
January 1996
Table of Contents
Features
The 1996 Bum Steer AwardsA year of Anna’s antics, biker Barbara, capsized chiles, Davidians defined, expensive electricity, futile freebies, Gramm gossip, helpful hurricanes, insect ingestion, jousting jurors, king-size kindergartens, lottery litigation, Microsoft misprints, naughty nonagenarians, ostracized Oilers, punching princes, questionable quenching, romantic rhinos, sanctified shooters, topless trading, unfriendly unionists, vetoed vagrants, weird wine, X-posed X-presidents, yaklike yearnings, and zilched zoos. The Public Hell of Bob CarreiroA daughter’s gruesome murder became a grieving father’s dark crusade to find her killer and thrust him into an ever-widening spotlight as an advocate for victims of violent crime. Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s Willie NelsonWillie Nelson may not be a radio staple anymore, but a new tribute album recorded by some of rock’s coolest stars shows that his music is still moving to them. |
Hot PotatoesIs it possible to have a low-fat chip that tastes good? After three years of top-secret tinkering, Frito-Lay thinks it has hit upon the ultimate snacker’s delight. Spoils SportsOilers owner Bud Adams is hightailing it to Nashville; Drayton McLane may move the Astros too—or sell. In Houston and across the country, rooting for the home team is quickly becoming a thing of the past. |
Columns
Behind the LinesPoets and PedestriansTwo poets, well versed in the ways of Houston, reflect on the city’s effect on lives and letters. HealthSmooth OperatorYou might say Tarek Souryal is the most important Dallas Maverick: He doesn’t score or rebound, but he reconstructs million-dollar ankles and knees, and that makes him a real team player. LawDrag.netWhen futuristic felons invade their midst, Austin’s computer firms know whom to call: the city’s high-tech police unit, which is building its reputation chip by chip. |
FoodVirtual VittlesFrom chili to chiles, there’s a heaping helping of Texas food on the Internet, including cookoff schedules, mail-order info, recipes, and restaurant reviews. Dig in. ProfileRush to JusticeKim Wozencraft meant to spend her life putting drug pushers behind bars—until she became an addict. Now, more than a decade later, she’s fighting against the justice system she once embraced. |
Reporter
ReporterBugging OutFarmers in the Rio Grande Valley are reeling from last year’s crop disaster—and they don’t cotton to agriculture commissioner Rick Perry’s excuses. ProgrammingWalken Tall |
HomemadeDomino EffectFaceAbra MooreThe Ex FilesPowers Boothe |
Miscellany
The Inside StoryGood-bye to a Friend |
State SecretsWater GrabWhy farmers and big-city folk are at war over water. Plus: Jane Nelson for comptroller? |




