personal stories In the Belly of the Whale That abandonment was the core of a grief I’d been trying to kill with alcohol for more than 30 years. Her leaving me stung more than her many other faults, such as attacking my father with a knife in my presence...
US History For Memorial Day, A Letter from the USS Portent The ship under my great-grandfather's command had a terribly apt name. Remembering the lost, and his own premonitions of doom.
Texas Politics Uvalde Houstonians are uniquely positioned to do something this weekend as the National Rifle Association is coming to town.
Texas History Dr. Sofie Herzog: Pride of Brazoria They should have made a movie about her. They still can....The story of her life as a railroad doctor (and more) and the wonderful old-timey museums in her adopted hometown.
Houston A Little Accident of Grace A reader provides the story behind a very touching Houston memorial.
Houston Tragedy Averted on Memorial Drive? For once, Houston took preventative action. No telling how many lives were saved.
Food On the origins of Chile con Queso Why do so many people seem to think that chili con queso is some Gringo abomination?
Baseball "High-Tech" Sign-stealing in Baseball History Mark Twain's favorite nine did it. Yours does too.
Texas Music Because Anti-Austin ranting seems in style A reprint of my 2011 screed that stirred up the whole state. I think it stands up pretty well, though I say so myself.
personal stories The Story of Mama and Dr. Larry This meme -- inspired by Herr Doktor-Professor Trump's hold over his flock -- and a discussion online about murderers or murder victims you have known got me to thinking again about this stray frond from my childhood memories.
Ukraine How an Everyday Randall's Flagship Ended Soviet Communism Behold, a shocked and awed former Moscow mayor Boris Yeltsin takes in the glory of a 1989 Randall's Flagship formerly on Highway 3 and El Dorado Blvd., just southeast of Ellington Field.
Feature The Curious State of the Texas Vehicle Inspection Sign Folk art or abstract expressionism? The homemade signage at mechanic shops runs the gamut of creative license.
Texas History The Lockshin Conundrum In 1986, a Houston scientist and his family defected to the Soviet Union. Today, his son is a director of Super Bowl beer commercials and blockbuster romances.
Texas History A Singularly Vile Public Memorial Unlike Confederate monuments, there is no fig leaf of heritage for this obelisk of hate to hide behind.
Texas Music Happy 98th, Bongo Joe George Coleman was a percussionist and spacey philosopher / one-man Sun Ra Arkestra beloved by generations of Texans for his constant presence at high-traffic tourist areas — Galveston’s Seawall, Houston’s Market Square, and later the San Antonio’s Riverwalk.
The Nicknamed Krogers of Houston Kroger excelled at doing the least possible to keep you from not coming back for decades. They’ve never done anything to lead the way anywhere, but they were certain to overreact to any competitor coming in nearby.
personal stories In the Belly of the Whale: A down-on-his-luck wanderer searches for answers on the lonely coastline of the Golden Triangle That abandonment was the core of a grief I’d been trying to kill with alcohol for more than 30 years. Her leaving me stung more than her many other faults, such as attacking my father with a knife in my presence...
The Truth About Black Eyed Peas and New Year's Day Given the humble origins of the food itself — generally seen more as animal feed than fit for the better tables in the South — it seems very likely that the tradition began in the slave quarters like so many others.
Texas Music A Holly Jolly Christmas from the Family To those of us who grew up on the Gulf Coast, the song absolutely needs no introduction or explanation. It simply embodies who we are and Christmases and families as we know them, in my case, right down to mystery relatives from the Valley.