Out of 26 million Texans, you may have an idea to change the world. You may have had several ideas to change the world. But only a tiny minority of you pushed through the U.S. Patent office from application to successful patent. We've seen Texans change the world many times over. Jack Kilby did it with Texas Instruments in 1958 with the integrated circuit, causing the start of the digital revolution, which, in part, is why you can read these words over your electronic device.
Over the last few years, Texas Business has brought its feature: Texas Business Patent of the Day. This list is of the ones that were either extremely clever, odd or strange. One thing becomes apparent from these patents and the patent that runs daily in Texas Business—Texans have a unique mind set.
Though the history of the Corn Dog is disputed, the State Fair of Texas claims to have introduced the Corny Dog sometime between 1938 and 1942. As a paean to that invention that now sits in the freezer section of every grocery store in the southwest, here are the fried foods the State Fair of Texas has introduced, or tried to introduce, in the last seven years.
Dead Texas musicians live on every time you hear their songs. Their songs play everywhere, so the dead Texas musicians appear to be immortal. Here's the short list.
Don't get caught up with John Wayne religion. For one thing, he's not Texan. He's in some fine movies involving Texas, most notably The Searchers, but none of his movies can make the best cut of Texas movies. Here's the short list.
Unsung Texas Business Journalists Mention that one is a reporter, and there's a spark of interest. Mention that one is a business news reporter, and watch the eyes glaze over. Except to the players, business and economic journalists are unappreciated. While many wish to become sports reporters when they grow up, most do not realize that business journalists cover the Real Game. Mention that reporter covers business, and watch the eyes glaze over. A toast to these below on the short list and the numerous unnamed ones slogging away. Full Story » TexasBusiness.com
Best Texas Mexican Food: The Short List No, we're not going to debate the difference between Tex-Mex, Mex-Tex, Mexican and Texican food. Just know these establishments are the pinnacle of Texas Mexican fare. No brag, just fact. Full Story » TexasBusiness.com
Best Texas Burgers Texas Burgers. . While a hamburger is merely sustenance and gratification for a meal, the memory a good Texas burger can give rise to Homeric odes. The short list. Full Story » TexasBusiness.com
A ripe time to buy Texas watermelons Texas and other major producing states have grown so many watermelons the price has tumbled, at times below the point where farmers break even on production costs, reports William Pack of the San Antonio Express-News. Full Story »
Change aims for market fairness A proposed rule change that could provide new protections for livestock producers against unfair, fraudulent or retaliatory practices under the Packers and Stockyards Act was published in the Federal Register last week by USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration, reports the San Angelo Standard-Times.Full Story »
Farmers from abroad visit From a vineyard and organic farm to a feedlot, a dairy and an irrigated cotton and wheat farm - eight people from Australia and New Zealand arrived in Amarillo on Monday to see how agriculture is done in Texas, reports the Amarillo Globe-News. Full Story »
FDA seeks less use of antibiotics in animals to keep them effective for humans Here's something that could put a damper on Big Pharma's hopes for animal health businesses. The FDA is resuming its fight against the use of antibiotics in healthy farm animals, saying that the rising tide of resistant bacteria is "an urgent public health issue," reports the Washington Post. Full Story »
Ranch always a family venture Joseph Robert Mims was 17 when he struck out from Hayes County with a change of clothes and two quilts packed behind his saddle heading westward, reports Jerry Lackey of the San Angelo Standard-Times. Full Story »
Ranch always a family venture Joseph Robert Mims was 17 when he struck out from Hayes County with a change of clothes and two quilts packed behind his saddle heading westward, reports Jerry Lackey of the San Angelo Standard-Times. Full Story »
Smithfield Shares Rally On JBS Takeover Speculation Shares of Smithfield Foods Inc.,which bought a majority stake in Texas-based Pilgrim's Pride last year, the top U.S. pork producer, jumped as much as 8.3 percent today on speculation the company may be a takeover target for Brazil-based meat processor JBS S.A., reports Cattlenetwork.com. Smithfield Foods Inc. is the top U.S. pork producer, Full Story »
Company wants to test aircraft in Gatesville The city of Gatesville is in talks with a defense company who is asking the city to lend airport space that would be used to build facilities for the testing of a new unmanned aircraft, reports Taylor Short of the Killeen Daily Herald. Full Story »
Energy
Proposed oil pipeline to Texas raises worries The $7 billion project, called Keystone XL, would increase America's access to crude from Canada's tar sands,as offshore crude exploration faces scrutiny amid a runaway oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and a legal fight over a federal offshore drilling moratorium, reports Matthew Tresaugue of the Houston Chronicle. Full Story »
Texas Mulls More Nuclear Reactors Seventeen years ago, Texas turned on its last nuclear reactor, about 50 miles southwest of Fort Worth. In another decade, several more reactors could get built here — if events in Washington go the power companies' way, reports Kate Galbraith of the Texas Tribune. Full Story »
Entertainment
New ampitheater for Sherman's new 4th of July celebration SHERMAN, TX -- If you'd like to see a professional fireworks display, there are plenty going on across Texoma. In fact, the city of Sherman is preparing for a very special Independence Day celebration, KXII reports. Full Story »
Thirteen Bush's Chicken locations have been targeted by burglars over the last few weeks, and now franchise owners is doing its best to fight back, KXXV reports.
In Faulty-Computer Suit, Window to Dell Decline After the math department at the University of Texas noticed some of its Dell computers failing, Dell examined the machines. The company came up with an unusual reason for the computers’ demise: the school had overtaxed the machines by making them perform difficult math calculations, reports Ashlee Vance of the New York TImes. Full Story »
New bidder may pursue Rangers Another potential bidder for the Texas Rangers has emerged, according to a sports industry publication, while the ball club's bankruptcy attorneys have slightly amended their plan to lift it out of Chapter 11 on July 9, reports Barry Schlacter of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
About 25,000 small businesses across Texas can expect to start paying their "margin tax" again after a two year moratorium, reports Steve Myers of ConnectAmarillo.com
Cigarette labels changing The Food and Drug Administration made major changes regarding the labels of cigarettes. Sherman area vendors express their opinion on the change, reports KXII. Full Story »
Dell's next push: A bigger sales force to drive revenue Dell Inc. is making an expensive push to expand its global sales force as it prepares to expand its business through the sale of complex combinations of computer hardware, software and services, reports Kirk Ladendorf of the Austin American-Statesman. Full Story »
In Faulty-Computer Suit, Window to Dell Decline After the math department at the University of Texas noticed some of its Dell computers failing, Dell examined the machines. The company came up with an unusual reason for the computers’ demise: the school had overtaxed the machines by making them perform difficult math calculations, reports Ashlee Vance of the New York TImes. Full Story »
LibreDigital Acquires Symtio eCommerce Business from HarperCollins Austin's LibreDigital Inc., a leading provider of digital marketing and distribution technology for publishers, announced that it has acquired the Symtio e-commerce platform from Zondervan, a HarperCollins company.
Plans for Santa Teresa power plant downsized The solar plant to be built in Santa Teresa for El Paso Electric Co. has been substantially downsized and the technology changed because the builder could not get sufficient financing, reports Vic Kolenc of the El Paso Times.Full Story »
Texas Mulls More Nuclear Reactors Seventeen years ago, Texas turned on its last nuclear reactor, about 50 miles southwest of Fort Worth. In another decade, several more reactors could get built here — if events in Washington go the power companies' way, reports Kate Galbraith of the Texas Tribune. Full Story »
The Texas News Scrawl is a handy reference to stories Texas Business recommends from other news sources. Some of the stories that Texas Business currently suggests include: America’s greatest threat: Unsafe work conditions; The West News proves the value of a great weekly newspaper in a community torn up with grief and chaos; Chinese investors checking out Texas, Austin; Texas makes bounce house operators carry liability coverage, but not plants like West Fertilizer; bSpaceX’s Grasshopper leaping to NM spaceport;American Airlines, US Airways to name post-merger leadership within weeks; Texas power cushion seen at lowest level in a decade; Media outlets reflect Houston's diversity; and more.
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