May 2006
Table of Contents
Features
Without DeLayHe blames the Democrats, the press, Ronnie Earle, the bloggers—the list goes on. But in the end, what did in the most powerful Texan in Washington was his own excess. The RookieHaving suffered through the ineptitudes of the Texas Rangers for nearly three and a half decades, having sat as solemn witness to their stumbling pretenses to be major league material, I assume that the hiring of a 28-year-old to run the team is yet another mistake. Jon Daniels, prove me wrong. WingsAt the Houston Museum of Natural Science, butterflies are free (sort of). |
The Last RustlerIf he was asked what he did for a living, Roddy Dean Pippin would smile and say something about the cattle business. But he didn’t exactly buy and sell cows. He stole them. And right up until he was caught, he was as good as any such thief had ever been. A Desert FeastHow to make black bean soup, cactus cornbread, and other mouthwatering dishes from Melissa Guerra’s South Texas kitchen. |
Columns
Patricia Kilday HartField of NightmaresA pernicious staph infection is targeting athletes young and old—and igniting a debate over the hazards of artificial turf. Oscar CasaresPet ProjectMy dog, Flaco, sleeps on a bed from Pottery Barn, gets three walks a day, and very nearly had his teeth cleaned for the princely sum of $208. What would my father say? |
Sarah BirdThe Furs Were FlyingThere is a world where the kings of small African countries send cases of Dom Pérignon as hostess gifts, where you get to choose between the white-striped chinchilla and the violet beaver shearling poncho. Who let me in? Letter From Eagle PassWalled OffAs a record number of demonstrators hit the streets this spring, one Texas border town was rolling the dice on a draconian method of dealing with illegal immigrants. And it’s working. |
Reporter
The Filter
Pat’s PickAmuse |
Miscellany
Roar of the CrowdWar Stories |
Editor’s LetterExit, Stage Right |
Web Exclusives
DeLay TacticsSenior executive editor Paul Burka on reporting one of the country’s biggest political stories: the self-destruction of Tom DeLay. On the BorderExecutive editor S. C. Gwynne on going to Eagle Pass and writing about illegal immigration. Chasing Cattle ThievesExecutive editor Skip Hollandsworth talks about investigator Scott Williamson, the man who caught cattle rustler Roddy Dean Pippin. Waiting for ButterfliesCreative director Scott Dadich talks about contributing photographer Dan Winters’s photo essay on lepidopterans. Road FoodBig John Youk, a 27-year veteran of the NASCAR pits and the author of Big John’s Speedway Grill, talks about cooking, cars, and ’cue. |
Where Mex Meets TexTex-Mex is a true American regional cuisine. Water SportsAlmost every Wednesday evening, the Austin Aquabats wear helmets and padded life jackets, paddle furiously, and call their own fouls during each twenty-minute game of canoe polo. Texas TidbitsMore than 670,000 people call Austin home. But that’s not including the ghosts. Happy TrailsAfter spending a day exploring Boerne, just outside San Antonio, I realized there is a lot to do in this not-so-sleepy town. Texas History 101As governor, Miriam “Ma” Ferguson pardoned as many as one hundred people a month, but what’s really interesting is how she got to be the first female elected to that office. |
