Friday, October 28, 2016

Friday Night Videos

Friday Night Videos

I know it's pretty obvious, but with the Chicago Cubs playing the Cleveland Indians in the World Series, I would be remiss if I didn't feature the late Steve Goodman's classic "A Dying Cubs Fan's Last Request" on Friday Night Videos. Enjoy.

Previously on Friday Night Videos... "Weird Al" Yankovic.

Now Playing: Charlie Parker Ken Burns Jazz
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Thursday, October 27, 2016

Chicken Ranch anniversary: Sheriff T.J. Flournoy (1902-1982)

On this date in 1982, Fayette County Sheriff T.J. "Jim" Flournoy died at the age of 80. Big Jim, as he was known, was the longest-serving sheriff in Fayette County history, had a two-year run as a Texas Ranger during World War II and several stints as a deputy in various jurisdictions. He shot to fame, of course, by defending the Chicken Ranch brothel when KTRK-TV newsman Marvin Zindler campaigned to shut it down. Zindler returned to La Grange on December 30, 1974 to do a follow-up story, and that's where he encountered Sheriff Flournoy. The altercation ended with the Sheriff stomping on Zindler's toupée in the middle of the street, and Zindler heading back to Houston with several cracked ribs. Lawsuits flew back and forth for years, before the two eventually settled out of court.

I'll be signing at the Arcadia/History Press booth at the Texas Book Festival 12:30-2:30 p.m. on November 5 and 2-4 p.m. on November 6. Additional times are possible as well, but those are the times you know you'll be able to find me there. See you at the capitol!

Inside the Texas Chicken Ranch: The Definitive Account of the Best Little Whorehouse is now available from both Amazon.com and BarnesAndNoble.com. It's also available as an ebook in the following formats: Kindle, Nook, Google Play, iBooks and Kobo.

Now Playing: Martin Denny Exotica Vol. III
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Friday, October 21, 2016

Friday Night Videos

Friday Night Videos

Less than 24 hours following the third and final presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, "Weird Al" Yankovic not only produces a parody song about it titled "Bad Hombres/Nasty Women," but he produces a full-blown video to accompany it. The man is a maniac. Thank goodness he only uses his powers for good.

Previously on Friday Night Videos... The Moody Blues.

Now Playing: Sergio Mendes Bom Tempo
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Thursday, October 20, 2016

Austin ahead, Houston behind

Okay, this report's a little late in coming, but my signing last weekend at River Oaks Bookstore went very well. The folks at the bookstore greeted me warmly, but warned me that there was some sort of event/show down the street that might siphon off potential customers to the store. If nobody showed up, they assured me, it wouldn't be my fault. They needn't have worried--there was a nice, steady flow of folks coming in the entire time I was there. One couple saw my blog post on Facebook and stopped by to ask about the historical marker efforts. They bought a book, then browsed a little. Then came back and bought another for a Christmas present for a friend, then browsed some more. Then came back and bought another one for another friend. I love folks like that. One gentleman came by who'd visited the Chicken Ranch back in the day and shared some stories. I also got to meet the former book editor of the late, lamented Houston Post and a retired lawyer who'd represented some of the Enron VPs in their post-bankruptcy trials (let's just say the "smartest guys in the room" weren't). I signed a bunch of books and signed a bunch of stock for them, and also learned they'd sold quite a few copies of Inside the Texas Chicken Ranch since it's release, unrelated to my signing. The fact that I actually interviewed Miss Edna for the book seems to be the key selling point. Have I mentioned how much I love indy book sellers who hand-sell my book? Because I do!

My signing schedule eases up a lot from here on out, but I do have one big event coming up. I'll be signing at the Arcadia/History Press booth at the Texas Book Festival 12:30-2:30 p.m. on November 5 and 2-4 p.m. on November 6. Additional times are possible as well, but those are the times you know you'll be able to find me there. See you at the capitol!

Inside the Texas Chicken Ranch: The Definitive Account of the Best Little Whorehouse is now available from both Amazon.com and BarnesAndNoble.com. It's also available as an ebook in the following formats: Kindle, Nook, Google Play, iBooks and Kobo.

Now Playing: Dr. Demento Show October 15, 2000
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Friday, October 14, 2016

Chicken Ranch: Houston bound and other shenanigans

Heads up, Houston folks! Tomorrow, October 15, I'll be back in your city for a 3-5 p.m. signing and discussion at River Oaks Bookstore. The event's open to anyone and, again, this is the last visit to Houston I have on the calendar for the foreseeable future. Everyone who comes out will receive bonus party favors, which include official Inside the Texas Chicken Ranch drink koozies, special Chicken Ranch "baby repellent" packets and a booklet of "Miss Edna's Rules for Boarders." We have a lot of fun at these things, and I'm hoping for a good turnout to support locally-owned, independent bookstores. So, if you want to hear me hold forth on all things Chicken Ranch, here's your chance!

In other news, some of you may or may not know I've been working on a Texas State Historical Marker application for the Chicken Ranch. I've actually been working on this at the request of the property owner for quite a while. You might think that after writing a 110,000-word book on the subject, an eight-page application would be a snap. You'd be wrong. Packing all the relevant historical data into such a limited space was painfully difficult. A tremendous amount of information had to be cut for space. In the end, I did it, and have to say it reads better than I expected it to. I doubt most historical marker applications have as many reference notes in them!

But a curious thing happened yesterday. The property owner let me know he'd just received a call from a Fayette County judge, out of the blue. Turns out this fellow had gotten wind of the historical marker plans, and did not approve. From my understanding of it, the conversation was not conducted in an entirely professional manner on the judge's part. I can't say I'm terribly surprised. I had a chance encounter with this person several years ago, around the time I was making final edits on my manuscript. Former Fayette County Attorney Dan Beck introduced us, and excitedly told the judge what my project entailed. I swear, at that moment, the temperature dropped about 15 degrees, and the judge told me coldly that I needed to send him my manuscript so he could make sure "everything is correct." Needless to say, I did not pass my book along to him for review. Fast forward to about two weeks ago. My cell phone rings, and it's this judge. I have no idea how he got my cell number--I may have given him my card back during our first meeting, but I can't recall. He tells me he's checking to make sure this is my number for a mutual acquaintance of ours, an acquaintance who'd called me several times in the past month. The judge then tells me how nobody in La Grange cares about or even remembers the Chicken Ranch anymore, and that he won't buy my book but might borrow it from someone in his office to read. I'm telling you, it was a strange conversation from my perspective.

The long and short of it is that some of that hard-core, local opposition that blocked the Original Chicken Ranch Company's museum plans in the 1980s and scuttled the Y2K Millennium Chicken Party in 1999 is still alive and kicking. And, apparently, intent on blocking any historical marker for the Chicken Ranch. This should be an interesting experience. Y'all are invited along for the ride. Let's see how it turns out.

Inside the Texas Chicken Ranch: The Definitive Account of the Best Little Whorehouse is now available from both Amazon.com and BarnesAndNoble.com. It's also available as an ebook in the following formats: Kindle, Nook, Google Play, iBooks and Kobo.

Now Playing:
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Friday Night Videos

Friday Night Videos

I really like the Moody Blues. I can't say that I love their music, but there's a consistent professionalism in pretty much everything they've done that makes me stop and listen any time one of their songs comes on. I'll have occasional binges where I listen to the Time Traveller box set over and over. They have an incredible oeuvre, and their longevity is nothing short of impressive. I, like most of my generation, first discovered them in the 1980s because they were still recording hits, believe it or not. The watching the video, it's clear the band adapted to the 80s, but fortunately, didn't go full 80s. That would've been utterly cringe-inducing. Instead, there's a touch here, a nod there, just enough to show they're keeping up with the times and letting the music speak for itself. "I Know You're Out There Somewhere" has a simple video, but I have to say I love the time warp concept. The 1960s flashbacks are fun and make me smile.

Previously on Friday Night Videos... Le Trio Joubran.

Now Playing: Stan Getz The Complete Roost Recordings
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Friday, October 07, 2016

Chicken Ranch: The week ahead

I might as well put Willie Nelson on repeat in my car, since I'm "On the Road Again" this coming week. If you want to catch my dancing monkey show, you've got three more opportunities coming up shortly. Tomorrow, otherwise known as Saturday, October 8, I'll have a signing noon-2:30 p.m. at the MSC Bookstore on the Texas A&M University campus in College Station, prior to the Tennessee football game. Parking and traffic are a bit insane, but if you're already going to the game, drop by and say "Howdy!"

The next day, Sunday, October 9, I'll be at the La Grange public library 2-4 p.m. for a meeting of the 2nd Sunday Gang book club. Book club discussions are always a lot of fun, and this one's open to the public, so anyone who wants to drop by is welcome. I think this is my fifth visit to La Grange since August, but it's the last one I have on my calendar at the moment.

Finally, skipping ahead to next Saturday, October 15, I'll be back in Houston--my fourth trip since August--for a 3-5 p.m. signing and discussion at River Oaks Bookstore. The event's open to anyone and, again, this is the last visit to Houston I have on the calendar for the foreseeable future. So if you want to hear me hold forth on all things Chicken Ranch, here's your chance!

Inside the Texas Chicken Ranch: The Definitive Account of the Best Little Whorehouse is now available from both Amazon.com and BarnesAndNoble.com. It's also available as an ebook in the following formats: Kindle, Nook, Google Play, iBooks and Kobo.

Now Playing: Le Trio Joubran AsFâr
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Friday Night Videos

Friday Night Videos

Last week I finally got a copy of AsFâr by Le Trio Joubran, an album I've had my eye on for several years now. And I have to say I'm thoroughly enjoying it. The group is composed of three brothers from Nazareth, who all play the oud--an ancestor of the guitar that's akin to a 12-string lute. The music is engrossing and exotic and technically fantastic. Here's the brothers performing "Laytana", which isn't one of the tracks on AsFâr, but is a good example of the music's flavor.

Previously on Friday Night Videos... Dwight Yoakam and Buck Owens.

Now Playing: JoĂŁo Gilberto The Legendary JoĂŁo Gilberto
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Monday, October 03, 2016

Freebirds 2.0

There's a new Freebirds World Burrito that recently opened in New Braunfels, only five minutes from my house. For me and my family, this looked to be a game changer. I've been a fan of Freebirds since I first at a Monster burrito at their first College Station location--Northgate--way back around 1989. I remember their desperate "Save the Bird--Eat a Monster" campaign when summer arrive and all the students departed. I remember breaking my heel late one evening and choosing to go to Freebirds before the emergency room, as I'd not yet had dinner and knew they wouldn't let me eat anything once I checked in to the hospital. I remember making trips to Austin when the location in the Hancock Center opened, because it was only an hour away from our home in Temple, as opposed to 90 minutes to College Station. I filmed a television commercial for Freebirds, and conducted "secret shops" for them for three years or so. My eldest daughter gives me empty Chipotle gift cards every Christmas to troll me. So yeah, I know my Freebirds.

That said, a little piece of my soul died when I set foot into this new 'Bird. First off, save for the familiar logo, it neither looks nor feels like any Freebirds I've ever been in. The decor, rather than the industrial hippie-dip Bohemian-cum-Easy Rider funky that is so distinct throughout the chain, looks like it was designed by someone trying to fuse the essence of CiCi's Pizza with Panera Bread. There are over-exposed, over-saturated photos of large vegetables and other ingredients bolted to the walls, and I swear I've seen the same thing on the wall at the afore-mentioned uber-cheap pizza chain. The right-hand wall when one enters is a sort of faux railroad tie wood facade, and everything else is white tile, steel or concrete. The immediate effect of this is that this particular Freebirds is loud and echo-y. Now, I say this with the full knowledge that Freebirds, in general, is a loud place to eat. But this is seriously over-the-top. The Wife and I gave up trying to talk to each other when we couldn't even understand our shouted comments. And get this--somebody designed a glass "sneeze guard" (or whatever you want to call it) in front of the food preparation area that rises to eye level for me--and I'm 6' tall. The practical result of this, coupled with the loud, echo-y nature of the restaurant itself, is that I had to repeat my ingredient requests over and over and over in a very loud voice to make myself understood. I asked for pico, and they tried to put queso on my burrito. I asked for onions and they tried to put on tomatoes. I'm telling you, it was harrowing. And here's another troubling thing--there was only one choice of cheese. I didn't look closely, but I suspect this place has fewer ingredients to choose from overall. The poor employees were apologetic, but they could not understand me and I could not understand them.

There are other things troubling about this place. First, there is no Libby on a Harley busting through the wall. Heck, there's not even a foil pterodactyl on the ceiling, or flying guitars or, well, anything to give this place a unique identity. There's not even a ledge or shelf for patrons to make and display aluminum foil art sculptures, which has been a Freebirds trademark since the beginning. There's no sauce island, where one can get additional Bad-Ass Barbecue or tomatillo sauce. There's a long bench-like table in the middle of the place we tried to sit at, but the seats are too high for one's feet to reach the ground and there are no foot rests, making it an uncomfortable place to sit. The staff just about panicked when we moved to another part of the restaurant: "Is everything okay? Is there something wrong with the table?" We told them, and their faces fell a little, like they knew of the problem but were helpless to make it right.

My eldest daughter asked why this one was so different from every other Freebirds we've ever gone to. They told her they were trying to make it inoffensive so that they could "cater to churches." I complained about the place's shortcomings, and one fellow explained, "This is really Freebirds 2.0--we're trying some different things." I responded, "I disapprove." Have you ever gone to a chain restaurant that you're familiar with and comfortable with, but quickly realize everything about the location you're in is a step or two below all the others you've ever visited? And you suddenly realize you're in a franchise, where the owner is taking the bargain basement cheap way out at every opportunity? That's what this one feels like--a bargain-basement franchise trying to out-Chipotle Chipotle. It was so earnestly inoffensive my stomach started churning. Back when Freebirds was still based in College Station, they invited a bunch of us to participate in a focus group to chart out the future of the company. Every single one of us listed as our top concern that Freebirds would be bought out and the new owners would do away with everything that made the place unique and worthy of our passionate, loyal following. It looks like Tavistock is determined to see those worst fears realized. Myself and others have noticed a slight but steady decline in Freebirds quality over the past couple of years--yes, we compare notes and talk about such things. Heck, the tubers have vanished from the ceiling of the San Marcos location and not returned. Such things do not go unnoticed. Sad as it is to say, I'd much rather travel to San Marcos or Austin or Schertz or San Antonio to eat at Freebirds, because the one five minutes from my home is only good for take-out, if that. There's still time for Tavistock to make a much-needed course correction on this whole 2.0 concept, but I'm not holding my breath. I can't imagine willingly eating in the New Braunfels location again, because there are four Chipotles nearby where I can get the same (dreadful) experience.

Now Playing: Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos Chant
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Saturday, October 01, 2016

What's Jayme drinking?

I have a confession: I like pumpkin ales. That probably goes along with the fact that I like pumpkin a great deal on its own--pumpkin pie, of course, but stuffed pumpkin, roast pumpkin, pumpkin seeds... I adore squashes in general, and to me, pumpkin is king of the squashes. In fact, when I first started homebrewing 20 years ago now, I got the notion to brew some beer with pumpkin in it. Realize this was before pumpkin-flavored beers flooded the market every October like they do now. It was probably 10 years after that I first saw a commercial pumpkin brew for sale anywhere. I never actually brewed my own pumpkin beer, though. The reason pumpkin beer gets a bad rap, I'm convinced, is the fact that so much of it is, well, shit. There are really, really bad pumpkin beers out there, rushed to market to capitalize on a fad. Finding a good one amidst all the dross just isn't worth the effort most of the time. But I was in the mood today, and decided to take a gamble.

Strange Land Brewery in Austin puts out some interesting brews. I don't always like them, but I appreciate their invention. When I saw "The Headless Gentleman," which purports to be an imperial bourbon pumpkin porter, how could I pass that up? It pours like a deep, dark stout, an opaque brown just this side of black. Well, the part that isn't foamy tan head does. What is it with Strange Land and their insane heads? Their "Old North Road" did the same thing. The head on "Headless" lasted a good five minutes before subsiding enough to pour more, and that was after I stuck my finger in it a couple of times to speed it along. Lacing is more like clinging, with clots of foamy head ringing the mug.

The nose is a little subdued, but along the lines of what you'd expect from a beer this dark--coffee, leather, dark cherries, malt. Mouthfeel is nice and rounded, full but not thick. There's good body here for a porter. Not to be confused with a stout. The taste is bitter dark chocolate with coffee overtones, some vanilla. Bourbon? Yes, I think so, unless I'm projecting that because of the name on the label. There's pumpkin, yes, but it's subdued, more of a tease than anything else. This isn't a sweep beer, and it's not going to be mistaken for a pumpkin pie. It's hoppy--on the high end of bitterness for a porter. Looking at the bottle, is says 41 IBUs, and that seems about right for what I'm tasting. There's a lot going on here, and while the bitterness is off-putting at first, as the beer warms the complexities come out and those hops start making sense. The 8.9 percent alcohol level isn't obvious in the mouth. It doesn't taste "hot."

This is an interesting, complex beer. There's more going on here than with your average porter. It's not something I'd ever drink on a regular basis, but I can see seeking it out on occasion when the mood strikes me. Those who like porters in particular should seek it out. Pumpkin aside, it's a creative interpretation of the style.

Now Playing: Howard Shore The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
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