Since no one, and I mean no one has replied to my post regarding the suggestion of forming the Bastrop Beer and Gun Club, I have taken it upon myself this evening to go downtown to a drinking establishment and hold the organizational meeting. By myself.
After I introduce myself to myself, I'll pay my voluntary non-mandatory dues of $20 and then elect myself as interim President of the Bastrop Beer and Gun Club. My first official act will be to buy myself a celebratory cocktail, and I'll agree as president to handle the duties of treasurer until one can be elected or appointed. I'll leave the offices of vice president, sergeant-at-arms and social director vacant until I can dupe, er I mean, convince some other kindred souls into forming this loose social organization.
There may be recruiting going on this evening, depending upon who has it in them to be out on a worknight after an extended holiday weekend. But I'll be ever vigilant, rest assured, in my efforts to find the finest and the funniest Bastropians to join this august fraternity.
Monday, September 7, 2009
MOVIES MADE IN BASTROP COUNTY
Because of our proximity to Austin, Texas, the self-dubbed "third coast" of entertainment (or at least that's what Austin called itself back in the 80's), we get a lot of movie action out here in Bastrop County. The closeness to Austin means the equipment and infrastructure companies and personnel are there in Austin ready to work on productions. A fair amount of movies and shows get made in Texas every year, and the Governor's office has long had a film liason office to encourage and assist film makers and producers in picking our state over other locales.
Of course, you can't visit Smithville without being made aware several times that, indeed, the movie Hope Floats was filmed there. Ages ago it was filmed there. I have yet to be able to muster the interest to sit through an entire showing of this movie, but the Missus tells me it's a really good movie. So be it. I'm kinda hoping that when Tree of Life comes out, the Hope Floats billboard will get replaced. Since Tree of Life stars Brad Pitt and Sean Penn, chances are it'll be a good movie.
Of course, you can't visit Smithville without being made aware several times that, indeed, the movie Hope Floats was filmed there. Ages ago it was filmed there. I have yet to be able to muster the interest to sit through an entire showing of this movie, but the Missus tells me it's a really good movie. So be it. I'm kinda hoping that when Tree of Life comes out, the Hope Floats billboard will get replaced. Since Tree of Life stars Brad Pitt and Sean Penn, chances are it'll be a good movie.
Tree of Life was mostly filmed in Smithville. Local Bastropian Robert Leffingwell provided the ancient oak tree that was transplanted in front of the home in Smithville used for some of the filming. Robert was also in charge of taking care of that tree to make sure it not only thrived in production, but survived long afterwards.
So I'm hoping that in the near future the billboard I pass when I'm headed into Smithville on 71 from Bastrop gets replaced with a smiling picture of Brad Pitt (can't stand the politics of Mr. Penn, thank you) which says: "SMITHVILLE: HOME OF TREE OF LIFE-Such a cool place that Brad Pitt once hung out here for a few weeks."
Here's what Wiki has to report about the film industry in Bastrop County:
Several movies were at least partially filmed in Bastrop, including Lovin' Molly (1974), the original The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974), Home Fries (1998), Courage Under Fire (1996), and the 2004 remake of The Alamo. Projects not yet released include All The Boys Love Mandy Lane and Fireflies in the Garden, which was filmed in Bastrop in April 2007 starring Willem Dafoe and Julia Roberts. The as-of-yet-unreleased Brad Pitt/Sean Penn film "Tree of Life" was also filmed largely in Bastrop. Recently, the remake of Friday the 13th was also partially filmed in Bastrop.
Funny thing is, the Friday the 13th remake, which was mostly filmed in 2008 after Tree of Life and Fireflies in the Garden had already been filmed, has already been released. Months ago. Still lingering in post-production are the Fireflies in the Garden and Tree of Life movies.
I like a good drama as much as anyone else, but like most of my men friends, I like a little gunplay in my cinema. There have been good movies made in the past without gunplay, but really, before I launch into a discussion of "dude" movies and why I like them, I'm just saying. How about a Bastrop movie with a little gun play in it? Certainly, the Alamo had gunplay in it, but I'm guessing the romantic drama Fireflies in the Garden had nary an AK-47 or Walther "Bond, James Bond" PPK in it.
The movie could have been Firefights in the Garden. Wilhelm Dafoe has got gunslinging skills going back at least to To Live And Die In L.A. in the 80's. I would have done a rewrite on the cheap for these folks, but alas, always the blogger and never the bride.
All that gunplay aside, I'm pretty sure there were other movies made or partially filmed in Bastrop. If I'm not mistaken, a few episodes of Friday Night Lights might have been filmed in Bastrop.
Help me out here, fellow Bastropians. What other movies or TV shows or cable shows have been filmed in our fair county?
EDIT: One poster responded that The Great Waldo Pepper and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas were filmed here. See the comments below.
More importantly, I know we have all kinds, and I mean just all kinds, of reality tv fodder right here in river city. How come we don't have a reality tv show? I can see it now...
THE REAL BAD HAIR OF BASTROP COUNTY.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Hannibal Lokumbe part 1
One day I was riding with a friend through Bastrop. We came across the gentleman above, sans trumpet, riding his old school cruiser bicycle through town. My friend remarked that he guessed the guy on the bike was trying to be green, or energy conscious, by riding his bike.
Of course, I knew who the man above is. He's Hannibal Lokumbe, world famous jazz trumpeter, composer and arranger. I began to tell my friend what I knew of Hannibal.
Born Marvin Charles Peterson in Smithville, Texas, he went on to attend North Texas State University until going ahead and getting on with it and moving to New York to make music in 1969.
He moved back to Bastrop County in the late nineties, after a tribal healer told him to move back to his homeplace for the good of his children. Since then, he now lives in Bastrop proper, with his family.
Here's a New York Times article link about one of his famous compositions and performances back a mere 11 years ago, called "African Portraits".
Hannibal is interesting on so many levels. First, he studied trumpet with one of the most reknown SAXAPHONE players of all time, John Coltrane. Perhaps that's where he gets some of his unique phraseology on trumpet. But normally, students of an intrument study their instrument with someone who plays THE SAME instrument. Not a guy like Hannibal.
Undoubtedly, Hannibal had studied trumpet from great players in high school and college. But then there came a fork in the road, a place where he could go and be like everyone else or where he could go study trumpet under a genius sax player like Coltrane. That choice is fairly illustrious of the person I know as Hannibal.
He donates tons of time when he's home in Bastrop to civic causes. He gives free music lessons to kids, and he's got a kids' choir he's been teaching and composing and arranging for, and they just debuted at Long Center in Austin a few months ago.
I could go on and on with Hannibal stories for days. And I will, in other posts on this blog. He's one of the great things about living in Bastrop.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Random Saturday Thoughts
-I need to go to one of the musical happenings that's going on at the Lumberman's Hall or whatever it is called across the street from the Post Office.
-I really like the people that work in and run our Bastrop Post Office. Ronnie and his crew do a good job and they are really friendly. My mailman rocks!
-Bastrop has a new citizen's orchestra. I think their debut will be in December. Sure to be a treat and really, we need all the music around here we can get.
-I always enjoy seeing Hannibal Lokumbe around town. He's such a postive individual and a great talent. You may be familiar with his incredible trumpeting and composing abilities, but you haven't lived baby until you've heard him sing. Hannibal is a native Bastrop County son who went on to great fame as a jazz trumpeter and composer. He gives an awful lot back to the community, and he's living proof that you can be a music superstar sans the ego. He plays around the world nowadays, but he's often in Bastrop.
-I wish Davis McCauley had more time to write on his blog. I also wish he'd post some of his artwork on his site. He's quite the painter and he's got a small gallery downtown next to the visitors center.
-Changes have occurred at the Bastrop Advertiser and Smithville Times, as well as their parent the Austin-American Statesman. For the last year or so, all three papers were on the market, but have now been removed and the Statesman plans to carry on with all three papers.
-I think the number one priority of the Advertiser should be to have some kind of online presence. I understand if they don't wanna put their paper online but how about a few stories and a place to go for emergency notices and the like? You could sell ads on it, I'm sure. The Elgin Courier is mostly online.
-I love looking at the Mighty Colorado every time I drive past it. It's such a beautiful river. There's a real nice view of it going into Smithville as well, what with the rocks creating sort of a rapid-like turbulence. I read a book one time about a fellow named James Gillet who was a famous Texas Ranger and who later became a very wealthy Big Bend rancher (Gillet Creek in the Big Bend National Park is named after him).
Gillett grew up in Austin and had kinfolks in Bastrop. Gillet was born in 1856, so around 1870 or so when he was in his early teens he and his brother would get in a big wooden rowboat and float down to Bastrop, catching fish along the way. He said that they would literally fill up the rowboat with fish by the time they reached Bastrop.
I bet the Mighty Colorado was just a beautiful river then, teaming with fish and other wildlife in it's valleys.
-I really like the people that work in and run our Bastrop Post Office. Ronnie and his crew do a good job and they are really friendly. My mailman rocks!
-Bastrop has a new citizen's orchestra. I think their debut will be in December. Sure to be a treat and really, we need all the music around here we can get.
-I always enjoy seeing Hannibal Lokumbe around town. He's such a postive individual and a great talent. You may be familiar with his incredible trumpeting and composing abilities, but you haven't lived baby until you've heard him sing. Hannibal is a native Bastrop County son who went on to great fame as a jazz trumpeter and composer. He gives an awful lot back to the community, and he's living proof that you can be a music superstar sans the ego. He plays around the world nowadays, but he's often in Bastrop.
-I wish Davis McCauley had more time to write on his blog. I also wish he'd post some of his artwork on his site. He's quite the painter and he's got a small gallery downtown next to the visitors center.
-Changes have occurred at the Bastrop Advertiser and Smithville Times, as well as their parent the Austin-American Statesman. For the last year or so, all three papers were on the market, but have now been removed and the Statesman plans to carry on with all three papers.
-I think the number one priority of the Advertiser should be to have some kind of online presence. I understand if they don't wanna put their paper online but how about a few stories and a place to go for emergency notices and the like? You could sell ads on it, I'm sure. The Elgin Courier is mostly online.
-I love looking at the Mighty Colorado every time I drive past it. It's such a beautiful river. There's a real nice view of it going into Smithville as well, what with the rocks creating sort of a rapid-like turbulence. I read a book one time about a fellow named James Gillet who was a famous Texas Ranger and who later became a very wealthy Big Bend rancher (Gillet Creek in the Big Bend National Park is named after him).
Gillett grew up in Austin and had kinfolks in Bastrop. Gillet was born in 1856, so around 1870 or so when he was in his early teens he and his brother would get in a big wooden rowboat and float down to Bastrop, catching fish along the way. He said that they would literally fill up the rowboat with fish by the time they reached Bastrop.
I bet the Mighty Colorado was just a beautiful river then, teaming with fish and other wildlife in it's valleys.
Kelso was here part II
As all my sources dutifully reported and as I predicted in this post Kelso was here , Kelso did break a story about the valet issues going on downtown.
No biggie. Sounds like it might be getting resolved, one way or another. I drove by tonight and the valet was not in operation and there were no blocked spots.
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/2009/09/06/0906kelso.html
No biggie. Sounds like it might be getting resolved, one way or another. I drove by tonight and the valet was not in operation and there were no blocked spots.
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/2009/09/06/0906kelso.html
Friday, September 4, 2009
Bastrop Beer and Gun Club
I don't know if there is any interest out there, but I'm thinking about starting a club. I want to call it The Bastrop Beer and Gun Club. I'm going to order a few t-shirts emblazened with this name and give them out to a few friends, so be looking for them.
Perhaps some of you will comment on your interest in joining a loosely knit fraternal organization with that name. Is anyone interested in joining my club?
Friends of mine in Houston and Dallas, years ago, formed some loose knit fraternal organizations and called them alternately The Montrose Beer and Gun Club or the Deep Ellum Beer and Gun Club. It was mostly folks who lived inside the city, loved music and occasionally hitting a bar or two, and having fun.
The name, a play on an age old institution called The Rod and Gun Club, which many communities large and small have had for generations, is not totally accurate. Beer and guns don't mix, as we well know, so the club would concentrate mainly on congregating in the various Main Street bars on occasion as a fraternal organization. We would drink, and hopefully laugh ourselves silly talking about our town and our county and our people. No guns would be involved.
I'm not by nature a joiner, and usually the more rules a fraternal organization has, the less likely I am to join. Take the Masons, for instance. Rules rules rules. So for the Bastrop Beer and Gun Club, there's only two rules: #1 There are no rules except for rule #2, which is have fun.
If you are handy with graphic design and would like to design a logo, email it to me. Chances are, I'll use it. No nudity, and no mullets please.
Perhaps some of you will comment on your interest in joining a loosely knit fraternal organization with that name. Is anyone interested in joining my club?
Friends of mine in Houston and Dallas, years ago, formed some loose knit fraternal organizations and called them alternately The Montrose Beer and Gun Club or the Deep Ellum Beer and Gun Club. It was mostly folks who lived inside the city, loved music and occasionally hitting a bar or two, and having fun.
The name, a play on an age old institution called The Rod and Gun Club, which many communities large and small have had for generations, is not totally accurate. Beer and guns don't mix, as we well know, so the club would concentrate mainly on congregating in the various Main Street bars on occasion as a fraternal organization. We would drink, and hopefully laugh ourselves silly talking about our town and our county and our people. No guns would be involved.
I'm not by nature a joiner, and usually the more rules a fraternal organization has, the less likely I am to join. Take the Masons, for instance. Rules rules rules. So for the Bastrop Beer and Gun Club, there's only two rules: #1 There are no rules except for rule #2, which is have fun.
If you are handy with graphic design and would like to design a logo, email it to me. Chances are, I'll use it. No nudity, and no mullets please.
People of Walmart
The two kids that started the "People of Walmart" website are funny boys, and will likely make some advertising cash off of their website. Go to http://peopleofwalmart.com/ to see it. A lot of media attention, both good and bad, has been focused on this new website, with some who think it is hilarious and some who think it is mean spirited and even slanderous. I'm in the former group.
If you live here in Bastrop, some of the folks pictured on their site may look familiar to you, especially the mulleted photos. Surprisingly, no photos identified as being from our Bastrop Walmart have made it to the website. That's probably because the lighting at the Bastrop Walmart is so dim and poor that you can't take a picture in there.
I've been in other Walmarts recently, particularly those in Rockport and Fredericksburg, and those sparkling clean and well-lit Walmarts bear little if any resemblance to our dark, dank, gloomy and often filthy Walmart. Maybe our Bastrop store needs to bring in the cleaning and lighting crews from these other Walmarts to make our store a nicer place to shop. I'm more likely to spend money in some place that's not giving me the heebie jeebies because it's so dark and grimly lit.
You'll know it when you see a picture of a Bastropian on this new website. Likely, they'll be tattoo'd wonders replete with Bastrop Bad Hair. Not all people with tattoos have Bastrop Bad Hair, and not all Bastropian Bad Hair wearers have tattoos, but often those two worlds do collide.
I recall a story from when Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt were staying in the county while filming "Tree of Life" in Smithville last year.
Angelina and her kids went shopping at our dark and dim Walmart. One of our friends was up there shopping, and spotted Angelina and her kids shopping. A deputy sheriff employee was nearby shopping also, and our friend remarked to the deputy how exciting it was to have a little Hollywood right here in Bastrop. The deputy smirked and said something like "Is that who that is? Angelina Jolie, the movie star? I thought she was just another tattoo'd Bastrop chick with a lot of kids".
I'm guessing most of the people you'll see on the People of Walmart website won't resemble Angelina, or Brad Pitt. But many of our tattoo'd residents could give Angelina a run for her money if you're counting the number of visible tatts they sport.
And of course, as we all know, the mullet is alive and well in Bastrop. Even on women. I saw two women dining last night at the Roadhouse sporting female mullets.
Hey, 1982 is calling for you two ladies, and they left a message. 1982 wants it's hairstyles back. Stat.
Here's the 411 on the guys who started the People of Walmart website from the about us section of their website. And remember, as my friend and sage advisor R.J. MacReady would say, "SOYLENT GREEN IS PEOPLE!".
People of Walmart was founded in August of 2009 by three friends and roommates after an inspirational trip to WalMart.
Let’s face it; we all have seen the people who obviously don’t have mirrors and/or family and friends to lock them in a basement, and they all seem to congregate at Walmart. It’s not everywhere that you can shop for milk at 10 a.m. next to a 400lb mother of 6 wearing a pink tube top, leopard tights, and hooker heels. Where else can one go to pick up underwear at 3 O’clock in the afternoon and spot the greatest mullet of all time paired with a mustard stained wife beater (which only accents the extreme amount of body hair) and camo pants that were actually used in Vietnam. And if you haven’t run into the 6’2” bull-dyke with a shaved head, rockin a wonder bra, flannel cutoff shirt, and jean shorts at 2 a.m. when you’re there to pick up frozen pizza, chips, and cookies, then you can get the fuck out right now.
This is purely for entertainment purposes and strictly limited to the outrageously bad / ugly / creepy / crazy shoppers. We don’t need to see pictures of you and your dumb friends dicking around at Walmart. There is no reason to send us pictures of people that are seriously and unfortunately handicapped so don’t be an asshole. We are trying to have some fun here and there is a difference between someone who is mentally challenged and a person who has a fu Manchu and is still rocking MC Hammer pants.
We would also like to stress that we are in no way liable if you get your ass beat by Bubba when he catches you taking his picture. Have fun, and Enjoy!
- AJK, ADK, LDW
If you live here in Bastrop, some of the folks pictured on their site may look familiar to you, especially the mulleted photos. Surprisingly, no photos identified as being from our Bastrop Walmart have made it to the website. That's probably because the lighting at the Bastrop Walmart is so dim and poor that you can't take a picture in there.
I've been in other Walmarts recently, particularly those in Rockport and Fredericksburg, and those sparkling clean and well-lit Walmarts bear little if any resemblance to our dark, dank, gloomy and often filthy Walmart. Maybe our Bastrop store needs to bring in the cleaning and lighting crews from these other Walmarts to make our store a nicer place to shop. I'm more likely to spend money in some place that's not giving me the heebie jeebies because it's so dark and grimly lit.
You'll know it when you see a picture of a Bastropian on this new website. Likely, they'll be tattoo'd wonders replete with Bastrop Bad Hair. Not all people with tattoos have Bastrop Bad Hair, and not all Bastropian Bad Hair wearers have tattoos, but often those two worlds do collide.
I recall a story from when Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt were staying in the county while filming "Tree of Life" in Smithville last year.
Angelina and her kids went shopping at our dark and dim Walmart. One of our friends was up there shopping, and spotted Angelina and her kids shopping. A deputy sheriff employee was nearby shopping also, and our friend remarked to the deputy how exciting it was to have a little Hollywood right here in Bastrop. The deputy smirked and said something like "Is that who that is? Angelina Jolie, the movie star? I thought she was just another tattoo'd Bastrop chick with a lot of kids".
I'm guessing most of the people you'll see on the People of Walmart website won't resemble Angelina, or Brad Pitt. But many of our tattoo'd residents could give Angelina a run for her money if you're counting the number of visible tatts they sport.
And of course, as we all know, the mullet is alive and well in Bastrop. Even on women. I saw two women dining last night at the Roadhouse sporting female mullets.
Hey, 1982 is calling for you two ladies, and they left a message. 1982 wants it's hairstyles back. Stat.
Here's the 411 on the guys who started the People of Walmart website from the about us section of their website. And remember, as my friend and sage advisor R.J. MacReady would say, "SOYLENT GREEN IS PEOPLE!".
People of Walmart was founded in August of 2009 by three friends and roommates after an inspirational trip to WalMart.
Let’s face it; we all have seen the people who obviously don’t have mirrors and/or family and friends to lock them in a basement, and they all seem to congregate at Walmart. It’s not everywhere that you can shop for milk at 10 a.m. next to a 400lb mother of 6 wearing a pink tube top, leopard tights, and hooker heels. Where else can one go to pick up underwear at 3 O’clock in the afternoon and spot the greatest mullet of all time paired with a mustard stained wife beater (which only accents the extreme amount of body hair) and camo pants that were actually used in Vietnam. And if you haven’t run into the 6’2” bull-dyke with a shaved head, rockin a wonder bra, flannel cutoff shirt, and jean shorts at 2 a.m. when you’re there to pick up frozen pizza, chips, and cookies, then you can get the fuck out right now.
This is purely for entertainment purposes and strictly limited to the outrageously bad / ugly / creepy / crazy shoppers. We don’t need to see pictures of you and your dumb friends dicking around at Walmart. There is no reason to send us pictures of people that are seriously and unfortunately handicapped so don’t be an asshole. We are trying to have some fun here and there is a difference between someone who is mentally challenged and a person who has a fu Manchu and is still rocking MC Hammer pants.
We would also like to stress that we are in no way liable if you get your ass beat by Bubba when he catches you taking his picture. Have fun, and Enjoy!
- AJK, ADK, LDW
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Kelso was here
It's my understanding that Austin American Statesman columnist John Kelso was in town today, doing some investigative reporting on Bastrop. My sources tell me he was working on a story about the valet parking controversy that has surrounded the new high end steak house in Bastrop called Hasler Brothers Steak House.
The steak house is right at the corner of Chestnut Street and Main, right behind the hallowed Bastropian bar known as Cindy's Downtown to a few, but all of my friends still call it "THE O.B." or "THE OYSTER BAR", after the legendary long term now defunct bar known as THE GENUINE OYSTER BAR: THE PEARL OF BASTROP, where Cindy's now resides.
There are several large lots within one (large lots behind Baxters and behind Lock's) and two block (Courthouse and 1st Baptist Church parking lots) walking distance or less. So it would seem there are plenty of free places to park for someone wanting to run a valet company.
As I mentioned, I saw that there was a recent article in the Bastrop Advertiser that discussed this controversy. Alas, I have not read it yet. I guess I'll have to wait to read Kelso to get the scoop. The Bastrop Advertiser writers are good, but not funny like Kelso can be when he gets on a roll. I'm at least firmly planted in middle age now and a lot of the stuff that tickles him makes me laugh too.
I like Kelso as a writer. I've never met him, but I bet he'd be a hoot to share a few beers with. On a personal note, he's mentioned he's undergoing treatment for cancer, and I certainly pray for him and wish him a speedy victory in his battle. War is hell, and based upon personal experience, I know cancer is just as much hell as war for the patient and family.
I generally agree with all of his non-political writings. I agree about half the time with his political views about State and National politics, but even I'll admit I laugh through some of his political commentary that I don't personally agree with.
So be looking for it. Although I didn't see any postings on telephone polls harkening back to the WWII legends that "Kilroy was here", the way my phone was ringing off the wall yesterday, you'd have thought that Kilroy himself appeared in Bastrop.
Maybe, if we're lucky, Kelso had the time and inclination to scratch a message into the valet kiosk at the Hasler Brothers Steak House. It would read "Kelso was here".
The steak house is right at the corner of Chestnut Street and Main, right behind the hallowed Bastropian bar known as Cindy's Downtown to a few, but all of my friends still call it "THE O.B." or "THE OYSTER BAR", after the legendary long term now defunct bar known as THE GENUINE OYSTER BAR: THE PEARL OF BASTROP, where Cindy's now resides.
I'll do some digging into this controversy and get back about the exact nature of the allegations. Since I don't have any reliable information about the valet parking controversy, I'll hold off stating what the controversy is until I know. Maybe Kelso will tell me.
If the Bastrop Advertiser was on line, I could just google it up and I'd be able to tell you what they report. But they are not online with any news presence, and somehow the last two papers got misplaced and now I can't find them.
As far as reserving parking spaces downtown, since they are public spaces, I'm against a business being able to commandeer spaces, even those in front of their business. Now, if they're having a parade or some kind of downtown festival with the streets closed, then that's an acceptable taking over of the parking spaces.
If you're having a large funeral at one of the churches downtown and need the spaces, by all means, block them off. If a convention of WWII vets is meeting on Memorial Day or the like for dinner downtown and are old and infirm and can barely walk then by all means block spaces off for these heroes to park for free. I won't mind walking an extra block.There are several large lots within one (large lots behind Baxters and behind Lock's) and two block (Courthouse and 1st Baptist Church parking lots) walking distance or less. So it would seem there are plenty of free places to park for someone wanting to run a valet company.
As I mentioned, I saw that there was a recent article in the Bastrop Advertiser that discussed this controversy. Alas, I have not read it yet. I guess I'll have to wait to read Kelso to get the scoop. The Bastrop Advertiser writers are good, but not funny like Kelso can be when he gets on a roll. I'm at least firmly planted in middle age now and a lot of the stuff that tickles him makes me laugh too.
I like Kelso as a writer. I've never met him, but I bet he'd be a hoot to share a few beers with. On a personal note, he's mentioned he's undergoing treatment for cancer, and I certainly pray for him and wish him a speedy victory in his battle. War is hell, and based upon personal experience, I know cancer is just as much hell as war for the patient and family.
I generally agree with all of his non-political writings. I agree about half the time with his political views about State and National politics, but even I'll admit I laugh through some of his political commentary that I don't personally agree with.
So be looking for it. Although I didn't see any postings on telephone polls harkening back to the WWII legends that "Kilroy was here", the way my phone was ringing off the wall yesterday, you'd have thought that Kilroy himself appeared in Bastrop.
Maybe, if we're lucky, Kelso had the time and inclination to scratch a message into the valet kiosk at the Hasler Brothers Steak House. It would read "Kelso was here".
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