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Whoop! Resistance IS futile, TPJ! Time for Texas to stop pretending to be independent and be assimilated (in the best possible way, of course).
Austin is in the midst of the process, BTW; now that Big Tech has discovered the city, they've moved in and flattened the culture here. 'Keep Austin Weird' is no longer the motto, sadly. Now we're…
Whoop! Resistance IS futile, TPJ! Time for Texas to stop pretending to be independent and be assimilated (in the best possible way, of course).
Austin is in the midst of the process, BTW; now that Big Tech has discovered the city, they've moved in and flattened the culture here. 'Keep Austin Weird' is no longer the motto, sadly. Now we're flooded with Teslas, BMWs, Range Rovers, Lamborghinis, and other high end vehicles, (including high end, oversized pick ups) along with the snobbish rich looking down upon the rest of us from the ugly skyscrapers that clutter the once beautiful skyline of Austin.
The artists, musicians, and the long celebrated weird folk can no longer afford to live here and are leaving; prices have shot upwards, and the overall vibe has changed.
So, yeah... I'm thinking assimilation is well underway here. I can't speak for the rest of the Lone Star, though.
"Bob Wills is still the king!"
I was so.lucky to live in Austin during my first husbands law school years. A magical.place then. We moved to Houston when he graduated and my theatre, music and artist friends there are bluing Harris County which had only 1 voter drop box for an area bigger than the state of. Rhode Island
I was infuriated when they removed all the voting boxes, Gailee, as were so many others. It's utterly appalling that they got away with it.
I'm sorry that I didn't know Austin when it was still a haven for musicians and artists; there are still some here, and there's always Antones and Austin City Limits, but that spirit is long gone now. I'm glad you had the opportunity to live here when you did!
It was a wonderful time. I wish you could have. Is Gruene still a special place?
I've never actually been to Gruene, so I can't say, but it would be a nice day trip to take!
It was so special. Artsts. Music. Good barbeque.
Laureen, I'm going to read this book and thought of you after reading your comment:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/10/books/review-fulfillment-alec-macgillis.html
Thanks, Fern. That book reinforces why I don't use Amazon unless I can't get what I'm looking for elsewhere, but it also makes me think about 'one-click' shopping in general. I've always preferred to shop in person, but this virus has put paid to that, although I do hope that we can get back to it (next year, maybe?) eventually.
Sadly, many people only see the convenience of online shopping and either overlook or are unaware of the real damage those corporations cause to communities, businesses, and people. It would be a good idea to make books like this one required reading, but I fear that most folk would just shrug it off.
You spelled it out, Laureen. One of my concerns is that so many Main Streets have been decimated by the loss of industry. Many Main Streets have a church or two, a bar and coffee shop, period.
That happened pre-Amazon. It was Wal Mart. I refuse to shop there for precisely this reason.
Walmart definitely started the process, Kathy. Amazon is a different beast, and has a much broader reach of goods, so between the two (and Target, and a few others) they effectively killed off the small businesses. It's such a shame.
It's so sad. This, and subsequent, generations will never know the joy of shopping at a 'mom & pop' type store. Amazon has effectively killed an entire way of living. 😕
Cannot rule out a rebirth in some areas. One click life - dreadful!
I hope small shops make a comeback! 🤞🏼