Nuclear war? Okay, we’ve got a crew of nerdistos over at a site called Apocaluck that have set up several databases to show what happens in the case of a nuclear apocalypse. Just enter a zip code or a county and state and, whango-bango, you get a report on how your fair city would do [...]

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Suggested by Sally Trenfield Here’s an interesting piece of music that’s making its viral way around the Web. The Chinese have been playing fretted folk instruments for quite a few centuries, so it appears that it’s no problem for them to roll in a little Bluegrass as well. The players are Mei Han on liuqin; [...]

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from Stan Raines John Harley has booked Monkeysoop to play this Saturday at Harley’s Country Store and Beer Garden. Monkeysoop plays some hard-driving rock and roll (which you can sample here) and has performed all over South Texas, from San Antonio to South Padre Island. John called yesterday to say he wanted Long Time Coming [...]

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A note from Colbert Here are some very wise words from comedian Stephen Colbert from the commencement speech he delivered to graduates at Knox College June 3, 2006. They are worthy of meditation. The full speech is here. And an apology: The initial posting here claimed that the speech was delivered last year. So, say [...]

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from Marianne Nelson Harlingen At the Valley Byliners meeting on April 11, Don Clifford will speak on how to use personal experiences to write stories and develop plot, scene description, and characters. Clifford is the author of the recently published book, Ben Solomon: A Bastard Prince Denied His Throne. Visitors are welcome. Byliners meetings are [...]

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by Gene Novogrodsky Water snake wiggles Through chop, To brushy shore and shade …. White heron croaks, Skims chop, Lands on brushy shore, Stares into chop ….

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by Gene Novogrodsky “Just think, if you hadn’t met her, you would have not had the happiness.” I know all the arguments. “For scrambled eggs, you have to break eggs.” “No pain, no gain.” “Come home on a shield, or with one.” Fine sentiments, for brave folk. Cowards flee. They’re safe.

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by Gene Novogrodsky But five, she, the Mexican-American Girl with round dark face and Asiatic Eyes, Bering Strait, and Thousands of years and feet, You, little girl, will never be on Mexican TV, You who marched into history And wait for your piece ….

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by Gene Novogrodsky Her nightgown, off, Her taste, Her shirt, off yesterday, Her sweat, perfume traces. Two men in the big store’s white glare, Reading fresh ads, slowly. Two men in the convenience store, Heads visible through dirty plate Glass, white glare. Gown, shirt, void. I’m in the big store, Killing the morning, I’m in [...]

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By Kathy Raines Cinemark Movies 10, the “dollar theater,” is showing Revolutionary Road, a fine, thought-provoking movie, one bypassed earlier by the first run theater. I can’t get the story out of my head, and that’s the kind of movie I like to see. This is despite the flawed demographic studies which I presume reveal [...]

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by Stan Raines We noted an advertisement this morning in the Brownsville Herald from the Brownsville City Commission District 3 candidate and incumbent Carlos Cisneros which consisted of a letter from a constituent describing how she had contacted Mr. Cisneros about her recent discovery of potholes (potholes!! in Brownsville!!!) in the street where she lived. [...]

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by Thomas Thornburg MARY (First Voice): Ride around the mill where the ghost flowers blow, Go up to the glen where the sedges flow, Pass by the bear grass, row on row, Ride through the brambles, ride through the brake, Ride up the swale to Dead Man Lake, Step down easy, walk up slow, Peer [...]

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by roberto cruz jr. The gods have not wished this upon us. Their eyes have been watching us like ravens since our earthly birth; their hands have been softly upon us like a nanny’s from the onset. But the gods cannot push and pull us like puppets, pulling taut a string here, giving way to [...]

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by Gene Novogrodsky A late-in-life marriage. She replaced his mother, Mother moved to sun, daughter, Less work …. And into the big house And closed family she came. Never a cook, she learned, Chicken, potatoes and tuna, Especially the tuna, And six noons she made tuna, Dropped into lettuce waves.

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by Gene Novogrodsky He’s captured, He the Korean-Arabic translator, And his head is cut off, falls to a carpet, And rolls into sand, Blood trailing … Where is the Korean? Where is the Arabic? He, the translator, Dramatic, and the Regular, mono-lingual, Upon death, no blood, Just death. Where is that one language? “What is [...]

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by Gene Novogrodsky My pedals and walks, Overnight buses, Overnight trains, Thumb out, Sign in hand. And no one asks. Why should they? They are me, mine. Purity dictates they Are not for retelling, With hopes for intent faces, Smiles, shock, seduction, Appreciation …. Bothered until travelers Back reported the same, No one asking, many [...]

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Intellectual theft by Stan Raines Couldn’t help it. Part of our current situation connects right back to the 1990′s debacle over health care which ended pretty much like this from Pat Oliphant.

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by Gene Novogrodsky Cook Gone She told the boss that she had not spit in the soup, and that she had turned her head when she felt a cough coming on. “It was the cook across from me; she never liked me, and knew that I had a nice apartment, and a little pension from [...]

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from Virginia Gause I would like to announce that the McAllen Arts Council Grants for 2009 are now being accepted. These grants are for up to $1,000 and need to be completed and turned in by 12 noon on Friday, May 1, 2009. We use McAllen Arts Council Grants to help us achieve our five [...]

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From Gene’s Notebook …and he says when I ask about his work, or what his work was, “I’d have to kill you if I tell you,” and maybe he’s kidding, and maybe he’s not; time to change the topic to cars and kids and homes and divorces …. …and she says that the key to [...]

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by Gene Novogrodsky TV fillers, on the sports channels, Black and white shots of ballplayers From those baseball-mattered ’40s. I turn off the TV., and I also turn it Off when those ballplayers, 50 years Later, sit and talk, grey and wrinkled …. All pictures are welcome decades back and now, But never the ballplayers [...]

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From Rogelio T. Nuñez “El Second Weensdee” presents BBC’s “The American Future: A History by Simon Schama” at the Narciso Martinez Cultural Arts Center, music by “The Chicken Club,” Wednesday March 11, 7:00 pm, 225 E. Stenger Street, San Benito. The public is invited to view a documentary produced by the British Broadcasting Corporation which [...]

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From Virginia Gause Conceptualizing In/Justice: Images/Voices of Resistance MAY 1st, 2009 CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS, EXHIBITIONS, POETRY & MUSIC Submissions due APRIL 1st, 2009 The UTPA Department of Criminal Justice is sponsoring an event to promote social justice and peace. The goal of this conference/exhibition is to engage the students, the community and the faculty in [...]

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From Virginia Gause AUDITIONS FOR LAST SPRING MAINSTAGE PLAY AT UTPA University Theatre Productions, at the University of Texas Pan American, has just scheduled auditions for comedy PLAZA SUITE, Monday and Tuesday, March 9th and 10th in the Jeffer’s Theatre, of the Communication Arts & Science Building. (corner of University Drive & Sugar Road) Auditions [...]

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From Virginia Gause March 31 – April 3, 2009 McAllen Chamber of Commerce 1200 Ash McAllen, TX 78501 The McAllen Arts Council invites you to participate in the 1st Annual McAllen Arts Council Fine Art Exhibition to be held from March 31 through April 3, 2009. This exhibition will be juried by representatives of the [...]

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