Perhaps O/T, but I would never thought of Texas as being in the South.

Yes, I know it was part of the Confederacy, but it seems to me to be a completely different world than Mississippi, Alabama or Georgia. When I think of Texas, I conjure up a mental picture of the West.

In fact, I sometimes think that Texas is not only a part of the West, but the entire West. Cowboys, ranches, trail drives, shoot outs -- the works.

Nevada? Casinos.

Utah? The Mormon Tabernacle.

Colorado? One heck of a lot of snow.

California? Almost as many nutcases as Colorado has snowflakes.

But Texas -- ah, there is the real thing. How about if we move Texas to the "West" and throw out all the other states? Nobody will miss Nebraska or Montana anyhow.