Happy Texas Independence Day!

Hello,

I just got a text message from my good friend Wade Wilsher wishing (that's amazing aliteration by me) me a happy Texas Independence Day. In recognition of the day, I thought I would repost my rendition of Mount Texmore, which I decided upon and came up with on this very blog several years ago, with the help of input from friends in person and in comments. I distinctly remember the joy it brought me during my time away from this great state. Enjoy!

And, as always, I love you all. Thanks for reading.

Landon
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Mount Texmore - the introduction
ESPN Radio's great morning show, "Mike and Mike in the morning" has given me an idea for the next four days of this blog.

They have started a series called "Mount Sportsmore" where they decide which four sports-figures would claim a spot on this mountain...so far, it's Babe Ruth, Mohamed Ali, and Michael Jordan.

Well, I've decided to make my own mountain - Mount Texmore.

Of course, I need to work through some rules: Should I say that it must be pretty well accepted that the person is FROM Texas, as in born there, grew up there, and did not move away until after the childhood upbringing? OR, should I say that any human being (that issue was debated on the morning show when one of the Mikes considered a horse for the mountain) who has made an impact on the state is eligable (i.e. Davy Crocket who was from Tennessee)?

I suppose I'll have to go with the latter - being that Texas isn't so much a state of geographical area as it is a state of mind, I would say that anyone who has influenced the state OR anyone from the state who has influenced the rest of the world may be eligable.

Another rule that I must lay out is this: once I have placed a figure on this mountain, that figure cannot be replaced...he/she is chisled in, and that's final. So then, on day four when I have a million possibilities left, I cannot undo one of the earlier entries.

Also, there can only be four...I am not allowed to ADD mass to the mountain on day four to allow for another head.

So then, on with the heads!
Posted by Landon Smith at 10:41 AM 1 comments Links to this post


Thursday, May 04, 2006
Mount Texmore - Face 1
Before you read this, you might want to look at my first entry for today, "Mount Texmore - the Introduction", found just below this one...Also, please feel free to jump in on this debate.

Deciding on the first face for the mountain is a harder task for me than you may think. The way I see things, for now, is as four available spots on this mountain that I need to decide how to split up. For instance:

There needs to be at least someone from Texas history books who made an impact on the state, making it what it is today and always has been. That person may or may not actually be from there.

But, perhaps there also needs to be at least someone from Texas on this mountain who has made the same sort of political impact on our entire nation.

Furthermore, there needs to be at least someone from Texas on this mountain who has made a significant impact on popular culture, rather it be in music, sports, etc.

I honestly have no idea who the four figures will be. I don't even, at this point in the entry, know who will end up on the mountain by the end of this entry. I'll just have to talk it out here. I'll make one promise to you - I will not cause a nuclear reaction, an implosion of this moutain, by placing George W. Bush and the annoying girl from the Dixie Chicks side by side.

Benny "the clown" Culverhouse, the Children's minister here, has gotten in on this conversation: His vote is for either Hank Hill or Stevie Ray Vaghn. Regarding Hank Hill, this brings up an interesting point - does the face need to be of a non-fictional human being? I don't ask this because of Hank Hill - as much as I love the animated show, he's NOT going on the mountain. Cayce thinks I should put Walker Texas Ranger on the mountain - that, too, is not likely to happen. But, does Pecos Bill not deserve some sort of consideration? In regards to Stevie Ray Vaghn, I think music does indeed need representation here - but, is that going to be Stevie Ray Vaghn? You have to consider the lead singer of ZZ-Top, or Meatloaf, or Mac Davis.

I also got some input from our new secretary, Becky. Her suggestion was Matthew Mconohay - not sure on the spelling there. I would have never suggested him, but many female readers might, and he might deserve some consideration. But, does he really belong on the same list of possibilities with the likes of Sam Houston and Steven F. Austin?

One face - I need one face on this mountain by the end of this paragraph. I want to hold off on deciding what great Texans from the history books belong here until I hear more input from others. So then, we'll go with something pop-culture for now. What great Texan has influenced us as Americans in ways that his/her legacy will carry on far beyond his/her life. Today, I think I'll chisel in the face of a man...
a man who died far too soon...
a man who's influence on the music scene still rings loud...
the true king of rock-and-roll who simply wasn't alive long enough to be known as such...
the man who "American Pie" (the song) is about...
the man who made coke-bottle glasses popular...
the man who Weezer sings about looking like...



Buddy Holly. If his legacy was not living on already, it certainly will now.

I love you all. Your input for tomorrow's face is welcome. Thanks for reading.

Landon

Posted by Landon Smith at 11:21 AM 8 comments Links to this post


Monday, May 08, 2006
Mount Texmore - Face 2
First of all, I appologize for not getting around to this until now - I'm sure you're all dying to know who's next. I had an amazing weekend - but it was busy. There was simply no time to chisel.

I'm just now beginning to realize how little space there is on Mt. Texmore. There's only three spots left, meaning after this entry, there will only be two, meaning that each face I put there will be a bit contraversial. I still, therefore, need a whole lot more prayer and input from you regarding the remaining slots.

I wanted to go with Bobby Layne today - one of the ten best quarterbacks of all time and the inventor of the two minute drill. However, he would make the mountain start to look like Mount Lubbmore (he and Buddy Holly are both from Lubbock) and he was a Detroit Lion which would make it seem biased. All that aside, I would still put him on the mountain other than his horrible character - he was a great football player, but a lousy man. Also, Somebody like Don Merideth or Nolan Ryan or Coach Landry are better known today (not as good, but better known).

Here's my newest struggle with this mountain - I think it might be a chauvinist one. I truly need your input here because I am finding difficulty thinking of deserving females. That doesn't mean there aren't any great females from Texas - only that there aren't many who are as deserving as Buddy Holly. I mean, am I to shove Sam Houston off this mountain in favor of Bonnie Parker from the Bonnie and Clyde crime duo? Probably not. Should Lyndon B. Johnson not make the "cut" in favor of Mary Kay Ash, the founder of Mary Kay? Absolutely not! Do I leave off "W" in favor of Ninnie Baird, the founder of Mrs. Bairds bread? Hmmmm. So, help is truly needed here.

So then, I was going to go with Lance Armstrong for today. In fact, when I began this entry, I had him in mind. He is a man who, through sport and a defeat of horrible cancer, has given courage to many. I already was considering him when Ben Overby suggested him, giving me more courage to chisel him in. Here's the problem: 100 years from now, I fear that very few people will know the name. We still know Buddy Holly, and always will. Lance Armstrong - his legacy will dwindle in the next decade.

So, I basically chose between two figures today - I won't tell you the losing one because he still has a great chance of being chosen tomorrow or the next day. The new face on Mount Texmore is the man known as the father of Texas: How could he not, then, be on this mountain? He brought hundreds of families into the state due to the poor conditions of the United States at the time. He was responsible for the settlement of more than 1,200 American families in Mexican Texas. Besides all that, he may be the man most responsible for our existance today: following a period of imprisonment in Mexico City, he urged Texans to join federalists in Mexico in revolt against the centralist dictatorship of Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. During the Texas Revolution, he briefly commanded Texas volunteers and then went to the United States to gain support for the Texan cause. The rest is history, and beautiful.



Stephen F. Austin: Thanks for everything.

I love you all. Thanks for reading. Your input is valuable.

Landon
Posted by Landon Smith at 9:03 AM 3 comments Links to this post

Friday, May 12, 2006
Mount Texmore - Face 3
Hello,

Again, I apologize for the hiatus. I truly did plan to have this mountain built in four consecutive days - I've learned that in the midst of life's hustle and bustle, it's hard to build a mountain.

Just so you know, the other person in serious consideration for face number two was Sam Houston. He still might go on tomorrow (at least, I think it'll be done tomorrow). But, I ran that by Cayce and she made the point that if Stephen F. Austin is already on the mountain, then does it really NEED Sam Houston? It does seem kind of redundant. Besides that, I remember from Texas history that the two of them did not get along at all, which is why the capital has changed a few times. But, Sam Houston deserves consideration, if for no other reason, for these quotes:

"Texas will again lift its head and stand among the nations. It ought to do so, for no country upon the globe can compare with it in natural advantages"

"All new states are invested, more or less, by a class of noisy, second-rate men who are always in favor of rash and extreme measures, But Texas was absolutely overrun by such men."

"Texas has yet to learn submission to any oppression, come from what source it may."

I think any man who talks like that is a Texan, heart and soul, and deserves consideration on this mountain. But, if I only end up putting either him or Austin, I made the right choice - Austin is, after all, the father of Texas.

So, what about today? There are so many I've considered, and yet can't bring myself to put up there: Willie Nelson...does not compare to the greatness and legacy of Buddy Holly, and music is already represented anyway, and I don't even like him (but am willing to consider him based on his importance). George Bush or George W. Bush...they only would even be considered by today's generation of Texans, but really they have done nothing to compare with what many have done who would be left out, such as Sam Houston for instance, or Lyndon B Johnson. Ross Perot...okay, I never actually considered him.

There's no sports figure yet on this mountain, and Texas has the most of any state in our nation or world to choose from (I found this to be true without a doubt as I have worked on this mountain), so I need to get a sports figure on here. Again, I'd go with Lance Armstrong if he only wasn't a bike rider - that's such an insignificant sport in most peoples' minds that he will be forgotten far too soon. So, let me just throw out some options here: Jack Johnson...the first black man to win the heavyweight boxing championship of the world. Don Meredith...played Quarterback for the local Dallas Cowboys, getting them on the right track of winning, but never getting them that coveted championship (he never could seem to beat those pesky Lions). Richard Petty...known as "the king" with his 200 career wins in the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit. Bill Picket...the most famous legendary cowboy ever. Willie Shoemaker...the most successful jockey in history. Roger Staubach...Won four NFC Championship games and two superbowls as a Dallas Cowboy quarterback. Others include Babe Didrickson, Zack Thomas, Doak Walker, Bobby Layne, and...

Today's face for Mt. Texmore. I will argue with anyone for as long as I live that Sports deserves much of the credit for what we are as a nation - Men getting off work and going in their suits to watch their local baseball team play another city's team brought about unity and family values and camaraderie and teamwork that other nations had not seen and many still have not -- I firmly believe that more than anything we do that we can teach to the people of a nation like Iraq, teaching them our systematic ways of sport would do as much or more good. Please don't hear me as undermining what men did in putting their lives on the line for my freedom - obviously that is more special than a baseball game...but they did that because they believed in something. And what did they believe in? A nation that loved all people, that could fight through any depression, that held family in high regard, that demanded freedom, that owned up to liberty, a nation of people who could follow a major league baseball team. That's the same kind of thing our soldiers today believe in.

Many athletes have squandered that good name of sport for our nation to the point where a true sports fan is seen as an idiot for acknowledging what sports have meant to us all (see my entry on Barry Bonds and ESPN). But, there still remain reasons to cheer. Reasons like this man...



Nolan Ryan. What a great 28 year career in major league baseball. That's right...28 years. He started in 1966 with the New York Mets, and yet I, born in 1981, grew up watching him pitch for the Texas Rangers. I distinctly remember the day he retired in 1993. He played all nine positions during those 28 years, but he'll forever (yeah, forever) be remembered as a pitcher. He is baseball's all time leader in strikeouts with over 5000. He also holds the record for a whopping 7 no hitters. That's hard to imagine today, when home run and hitting records are being bulldozed left and right - that's one no-hitter every 4 years, on average! He won over 300 games.

And yet, those credentials alone would not get Nolan Ryan on this mountain: In addition to his prowess as a pitcher, Nolan Ryan has always maintained the highest reputation as a man of irreproachable character and integrity. In spite of the millions of dollars Ryan has made from both his product endorsements and salary, he has always remained one of the last of the old-time players, oblivious to the big-money contracts, and with an eye only on the well-pitched game.

One face left...your input is welcome.

I love you all. Thanks for reading.

Landon
Posted by Landon Smith at 9:10 AM 3 comments Links to this post

Monday, May 15, 2006
Mount Texmore - the final face
Hello

This one was really a no brainer.
I would love to have more room for more famous Texans, or others who have helped to shape and form Texas into what it is today: Davy Crocket, Sam Houston, Red Adair. We have the fastest man in the world - Michael Johnson. We have the most famous child actor star ever - Spanky McFarland. We have Joan Crawford, who would be the female closest to grazing this mountain. The greatest crime duo ever - Bonnie and Clyde. Legends of music - George Jones, ZZ Top, Willie Nelson. Carol Burnett. Howard Hughes. Lyndon Johnson. Dan Rather. That famous guy with the funny name - Rip Torn.
However, I now reiterate: this one really was a no brainer. There is one Texan who has made an impact on this world. A lasting one. Nobody envies the decisions he was faced with - most respect him for facing them with wisdom and dignity. Who better to make decisions that would impact the world for the rest of its existence than a man with the poise, grit, and strength of mind that comes from growing up in Texas - a man with the humility, heart, and depth of soul that comes from being raised there.





Dwight D. Eisenhower. Popularly known as Ike. Military hero during World War II. Amazing president of the United States of America just following World War II. For more, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwight_D._Eisenhower.


Well, there you have it. The completed Mt. Texmore. Thanks for sharing this journey with me.

I love you all. Thanks for reading.

Landon
Posted by Landon Smith at 1:37 PM 2 comments Links to this post

I'm devestated

I'm sad right now.

www.bnlmusic.com

Steven Page, one of Barenaked Ladies' two frontmen, has left the band. Those of you who know me best know what this band is to me, and especially Steve -- his songs were always my favorite.

I'm glad for the 20 years of music, and I'm happy that Steve will continue in solo efforts and that Barenaked Ladies will still exist -- apparently they'll be in the studio soon.

But, it'll never be the same.

Landon

I'm Old

I feel older all the time -- mainly because I'm a youth minister, and every year there's a little more gap in age between myself and the teenagers. Beyond that, friends of mine are having three and four babies, and I occasionally check the weather channel before I leave the house in the mornings.

Right now, I feel old because last night Cayce and I were watching Wheel of Fortune while she made dinner -- she loves that show, so we turn it on often. Well, they said that Friday is there 10,000th show, and so it would be a special one, and Cayce said, "Oh! We are SO watching that!"

So, of all things for my wife and I to do on a Friday night, we're watching Wheel of Fortune, and it's a planned thing. I'm old.

Landon

Papa Brothers

Hi everyone. I'm getting the hang of facebook. It's kind of neat to say hi to people I never thought I'd hear from again, and to accept friend requests from people whos names sound vaguely familiar, so what the heck?

Tomorrow night, Cayce and I are going to Papa Brother's steakhouse. We were planning to go last Saturday to celebrate Hallmark (Valentines) Day, but I felt like...hmmmm...say there's a dog that got hit by a car, but remained torturously alive, and then another dog comes and defecates on it...I felt like that. Hey, you asked. Well, I guess you didn't, but oh well. So, we're going tomorrow, and I hear it's like $50 a person at least. They better have really good straws...you know, like the ones that put so much liquid into your mouth you need a refill after a couple of gulps. And, therefore, they better have quick refills. And, the steak better be at least average. But, just don't skimp on the straws for that price.

I love you all. Thanks for reading.

Landon

I am finally "normal"

Hello everyone,

I finally got a facebook. So, I guess that means I now will know who my friends are -- actually, according to some, it means I will now HAVE friends. Also, my marriage is official. And, I am finally employed as a youth minister. Oh, and I now, officially, went to ACU. So, I exist, from hence forth. Feel free to befriend me...I'll accept.

I've been very sick since Thursday, but today I feel pretty good. It was a rough weekend, physically.

Barry, my rat terrier, has this bell that we hung from the back doorknob, and he has been trained to ring it when he needs to go outside. How very sophisticated, I know. Well, we took it down yesterday because he has realized that the bell is a way to get us to pay attention to him. So, he rings it constantly. I mean that -- constantly -- as in every 30 seconds. So, we tried leaving him outside, but it didn't matter. As soon as we let him back in, if we aren't playing with him, he goes to ring the bell. So, we took it down for our own sanities.





In other news, I think I'll wait another year or two on kids, for those of you who have asked.

I love you all. Thanks for reading.

Landon

Cha Cha, and an email

Hello readers,

I am hooked on a rediculous tool called "ChaCha". If you were to tell me, "Landon, you can ask me any question and I will give you an answer," I wouldn't care too much. But for some reason, when you say to me, "Landon, you can TEXT me any question, and I'll text you an answer," I just can't get enough.

You can text ANY (and I mean any) question to 242242 (chacha), and they will answer it. It can be factual questions that they'll look up on Google for you, or it can be "What should I name my firstborn son?" or "What should I form my mashed potatos into?" I can't explain the addiction, but it's addicting. You get 20 free questions per month, then you have to pay. They send reminders each time you ask a question when you start getting close to your limit...and I can ask 6 more free questions during the next 20 days.

But, I still have 20 freebies on Cayce's phone!
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I thought you all might enjoy this email I just sent to Woody Paige (the Chalkboard guy on ESPN's Around the Horn). Hopefully something will come of it.

Woody,

First, since I’m emailing you, I suppose I’ll give you a quote:

- You can look, but don’t touch me please (an arrow pointing at yourself would be optional on this one)

And now, could you do me a favor? I shouldn’t even word it like that – I should say, instead, “would you like to be a part of something huge?” Because, really, I’m doing you a favor by letting you in on this.

About six years ago, I was having a conversation with several people, and out of nowhere I said, “That’s straight Kansas!” They all said, “WHAT?” but we decided it was a pretty neat phrase – or, should I say, a pretty straight Kansas phrase. See, since that day six years ago, “straight Kansas” has come to mean cool, awesome, great – because (and, as a writer, you’ll agree) we simply don’t have enough words for that. We NEED one more.

I have taken this phrase to four cities spanning three states (Georgia, Tennessee, and Texas). It has caught on quite well at times – it can be heard in High Schools and Jr. Highs at the goth and the Hollister lunch tables alike – range like that is unmatched except maybe by the word “sucks.” You can hear it at colleges such as Abilene Christian University and Texas Tech. “What’s so great about ACU?” you might be asking. Well, it does have the fourth most all time NCAA national championships, behind UCLA, Stanford, and USC…squeeze that tidbit into ATH and see if Reali can resist not giving points for info like that – and THEY say “That’s straight Kansas!” whenever excitement calls for such an outburst.

I have big dreams for this phrase. I want “Straight Kansas” to appear in the dictionary someday as a slang term. I want a famous rapper to put it into a song: “I’ll blow yo mind in these eight stanzas/ can’t touch these skillz cause I’m straight Kansas.” Something like that. I would love to see it spray painted onto ghetto walls.

All this and more can happen…and it can start with you. If you could just do me the honor (and, really, once again, you’d get to be a part of something huge) of saying the phrase on ATH, it would be a huge start. I would credit you always. When I go onto Letterman, and get a Wikipedia page as the founder of this catch-phrase, I would always announce, “I must thank Woody Paige.”

If you are willing to say these two simple, but profound words, I would appreciate it if you would do so during “The First Word”, as this segment appears online each day for free, and I could thusly link it to literally 1000s of people who would be absolutely FLOORED!

Thanks (but really, You’re very welcome)

Thanksgiving diversity

I had three thanksgiving meals last week. It doesn't matter how many different ways there are to cook and prepare the same meal, it gets old after three helpings. I was offered a Turkey sandwich Saturday night -- I went to Quiznos.

I am thankful for much, and after these three Thanksgiving celebrations I realize that I'm thankful for my unique family (I mean "family" in the extended sense, meaning Cayce's extended family as well as my own). I would guess that nobody had quite as diverse Thanksgiving experiences as I had. Bookending my family's celebration in Lubbock was Cayce's extended family's festivities in Abilene, and her immediate family's celebration in Arlington. The one in Abilene consisted of nameplates at each seat, six tables with food on them and water or tea at each seat, and phrases like "Could you please pass the..." and "pardon me." It is a true blessing to attend each year. Her immediate family had more of the same, but minus the nametag and four of the tables, and they utilized China dishes.

Sandwiched in between was my family: mom, dad, five of their six kids, my sister's two boys, plus my brother's girlfriend (who I met for the first time) and two kids my mom knows, ages 11 and 12. We turned off the TV for the prayer, then turned it back on (the Lions made me wish we hadn't). We sat on two fold out tables covered in tablecloths, because, you know, it's a nice occasion. The food was placed wherever there was room for it, covering the tables and the kitchen cabinets. We drank Sodas. We ate off of paper plates. We only used the phrase "Pardon me" sarcastically after noises we were actually quite proud to have produced.

I love you all. Thanks for reading.

Landon