The main comment I would make about the Texas Tribune‘s Insiders’ list is that it doesn’t have any criteria. And I realize that’s not its purpose. This is really more like a vote for eighth grade president. The only criteria is who do we like and who don’t
One of the most dismal aspects about this most dismal of regular sessions was the lack of support for public education among Republicans. Indeed, the infamous Michael Quinn Sullivan went so far as to run TV spots mocking educators--one showed an administrator throwing darts at a board to decide which
Sigh. A Texas ingredient actually made it onto the menu of a posh London charity dinner attended last week by the Dude and Duchess of Cambridge (i.e., Prince William and the former Kate Middleton). Yes! There it was in the appetizer: Rio Grande Valley avocado! But the poor things didn’t
We’ll be releasing the names of our twentieth Best and Worst Legislators list via the @texasmonthly Twitter starting at 11:30 a.m Wednesday. Thursday morning, Nate Blakeslee and myself will discuss the story at The Texas Tribune‘s Trib Live event.
The story ran in The Hill, which, as many readers are aware, is a daily newspaper devoted to coverage of Congress. An excerpt from the story: "They do not want Anglo Democrats representing any part of Texas," Doggett said. "They went after [former Democratic Reps.] Martin Frost and Chet
The first order of business, after the special session ends and the long interim begins, is for the Legislature to do something it doesn’t do very often: exercise oversight. Oh, it calls in state agencies for budget hearings, but what it doesn’t do is address problems unless they are obvious.
The first debate of the political season will occur on Monday night. It is the New Hampshire Republican debate on CNN. Seven candidates have accepted invitations; in alphabetical order they are Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, the late Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Tim Pawlenty, Mitt Romney, and Rick Santorum. Bachmann and
If the term “molecular gastronomy” turns you on instead of off. If you don’t flinch at the idea of syringes, dehydrators, and liquid nitrogen as kitchen equipment. If you would have given an arm and part of your spleen to have dined at El Bulli, then you need
One of the best things about food trailers is that they’re on wheels. So if they want to pick up from, say, San Antonio and truck all the way to, oh, I don’t know, Jasper, Missouri, they can say the word and get on the road. That’s exactly what
Bravo Network is promoting its top food show with a 21-city cross-country trip: Top Chef–The Tour. It began back in April and it’s got two Texas stops this week (that’s not as many as New Yawk, but more than most other states). So if you can get away from
Nominations are now open. The rules: no vulgarity, no sexual innuendo, no excessive demeaning of members of the Legislature Freshmen ARE eligible I will not publish nominations that violate the guidelines. If possible, be specific about the reasons for your choice. * * * * *
Texas Supreme Court Capitol Complex Austin, Texas June 2, 2011 Dear Court: I was just wondering: Did you guys lose track of the Open Beaches case? Is the file lost? Perhaps you have forgotten, since so much time has elapsed since the motion for rehearing was argued on April 19.
[Editors note: an earlier version of this post incorrectly stated that the Texas Association of School Administrators and the Texas Association of School Boards were among the groups that met with Senator Royce West last weekend to discuss the school finance plan. Neither TASA nor TASB were present at a
Forget pop-up restaurants. That’s so two months ago. The new hot spot this week isn’t popping up but rather traveling into town in an Airstream trailer, and it’s got a warm, gooey center. This Friday, all the way from NYC, culinary guru Dorie Greenspan and her
I have to cut back on blogging for the next week or so as we finish writing and editing the Ten Best and Ten Worst Legislators story.
My short, unfulfilling, momentarily terrifying career as a rattlesnake racer.
PASADENA—The strawberries start arriving a week early. Specially-designated H-E-B trucks pull into the Pasadena Fairgrounds and then up to the convention center, where they unload 340 flats of berries—1200 pounds. By Wednesday, the 100 H-E-B volunteers are dicing, and at 5 a.m. Friday they pull up 72 six-foot-long tables
The “Mineola Swingers Club” cases come to a disgraceful end.
