The State of Texas: Texas's new brand ambassadors

What Texas is talking about today No Images? [Click here]( [Texas Optimism Project: Chelsea Francis]( [Texas Monthly]( December 11, 2018 QUOTE OF THE DAY "Hasta la vista, baby!" —Oh, y'all know who. [Just before leaving]( Killen's Barbecue in Houston, Arnold Schwarzenegger threw out his trademark phrase from the classic Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Also true to form, he signed the wall of Killen's with "I'll be back." THE LATEST [Beyoncé, Solange, Travis Scott & Khalid Are Telling the World That Texas Isn’t What People Think It Is]( ABBY JOHNSTON How three R&B singers and a rapper turned themselves into Texas’s biggest brand ambassadors. [Read more.]( THE TEXANIST [The Texanist: Where Have All the Longneck Beer Bottles Gone?]( DAVID COURTNEY Q: It seems like the longneck bottle and Texas beer used be synonymous with each other, but over the past few years the beer section at my local grocery store has been stocked with more and more canned Texas beers and fewer and fewer bottled Texas beers. In fact, this seems to be the case in all beer sections I visit. What gives? Where have all the longnecks gone? Ward Michaels, Austin A: The Texanist is a man who relishes the good times. And oftentimes what can make the difference between regular old ordinary times and the good times is the presence of ice-cold beer. There are many ways for a person to take his or her cold ones, like, say, from a mug or a can or a pint glass or a plastic cup or a beer bong or even directly from a keg while being held atop it in a handstand position during Spring Break on South Padre in 1985, or so the Texanist has been told. But there is something particularly satisfying about doing so from a longneck bottle. [Read More]( Look here every Monday for the latest from the Texanist, or [peruse his archives here.]( Tomorrow, and every Tuesday, you’ll find a selection from our archives. [Texas Optimism Project: Chelsea Francis]( OUR TOP STORIES [A Portrait of the Artist As an Old Man]( James Surls has a storied legacy as one of Texas’s greatest living sculptors. But at age 75, the eccentric artist is far from finished. [Read More]( [More Money for a Tent City Housing Migrant Children? ‘Over My Dead Body,’ Congresswoman Says]( Key Congressional Democrats vow to fight $190 million Trump administration request to run Tornillo. [Read More]( [Buc-ee’s is Bringing Something Called “Tooshlights” to its Bathrooms]( The best gas station bathrooms are about to get even better. [Read More]( THE STATE OF TEXAS Winter Wonderland Parts of West and North Texas were [blanketed with snow]( over the weekend. In Lubbock, it was a near record-breaking ten inches. As the [National Weather Service in Lubbock]( pointed out, that means that the city has received more snowfall this year than Detroit, Anchorage, Denver, Milwaukee, Salt Lake City, and Minneapolis. “That gets relevant when you realize the historical, monthly record for Lubbock in December is eleven inches,” city manager Jarrett Atkinson told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Nearby Littlefield [recorded nine inches of snow](, and Abilene and Wichita Falls each got three inches. Temperatures are expected to climb into the fifties on Monday, so Frosty the Snowman won't be long for this world. Don't Mess With Santa A man was arrested [after telling children]( that Santa Claus wasn't real. Aaron Urbanski, 31, was protesting with two others outside of a Cleburne church that was hosting a breakfast with Santa event. When officers arrived, the other demonstrators left, but Urbanski stayed and "continued causing a disturbance," according to police. Namely, he continued yelling at people heading into the church that Santa wasn't real. He was arrested and charged with criminal trespassing. "Don't mess with Santa," Cleburne Mayor Scott Cain said in a Facebook post. "While I understand folks right to protest, Cleburne loves Santa and those protesters who were naughty and broke the law when they trespassed were arrested promptly. Guess they wanted coal in their stockings to go with a court appearance." The Nutcracker There may be Grinches this holiday season, but Vince Young has enough spirit for us all. The legendary University of Texas quarterback made a [special appearance]( at the opening night of Austin's Nutcracker. Young's role as Mother Ginger required him to don a massive frilly dress, deep red lipstick, and a sky-high feathered hat. But he kept his beard and flashed hook'em, so Young is still doing it his way. The celebrity cameo will change each night of the ballet. NEWS & POLITICS [Remembering George H.W. Bush]( TEXAS MONTHLY Five Texans (and honorary Texans) share memories of the man the public rarely saw. [Read more.]( [Stay Roped in with Rodeo Report]( [Stay Roped in with Rodeo Report]( Get an inside look into the high-intensity world that combines talented athletes with horses and livestock, steep competition, old-school traditions, and family fun. Rodeo Report’s coverage from the PRCA circuit includes competitor updates, performance analysis, and behind-the-scenes stories of triumphs, challenges, injuries, and rerides.Read More]( [Texas Optimism Project: Chelsea Francis]( MORE FROM TEXAS MONTHLY [Talk Like a Texan: This One’s for All Y’All]( JOHN NOVA LOMAX [The Second Round of Selena H-E-B Bags Did Not Sell Out Immediately]( DAN SOLOMON [Try the Tender Brisket at 1848 BBQ in Brownsville—and Save Room for Stunning Sides]( DANIEL VAUGHN [Give the gift of Texas Monthly.]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Website]( Texas Monthly PO Box 1569 Austin, TX 78767 Texas Monthly has sent you this alert because you signed up to receive it either online at texasmonthly.com, at the website of one of our business partners, or when you filled out a reader response card. You may opt-out from Texas Monthly newsletters at any time. Please see our Privacy Policy. 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