The State of Texas: Nov. 21, 2013

Photo of the Day

He’s no Tom Ford, but Kliff Kingsbury’s new uniforms sure are spiffy. The Texas Tech coach and runway model was given full control of the team’s uniform, and this is result. Coming to a store field this Thanksgiving:

Longread Thursday

Mr. Texas Bright Eyes — Grantland has a fun story on Philly Eagles linebacker Connor Barwin, the NFL’s only “bike-riding, socially conscious, Animal Collective–loving hipster.” And where did Barwin first learn to love skinny jeans and drowsy tunes? “Really, it was in Houston that I dove into live music and bands,” said Barwin, who spent his freshman pro year with the Texans. In fact, most of the story places the blame and/or cred on H-town for inspiring the tackler of New Sincerity.

Un-Kinky Politics — Kinky Friedman’s latest run for public office (for ag commish) is focused on America’s ultimate cash crop—marijuana. Surprisingly, The Kinkster, whose latest effort is profiled by the Houston Press, doesn’t do much wink-and-nodding this time around. “Look, I’m 69, I don’t have time for stunts … I’m dead serious about this run and about pushing for legalization.”

Daily Roundup

The Downhill Ride — Lance Armstrong is zapping all the fun out of Lance Armstrong schadenfreuding (new word!). The latest news is that the dethroned “reached a settlement Wednesday with an insurance company that was seeking $3 million in performance bonuses it paid him from 1999 to 2001,” according to the AP. Details of the settlement are private as a blood transfusion. The settlement also means that Armstrong won’t have to testify for a deposition “where he was expected to be asked to detail drug use throughout his career.” Armstrong still faces numerous lawsuits totally about $119 million in restitution.

We Didn’t Start The Fire (Seriously, We Didn’t) — More and more criminal convictions are coming under scrutiny in Texas, including, as NBC News highlighted, those based on questionable arson science. This has prompted a new “alliance between two unlikely partners — the state fire marshal and the Innocence Project of Texas,” two groups now focused on using better forensic technology and fire investigation standards to review old arson cases. “Such a partnership is unprecedented, and it is transforming the relationship between science and the law, helping turn Texas into ‘a model’ for the country,” according to the piece, which focuses on Douglas Boyington, who’s serving 75 years in Huntsville for a non-fatal apartment fire that began while he was at a bar celebrating his birthday. Like the Innocence Project’s more well-known work, the effort still has a ways to go. But it could be the smoke before the fire.

The Prince Formerly Known As Tiger — Looks like wishing has made it so. Following speculation that Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler* would be traded, it’s happened. Just a couple months after Kinsler called out Rangers fans for not packing the ballpark, the All-Star second baseman was sent packing for the ballpark in Detroit. The trade with the Tiger’s means All-Star first baseman Prince Fielder (what an All-Star name) will become a Ranger. GM JD don’t need no Nolan Ryan to shake things up.

Groundwork — The increased frequency of earthquakes in Texas has people really shaken up, and it looks like the Texas Railroad Commission and the United States Geological Survey are investigating exactly what is causing the jump. Fracking and other such earth-boring techniques are part of the usual lineup of suspects, but the professional investigators are doubtful that’s the root cause. That’s because there are apparently, “dozens of fault lines in North Texas [and] often times the small quakes are small releases of stresses and forces in the earth.” So, sorry North Texas. Looks like you’re stuck with the occasional rumblings.