2012 – Page 2 of 26

Ghost Riders

The tough road of a cyclist who insisted on racing clean during the era of Lance Armstrong and doping.

Laughter and Brimstone

Matt Chandler's youthful take on that old-time religion, at Flower Mound's Village Church.

The White-Tailed Deer

Ever wonder about that fellow in the crosshairs?

5 Things You’ll Be Talking About in December

1. When Tea Parties Attack! Article III, Section 9, of the constitution of the state of Texas tells us that when a new session of the House of Representatives is seated, its first order of business is to elect a Speaker. What the constitution doesn’t tell us is that the Speaker’s election

You Can’t Stop Renu Khator

The only female university chancellor in Texas (and president of the University of Houston) on her quest for Tier One status.

Pozole Rojo

We hold (the perfection of) this stew to be self-evident.

Cliff Notes

With three days in Dallas’s historic Oak Cliff, my mantra was “Shop, eat, repeat.”

Pearl-Snap Shirts

For when you need a beautiful shirt that can be removed quickly.

December’s must-attend concerts, shows, and festivals.

11/22/2013

In one year the eyes of the world will turn to Dallas's Dealey Plaza for the fiftieth anniversary of John F. Kennedy's assassination. Is the city ready?

The Unsinkable Lisa Blue

Her husband, Fred Baron, helped bankroll John Edwards's presidential campaign, only to die of cancer amid the most sordid political scandal in recent history. But before long, Dallas's newest rainmaker had emerged from the wreckage—with every hair in place.

The Texanist: Is It Wrong to Taxidermy Your Pet Dog?

My husband wants to taxidermy our dog when he goes to that big yard in the sky. I don’t. Can I convince him this is wrong? Illustration by Jack UnruhQ: Our family dog is getting on in age, and my husband and I have begun to

Scout’s Dishonor

An Eagle Scout wrestles with what’s happened to the organization he loved. 

Texas Business Report: Austin Tries to Woo Visa to City

Visa would create nearly 800 jobs in Austin over 10 years.

What the People of the Internet Think About Texas

According to Google searches.

First Look at the Pass, Houston’s New Hot Spot

Ahem. If you’ll scroll down to the seventh picture, below, you’ll see that there are only two macarons on the plate. There were initially three macarons, but yours truly grabbed the third one and demolished it in one bite before realizing that I had not taken a picture. Damn! It

Ethics commission could supplant Public Integrity Unit

This is a terrible idea. The ethics commission has a long and undistinguished history of being toothless. The system is set up to fail. The commission grabs headlines by levying huge fines ($100,000 in the case of Court of Criminal Appeals judge Sharon Keller, $29,000 against Supreme Court

Huffington Post: Grover Norquist to back Perry in 2016

The article, by Chris Gentilviso, says: Almost a year removed from his 2012 presidential run, Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) is turning his attention to future elections. Perry said on Monday that he is planning to “make an announcement” about “future political plans” in

Texans Are Getting Richer!

Cities across Texas boasted impressive personal income growth in 2011, government data shows.

Simpson will oppose vouchers

State representative David Simpson (R-Longview) is a politician who is hard to categorize. He is totally independent and doesn’t care what others think of him. Nor does he shrink from conflict with the likes of TPPF and Michael Quinn Sullivan.From the Longview News-Journal: Longview’s state lawmaker said Tuesday

Perry names chief of staff Boyd to TX Supreme Court

The appointment of Jeffrey S. Boyd is cronyism, pure and simple. Mr. Boyd has one of the skimpiest resumes I have ever seen for a high judicial appointment: * Senior partner in a prominent law firm (Thompson & Knight) * Chief of staff for the governor * General

Thanksgiving Dishes from Renowned Texas Chefs

Turkey Day is upon us, and an abundance of families will be cooking fall-centric dishes at home tomorrow. In case you’re looking to scrounge up some last-minute Thanksgiving recipes, here are a few offerings from a handful of talented Texas chefs. Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Absinthe Crème Fraîche from Jason Dodge of Péché 

Deer Attacks Men, Eats Marlboros

Disgruntled east Texas deer turns hunters into hunted.

Paul Qui’s East Side King restaurant opens December 4

Here’s another restaurant opening Austinites can add to their December dining list: East Side King, Paul Qui’s Asian-inspired street food concept, will open its newest location in the back building of Hole in the Wall on Tuesday, December 4. This marks the fourth location of Qui’s East Side King as

New Braunfels Buc-ee’s Scores “America’s Best Restroom” Title

The 68,000-square-foot, infamously clean convenience store and highway stop with 83 toilets enters the restroom “Hall of Fame,” winning Cintas’s 11th annual contest. 

Southwestern Grad Murdered by Her Own Prayer Group?

27-year-old was suffocated after months of allegedly being raped, at her husband's urging, by members of the prayer group he founded in Georgetown.

Texas Business Report: BP to Shell Out $4.5B to the Feds

The energy giant agreed to pay the Department of Justice and the SEC the hefty sum to settle the criminal cases associated with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. 

Frum here to eternity

I just read a review on the Huffington Postof David Frum’s new ebook, titled “Why Romney Lost (And What the GOP Can Do About It.)” A lot of Republicans don’t care for Mr. Frum, who was a speechwriter for George W. Bush, and regard him as an apostate

Let There Be Pie: Bud Royer Takes a Little Slice of Texas to Victims of Superstorm Sandy

The pies of Texas are about to be upon the Jersey shore, Staten Island, and Far Rockaway. Pie man extraordinaire Bud Royer—paterfamilias of the crew that runs Royers Cafe in the central Texas town of Round Top—has made it his mission to bring a little joy and sugar into

Drug testing: a solution in search of a problem

When the state’s leaders decide to implement drug testing of the state’s poorest and most vulnerable citizens–those who are trying to get by on unemployment and/or welfare benefits–they might as well hang a sign in the rotunda that says “OUT OF IDEAS.” We have so many problems in this state,

Sway Announces Opening Day, Releases Highly Anticipated Menus

The wait is over! Sway – a contemporary Thai restaurant on South First Street in Austin – will open its doors on December 9. For those who haven’t followed news about the much-anticipated restaurant, Sway was originally supposed to open this past summer. For over a

Austin Cancels Gay Penguin Play

Play about two male penguins raising a chick not allowed in the district's elementary schools.  

Karl Rove forms circular firing squad

PoliticalWire.com reports: Despite a terrible showing on Election Day, Karl Rove believes that American Crossroads and its more secretive issue-advocacy arm, Crossroads GPS — which allows donors to remain anonymous — are here to stay, the Washington Post reports. “Rove is pondering new missions for Crossroads to address

Texas Business Report: The Rockets Get Into the ‘Moneyball’ Game

The basketball team's general manager plans to hire two statistical analysts to help build a winning team around Jeremy Lin. 

Shooting from DPS Helicopter Spurs Outrage

Last month, state troopers in a Texas Department of Safety helicopter shot two Guatemalan men who were hiding in the back of a pickup truck near the border. The national media takes note.

Austin FOOD & WINE Festival Releases Tickets and Lineup Information

The day has come! Tickets for the Austin FOOD & WINE Festival go on sale today, November 8, at 10 a.m. CST. The Festival, which takes place April 26-28, 2013 at Auditorium Shores and Republic Square Park, will feature a myriad of

Where Things Stand with the Women’s Health Program

The confusing legislation and litigation, untangled. 

Bookmark This: Two Great Texas (Life)Style Blogs

Meet Texas Style & Substance and The Diego Files.

The most important thing that happened on election night in Texas?

It may turn out to be the passage of the Pre K 4 SA referendum championed by Julian Castro in San Antonio. We may look back on that in future years (and not too future, say 2018) and realize that it was the essential first step for a future governor

Davis win boosts Democrats

Democratic legislative candidates lost most of their races on election night, but there were two notable exceptions. One was Wendy Davis’s victory over Mark Shelton in the race for a Tarrant County Senate seat. With 228 of 349 precincts reporting, and only 6 outstanding, Davis had an insurmountable lead. The

Out on a red limb

One thing that is all but certain to emerge from this night will be a different political status for Texas. If Romney wins, Texans will be going off to Washington to join the government—you know, the one they love to hate. (Already there are rumors of KBH for Secretary of

Castro Pre-K 4 SA initiative said to be trailing in Bexar; D judges could be in jeopardy

This is an unofficial but well-sourced report from people connected with the effort of San Antonio mayor Julian Castro. I do not have any further information at this time. The D turnout is said to be poor, which could affect Gallego/Canseco race.

Texan Tweens Turning Heads In Adult Endurance Athletics

Meet the two preteen sisters from Alvin who compete against, and beat, adult runners.

Did You Say You Wanted to Buy a Zetas Racehorse?

The federal government made a cool $8.8 million over the weekend auctioning off racehorses that purportedly belong to the Zetas.

Campaign Cocktails: Check out these Election-Inspired Drinks in Houston and Austin

Is Election Day making you feel boozy? You aren’t alone. A number of Texas bars and restaurants are planning for customers to drink in ecstatic celebration or deep sorrow tomorrow after hitting the polls. If you’re in the mood for drink or two after casting your vote, check out some of these election-inspired cocktails from around Austin and Houston.

R-rated redistricting emails could roil speakers race

Earlier today, Erick Erickson, of RedState.com, posted a juicy story about the race for Speaker of the Texas House: Despite efforts by grassroots organizations, new media writers and others, most of the coordinated efforts against conservatives by Straus and his allies regarding Texas redistricting have been hidden from view. Speaker Straus has

Friday’s battleground state polls (from Five Thirty Eight)

I’m sure some of my readers are 538 deniers, but I’m not hesitant to say that I’m a believer. I was surprised to see Karl Rove’s latest article in the Wall Street (on Friday): It comes down to numbers. And in the final days of this presidential race, from polling

16 polls

I’m sitting in my office at TEXAS MONTHLY staring at a computer screen filled with sixteen polls.Fourteen show Obama in the lead. Two are ties.

Texas Business Report: Chuck E. Cheese’s Ad Campaign Flops

The chain's parent company's strategy of investing more in a digital media campaign targeting moms seems to have backfired, with profits dropping 33 percent. 

Tiff’s Treats Expands into Second Houston Location, Hosts Grand Opening with Charitable Cause

A few months ago, famed cookie-delivery business Tiff’s Treats finally made its move into the city of Houston. Next week, the baked goods company is opening up its second Houston location, this time in the Medical Center. On Saturday, November 10, Tiff’s Treats will host