Texas Monthly articles from December 2003

Texas Monthly archives from December 2003

Ruthless people: in the new Texas politics, civility is a casualty. But do the ends justify the meanness?(Behind the Lines)
December 1, 2003... "MAYBE THEY MEANT EVERY 140 years for 2 days." Toward the end of a particularly dismal legislative session in the mid-eighties, that slogan appeared in the Capitol on yellow-and-red lapel buttons--a play on the state constitutional requirement...

Grading UT.(Roar of the Crowd)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2003... PAUL BURKA'S OBSERVATIONS about the University of Texas in "Greatness Visible" were timely [October 2003]. My only disappointment was that there wasn't more on the Legislature's decision to allow state universities to set their own tuition...

Ransom note.(Roar of the Crowd)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2003... JOHN SPONG PASSIONATELY CAPTURES the grandeur of the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center's treasures ["King's Ransom," October 2003]. His praise of the holdings put me there again, where I sat ten years ago, before the renovations, in...

Bearbaiting.(Roar of the Crowd)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2003... AS AN ALUMNUS OF BAYLOR UNIVERSITY, I can certainly say that it has been a tough year for the Bears ["God and Man at Baylor," October 2003]. Unfortunately, due to an administration that is all about control, that takes no responsibility for its...

War torn.(Roar of the Crowd)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2003... "THE WAR AT HOME" WAS THE SWEETEST, most painful thing I have read in years [October 2003]. I am a native El Pasoan, and an the streets and locations are so familiar, even though this story happened years before I was born. Being a military...

That 70's show.(Roar of the Crowd)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2003... YOUR MAGAZINE HAS ENRICHED MY LIFE again--by introducing me to the best film I ever missed, Dazed and Confused ["The Spirit of '76," October 2003]. This movie was so dead-on that I had to look in the mirror to make sure I was still 46 years...

Dem view.(Roar of the Crowd)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2003... DAVID DEWHURST WAS NOT THE "EVIL twin" during the first two special sessions of the Texas Legislature [Texas Monthly Reporter: "The Unkindest Cut," October 2003]. Whether you support the redistricting plan or not, everyone should be concerned...

Around the state: a selective guide to amusements and events.(Calendar)
December 1, 2003... DECEMBER 2003 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY 2 3 The McNay Art Radney Foster ...

Don't stop believing.(Christmas In San Antonio)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Usually everyone is so busy trying to avoid the crowds during the holidays that we forget to sit back and enjoy the season. This time around, we invite you to embrace the cliches--se the lights, drink eggnog, listen to "Jingle Bells" over and...

'Tis the season.(A Great Weekend In Dallas)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Don your gay apparel and fa-la-la-la-la your way to Dallas December 4-7 for a long weekend sure to make you jolly. On Thursday evening the Dallas Mavericks (yes, good things come in big packages too) take on the superstar-studded Los Angeles...

Hallelujah.(Tune In)(Christmas concerts)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... It's too easy to limit your holiday music selection to whatever tune is blaring over the sound system at the mall or another "everyone-join-in" performance of Messiah. We challenge you to expand your repertoire. Excellent Texas choirs...

You don't know Diddley.(Straight Talk)(Bo Diddley)(Interview)
December 1, 2003... Seventy-four-year-old Bo Diddley, whose innovative rhythms have inspired generations of rockers, will be performing December 27 at Gilley's in Dallas. What are you doing these days? I'm working. Doing my good old clean rock and roll. I'm...

Dream for sale: buy your very own W TX town! 4 houses, 128.8 acr., 2 gas pumps, 1 cafe. Loaded w/upgrades! Serious buyers only. $1.3 million. Contact May Carson, prop.(Letter From Cornudas)
December 1, 2003... MAY CARSON, THE FIVE-FOOT-TWO-inch, no-bull-suffering, onetime Air-stream trailer test pilot and present owner of Cornudas (population: 4), never had but one dream for her little map dot an hour east of El Paso, and that was to install a couple...

Home free: four years ago I was arrested in Tulia and sentenced to prison for a crime I didn't commit. They finally let me out this fall, but I'm still afraid to leave my house.(As Told To)
December 1, 2003... by Joe Moore IT WAS THE YEAR BEFORE AN ELECTION, in 1999, and everybody wanted to look good. The county, hired Turn Coleman to lead a drug task force. I had a record, and I had gone to prison in 1990 for possession of cocaine. I did three...

J.J. Sedelmaier Production, Inc. presents ...: "how dry I am"! Or: "what's a girl gotta do to get a drink in this place".(In Other News ...)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... I'M TEXAS MONTHLY INTERN CAMERON SIEWERT. I GREW UP IN PERRYTON, THE LARGEST TOWN IN OCHILTREE COUNTY--ONE OF 51 "DRY" COUNTIES IN TEXAS, AFTER THE NEW YORK TIMES TOLD THE WORLD ABOUT ALL THE PLACES WHERE YOU CAN'T BUY LIQUOR BY THE DRINK...

Joe Jamail: the larger-than-life trial lawyer on tort reform, his first big case--and why he would bring back public floggings.(A Few Words With ...)(Interview)
December 1, 2003... Some people will assume that you've written your new book, Lawyer: My Trials and Jubilations (Eakin Press), as a way to retry your old cases--not necessarily to settle scores but to have the final word. I can't think of a case I want to retry....

The infirmation age: the greatest challenge facing baby boomers has nothing to do with cancer or cholesterol--and everything to do with mom and dad.(Jim Atkinson on Health)(caring for elderly parents)
December 1, 2003... IN THE SUMMER OF 2001, MY FATHER WAS DIAGNOSED with terminal colon cancer, at the age of eighty. Given only a few weeks to live, he was comfortably and properly situated in a military hospital. Yet despite the fact that he was a retired Air...

Buried treasure: if you were shopping only at your local record store, you probably missed some of the best albums to come out of texas this year.(John Morthland on Music)
December 1, 2003... IT'S THE TIME OF YEAR WHEN EVERYBODY'S supposed to be buying box sets like ZZ Top's four-CD retrospective, Chrome, Smoke & BBQ, as Christmas presents and critics are supposed to be preparing their top-ten lists. I'll avoid both. Instead, I want...

The accidental city: a new book paints a witty, perceptive portrait of Houston, a metropolis as culturally complex as it is commercially crass.(Michael Ennis on Art)(Ephemeral City: Cite Looks at Houston)(Book Review)
December 1, 2003... HOUSTON, THAT SPRAWLING LABORATORY of urban experiments, has gone about its work largely outside the purview of expert observers. Limited to the stereotypes advanced by hand-wringing outsiders on the one hand and high-on-hydrocarbons boosters...

Phoenix: this Southwest city has the perfect mix of rugged outdoor fun and spoil-yourself city pleasures.(Postcard)
December 1, 2003... When you go... High on Camelback Mountain, The Sanctuary on Camelback lives up to its name with luxuriously secluded casitas blending privacy with spectacular views. Take a dip in Arizona's largest infinity-edge pool, play a round of...

Alamo heights.(The Alamo)(Cover Story)
December 1, 2003... Or maybe it should be "Alamo Depths." In late: October Disney delayed the released of its $90 million restaging of the mythic battle from Christmas Day to April, a decision that set the rumor mill spinning. Will Hollywood ultimately pass this...

The ballad of Billy Joe Shaver.(Biography)
December 1, 2003... In his 64 years, the Corsicana native has been a cotton picker and a roughneck, a screwup and a scoundrel. He's hit the bottle, hit rock bottom, and been born again. He married the same woman three times, mounted multiple comebacks, survived a...

James Baker forever: genteel, old-money Houstonian. Suave citizen of the world. Above-it-all statesman. Partisan knife-fighter. Big-picture visionary. Detail-obsessed consigliere. He's all of these things. Still.(Biography)
December 1, 2003... HE CROWD DRIFTED through the giant, aluminum-ribbed tents on a tide of liquor, rose petals, egregiously expensive perfume, and money. Many were old-line Houstonians, and they had come to attend a tenth-anniversary fundraiser for the James A....

Jasper: what happens to a town identified with one of the worst hate crimes in American history?
December 1, 2003... BEFORE JASPER BECAME A SYMBOL, when it was still an ordinary town, a wrought-iron fence stood in its cemetery, dividing the graves of blacks and whites. How residents viewed the fence depended on which side of it they would someday be buried...

One ticked-off grandma: comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn says Governor Rick Perry is messing with her: better him than us.(Interview)
December 1, 2003... IF YOU DROVE NEAR THE CAPITOL COMPLEX in Austin in mid-October, you couldn't miss the small white signs that read "Cheer Up." A Tommy Lee Jones movie of that name was filming nearby, and the signs were placed strategically to tell the crew the...

And then there were none.(Redistricting 2003)
December 1, 2003... No white Texas Democrats in Congress, that is. Unless the U.S. Justice Department or a federal court finds violations of the Voting Rights Act, the new map for Texas is a twofer for Tom DeLay, of Sugar Land, the majority leader of the U.S....

California Wine Club.(Uncorked)
December 1, 2003... Give a California wine adventure! The California Wine Club makes a fun and unique gift. Each shipment includes two bottles of award-winning wine from California's best boutique wineries! $32.95 per month plus shipping. Includes an 8-page...

Llano Estacado Winery.(Uncorked)
December 1, 2003... Got your wine yet? Think about all those get-togethers, dinners, and gifts. This season, try Llano Estacado, Texas' best-selling premium wines. Llano is available in many varieties; look for us in your favorite store that sells wine. Llano...

Sonoma Wine Shop.(Uncorked)
December 1, 2003... Sonoma Wine Shop offers quality wines selected from California's boutique wineries, Call for our catalogue. Join our personalized wine club and receive two hand-picked bottles each month. Our tasting room is open daily on the historic Sonoma...

Cap*Rock Wine Company.(Uncorked)
December 1, 2003... Cap*Rock Wine Company was recently awarded a prestigious Gold Medal at the 2003 San Francisco International Wine Competition for their 2000 Palo Duro Canyon Red, and in 2002, Cap*Rock received an outstanding Double Gold for their 2000 Reserve...

Penfolds.(Uncorked)
December 1, 2003... Penfolds is Australia's most famous wine and maker of Penfolds Grange, widely regarded as one of the greatest wines created in the twentieth century. Through 150 years of outstanding achievements, Penfolds has fashioned the very taste of...

Rosemount Estate.(Uncorked)
December 1, 2003... More than just America's favorite Shiraz, Rosemount also produces an entire portfolio of fine wines, more than ten of which have recently received 90 points or better in America's leading wine publications. Discover for yourself what everyone's...

Patrick J. Moran.(In Good Company)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... * PRESIDENT OF MORAN RESOURCES COMPANY * CHAIR OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS BOARD OF DIRECTORS Patrick J. Moran possesses a knack for knowing what is around the next corner and how to deal with it. His talent is grounded more in...

St. Thomas Campaign tops $50 million.(University of St. Thomas--Houston)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... The University of St. Thomas Shining Star capital campaign has crossed the $50 million mark, according to Campaign Chair Liz Ghrist. The campaign seeks to raise at least $15 million more by the end of 2005. "We know that the needs exceed...

Pappas Restaurants.(In Good Company)(employees involved in community projects)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... Pappas Restaurants employees are involved in many community projects. The company just won an award from Incentive magazine for being one of the top motivating companies of the year. Shaelyn Neal, Director of Fun Stuff at Pappas Restaurants, is...

Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame.(In Good Company)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... * 817-626-7131, FORT WORTH * TEXASCOWBOYHALLOFFAME.COM The Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame honors those individuals who have shown excellence in competition, business, and support of rodeo and the western lifestyle in Texas. Among the world...

Faces of Change.(In Good Company)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... 817-321-2100, FORT WORTH CRESCENT.COM FACES of Change was created in 1997 with a mission to partner Crescent properties with local elementary schools in need. Crescent properties enter into a three-year partnership with the elementary...

Resolve of Houston.(In Good Company)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... * 713-975-5324 * RESOLVEOFHOUSTON.ORG Resolve of Houston is a nonprofit volunteer organization providing emotional and educational support for the one in five couples struggling with infertility. It is estimated that 70,000 Texans...

Salvation Army and Goodwill.(In Good Company)(donations of jackets)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... TEXAS AND NATIONWIDE SALVATIONARMYUSA.ORG, GOODWILL.ORG Wilsons Leather is proud to present "Coats for a Cause." Donate your gently used leather or fabric jacket and receive a special thank-you from Wilsons Leather. Coats will be...

Be an Angel Fund, Inc.(In Good Company)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... * 281-219-3313, HOUSTON * BEANANGEL.ORG Dr. Guy M. Lewis, of the Texas Center for Cosmetic Dentistry and Spa, and radio broadcaster Dan Patrick, of KSEV 700, have combined their desire in give back in those in need through the Be an...

Challenge Air for Kids and Friends.(In Good Company)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... 214-351-3353, DALLAS CHALLENGEAIR.COM Challenge Air for Kids and Friends, a not for-profit Texas-based organization, offers motivational, inspirational, and life-changing experiences to physically challenged children and youth through...

Hot topic.(Pat's Pick)(Burning Pear (Sugar Land, Texas))(Restaurant Review)
December 1, 2003... HOT TOPIC When you hear the name the Burning Pear, I challenge you not to think of British funnymen Peter Cook and Dudley Moore's classic skit about a restaurant called the Frog and Peach ("There's only two... dishes, really," Cook says to...

Restaurant guide: a selective guide to food and drink.(Directory)
December 1, 2003... Policies and Definitions The Restaurant Guide is a service to our readers. The magazine accepts no advertising or other consideration in exchange for a listing. Reviews are written by resident critics in the cities that we list. The...

Show me the cookies!(Primary Flavors)
December 1, 2003... I love cookies. They're a quick, compact treat, perfect for anyone under constant deadline pressure. While reflecting on the subject of cookies recently, realized that I don't make them nearly as often as I want to eat them. Instead I rely on...

Do you want your life back? Beth's story: women should feel healthy, vibrant and strong throughout their adult lives. If you have been told "it's in your mind" or "live with it," read on.(Hotze Health & Wellness Center)
December 1, 2003... Health for Midlife Beth is a 53 year old female who presented to the Hotze Health and Wellness Center with a 13 year history of worsening fatigue. She had a long history of cold hands and feet as well as sensitivity to cold. She was...

Lucky diamonds.(New Next)
December 1, 2003... Beautiful 14kt gold and diamond horse-shoe necklaces by Doug Moore are available in two sizes, $950 and $2,500. Also available in lapis, opal, turquoise, and onyx. Prices start at $375. Rewards, Austin. * 800-292-0195 or shoprewards.com

The eyes of Texas are on this ring.(New Next)
December 1, 2003... Kirk Root's newest creation--The University of Texas seal ring. Featuring a fine quality diamond and highlighted by two longhorns. Introductory price, $725. C. Kirk Root Designs, Austin. * 800-299-5475 or kirkrootdesigns.com

Perfect planning.(New Next)
December 1, 2003... The Events Company, a division of Landry's Restaurants, Inc., produces the finest social corporate, and private events. Whether it's an intimate party or a major extravaganza, Landry's will coordinate all aspects of an event in any venue...

Tiny treasure.(New Next)
December 1, 2003... The Menagerie's exclusive sterling silver guitar-shaped miniature box, 3" x 1.21", $76. A "Live Music Capitol of the World" collectible! The Menagerie, Austin. * 800-778-4644 or themenagerie.com

Give 'em dinner out.(New Next)
December 1, 2003... The Pappas Dining Card is a holiday gift that can be used at any Pappas restaurant for a variety of food. * 877-277-2748 or pappas.com

Live at Billy Bob's.(New Next)
December 1, 2003... Texan Jack Ingram is the latest in the "Live at Billy Bob's" CD series, joining Pat Green. Merle Haggard, David Allan Coe, and more. Billy Bob's Texas--Fort Worth Stockyards. * 817-624-7117 or billybobstexas.com

Tied to history.(New Next)(Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum scarf)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2003... The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum scarf with the design of the award-winning rotunda terrazzo floor by Robert T. Ritter will be sold exclusively at all Texas Saks Fifth Avenue stores; $95. Proceeds benefit the Texas State History...

A different tamale.(New Next)
December 1, 2003... A unique and healthy gourmet food, elk meat tamales have a great flavor. Texas Elk Company offers elk meat in a variety of cuts including jerky, chili, ribs, roasts, and more. * 866-TEXAS-ELK or texaselkcompany.com

Bows to Holley.(Word Of Mouth)(Mark Holley is the executive chef at Pesce.)(Brief Article)(Interview)(Biography)
December 1, 2003... Mark Holley confesses that interviews make him nervous. But the 44-year-old executive chef of Pesce, a seafood restaurant in Houston, is going to have to get used to the attention, especially if the accolades keep rolling in: My Table, the...

Hair today ... Yep, I recently had my "Lyle Lovett starter kit" straightened by a Palestinian. Can peace in the Middle East be far behind?(The Last Roundup)
December 1, 2003... WHY, YOU MIGHT ASK, WOULD A PERSON whose name is Kinky want to fly to a spa in Houston for the express purpose of getting his hair straightened? And why, you might also ask, would a person whose last name is Friedman want to have his moss...