ought to get along provide such a visceral reaction:

I mean, that covers Frankenstein, and museum canvases smeared with offal. It’s a brand extension for Tuna Creations, which I like. They come in Flavors. I like many of the Flavors. But the idea of spooning out a niggardly portion of Sloppy Joe seems unutterably depressing, and I will not buy the Meat Creation. I lay a marker down here, now. Never.

Odd to see Charlie shilling for cow goop.

It was a quick trip to Target. Once weekly, now every three. I’ve noticed some downward price pressure, since they’re battling with WalMart for some food dollars. Walmart does have more options, at least as I recall my one recent trip, but that trip was not followed up by significant changes in habit because it was like shopping for eggs in the Thunderdome. The entire place was just LOUD. Entire aisles looked junky, with merchandise in disarray. I’m one of those put-the-box-back-as-you-found-it guys, because if I disturb the order I feel obliged to reassert the order.

If this sounds like judgmental twaddle from someone who probably gets annoyed by shoplifters, lol, imagine bootlicking a corporation, that’s because I am annoyed by shoplifters. Today at Walgreens I saw a sign that said the area was under observation by camera, and theft would be prosecuted. Good. There are many items I don’t buy there because they’re under lock and key, and it’s too much bother. I wondered if this was a top-down decision or if the place had suffered shrinkage.

Well, turns out: the latter.

At the register the clerk suddenly said “COULD YOU PAY FOR THAT SIR,” and I looked to see some methhead walking briskly out the door with an armload of merchandise. I followed immediately outside with my phone and got a picture of the license plate. It was a newish car, with a temp tag from a local dealership. I went back in and gave it to the manager. Then I wondered if he and his fellow criminal might hit the other drug store in the neighborhood, so I drove there looking for the distinctive plates. No luck. (I was in a suburb, and hence more likely to get a police response.)

Here I have committed two sins: 1. Objecting to someone shoplifting, and 2. Hoping that I could get the person justice-involved, as they say.

The conversation in line around the register had two themes for the next few minutes: it’s awful that he does that and we all know that nothing will happen to him, and 2. Here we all are, paying for our things, like idiots!

But of course everyone did pay for their things. There isn’t any question that we would.

   
  So! What's the journey that takes us from this image . . .
   
  . . . to this one?
   

I enjoy reading local columnists in small papers. They’re rarely great. The best, or at least the ones who last the longest, have a relationship with their readers based on familiarity and generational similarities.

Now, I’m not a Texian, but I know what a frog sticker is. The column makes some vague points about taking the frog stickers away from the bad guys - its 1985, so Hezbollah is mentioned - but it’s not a strongly reasoned piece. Doesn’t matter. People liked it.

Looked up the author; died in 2020 after a long run. From the obit:

In 1998, Henry and Linda (Smith) Hetsel were married on the summer solstice at the ruins of Espiritu Santo de Zuniga mission on the banks of the Guadalupe River.

Which was . .

. . . . established by Spain in 1722 in the Viceroyalty of New Spain—to convert native Karankawa Indians to Christianity.

Together with its nearby military fortress, Presidio La Bahía, the mission upheld Spanish territorial claims in the New World against encroachment from France. The third and final location near Goliad, Texas is maintained now as part of Goliad State Park and Historic Site.

There’s a lot to consider in that paragraph.

Goliad was the location of a skirmish / battle in the Texas Revolution.

The Texas Revolution (October 2, 1835 – April 21, 1836) was a rebellion of colonists from the United States and Tejanos (Hispanic Texans) against the centralist government of Mexico in the Mexican state of Coahuila y Tejas.

Although the uprising was part of a larger one, the Mexican Federalist War, that included other provinces opposed to the regime of President Antonio López de Santa Anna, the Mexican government believed the United States had instigated the Texas insurrection with the goal of annexation.

Coahuila y Tejas was a state in the United Mexican States, which broke off from New Spain, which was HUGE. Let’s just say there was a lot going on down there in the early-middle of the 19th century. If you grew up when I did - or later, I suppose - you regarded it all as a settled matter, which I suppose it was; there was Texas, and there was Mexico. But the creation of both is quite the tale, and the trajectories - economic, political, cultural - of each is instructive. To state the thuddingly obvious. I feel insufficient when I come across these things. It's American history. I should know more.

The Karankawa got a raw deal. First the Spanish attacked them - and it’s always odd to me how the Iberian conquerors morphed into “Latinos,” a group victimized by European descendants - and then the Texans tried to get rid of them.

. . . . by 1891, the Karankawa ceased to exist as a functioning tribe.

Historical research of the Karankawa is hindered because the documents concerning them were overwhelmingly written by enemies of the tribe.

The Karankawa had been described for centuries as "cannibals," now believed by many to be a falsehood initially spread by the Spanish after failing to convert them to Catholicism. Years later, Texan colonist John H. Moore attempted to justify his role in the massacre of Karankawa because "their cannibalism... [was] beyond question," despite the absence of evidence.

I found this passage interesting:

The Karankawa had a specific way of conversing. They carefully repressed their breath while speaking; at the end of their sentences, they exhaled heavily, releasing the air they held back during speaking. Moreover, their expression was interpreted by Europeans as impassive, especially because they never looked at the person to whom they were speaking. Their pronunciation was very exact, and they ridiculed poor elocution by the whites who tried to learn their language. The Europeans described their general demeanor as surly and fatigued.

Maybe they were. They really did have a bad run.

During the Texan-Mexican War, some of the Karankawa served in the Mexican Army. They suffered greatly in the Battle of the Alamo of 1836, and the Texans retaliated heavily for their service.

Chief Jose Maria's 19-year-old son, Walupe, was captured by the Mexicans and killed. His father came on board the ship of a Texan settler and announced his intent of revenge, but the majority of his men and himself were killed. Antonio, who claimed he was the brother of Jose Maria, became chief after that. During his administration and afterward, the Karankawa population diminished significantly from disease, conflict with Europeans, and infighting.

It seems the most significant leftover, or testament, is a painting that references their existence.

Painting, The Settlement of Austin's Colony, by Henry Arthur McArdle, in the House of Representatives chamber in the Texas Capitol: Stephen F. Austin is shown rallying his colonists against the Karankawa Indians around 1824, as an unnamed scout comes to the cabin door to sound the alarm.

They didn't even get a good painting.

 
 
 

   

We continue to study Tecumsah.

What? You have something better to do? It's Thursday! That's what we do here!

Let's start with this battered old citizen, which appears to have its original facade. That can't be wood.

Now we look at that corner building you see in the banner above.

Looks as though it got some love recently, wth new doors and windows.

Computer, enhance:

Interesting. The building down the street got a haircut, and the Chieftain was painted white.

Scoured and mangled, but you could bring it back to life without a lot of work. Fresh paint, some sandblasting, new windows: she’d be fine.

I don’t know why the building on the left is wearing a concrete hat.

These are even closer to being good-as-new, except for the windows on the left.

The whole block. Rather nice.

Moving down the block . . .

Hallmark and Rexall. Main Street staples, once upon a time. Unfriendly rehab, but it nails a particular era, and perhaps it's good to keep it. At some point, things like that become historic.

We just accepted that the Farm Bureau logo and typeface looked like something from a rejected Star Trek spinoff.

Whatever was on that spot, it’s been gone long enough for the mural to fade and flake.

Rather callous retrofitting of a brotherhood hall for a drive-in bank.

It’s bad business all around. Poor IOOF.

One of the most important commercial buildings of its day, no doubt. Remarkable that the ground floor upper windows were preserved, and the rest of the ground floor so grievously insulted.

If you look closely, you’ll see a great old GE appliance sign. I just noticed it myself.

Rexall, Hallmark, GE. Sigh.

As well-preserved as you could expect, and really, it’s a miracle it’s not gone or slathered over.

Note the cobblestone streets.

ELLSWORTH.

Well, thank you, sir.

It looks so sad, so alone.

Can you guess the purpose? I’d say “City Hall and Fire Station,” since it seems a bit too elaborate for just a firehouse. Let’s get closer.

Ah! I was right.

Really, I don’t look ahead at the stuff in the folder. But that wasn't a particularly brilliant deduction.

Coca-Cola signs painted upon Coca-Cola signs?

Another Google Street car pass:

So much depends on the light and whether it just rained. When it rains, the ghosts come out.

That will do. Today we begin a month of Restaurant postcards! You know what that means. Yes. Closer to Spring, every day. Note: I am having the same font problems I had with Motels, so the horrible curly font will be displayed. I am working on it. Somehow. Still can't get the ads to display for me. It never ends.