The 956 Alt

Dropping Wisdom #2

RGV, 

Y’all may remember a post from way back addressing Valley-haters. Very quickly here, we want to address Valley-folk haters. Let us keep it simple: 

There are people down here who have this mentality and yes, you know them. They make posts about it, complain about it in person, whine about it on their Facebooks: Everyone in the Valley is…

• Stupid
• Ignorant
• Boring
• Backwards
• You get the picture

Now you hear these sort of comments all the time but the issue here is there are too many people attributing these traits to folks in the RGV, simply because they’re from the Valley. Supposedly there are many more “hip” and “in the know” folks up north and we are the “simple-minded Valley.” 

I hope the haters are sitting down for this. It may come as a shock. Maybe someone should hold their hand? THIS IS NOT EXCLUSIVE TO THE VALLEY. Guess what? There are stupid, ignorant, and backwards people everywhere. E-V-E-R-Y-W-H-E-R-E. What’s more is there are PLENTY of people in the Valley to prove this attitude wrong. Folks from the Valley are just as “deep” and “in-tune” with the world at large as folks anywhere else. The narrow-minded ones is los haters. Because of the very unique circumstances of this area, geographically and politically, the way things are down here are done different but just because of the difference here doesn’t fit with what haterade-drinkers see on their cool Tumblr dashboards or glossy intellectual magazines doesn’t mean the Valley is bland. 

The Valley does have many unsavory aspects about it but again, so does every other place you go. There are folks that do fit the above descriptions but there are some serious haters out there who think ALL VALLEY folks are that way. No, sorry, nope! Maybe you need to get out more, maybe you need to stop idealizing “the way cool, smart people should be”, maybe you need to open your mind/heart up a bit more, we don’t know. Just realize, as we said before, this place can be magical if you allow it to be, and people here can be magical if you would accept them as who they are, and appreciate them as such.

thx

Don’t call it a comeback…

…we’ve been here for over a year.

We just needed a little break.

What’s happening 956?

The Pharr Police Riots 1971

The “Pharr Police Riots” were a series of riots that took place in Pharr, Texas. Some people think that they took place for injustice, discrimination and/or racial attacks. It’s something that probably the whole town will never forget.

On February 6, 1971 local Mexicans started protesting in front of the police station. According to German Guzman, who was there 38 years ago when the Pharr police riots grabbed the attention of the national media, said a crowd gathered by 3 p.m. that day very angry (Leatherman). They argued that the police had targeted and mistreated residents that they had arrested. Guzman also worked part-time at the police station and he had many officer friends whom he had warned to watch their behavior after he had witness many brutal attacks.

That day the crowd that was protesting carried signs that targeted the police department and certain officers and some people had been throwing rocks at the building. According to Guzman nothing had really happened until the chief then grabbed a protestor and took him inside the police department that the violence finally erupted (Leatherman). “It just happened like that,” Guzman recalled (Leatherman). Since the protestors kept throwing rocks and bricks the firefighters took control and used a water hose to calm the crowd down. 

Guzman also ended up hurt that day. He was run over by many people and he eventually brought himself up. He was hit and taken to the 
hospital in Edinburg along with 3 other firefighters that had been injured. Only one person died that day. Alfonso Loredo Flores a 17-year old boy who was getting his haircut at Ramos Barbershop. Guzman knew him and said he was “a real calm boy who came from a poor family (Leatherman).” 
The Pharr Mayor, Leo “Polo” Palacios, said he remembered coming home from work and and seeing about 200 or 300 hundred people gathered around the police station. According to Palacios for days you could see the police perched on top of roofs incase anything like that happened again.

(Source: generations.redmonky.net)

chuparrosa:

So the alamo draft house will now be a cinemark bistro. holy cow. 

edinburg lvl’ed up 

Dropping major RGV wisdom

RGV folks, 

Before the wisdom is dropped, it should be said, this does not apply to every person who hates on el Valle. There is a distinct difference between folks who would benefit from moving away from their hometown and those who are being adressed in this post. Most of y’all should be able to tell who is who. 

Next up and most importantly, everybody has a right to their feelings. Please don’t take this post as an attack on what you’ve got going on inside. It is just an insight from someone who has lived the song and dance of this particular form of RGV hating, got burned, and wanting to help folks avoid getting burned like I did. 

Not going to make this long or drawn out. I can speak from personal experience when I tell you, LEAVING THE VALLEY DOES NOT MAGICALLY MAKE YOUR LIFE BETTER. A lot of folks down here think moving to Austin or San Ann is going to fix everything about their lives because they are going to leave the Valley “someday” and when “someday” comes all of life’s problems will vanish.   

As a former RGV hater, Austin romanticizer, I bolted from this place in 2009 and came crawling back with more problems than when I left. The truth of the matter was, my problems originated within myself, and hating on this place was a way of avoiding any kind of self reflection. It’s easy to hate this place and the people who live here because, to these particular type of haters: “it’s boring, it’s simple, it’s this, it’s that” but let me tell y’all something - this place IS magical. 

The Valley is filled with immense culture, delicious food, beautiful spots urban and natural, with amazing artists new and old, and lot’s of different music/dances to enjoy. It has a history which is sadly not told enough and a people who have endured a lot. Still enduring a lot. You think this place is boring? You think this place is plain? The Valley is an adventure waiting to happen, from Rio Grande City to SPI. We have a salt flat, a walmart turned library, cafes & bakeries of all kinds in every city, a corn maze, new and old architecture, a sea turtle rescue, vintage shops, kid’s museum, abandoned buildings and brides to explore, THE PULGA, bike polo, nights celebrating art, festivals, porch front get togethers, carnivals and go carts, shows of different kinds, skate parks, amazing theater productions, costume museum, wildlife refuges, open land and sunflower fields, an 80’s bar and creative incubator, blues on the hill, strong beautiful brave women, a zoo, incredible street art to name a few bits and pieces of this place we call home. 

The people here, if you would stop and say hello to them, will change your life and stay with your forever if you give them a chance. Some won’t be friendly but I promise they’re many friendly folks out there who could tell you a story or two worth your while. 

Just look through this Tumblr. JUST LOOK AT THIS TUMBLR POR DIOS! 

Are there bad aspects? Sure. Is there room for improvement? Always. But how can we change and improve this already magical place if everyone just bolts? You take your ganas, dreams, talent, and resources when you go to places like Austin away from the Valley. Why not stay and be the game changer? 

Finally and more to a personal aspect to all of this. Running away from home will not solve your problems. There are some situations where leaving helps but some of y’all don’t need to be leaving or bouncing. You need to get out there (el valle), face your fears, JUST DO IT, and learn gratitude. You need to learn to see the beauty in the Valley or you will never be able to see the true beauty in the world. A big fancy building can take your breath away for a moment but you’ll never appreciate the view if you can’t appreciate this place. There are a lot of “Valleys” out there ya’ll, though this one for sure is unique. Nonetheless, you will find that no matter where you go, your problems will follow until you can be honest and face them head on. It ain’t easy to do but you’ll benefit in the long run. Just try it and see what happens. 

The major wisdom in all of this? To truly live your life fruitfully, you need to learn how to appreciate and love the place and people you’re around, no matter where you are. You don’t think they’re are people in Dallas who wanna get away? Of course there are. Why? Because no matter where you live or how “badass” your life will be “someday,” if you have a certain mind-set/Habits/Outlook (non-self-reflection||denial) and hater attitude, you will never totally enjoy life. 

Btw, after a while, Austin is pretty much like anywhere else. Bars, shows, yadda yadda, same thing down here except bigger bands with BIGGER price tags. In fact a majority of places are more expensive than here. FYI Y’ALL. 

thx 

Arroyo Deathmatch: Thursday, Jan 3rd @ Edinburg City Hall at 9 PM

*~Simply Necias~* presents, for the second time in beautiful Edinburg and all the way from Albuqueerque…

Arroyo Deathmatch (NM) *~simply neci@ folk onslaught~*

http://arroyodeathmatch.bandcamp.com/

with very special local guests

Yours Truly, Gloria *~so sweet~*

Jesika *~chamoycore~*

http://freebeerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/arsenic-lullabies

Frida Caló *~puros exitos~*

The Geoffrey Waters Project *~ever so simply necio~*

and yea, Avocaca Hand Grenade i guess *~simply vix-n-geoff-w-sika~*

http://freebeerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/smoke-what-ya-got

bring your instrument and show us what you got!!

*~All Ages~*~$3~*~no one turned away~*~play nice~*~d.i.t.~*

We’re going to be *~Simply Necia~* by taking over the beautifully and unnecessarily illuminated Edinburg City Hall Courtyard for the night. It looks like the perfect place for a mass hide and seek game, a good place to skate/skateboard, and the parking lot could be used for bike polo but it’s not *~as lit up~* as the courtyard.

We live literally half a block away so a front porch show is the alternative in case we get kicked out ♥

(Source: facebook.com)

Reminder:

Art Walk in McAllen THIS Friday. 

Eric Fly’s Bday-Week Show! [McAllen]

Come sip a Topo-chico with lime, *cough* (in macho voice) I mean chug a Budweiser through your nose, bro! with Eric Fly (the birthday week boy) and his very drunk friends at the iconic Cypress Lounge!!! Come over for some kick ass music and dirt cheap beer. 

Jan 5th @ Cypress Lounge (910 N. Redwood in McAllen)
$5 gets you in.
door: 9 pm

T.R.L. (i hope your earholes no longer have hymens)
Deep Woods !!!(the return of) 
Ex-boyfriends 
the Stigmas (debut)

and driving down from San Antonio is!!!
The Kruds (power-violent)
Discretions (melodic punk rock madness , RadGirlfriend Records) 

bring your friends, and your shoes. Note to self: don’t lose your shoes this time.

(Source: facebook.com)