Blogging Thoughts and "Border Talk" Radio: Expanding the Public Conversation in El Paso

I am now settling in to the transformation from elected official to private citizen, to blogger, and now radio talk show host (my newest venture).  The private citizen part of it is a big relief because I am on a different legal standing in that the haters (bloggers, media, and such) cannot take liberties in writing or reporting about me because I am no longer under the scrutiny and public standing of being an “elected official”.  During this transition, I have had some good mentors who have shared many things, including remembering that although I am no longer an “elected official” I am still very much a “public” person with both admirers and haters and because of that, my exit from politics was not only watched, but my new ventures are also being watched by many, with interest and by some with envy. 

I believe these thoughts because no matter where I go, be it a Democratic function, community event, march, funeral, grocery store, or airport, people always ask “what’s next for Norma”?  The “next” has been a journey. There are many things that I have been working on some things more public than others. I am loving the opportunity to venture into blogging as I have always loved to write.  I had tremendous staff during my 14 years serving in the Texas legislature but I was also a pain in the you know what, because I always wanted to review and edit documents that were submitted to me for my final approval.  Sometimes a letter to an agency head, or an op ed for the El Paso Times would be delayed because I had to “Normaize” it. 

When I returned to UT to finish my degree after a 17 year  absence, my papers at the beginning were far from what they were when I graduated (Ramon Bracamontes, I wasn’t a “bonobo” attending the university for 20 years, I went BACK to finish my degree, hermano).  It was definitely a transition, dusting off the old college brain cells plus utilizing the writing center at UT was tremendous help!  I know I am not the greatest writer nor am I grammatically perfect (far from it) but I like the exploration and communication with words.  It is a new “weapon” is how I put it once (when I was mad at some blogger for saying lies about me), but it is a creative medium that has NO LIMITS!  I recommend anyone, anytime, to write, write, write.  To your kids, grandkids, parents, friends, enemies, frenemies, husband, lover, people you are mad at, express yourself with the written word. It is a lifter, you leave what is heavy in your heart or what is in your head, in the document you are authoring.  If anything, write for YOURSELF!

This bloggie and being a “blogera” I have discovered, gives me the freedom of expression in a whole different medium and I have come to realize that it is not necessary to always respond to every little opposing opinion or snide remark that is said about me. Lord knows that I have the haters and that they have done quite a butcher job creating an electronic foot print of who they would like people to think I am.  Fortunately, I can write in my own words MY STORY, the truth, what I feel, and I can critique based on my personal, political, and legislative experiences, as I see things and without anyone’s approval.  There is no right or wrong, it is my personal opinion.  It is the opinion of a Xicana with an “X” (my term of self), Latina (the term I choose that the government has given me), 2^nd generation El Pasoan, blue-collar background (I’m not a blue blood), born along the US/Mexico Border, dark skinned “India” and proud of my darkness and indigenous heritage and roots.    

And so I am blogging and have every intention of continuing to blog, and for the record, I WRITE MY OWN BLOG POSTS ALL THE TIME!!  I could use an editor or reader, because sometimes I just hammer at the keys and write what is in my head at the moment (like now) and don’t create a structure.  I intend to continue to blog opinion, based on my life experiences. I am in no competition with any other blogger in America or the world, I’m not trying to duplicate what someone else is doing, nor am I interested in defending myself perpetually because my haters have written another negative blog post about me. I will defend my reputation and standing in the community. I am very accomplished and will fight to preserve the work I did for El Paso.  It is public record, buried underground for now, but not for long.

And now, we add a new venture to my post elected official experiences, talk radio with the one and only “Paul Strelzin”. Yes me and “THE STRELZ”, an El Paso icon who is greatly marginalized and who’s voice has been silenced in the past for “saying what he thinks” on the airwaves, or supporting a candidate or two that wasn’t the advertisers or business elites candidate, and/or helping to influence an election because of his standing with the community because his opinion matters to others.  Yes, I get to be mentored, by the “Howard Cosell” of El Paso talk radio, “the mouth of the South”. The New Yorker from the “Bronx” who came to the Borderland, fell in love, married his girl, and made El Paso home.  The voice of El Paso sports, the voice of El Paso basketball giving UTEP and “The Bear” Don Haskins the famous “Minnnnnnnnnneeeeeeeer Ball”, the voice of baseball and the “Diablos” formerly known as the “Sun Kings” at the late great Dudley Field, and the voice of hockey and the “Buzzards”!  Yes I get to work with former Bowie Bear Principal Paul Strelzin and learn how to keep an audience on edge, how to agitate, engage, educate, inform the listening radio audience.  I get to learn the medium of radio with one of the masters of great talk radio! 

And so I hope to bring this new venture of talk radio to a fruitful level for El Paso and the Border, and as a business venture. It is an independent program, not a non-profit, nor politically funded (no super PACS), nor an Entravision sponsored program.  To succeed it has to grow, build audience, it is a “political talk” show and considering that every radio talk show in El Paso is (mostly) syndicated nationally and Republican leaning, “Border Talk” radio is local, independent programming, and Democratic leaning. We will also be promoting anything El Paso including the arts, music, culture, literature and anything community because Paul and I love the 915!

I’m excited about this new project.  The public conversation, the public debate, the opportunity to give the community another medium to vent, to discuss, to build, to demand, to create, to share.  So I hope you will join us in this new venture “Border Talk”!!    

Tune in Monday thru Friday, 10 am to 12 noon, at KHRO 1150 am. You can stream live too (listen from your laptop or work computer) by linking to www.khro1150.com. We are still working out the kinks, have had a great line-up of guests that includes Congressman Silvestre Reyes, former Congressman Ciro Rodriguez,  Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo Councilman Trini Gonzalez and Speaking Rock Entertainment GM Karl Maahs, Joe Dorgan, Police Chief Greg Allen, Butch Maya, Democratic Chairman Danny Anchondo, and ERace3 with Bryan Guzman and Jaime Barceleau.  We have already been streamed in Dallas, Ft. Worth, Arlington, Austin, San Antonio, South Texas, Washington DC, Spokane, Washington, New Mexico, Mexico, Germany, and Osaka Japan (people have messaged us on Facebook with their location). We are utilizing the tools of social media, Facebook, Twitter, blogs, my bloggie, and we’ve been mentioned in El Paso Inc’s “Whispers” all this and we’re only one week old (4/22/12).  Even though Paul is adjusting to having a regular co-host, I’m blessed with the opportunity to learn how to host by my own show, working side by side with the BEST – Paul Strelzin. 

Stay tuned and tune in, it’s going to be a Borderland desert twister!!

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AT THE DRIVE IN Headline Coachella Music Fest TONIGHT!

AT THE DRIVE IN, completed a Texas city mini tour starting in Austin, then on to Dallas and Marfa, and ending in El Paso, selling out the Austin show in 11 minutes and every other show within an hour (that is cool rock-n-roll kind of stuff).  Their show in El Paso, at Tricky Falls was jammed packed, predominately a 20-30 something crowd (yes, those of us in my age bracket were either music junkies, in the El Paso music scene, just curious, or parents taking their teenage kids), and the fire department's quick venue check, didn't put out the fire burning return of ATDI.

After cautiously deciding to stay near the back where the merchandise was being sold, when ATDI took stage, I took a brave step going toward the middle and found myself skirted through the crowd by the force of a mob like crowd, with my feet moving without my control so that I wouldn't be trampled (no one was trampled) but that experience and all the shoes and boots that stepped on my ANKLES, was enough to voluntarily send me to the back of the bus again.

ATDI is the El Paso great American story, music story. how a local garage band of boys from El Paso High make it big in the music industry. On the premier of Border Talk's radio program (that will focus on the arts, music, film, creative arts on Fridays), I learned from Joe Dorgan how the band used to horse around at the KXCR studio while Joe did his live "Stepping Out" radio show. Joe was genuinely proud of the band's early days and anxious for the concert, explaining how back-in-the-day, even in the recent 90's, there was no twitter, or Facebook to immediately get out the word of a band performance like what was done for this mini tour which sold out the Austin show in 11 minutes.  Social media has impacted the music industry in a big way too!

I have to admit, I never saw AT THE DRIVE IN (ATDI) in the 90's but I remember a good friend Casey Monahan (Texas Music Office Director who I know from back in the Austin music scene days - mid 80's) telling me about the great music that El Paso was busting out and how this band "At the Drive In" was breaking records and was the big buz around town.  I've always known the name, but I too was mesmerized by the hype, and having met Omar Rodriguez Lopez in Austin and co-producing the "Los Chidos" movie premier after party with Frontera Bugalu, I am now a middle aged Omar fan and wanted to see the roots of this young El Paso creative arts genius.

Omar Rodriguez-Lopez is not just a founding member of ATDI and their spin off Mars Volta, (two very successful bands in a "difficult to make it" music industry), he's a proud Puerto Rican born El Pasoan, with family roots here, and he is a multi-instrumental musician, recognized guitarist, songwriter, producer, writer, actor and film director. Rolling Stone Magazine (10/6/09) listed Rodriguez-Lopez as one of the "Greatest Guitarist of all time".

From what I witnessed, lead vocalist Cedrix Bixler Zavala blasted out song after song with ease and a solid band performance.  Loved the sing-alongs by hard core fans (and they were everywhere), but some of the reviews I have read about the bands return after an 11 year sit out, was that the band was more sedate? Nothing sedate to me, it was a pretty rowdy but contained crowd relating to a pretty high energy band from El Paso. They are no longer in their 20's they are in their 30's and musically maturing.  I personally loved the energy of the audience and the band.  I wish I were a fly on the PA system,  where they will blast out their official 11 year reunion on stage to 65,000 people (read that somewhere) at the Cochella Valley Music and Arts Festival tonight and next Sunday.

The Rodriguez-Lopez musician influence was heard in the band opener, Zechs Marquise with Marcel, Marfred and Riko Rodriguez-Lopez playing. The improv musical rock band is pretty good, I enjoyed it.  I kept an eye on their merchandise table (which they maned themselves), until they finished their set, when they returned to happily great fans and friends and sell their "Getting Paid" CD, cool t-shirts and silk screen collector poster.  Good karma!

From their debut album "Hell Paso", to their successful home band "making it big" in the music industry, to their 11 year break up, to their other successful musical ventures, to coming home to play "El Paso", to their return as a band at the Coachella Music Fest, AT THE DRIVE IN has come full circle. They have done it their way. Played their hearts desire. Been successful. How many people can say that?  And their only in their 30's!

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Blog Housekeeping #2

Pretty busy week, but I will be posting some things here shortly, and wanted to share some additional thoughts on this blog based on feedback and responses. This is a personal blog.  I'm a private citizen, I am not writing this as a political figure nor an expert of anything. It has been slow to launch because of content, research, and of course blog design.  I have created, recreated, deleted, altered, lost, redesigned, and amended the "bloggie" because the templates are limited and deciding to blog, especially if you are me,  there needs to be thought into where I am going with all this.

The blogosphere here in El Paso can use some political "salsa".  In fact, I hope that others become encouraged to blog because we need it.  Not enough "other than political factions" opinion out there, although being back in the community as a private citizen, there are clearly groups emerging, young leaders are hungry to be involved, and groups such as Occupy El Paso have produced natural leaders. I said "leaders" not "leadership" group, because that is what has emerged - leaders!

The music scene is blossoming in this town at a creative rate. El Paso has always been this breeding ground for outrageously talented musicians but now you can see the maturing stage of the local music scene because of the efforts of seed planters like Bobbie Welch and Joe Dorgan. And so, not the expert but simply an aficionado of music, musicianship, venues, the "you had to be there" moment, and fan, I will interject my opinion in hopes of helping advance an opinion of the El Paso music scene and local musicians and music acts.


The internet sky, the big open and largely blank chalk board in the sky, belongs to no one. In fact, it belongs to everyone. Equally. There is no segregation in the internet. The only segregation that exists in the blogosphere is the one you create by going or not going where you want to go. And you can expand or limit your "sky" however you want by going or not going to that internet space or to that internet blog that entertains, enlightens, or angers you. It is your choice - the "sky" is the limit!! So "haters" continue your small minded, self indulgent, egotistical opinion going at your own pace and at your own place. Leave me alone. You don't bother me, nor do you influence me!

For you English teachers, grammar wonks, editors, thank you for the corrected sentences.  I pretty much write what I think, don't put much thought into grammar, or punctuation, or spelling (thank God for internal spell check or the spelling bee queens would be crazy on me), but I will work on it, and not just pound on the keyboard and upload.  I'm still in the infant stage of the blog and not yet at an editing stage, but hope to continue to explore a little more and figure all this out.

So, this segment of the internet sky where I write, belongs to thoughts and observations by me.  That is all.  Nothing more, nothing less!