Jefferson, Texas, y'all

Jefferson, named for Thomas Jefferson when it was founded in the early 1840s.


This is obviously not an original sign, because everybody knows there is no period abbreviating the "doctor" in Dr Pepper. Or, based on this Snopes page, it could just be a fresh coat of paint was applied to a pre-1950s ad:

Here's another oddball Pepper fact: The period after the "Dr" went missing in 1950 when the company changed the font used to write the name. When presented in this new style, the lower case "r" consisted of a small slanted line with a dot at its upper right. Well and good, but when a period was trailed after that new-fangled "r", the period and the r's dot seemed to form a colon and alter the "r" into an "i". With the period there, "Dr. Pepper" looked like "Di: Pepper". The solution was to drop the period.



I'd never seen one of these. This "traffic stop" was located right before the crosswalk at a stop sign. The date reveals it's from 1926. I guess it might have been effective with the motor vehicles of that era. "Cretney Traffic Guide Co, Madison, WIS" was the apparent manufacturer.

Duel of fates in "real time"

This is the closest George Lucas came to rekindling the excitement (my excitement, anyway) of the "old" Star Wars films.
The "Duel of Fates" from The Phantom Menace felt like old school Star Wars. In hindsight, it was all sort of downhill from there.

He would never really top Darth Maul, as far as villains go, for the remainder of the prequels. In fact, Lucas probably topped even Vader with Darth Maul. What came after Darth Maul? Count Dooku? I don't think so. General Grievous??

I think this duel even tops (unfortunately) that which was supposed to be the duel, the one we read about in that issue of Starlog way back before the prequels were even a remote possibility, the one between Ben Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker.

Walkin' 'roun' Marshall, Texas

That's the former Harrison County Courthouse (now the Harrison County Historical Museum), which appeared to be in the process of renovation. There were windows boarded up, and a chainlink fence surrounded its perimeter. The whole downtown area around the courthouse seemed seedy and rundown. I was surprised. Marshall is part of the "Wonderland of Lights" event held from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day, in which the courthouse and downtown area are elaborately lit with Christmas lights.

Marshall's contributions to the Confederacy were substantial.



In hoc signo vinces-"In this sign you shall conquer"
The Old Paramount Theatre


Homecoming is serious business in Texas (I think one of those was around $49).
As are gee-tars.


History from: TexasEscapes.com

Cheap Trick rocks Imus

This past Monday (the 25th), Cheap Trick appeared on the Imus in the Morning program to promote their latest CD (the 28th), Rockford. Despite the early hour, they rocked hard, looked good, and sounded great. They played several classics ("Don't Be Cruel," "I Want You To Want Me," "Voices," and "Dream Police") and one off of the new CD ("If It Takes a Lifetime").


I record Imus every morning so I can watch it when I get home from work (and fast forward through the hour of frickin' commercials), so here you go:



"I Want You To Want Me" (I can't hear any version of this without imagining Japanese girls shrieking, "Lobin! Lobin!")


"Dream Police" (slightly diminished by the presence of Rob Bartlett [a member of Imus' "morning zoo," he portrays characters, such as Brian Wilson, Dr. Phil, and on this morning, Bill Clinton], but still a great, rockin' tune; it always makes me think about "Magical Mystery Tour" for some reason; fantastic drum fill by Bun E. Carlos at the end)

Empire duel in "real time"

Due to popular demand (not really), this is the duel from The Empire Strikes Back as Luke and Vader experienced it, minus the annoying distractions. Who needs romance?