Texas History
June 11, 2015
Old News: An Illustrated Look at Headlines From a Bygone Era
“Our water squirters again find employment by amusing themselves in sprinkling our streets.” —San Saba County News, April 7, 1893
The Culture
The Culture
June 11, 2015
A River Ran Through It
Wimberley, after the deluge.
The Culture
June 11, 2015
“Odor! Odor in the Court!”
District judge Carter Tinsley Schildknecht, of Dawson County, was reprimanded by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct for, among other offenses, holding a fifteen-hour court session that ran until four in the morning, during which she allowed no formal meal or bathroom breaks.
Sports
June 11, 2015
The Three Burials of Tony Ayala Jr.
The long, unstoppable decline of the most fearsome boxer to ever come out of San Antonio.
The Texanist
June 11, 2015
The Texanist: Which Texas Beaches Rival the Old South Padre Island?
Our estimable advice columnist on washed-up beaches, chicken-fried whoppers, the etymology of “hindcatcher,” and tryin’ to love an Elantra-drivin’ man.
The Daily Post
June 10, 2015
What Should Austin and El Paso Do With the Streets Named “Bruce Jenner Lane”?
Neighborhoods in both Austin and El Paso have subdivisions with streets named after famous Olympians—including the 1976 Decathlon gold medalist who earned that medal when she went by the name “Bruce Jenner.” What do you do with those streets now that she’s living as Caitlyn?
The Culture
June 10, 2015
The Basic Problem with “Texas Rising”? A Lack of Human Connection
If the death of a horse is the most touching scene in this production, what does that say about it?
The Daily Post
June 10, 2015
Houston’s Huge Pride Parade Is Heading Downtown, Leaving Montrose Behind
Proponents says it’s outgrown its small-neighborhood roots and that the move is indicative of the triumph of LGBT rights. Opponents say the event forsaking its soul in the name of dubious progress.
The Culture
June 10, 2015
The Hit List
A playlist of late-seventies and early-eighties country pop made popular by Urban Cowboy.
Sports
June 8, 2015
Houston Slighted Once Again As America’s Most Miserable Sports City
According to a New York Times blog, our mid-seventies hockey prowess elevates us to only eleventh among cursed sports towns.
The Daily Post
June 7, 2015
What Happened in McKinney
The viral story of a pool party in McKinney became the latest flashpoint in the ongoing conversation about police and race in America.
The Daily Post
June 4, 2015
The Problems With “100-Year Floods”
They seem to happen a lot more often than once a century, for one thing.
The Culture
June 4, 2015
We Have Minutiae, But Where is the Nuance?
Usually the devil is in the details, but with “Texas Rising,” the broad brush strokes are more troubling.
Sports
June 3, 2015
The Astros Are Still Good?
Two months into the MLB season, we’re checking in on baseball’s most surprising team.
Music
June 3, 2015
ZZ Top Will Finally Play “La Grange” in La Grange
A performance 42 years in the making.
The Culture
June 2, 2015
Are You Not Entertained?
If you don’t think about it too hard, Texas Rising is pretty enjoyable to watch.
The Daily Post
June 2, 2015
Here’s How Much Water Has Fallen Over Texas
In the month of May alone, enough rain fell on Texas to cover the state in eight inches of water.
Music
June 1, 2015
Eight Things We Learned About Austin’s Music Industry From the Austin Music Census
The City of Austin Music Office commissioned a survey of 4,000 people in the city’s music industry to learn what reality is like as a musician in the Live Music Capital of the World. What they found stinks.
The Culture
May 28, 2015
The Very Blurry Line Between Fact and Fiction
Texas Rising has taken historic liberties that have undermined rather than enhanced the narrative momentum of the story.
The Culture
May 27, 2015
Let’s Not Count Out “Texas Rising” Just Yet
A slouchy story. No narrative drive. Questionable history. But, sure, I’ll keep watching Texas Rising.
Critters
May 22, 2015
Cowboy Family Rescues Horses in Raging Flood, Proves Cowboys Still Exist
When torrential storms brought raging flood waters to their ranch in Eastland, the Barrett family took to the muddy waters to rescue their prized horses.
Business
May 20, 2015
Twin Peaks’ Bad Week Gets Worse With Leaked Internal Memo
In addition to being synonymous with “biker gang violence,” the Addison-based breastaurant chain’s internal communications reveal some serious contempt for their customers.
The Daily Post
May 18, 2015
15 Things We Learned About Matthew McConaughey From His University of Houston Commencement Speech
More McConaughfacts for you to bring up at the next McConaissance Faire.
The Daily Post
May 18, 2015
On #WacoThugs, Biker Gangs, and White-on-White Crime
After a Sunday afternoon in a Waco strip mall ended with nine people shot to death in broad daylight, people are questioning how differently the police and media react to this sort of violence when the perpetrators are white.
Film & TV
May 14, 2015
‘Urban Cowboy’ Turns 35
It was part musical, part dance movie, and part love story, and in June 1980 it unleashed an unprecedented fervor for country music, Western wear, and, yes, mechanical bulls. More than three decades later, the film’s stars (including John Travolta, Debra Winger, Mickey Gilley, and Johnny Lee) and many Gilley’s regulars recall the movie that made America fall in love with Texas.
The Culture
May 13, 2015
Roar of the Crowd
Readers respond to the May 2015 issue.
Made in Texas
May 13, 2015
Garcia Lures
Corpus Christi fisherman John Garcia’s painted creations are off the hook.
The Daily Post
May 13, 2015
A Training Session at Austin City Hall Taught Staffers How to Work With Women
No word yet on the specifics of the cootie-avoidance techniques recommended.
Film & TV
May 13, 2015
That Sinking Feeling
Don’t invite a history buff to your "Texas Rising" viewing party.
The Texanist
May 13, 2015
The Texanist: Can You Explain Some Armadillo Lore?
Our estimable advice columnist on armadillo mortality, Dallas Cowboys etiquette, barbecue preferences, and a perfect Texas playlist.
Critters
May 13, 2015
Our Toad to Ruin
Can we save our beloved ant-eating, blood-spurting, quickly disappearing state reptile?
The Culture
May 13, 2015
My Summer of the Shark
When I was nine years old, I struggled to make a super 8 movie as my life unspooled around me.
The Daily Post
May 11, 2015
Prepare Yourself For Texas-Themed Emoji
A pair of spirited Texans joined forces to bring us the technological breakthrough we didn’t even know we needed.
The Daily Post
May 11, 2015
Watch a Video of One of the Most Aggressive School Bus Drivers in Texas
Fail.
Meanwhile, in Texas
May 8, 2015
Meanwhile, in Texas . . .
Some crazy stuff went down last month. Here are a handful of headlines you may have missed.
The Culture
May 8, 2015
Corps Values
Alyssa Michalke was recently named the first female commander of Texas A&M’s corps of cadets. It’s been a long time coming.
Books
May 8, 2015
The Checklist
What to read, hear, and watch this month to achieve maximum Texas cultural literacy.
Food & Drink
May 8, 2015
Rocky Road
For the first time in its history, Blue Bell is in a right sticky mess.
The Daily Post
May 8, 2015
A Look at the Legislation About LGBT Rights in Texas
More than twenty anti-LGBT bills have been filed this session, but these legislative efforts are facing some unlikely opposition.
Texas History
May 7, 2015
Old News: An Illustrated Look at Headlines From a Bygone Era
“Lightning killed near Blossom, Tex., a mule and cow at the same time. They were a mile apart.”—Jefferson Jimplecute, May 1, 1908
Politics & Policy
May 7, 2015
Is Rick Perry Running as the Liberal in the GOP Primary Field?
“Liberal” being a relative term, naturally.
Sports
May 7, 2015
Suggested New Name: The Nolan Ryan Return to Cinder Grill
A newly installed nacho-cheese-melting machine at Round Rock’s Dell Diamond burst into flames the night before opening day. Though no one was injured in the conflagration, it did $200,000 worth of damage to the stadium’s eatery, the Nolan Ryan Fireball Express Grill.
The Culture
May 7, 2015
Fighting for Her Life
Iliza Shlesinger, whose comic style mates icy reserve with feverish belligerence, hits the road.
Texas History
May 7, 2015
A Mighty Wind
In drought-ravaged West Texas, cotton farmers find good omens in unlikely places.
Critters
May 6, 2015
Up to 4 Percent of Africa’s Rhinos Might Relocate to South Texas
With an endangered population that continues to be poached for its horns, every preventative measure—even odd ones—should be considered.
The Daily Post
May 4, 2015
Everything We Know About the Shooting in Garland Last Night
A Garland community center held a contest offering a $10,000 prize for the best drawing of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and it ended with two dead and a third injured.
The Daily Post
April 30, 2015
From UTMB to the Deep Blue Sea
Leaving her Galveston desk, computer, and academic job far behind, Roxanne “Rocky” Hadler now makes her living traveling the world over aboard tall sailing ships.
Critters
April 29, 2015
They Are Called Doodlebugs, Dang It
A rant about the proper Southeast Texas name for the little armadillo-like critters in our backyards.
Business
April 29, 2015
Whole Foods Takes a Side in Baltimore
It’s rare for a major corporation to get involved in a contentious, racially charged political protest, but the Austin-based supermarket chain decided to take a side in Baltimore.
Music
April 29, 2015
Exclusive Mixtape Premiere: Levitation Festival 2015 Previews the Black Angels, 13th Floor Elevators, Flaming Lips, & More
The Austin-based Levitation Festival—formerly the Austin Psych Fest—builds anticipation with an exclusive mixtape.