Matt Hodges on Avoid the 5 Worst Bars in the Big Bend steel reserves is the bomb and windeaux only gets more points for drinking it ... double points if alone.
The Classic Wineaux on Avoid the 5 Worst Bars in the Big Bend Oh yeah, I forgot about two s@#$y bars owned by the same Kenny Rogers looking motherf@#$er.
The Crystal Bar is ...
LC on Avoid the 5 Worst Bars in the Big Bend Wineaux gets an A-f%^$#@g-plus for this one. Although I don't mind that La Kiva might be considered "touristy" as I ...
The Classic Wineaux on Avoid the 5 Worst Bars in the Big Bend I won't reveal that information. First off, I don't know if you are wearing a North Face jacket or perusing ...
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VAL BEARD WINS BREWSTER COUNTY JUDGE, KILLINGSWORTH AND PALLANEZ RE-ELECTED
“Brewster County voters agreed with County Judge Val Beard’s campaign slogan — “Keep Val Beard” — and returned her to office Tuesday. She will have no GOP opponent in November’s general election.” Click here to read more at the Alpine Avalanche.
NIMBY NEWS ACCUSES AVALANCHE OF BIAS
The Avalanche’s completely confused editorial policy and demonstrably unprofessional unfairness toward Avinash Rangra and bias toward Judge Beard justifies the low esteem in which the American press is now held.
All over the Granite Newspapers website we read the words “community” as it relates to newspapers. Who among us is in Perry’s community?
Lastly, publisher/editor Mike Perry is directly accountable for this mess.
I know no one in journalism who works harder than Mike and Cindy Perry. But the proud traditions of the American press from the Colonial printers to the Washington Post and the New York Times in the Watergate mess demand that journalists be competent too.
Read the rest of McNamera’s coverage of the election at The Nimby News.
–For Presidio and Brewster County election results for state posts, click here.
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Big Bend Video
A wonderful event. I hope this video captures that.
–”Dustin Roller, Cody Higgins, Joseph Cupps being badasses. Sul Ross State University.” Thank you for the footage, Jayson.
–Marfa, My Dear: “An improvised absurdity starring Jaclyn Jonet, Black Moses and Lola “Prosciutto” Ruspoli. Directed by Tao Ruspoli, based on a story by Olivia Wilde www.lafco.tv www.marfafilmfestival.org”
In celebration of Texas Independence and the battle of the Alamo, Dude of the Dead outdoor music festival in south Presidio County at the base of the Chinati Mountains, will take place Saturday March 6th, starting at 2pm. The festival is located 15 miles west of Presidio off HWY 170. Camping is free, BYOB encouraged. Seven bands are set to preform including local talent: Doodlin Hogwallops; Big Mountain Boogaloo, Cantina Fight and from Austin: Rayon Beach; The Flesh Lights; Shapes Have Fangs, Dead Space plus Randy Travesty.
The entry fee is $5 per person or $20 per car/truck/van load. Admission will be waived for the first 15 vehicles.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact Charlie Angell, 432.229.3713.
–Dumitrescu Gallery reception
The Dumitrescu Gallery, located inside Elms Bookkeeping at 108 N. 5th Street in Alpine, will have its final exhibition this month, with a reception from 6-8 p.m. Friday, March 5. The gallery’s last day will be from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. April 3. Avram Dumitrescu is an illustrator and lecturer with the Center for Big Bend Studies at Sul Ross State University. His illustrations are featured in a new textbook, “Drawing Inspiration: Visual Artists at Work.”
–Sierra Club to hike Hancock Hill
Start your spring break with a hike up the Hancock Hill trail above Sul Ross State University on Saturday, March 6. Hikers will meet by 9 a.m. at the trailhead behind Mountainside dorm (entrance No. 4). The hike will take about 2 hours and is moderately strenuous. Participants should bring water, a hat and footwear appropriate for loose rocky surfaces. For more information, call Martha Latta at 432-837-1070.
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Enjoy only 2 cosmetics, enough sleep and Dr. Bronner’s ‘Magic Soap’ to clean body-mind-soul-spirit uniting One! All-One! Absolute cleanliness is Godliness! For facial packs, scalp & soothing body rub, add dash on bath towel in sink of hot water. Wring out. Lay over face & scalp. Massage with fingertips. Repeat 3 or 4 times ’til arms, legs and all are rubbed, always toward the heart. Rinse towel in plain hot water and massage again. Breathe deeply! Health is Wealth. For we’re ALL-ONE OR NONE! ALL-ONE! ALL-ONE! ALL-ONE!
Here at West Texas Weekly, you come first! My new layout and navigation reflects that:
Popular Articles (now in the left sidebar of the homepage) features the popular articles that you comment on and that provoke discussion
The Your Comments feature (now in the left sidebar of the homepage) provides an excerpt from your comment, a link to your homepage and your avatar. Your comments on Big Bend events are now displayed to the world.
The User Hall of Fame (now in the left sidebar of the homepage) showcases those West Texas Weekly users who consistently provide their insight, opinions and information to the community.
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Flanked against the Alpine Amtrak Station stands one of the best little restaurants I’ve found in the Big Bend. The Gulf Station offers a limited lunch and dinner menu but packs a lot of joie de vivre from each item. Soups, sandwiches, burgers and salads are the main items but try the stuffed Portobello mushroom or roasted chicken.
It’s easy to go veggie here – we did it accidentally: Greek Salad, Garbanzo-Potato- Spinach soup and the killer choice of the night spinach pancakes made with Japanese panko, in a perfectly French beurre blanc sauce.
The place is cozy – something urban going on: tall ceilings, stained cement floors, polished aluminum tables, black chairs and Stella Artois on tap served in classic pint glasses – we could be on the left bank. The wine hangs from a chained raw iron rack with bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay from Argentina to Texas. At least the varieties are French.
Exposed three membrane brick colors one wall, a dead give-away for anything commercial built in Alpine in the 1930’s. The other wall glimmers with sheet metal and old photographs from the 1950’s – when the place was a true Gulf Station. Choo-choo-cha-boogie plays through speakers mounted near a large abstract on canvas. Chagall would not be impressed, but it is not bad.
The train horn blows, a signal for the pause that refreshes, a mistake for sure, not that the bathrooms weren’t beautiful – exquisite actually … his and hers, regular and ethyl, but when I return there is only a sliver of the home made Key Lime Pie, a sliver so small it reminds me of the inferior country to the east of France that makes the little wheels of soft cheese, packaged in tiny wedges. But the pie – par excellence! [M. Chenault]
[Big Bend Live Music is a feature brought to you by Matt Hodges, Contributing Editor Music. If you have a gig you'd like to share with the world, email him at matt.hodges@live.com]
Matt’s Pick This Week goes to SPONtaneous COMbustion! Classic rock doesn’t get much better.
[Do you have a local live music event here in the Big Bend? Share it with the world, email Matt Hodges at matt.hodges@live.com You can also leave it as a comment on this post.]
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This article is brought to you by these local sponsors:
Railroad Blues The premier live music venue in the Big Bend– Try their world famous Sangria!
La Posada Milagro– Beautiful, unique rooms in the Historic Terlingua Ghosttown
RACE NAME PARTY PARTY EARLY VOTES PERCENT TOTAL VOTES PERCENT
U. S. Representative District 23
Miguel Ortiz DEM 204 24.87% 324 20.46%
Ciro D. Rodriguez – Incumbent DEM 616 75.12% 1,259 79.53%
———– ———–
Total Votes Cast 820 1,583
Precincts Reported 8 of 8 Precincts 100.00%
—————————————- Click for more…
[This feature is brought to you by the Classic Wineaux, West Texas Weekly's Contributing Editor Nightlife.]
We are Brothers in Brew
The Classic Wineaux would like to buy a drink for the following people:
Dr. Doug aka Dr. Black aka Dr. Blackman aka Doug Blackman
Vicki Harris
Boyd Elder
Charlie Bell
Beth Garcia
Hola! I am the Classic Wineaux, the Gonzo journalist who has the stones to bring you the lowdown on Big Bend watering holes, beer joints and dives.
Who is the Classic Wineaux? He is a middle-aged aspiring writer who smokes filter-tipped cigarettes, drinks bourbon and loves a 99 cent well drink. I live in an RV, clean my rifle and listen to Country and Western eight-tracks. Don’t f!@# with me!
The bar scene in the Big Bend is lame this time of year. Sorry, folks. My advice is to hit the French Quarter (the folks who don’t have enough money to leave NOLA after Mardi Gras are the real deal) or Austin’s pubs. If you’re not drawing a fat-ass disability check like I do, you may not have the resources to rent a weekly hotel room and do so. You might be stuck out here in this s#$%hole swilling Natural Light.
However, this article ain’t about where to go, it’s about where ain’t to go. What are the biggest s@#tholes where knife fights, ugly women and watery drinks abound?
And don’t get me wrong, I love dives. Here’s the secret to running a dive, though: get a lady of the white trash persuasion with tattoos, double Ds and a case of clinical psychosis behind the bar serving drinks. Let her slutty girlfriends run up huge tabs and sleep with the patrons. I’ll walk ten miles of corduroy road to drink at that bar! Second tip, have a jukebox with some Tom Petty and Bob Seeger on it. Third tip, let the spirits and friendship flow freely until someone shoots someone out there in the parking lot.
Here are the Classic Wineaux’s five worst bars in the Big Bend
1. The Pressboxx, Alpine, Texas
This is a dive. But it’s not a good dive. No liquor, just beer. No girls. Dingy, depressing and dirty. The only event is bi-weekly karaoke. Two pool tables and a jukebox full of pirated CDs are the only entertainment.
The Pressboxx is next to a s!@#$y hotel. It looks like the kind of place where truckers get handjobs.
[Mark Glover is Contributing Editor Alpine. Click here to visit Trans-Pecos Science Moment for more of his thoughts on the Big Bend.]
Marfa – Lineaus Hooper Lorette stands on the wood floor of his old adobe home on the south side of Marfa and nods to an acrylic collage he commissioned — a trio of civil rights workers gunned down in Philadelphia, Mississippi in 1964. He names them one by one as tears roll down his cheeks.
Barrel-chested, bespectacled with a thick white mustache, Lorette is running for public office again. The former 1982 Citizen’s Party candidate for Texas US Senate is on the ballot for Presidio County Judge on the March primary democratic ticket.
“My family has a tradition of social advocacy – and I got struck with the lightning bolt,” Lorette said. He sits down at his desk and his three dogs, Anna Louise Strong, Primo Levi and Kim Philby slink to his side.
The son of an oil field worker and a radical mother whose father was an avowed communist, Lorette’s family moved when he was a young boy from Oklahoma to Odessa. Soon he was part of the anti-Viet Nam war movement at UT Austin, planning protests at night while he earned a degree in accounting by day.
“I’m a communist with a little ‘c’. You can’t expect to be a successful communist in a country that holds private property in the esteem we do,” Lorette said. “It’s the only country in the world where the land owner owns the minerals below the surface.”
He rattles off statistics, stats an accountant would know.
“Ag exemptions for property taxes were once only for those who made their living on the land. Now any rich person can own thousands of acres and pay nearly nothing to the county for schools, roads and services. Click for more…
[Contributor Darci Pauser writes extensively on renewable energy at her blog The Field Trip ]
On the “scruffy side” of the tracks in Marathon, Texas, sits La Loma Del Chivo. An eclectic variety of buildings occupy this city block of land, from a kiva to a sweat lodge, to a bedroom sarcastically entitled the “McMansion.” The special thing about all of these buildings is their DIY flavor– all have been built not according to some professional architect’s idea of what a building should be, but according to the vision and creativity of those actually building it.
The hostel is an inexpensive option for those traveling through West Texas, or going into the Big Bend National Park. It’s even free for bicyclists traveling down highway 90. If you cannot afford the $15 a night, there is also a work-trade option, and the hostel is host to several folks in the WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) program. How refreshing to find a place where so much creativity and property is allowed to flow and the feeling is so laid-back. WWOOFers are encouraged to start whatever project they would like, and owner Guil funds the materials cost. A workshop is available for all who desire to use it. The result is papercrete buildings– some big, some small– a brick pizza oven, an organic garden, and pathways made of crushed glass tumbled smooth. Click for more…
[Big Bend Live Music is a feature brought to you by Matt Hodges, Contributing Editor Music. If you have a gig you'd like to share with the world, email him at matt.hodges@live.com]
Matt’s pick this week goes to Radio La Chusma! A fun mix of a variety of styles of music just waiting to get your party started.
[Do you have a local live music event here in the Big Bend? Share it with the world, email Matt Hodges at matt.hodges@live.com You can also leave it as a comment on this post.]
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This article is brought to you by these local sponsors:
Railroad Blues The premier live music venue in the Big Bend– Try their world famous Sangria!
La Posada Milagro– Beautiful, unique rooms in the Historic Terlingua Ghosttown
[West Texas Weekly continues to bring you insight into local politics. Mark Glover, Contributing Editor Alpine, explains the legal logic behind riparian rights.]
Alpine – While the West Texas water export plans of Clayton Williams hang in a Federal Court in Midland, Dr Megan Benson presented an historical overview of the evolution of Texas groundwater law at the Sul Ross campus last Friday night, hosted by the Center for Big Bend Studies.
“In Texas, because of the Rule of Capture, one landowner or corporation can mine and market a disproportionate amount of water for immediate gain seriously impacting or depleting resources without liability to his neighbors,” said Benson, a recipient of the 2009 Fellowship for Excellence in West Texas History.
Texas, the only western state that practices the Rule of Capture, aka the Law of the Biggest Pump, gained its head of steam in a 1904 court case known as W.A. East vs. Houston & Texas Central Railroad Inc. Click for more…
[Big Bend Live Music is a feature brought to you by Matt Hodges, Contributing Editor Music. If you have a gig you'd like to share with the world, email him at matt.hodges@live.com]
Matt’s pick this week goes to S.P.I.C. and the rest of the punk rock night group. I’ve been wanting to see S.P.I.C. since I checked them out on myspace, but what can I say? I’m big on punk rock. Here’s the Dead Milkmen!
[Do you have a local live music event here in the Big Bend? Share it with the world, email Matt Hodges at matt.hodges@live.com You can also leave it as a comment on this post.]
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This article is brought to you by these local sponsors:
Railroad Blues The premier live music venue in the Big Bend– Try their world famous Sangria!
La Posada Milagro– Beautiful, unique rooms in the Historic Terlingua Ghosttown
Here are a ton of great videos that just don’t have a home… they are just too strange and wonderful to discard, though.
Some are related to our region, the Big Bend. Others are just the natural result of the strange nature of the Internet. Video from every era of television, from all over the world, is available to us.
If you have a video that you would like to share with my readers, email me at andrewsuber [at] hotmail [dot] com. If you have something strange and wonderful to share, let me know.
Chicken George and Ruby on West Texas art
BUY UGLY FURNITURE!!!
Supergran– UK cult kid’s comedy about a physically-enhanced grandmother
John Fahey– my favorite folk guitarist
Welding with jumper cables
Terlingua campfire
Breakdancing at a 1991 Iranian party
French psychedelia from the 60s
Two of my heroes, John Cale and Lou Reed, sing about Andy Warhol’s work ethic with French subtitles
RIP Charlie Wilson. Wilson represented Texas’ 2nd Congressional District from 1973 to 1996. His involvement with the funding of the Afghani freedom fighters in the 80’s was dramatized into the film “Charlie Wilson’s War”. Wilson died at Memorial Medical Center-Lufkin. Read an article in the Midland Reporter Telegram regarding his death.
–A Kermit nurse is being threatened with a potential ten year jail sentence for blowing the whistle on a doctor who jeopardizing the health of his patients.
“It occurred to Anne Mitchell as she was writing the letter that she might lose her job, which is why she chose not to sign it. But it was beyond her conception that she would be indicted and threatened with 10 years in prison for doing what she knew a nurse must: inform state regulators that a doctor at her rural hospital was practicing bad medicine.” The NYT reports on this here.
–Randy Hill, an Abilene entrepreneur, is starting a venture to use mesquite wood chips as a biomass fuel source.
“Hill’s home area of West Texas is growing as a source of wind power, but there’s room for other sources, he said. “Wind is only going to be an auxiliary source of power,” he said. “It will never be a primary energy source. We will always need other sources of power.” The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports on it here.
The charity auction for Haiti held at the Starlight Theatre, Terlingua Ghosttown, Texas.
Cast: the people of Terlingua.
Soundtrack: Harry Belafonte, “Man Smart, Woman Smarter”; FischerSpooner, “Emerge”.
[Contributor Darci Pauser writes extensively on renewable energy at her blog The Field Trip ]
Eve’s Garden has been meticulously designed, built, and landscaped for the past eight years by owners Clyde Curry and Kate Thayer. Their vision, which Eve’s Garden embodies, is increased “localized self-reliance.” Hence, the Garden is not only a wonderous place to stay, but is also built to inspire the creative spirit. Clyde describes the B&B as a “Hope Center,” a place where folks can experience an example of more responsible living.
Entering through the large front door, you step inside the main house to a welcoming foyer, painted brightly and with findings from the natural world dispersed throughout. Going forward, you walk between two dining rooms, where Garden guests enjoy an organic meal each morning. Next, the kitchen where the magic happens is chock-full of every implement you could possibly imagine for creating delicious and nourishing food. Down a few steps, and you come to the main lounge area, where a coffee table is host to a number of inspiring books and rags— ACRES USA and The Transition Handbook, to name a couple. The house is 100 years old, standing within a few blocks of Marathon’s main drag and small shops, and local art decks the walls.
Dr. Rangra is committed to change and transparency for Brewster County. He has tirelessly campaigned to bring county government back to the people of Brewster County. Join him Friday at the Adobe Rose in Marathon, Texas at 6:30. There will be live music, free food and drinks. Most importantly, there will be a candidate who will listen to your problems and fight for you.
To find out more about Dr. Rangra’s campaign for Brewster County Judge, visit his Facebook campaign page and become a fan today! Early voting starts soon, so choose Dr. Rangra for Brewster County Judge.
MY LIFE
I am married to Anjali, and we have one child, Amit. Our family also includes two dogs, Kishmish, a Maltese, and Gypsy, a mixed breed rescued off Hwy I-10.
My parents, Sri Kundan Lall Rangra, and Srimati Rampyari Rangra were both school teachers. I am third in a family of four brothers, and three sisters.
After receiving my B.Sc (Hon’s), and M.Sc (Hon’s) in Chemistry at Panjab University, I taught for two years at Hindu National College, Hariana (my village).
I came to the States in 1962 for my Ph.D.. at Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma. I am a member of Sigma Xi Chapter of Oklahoma State University 1965.
I joined the Sul Ross State University faculty in 1967 as an Assistant Professor in Chemistry and was promoted to the rank of Professor in 1974. I was the Foreign Student Advisor for about ten years, and for several years was the Radiation Safety Officer at SRSU. Click for more…
[Big Bend Live Music is a feature brought to you by Matt Hodges, Contributing Editor Music. If you have a gig you'd like to share with the world, email him at matt.hodges@live.com]
Matt’s Random Video This Week is:
“With A Spirit” by Sound System 009. I know, this is the stupid song everyone puts on their “People Falling Down Funny” or “Best Party Pics” photo and video compilations on You-Tube. It’s 9 minutes long (or longer in the original version) fairly repetitive trance/techno; However, I find this song to be full of variations through each section. There are comprehensive lyrics, several verses in fact, with a refrain/chorus and layer upon layer of ambient instrumentation. I can’t get enough of it. I somehow feel like this song is a link to the future of music. I know, I may be way off base and consider it possible that no souls share my opinion of said work, but there are deeper psyche triggers, I find, in the soothing melodic tones that strike me as rather nostalgic – of what I’m not sure, but nostalgic nonetheless. I hope you enjoy. If not, let me know. Leave a comment, I’d love to hear your opinion!
Shows this up-coming weekend:
Thursday, February 11th
Kevin Dean at Harry’s Tinaja in Alpine, 8:00 PM.
Friday, February 12th
Open Mic Night at Harry’s Tinaja in Alpine, 8:00 PM.
Ron Thielman’s High Society Orchestra at Paisano Ballroom, 8:00 PM.
Sunday, February 14th
The Dry Creek Diggers at Harry’s Tinaja in Alpine, 8:00 PM.
Monday, February 15th
Lonesome Cowboy at the Starlight Theater in Terlingua, 8:00 PM.
Tuesday, February 16th
Big Mountain Boogaloo at Harry’s Tinaja in Apline, 8:00 PM.
Doug Scharnberg at the Starlight Theater in Terlingua, 8:00 PM.
[Do you have a local live music event here in the Big Bend? Share it with the world, email Matt Hodges at matt.hodges@live.com You can also leave it as a comment on this post.]
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This article is brought to you by these local sponsors:
Railroad Blues The premier live music venue in the Big Bend– Try their world famous Sangria!
La Posada Milagro– Beautiful, unique rooms in the Historic Terlingua Ghosttown
If I can't make money on the Internet, I'll just sell turdles
Attracting advertisers and persuading readers isn’t my primary goal.
Instead, I want to write a blog that always has something new and interesting about the Big Bend for my readers. If I can do that, then everything else will follow naturally.
I want fanatics. I want blowhards. I want zealots. I want the home-schooled. The cranks, the contrarians and conspiracy theorists. To me, there is never excess in a passion for justice and dialogue (even if that individual’s ideas are slightly skewed).
The most exciting thing I see each morning are new comments on the site; the crazier the better.
That’s my core group that I’m trying to appeal to. The cultural beauty of this area is how many mavericks and crazy people come together on a case-by-case basis for the good of community. I think that those people are the psychic backbone of the Big Bend.
I try my hardest to bring my experience to the world. I grew up in Terlingua from the time I was ten. I was home-schooled for a couple of years and dropped out of Alpine High School. My ambition took me through college and law school.
I figured out I was unhappy out there in the ‘normal’ world. I realized that my ambition to leave the Big Bend was immature and selfish. I owe something to the Big Bend because the people here have nourished me and taught me about life.
I am so grateful to the people out there who have praised me and helped me along. Pretend that the Oscars have come early and get ready for a ninety-minute acceptance speech.
As an exercise in acknowledging all the help I’ve received, I’d like to give my sincere thanks to the following people:
To the super fans who send me links and sites: J. P. Schwartz (and congrats on the new clinic), all of the Wildes, John ‘Bikeman’ Elsbury, John and Michelle Seebach, Mark and Allison Ofenstein, George Facecrooker, Hondo Lane, Jay Valles, Carel Rowe, Beantown, ProudMarfan, HottNickels, Truth2Power, Vince, Dr. Humberto, Victor Cabooseman and Guil.
My contributors Matt, Amanda, Udo, Darci, Last Patriot and Mark.
To my mentor Martin ‘Guido’ Benevich, the owner of Big Canyon Television. This man has an amazing talent for promotion and organization. If I become a tenth as successful as he is– as a father, a businessman and a philanthropist– I will count myself happy.
Dona Ward, an amazing host and wonderful asset to the Big Bend’s business commmunity. This lady juggles philanthropy, a family, a first class insurance agency and a chock-full social life with grace and verve.
To my very dear friend, Mercer Black, who is doing amazing work at Marfa Publishing. She is also doing a great job of being a mother and a friend.
Renee, a very special girl to me.
To Jose and Erin Aguayo, dear friends and new parents.
To my father, Craig Suber and my brother, Martin Suber. Thank you for helping me with this endeavor.
To Hugh MacLeod who has acted as a savvy mentor in New Media.
I want to single out three women who have had an amazing positive effect on me. Mary Jane Morgan taught me math in high school. I was an emotionally disturbed kid, but she saw something funny and intelligent in me. In fact, she would often allow me to give a couple of minutes of a comedy routine at the beginning of Alg. II. Similarly, Shirley Powell taught me the sciences and believed in me. I am forever thankful to her. Finally, I want to give a heart-felt thank you to Chris Muller for editing the Terlingua Moon when I was a child in Terlingua.
Poker buddies: Jan Moeller (congrats on your Chamber award as well); the nicest lady around, Phyllis Dunham; Dr Gerry Moeller, an intelligent and worthy competitor; Mark and Rhonda Cole; the Hankster; Worth and the rest of the Ft. Davis Crew; Lane “Huckleberry” Williams; Dr. Dale Kristoffersen; “Iron Mike” Vogel; LoJack and HiJack; Jack MacNamera, a zealous journalist and fearless bluffer; Chino; Jack Clouse; Dee-Baby; Courtney; Sherri; Crabcake; Avinash Rangra, a practical and intelligent representative; Aaron R; Alex; Billy Jack and Magoo; Smith; the Neu boys; Betty; Julian Wheat; “Big John”; Gus the Nut Guy; Oklahoma Slim; O Casey the curly-headed !@#$; Crabcake Jr.
Friends and inspirations: Johanna Nelson, all the Spanagels, Beverly Montgomery, John Sufficool, Pam Ware, Eve Trook, Tom and Susan Curry, Molly Walker, Paul Wiggens and his children, The Cowells, Chad and Summer at the Starlight, Bill Bourbon, Larry Harris, Pat and Ty Walker, Tony and Maria Curry, Malcolm, Ron and Shirley, the Bakers, Mark Kneeskern, Andrew Teagarden.
Independent media outlets: KYOTE radio, KRTS radio (Tom, Rachel and Amanda– you guys are great!), Ringtail Records, the Cenizo Journal, Front Street Books, The Big Bend Sentinel, The Alpine Avalanche, the Marfa Book Company, all local libraries, Theatre of the Big Bend, Last Minute Low Budget Productions, marfalist [dot] org, KVLF and KALP.
I want to give an extra large thanks to SRSU. This is one of the great and subtle influences on our community. All of the staff and faculty there do a wonderful job of educating our young folks.
The Railroad Blues for live music. I have an extended family at the Railroad Blues and care for them very deeply. All of the Trivia Nuts (especially the S.L.U.T.s and Those Guys) get my sincere appreciation for their awesome hustle and enthusiasm. Richard and R. C. are running one of the best roadhouses in Texas; I urge you to go by and try their world-famous Sangria. It’s a mistake to take something like this for granted– when you do, you can turn around and find it gone.
A few of the talented musicians from this area: Terra Peters, Chris McWilliams, John Rayburn, Mark Ofenstein, Carlos Lujan, Big Mountain Boogaloo, The Alan Oldies Band, Adam Bork, Ross Cashiola, The Moondogs and Doyle Bramhall.
Newlyweds Lena and Tyler. My wonderful friend I do not see enough of, Michelle Kirk. Robin Lambaria, Ty Mitchell, Juliana, Susannah, Alex and all the rest of the folks I see in Marfa. I especially want to commend David Beebe for all the fun that the first year of Padre’s Marfa has been. The service and atmosphere there are especially great.
The websites Google, YouTube and Wikipedia. They are creating a revolution in human knowledge.
And to my heroes: The Americans who serve in our armed forces.
The Americans who serve in our law enforcement and fire departments.
Our freedom depends on your valor and bravery. It’s easy to take this for granted in our free society; it’s my duty as a journalist to record your sacrifice for posterity.
My personal heroes of culture and my inspiration to fight:
Angelo Badalamenti, The Kinks, Psychick TV, Cordwainer Smith, Captain Beefheart, Jean-Luc Godard, The Raincoats, Mark E. Smith and the Fall, Patty Smith, Alain Robbe-Grillet, Samuel Beckett, S. J. Perleman, P. G. Wodehouse, Throbbing Gristle, J. G. Ballard, G. K. Chesterton, Flannery O’ Conner, Paul Erdos, Madeline Kahn, Thorsten Veblen, Truman Capote, Bertrand Russell, Oliver Wendell Holmes, John Peel, Marcel Duchamp, Vladimir Nabokov, Henry Cow, Woodrow Wilson, Nurse With Wound, David Tibet and Current 93, Andrew Jackson, Lewis Carrol, Ron Rosenbaum, William Poundstone, G. K. Chesterton, H. G. Wells, Peter Sellers, Martin Scorsese, Johnny Cash, The Buddha Gautama, Iggy Pop, John Waters, Sam Houston, G. H. Hardy, Jackie Robinson and Margaret Sanger
p.s. if you are an alienated teen try listening to some of the bands and artists listed above
[Big Bend Live Music is a feature brought to you by Matt Hodges, Contributing Editor Music. If you have a gig you'd like to share with the world, email him at matt.hodges@live.com]
Matt’s Pick this week goes to Mister Happy Band. These guys are alot of fun and have a wide range of music they do. They always get out there and really try their best to make the audience happy.
Thursday, January 28th
Kevin Dean at Harry’s Tinaja in Alpine, 8:00 PM.
Ted Arbogast at the Starlight Theater in Terlingua, 8:00 PM.
Punk Rock Night at Padres in Marfa, 8:30 DJ Jester the Filipino Fist; 9:30 TheBassturd; 10:30 Lord Grunge; 11:30 Joe Jack Talcum.
Sunday, January 31st
The Dry Creek Diggers at Harry’s Tinaja in Alpine, 8:00 PM.
Monday, February 1st
Ted Arbogast at the Starlight Theater in Terlingua, 8:00 PM.
Tuesday, February 2nd
Big Mountain Boogaloo at Harry’s Tinaja in Apline, 8:00 PM.
Doug Scharnberg at the Starlight Theater in Terlingua, 8:00 PM.
[Do you have a local live music event here in the Big Bend? Share it with the world, email Matt Hodges at matt.hodges@live.com You can also leave it as a comment on this post.]
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This article is brought to you by these local sponsors:
Railroad Blues The premier live music venue in the Big Bend– Try their world famous Sangria!
La Posada Milagro– Beautiful, unique rooms in the Historic Terlingua Ghosttown
I have an online friend who helps me with Search Engine Optimization. His online profile name is HikkoriL33T and he designs those apps for Facebook that trick you into downloading another app. He sent me an e-mail informing me that: “ur post on judd has rocketed up the search rankings. it’s ahead of the wikipedia article on bing @ #3.” A visit to Bing confirmed that Dr. Glau’s humble opinions have been accepted as an authority by this search engine.
Taken 1/28/10
This demonstrates how democratic the Internet is. If readers read something and engage with it, it will gain momentum.
[My dear friend Mercer Black does an excellent job of putting the Big Bend and Texas Mountains Travel Guide together. In my experience, it's one of the most effective ways for local small businesses to advertise to tourists and travelers. In addition to being cost effective and attractive, copies of the guide are circulated to people before they start planning their trip. This makes it especially effective for lodging advertising. It's one of the few print publications I'll advertise with.
Those interested should contact publisher Mercer Black of Marfa Publishing immediately via email to bigbendtravel@gmail.com or by phone to 512-739-4465.]
A Sample of the Layout
Last Chance to Participate in the 2010 Big Bend & Texas Mountains Travel Guide
The Big Bend & Texas Mountains Travel Guide has, for twenty-five years, been the primary free travel directory for the greater Big Bend region – Del Rio to El Paso, Midland/Odessa to the National Park. It covers 16 communities, 2 national parks and 14 state parks. (A full list of these communities and parks is below).
This is a high-quality, full-color magazine, chocked full of beautiful photography and informative content. The 2010 edition features, almost exclusively, the work of David Leggett, a talented photographer who has for years endeavored to capture the grandeur of West Texas skies and landscapes. (See more of his work at www.phlography.com.)
Also new in 2010, the guide will be PERFECT BOUND as opposed to the traditional saddle stitch. Perfect binding dramatically increases the shelf life of a magazine, making it more of a souvenir book than a brochure.
The 2010 guide’s 100,000 copies will be distributed at over 100 locations, including all area chambers and CVBs (Convention & Visitors Bureaus), all 12 TxDOT Travel Information Centers, the El Paso airport, Texas Sate Capital building, State Fair of Texas, San Antonio CVB and over 60 regional convenience stores, grocery stores, gas stations, restaurants, hotels and retail establishments. Click for more…
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