Things to Like about Texas
Why You Never Need to Leave Texas
Jan/23/2008 03:46 PM | Permalink
Haven't done a "Things to Like About Texas" entry in
quite a while. My friends/family in Atlanta added
that fair burg to this list. And I added several more
to the international category. They've got an
asterisks by them.
(Did I mention that I always loved geography?)
If you think of you own, email or comment, and I'll post them too.
Why you never need to leave Texas
Need to be cheered up?
Happy, Texas 79042
Pep , Texas 79353
Smiley , Texas 78159
Paradise , Texas 76073
Rainbow , Texas 76077
Sweet Home , Texas 77987
Comfort , Texas 78013
Friendship, Texas 76530
Love the Sun?
Sun City , Texas 78628
Sunrise , Texas 76661
Sunset, Texas 76270
Sundown, Texas 79372
Sunray , Texas 79086
Sunny Side , Texas 77423
Want something to eat?
Bacon , Texas 76301
Noodle , Texas 79536
Oatmeal , Texas 78605
Turkey , Texas 79261
Trout , Texas 75789
Sugar Land , Texas 77479
Salty, Texas 76567
Rice , Texas 75155
And top it off with:
Sweetwater , Texas 79556
Why travel to other cities? Texas has them all!
Atlanta, Texas 75551
Detroit , Texas 75436
Colorado City , Texas 79512
Denver City , Texas 79323
Klondike , Texas 75448
Nevada , Texas 75173
Memphis , Texas 79245
Miami , Texas 79059
Boston , Texas 75570
Santa Fe , Texas 77517
Tennessee Colony , Texas 75861
Reno , Texas 75462
Feel like traveling outside the country? Don't bother buying a plane ticket!
Athens , Texas 75751
Canadian, Texas 79014
Carthage, Texas 75633 *
China , Texas 77613
Egypt , Texas 77436
Germany, Texas 75835 *
Ireland , Texas 76538
Italy, Texas 76651 *
Sudan, Texas 79371*
Turkey , Texas 79261
London , Texas 76854
New London , Texas 75682
Odessa, Texas 79760 *
Paris , Texas 75460 *
Rhome, Texas 76078 *
No need to travel to Washington D.C.
Whitehouse , Texas 75791
We even have a city named after our planet!
Earth , Texas 79031
And a city named after our State!
Texas City , Texas 77590
Exhausted?
Energy , Texas 76452
Cold?
Blanket , Texas 76432
Winters, Texas
Like to read about History?
Santa Anna , Texas
Goliad , Texas
Alamo , Texas
Gun Barrel City , Texas
Robert Lee, Texas
Need Office Supplies?
Staples, Texas 78670
Men are from Mars, women are from...
Venus , Texas 76084
You guessed it..it's on the state line..
Texline , Texas 79087
For the kids...
Kermit , Texas 79745
Elmo , Texas 75118
Nemo , Texas 76070
Tarzan , Texas 79783
Winnie , Texas 77665
Sylvester , Texas 79560
Other city names in Texas , to make you smile.....
Frognot , Texas 75424
Bigfoot , Texas 78005
Hogeye , Texas 75423
Cactus , Texas 79013
Notrees , Texas 79759
Best, Texas 76932
Veribest , Texas 76886
Kickapoo , Texas 75763
Dime Box , Texas 77853
Old Dime Box , Texas 77853
Telephone , Texas 75488
Telegraph , Texas 76883
Whiteface , Texas 79379
Twitty, Texas 79079
The Anti-Al Gore City
Kilgore , Texas 75662
And our favorites...
Cut n Shoot, Texas
Gun Barrell City , Texas
Hoop And Holler, Texas
Ding Dong, Texas and, of course,
Muleshoe , Texas
Here is what Jeff Foxworthy has to say about folks from Texas ...
If someone in a Lowe's store offers you assistance and they don't work there, you may live in Texas ;
If you've worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you may live in Texas ;
If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number, you may live in Texas ;
If 'Vacation' means going anywhere south of Dallas for the weekend, you may live in Texas;
If you measure distance in hours, you may live in Texas;
If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you may live in Texas ;
If you install security lights on your house and garage, but leave both unlocked, you may live in Texas ;
If you carry jumper cables in your car and your wife knows how to use them, you may live in Texas ;
If the speed limit on the highway is 55 mph -- you're going 80 and everybody's passing you, you may live in Texas ;
If you find 60 degrees 'a little chilly,' you may live in Texas ;
If you actually understand these jokes, and share them with all your Texas friends, you definitely live in Texas .
Here are some little known, very interesting facts about Texas.
1. Beaumont to El Paso : 742 miles
2. Beaumont to Chicago : 770 miles
3. El Paso is closer to California than to Dallas
4. World's first rodeo was in Pecos , July 4, 1883.
5. The Flagship Hotel in Galveston is the only hotel in North America built over water.
6. The Heisman Trophy ws named after John William Heisman who was the first full-time coach at Rice University in Houston .
7. Brazoria County has more species of birds than any other area in North America .
8. Aransas Wildlife Refuge is the winter home of North America 's only remaining flock of whooping cranes.
9. Jalapeno jelly originated in Lake Jackson in 1978.
10. The worst natural disaster in U.S . history was in 1900, caused by a hurricane, in which over 8,000 lives were lost on Galveston Island
11. The first word spoken from the moon, July 20, 1969, was ' Houston .'
12. King Ranch in South Texas is larger than Rhode Island .
13. Tropical Storm Claudette brought a U.S. rainfall record of 43' in 24 hours in and around Alvin in July of 1979.
14. Texas is the only state to enter the U.S. by TREATY, (known as the Constitution of 1845 by the Republic of Texas to enter the Union ) instead of by annexation. This allows the Texas Flag to fly at the same height as the U.S. Flag, and may divide into 5 states.
(Note! For a fact check of #14, click here. Thanks to Larry Hendrick for passing it along...)
15. A Live Oak tree near Fulton is estimated to be 1500 years old.
16. Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in the state.
17. Dr Pepper was invented in Waco in 1885. There is no period in Dr Pepper.
18. Texas has had six capital cities: Washington-on-the Brazos, Harrisburg , Galveston , Velasco, West Columbia and Austin ..
19. The Capitol Dome in Austin is the only dome in the U.S. which is taller than the Capitol Building in Washington DC (by 7 feet).
20. The name ' Texas ' comes from the Hasini Indian word 'tejas' meaning friends. Tejas is not Spanish for Texas
21. The State Mascot is the Armadillo (an interesting bit of trivia about the armadillo is they always have four babies. They have one egg, which splits into four, and they either have four males or four females.).
22. The first domed stadium in the U.S. was the Astrodome in Houston
(Did I mention that I always loved geography?)
If you think of you own, email or comment, and I'll post them too.
Why you never need to leave Texas
Need to be cheered up?
Happy, Texas 79042
Pep , Texas 79353
Smiley , Texas 78159
Paradise , Texas 76073
Rainbow , Texas 76077
Sweet Home , Texas 77987
Comfort , Texas 78013
Friendship, Texas 76530
Love the Sun?
Sun City , Texas 78628
Sunrise , Texas 76661
Sunset, Texas 76270
Sundown, Texas 79372
Sunray , Texas 79086
Sunny Side , Texas 77423
Want something to eat?
Bacon , Texas 76301
Noodle , Texas 79536
Oatmeal , Texas 78605
Turkey , Texas 79261
Trout , Texas 75789
Sugar Land , Texas 77479
Salty, Texas 76567
Rice , Texas 75155
And top it off with:
Sweetwater , Texas 79556
Why travel to other cities? Texas has them all!
Atlanta, Texas 75551
Detroit , Texas 75436
Colorado City , Texas 79512
Denver City , Texas 79323
Klondike , Texas 75448
Nevada , Texas 75173
Memphis , Texas 79245
Miami , Texas 79059
Boston , Texas 75570
Santa Fe , Texas 77517
Tennessee Colony , Texas 75861
Reno , Texas 75462
Feel like traveling outside the country? Don't bother buying a plane ticket!
Athens , Texas 75751
Canadian, Texas 79014
Carthage, Texas 75633 *
China , Texas 77613
Egypt , Texas 77436
Germany, Texas 75835 *
Ireland , Texas 76538
Italy, Texas 76651 *
Sudan, Texas 79371*
Turkey , Texas 79261
London , Texas 76854
New London , Texas 75682
Odessa, Texas 79760 *
Paris , Texas 75460 *
Rhome, Texas 76078 *
No need to travel to Washington D.C.
Whitehouse , Texas 75791
We even have a city named after our planet!
Earth , Texas 79031
And a city named after our State!
Texas City , Texas 77590
Exhausted?
Energy , Texas 76452
Cold?
Blanket , Texas 76432
Winters, Texas
Like to read about History?
Santa Anna , Texas
Goliad , Texas
Alamo , Texas
Gun Barrel City , Texas
Robert Lee, Texas
Need Office Supplies?
Staples, Texas 78670
Men are from Mars, women are from...
Venus , Texas 76084
You guessed it..it's on the state line..
Texline , Texas 79087
For the kids...
Kermit , Texas 79745
Elmo , Texas 75118
Nemo , Texas 76070
Tarzan , Texas 79783
Winnie , Texas 77665
Sylvester , Texas 79560
Other city names in Texas , to make you smile.....
Frognot , Texas 75424
Bigfoot , Texas 78005
Hogeye , Texas 75423
Cactus , Texas 79013
Notrees , Texas 79759
Best, Texas 76932
Veribest , Texas 76886
Kickapoo , Texas 75763
Dime Box , Texas 77853
Old Dime Box , Texas 77853
Telephone , Texas 75488
Telegraph , Texas 76883
Whiteface , Texas 79379
Twitty, Texas 79079
The Anti-Al Gore City
Kilgore , Texas 75662
And our favorites...
Cut n Shoot, Texas
Gun Barrell City , Texas
Hoop And Holler, Texas
Ding Dong, Texas and, of course,
Muleshoe , Texas
Here is what Jeff Foxworthy has to say about folks from Texas ...
If someone in a Lowe's store offers you assistance and they don't work there, you may live in Texas ;
If you've worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you may live in Texas ;
If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number, you may live in Texas ;
If 'Vacation' means going anywhere south of Dallas for the weekend, you may live in Texas;
If you measure distance in hours, you may live in Texas;
If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you may live in Texas ;
If you install security lights on your house and garage, but leave both unlocked, you may live in Texas ;
If you carry jumper cables in your car and your wife knows how to use them, you may live in Texas ;
If the speed limit on the highway is 55 mph -- you're going 80 and everybody's passing you, you may live in Texas ;
If you find 60 degrees 'a little chilly,' you may live in Texas ;
If you actually understand these jokes, and share them with all your Texas friends, you definitely live in Texas .
Here are some little known, very interesting facts about Texas.
1. Beaumont to El Paso : 742 miles
2. Beaumont to Chicago : 770 miles
3. El Paso is closer to California than to Dallas
4. World's first rodeo was in Pecos , July 4, 1883.
5. The Flagship Hotel in Galveston is the only hotel in North America built over water.
6. The Heisman Trophy ws named after John William Heisman who was the first full-time coach at Rice University in Houston .
7. Brazoria County has more species of birds than any other area in North America .
8. Aransas Wildlife Refuge is the winter home of North America 's only remaining flock of whooping cranes.
9. Jalapeno jelly originated in Lake Jackson in 1978.
10. The worst natural disaster in U.S . history was in 1900, caused by a hurricane, in which over 8,000 lives were lost on Galveston Island
11. The first word spoken from the moon, July 20, 1969, was ' Houston .'
12. King Ranch in South Texas is larger than Rhode Island .
13. Tropical Storm Claudette brought a U.S. rainfall record of 43' in 24 hours in and around Alvin in July of 1979.
14. Texas is the only state to enter the U.S. by TREATY, (known as the Constitution of 1845 by the Republic of Texas to enter the Union ) instead of by annexation. This allows the Texas Flag to fly at the same height as the U.S. Flag, and may divide into 5 states.
(Note! For a fact check of #14, click here. Thanks to Larry Hendrick for passing it along...)
15. A Live Oak tree near Fulton is estimated to be 1500 years old.
16. Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in the state.
17. Dr Pepper was invented in Waco in 1885. There is no period in Dr Pepper.
18. Texas has had six capital cities: Washington-on-the Brazos, Harrisburg , Galveston , Velasco, West Columbia and Austin ..
19. The Capitol Dome in Austin is the only dome in the U.S. which is taller than the Capitol Building in Washington DC (by 7 feet).
20. The name ' Texas ' comes from the Hasini Indian word 'tejas' meaning friends. Tejas is not Spanish for Texas
21. The State Mascot is the Armadillo (an interesting bit of trivia about the armadillo is they always have four babies. They have one egg, which splits into four, and they either have four males or four females.).
22. The first domed stadium in the U.S. was the Astrodome in Houston
|
The Dixie Chicks
Jun/01/2007 11:35 AM | Permalink
"I've
been a long time gone now
Maybe someday, someday I'm gonna settle down
But I've always found my way somehow
By taking the long way
Taking the long way around"
I realize that not everyone is going to agree with this one. But I also realize that for those whom this blog category was created in the first place, this could be a good choice. So, bear with me...
This blog category, of course, is intended for people who don't like Texas. Or maybe even hate Texas. And especially during these past six years, I keep meeting more and more of these folks.
Well, dear Texas-hating friends, please remember that the Dixie Chicks are from Texas. In fact, better than that, remember that they started out right here in Dallas.
"I hit the highway
in a pink RV with stars on the ceiling
Lived like a gypsy
Six strong hands on the steering wheel"
The orginal "Chicks" were sisters Martie and Emily Erwin, Robin Macy and Laura Lynch. Robin Macy was not only a member of the Chicks, but also a DJ on KERA for a while, back when KERA actually played music. (Don't get me started...)
Macy left when the band when they seemed to be veering away from a more traditional bluegrass sound. After she left the Chicks, she became a member of "Domestic Science Club" with Sara Hickman and Patty Lege. I understand she also lives in Kansas now.
Laura Lynch, who was the original lead singer, was replaced in 1995 by Natalie Maines, the daughter of famous Texas musician Lloyd Maines. BTW, I always felt sorry for Laura Lynch. News reports say she cried every day for a month after being "fired" from the band. Then, a few years later, her husband won an almost $30-million-dollar Texas lottery. (There's something Karmically fair about that...)
"I met the queen of whatever
Drank with the Irish and smoked with the hippies
Moved with the shakers
Wouldn't kiss all the asses that they told me to
No I, I could never follow
No I, I could never follow"
When Maines joined the Dixie Chicks, they were on the verge of true breakthrough success. Dennise and I remember seeing them around town many times in those early years. And as their sound became more commercially-country, they finally broke through. And when they broke through, they broke through BIG. They are, by any stretch of the imagination, one of the most successful groups of all time. No kidding. I was surprised myself when I looked it all up.
Among their accomplishments, they are:
-- The best selling Female group of all time. (Not just country group...any group in any genre).
-- Winners of an astounding 13 Grammy Awards.
-- Winners of ten Country Music Association Awards, including "Vocal Group of the Year" five times.
Here's a complete list of their awards. Their 2003 tour was called "Top of the World," which could have easily described their lives at the time. As the tour got rolling, they had a number one single --a heartfelt ballad called "Travelin' Soldier"-- and they were selling out arenas around the globe. In January, the sang the National Anthem at the Super Bowl before an audience of millions. It could hardly have been going better.
"It's been two long years now
Since the top of of the world came crashing down"
Then, on March 10, 2003, their world changed forever. During a concert in London, at the Shepherd's Bush Empire Theater, lead singer Natalie Maines made comments from the stage that would propel them into a firestorm of controversy they couldn't possibly have imagined.
For some perspective, we should all think back to that incredibly tense time. It was clear that the nation was on the brink of war. It was also clear that many people did not support the war. In fact, it was not until the very last weeks before the war began --when the inevitable "rally around the troops" sentiment swelled-- that opinion polls first showed broad support for the war. As late as the early Fall of 2002 --just six months before "the incident"-- opinion polls showed a deep divide within the American public, with support for the idea of war barely more than 50 percent.
I was certainly one of those people. And in late February, I marched with 5,000 people through the streets of downtown Dallas in what was very likely the largest anti-war protest in Dallas' history. (Got a chance to sing with Annie Benjamin at the rally afterwards...)
The day of that rally here, there were quite literally millions of people marching in cities around the globe. In fact, it is believed that this particular February day of protest was perhaps the largest single day of protest in HUMAN HISTORY.
Hundreds of thousands marched in cities like LA, Chicago, Paris and London. In Europe, anti-war sentiment was even more pronounced than in the states. Remember the silly way that the French were derided and temporarily boycotted? (BTW, if you go to Sonic this afternoon, think you can still score you some "Freedom Fries?")
As we sit here in 2007, so much has happened. So much water has now gone under the bridge that it's hard to accurately recall the tension of that time.
So...the Dixie Chicks go to London. It's just weeks after this HUGE day of world-wide marches. And they are no doubt hearing from a lot of people in Europe about just how much they dislike the idea of the war. (Maybe they're even hearing the same kind of hate of all-things-Texas that I have heard these last few years...which, of course, inspired these blog entries...)
In this context, Natalie Maines gets on stage and says this:
"Just so you know, we’re on the good side with y’all. We do not want this war, this violence, and we’re ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas."
The statement was picked up in the US by several conservative blogs, and spoonfed to the media. The comment caught on like an LA brushfire, and raged across America.
Maines attempted to clarify a few days later:
"As a concerned American citizen, I apologize to President Bush because my remark was disrespectful. I feel that whoever holds that office should be treated with the utmost respect. We are currently in Europe and witnessing a huge anti-American sentiment as a result of the perceived rush to war. While war may remain a viable option, as a mother, I just want to see every possible alternative exhausted before children and American soldiers' lives are lost. I love my country. I am a proud American."
But nothing could undo what had already been done. And in the rush to war --and the rage to root out all traitors-- the Dixie Chicks became public enemy number one. Country radio began a nation-wide boycott of the Dixie Chick's music. In the space of a week, "Traveling Soldier" went from number one to off-the-charts-completely. Clear Channel, and other media outlets, arranged for public events where people would destroy the Dixie Chick's CD...ala a good old-fashioned "book burning."
People burned the CDs.
People crushed them.
People even ran over them with a tractor.
As an aside: you know, have to be really angry at someone to run over a CD with a tractor!!
But that sort of symbolizes the hatred and vitriol of the time.
The Dixie Chicks were called "traitors," and "Saddam's Angels." People said they should leave America.
The anger culminated in a death threat against Natalie Maines, from --of all places-- Dallas. The FBI and Dallas Police took the threat very seriously, and the Chicks literally flew into Dallas from San Antonio the afternoon of the show, played their show, and flew back out of the city almost immediately....all the time surrounded by incredibly tight security and a tense entourage.
That event was channeled into the song "Not Ready to Make Nice" from their new "Taking the Long Way" CD:
"It’s a sad sad story when a mother will teach her
Daughter that she ought to hate a perfect stranger
And how in the world can the words that I said
Send somebody so over the edge
That they’d write me a letter
Sayin’ that I better
Shut up and sing or my life will be over?"
By the way, this entire phase of their history (and our's) is chronicled in the documentary "Shut up and Sing." It moves back and forth between the production of the Dixie Chick's latest CD in 2006, and these events of 2003. And it gives the viewers an inside look at just how threatening and dangerous the situation became for them. I cannot recommend this film highly enough. Anyone interested in the issues of music, war, censorship, crowd dynamics, and human behavior, should see it.
So, now it's 2007. Given the way things have gone these last four years, what are we to make now of how they were treated then? I mean, now that 75 percent of Americans no longer believe the war is worth fighting --given the fact that even Republican lawmakers now seem embarrassed by how the war is going-- is anyone planning to apologize to them anytime soon? Or are they forever frozen as "evil doers" in American consciousness?
Others spoke out far more than they did. Heck, Neil Young released an entire CD of anti-war songs. And nobody I know ran it over with a tractor. What was it about the Dixie Chicks that inspired such hatred? And why does it still persist, even as more and more people every day seem to draw the same conclusion they did...that the war has no moral justification?
Time Magazine asks it this way:
"Still, as the President's support has eroded and growing numbers of Americans (presumably some country-music fans among them) have come to disapprove of both his performance and the decision to go to war, shouldn't there be a proportional feeling of forgiveness toward the Dixie Chicks?"
You'd think so. But it doesn't seem to have happened.
"And I'm getting' it back on the road now
But I'm taking the long way
Taking the long way around"
The Chicks came back last year with a new album called "The Long Way Around." It's a great CD. I've always loved their music. But this one is a real gem.
That same Time Magazine story describes the CD this way:
"Musically, Taking the Long Way is full of swaggering country-tinged rock hooks--like a peak Eagles record, except without the misogyny and drug references and the advice to Take It Easy. Instead the songs aspire to do what the best pop always does, function as a smart expression of its creators' lives while remaining accessible to its listeners'."
The CD includes "Taking the Long Way" which makes reference to the scandal throughout, and the powerful "Not Ready to Make Nice," which has the controversy at its lyrical core, and drives home the point that the Dixie Chicks are unapologetic for being themselves and speaking their minds.
In fact, the documentary "Shut Up and Sing" paints a picture of three women not so much ready to apologize, as ready to step out and stand up for who they really are. Time Magazine says:
"The celebrity playbook for navigating a scandal is one word long: repent. But apologies are for lapses of character, not revelations of it, and sensing that they were being asked to apologize for their beliefs as much as their timing, the Chicks decided not to back down. “Natalie knows we could have totally convinced her to apologize,” says Maguire. “But the fact is, any one of us could have said what she said.”
What about that, anyway? What about the right to say what you believe, even if it's bad timing? And even if folks don't like what they said, why did they inspire such intense hatred? Four years later, doesn't it all look a little ridiculous? Doesn't it seem a little over-blown?
I heard many people at the time saying things like: "Well, if they can't stand the heat, then they shouldn't have spoken out. They should realize that speaking out can have a price."
OK. I actually get that. So, if you don't like them, just don't buy their CDs. That's a perfectly appropriate consumer response. But is anyone really willing to defend running over their CDs with a tractor? Why was that necessary? And what about death threats? Do you deserve death threats just because you speak out? Really?
If you don''t like them, just don't buy the CDs. Period. That's makes enough of a statement.
No, it seems to me that the hate and vitriol must have come from some deeper level of our collective unconscious.
It seems to me that, in times of stress, crowds often want a scapegoat. In fact, it's interesting to recall the cultural and religious symbolism of a scapegoat. The actual scapegoat of actual history was created by a community whose members believed that, individually and collectively, they had sinned beyond redemption. They had sinned beyond anyone's ability (including God's!) to forgive.
The scapegoat symbolically took on the sins of the people. It was then either slaughtered, or made to wander off into the wilderness. Either way, the point was that it now symbolized such sin and such evil that it could never be considered a part of the community again. The idea was that the scapegoat took the sins of the crowd with it (either to its death, or out into the desert..) But the only way it could be effective if it was cut off from the community forever.
In cultural history, this was called getting "scapegoated." In 2003, this became known as getting "Dixie-Chicked."
To me, scapegoating the only thing that really explains the depth of the vitriol that came their way. The Dixie Chciks became a symbol, a scapegoat, for people who, in their own heart-of-hearts, had secret concerns and anxiety about this war, but simply didn't know how to express them. So, when the Dixie Chicks spoke those fears and expressed their dissent, it was just too much. (For more on the psychology of scapegoating, click here)
And in a run-up to war, perhaps there is no rational way to allow for this kind of dissent. Or, maybe it was just this war and the true depth of ambivalence that many people --publicly and privately-- felt?
Or, maybe it's just the country music world? As I mentioned earlier, others have been far more upfront and confrontational in their anti-war statements.
I wish we could announce that the scapegoating of the Dixie Chicks was now over. But it appears to persists even now. The "Taking the Long Way Around" CD was a smash, number-one-seller around the country and globe. Incredibly, however, there was not one song on it that made it on to country radio!!! How that can be?!
How can you have a CD that sells that well, and NOT have a hit single? (Forget "Dark Side of the Moon" for a moment...) Of course there are hit singles on that CD. Lots of them. They were simply not played by the country radio establishment. That's the only logical explanation. Whether the industry admits it or not, the radio boycott continues.
Given this factual evidence, Time Magazine suggests that boycott/scapegoating does belong at the feet of the country music world (at least currently):
"Unlike rock fans, most of whom are attracted to the music's integration of styles, some country fans--particularly those who call up radio stations in a lather--take it upon themselves to patrol a wall of genre purity. Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash got passes because they were sui generis. Not so Buck Owens, who in 1965, after a few experimental dalliances, took out an advertisement with a career-saving loyalty oath, "Pledge to Country Music," in the Music City News, promising, "I Shall Sing No Song That Is Not a Country Song." Even now, acts that other listeners reflexively think of as country, from McGraw to Willie Nelson to Shania Twain, are often disparaged for keeping an eye on the Hot 100, playing noncountry songs or showing a little navel. The message from hard-core listeners is, Stay behind the wall."
Yep. It's important to remember that for almost a decade or more, much of the country music establishment hated Willie Nelson. (Hard to recall that now, isn't it?) They HATED Him. Willie, Waylon, and many others, were literally "outlaws." They were rebels.
By the way, I am proud to remind you that most of these country music "outlaws" also came from Texas. There is a long history of this among Texas musicians. Willie was loathed. So was Hank Williams Jr., who purists were convinced caused his old man to roll over in his grave. Heck, as the Dixie Chicks remind us in one of their new songs, Lubbock, Texas originally hated its own hometown hero, Buddy Holly.
Too much of the Rock'n'Roll, they said.
Now? They have a statue of him in the center of town.
Go figure.
My point is, this year's "outlaw" becomes next generation's "legend." And this has always been especially true about musicians that come from Texas. Maybe with time, country music will welcome them back again. Maybe not. Who knows?
We can't know any of that for sure. But we can know this:
If you like the Dixie Chicks, if you like how they stood up for their beliefs, despite the incredible public pressure and personal loss, then you've found one more thing to like about this state.
And I, for one, am proud to say that they're from Texas.
Maybe someday, someday I'm gonna settle down
But I've always found my way somehow
By taking the long way
Taking the long way around"
I realize that not everyone is going to agree with this one. But I also realize that for those whom this blog category was created in the first place, this could be a good choice. So, bear with me...
This blog category, of course, is intended for people who don't like Texas. Or maybe even hate Texas. And especially during these past six years, I keep meeting more and more of these folks.
Well, dear Texas-hating friends, please remember that the Dixie Chicks are from Texas. In fact, better than that, remember that they started out right here in Dallas.
"I hit the highway
in a pink RV with stars on the ceiling
Lived like a gypsy
Six strong hands on the steering wheel"
The orginal "Chicks" were sisters Martie and Emily Erwin, Robin Macy and Laura Lynch. Robin Macy was not only a member of the Chicks, but also a DJ on KERA for a while, back when KERA actually played music. (Don't get me started...)
Macy left when the band when they seemed to be veering away from a more traditional bluegrass sound. After she left the Chicks, she became a member of "Domestic Science Club" with Sara Hickman and Patty Lege. I understand she also lives in Kansas now.
Laura Lynch, who was the original lead singer, was replaced in 1995 by Natalie Maines, the daughter of famous Texas musician Lloyd Maines. BTW, I always felt sorry for Laura Lynch. News reports say she cried every day for a month after being "fired" from the band. Then, a few years later, her husband won an almost $30-million-dollar Texas lottery. (There's something Karmically fair about that...)
"I met the queen of whatever
Drank with the Irish and smoked with the hippies
Moved with the shakers
Wouldn't kiss all the asses that they told me to
No I, I could never follow
No I, I could never follow"
When Maines joined the Dixie Chicks, they were on the verge of true breakthrough success. Dennise and I remember seeing them around town many times in those early years. And as their sound became more commercially-country, they finally broke through. And when they broke through, they broke through BIG. They are, by any stretch of the imagination, one of the most successful groups of all time. No kidding. I was surprised myself when I looked it all up.
Among their accomplishments, they are:
-- The best selling Female group of all time. (Not just country group...any group in any genre).
-- Winners of an astounding 13 Grammy Awards.
-- Winners of ten Country Music Association Awards, including "Vocal Group of the Year" five times.
Here's a complete list of their awards. Their 2003 tour was called "Top of the World," which could have easily described their lives at the time. As the tour got rolling, they had a number one single --a heartfelt ballad called "Travelin' Soldier"-- and they were selling out arenas around the globe. In January, the sang the National Anthem at the Super Bowl before an audience of millions. It could hardly have been going better.
"It's been two long years now
Since the top of of the world came crashing down"
Then, on March 10, 2003, their world changed forever. During a concert in London, at the Shepherd's Bush Empire Theater, lead singer Natalie Maines made comments from the stage that would propel them into a firestorm of controversy they couldn't possibly have imagined.
For some perspective, we should all think back to that incredibly tense time. It was clear that the nation was on the brink of war. It was also clear that many people did not support the war. In fact, it was not until the very last weeks before the war began --when the inevitable "rally around the troops" sentiment swelled-- that opinion polls first showed broad support for the war. As late as the early Fall of 2002 --just six months before "the incident"-- opinion polls showed a deep divide within the American public, with support for the idea of war barely more than 50 percent.
I was certainly one of those people. And in late February, I marched with 5,000 people through the streets of downtown Dallas in what was very likely the largest anti-war protest in Dallas' history. (Got a chance to sing with Annie Benjamin at the rally afterwards...)
The day of that rally here, there were quite literally millions of people marching in cities around the globe. In fact, it is believed that this particular February day of protest was perhaps the largest single day of protest in HUMAN HISTORY.
Hundreds of thousands marched in cities like LA, Chicago, Paris and London. In Europe, anti-war sentiment was even more pronounced than in the states. Remember the silly way that the French were derided and temporarily boycotted? (BTW, if you go to Sonic this afternoon, think you can still score you some "Freedom Fries?")
As we sit here in 2007, so much has happened. So much water has now gone under the bridge that it's hard to accurately recall the tension of that time.
So...the Dixie Chicks go to London. It's just weeks after this HUGE day of world-wide marches. And they are no doubt hearing from a lot of people in Europe about just how much they dislike the idea of the war. (Maybe they're even hearing the same kind of hate of all-things-Texas that I have heard these last few years...which, of course, inspired these blog entries...)
In this context, Natalie Maines gets on stage and says this:
"Just so you know, we’re on the good side with y’all. We do not want this war, this violence, and we’re ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas."
The statement was picked up in the US by several conservative blogs, and spoonfed to the media. The comment caught on like an LA brushfire, and raged across America.
Maines attempted to clarify a few days later:
"As a concerned American citizen, I apologize to President Bush because my remark was disrespectful. I feel that whoever holds that office should be treated with the utmost respect. We are currently in Europe and witnessing a huge anti-American sentiment as a result of the perceived rush to war. While war may remain a viable option, as a mother, I just want to see every possible alternative exhausted before children and American soldiers' lives are lost. I love my country. I am a proud American."
But nothing could undo what had already been done. And in the rush to war --and the rage to root out all traitors-- the Dixie Chicks became public enemy number one. Country radio began a nation-wide boycott of the Dixie Chick's music. In the space of a week, "Traveling Soldier" went from number one to off-the-charts-completely. Clear Channel, and other media outlets, arranged for public events where people would destroy the Dixie Chick's CD...ala a good old-fashioned "book burning."
People burned the CDs.
People crushed them.
People even ran over them with a tractor.
As an aside: you know, have to be really angry at someone to run over a CD with a tractor!!
But that sort of symbolizes the hatred and vitriol of the time.
The Dixie Chicks were called "traitors," and "Saddam's Angels." People said they should leave America.
The anger culminated in a death threat against Natalie Maines, from --of all places-- Dallas. The FBI and Dallas Police took the threat very seriously, and the Chicks literally flew into Dallas from San Antonio the afternoon of the show, played their show, and flew back out of the city almost immediately....all the time surrounded by incredibly tight security and a tense entourage.
That event was channeled into the song "Not Ready to Make Nice" from their new "Taking the Long Way" CD:
"It’s a sad sad story when a mother will teach her
Daughter that she ought to hate a perfect stranger
And how in the world can the words that I said
Send somebody so over the edge
That they’d write me a letter
Sayin’ that I better
Shut up and sing or my life will be over?"
By the way, this entire phase of their history (and our's) is chronicled in the documentary "Shut up and Sing." It moves back and forth between the production of the Dixie Chick's latest CD in 2006, and these events of 2003. And it gives the viewers an inside look at just how threatening and dangerous the situation became for them. I cannot recommend this film highly enough. Anyone interested in the issues of music, war, censorship, crowd dynamics, and human behavior, should see it.
So, now it's 2007. Given the way things have gone these last four years, what are we to make now of how they were treated then? I mean, now that 75 percent of Americans no longer believe the war is worth fighting --given the fact that even Republican lawmakers now seem embarrassed by how the war is going-- is anyone planning to apologize to them anytime soon? Or are they forever frozen as "evil doers" in American consciousness?
Others spoke out far more than they did. Heck, Neil Young released an entire CD of anti-war songs. And nobody I know ran it over with a tractor. What was it about the Dixie Chicks that inspired such hatred? And why does it still persist, even as more and more people every day seem to draw the same conclusion they did...that the war has no moral justification?
Time Magazine asks it this way:
"Still, as the President's support has eroded and growing numbers of Americans (presumably some country-music fans among them) have come to disapprove of both his performance and the decision to go to war, shouldn't there be a proportional feeling of forgiveness toward the Dixie Chicks?"
You'd think so. But it doesn't seem to have happened.
"And I'm getting' it back on the road now
But I'm taking the long way
Taking the long way around"
The Chicks came back last year with a new album called "The Long Way Around." It's a great CD. I've always loved their music. But this one is a real gem.
That same Time Magazine story describes the CD this way:
"Musically, Taking the Long Way is full of swaggering country-tinged rock hooks--like a peak Eagles record, except without the misogyny and drug references and the advice to Take It Easy. Instead the songs aspire to do what the best pop always does, function as a smart expression of its creators' lives while remaining accessible to its listeners'."
The CD includes "Taking the Long Way" which makes reference to the scandal throughout, and the powerful "Not Ready to Make Nice," which has the controversy at its lyrical core, and drives home the point that the Dixie Chicks are unapologetic for being themselves and speaking their minds.
In fact, the documentary "Shut Up and Sing" paints a picture of three women not so much ready to apologize, as ready to step out and stand up for who they really are. Time Magazine says:
"The celebrity playbook for navigating a scandal is one word long: repent. But apologies are for lapses of character, not revelations of it, and sensing that they were being asked to apologize for their beliefs as much as their timing, the Chicks decided not to back down. “Natalie knows we could have totally convinced her to apologize,” says Maguire. “But the fact is, any one of us could have said what she said.”
What about that, anyway? What about the right to say what you believe, even if it's bad timing? And even if folks don't like what they said, why did they inspire such intense hatred? Four years later, doesn't it all look a little ridiculous? Doesn't it seem a little over-blown?
I heard many people at the time saying things like: "Well, if they can't stand the heat, then they shouldn't have spoken out. They should realize that speaking out can have a price."
OK. I actually get that. So, if you don't like them, just don't buy their CDs. That's a perfectly appropriate consumer response. But is anyone really willing to defend running over their CDs with a tractor? Why was that necessary? And what about death threats? Do you deserve death threats just because you speak out? Really?
If you don''t like them, just don't buy the CDs. Period. That's makes enough of a statement.
No, it seems to me that the hate and vitriol must have come from some deeper level of our collective unconscious.
It seems to me that, in times of stress, crowds often want a scapegoat. In fact, it's interesting to recall the cultural and religious symbolism of a scapegoat. The actual scapegoat of actual history was created by a community whose members believed that, individually and collectively, they had sinned beyond redemption. They had sinned beyond anyone's ability (including God's!) to forgive.
The scapegoat symbolically took on the sins of the people. It was then either slaughtered, or made to wander off into the wilderness. Either way, the point was that it now symbolized such sin and such evil that it could never be considered a part of the community again. The idea was that the scapegoat took the sins of the crowd with it (either to its death, or out into the desert..) But the only way it could be effective if it was cut off from the community forever.
In cultural history, this was called getting "scapegoated." In 2003, this became known as getting "Dixie-Chicked."
To me, scapegoating the only thing that really explains the depth of the vitriol that came their way. The Dixie Chciks became a symbol, a scapegoat, for people who, in their own heart-of-hearts, had secret concerns and anxiety about this war, but simply didn't know how to express them. So, when the Dixie Chicks spoke those fears and expressed their dissent, it was just too much. (For more on the psychology of scapegoating, click here)
And in a run-up to war, perhaps there is no rational way to allow for this kind of dissent. Or, maybe it was just this war and the true depth of ambivalence that many people --publicly and privately-- felt?
Or, maybe it's just the country music world? As I mentioned earlier, others have been far more upfront and confrontational in their anti-war statements.
I wish we could announce that the scapegoating of the Dixie Chicks was now over. But it appears to persists even now. The "Taking the Long Way Around" CD was a smash, number-one-seller around the country and globe. Incredibly, however, there was not one song on it that made it on to country radio!!! How that can be?!
How can you have a CD that sells that well, and NOT have a hit single? (Forget "Dark Side of the Moon" for a moment...) Of course there are hit singles on that CD. Lots of them. They were simply not played by the country radio establishment. That's the only logical explanation. Whether the industry admits it or not, the radio boycott continues.
Given this factual evidence, Time Magazine suggests that boycott/scapegoating does belong at the feet of the country music world (at least currently):
"Unlike rock fans, most of whom are attracted to the music's integration of styles, some country fans--particularly those who call up radio stations in a lather--take it upon themselves to patrol a wall of genre purity. Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash got passes because they were sui generis. Not so Buck Owens, who in 1965, after a few experimental dalliances, took out an advertisement with a career-saving loyalty oath, "Pledge to Country Music," in the Music City News, promising, "I Shall Sing No Song That Is Not a Country Song." Even now, acts that other listeners reflexively think of as country, from McGraw to Willie Nelson to Shania Twain, are often disparaged for keeping an eye on the Hot 100, playing noncountry songs or showing a little navel. The message from hard-core listeners is, Stay behind the wall."
Yep. It's important to remember that for almost a decade or more, much of the country music establishment hated Willie Nelson. (Hard to recall that now, isn't it?) They HATED Him. Willie, Waylon, and many others, were literally "outlaws." They were rebels.
By the way, I am proud to remind you that most of these country music "outlaws" also came from Texas. There is a long history of this among Texas musicians. Willie was loathed. So was Hank Williams Jr., who purists were convinced caused his old man to roll over in his grave. Heck, as the Dixie Chicks remind us in one of their new songs, Lubbock, Texas originally hated its own hometown hero, Buddy Holly.
Too much of the Rock'n'Roll, they said.
Now? They have a statue of him in the center of town.
Go figure.
My point is, this year's "outlaw" becomes next generation's "legend." And this has always been especially true about musicians that come from Texas. Maybe with time, country music will welcome them back again. Maybe not. Who knows?
We can't know any of that for sure. But we can know this:
If you like the Dixie Chicks, if you like how they stood up for their beliefs, despite the incredible public pressure and personal loss, then you've found one more thing to like about this state.
And I, for one, am proud to say that they're from Texas.
Greenberg Turkeys
Dec/08/2006 09:35 AM | Permalink
What would
the holidays be without talk about food?
And talk about "Great State of Texas" holiday food would be incomplete without the mention of Greenberg Turkeys. So this morning, I am declaring Greenberg Turkeys to be one of the many things to like about Texas. However, I'm also well aware that most folks --even most folks in state-- have never heard of them. So, read. Learn. Salivate...
Delicious and delectable
Greenberg Turkeys come from Tyler, Texas where the
Greenberg family, led by current owner Sam Greenberg,
has been smoking and selling them for sixty-seven
years. The Greenberg family is serious about turkeys.
Serious enough to get a web-address that fits them:
http://www.gobblegobble.com/
Texas is one of the great nexus-points for smoked meats on the face of the planet. You just have to try our barbeque once to know what I mean.(Sorry, Memphis and Carolina...) So, it's no surprise that somebody in the state would perfect the art of the smoked turkey.
Greenberg has. It's impossible, through the feeble words of a blog, to describe just how good a Greenberg Turkey is. Every bite of the bird oozes with spices and smoke. The smell surrounds you. The taste envelops you. It's better than any turkey you've ever had in your life.
And those words right there? They just sound cheap and tawdry, compared to the culinary sensation it really is. I feel like I've just described a Maserati as a "decent car;" or the Hope Diamond as an "interesting rock."
Through the years, lots of Texans began ordering Greenberg Turkeys in leu of cooking up their own Thanksgiving and Christmas birds. Cooking the turkey is the biggest hassle about a Thanksgiving/Christmas feast anyway. So --if somebody can do it far better than your own amaturish skills, and if they've been perfecting it for almost three quarters of a century-- who are you to deny yourself the fruits of their labor?
Over
the decades, Greenberg Turkeys became big stuff for
those "in the know." Then in 2003, Oprah Winfrey
waved her magic wand of approval. She declared
Greenberg Turkeys to be one of her "favorite things"
for the holiday season. And, overnight, what had been
an insider holiday tradition went nationwide.
As you can see
here, Greenberg now ships
turkeys (yep, through the mail, via UPS) to places
all over the United States.
In fact, a story from KLTV (Tyler, Longview, Jacksonville) sets the number at 200,000 birds shipped each year, and most of them to places far removed from East Texas. Greenbergs have become a favorite holiday gift among coworkers and friends in offices across the nation. Not only has our family eaten a Greenberg for the last several holiday seasons, but Dennise and I have ordered them in the middle of the year, just to get another round of that incredible taste.
Since our family lake house is only a hop, skip, and jump from Tyler, Mom usually picks up the Thanksgiving and Christmas birds from Greenberg Turkey World Headquarters. It's nice to be close and to be able to vouch for a company first hand.
But, trust me: you can be anywhere in the continental US, and enjoy a Greenberg. And you should.
And although I realize that most of you have never had a Greenberg Turkey, I also know that if you tried it once you'd love it forever.
And I know that it would instantly become yet another thing to like about Texas.
And talk about "Great State of Texas" holiday food would be incomplete without the mention of Greenberg Turkeys. So this morning, I am declaring Greenberg Turkeys to be one of the many things to like about Texas. However, I'm also well aware that most folks --even most folks in state-- have never heard of them. So, read. Learn. Salivate...
http://www.gobblegobble.com/
Texas is one of the great nexus-points for smoked meats on the face of the planet. You just have to try our barbeque once to know what I mean.(Sorry, Memphis and Carolina...) So, it's no surprise that somebody in the state would perfect the art of the smoked turkey.
Greenberg has. It's impossible, through the feeble words of a blog, to describe just how good a Greenberg Turkey is. Every bite of the bird oozes with spices and smoke. The smell surrounds you. The taste envelops you. It's better than any turkey you've ever had in your life.
And those words right there? They just sound cheap and tawdry, compared to the culinary sensation it really is. I feel like I've just described a Maserati as a "decent car;" or the Hope Diamond as an "interesting rock."
Through the years, lots of Texans began ordering Greenberg Turkeys in leu of cooking up their own Thanksgiving and Christmas birds. Cooking the turkey is the biggest hassle about a Thanksgiving/Christmas feast anyway. So --if somebody can do it far better than your own amaturish skills, and if they've been perfecting it for almost three quarters of a century-- who are you to deny yourself the fruits of their labor?
In fact, a story from KLTV (Tyler, Longview, Jacksonville) sets the number at 200,000 birds shipped each year, and most of them to places far removed from East Texas. Greenbergs have become a favorite holiday gift among coworkers and friends in offices across the nation. Not only has our family eaten a Greenberg for the last several holiday seasons, but Dennise and I have ordered them in the middle of the year, just to get another round of that incredible taste.
Since our family lake house is only a hop, skip, and jump from Tyler, Mom usually picks up the Thanksgiving and Christmas birds from Greenberg Turkey World Headquarters. It's nice to be close and to be able to vouch for a company first hand.
But, trust me: you can be anywhere in the continental US, and enjoy a Greenberg. And you should.
And although I realize that most of you have never had a Greenberg Turkey, I also know that if you tried it once you'd love it forever.
And I know that it would instantly become yet another thing to like about Texas.
Bluebell Ice Cream
Aug/08/2006 08:36 PM | Permalink
It was nearly
100 here today. It's been over 100 about 20 days so
far this summer. I am sure that it will be nearly a
hundred tomorrow too.
So, what better time to write about ice cream?
And what better ice cream to write about than Bluebell Ice Cream?
Keep yer Ben and Jerry's...
Keep yer Hagan Daz...
Keep yer Dreyers and Breyers (is it an accident that these two sound the same?) or any other brand you want to throw out there.
If you want some really good ice cream, it's gotta be Bluebell.
So, what better time to write about ice cream?
And what better ice cream to write about than Bluebell Ice Cream?
Keep yer Ben and Jerry's...
Keep yer Hagan Daz...
Keep yer Dreyers and Breyers (is it an accident that these two sound the same?) or any other brand you want to throw out there.
If you want some really good ice cream, it's gotta be Bluebell.
It's made down at what they call the "little creamery in Brenham." But that's the biggest understatement of the year. It's a huge factory. And now, I understand, they have factories in other states too. But they retain that small town sense of being from Brenham...in their ads, their marketing, and in their company ethos.
The New York Times ran one of the best stories on Bluebell back in May. It's by RW Apple, and you can read it at the Bluebell website here. It's really quite fun to read how this writer from the big city swoons over his factory tour in rural Texas.
Apple writes that his favorite Bluebell flavor is Buttered Pecan:
"I'd never tasted anything like it, nor had Betsey — packed with roasted, lightly salted Texas pecan halves. (The pecan, as Ed Kruse was quick to remind me, is the Texas state tree.) Rich. Mellow. Salt and sugar playing Ping-Pong in my mouth. I could easily down a pint at a single sitting. Just give me a spoon (no dish required) and stand back, kid."
Here are some of the other things he says:
"....Blue Bell is not all hat and no cattle, as they say of some things and some people in Texas. With clean, vibrant flavors and a rich, luxuriant consistency achieved despite a butterfat content a little lower than some competitors, it hooks you from the first spoonful. Entirely and blessedly absent are the cloying sweetness, chalky texture and oily, gummy aftertaste that afflict many mass-manufactured ice creams.
I wouldn't (quite) claim to remember every bite of ice cream that I've eaten since my first tastes of peppermint stick at Mary Coyle's and banana at Isaly's in Akron, Ohio, around 1940. But I can recall no American commercial ice cream in a league with Blue Bell except the remarkable Graeter's, which is made in Cincinnati and sold only there and in a few nearby cities."
Bluebell didn't invent "Cookies and Cream," but they pretty much perfected it, striking a deal with Nabisco to use the popular Oreos brand for many years, becoming the first ones to market it on a large scale, and creating what is now their second most popular blend. (Homemade Vanilla is number one...)
Bluebell has seventeen year-round flavors, and about 35 others that get rotated through, depending upon what kind of things are in season, and what will fit in a grocers shelves. Here's a complete list of their flavors.
Speaking of getting it, you can get it shipped to you, if you want. Bluebell ships the stuff all over the country, to those who are still deprived of being able to run down to the store and pick some up. Interested? Go here.
When we were at Dennise's high school reunion back in July, we sat at the picnic with the husband of one of her high school friends. This guy had spent a lot of time in the Air Force. And, for a time, he was stationed at one side of the country, and would fly back to other side for meetings; often stopping for a connecting flight at DFW.
He told us how his in-laws would often meet him at the airport with a couple of pints of Bluebell, and during twenty minutes on the ground, he'd chat briefly with them, and scarf down Pistachio, or Banana Pudding.
If that sounds extreme and fanatical, then I'm going to assume you haven't had Bluebell yet.
And if you have, then I'm going to assume it's just one more thing you like about Texas.
Barbara Jordan (Yes, she really was from Texas)
Feb/27/2006 04:43 PM | Permalink
These days,
when you say you're from Texas, you're likely to get
a few smirks and comments about politicians from our
state. Whether it's Rick "Good Hair" Perry, or either
of the George Bushes, the politicians folks hear
about from our state tend to be conservative, and
tend to be hated by just about as many folks as those
who like them. So, for those who hate Texas, or are
predisposed to, this doesn't help.
So, for all you potential or active Texas-haters out there, let me remind you of another politician and an unlikely Texas legend: Barbara Jordan...
So, for all you potential or active Texas-haters out there, let me remind you of another politician and an unlikely Texas legend: Barbara Jordan...
The following is from Wikipedia:
Jordan was born in Houston, Texas's Fifth Ward. Jordan attended Wheatley High School and graduated magna cum laude from Texas Southern University in 1956 and from Boston University Law School in 1959. She passed the Bar Exams in Massachusetts and Texas before returning to Houston to open a law practice.
Active in the Kennedy-Johnson presidential campaign of 1960, Jordan wanted to be a part of the change. She unsuccessfully ran for the Texas House of Representatives in 1962 and 1964. Her persistence won her a seat in the Texas Senate in 1966, becoming the first African American state senator since 1883 and the first black woman to serve in that body. Reelected to a full term in the Texas Senate in 1968, she served until 1972.
In 1972, she was elected to the United States House of Representatives, becoming the first black woman from a Southern state to serve in the House. She received extensive support from President Lyndon Johnson, who helped her secure a position on the House Judiciary Committee.
After winning reelection, in 1974, she made an influential televised speech before the House Judiciary Committee supporting the impeachment of President Richard Nixon. Her legislative accomplishments include the renewal of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and expansion of that act to cover language minorities. This extended protection to Hispanics in Texas which was opposed by Texas Governor Dolph Briscoe and Secretary of State Mark White. Her speech at the 1976 Democratic National Convention that is considered by many historians to have been the best convention keynote speech in modern history. She sponsored the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977, legislation that required banks to lend and make services available to underserved poor and minority communities. Jordan retired from politics in 1979 and became a professor at the University of Texas at Austin Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. She again was a keynote speaker at the Democratic National Convention in 1992. In 1995, Jordan chaired a congressional commission that advocated increased restriction of immigration and increased penalties on employers that violated US immigration regulations.
People tend to remember Barbara Jordan as a woman of extraordinary grace and courage. From her beginnings in the Fifth Ward, to the halls of the US Congress, she always served with a great deal of honor and dignity. And, let's not forget the achievement of being elected to Congress. Not just as a black woman from Texas, but as the first black woman elected from any Southern state....anywhere....anytime.
Folks tend to say that Texas has a lot of racial/ethnic problems. And we most certainly do. But Texas voters also elected Jordan --first to the statehouse, and then to the Congress-- at a time when no other voters in no other southern state had ever done such a thing. She was a proud, educated, and erudite Texan, through and through.
And if you like, and recall fondly, the memory of Barbara Jordan, then there's one more thing you like about Texas.
--30--
The Frozen Margarita: How Tex-Mex Libation Met 7-11
Technology
Feb/18/2006 04:56 PM | Permalink
In
the last entry in this section, I
waxed about my love for Tex-Mex; and how, if you
love it too, then there's something you love about
Texas. This entry is sort of it's own special
subset of the last one. It's about a special part
of the Tex-Mex universe: the Frozen Margarita.
Perhaps one of the ways we can judge that the
Tex-Mex in general --and the Frozen Margarita
specifically-- has really become a part of the
American psyche, is that the Smithsonian Museum
has seen fit to acquire
the very first Frozen Margarita
machine. Like Fonzie's
jacket, or Walter Cronkite's chair, it now rests
in the hallowed halls of that great recepticle of
history...
I have actually seen this machine many times. For years, it stood inside the original "Mariano's Old Town," another fine Tex-Mex place about five minutes from SMU. (Well, it WAS....it's now closed. And the new one is at Skillman and Abrams. The family has also branched out into a new venture called "La Hacienda Ranch" which we also like, but which is a tad pricey...) You'd pass by this machine on your way in the door to have some fine food. Nobody knows the real history of the Margarita itself. But the history of the Frozen Margarita is that it was invented right here, in Dallas, Texas.
On May 11, 1971, Mariano Martinez --the owner of Mariano's-- got the brilliant idea to put Margarita mix inside a soft-serve ice cream machine. You should probably also know and remember that 7-Eleven was created here in Dallas too....and in those days, there was nothing bigger on a hot summer day than a 7-Eleven Slurpee. (perhaps a future entry?) So, one day after a visit to 7-Eleven for a cold slurpee, Mariano said to himself, "Why not do that for the Margarita too?"
And history was made. And it happened at just the same cultural moment that Tex-Mex was making its way from Texas, north across the United States, and eventually around the world. To use the theological word, it was the Kairos time for the Frozen Margarita to be invented. And so now, the original machine rests in the Smithsonian, and the drink itself has been, ahem, toasted by the likes of the Texas Legislature.
And I bet you like the Frozen Margarita. I bet you, or someone you know, has blended some up in your own home. And if you like them, then there's one more thing that you like about Texas.
I have actually seen this machine many times. For years, it stood inside the original "Mariano's Old Town," another fine Tex-Mex place about five minutes from SMU. (Well, it WAS....it's now closed. And the new one is at Skillman and Abrams. The family has also branched out into a new venture called "La Hacienda Ranch" which we also like, but which is a tad pricey...) You'd pass by this machine on your way in the door to have some fine food. Nobody knows the real history of the Margarita itself. But the history of the Frozen Margarita is that it was invented right here, in Dallas, Texas.
On May 11, 1971, Mariano Martinez --the owner of Mariano's-- got the brilliant idea to put Margarita mix inside a soft-serve ice cream machine. You should probably also know and remember that 7-Eleven was created here in Dallas too....and in those days, there was nothing bigger on a hot summer day than a 7-Eleven Slurpee. (perhaps a future entry?) So, one day after a visit to 7-Eleven for a cold slurpee, Mariano said to himself, "Why not do that for the Margarita too?"
And history was made. And it happened at just the same cultural moment that Tex-Mex was making its way from Texas, north across the United States, and eventually around the world. To use the theological word, it was the Kairos time for the Frozen Margarita to be invented. And so now, the original machine rests in the Smithsonian, and the drink itself has been, ahem, toasted by the likes of the Texas Legislature.
And I bet you like the Frozen Margarita. I bet you, or someone you know, has blended some up in your own home. And if you like them, then there's one more thing that you like about Texas.
--30--
TEX-MEX. Does YOUR State have an entire style of food
named after it?
Feb/17/2006 04:58 PM | Permalink
TEX-MEX
Does YOUR State have an entire style of food named after it?
When I was fresh out
of grad-school, I took a trip to Washington DC
with my sister Dianne and my Dad. While there, I
reconnected with an old friend, who was now
living in Georgetown. She insisted that we come
by her place in and around lunchtime one day, so
she could take us to lunch at one of her
favorite restaurants. Now, this was someone who
had lived in Dallas. And this was someone who
was raised in Texas.
The place she wanted to take us was a Georgetown-area Tex-Mex Restaurant. It was a place she and her knew husband had found, and they were thrilled with it. "You gonna love it,"she told us.
So, we all went. And I have to be totally honest, it was one of the worst meals of my life. I mean that sincerely. It was really horrid.
We should have known better. In Texas, there are those who question whether you can actually get good Tex-Mex north of Austin.
Admit it, you like Tex-Mex. You probably call it "Mexican Food," and that's OK. But what you know as "Mexican Food" is really a Texas original. Mexican Food --or "Interior Food" as we call it here-- is a totally different animal. But, if you're going out to eat, and there's beans, rice, a taco, an enchilada, and a tamale, on your plate; that fine food conglomeration was created from the synergy of Texas and Mexican cultures. It's really a border food, created first in the border lands of the Rio Grande Valley. It migrated North throughout the state, and has now made its way all over the country and the world.
You can learn more about it here.
There are LOTS of variations on Tex-Mex. Let's be clear, Chi-Chi's is NOT good Mexican Food. I shudder to imagine the poor life-lessons these children are learning from this field trip. And Tex-Mex continues to evolve. Thirty-five years ago, nobody had heard of a Chicken Fajita, or even a Frozen Margarita. (In fact, linguistically, there is actually no such thing as a Chicken Fajita. The word has taken on a life of its own...just a part of the evolution of Tex-Mex)
There seems to be a kind of Tex-Mex that originates from Austin. Or, at least there seem to be a lot of folks from Austin who open Tex-Mex places in Dallas. Pete Dominguez specializes in "Austin-style Tex-Mex." His "Casita Dominguez" was about five minutes from my first apartment after grad school. And Dennise and I would probably eat there once a week.
The great Matt Martinez comes from a long line of Tex-Mex royalty. His father being the proprietor of "Matt's El Rancho" in Austin, and his own signature place being "Matt's Rancho Martinez" in East Dallas. It's about five minutes from our log house...and when we lived there we probably ate their once a week. (Are you detecting the trend?) Matt has brought a flair to Tex-Mex cooking. While staying with the basics, he delivers them with a lot of class and taste.
But probably our favorite Dallas Tex-Mex place is Herrerra's. We've never once actually lived close to one, so we will drive quite a ways to get to one. (For those of you who don't have a lot of Tex-Mex places, this is kind of like driving past five or six churches to get to the one you like...). There are the locations down off Maple...there's also one in Addison and Richardson now. Herrerra's is no-frills, classic, bed-rock basic, Tex-Mex. From the radioactively green Margaritas, to the bean soup and seriously greasy enchiladas, it's the real deal.
I you happen to visit the state, here are some starting places for your culinary enjoyment.
When in Dallas, be sure and visit:
Matt's Rancho Martinez
Casita, or Casa Dominguez
Herrerra's (any location)
El Fenix (we admit to actually liking it...)
Chuy's (Eric likes. Dennise doesn't...take that for what it's worth...)
Cantina Loredo (You're venturing away from the one, true, and apostolic Tex-Mex here...but the quality is quite good...)
When in Austin, visit:
Matt's El Rancho
Chuy's (the original on Barton Springs)
When in San Antonio, visit:
La Margarita
Mi Tierra
Let me be clear, all these places I've mentioned are the real-deal. I could be stranded on a desert island with any of them, and be fat and happy...literally. And I'll be happy to make additions to this list, as my stomach and your comments warrant.
After decades of obscurity here in our state, Tex-Mex food has rocketed to international acclaim and notice. It's changed the way we eat, even if you don't live anywhere near Texas. As food writer Robb Walsh has noted:
Thanks to Tex-Mex, salsa has replaced ketchup as America's favorite condiment. Tacos and tortilla chips have reached a level of popularity rivaling the almighty hamburger and french fries. Chile peppers have become a national obsession, and the popularity of guacamole has moved the avocado from total obscurity to the front row of the produce section. (1)
But let's be clear, the real-deal ain't no "Chi-Chi's." And we ain't talkin' no "New Mexican Food" either; with that green and red chili sauce that destroys the taste buds, and deadens the enjoyment of everything it covers. We're not talkin' Taco Bell either.
But there IS such a thing as the one, true, and apostolic Tex-Mex. We take it for granted down here.
And if YOU like it, then whether you realize it or not, there's one thing you like about Texas.
Does YOUR State have an entire style of food named after it?
When I was fresh out
of grad-school, I took a trip to Washington DC
with my sister Dianne and my Dad. While there, I
reconnected with an old friend, who was now
living in Georgetown. She insisted that we come
by her place in and around lunchtime one day, so
she could take us to lunch at one of her
favorite restaurants. Now, this was someone who
had lived in Dallas. And this was someone who
was raised in Texas.
The place she wanted to take us was a Georgetown-area Tex-Mex Restaurant. It was a place she and her knew husband had found, and they were thrilled with it. "You gonna love it,"she told us.
So, we all went. And I have to be totally honest, it was one of the worst meals of my life. I mean that sincerely. It was really horrid.
We should have known better. In Texas, there are those who question whether you can actually get good Tex-Mex north of Austin.
Admit it, you like Tex-Mex. You probably call it "Mexican Food," and that's OK. But what you know as "Mexican Food" is really a Texas original. Mexican Food --or "Interior Food" as we call it here-- is a totally different animal. But, if you're going out to eat, and there's beans, rice, a taco, an enchilada, and a tamale, on your plate; that fine food conglomeration was created from the synergy of Texas and Mexican cultures. It's really a border food, created first in the border lands of the Rio Grande Valley. It migrated North throughout the state, and has now made its way all over the country and the world.
You can learn more about it here.
There are LOTS of variations on Tex-Mex. Let's be clear, Chi-Chi's is NOT good Mexican Food. I shudder to imagine the poor life-lessons these children are learning from this field trip. And Tex-Mex continues to evolve. Thirty-five years ago, nobody had heard of a Chicken Fajita, or even a Frozen Margarita. (In fact, linguistically, there is actually no such thing as a Chicken Fajita. The word has taken on a life of its own...just a part of the evolution of Tex-Mex)
There seems to be a kind of Tex-Mex that originates from Austin. Or, at least there seem to be a lot of folks from Austin who open Tex-Mex places in Dallas. Pete Dominguez specializes in "Austin-style Tex-Mex." His "Casita Dominguez" was about five minutes from my first apartment after grad school. And Dennise and I would probably eat there once a week.
The great Matt Martinez comes from a long line of Tex-Mex royalty. His father being the proprietor of "Matt's El Rancho" in Austin, and his own signature place being "Matt's Rancho Martinez" in East Dallas. It's about five minutes from our log house...and when we lived there we probably ate their once a week. (Are you detecting the trend?) Matt has brought a flair to Tex-Mex cooking. While staying with the basics, he delivers them with a lot of class and taste.
But probably our favorite Dallas Tex-Mex place is Herrerra's. We've never once actually lived close to one, so we will drive quite a ways to get to one. (For those of you who don't have a lot of Tex-Mex places, this is kind of like driving past five or six churches to get to the one you like...). There are the locations down off Maple...there's also one in Addison and Richardson now. Herrerra's is no-frills, classic, bed-rock basic, Tex-Mex. From the radioactively green Margaritas, to the bean soup and seriously greasy enchiladas, it's the real deal.
I you happen to visit the state, here are some starting places for your culinary enjoyment.
When in Dallas, be sure and visit:
Matt's Rancho Martinez
Casita, or Casa Dominguez
Herrerra's (any location)
El Fenix (we admit to actually liking it...)
Chuy's (Eric likes. Dennise doesn't...take that for what it's worth...)
Cantina Loredo (You're venturing away from the one, true, and apostolic Tex-Mex here...but the quality is quite good...)
When in Austin, visit:
Matt's El Rancho
Chuy's (the original on Barton Springs)
When in San Antonio, visit:
La Margarita
Mi Tierra
Let me be clear, all these places I've mentioned are the real-deal. I could be stranded on a desert island with any of them, and be fat and happy...literally. And I'll be happy to make additions to this list, as my stomach and your comments warrant.
After decades of obscurity here in our state, Tex-Mex food has rocketed to international acclaim and notice. It's changed the way we eat, even if you don't live anywhere near Texas. As food writer Robb Walsh has noted:
Thanks to Tex-Mex, salsa has replaced ketchup as America's favorite condiment. Tacos and tortilla chips have reached a level of popularity rivaling the almighty hamburger and french fries. Chile peppers have become a national obsession, and the popularity of guacamole has moved the avocado from total obscurity to the front row of the produce section. (1)
But let's be clear, the real-deal ain't no "Chi-Chi's." And we ain't talkin' no "New Mexican Food" either; with that green and red chili sauce that destroys the taste buds, and deadens the enjoyment of everything it covers. We're not talkin' Taco Bell either.
But there IS such a thing as the one, true, and apostolic Tex-Mex. We take it for granted down here.
And if YOU like it, then whether you realize it or not, there's one thing you like about Texas.
--30--