There is no place like Texas. Bold, large and distinctive, the friendliness of its people, the vitality of its artistic scenes, the distinctive character of its cowboy culture and the richness of its diversity make it a unique place to live and work. For the best view of the Texas countryside, just hop in a car and drive. It takes up to 12 hours to drive from Dallas to El Paso and you won't go through anything, but it's that flat nothingness that makes Texas special.
During summers, temperatures regularly exceed 100°F (32°C) for weeks or months at a time. But everywhere in Texas there is full air conditioning. The state would not survive without it and without the millions of swimming pools. It's (almost) impossible to get around Texas without a car.
With thousands of miles of roads and so much empty space in the state, road trips are inevitable. In Texas, roads stretch between farms and fields of brown, green and gold wheat. Flat roads and 10- or 12-lane mega-highways are the norm in Texas. The 10 best things to do in Bangkok.
For now, they will have to elbow to future state senator Kirk Watson, the state director of People for the American Way Deece Eckstein and the former legislative director of Rick Perry, Hector Gutierrez, to get one of the most precious stands; good luck. Like many people in Texas, the identity of the state flows through me like the fluid Dr. Pepper found in every fast-food chain. Wherever you go, you'll encounter common stereotypes or misconceptions that people have about residents and the state itself.
Have a coffee at the modern Empire Cafe or in the even more modern Brazil and watch the parade of gays, heterosexuals, street people and midwives of society, or try the best food in town at Da Marco, Churrascos or Mark's. Together, they give a good idea of what Larry McMurtry could have achieved if he had grown up in the eighties instead of the fifties and fallen in love with a guitar instead of a typewriter. Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, Austin. I first fell in love with the Gutenberg Bible, then Graham Greene's love letters and dream diaries.
But perhaps the most typical Texan stereotype is a love for soccer, especially high school and college football. There are tons of stereotypes about Texas that a lot of people talk about, and not all of them have negative connotations. However, since then, Texans (the people, not the government) have spoken out en masse against the proposed anti-LGBT measures. In the first episode, that beloved contestant from Texas, Colby Donaldson, proudly announced that he had brought a Texas flag to the Australian outback as his only luxury item.
What makes Jakes cry to his audience, Sunday after Sunday, is his compassion, his understanding of people's deepest fears and doubts.
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