Captured Moments....

OK, I have to admit that telephones, television and air travel are here to stay; videos on the Internet too. So after scouting around for a few video clips I was pleasantly surprised to learn how many old clips of vintage rock n' rollers there are around. I pledge myself to search the globe for some interesting ones. And where else to start but at the beginning with The Beatles. This first clip on Captured Moments took me back to the days when my Dad used to hruumph under his breath about their haircuts. Little did he know what was to come. By the late 60's he thought these early Beatles haircuts were lookin' pretty good.....

More on the 4th...

Hope you have been having a great Independence Day. We have and to prove it here are some photos from this mornings Midland Celebration

Warning: If clowns scare you.....there is a scary clown depicted.

Independence Day....

Have a joyous 4th of July!

And in the spirit of George Washington, Ben Franklin, Alex Hamilton and the gang remember the true meaning of this day! Celebrate their sacrifice and show them it was worthwhile by eating toxic foods to the point of obesity, getting drunk and blowing something up with fireworks!

Next...The Boob Tube?

An amazing bit of new gadgetry from Apple© noted in Australia by my friend Slatts

Adopt-a-Spot

Today's MRT frontpage byline story, Adopt-a-Spot was a great article highlighting the good work done by many citizens in helping control litter around town. The story also made me proud to think back to my college days when my scholastic chums and I had a similar program.

My fraternity brothers and I had "adopted" a stretch of Hildebrand Ave. west of Trinity University as our project. More specifically our stretch of road was occupied by only one building...."The Nugget Lounge". As a service to the community and to Roger, the owner, about once a week we would pick up all the litter [i.e. beer cans] that had accumulated out front and throw it out back. Though altruistic in effect, the real reason we cleaned up was that it kept municipal agencies from invetigating what went on inside.

The Nugget Lounge was one of those places that mothers of sons entering college hoped their sons would never find. In fact, places like the Nugget Lounge are one of the first places that sons entering college do find. Thanks to upperclassmen I found it before I found my classes. Roger was a sweetheart of an owner who's thought was that being 21 years old was only a "guideline" in serving beer. Having $1.50 to pay for it trumped age in importance; being 17 years old was close enough. A true free market economist!

Roger let us treat the Nugget like our own and since Trinity students basically financed it's operation I suppose it was. A dive when we "discovered" the Nugget, Roger let us fix it up to our tastes. Art students painted a groovey hippie black light tiger on the wall [Trinity's mascot] and we changed the juke box adding The Doors to the basic Ferlin Husky selection. On Sunday evenings during the Spring and Summer we intiated an elegant hamburger "buffet", served from the grill out back among the trash. Actually we had a symbiotic relationship with Roger and the Nugget. He served anyone cheap beer and we kept the Nugget open....and Roger alive.

I won't say that Roger had a problem with alcohol but when someone drinks beer 15 hours a day every day of the week, well you judge. Quite often about the 13th hour Roger would get quite "sleepy" and turn the bar over to one of the students to run while he went to lie down. I can't recall anyone ever abusing the privelage. During the cold months when Roger would go "lie down", his favorite spot was in the parking lot out front where he would stretch out in his 1957 white Cadillac with the motor running and heat on. We were especially alert during these times and would periodically send someone out to check and make sure Roger wasn't dead. He usually wasn't.

The Nugget was a place of conviviality and good cheer; home to several fraternities and for several years the Trinity football team. But it wasn't for everyone, like the faint of heart. During my junior year I started dating a freshman, "Kate", who is still a good friend [hi Kate if you are reading this in Crested Butte]. After "Kate" and I had been out a few times I thought it only proper to take her to the "in spot", The Nugget. Having only been enjoying the Nugget for a few moments that evening, Kate made the observation I can still hear as if it were yesteday, "This place is disgusting". Kate always had a sense of good taste and as far as I can remember she never went back to The Nugget in the two years we were an item. Just as well, The Nugget was more a manly kinda' place.

The Nugget fell from grace with the Trinity crowd just a couple of years after I left, being abandoned for upscale fern bars like the Bombay Bicycle Club and the Nugget slowly faded away. The building became an aquarium supply shop before being torn down sometime in the late '70s as the neighborhood redeveloped. I saw Roger once again in the early 80's when my friend Gen. Tom Hill and I took a driving tour of the area. Roger was trying to start a new bar near Trinity but it obviously was not going well and the next time I was in San Antonio the building was vacant and Roger had vanished forever. But the memory of The Nugget lingers on and honestly I cannot hear Marving Gaye's "What's goin on" or the Doors "Break on through" without thinkin of that big black light tiger on the wall at the Nugget Lounge.

We are pleased to announce...

..that Ms. Jeanne Cooper long time star of "The Young and the Restless" has agreed to become the national spokesperson for Midland's Springboard Center. More than just lip service and a famous name, Ms. Cooper lends her expertise in chemical dependency treatment and will be an active participant in the growth of The Springboard Center.

Ms. Cooper has already started taping public service announcements for the Center and will use her national exposure, possibly even on the Y&R to speak about addicition and the help offered by the Springboard Center.

If you don't know about the ongoing work and future plans of the Springboard Center, perhaps you should become more informed; hardly a family or friendship is not affected by chemical dependency in Midland. Someone you know or love probably is suffering through his or her personal demons.

The Springboard Center is built around a model not often seen; a community based private, but non-profit, facility serving all no matter ones financial situation. No one will be turned away and in partnership with Midland Memorial Hospital, Springboard will offer medical detox facilities, something not offered in this region. We are well on our way with a capital campaign to fund the new facility to be built at the corner of Loopt 250 and N. Big Spring St.

Ms. Cooper will be a great addition to the Springboard effort. Not only is she a noted name, she is a hoot to be around. Here are some pictures from our fundraising kickoff lunch.

Gratitude regained....

Today we are reminded that "gratitude is the key to our serenity".

And here's today's adventure from the world of animals.

The "Menchaca Affair".....

Had I only known what fertile ground for healthy anger management therapy would be presented with the "Menchaca Affair", I might have entitled "Mean Street Kick Ass"...Idle Rich: The Ric Menchaca Story. Today's installment.....I Feel Sick.

Shopping Around.

When it comes to taking care of the taxpayers dollars......
it pays to shop around!

A great job...even when you're fired!

Oh the outrage and indignation!

Quite possibly so.....

Some quotes with more than just a little humor.....


"Bigamy is having one wife too many. Monogamy is the same."
--Oscar Wilde

Do you know why they call it "PMS"? Because "Mad Cow Disease" was taken.
--Unknown, presumed deceased

Relationships are hard. It's like a full time job, and we should treat it like one. If your wife wants to leave you, she should give you two weeks' notice. There should be severance pay, the day before she leave you, she should have to find you a temp."
--Bob Ettinger

"You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says,'My God, you're right! I never would've thought of that!'"
--Dave Barry

Blog Think Tank...

The second annual West Texas Bloggers Rountable and Mobile Home Symposium was held today at the exclusive Harvest Caffe. The increase in membership since last years Roundtable was amazing with participants from varied fields attending. Among the members were farmers, engineers, TV stars, sales representatives, executive chefs, web designers and a few of the occasionally idle rich. A great and worthwhile time was had by all. In fact the conversation was so stimulating, most of us extended our coffee meeting into lunch. In attendance in spirit but not in person was spiritual mentor Jimmy; but he was represented graphically [the little dot of a head behind Kinky Friedman in the green room photo] and he will be reminded of our admiration for him when he gets the bill for the whole wonderful affair. Kinky couldn't make it either.....

The other members in attendance were:
The Fireant Gazette, Bleu Chocolate, Walked with the Angels, Streams, ArchaeoTex and Sounding Forth

Making News....

The star of the TV Guide Channel's Making News West Texas Style was good enough to recognize my efforts in making this reality show a national phenomenon with this fabulous photo. He especially liked my innovative idea about doing weather during the news show and,of course, suggesting that his news staff play the Hooters Girls in basketball. Keep up the good work Jose.

Bloggers Roundtable...

Many of the Midland-Odessa-Stanton triangle of bloggers will be meeting this Friday morning at 10 A.M at the "Harvest Cafe" located next to Dunlaps Dept. store at the corner of Wadley and Garfield streets. The discussion promises to be stimulating and varied with such special presentations as Jeff and Eric's dramatic PowerPoint show describing in detail their near fatal coffee related auto accident and I will be delivering my always popular lecture entitled- "XYZ: The Forgotten Consonants". All are invited to drop by....especially if you are buying.

A view of "Shangri-La".....

A stunning view of "Shangri-La" taken in March by one of my contacts there, a very good photographer in her own right it looks like. Gorgeous landscapes and adventure around every turn in the road, literally, what more could one ask for.....

Travel Wardrobe......

Good news in planning my travel wardrobe. I think that I have found a Kevlar body armor vest. Slightly used but functional.

Vacation Images: Stills ...and Video?

The trip to "Shangri-La" has taken a new turn. One of the local TV stations, the best one frankly, is graciously putting together a professionally done DVD of our West Texas Troop Salute for distribution to all those who helped with the event. We are doing an hour long version, a 15 minute version for the Internet and a short 3-5 minute cut for mailing out with a promotional package for next years event.

While working on the DVD with the News manager of the best local TV station I mentioned my plans with the newspaper for visiting and photographing in "Shangri-La". TV guys, I think, don't like to be out-done by the press media so the manager asked if I would like to either take a videographer from the station with me, or perhaps take one of their cameras for nightly reports...hopefully live. He even mentioned the words, "you could work for us for the time you're there".

This sounds promising as "working for" might imply that some of the expenses that are sure to occur beyond the travel plans I'm working on might be covered. He also assured me that getting my press credentials though them would be no problem. Press credentials are the key to going on vacation in "Shangri-La". In the meantime things are progressing. I've now been assigned my own personal travel guide who is in "Shangri-La", he's with the 82nd Travel Agency. They sound very professional and full of good ideas for fun things to do and see while on vacation there. So professional that he has already sent me a list of vacation clothing and items I need to bring. That damn Kevlar body armor keeps coming up.....

Nuthin' to do....?

Nuthin' to do in Midland. If you can't find some interesting things to do on a Sunday afternoon, you're not trying hard enough. There's always something to do...like borrowing a NASCAR vehicle and takin' her for a little test drive!

Gary P. Nunn......

It was a great evening to be at the Museum of the Southwest. Many friends, a pleasant night and getting to meet and photograph Texas music legend Gary P. Nunn. Gary invited me to shoot from the smallish stage. He wanted some of the shots and for my trouble I got an autographed Gary P. Nunn hat. I wanna' go home to the armadillos, with country music from Amarillo and Abilene.... Here's some shots.

Vacation plans

My summer vacation planning is still underway. "Shangri-La" awaits. I am now in direct communications with a government official in Shangri-La who is helping with my planning and getting the red tape taken care of. Since Shangri-La is now officially being overseen by the international community there are a few more forms to complete, but it's not bad.

I've also discussed my accomodations and hosts and it looks like the best place to be is at the 82nd Motel at the corner of Pleasant Dr. and Nirvana Ave. I am still in need of Kevlar body armor however, I think they suggest this since the golf club is very crowded and they worry about visitors getting hit with golf balls. Whatever, but if anyone has any body armor I'd like to borrow it. Thanks.