I’d like to think that Fred Mattlage is the kind of prototypical Texan you read about in books like Lonesome Dove — not much of a talker maybe, but couragous, decent and fair — unlike his neighbor, the preppie poser from Kennebunkport.
Back to Main
August 17, 2005
WB: Lone Star Rising
Comments
That’s fantastic, but take heart – there are more Texans like that. I just heard a report by a woman who just returned home from there w/her 15 yr. son. She spoke of a couple of guys in their 70’s who showed up from East Texas – or maybe West. Had nothing culturally in common – so much for the over-hyped “culture wars”. They said they had plenty of money and practically begged Cindy to let them do something to help.
(Kinky Friedman is a right-winger.)
Posted by: jj | Aug 17 2005 7:38 utc | 1
I did a due diligence in Dallas in Sept 87. Fucking hot. That said, there is humanoids living there; just like us.
Posted by: Cloned Poster | Aug 17 2005 8:49 utc | 2
Excuse my cynicism but it seems too easy for Sheehan to be bequeathed this plot of land for her vigil. Wouldn’t the CIA know the background, politics and leanings of every resident within 25 miles of Bush’s ranch? And nothing was done in advance to dissuade such an offer from being proffered? I’d say this rancher has more to fear from the IRS, EPA, OSHA and the Dept. of Agriculture than Michele Malkin about now.
Posted by: steve duncan | Aug 17 2005 12:42 utc | 3
Not all Texans are dim-witted bigots or self-entitled wingnuts whose papa buys them a slot at Yale. Let’s keep in mind that the state was VERY democratic until Reagan’s and Atwater’s culture wars came along to bamboozle the less-mindful into crossing over to the sleazy side.
The now-silenced political tradition of Texas represented by President Johnson’s Great Society was the standard bearer.
And by the way, Kinky Friedman is NOT a right winger. He’s very typical of the old-styled libertarian-democrat that Texas used to embody, a sort of hybrid between Teddy Roosevelt and FDR.
The real bigots live in EAST Texas, along the US 59 corridor. These are families who migrated from Appalachia during the Civil War, settling in Louisiana, Arkansas, and East Texas. Most of Central and West Texas is populated by Germans and Czechs who arrived in the mid to late 19th century, when Texas was an autonomous republic granting free land to Europeans in order to build up an army to defend itself against Mexico.
Just a little historical rant. Cheers all.
Posted by: argent | Aug 17 2005 12:58 utc | 4
I have people (peepul) in Texas too, and I detest the place except for Austin and muscians like Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets and Sam Myers.
Once one of my people scored Cotton Bowl tickets when I was there and we mosied up to Dallas and I got to see the Aggie (male) cheerleaders in action…they were scary. If I were a football player, I wouldn’t bend over around those Aggie cheerleaders with their sig heil hand jerks and crew cuts…I could hardly watch the game because I was staring at those cheerleaders wondering if they were manbots, or if they were going to start singing Aggies, Aggies Uber Alles.
A guy I know whose dad was a Vietnam vet who came back from that war torn apart inside, with PTSD, who knows what else…homeless (with this guy as his kid) for two years after, knowing he was in Cambodia when the prez was saying he wasn’t there….anyway, the son of this man told me that he’s heading down to Crawford too.
It would seem that Sheehan’s vigil is about more than Iraq. I think it’s also about all those families who have been torn apart by lies of war, no matter which war, whose father or mother returned to the U.S. and found that the govt didn’t give a shit about them once it had used them up. And those were the lucky ones who returned to their families.
Sheehan really does provide a stark contrast to the emotional void that is George Bush.
And blessings upon this man whose heart is not dead, who has opened his property. After Bush, the neighbor with the gun, the jerks yelling “We Don’t Care.” and the guy running over the crosses…
Billmon, I’m glad you had a break and that you’re back.
Posted by: fauxreal | Aug 17 2005 13:09 utc | 5
My understanding is that the one-acre lot offered is right across the street from Bush’s church. But I don’t guess our Leader leaves the Edifice Rex to go to church. After all, he’s on vacation — and that’s hard, hard work.
Posted by: Ensley | Aug 17 2005 13:22 utc | 6
Has anyone posted a link to this site yet? Crawford Update
This is a blog from the Camp Casey with regular updates about what they are doing.
Well done, Billmon.
I’m surrounded by rubes who believe the Bush image.
You’re an island of sanity.
Posted by: Raoul Paste | Aug 17 2005 13:50 utc | 8
“Kinky Friedman is a right-winger”
I don’t care if he’s so far to the right that Ann Coulter thinks he’s a wing nut. Anybody who can write a song like “They Ain’t Making Jews Like Jesus Anymore” can’t be all bad.
Posted by: Billmon | Aug 17 2005 14:00 utc | 9
Mostly in agreement with Billmon on Texas. Except you gotta love Austin. Lived there for a while – only there could you see people with green and purple hair singing about the joys of nyquil. And that was in the 70’s. But beware stepping outside the city limits.
Posted by: Tank | Aug 17 2005 14:33 utc | 11
West Bushistan is a haven for radical corporatists. The good and decent people who live there should be liberated from their oppressive regime. Invade them! Some will resent, some will resist, but it is a noble cause.
Mister Cross Crusher in the pickup is probably too thick to make the connection (and too pig-headed to admit) that under slightly different conditions HE would be the one placing the IEDs.
Posted by: Anonymous | Aug 17 2005 14:43 utc | 12
You seem to have forgotten to mention Larry McMurtry, the brillant writer of Terms of Endearment, Lonesome Dove, and The Last Picture Show, among, like, fifty or so stunning novels. Sure, he lives in DC now, but he is a Texan through and through. Also, I haven’t eaten there, but that Mansion on Turtle Creek is supposed to be one of the best resturants in the country. What about Harry Knowles, and ROBERT RODRIGUEZ, the most ass kicking filmmaker out there.
Posted by: Pubdef | Aug 17 2005 14:45 utc | 13
Nice to read about decent people doing something decent.
After reading a bunch of people yesterday excusing Crazy Larry on the grounds that “that’s just how we do things down in Texas,” it’s nice to see that someone in Texas knows how to act like a fucking human being.
Posted by: Dan | Aug 17 2005 14:48 utc | 14
C’mon people, Texas is just a piece of dirt, a spot on a drifting continent. There’s assholes and saints everywhere and we’re all a little bit of both. Me, I’m not from anywhere but Earth, and back to Earth I’ll go eventually. Labeling people for their geography seems to me that first step towards obscuring your judgement of them for more than the damned plot of land they were born on.
Posted by: steve duncan | Aug 17 2005 14:53 utc | 15
One acre is not a lot. It would be great if someone with some money could buy a couple of hundred acres, adjacent to city water and sewer and set up an ongoing protest area whenever George was on vacation. I would foresee room for vendors, music, political meetings, camping and kid’s playground. Part of the land could be used by Habitat for Humanity to build houses.
Posted by: Stillonmt | Aug 17 2005 14:53 utc | 16
I believe B meant to write, “hen pack”, instead of “hyena pack”.
The H&C’rs are just a bunch of butt-boilers, wrist-flippers and
had-other-priorities’rs, when it comes to getting the job done.
Not a stiff noodle among the whole hysterical-right lot of ’em.
Posted by: Lash Marks | Aug 17 2005 14:56 utc | 17
The most interesting thing about the lunatic-in-the-truck story Billmon linked to was that it was written by Elizabeth Bumiller.
Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird; it’s a plane! It’s a flying pig!
Posted by: kaleidescope | Aug 17 2005 15:41 utc | 19
Hook ’em horns!
by Elizabeth Bumiller.
The universe is collapsing. everyone run.
Posted by: Hubris Sonic | Aug 17 2005 15:59 utc | 20
Willie Nelson, chili, Kinky Friedman . . . I’d respectfully suggest Brave Combo should be on the list of Texas things worth loving.
http://www.brave.com/bo/faq/
Posted by: lupe | Aug 17 2005 16:20 utc | 22
Texas — heh. I’ve lived here all my life and haven’t seen a comment yet that went too far. It is indeed a vast wasteland. But, as others have also said, it would be a mistake to pre-judge someone (like me!) just on the fact that they’re from here.
I grew up behind the Pine Cone Curtain in East Texas. Nothing there but mean pissed-off people. I live in Austin now but would still leave if I didn’t have this nagging feeling that everything I take for granted here would be missing somewhere else.
Posted by: Charles | Aug 17 2005 16:45 utc | 23
This many comments and nobody’s mentioned Alejandro Escovedo?
Posted by: jackd | Aug 17 2005 17:26 utc | 24
Speaking of Kinky, he is running for Gov of Texas in 2006. Here is his website. His campaign slogan: Why the hell not? We’ve had kinky governors before; why not a Governor Kinky?
The two major parties spent $100 million in the last gubernatorial election for a job that pays $100,000. Do the math. Nope – it doesn’t add up. “I’m running this campaign on the coin of the spirit. I need your help.” – Kinky Friedman
Can’t be any worse than Jesse, or W, for that matter.
Posted by: lonesomeG | Aug 17 2005 17:27 utc | 25
I’m no big fan of Texas either, but let’s not forget Buddy Holly and Bob Wills!
(not to mention MDC…)
Posted by: LeonS | Aug 17 2005 17:36 utc | 26
And lest we forget the great Asylum Street Spankers!
Posted by: stupidbaby | Aug 17 2005 18:22 utc | 27
Gotta disagree about that Texas chili. After years of hype, Dallas colleagues (all born and bred Texans) made sure this was one of the first things I experienced when visiting their fair city. When I wasn’t impressed, they said, “Drink the beer — it tastes much better with the beer.”
Posted by: Marie | Aug 17 2005 18:49 utc | 28
You guys aren’t saying much about the spectacular Texas countryside and night sky. As for the cities, my favorite is San Antonio just because of its Riverwalk, a great place to stroll, where the temperature is cool, not scorching. You can sit and watch the passing parade on the sidewalks and pedestrian bridges and river, or eat in your pick of ethnic restaurants or listen to all kinds of music. Artists hang around there too, and you can see their work in the galleries.
But the Texas-style vote-counting! – I will just say that they should invite Jimmy Carter and international observers to have a look and make recommendations.
Posted by: Owl | Aug 17 2005 19:12 utc | 29
…and T-Bone Walker,Gatemouth Brown, SRV and Double Trouble…
Posted by: Anonymous | Aug 17 2005 19:26 utc | 30
Billmon:
I just got off the phone with my friend, who is in Crawford to support Cindy Sheehan. She’s a musician who lives in Austin, and besides visiting Camp Casey today, she is working on having her band play at Camp Casey on Friday.
Texas is full of folks like her. I grew up there, and know both sides. I live in California, but many of my Austin friends are driving to Crawford daily, bringing supplies and supporting Cindy. There are more folks in Texas who oppose Bush than you would expect.
It’s sad that folks like Fred Mattlage will be smeared by the rah-rah Bush crowd. Many I know in Texas are disillusioned with Bush, but have to worry about job security or complete ostracism or their physical safety if they express that support.
When visiting Dallas in March, I was not looking forward to dealing with Bush supporters. Driving in from the airport, we came upon a pickup truck covered with bumper stickers. Oh, Boy! I thought. Here we go …. a major Bush supporter. I was amazed when we got close enough to read: “Bush Lied, Soldiers Died” “Don’t Blame Me, I Voted for Kerry” “Impeach Bush” “Dethrone Mad King George” “Iraq is Arabic for Vietnam”.
Cindy Sheehan is giving the rabid righties a difficult time, because it’s hard to smear her. She’s real, she’s everybody’s Mom. She’s non-Partisan, and she’s incredibly effective.
Go! Cindy!
And Go! Texans against Bush!!
Posted by: Linda Bacon | Aug 17 2005 19:47 utc | 31
I do think there is something about the awfulness of the Texas ruling class that brings out the best in progressives. Hightower should get a little more recognition.
On balance, however, we would be better off to retroactively nullify the Treaty of Guadalupe. Mexico has been enjoying the absence of Texans for entirely too long. And nothing would be better than making Tom DeLay a Mexican citizen.
Posted by: 4-fingers | Aug 17 2005 20:14 utc | 32
Yep. Lyle Lovett “That’s Right, You’re not from Texas”; but more to the point in a Texan musician that is progressive politically is Steve Earle. “The Revolution Starts Now”. mp3 of the Vote for Peace and Justice Rally and Concert a year ago where Earle spoke and played. Interview with Democracy Now! last year.
My favourite “John Walker’s Blues”.
Posted by: PeeDee | Aug 17 2005 22:00 utc | 33
Not very political in his music,
more really dealing with slices of life,but I heard Shake Russel during the ten years I spent in Texas. As an aside, I got beat up by a lot more northern rust belt rednecks for being a long haired hippy, than ever got any grief from the mostly laid back Texans I met.
Posted by: possum | Aug 17 2005 23:05 utc | 36
Texas story:
My nephew had liberty spikes when he was in h.s. and he told a football/country club boy to do some horizontal bopping in a parking lot of a video store. The football boy (actually, both their families belonged to the same country club) in his car took off after my nephew and the two others in his car…chased them into a church parking lot (dead end) and while my nephew’s friends were in the front seats and took off and ran, my nephew was in back, and he’s tall, and the football boy and two of his friends beat the shit out of my nephew with a golf club, leaving him with a concussion, no peripheral vision, needing surgery to repair his smashed in skull….and because they were such good boys, they got off with nothing but community service.
In the meantime, my nephew moved in with me to get away from Texas. But we all know Texas is god’s country, so even tho the judge didn’t punish those good ole football boys, god did, because two of them had their fathers drop dead immediately after the ruling.
The attitude in Texas is what makes the place a steaming pile of shit. Can’t wait for peak oil to make itself known to all those living in mcMansions off feeder roads.
Posted by: fauxreal | Aug 18 2005 0:08 utc | 37
unless i’m drunker than usual no-one has mentioned the best texas export i ever heard – the butthole surfers
google it if it makes no sense – that’s my policy
Posted by: drunk as a rule | Aug 18 2005 0:19 utc | 38
‘locust abrtion technician’ seems apt for y’r preznit
all power to cindy sherman!
Posted by: dru*k a* a F**l | Aug 18 2005 0:20 utc | 39
‘locust abrtion technician’ seems apt for y’r preznit
all power to cindy sheehan!
sorry
drunk (as a rule)
Posted by: dru*k a* a F**l | Aug 18 2005 0:21 utc | 40
And no one’s mentioned brisket… big chunk of bbq brisket with a roasted jalapeno on white bread and only the tiniest dab of bbg sause… chase it all down with cold beer in a long neck.
I burned some brisket last weekend in honor of Camp Casey. Reading blogs and stuffing wood into my homemade smoker… takes all day.
Mmmmmm was very good too.
Now where’s did I put my Lipitor.
Posted by: dry fly | Aug 18 2005 1:05 utc | 41
I got to throw in Lighting Hopkins and The Great Joe Ely!
Posted by: R.L. | Aug 18 2005 4:36 utc | 43
Scagnetti: I was born and spent the first part of my life in Texas.
Dwight McClusky: That’s funny, you don’t have the accent.
Scagnetti: I don’t wanna talk like those assholes.
Dwight McClusky: My mother was from Texas!
Scagnetti: I meant those other assholes.
– Natural Born Killers
Posted by: dim | Aug 18 2005 5:42 utc | 44
According to the Kinkster, a show he did for Austin City Limits is the ONLY show recorded that they never aired. I’ll bet that must have been a real shocker. Until he officially announced his run for governor, he wrote the back page article for Texas Monthly. I get it for a dollar a month and his column was well worth it, even if the rest of the mag is nothing but tepid reporting and a Texas size shitload of advertising.
Posted by: mikefromtexas | Aug 18 2005 6:35 utc | 45
Speaking of texass, and Mr Jim Hightower here’s his latest:
“PARTY DOWN WITH UTILITY REGULATORS”
Posted by: Uncle $cam | Aug 18 2005 7:08 utc | 46
It seems to me that there is a larger picture here that we are all missing (or maybe I just haven’t seen someone else mention it).
Which is worse, a person who is responsible for mowing down symbols of war veterans’ lives or a person who is responsible for putting soldiers in place to be mown down? It seems to me that each of these guys’ very similar destructive tendencies differs only in degree, not in the level of stupidity or contempt they show to those who serve America with patriotism, dignity, and grace; especially those who have given the final full measure of their devotion to their country.
Posted by: OkieDave | Aug 18 2005 13:46 utc | 47
Love those choices, RL. I’ll add Ely’s Flatlander mates, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock along with Jimmie Vaughn and Okie born, Texas raised Ray Wylie (Screw You, We’re from Texas) Hubbard.
Posted by: lonesomeG | Aug 18 2005 18:08 utc | 48
Interesting – been to the Freeper site, Redstate, etc. I don’t hear a peep from those assholes about this incident.
Their silence is deafening.
Posted by: chuck | Aug 18 2005 18:20 utc | 49
But other than chili, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jew Boys, I’m usually pretty hard pressed to think of anything I like about the place (well, ok: there’s Janis Joplin, too. And Molly Ivins. And Jim Hightower. But that’s it.)
What about Gilbert Shelton (the guy who gave us The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers)?
Posted by: Honour Amongst Steves | Aug 18 2005 18:58 utc | 50
Great Kinky profile in the New Yorker.
http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/050822fa_fact
Posted by: lupe | Aug 20 2005 13:47 utc | 51