Illustration by Devin Finch.
The headline of this piece is a sentiment I’ve expressed a lot over these last two years, but following the election of Donald Trump to the presidency, it’s also one that’s gotten me banned from social media on two occasions. Apparently the crowd that insists that political correctness has enabled the pussification of America is so easily triggered they need to make my Facebook page a safe space for them. So, I’m going to say it here instead, loudly, and often; Fucking. White. People.
There’s no arguing that white people are the reason Trumps is president. He carried white men to the tune of 63 percent and white women by 53 percent. Funny enough, Clinton won women as a whole by 12 percent, but women of color were not enough to swing the election on their own. Why? ‘Cause fucking white people, that’s why.
There’s been a ton of think pieces since last Tuesday examining the culture of working class white rural America, those being the ones that most went for Trump (in Texas, six of the ten largest cities went for Clinton). Lots of very good writers have waxed eloquently on the disappearance of factory jobs and the cutting loose of small town America to focus on minorities and “elites.” The explicit message is, “these people were left behind, and that’s why they voted for Trump.” The implicit message is, “these are a noble people that the system failed, for shame. “ They’re not, though, they’re just, you know, fucking white people.
All this ink is being spilled finding out what this group thinks, but very few people are bothering to ask the follow-up question, “is what they think complete and utter bullshit?” They clearly have opinions and beliefs, but, as I have pointed out in the past, calling something an opinion doesn’t mean it’s not wrong. Merely having a belief doesn’t make it inherently worth anything to the rest of us. Lots of people never get that memo, especially fucking white people.
As a kid I spent my summers in the small town of Oakwood, Texas helping a family friend fence in a game reserve, and I have a really, really hard time picturing those small town Americans sitting around debating the finer nuances of trade deals. There’s no real reasoning to their dissatisfaction with their economic plights, and certainly no real plan. When faced with the prospect of forging a new path or going with the comforting lie that a candidate would simply fetch work back from foreign shores, fucking white people went with the lie.
The financial woes are often used as a smokescreen against the bigotry every vote for Trump supported. Here is the real reason, so stop calling them racist. That’s a very unnuanced way of looking at it. It’s not that these communities are bigots. It’s more that these particular fucking white people no longer know what bigotry is in 2016.
They hear racism, and they think of slavery, segregated schools, and burning crosses. They are fervently against those things, but that’s just not the racism that the rest of us are trying to deal with anymore. Addressing racial divides in 21st century America is more about retraining police to stop shooting every black person that scares them, or getting more black people into power positions, or closing the racial gap in incarceration rates for similar crimes. Racism, and the fight against it has evolved, but not for fucking white people, who know most of their racial history from movies rather than live-in experiences.
That’s the main problem with these communities. They aren’t strutting about saying, “boy, I do sure hate me some bitches and darkies” while whistling a jaunty tune. They simply don’t run into a lot of minorities. If they have gay or trans people in town, those folks stay discreet, quiet and hidden. Same goes for non-Christians. Non-whites can find a place as individuals, but rarely as a group, and certainly not if they rock the boat. As long as the supremacy of fucking white people is not meaningfully challenged, their acceptance is never actually tested.
This unofficial segregation is what allows them to divorce “race issues” from “real issues.” All the Islamophobia and giant walls and what not are just ideas to them, and not nearly as important as their anger that the post-recession economy has not lived up to what they feel they are entitled. Instead, they see attention heaped on presumed-undeserving minorities and growing into ever-more-indignant fucking white people.
This is a group that has spent three decades letting Republicans tell them they were morally superior to others every time they rejected any sort of welfare state or hand-out, a conveniently puritanical bit of nonsense that has done plenty to keep these communities hamstrung. Whenever the left tries to bring them healthcare, minimum wage increases, college opportunities, childcare, or any other benefit that would help lift people out of the trash pile, these folks double down on insisting they’re in the right and it’s someone else’s fault they are where they are. Fucking white people would rather starve and not admit they were wrong than change their minds and eat.
I can sympathize with the position they’re in. The country doesn’t win by arguing about who has it the roughest. However, rural white America also doesn’t do the country any good by taking the problem of systemic, widespread, institutional racism and insisting that they play no part in supporting it when they vote for a howling bigot who just happens to make them feel better about their economic anxiety. It’s the political equivalent of pretending you don’t have money problems by refusing to check your bank balance. It’s not about what will actually help, but what will make fucking white people feel better, even for a moment.
And I’m tired of that. I’m tired of every single conversation about improving the world always devolving into a white person insisting everyone be nicer to them because they have very important worldviews, even if said worldviews are demonstrably and provably misinformed garbage. We have bridges that need fixing, a renewable energy grid that needs building, kids to educate at a reasonable rate, a space program that needs its shuttles back, a cyber-harassment epidemic that needs crushing, and a whole lot more than I have room to talk about in this article. God knows how much of it we could accomplish if hurt feelings would get off the agenda. It never seems to, though.
Because fucking white people. from http://www.freepresshouston.com/fucking-white-people/
0 Comments
The Suffers. Photo: Daniel Jackson
Things are definitely heating up while the temperature finally starts to drop here in town. Last week we saw a comedy festival and a pop up set from punk legends Verbal Abuse, while this week we’ll see two sets from The 1975 a well as a return set from Houston’s The Suffers and the opening of the Heights Theater. Houston, here’s how to plan the seven days.
Wednesday you can begin at Heights Theater, fingers crossed, for the Hayes Carll show and venue opening show. The Woodlands performer has made quite the name for himself with a string of hits, and his latest album Lovers And Leavers is pretty impressive. Of course, Houston born rocker and singer songwriter John Evans will be on as direct support and opener and should wow the crowd with songs from his latest release Polyester. The limited engagement has a handful of tickets left for $22.50 and the all ages show has doors at 7 pm.
Of course, you can also head to Rudyard’s for Bill Fool’s Annual Thanksgiving Eve Party. This year a headlining performance from The Satanic Overlords of Rock N’ Roll will blisteringly award all who attend. There’s also a support set from Modfag as well as intense tongue in cheek punk set from The Cops. If that just wasn’t enough for you, High Mass will also perform while Dead Roses will bring their intensity to the 21 & up show with doors at 8 pm and an $8 cover.
Ruiners. Photo: Courtesy of Artist/Instagram
Walters will see the return of Houston’s Moth Wings, now home from tour. These guys have a mix of 90s alterna rock and 80s new wave punk intensity all over their latest release Fi / M and their live sets are on point as well. The proggy indie rock of Rome Hero Foxes will be on as direct support while one of Houston’s best new bands Ruiners will bring their insane live show on prior. Huntsville’s The Hammer Party will open things up, and they’re worth getting there early for. The all ages show has doors at 8 pm and cover between $7 and $10.
At Satellite Bar you can catch the psych pop sounds of Austin six-piece Holy Wave. Here in support of this year’s Freaks of Nurture, they’ve gotten quite the reputation for fun and inventive live shows. The rock of Miami’s Plastic Pinks will also be on hand as direct support. Houston’s Mikey & the Drags will bring their psych sounds as well, and should mix things up with a batch of new songs set for release sooner than later. The chilled out psych of Houston’s Mantra Love will open the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and a $10 cover.
Stop by Numbers for the 3rd Annual Numbers Thanksgiving Eve Bash to catch a raucous live set from LA rockers Drab Majesty, whose etherial 80s influenced sound couldn’t be more perfect for the venue. On support are electronic sets from locals Secret Sands, Tearful Moon and Acid Jeep. Tickets are $15 at the door and the 18 and up show starts at 8 pm.
Thursday there’s pretty much nothing because everyone will be in a food coma from Thanksgiving.
On Friday you can relieve all of that weight at Cactus when Houston psych rockers Frog Hair help with your “Black Friday” shopping for an in-store set. These guys have been on quite the tear over the last year, their live shows are on point, and their debut album A Long List of Shortcomings is that LSD induced sound that reminds you of if Brian Wilson was in Butthole Surfers. The all ages show gets going around 3 pm, it’s 100% FREE and there’s gratis Saint Arnold’s for the adults.
Later in the day you could head to night one of Radiation Weekend at Walters. The first night of the three night event will see sets from Houston acts like In Memory Of and Patterns, as well as many more acts including a headlining set from metalcore act Above Caelum. The three day pass is a measly $20, or between $10 and $13 per day at the doors. It’s all ages and it gets going with doors at 6 pm.
If you’d rather get your art fix, you could head to Insomnia VGC to check out some new artworks by Nicky Davis. The show, titled Hibernation should be a nice diversion from all of the crazed holiday shopping. The all ages event is 100% FREE, and it gets going at 6 pm.
Catch Fever. Photo: Courtesy of Artist/Facebook
The highly charged rock of Houston’s American Fangs will commence upstairs at White Oak Music Hall. If you’ve never caught these guys, their live show is pretty impressive and last year’s Dirty Legs proved they aren’t slowing down. A reunited set from post hardcore rockers The Finalist will serve as direct support while the Eye Against and To Whom It May will both go on beforehand. The indie pop rock of Catch Fever will open the all ages show with doors at 6 pm and tickets between $12 and $15.
At Numbers you can get all of the sexy feels when Dem Damn Dames bring their monthly show to life at the iconic venue. This edition, titled Black Friday Burlesque will feature the troupe alongside Austin’s Ginger Snaps as well as a magic performance from Robby Bennett, something crazy from Skabz the Clown, and many more. A large portion of the proceeds from the show will benefit the Houston Food Bank, and you can get up to $5 off of admission with five food cans as a donation as well. The 18 & up show has doors at 7 pm and tickets are between $15 and $30.
Joke Joint Comedy Showcase will host the always funny humor of Houston’s Kristin Lindner. If you have somehow missed her perform, you’re definitely been doing yourself a disservice, as television appearances and countless comedy clubs should be the universe’s way of telling you that she’s a definite riot. She’ll have former owner of Joke Joint, comic, and mentor to more comics than anyone you’ve ever met; Danny Martinez on as her feature act as well as one of Houston’s better up and coming comics as the host. The 18 & up shows are at 8 pm and 10:30 on Friday and Saturday with tickets between $16 and $21. The doors are at 7 pm and 9:30 pm.
Over at The Secret Group, possibly the funniest guy you can see hold a mic, Katy’s Sean Rouse will swing by to record a new comedy special. Rouse is easily one of the darkest comics you can catch, while his dark humor is always profound and riotously funny. Rob Mungle will be on as the feature act while Houston’s one man party, Gabe Bravo will perform the host duties for the all ages show with doors at 7:30 pm and tickets between $8 and $10.
Flyger Woods. Photo: Courtesy of Artist/Facebook
Of course you could get your groove on over at Satellite Bar when Rosewood Thievz bring their soulful R&B sounds to the East side venue. I feel like you’re insane if you miss this three piece live and their new track “Freedom” from the album Two & ½ Years is one of the best things to come out of Houston in a long time. The hip hop of Mark Drew will be on as direct support and the crazy intense rap of Flyger Woods will be on beforehand. DJ Angiesliste will open the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and a $10 cover.
Over in the House of Blues Foundation Room you can catch alt rockers Another Run bring their high energy to all. These guys have been busting their tails for over a decade and their latest drop “700 Days” is their strongest effort to date. The indie rock jams of NOLA’s Paper Bison will open the 100% FREE all ages show with doors at 8 pm.
You can get down with a return performance from Houston’s Spain Colored Orange over at Continental Club. Possibly one of the most underrated bands to come out of Houston, this six piece always drops a fun live show and their last release Sneaky Like A Villain will keep you dancing for days. The cumbia jazz rock fusion group LGM, or Los Guerreros de la Musica, will go on prior while the indie tunes of Arthur Yoria will open the 21 and up show with doors at 8 pm and a $12 cover.
Over at Big Top you can get all groovy with Mikey Drag while he spins sixties jams for another edition of Shakin’ All Over. I’ve been a part of one of these sets and not only is Drag a top notch DJ, but it’s definitely a hip shakin’ good time. Chase Hamblin will swing by to drop a DJ set as well, and should pick some strong classics to add to the set. The 21 & up event gets going around 9 pm and it’s 100% FREE.
The 1975. Photo: Roger Deckker
Saturday you can get going at Revention Center for the first of two nights with British indie pop act, The 1975. The first time I heard these guys I knew they’d be huge, and they’re definitely on track to prove that they’ll be just that. Their latest album, this year’s I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it is pretty solid, and their live shows are always on point. There’s no word of support or openers, but that could change. If there are any of the $39.50 tickets left, the all ages show has doors at 7 pm.
In the big room at House of Blues, Houston’s The Suffers will bring their energy heavy live show back to town. After multiple tour dates, festival appearances, and spots all over national television, the ten piece will perform back at home while bringing their debut The Suffers to life. Not to be close to being outdone, the neo soul of Detroit’s JMSN will be on as direct support. This guy is like being swooned by desire when milky notes drizzle from his lips, and his new album It Is. is the kind of album that makes you want to procreate. The electro pop of Dallas’ ISHI will energetically open the all ages show with doors at 7 pm and tickets between $40 and $45.
Les Femmes. Photo: Courtesy of Artist/Facebook
At Wonky Power Live you can get your holiday groove on with Bombon at the Bombon Friendsgiving. Aside from the traditional tropical bass crew, there will be sets from Les Femmes, Blackout, Gio Chamba, Squincy Jones, and many more. The all ages event will have complimentary drinks, a food and toy drive, and more. There are extra details here for the show with tickets between $10 and $20 and doors at 7:30 pm.
Fitzgerald’s will host the always entertaining sounds of Denton’s Riverboat Gamblers. These high energy rockers eventually relocated to Austin, and then went on a quest to spread their high energy live show. While it’s been four years since their last release, the group returned this year with Massive Fraud, a two song release that falls in line with the previous two years where they released tracks in a similar fashion. The melodic indie rock of Austin’s Quiet Company will bring their latest Regressor to life as support and openers for the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and tickets for $12.
Nick Gaitan’s Tune Parlour. Photo: Courtesy of Artist/Edna J
Continental Club will host the This is Tejas Roots showcase from Nick Gaitan’s Tune Parlour. This edition will not only feature Gaitan’s well assembled house band, but a set from San Antonio’s Los Nahuatlatos, Mas Pulpo, and a DJ set from Tejas Got Soul Sound System. The 21 & up show has doors at 8 pm and tickets for $14.
Sunday you can get all of your stoner rock chills when Portland’s Red Fang swings by the studio at Warehouse Live. I don’t ruin the name of metal by pairing these guys with the genre, but I will say that their thick riffs are close enough to at least get comparisons to the doom side of things. Their live shows are always impressive and their latest album Only Ghosts from this year has more melody but still hits hard. The heavy riffs of Torche will be on as direct support while the noisy and fierce sounds of Atlanta’s WHORES will open the all ages show with doors at 7 pm and tickets between $17 and $20.
Dillon Trimm & Chase Hamblin. Photo: Courtesy of Dillon Trimm
However, you might want things a little calmer on a Sunday, and if you do then you should head to Dean’s downtown to catch a VS. set between Dillon Trimm and Chase Hamblin. Of course, the two singer songwriters won’t actually duke it out, but you can catch two of the most underrated performers in town. The 21 & up show has doors at 7 pm and it’s 100% FREE.
Over at Revention Center you can catch night two with The 1975. The details from the Saturday show apply here as well with doors at 7 pm and tickets for $39.50.
On Monday your time is better spent at Warehouse Live in the ballroom for the Sounds of Houston show featuring Trae Tha Truth. While there have been many to give the long running rapper some lip, he did just drop two albums this year with Tha Truth, Part 2 and the recently released Another 48 Hours. Not to be outdone, he’ll have the popular jams of Lil’ Keke on prior, as well as sets from Branzil, Beat King, and many more. The all ages show has doors at 7 pm and tickets between $30 and $40.
DJ QUEERMO. Photo: Courtesy of Artist/Facebook
At Arlo’s Ballroom you can bid farewell to Houston queer positive rapper, DJ, and creator of the Dykon Fagatron show series, Biz. You might know him as Jay, or Brian, or Biz Vicious; but it’s his last hurrah and he’ll drop jams as DJ QUEERMO before leaving us for Seattle. The 21 & up show gets going at 9 pm and it’s 100% FREE.
That’s about all that’s happening around town. Remember that because it’s a holiday week, there will be more amateur drinkers on the road, so getting home safe is always priority number one. from http://www.freepresshouston.com/make-some-room-the-best-of-the-week/ Houston Moms Blog is thrilled to partner with Springfree Trampoline to share ideas and information through this sponsored post. We hope you and your family love their trampolines as much as we do!If you would have asked me six months ago whether or not my kids would be getting a trampoline this holiday season, my […] The post 5 Creative Ways to Use Your Trampoline appeared first on Houston Moms Blog. from http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/HoustonMomsBlog/~3/jFSjwUCrhu8/
from http://houstonfoodblog.com/houstonfood/houston-food-blogs/george-dickel-tennessee-cider/ clipping. Photo: Suzy Poling
Los Angeles experimental act clipping. recently performed the final show of their US tour at Sound On Sound Fest, and it’s their first tour in two years. The group, consisting of Daveed Diggs, William Hutson, and Jonathan Snipes, could be known from one of many things, but many are familiar with Diggs’ prior role as Thomas Jefferson in the critically acclaimed play Hamilton. The group also made their network television debut on the Late Late Show, accompanied by a large modular setup. While on the road, the group spoke with Free Press Houston about their upcoming tours, Sub Pop Records, and our electoral history.
Free Press Houston: Hey guys, thanks for taking some time for the interview. Could you start off by describing a shortened explanation of how the band formed? Is William the core of this group, as he knew the rest of you at different times? Jonathan Snipes: Well, Bill and I started the group together without the idea that it would be any original songs, it started as a remix project. A few tracks into that, Daveed moved to town from the Bay Area, heard a little bit of what we were doing, and we all said, “Oh, let’s try to do an original song.” So, that’s how that came to be.
FPH: On Wikipedia, clipping. is labeled as experimental hip hop, noise, and industrial hip hop. Do you think that labeling like that divides genres further than they need to be? Snipes: Genres don’t really exist. I mean, they’re just created by journalists and music marketers. You can’t really think about that when you’re making music.
FPH: I know that the band is fans of fellow label mates Theesatisfaction, a group with a somewhat similar sound. Why do you think Sub Pop is starting to add hip-hop to the roster? Historically, the label is known for rock, especially grunge, but what is the future of hip-hop on labels like that? William Hutson: Well, that started because Shabazz Palaces was put on the label through — I don’t remember by whom, but Ishmael Butler, who’s in the band, had connections to Porter Ray, who’s a rapper and should have a record out pretty soon. Sub Pop is known for certain things, but as far back as the founding of the label, they’ve had a ton of different genres and styles. I mean, they’ve had Six Finger Satellite, Reverend Horton Heat, Earth, Codeine, etc. None of those bands sound alike, and none of those bands sound like Mudhoney or Soundgarden, but those were all from those early days.
FPH: Prior to this interview, I spoke with another label mate of yours, METZ. Are you guys friends? Have you seen each other live? Basically, do you believe that the Sub Pop community is tight? Snipes: We’d go out of our way to see METZ, for sure! We like them a lot. We don’t know too many other people, but I’ve hung out with Morgan Delt a little bit, he’s really nice. He’s from Los Angeles, too.
FPH: Without being too specific, the band has been compared to Death Grip — who also played Sound on Sound — in the past, but do you enjoy that? What separates you from them and what do you still have in common? Snipes: Um, we don’t really listen to Death Grips, and I don’t think they actually make rap music, so I don’t understand the connection, personally. Hutson: I mean, we get it, but, like, their first thing came out after our first thing, and that became something to identify us. You know, I think it was a good way to point early bands towards us. I appreciated that, but yeah, I don’t know. We don’t pay attention to it. I’d say part of the reason we don’t listen to anything new put out by Death Grips is because we don’t want anyone thinking we could have been influenced by them, even though people tell us that there is similarity. We’re not trying to imitate, reject, or be influenced by them.
FPH: So clipping. made their debut late night performance on James Corden, set up with moogs, which was surprising to many. Do you think you could take that gear on tour? Snipes: No, maybe if we had a totally, radically higher budget with a lot more resources we’d do it and bring something like that out, but it’s pretty cumbersome and delicate. Actually, the modular synth broke from that trip, transporting it from my studio to theirs. I blew up a power module. Yeah, so it’s not the best portable touring rig.
FPH: What drew you to that, was it the complexity of learning the instrument? Snipes: I like the music that other people have made with them, with modular synths. Hutson: As a sound design tool, you’re going further and further back to the core aspect to what it is: you have to make the connections by hand to actually end up learning a lot about electric sounds.
FPH: Have you gone into the history of Moogs on records, in particular the Switched On Series by artists like Wendy Carlos? Snipes: Yeah, of course! Hutson: It wouldn’t specifically be Switched On Bach, but any of the ones by Wendy Carlos are really good. The imitators? Not so much. Snipes: There are a few pretty cool Switched On Country records, but I forgot who made those. Usually, I’m not super into the imitators. Those first four Wendy Carlos Bach records are incredible.
FPH: This is your first tour in 2 years, so how have you prepped for it? Obviously, Daveed’s role in Hamilton delayed the touring process, but why was now the best time to begin? Snipes: It was the first opportunity that we really could. We’ve been trying to tour with our friends, Youth Code, for a really long time, and they had this tour booked that happened to align with the Sound On Sound offer for us, so it made sense to jump on that tour with them.
FPH: In addition to your show at SOS, the last date on your small tour, have you made any progress on a more extensive one in the foreseeable future? Snipes: We’re touring Europe in December, not a big tour, but we’re going to Europe in December. When we get off of that, we don’t have any specific plans, yet.
FPH: What about the studio? Snipes: To make another record? I mean, I live in my studio, so we’re always working. We’re making stuff. We recently released a new song.
FPH: To conclude, I wanted to ask you guys which was more intense: the election of 2016 or 1800? Daveed Diggs: Oh, man. The election of 1800. I’m the only here that would know about it. The election of 1800 was way more brutal. I don’t know. I think that it’s a nice reminder when we get really frustrated with politics these days. If you actually look at those old elections — the kind of things before they had any traceable accountability — it’s crazy, you know? Like, people actually put out articles saying an opponent died. One of my things with doing Hamilton was that politics has always been interesting, and the past has been crazy. from http://www.freepresshouston.com/the-past-has-been-crazy-an-interview-with-clipping/ Houstonians and non-Houstonians alike complain that Houston has no distinct character. We lament lacking a unified voice, and wonder what captures the spirit of Houston. There are plenty of popular words, dishes, and activities that unite us, even if these persist in remaining unknown to the rest of the world. When they think of Houston, what comes to mind? Is there a signature Houstonian figure?
For me, that most-Houston Houstonian is lawyer, teacher, Civil Rights activist, and politician Barbara Jordan. She was a champion of the disenfranchised, and an advocate for all Houstonians. Former President Lyndon Johnson was a friend and political mentor, Governor Jimmy Carter considered inviting her to be his running mate, and President Bill Clinton discussed nominating her to the Supreme Court. Anyone who ever heard her knew in their bones that she communicated with authority, authenticity, and the fire of truth. She gave a voice to those without, and spoke truth to power.
Born in 1936 in Houston, she grew up in the Fifth Ward, graduated from Phyllis Wheatly High School, attended Texas Southern University, and Boston University for law school. Following a brief stint as a teacher, lawyer, and Civil Rights activist, Jordan entered politics.
In 1966, Houston elected her to the Texas Senate, where she was the only woman and the only African American. In 1972, she was elected to the US House of Representatives in the newly-drawn 18th District (where Sheila Jackson Lee is today), and was newsworthy before she had even arrived. When Jordan got to DC, there were few African Americans from the South, and of those, none were women. Even though, it was shocking to see a black woman from Texas, former President Lyndon Johnson was especially proud of Congresswoman Jordan from his home state. This is what the Civil Rights Movement had produced. This was the promise of the 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution, and the result of 1965’s Voting Rights Act.
Getting to Congress is difficult, but Jordan instantly stood out among her peers. During the Congressional inquiries into the Watergate scandal in the summer of 1974, she served on the House Judiciary Committee, and was a clear voice in the noisy impeachment hearings of President Richard Nixon.
She famously spoke, “’We, the people.’ It’s a very eloquent beginning. But when that document was completed on the seventeenth of September in 1787, I was not included in that ‘We, the people.’ I felt somehow for many years that George Washington and Alexander Hamilton just left me out by mistake. But through the process of amendment, interpretation, and court decision, I have finally been included in ‘We, the people.’… My faith in the Constitution is whole; it is complete; it is total. And I am not going to sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminution, the subversion, the destruction, of the Constitution.”
Suddenly, it was crystal clear that Jordan represented not just Congressional District 18, or Houston, or even Texas. She represented the nation.
In 1976, rising star Jordan was invited to give the Keynote Address at the Democratic National Convention. Hers was the brightest moment that week, when she declared to a wounded country, “Are we to be one people bound together by common spirit, sharing in a common endeavor; or will we become a divided nation? For all of its uncertainty, we cannot flee the future… We must address and master the future together. It can be done if we restore the belief that we share a sense of national community, that we share a common national endeavor. It can be done.”
She left Congress in 1979 and moved to Austin to teach at University of Texas’ Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs. The honors continued to pour in. The Barbara Jordan High School for Careers opened in the Fifth Ward, along with others in Texas.
She was even invited back to the Democratic National Convention in 1992 for another Keynote Address, and delivered her message of hope — from a wheel chair. Multiple Sclerosis slowed her… but not by much.
Following her death after a long illness in 1996, President Bill Clinton and Governor Ann Richards spoke at her funeral. She was buried in the Texas State Cemetery — again, the first black woman to be honored so. Austin, a home to her since returning from Congress, erected TWO Barbara Jordan statues (thanks, Austin).
In 2011, the U.S. Postal Service honored the late United States Congresswoman Barbara Jordan with a stamp, the second Houstonian to receive this honor.
Lately, Barbara Jordan’s name has been popping up with increased frequency. Thousands will soon attend the return of Day for Night festival which is being held inside the former Downtown Post Office — named for Houston Congresswoman Barbara Jordan.
Is it selfish for Houston to take credit for Barbara Jordan? Yes. Certainly her achievements are hers alone. So instead, let’s be proud that such a national treasure was also a Houstonian. from http://www.freepresshouston.com/a-houston-icon-remembering-barbara-jordan/ “It’s similar,” says acclaimed cinematographer Frederick Elmes regarding the difference between shooting a film on film or video. Free Press Houston talked to Elmes during his recent visit to Space City where he presented two films during last week’s Houston Cinema Arts Festival. Elmes frequently collaborates with directors like David Lynch, Ang Lee, and Jim Jarmusch. The two films Elmes introduced were Lynch’s Blue Velvet and the new Jarmusch film Paterson, opening in late December. “The act of conceiving the photography of the film is a big job where you step back and say how are you going to tell this story,” says Elmes. “What do the locations do for us; what kind of light are we going to use; what’s the feeling of the whole thing. That translates to digital media or film pretty much the same. The way you physically light something is the same. You use the same kind of lighting equipment, the same size crew, all that is similar.” Elmes attended the American Film Institute in the early 1970s. It was here he met fellow AFI student Lynch and the two collaborated on the groundbreaking Erasehead. “Then David went off and did The Elephant Man in London. That was successful. Then he did Dune. They hired a British camera crew for that, but I got to shoot second unit. The movie was all done in Mexico,” recounts Elmes. “It was a big big movie, the second unit was a six month job. Although I didn’t work directly with David, I was head of my own unit. We constantly communicated about it, I also watched his dailies and he saw my dailies. Much of what I did was abstract. Fire and flames. Water images and effect sequences.” Next up was Blue Velvet. “Dune was De Laurentiis and Universal, and David had a good relationship with Dino De Laurentiis and he mentioned Blue Velvet. It kind of became a part of the deal that De Laurentiis would support him for the film,” says Elmes. “I don’t know whether Dino ever understood the film. He was very supportive to what David wanted and said if you can do it in this many days and for this much money you can have it. “It brings back a rush of memories, yeah there was some levity on the set. Part of it is a little bit of nervous laughter. Nobody was really sure where David was taking it. I knew David better than the rest of the crew for instance, but David is a very charismatic guy and he involves people,” says Elmes. “He gets them over to his point of view. He was able to keep it light enough that everybody involved was really interested in creating his world.” After that Elmes and Lynch pushed yet more boundaries with Wild at Heart, which won the 1990 Cannes Palme d’Or. “There’s a certain romance and darkness to Blue Velvet happening simultaneously. Wild at Heart was kind of a step further in that it’s certainly a romance and it’s a road movie. There are detours off the main road where we meet even stranger characters than Blue Velvet. So yes, we took it a step further,” says Elmes. On his films with Ang Lee, which include Hulk, The Ice Storm and Ride with the Devil, Elmes notes that “the popularity of the films don’t matter.” For instance the Civil War drama Ride with the Devil barely grossed over half-a-million dollars on its initial release. “It was a subject that’s hard to get people interested in,” Elmes says. “Yet there are those people out there who love it the most. It’s a pretty accurate statement at what was happening in the country at that moment. It’s a time without electric lights so the huge challenge is to deal with natural light and fire and flame.” Elmes didn’t work on Lee’s latest film, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, which was shot at 120 frames-per-second with a provision to project the image at the same frame rate resulting in a super sharp image with very little blurring. Perhaps sadly the film is only being shown at two theaters, one in NYC and one in LA, with that particular frame rate of projection. A local theater manager confided to me that the cost of converting projectors to that high projection rate was over 100K, and too expensive for a film that is not guaranteed to be a blockbuster. “It’s a system where if you shoot it and project it at the same rate it all zeros out,” says Elmes of the high frame rate. “It’s a very high definition stereo image. Some people think it’s what’s coming, I’m not sure. If you look at film history Douglas Trumball came up with a system very similar to this,” says Elmes referrering to the Showscan process. There’s a theory sprung from biometric tests, some conducted by Trumball, that audience members respond more emotionally to films projected by higher frame rates. “I’ve seen films projected that way. It was the oddest image you can imagine. In a way it’s like kind of bad video that looks over-enhanced. It was too sharp; it had no grain, no movement because it was all perfect. It was hard to look at. I haven’t seen Ang’s film, I’m hopeful it’s a good thing,” says Elmes. One recent project Elmes worked on was the HBO series The Night Of. I had to ask what was up with the cat. “It’s eight hours of programs and the cat comes and goes a couple of times. He adopts the cat,” says Elmes about the lawyer played by John Turturro. “He takes it in, he visits it at the animal shelter, which incidentally was a real shelter – one of the most depressing places I’ve ever been. It was just filled with animals that weren’t going to be there for much longer.” Another major set piece Rikers Island jail: “We built that set; you can’t shoot there. We replicated it exactly, likewise the courtroom, which it based on the actual courtroom at 100 Centre Street in Manhattan – there’s never an actual courtroom that’s available for big chunks of time,” says Elmes. “Bob Elswit shot the pilot, Igor Martinovic shot the next two and I shot most of the rest,” says Elmes. “As for getting the cat to walk across the apartment at the end of the last episode, we just waited. There’s nothing you can do but wait. In that last shot the cat has to go from A to B, which is all it can do and you have to wait until it decides to do it.
“In Paterson there’s a dog and Nellie [played by a bulldog named Marvin] really took to training well, but there’s one moment near the end of the film where she has to hide on one side of the frame and then on cue race across the frame. We spent nearly forty-minutes trying to get that right and there’s one take where she actually did that convincingly,” says Elmes. “In production time when it’s only a shot of the dog and you have all the actors waiting around who are not in the shot and you’re concentrating on the dog it’s psychologically not a good thing.” Paterson revolves around a bus driver named Paterson who lives and works in Paterson, New Jersey. It marks the fourth times Elmes has worked with Jarmusch after Night on Earth, Coffee and Cigarettes and Broken Flowers. “The challenge for Paterson was that it’s a story about routine, about a guy’s life that’s controlled by routine. He drives a bus on the same route every day. Jim said I don’t want to think about his life – he doesn’t think about his life, he thinks about his poetry. I want to approach his daily life very simply, very repetitively. We found a way to make the shots a little different each day. He comes out of his house on the same route everyday but we made variations in the lighting, the size of the lens and size of the shot. His action is repetitive, but not boring. “We brought that idea to everything because he sits at the same table and eats dinner or breakfast, goes to the same bar and sits in the same stool and has the same beer every night. He sits in the same place in the bus obviously. To bring some visual variety to it was the challenge. “A moving vehicle is really a tough thing, you rely on happy accidents and a certain amount of good luck. You know that when you drive north on a street it’s going to look great but when you turn around and head south it may look great or it may look awful. So you have to go back to the south end and re-light,” says Elmes. “When you break it down technically, the town of Paterson doesn’t want you driving the bus twelve hours a day on their streets. Also much of the time the bus was towed, which makes for a vehicle seventy-feet long. There’s certain turns you can’t make,” says Elmes. While his credits cover a wide range of genres and styles, one thing Elmes emphasizes is the advantages of establishing working relationships with the same directors. “A lot of water is under the dam and there’s certain conversations you don’t have to have again. You may not be replicating what you’ve done before, but you still do it faster.” from http://www.freepresshouston.com/cinematographer-frederick-elmes-on-lynch-and-jarmusch/
from http://houstonfoodblog.com/houstonfood/houston-food-blogs/how-to-pi-pizza-an-urban-swank-guide/ Houston Moms Blog is excited to partner with The Pencil Grip, Inc. to share ideas and inspiration through this sponsored post. We hope you and your family love their new Kwik Stix as much as we do!Let me paint you a picture… It’s a Wednesday morning, and rain is loudly pelting your windows again. Your […] The post 5 {Mess-Free} Holiday Craft Ideas appeared first on Houston Moms Blog. from http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/HoustonMomsBlog/~3/AHhHUL-ASbY/ Christmas floral arrangements are a wonderful way to provide a gift in a professional manner. They are great if you want to send something to a colleague, professional acquaintance, employee, or for your boss. If you want to make a greater impact than simply sending a Christmas card, a professional bouquet can really help you stand out among all the other gifts this season. Picking a Container for Your Christmas Flower BouquetHoliday Christmas bouquets come in a variety of price ranges and we have something to fit every budget. Many can include real flowers, as well as a vase and accents like ribbon, ornaments and other Christmas decorations, though the individual designs of the bouquet may vary. Since Christmas flower arrangements are created during the season it may be hard to find premade bouquets in the area that do not predominantly celebrate the holiday. We can create something for you for as little as $25 all the way up to $500. We can even provide the loose flowers for you if you would like to design the bouquets yourself. In order to create your own eye-catching Christmas flower arrangements, first you must choose a vase for your bouquet. You can always go with a simple clear vase that is inexpensive so that the majority of your budget can be spent on the flowers. Another option is to choose a decorative and festive Christmas keepsake vase that the recipient can keep and enjoy for many years to come. Either way you would want it is to be pretty as well as durable and easy to clean. Keeping the water and vase clean is the secret to long lasting flower bouquets. What Color Should Your Holiday Bouquet Be?Though there are many different flowers that somebody may use to create their arrangement, it is safe to use red, green, and white blossoms in order to maintain a theme that fits with the traditional Christmas holiday. The most common red flower is a red rose. The elegant blossom of a rose can signify poise or romance depending on who is receiving the gift. Though predominantly red, you also can find them in white as well as many other colors. If you are on a budget, red tulips can be substituted in place of red roses. Since the Christmas theme is the most important part of the bouquet it is important to stay with traditional colors otherwise the message maybe lost. Another type of flower that can be used in holiday Christmas bouquets are green spiders as well as white Oriental lilies. Both offer a beautiful addition and serve as a background to whatever crimson blossom you have chosen for the bouquet. Christmas arrangements do not have to be made personally. Our florist specializes in creating holiday Christmas bouquets, and we have tons practice and years of experience in creating a stunning gift that you can give to whoever you need to check off your holiday gift giving list. An added benefit to our local florist creating your bouquets is that we will be able to deliver the flowers to just about anywhere that you want. The added surprise of receiving flowers at a workplace or other public location can help add to the magic around the gift. Easy Ordering Of Your Christmas ArrangementSo give us a call to help pick our a wonderful holiday bouquet, or choose from the beautiful selection of flowers we have to offer online. Enchanted Florist 4416 Fairmont #104 Pasadena, TX 77504 (832)850-7677
We are located at: from http://enchantedfloristpasadena.tumblr.com/post/153505736412 |
AuthorGet to know the city of Houston, TX with the latest city reviews from and the info from local businesses in Houston Community Life. Archives
April 2019
Categories |