July 2009
Table of Contents
Features
Ted or AliveIn the late seventies, Ted Nugent (a.k.a. “the Nuge” or “Uncle Ted”) had the country’s biggest hard-rock touring act—a wild-ass blend of in-your-face energy, obscene language, and a well-placed loincloth. Now he’s the country’s biggest gun rights advocate—and all that’s changed is the loincloth. The Best and Worst Legislators 2009It was a new era at the Capitol, with a new Speaker and a new mood of peace, love, and bipartisanship in the war-torn House. But the eighty-first legislative session turned out to be a lot like the eighty that came before it—some heroes, some villains, and enough hot air to last until 2011. |
That’s the SpiritNot that you’re looking for an excuse, but these five original cocktails concocted by Texas bartenders using local liquors are a thoroughly acceptable reason to pour yourself a drink. Or three. Walking on the MoonOn July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made history as the first humans to set foot on the surface of the moon. Forty years later, the researchers, astronauts, engineers, scientists, and NASA officials who made the voyage possible remember the day the Eagle landed. Plus:Fly Me to the MoonKaty Vine narrates a slide show of images of the historic Apollo 11 mission. Texas:Uncut—Space ExplorationLearn about NASA’s precautionary procedures for Gemini 9. Video courtesy of the Texas Archive of the Moving Image. Apollo 11On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made history as the first humans to set foot on the surface of the moon. Forty years later, we celebrate the day the Eagle landed. |
Columns
Behind the LinesFailing DarlaIt’s time for Texas to start taking better care of people like Darla Deese, a developmentally disabled woman who has spent most of her life in our harrowing state schools. |
Douglas BrinkleyTheodore TexTeddy Roosevelt acquired a number of skills during his time in Texas, but the most important may have been the ability to brag. Letter From RefugioSleeping BootyHas an out-of-work Los Angeles musician discovered a sunken Spanish treasure worth hundreds of millions of dollars in a lake near Refugio? Maybe! |
Reporter
Street SmartsHenderson Avenue, DallasHenderson Avenue, Dallas. Plus:Street Cam: Henderson Avenue, DallasTake a virtual tour of Stacy Hyde in Dallas’s Henderson Avenue with style editor Kristie Ramirez. Street Cam: Henderson Avenue, DallasTake a virtual tour of Natsumi Gelato + Frozen Yogurt in Dallas’s Henderson Avenue with style editor Kristie Ramirez. Street Cam: Henderson Avenue, DallasTake a virtual tour of Again Design Studio in Dallas’s Henderson Avenue with style editor Kristie Ramirez. |
The Filter
Miscellany
Roar of the CrowdThink AgainContributorsDan Winters, Patricia Kilday Hart, and Douglas Brinkley. |
Editor’s LetterMad Libs |
Web Exclusives
Cool CocktailsA few of the state’s best mixologists share their secrets to making delicious drinks. Angel HeartBefore her death, Farrah Fawcett achieved what had long eluded her: three-dimensionality. Remembering Farrah (1947-2009)A tribute to the original Texas bombshell and our favorite angel, Farrah Fawcett. Sweater WeatherYes, it’s summer in Texas. It’s the summer to end all summers (please, God), with record-breaking heat, triple-digit temperatures, and the uncontrollable urge to sit in your freezer, atop the Häagen-Dazs bars. This Film Is Not Yet RatedBob Hudgins, director of the Texas Film Commission, talks to Katy Vine about the “Waco” controversy, tax incentives, and how to get your movie made in Texas. |
A Life’s WorkSelf-proclaimed artist Jim Huntington spends his days in Coupland toiling away with clay models and giving shape to large pieces of granite. Going GrueneThis Hill Country spot has a little something for everyone, from the oldest dancehall in Texas to specialty shops to two rivers perfect for tubing. Searching for TruthInvestigators and social workers in the Mineola Swingers Club cases have admitted that there was plenty of evidence that never made it into the first three trials that resulted in three life sentences. Will it make a difference? The French WayTo a bystander, the French red, white, and blue covering the lawn of the historic French Legation Museum might seem as if a confused group of Austinites was celebrating the Fourth of July a week too late. But when night falls, the scene turns into an outdoor Parisian café nestled into the heart of Texas. Plus:Vive La FranceIt’s a Saturday night in Austin, and about eight hundred partygoers are celebrating Bastille Day. Unhealthy LivingTexas school districts will no longer be required to offer health classes—and that’s just sick. |
Multimedia
A Springtime Feast in Chef David Bull’s BackyardGreen Bean and Prosciutto Salad |
Under CoverEditor Jake Silverstein introduces the August 2009 issue. |
