Nov

23

2010

Austin has always been weird. Hex rally began in 1941.

It was 1941, and the Longhorn football team had not beaten the Aggies at Kyle field for many years.

UT students asked Madam Agusta Hipple for help. She put a curse on the Aggies and told the students to burn red candles. Austinites burned candles all over town throughout Thanksgiving week. All the stores ran out of red candles.

Longhorn fans put hex on Aggies

The ‘Horns went to Collage Station and won 23-0.

The hex tradition went away in the late 60s, but in 1986, the Texas Exes brought it back. On November 22, 2010, we held the 25th annual Hex Rally on the Main Mall at the University.

Red candles were provided.


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Nov

16

2010

VY Steakhouse is nice, needs a few tweaks

Bevo, coated in shiny pennies, greets you in the foyer. There’s plenty of space so you can take pictures of the whole gang with him. The interior is bathed in a sea of burnt orange, but they pull it off without looking like a sports bar. Turn the corner into the main dining area and the south wall is all Vince Young action photos. But they’re a lovely sepia tone. The place is absolutely gorgeous, one of the most well-appointed restaurants in town.

Vince Young Steakhouse review

VY Steakhouse at 3rd and San Jacinto

The food is great, and although pricey, there are a few menu items for folks who don’t want to spend a fortune. The staff was friendly and smart and saw to it that we had a great evening.

Here’s where it got a little off — bathroom attendants. Austin doesn’t do bathroom attendants. The other thing — bad jazz background music. We’re talking Kenny G. and Spyro Gyra bad. Again, this is Austin. Even our airport plays great music.

Vince’s partners in this deal are the Mattress Mack people from his hometown, Houston. And nice people, too. They just need to spend more time absorbing our culture, and they will be just fine. I look forward to my next visit, and as always, I love Vince Young pretty much unconditionally.


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Oct

1

2010

Top 5 things about being in Longhorn Band.

Longhorn band

Jamal Charles dances for LHB members

Nope, it’s not the standing ovations in Memorial Stadium AND on the road. Free entry to every game? Those things are nice, but here are best things about being in the Longhorn Band:

1.  The traditional pre-game BBQ.

2.  You can come back any year and march at Alumni Band Day, no matter how old you get.

3.  324 of your closest friends at your side when you’re in hostile territory. Armed with large pieces of metal.

4.  Partying with the Rice Mob.

5.  TEXAS FREAKING OU WEEKEND!

HOOK ‘EM HORNS EVERYBODY!

BTHOOOU!


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Sep

29

2010

When you overhear tourists, and they have the info wrong, do you tell em? Man tells wife current Whole Foods was the orginal. The real story…

Original Whole Foods after the flood

John Mackey and his partners opened the first Whole Foods Market on September 20, 1980 with 19 employees. The store was located on North Lamar about six blocks north and on the opposite side of Lamar from the current flagship location.

On Memorial Day in 1981, the worst flood in 70 years devastated the city of Austin. The store’s inventory was wiped out and most of the equipment was damaged. Whole Foods Market had no insurance, so volunteers helped the staff clean up and make repairs. The store reopened only 28 days after the flood.


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