Tex's Place

WELCOME to The Corral! This is an open chat forum like REVEILLE, but for Sat and Sun.  Have a wonderful weekend, and please be civil! TEX

This bonus episode of the Live Free podcast, hosted by Carlos and Paul , features a reaction to a viral clip from The Joe Rogan Experience involving screenwriter Joe Eszterhas . The discussion centers on the historical validity of the Gnostic Gospels versus the canonical New Testament Gospels ( Matthew , Mark , Luke , and John ). Key Discussion Points: Defining the Gnostic Gospels: The hosts explain that Gnosticism (derived from the Greek gnosis or "knowledge") was a philosophical movement from the 2nd–4th centuries, not an organized religion. These texts were generally rejected by the early church because they promoted "secret knowledge" and viewed the physical world as evil ( 20:23 - 24:19 ). Debunking the Timeline: The hosts address Eszterhas 's incorrect claim that Gnostic texts were written before the New Testament . They clarify that Mark , the earliest canonical gospel, dates to the 60s AD, while Gnostic texts like the Gospel of Thomas ...

By Catherine Salgado September 18 is the anniversary of the U.S. Air Force’s official establishment. Put another way — happy birthday to the greatest Air Force in the world! HAPPY 79TH BIRTHDAY TO THE @USAIRFORCE pic.twitter.com/NjmRYJ7Hnj — Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) September 18, 2026 Both of my parents served in the Air Force; I was born at the Air Force Academy, and I grew up on an Air Force base, so this anniversary is personally meaningful to me. My parents’ service has inspired two of my siblings to join the military. But I think all of us see now — regardless of familial military ties — how important the Air Force is after the operation in Iran.  The Air Force has played a critical role in the operation against the genocidal Iranian regime and its mass terrorist apparatus. Therefore, this year more than ever, Americans should be grateful for this branch of our great armed forces. In the 250th year of America’s existence, we must remember to honor the men an...

By Ryan Ledendecker Thanks to President Donald Trump's Department of Justice (DOJ), law-abiding citizens between the ages of 18 and 20 now have more of the same Second Amendment rights as those 21 and over regarding the purchase of handguns and handgun ammunition.  According to the DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel, a bombshell report published Friday revealed a legal opinion that decided a federal prohibition preventing licensed dealers from selling handguns to law-abiding adults under 21 is no longer criminally enforceable. Assistant Attorney General T. Elliot Gaiser for the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel released a statement explaining that the 18 to 20 age group, who otherwise can be drafted and perform other civil service duties, should be offered the same Second Amendment rights as older adults regarding handgun purchases.  "Eighteen-year-olds may vote, serve on juries, be drafted, and face adult criminal penalties, including capital punishment,...

By Ward Clark The fallout of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East is still making itself felt. This time, it's Europe; some people in Europe may be facing a long, cold winter along with higher gasoline and diesel fuel prices. Why? Because many European refineries get a significant portion of their petroleum from Saudi Arabia, and Saudis’ mainly state-owned oil company, Aramco, has told European refineries not to expect any crude oil shipments for the next month . Saudi Aramco told at least two oil refining customers in Europe that they will be allocated no crude oil next month after the kingdom’s key pipeline to the Red Sea was attacked, people informed of the decision said. European customers normally receive Saudi Arabian crude on so-called term contracts, ensuring a steady flow of supply every month. Those deliveries will not take place next month, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information isn’t public. The decision applies to all European buyer...

By Robert Schmad States with stronger teachers' unions tend to have weaker literacy performance and have adopted fewer of the policies credited with improving reading outcomes, according to a new analysis from a left-leaning think tank. Eight of the 10 states to score among the worst in the Progressive Policy Institute’s (PPI) assessment of early-literacy policies were home to powerful teachers' unions. Among the top 60 percent of states in terms of early-literacy policy scores, only four had strong teachers' unions. Mississippi, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, South Carolina and Indiana, all Republican-leaning states with weak unions, were among the states with the best literacy outcomes. Maine, New York, Illinois, Hawaii, Washington and Rhode Island, blue states, were among the worst. The pattern isn't universal. Maryland, a blue state with a strong teachers' union, has posted strong reading results, while South Dakota, a red state with a weaker union, has s...

By Emma Bussey South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said Friday that his country will not deploy military assets to the Middle East in a way "that would involve or enter war," a report said. "There won't be deployment that would involve or enter war. I can tell you that very clearly," ​Lee said, according to Reuters. "We won't deploy military assets in any form to that end." He reportedly added that ⁠it "is also clear that we must do the minimum as other countries do to protect our commercial shipping and crude shipments, and also the safety of ​our people." The remarks come after President Donald Trump said in mid-August that he personally reached out to South Korea's president to request support for U.S. operations against Iran, but that Lee had declined. South Korea’s presidential office then said earlier this month that it was reviewing options, including military measures, to support...

By CHRISTIAN K. CARUZO Italy will not wait for Brussels’ notoriously slow bureaucracy to react and is preparing to deploy navy ships at the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on its own to protect Italian merchant vessels in the area, Defense ​Minister Guido Crosetto said on Thursday. Last week, the Iran-backed Houthis insurgent group in Yemen declared control of the island of Perim, located at the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a maritime shipping route connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. The situation has prompted concerns over the safety of shipping vessels transiting through the area. Most notably, Saudi Arabia has been using the route to ship its oil, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz. Defense Minister Crosetto, speaking at a Thursday event, announced he and the Joints Chief of Staff have decided to mobilize the Italian Navy and take the necessary steps to ensure the safety of Italian ships in the area. The minister did not disclose specifics on the announced naval deployment or ...

Evangelical supporters braved heavy rain on Dam Square, while police arrested about 50 counter-protesters. By BART SCHUT AMSTERDAM - In the Dutch capital, the contrast between pro- and anti-Israel protesters couldn’t be more striking. As soon as the organizers of the ‘Into the breach for Israel’ rally announced that they would gather on Amsterdam’s monumental Dam Square, far-Left pro-Palestinian groups called for a disruption under the slogan "No Israel Celebration in Amsterdam." However, authorities in the Dutch capital, who are familiar with the propensity for violence of these groups, banned their presence near the mostly evangelical pro-Israel rally. The Amsterdam Palestina Coalition subsequently lost a court case in which they demanded access to Dam Square. The court decided they would only be allowed to stage their counter-protest at the Oude Turfmarkt, about 500 meters away. Around a hundred left-wing and Muslim protesters showed up on Thursday, many...

By Teri Christoph Despite being from the same political party and hailing from the same state, President Trump and Republican Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (FL-27) don't always see eye-to-eye on the issues. Especially when that issue is the deportation of millions of foreigners currently in our country illegally. Trump has been full steam ahead on deportations since coming back into office last year, while Salazar, whose constituency in the Miami area skews heavily Hispanic, supports legislation that would allow illegal aliens to remain the U.S. Salazar feels so strongly about the matter, in fact, that she made the rather bold decision to cut a campaign ad criticizing the president over his immigration agenda, saying he's "gone too far." She seems to be upset that some detainees have "no criminal record," conveniently omitting the fact that being here illegally is itself a crime . The congresswoman says she is for "giving [illegal aliens] a dignified ...

By Bob Hoge President Donald Trump signed two executive orders regarding the nation's Great Outdoors on Thursday, then hosted a Rose Garden dinner attended by Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and over 100 hunters, anglers, and outdoor-industry leaders. The first order, Reinvigorating America’s Hunting Heritage , expanded available acreage for hunters and opened some off-limits areas, while the second, President Donald J. Trump Restores American Saltwater Angling and Recreation , took on burdensome restrictions faced by the fishing rod crowd . Both EOs nuked plenty of punitive rules and regulations thrown down by the climate-obsessed, regular-people-last Biden administration. With his “Hunting Heritage” order, the president told his guests that he was “opening up millions of acres of federal land for our hunters and fishers,” adding that the Burgum-led Interior Department had taken action in August to make more than 92 million acres of National Wildlife Refuge System land...

By Kyle Becker The lone holdout juror in the Lindsay Clancy case is "lawyering up." An attorney saying that he represents Michael P. Desronvil, who has been identified by the Boston Globe and other outlets as the holdout juror, is issuing a stark warning to those who may have wronged his client. I can now confirm that I am representing the courageous and heroic lone holdout juror from the Lindsay Clancy Trial. He is an American Hero and Champion of Justice. Please pray for him and help us protect him. This American Hero and Champion of Justice loves the United States… — Edward Andrew Paltzik, Attorney (@EdPaltzik) September 17, 2026 This is what Mr. Paltzik said in his X post in full. It is a doozy. I can now confirm that I am representing the courageous and heroic lone holdout juror from the Lindsay Clancy Trial. He is an American Hero and Champion of Justice. Please pray for him and help us protect him. This American Hero and Champion of Justice loves the United Sta...

Good morning!     This is your daily forum to share what you've heard, what you've learned, and what you know, and just shoot the breeze.   Have a wonderful day my friends.   -Tex