Texas on Wikipedia

[arbeiter]

One of my hobbies that I generally don't mention on here is editing Wikipedia articles. It's something that ties in very well with SSP, though, it gets addictive after a while.

There are a lot of amazing, factual and well-presented articles and there are plenty of crappy ones. Texas' entry, which is high-profile and frequently viewed from all over the world, is not what I would consider a bang-up job when it comes to describing certain aspects of the state.

I've wasted far too much time this morning correcting the climate section (it was misleading about the summers here, making it seem like the state varies from the low 80's to 100 in the summer for highs, when we know that except for the Davis Mountains and rain-heavy days on the coast, every major city in Texas has average highs from about 90-96 or so in July and August. I think San Antonio is 1-2 degrees warmer than Austin, Waco and Dallas about the same as Austin except with more variance, and Houston is of course a bit "cooler" in literal terms.

Once I got to the culture part, the economy part, everything else, I was getting annoyed. The picture of "education" is a picture of the ugly, bland TEA head office, not of the UT Tower or Rice or something. Austin was missing from every mention of major metropolitan areas, and for "Cities of Texas" they just have an average picture of Dallas. A thorough job would have Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Austin and SA.

If there's one thing Texas has a lot of to spare, it's pride in itself, so you guys should consider spending 10 minutes or so correcting or elaborating. If you've got some notable photos, don't be afraid to put them on the wikimedia commons and put it right on the page. There's nothing stopping you, so long as you sign up (free of course), because Texas is a semi-protected article due to being vandalized so much.

(gee, wonder why? maybe the first picture that shows "Welcome to Texas - Proud home of George W. Bush" isn't the most effective way to endear someone to the state.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas

[Dom"n"Converse]

I agree,

Historically, Texas culture comes from a blend of Southwestern (Mexican), Southern (Dixie), and Western (frontier) influences. A popular food item, the breakfast burrito, draws from all three influences, having a soft flour tortilla wrapped around bacon and scrambled eggs or other hot, cooked fillings. Adding to Texas's traditional culture, established in the 18th and 19th Centuries, immigration has made Texas a melting pot of cultures from around the world.

$5 says the person who wrote this is from the north Dallas 'burbs. I have never heard a breakfast taco called a breakfest burrito.

[alexjon]

Originally Posted by Dom"n"Converse

I agree,

$5 says the person who wrote this is from the north Dallas 'burbs. I have never heard a breakfast taco called a breakfest burrito.

Voting Midland.

They were never a town for grasping cultural things, as my uncle proves with "skirt steak tacos".

[Keep-SA-Lame]

Originally Posted by Dom"n"Converse

I agree,

$5 says the person who wrote this is from the north Dallas 'burbs. I have never heard a breakfast taco called a breakfest burrito.

wow.

[Dom"n"Converse]

You're from the north Dallas area? If you are, am I right or am I wrong?

[dollaztx]

I would of thought it was somebody from the Austin area. Somebody who is close to the capital and knows everything from the state bird to the "official breakfast burrito" LOL. I know it sounds dumb but it was just a quick thought when I read the article. Or maybe its somebody that works for a popular fast-food restaurant.

But who knows, I'm from a southwestern Dallas suburb.

[KevinFromTexas]

I saw an Edward's Aquifer Recharge Zone sign the other day. Did you ever find a photo of one? I guess the next time I know I'm going past it I could snap a photo.

Breakfast burrito. I've heard it called that, but of course I was watching a fastfood commercial.

I don't think I've added anything really to the pages. I added a photo for a cruise ship I saw in Galveston, but that was about it.

[Strange Meat]

Originally Posted by arbeiter

"Welcome to Texas - Proud home of George W. Bush" isn't the most effective way to endear someone to the state.)

But it's fairly representative of the majority of the population there, going on election results...

[METALMiKE]

Isn't burrito and taco and different?

[Dom"n"Converse]

yes it is

[Texan]

i think i say breakfast burrito.. i'm from a northwest suburb of dallas though

[BSofA04]

I say just say tacos, because it's common verbiage here in San Antonio. If you're talking breakfast "burritos", I'm thinking of a behemoth monster taco, ala Chachos, where one is more than enough.

But on back to the original point of this thread, yes the Texas wikipedia page leaves a lot to be desired.

[arbeiter]

Originally Posted by Snodrifter

But it's fairly representative of the majority of the population there, going on election results...

I dunno, all of the major cities voted for Obama instead of McCain, and the margin wasn't exactly whopping. There's no way that George W. Bush continues to be revered like FDR or something - many of the marginal Republicans who drank the Kool-Aid are in an absolute frenzy inside their heads right now. They lost the culture wars, they haven't seen what Iraq has gotten us, and now the stock market - there's nothing for the middle-class Texan suburbanite to "cling to" in his legacy.

Either way, that was just an aside, the point was the content of the article as a whole, and I already am tired enough correcting people about all the other misleading things I hear about Texas up here, so I thought I would just throw it out as an idea for a new year's resolution or a project for the more fastidiuous among us on this site.

[arbeiter]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

I saw an Edward's Aquifer Recharge Zone sign the other day. Did you ever find a photo of one? I guess the next time I know I'm going past it I could snap a photo.

Breakfast burrito. I've heard it called that, but of course I was watching a fastfood commercial.

I don't think I've added anything really to the pages. I added a photo for a cruise ship I saw in Galveston, but that was about it.

I didn't, I figured I'd take one when I got back, but seeing as I shocked my family by not coming home for Christmas, I'm not sure when that'll be!

[sakyle04]

Originally Posted by METALMiKE

Isn't burrito and taco and different?

i live a block from my favorite neighborhood tacqueria. unless the owner is there, one will likely need to order in spanish. that is to say - the place is puro. and more than one person there has confirmed that a taco is smaller and simply folded over, while a burrito is larger and "tucked in" at the edges.

they said the "tucked" part was more indicative than size. a taco is never tucked. a burrito is never folded.

[Dom"n"Converse]

Burrito:

Breakfast Taco:

Someone put this in the Texas wikipedia.

[Austin55]

Ive never heard "breakfast Taco"...

Southwest Dallas here(more from FW)

[hookem]

I've only ever heard "Breakfast Burrito" in a Whataburger commercial. Every other place, "breakfast tacos" is the word. Including in Dallas.

A quick search of the Dallas Observer (http://www.dallasobserver.com/search...+tacos&x=0&y=0) site yields 27 results for "breakfast tacos", and only 10 for "breakfast burritos".

On the Austin Chronicle site (http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrob...t+tacos&Sort=4) you get a whopping 162 hits for "breakfast tacos" and only 5 for "breakfast burritos"!!!

I'd imagine SA is similar to Austin. Someone needs to check on Houston.

[JManc]

i've heard of both and had both.

[miaht82]

The difference is just a wrap vs. a fold. Burritos are also usually just a larger version and about $1.50 more here at "cafes" or taquerias. Taco Taco did win the best breakfast taco in America by Food Network and I'm not sure if they had a burrito category.