Photo Gallery: Huge Dust Storm Takes Over Lubbock

by Justin Glow on

One time I was headed back home to San Antonio to visit my family, and right as I crossed over the Texas-Oklahoma border — somewhere near Denison, TX — a dust storm took hold. In a matter of moments the sky was red, the highways were covered, and dust devils swirled every which way around the car as we poked our way down the highway at geriatric speeds.

It looked very similar to the picture above, taken during a Lubbock, Texas dust storm in December of 2003. Check out this photo gallery to see just how thick it can get. [via]

Photo of the Day (5/23/07)

by Adrienne Wilson on


Don’t know if the boots in this here picture were made for walkin’, but they sure are pretty nice looking. I’d wear a pair to a square-dance in a heart-beat, but then I’d need someone to show me the moves. Marni Rachel caught sight of the shoes while in Texas sometime earlier this month and I suppose she felt it a fine time to mosey on into the Gadling Flickr pool to share it with all of us. Again, good work Marni!

Soda, Pop, or Coke? Generic Names for Soft Drinks by County

by Justin Glow on

I grew up in southern Texas, so when I was younger and thirsty for, say, a Dr. Pepper, I’d order a Coke. Luckily the waitress would know that when someone orders a “Coke” in southern Texas, it didn’t necessarily mean they wanted Coca-Cola Classic. “What kind?” they’d ask, and only then you were free to say “Dr. Pepper, please.”

This didn’t work out too well when I traveled, of course. If I ordered a Coke in a “pop” county, I’d get a Coca-Cola Classic, even if it was a Dr. Pepper that I really wanted.

These days I’m a soda kind of guy, even though I live in a pop county according to the Generic Names for Soft Drinks by County chart provided by PopVsSoda.com.

What do you say: soda, pop, or coke?

Spamarama 2007: The Pandemonious Potted Pork Festival

by Willy Volk on

If you think chili cook-offs are commonplace, maybe you need to ditch your preconceived gastronomical notions and get yourself to Spamarama, scheduled for April 7 in Austin, Texas.

In addition to a SPAM Ball, a SPAM Jam, and the SPAM Olympics (think: SPAM can relay and SPAM eating contest), the organizers of this salty event host a culinary cooking contest revolving around everybody’s favorite what’s-in-that-exactly? dish: SPAM.

This year, the field is widening to include both Open and Professional SPAM chefs, so the dishes will no doubt be mouth-watering-er than ever. If you’re in the Austin area that Saturday afternoon, and you want to check out the fun-looking pandemonious potted pork festival, admission is only 5 bacon strips for adults; children are free.

Don’t forget your Alka-Seltzer!

[Via Whatsonwhen]

Valentine’s Idea: Visit Valentine

by Willy Volk on

Believe it or not, there are actually a number of cities named Valentine. For example:

  • Valentine, Nebraska (“America’s Heart City”) is home to the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge. According to the website, the Heart City plans to host a Valentine’s Day event, although — like shy suitors — they haven’t expressed their feelings about it yet. In 2005, the town hosted a chili cook-off.
  • Right off Purple Heart Trail, there’s a Valentine, Arizona. Generally speaking, though, unless you’re a bit of an adventurer, I doubt this is where you’ll be spending your special day.
  • Only a few hundred people live in the west Texas town of Valentine.
  • There’s a Valentine Village in New Mexico.
  • Upper Austria seems to dislike the fact that it has a small village called Valentine.
  • France boasts Saint-Valentin — “The Lovers Village” — which also has a Garden of Lovers. Not surprisingly, thousands of couples marry in this village of 258 permanent residents each year.

It’s amazing to me that so few of these Valentines have taken advantage of the rather obvious brand management they could so easily monopolize.