2nd Amendment

Today I happened upon one of Lubbock's liquor stores. This was for sale:
It is a bottle of tequila shaped (roughly) like an AK-47. This seems like a dangerous mix of associations, particularly since, if you were to drink directly from the bottle (and I'm sure that never happens), it would involve placing the barrel in one's mouth. Of course, this would result in a grimly ironic performance of the bad choices one is making in life.

Some day I'll offer a lengthy post about dating in Lubbock, but in brief, it has been a dismal failure. The fact that there is a market for this item in Lubbock tells you all you need to know about the sensibilities of local gentlemen.

LHUCA

I recently joined the planning committee for the Flatland Film Festival, which takes place every October at the Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts, or LHUCA (pronounced "luca"). When I arrived for my first meeting, I was greeted by this dog, who belongs to the center's director, and has a successful career as the mascot of Lubbock's art scene.

When he was a puppy, he turned up, alone and injured, on the front step of the gallery. The director took him in, named him Lhuca, and introduced him to a perfect life. He even has his own chair in the director's office. I look forward to seeing him again at the next film festival meeting.

Le mot juste

Vanity plate outside local party establishment.

Country Swing

This evening I decided to take in some live music, which is one of Lubbock's strengths on the cultural front. Some band that was supposed to be good (indeed, they were) was playing at a bar in the "Depot District", a neighbourhood of clubs and restaurants that surrounds the Buddy Holly Center, itself a tribute to the city's patron saint. I ordered a Jack and Coke because I felt it was appropriate, and settled in for a great night of people-watching.

The first thing I noticed was the very impressive array of cowboy hats. One young man in particular was in full peacock mode, with feathers jutting off the back of his hat. As he got closer I also noticed his turquoise necklace. So much finery! I was pleased to see him leave the establishment a couple of hours later with a young lady who had many tattoos and big hair. A good match.

I also made some observations about local vernacular dance. The style appeared to be Country Swing, but the kids these days use an unusual arm position, where the gentleman, instead of holding onto his partner's waist while she places her hand on his shoulder/back, seems to put the lady in what I can only describe as a near-headlock, with his arm all the way around her shoulders. I had actually observed this before at another bar in Lubbock, but I assumed that the strange arm positions had more to do with alcohol consumption than an actual dance style. Next week I'm going to a dissertation defense in the Department of Theater and Dance, so I'll ask somebody there if they can explain this element of local dance culture.

Basketball meets the French Avant-Garde

The other day a friend of mine invited me to a Texas Tech Basketball game. I had yet to attend a university sporting event, so I thought this would be an appropriate introduction to a dominant part of campus culture. The opponents were the University of Texas Austin, who are major rivals. When I say "major rivals", I mean that I have seen bumper stickers around town that include both the UT and TTU logos, with the caption "A House Divided." The proportions of this rivalry are, apparently, Biblical.

We bypassed the concession stand (Refined Carbohydrates R Us!), and made our way to our close-to-courtside seats. The man next to me asked "You yellin' for Texas?" (By Texas, they mean Austin - it's a bit confusing for the uninitiated). My friend said "No, we're not yellers." The Tech fan replied, "Well, as long as you're not yellin' for Texas. That I can't tolerate." No, certainly not. After the national anthem, the players were led onto the court by the Masked Rider, one of the school icons. She looks a bit like Zorro, but in a red cape. As she walked onto the court, the lights were turned down, and to my surprise, they played the score for TRON Legacy on the sound system. Suddenly, the Rider's costume was electrified - trimmed in blue lights, not unlike the characters in TRON with their day-glo outfits. I found this association puzzling, but I am always pleased by infusions of science fiction into everyday life.

The game was compelling enough, I guess. I am not a sports person, but things really got interesting for me during the second period. The crowd behind the home team's basket were given large disks with spiraling designs on them. They would spin them when the other team was trying to make a shot, thus disorienting the players. Naturally, the first thing I thought of was everyone's favourite Dadaist movie, Anemic Cinema. The Dadaists were a group of "anti-artists" who, having witnessed the horrors of the First World War, decided that the Western world needed a kick in the butt, so they sought to use art against itself - to shock and disorient the viewer so as to destroy the systems that had lead their civilization to such destructive ends. They did this with a combination of offensive stunts, baffling performances, and dirty jokes. Anemic Cinema consists of a series of rude French puns (the best kind!) and shots of spinning disks, called "Rotoreliefs", just like the ones at the Basketball game. I will be teaching Dadaism in my Intro to Film class this semester, and I can't wait to demonstrate its connection with local basketball culture.

Spotted!

One of Lubbock's main cultural events is the monthly "First Friday Art Trail", where all the galleries and other artsy venues (including the tattoo parlours) have an evening open house. It's quite civilized, including shuttle buses to move people around, free local wine, and a very diverse crowd. Another local institution is the "Spotted!" feature in the local newspaper, where photographers roam the city, getting shots of people at events and posting them online. Last night, Amanda (in the hat) and I were spotted with this nice woman we don't know at the local Arts Center. I'm pleased at the opportunity to announce to Lubbock that I have a new coat, which I acquired in an antique shop in Bellingham.

Space Donut!

In Bellingham I visited a wonderful establishment - a donut shop with a retro science fiction theme. Here I am with the rocket out front - a hyperbolic statement of modernity and pastryphilia. When we returned the next day for breakfast, I got to meet one of my heroes.

This is Gort, from the 1951 film The Day the Earth Stood Still. If you get him upset, a laser will come out of his visor and vaporize you, so don't forget to pay for your donut.

While we waited for our espressos to be espressed, we watched the televisions, which were playing scenes from The Deadly Mantis. This film is a shameless ripoff of Them!, the giant radioactive ant movie, but I do feel a certain affection for it because its horde of giant radioactive praying mantises are, like me, Canadian. They emerge from the Arctic ice after a nuclear experiment gone wrong.