Texas Monthly articles from December 2007

Texas Monthly archives from December 2007

No nino left behind: everyone in Texas understands that educating the emerging Hispanic majority is the most important challenge we face--everyone, that is, except the people we elected to lead us.(Behind the Lines)
December 1, 2007... Demographics is destiny. So is education, or the lack of it. Together they will determine our future--an obvious truth that hardly needs to be stated, except it is apparently not obvious to the state's current political leadership. Rick Perry,...

Alpine mystery slights.(Roar of the Crowd)(Letter to the editor)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... You left out one of the best (if not the very best) towns in your story on Big Bend: Alpine, home to Sul Ross State University, the Museum of the Big Bend, cowboy poetry, Gallery Night, balloon festivals, great people, and no red lights ["River...

The blame game.(Roar of the Crowd)(Letter to the editor)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... What an interesting story from Robert Draper ["The Evolver," October 2007]. Now I know to blame Pastor Mark Craig for pushing this evil big-business lackey upon the world. And I have new respect for Jenna Bush, after reading of her reluctance...

Capital gains.(Roar of the Crowd)(Letter to the editor)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... Your article about the challenges of First World microlending was music to my ears ["The Unbankables," October 2007]. For the past six years, I have helped run Covenant First Step Fund, a Grameen-inspired microlending program in Houston, and...

Good call.(Roar of the Crowd)(Letter to the editor)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... I thought I was the only person waxing nostalgic about a time when we could simply watch a football game on television ["Endless Summerall," October 2007]. Today, we are saddled with four to six well-dressed, well-coiffed has-beens discussing...

Roving reporter.(Roar of the Crowd)(Letter to the editor)
December 1, 2007... Your Behind the Lines column did a good job of outlining all the horrible things Karl Rove accomplished ["Requiem for a Heavy-weight," October 2007]. And your comments on Alberto Gonzales rightly conclude with this statement: "His moral compass...

No mascot left behind.(Roar of the Crowd)(Letter to the editor)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... I was hoping to see my all-time favorite mascot: Grand Prairie High School's mighty, mighty fighting Gopher ["Lions and Tigers and Bears!" October 2007]. Alas, no such luck. Now I live in Utah, the home of the Templars and Beetdiggers, where...

Lit happens.(Roar of the Crowd)(Letter to the editor)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... I hated wading through 135 pages of Super Lawyers to get to Potty Mouth Prudence Mackintosh's piece about Shithouse Shortie and his infamous business card that proclaimed, "Your shit's my bread and butter" ["Twice as Nice," October 2007]....

Beating around the bushies.(Roar of the Crowd)(Letter to the editor)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... You've outdone yourself. You managed to squeeze in three anti-Bush administration stories into one edition ("Requiem for a Heavyweight," Topic A, and "The Evolver"). Well done! Although written in sophisticatedly snide TEXAS MONTHLY style, I am...

Meat the Press.(Editor's Letter)
December 1, 2007... I'm not cowed by the idea of admitting to things that put me on the banks of the mainstream in Texas--rooting for the New York Yankees (give me an alternative!), thinking Cormac McCarthy's books are boring (get a rope!)--so I may as well also...

Topic a: motion to dismiss: it is time for Sharon Keller to go.(Reporter)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Four hours before convicted murderer Michael Richard was executed by the State of Texas on September 25, his lawyers notified the Court of Criminal Appeals that, because of computer problems, his appeal wouldn't be...

Fruitcake.(The Horse's Mouth: EVERYTHING I COULD EVER TELL YOU ABOUT ...)(Interview)
December 1, 2007... NAME: Bob McNutt AGE: 50 HOMETOWN: Corsicana QUALIFICATIONS: Third-generation president of Collin Street Bakery, in Corsicana, which has been selling its DeLuxe Fruitcakes since 1896 / Oversees production of more than one million fruitcakes a...

College try: the problem with student-athletes is that no one asks them to be students.(The Cheap Seats: JASON COHEN POPS OFF ABOUT SPORTS)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For a while there, the arrests were piling up more readily than rushing yardage. As every disenchanted Longhorns fan and gleeful rival booster ("Book 'Em, Horns!") knows, UT's biggest problem in 2007--well, until...

Chris Klassen, 24 Deejay.(The Working Life: STORIES FROM THE 9 TO 5)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I remember my first gig at a club, in 2001. My friend Mikey--he goes by DJ Jester was playing at a poetry slam in San Antonio, but he was gonna be out of town and he wanted me to play. He ended up giving me his spot,...

St. James' Episcopal Church: Austin: September 23, 2007.(Faith Bases: WILLIAM MARTIN REVIEWS OUR PLACES OF WORSHIP)
December 1, 2007... One seldom encounters the Nicene Creed and the gospel-country classic "Sweet, Sweet Spirit" in the same worship service. But Austin's St. James' Episcopal Church, "an inclusive multicultural community," is not your average Anglican assemblage....

GI woe.(Minister of Health: JIM ATKINSON CURES WHAT AILS US)(gastroesophageal reflux disease)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ever take a bite of, say, steak that's just a bit too large and chew it just a bit too little and feel it lodge briefly in your esophagus? I'll bet you do what I've always done: Pause, swallow again--and the food...

Crude truth: the oil drama There Will Be Blood is an epic disappointment.(Hollywood, TX: CHRISTOPHER KELLY ON OUR STATE OF ENTERTAINMENT)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The intrigue has been building since May 2006, when writer director Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Punch-Drunk Love) commenced production on his fifth feature film, There Will Be Blood, loosely based...

Atlantic Blues (1949-1970).(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Ahmet Ertegun co-founded Atlantic Records in 1947 and, by virtue of his taste and big ears, turned it into one of the most influential independent labels in history. Don't expect the down-and-dirty stuff on ATLANTIC...

Live from Austin TX.
December 1, 2007... For a San Antonio-born musician who once pretended to be British, DOUG SAHM made music remarkably devoid of pretense Because of this, the late Texas Tornado's genre-bending explorations have only grown richer over time. As part of Austin City...

Patty Griffin: Live from the Artists Den.(Children Running Through)(Sound recording review)(Brief article)(Video recording review)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Austin's PATTY GRIFFIN has always branded her work with a certain melancholic restraint, but Children Running Through, released earlier this year, changed that: She loosened up, let the music flow, and scored a real...

Solos, Sessions & Encores.(Pride and Joy)(Sound recording review)(Brief article)(Video recording review)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] If the conceit of SOLOS, SESSIONS & ENCORES (Epic Legacy)--a collection of STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN'S drop-ins on others' sessions--is somewhat silly, from a marketing standpoint, no one's laughing. Does an SRV fanatic...

A Land So Strange: The Epic Journey of Cabeza de Vaca.(Brief article)(Book review)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] History buffs will know sixteenth-century Spaniard Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca as one of the first Europeans to explore Texas, but even they will find surprises in A LAND SO STRANGE: THE EPIC JOURNEY OF CABEZA DE...

Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life.(Brief article)(Book review)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] There is something irresistibly civilized about the STEVE MARTIN who abandoned live comedy to ply his trade as a writer, first as a playwright (1993's Picasso at the Lapin Agile), then as a novelist and screenwriter...

Aaron Allston.(Interview)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... The Round Rock author and former video game designer has just penned his ninth Star Wars serialization, Legacy of the Force: Fury. What cachet does your role in the Star Wars franchise afford you in the realm of SF fandom? Reader reactions...

Victory Park, Dallas: the city's latest venture in luxury and leisure.(Street Smarts: A QUICKIE GUIDE TO ...)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] [1] The real genius of Victory Park's master planning?. Its blend of native retailers and global brands. Sharing the boulevard with such international trendsetters as Henry Beguelin and G-Star Rawis KLAD, the unisex...

Kay Bailey Hutchinson.(Texas Monthly Talks: EVAN SMITH SITS DOWN WITH ...)(Interview)
December 1, 2007... If you ask everybody in Austin right now, they'll say Kay Bailey Hutchison is definitely running for governor in 2010, and, in fact, she's been telling people in Austin for six months or more that she's running and that they shouldn't commit to...

The best public schools.(The List)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This is the fourth time we've published a list of the top public schools in Texas, and the second year in a row that we've presented the higher-performing schools ranked according to the number of subjects (such as...

Reversal of fortune: when did Houston's obscenely rich become so insanely boring?(Letter From Houston)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It is a rarely acknowledged but indisputable fact that Houston has always been home to some of the planet's most entertaining rich people. Open and lacking self-consciousness, they play to all the various myths of...

Boom with a view: the peril and promise of being one of the fastest-growing cities in Texas.(Letter From San Antonio)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In a state full of legendary boomtowns, the city of San Antonio has long been the odd man out. While Houston, Dallas, and Austin all experienced multiple economic explosions in the past quarter century, San Antonio...

Where's the beef? It's here in our guide to our favorite steakhouses in the state. From thee prime cuts to the best atmosphere to the sweetest desserts, it's time to get your Akaushi on.(MEAT YOUR MAKER)(steakhouse restaurants in Texas)(Restaurant review)
December 1, 2007... WE TEXANS LOVE US some steaks. As the nation's leader in cattle operations, our fair state produced 4.8 billion pounds of beef last year, a goodly portion of which was sliced up into ribeyes, tenderloins, and more. There are steakhouses from...

Big red is in John Corwyn too conservative to get reelected to the U.S. Senate or just conservative enough?
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] IN EARLY APRIL 2005, NOT QUITE halfway through his first term in the United States Senate, John Cornyn rose to address his colleagues. Newspaper reports would describe the chamber as "nearly empty," but it didn't...

The last resort: when Steve Smith bought the remote big bend town of Lajitas in 2000, he dreamed of building a lush, five-star retreat that would attract the likes of Tiger Woods and Tom Cruise. Instead, he paid dearly to learn an age-old lesson: the desert always wins.
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] At first blush, it's almost impossible to tell the age of a resident of south Brewster County, and there are two good reasons for that. The first is the effect of the arid Big Bend environs, of the baking sun,...

That championship season: from Midnight Yell Practice to the Twelfth Man, Texas A&M has one of the most storied football programs in the country. But only the 1939 Aggies can lay claim to the sport's ultimate prize.
December 1, 2007... Whether you love the Aggies or hate them, there's no argument about how passionate they are about football. Their fans yell when others cheer. They stand when others sit. They smooch when others high-five. They revere the Twelfth Man, Midnight...

Everyone's poop.
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] "Down the drain, off the brain" is how most people think about it, but human waste--or effluent, as the professionals call it--has a lot to tell us about how we live, what we eat, and who we are. [ILLUSTRATION...

Dallas fish market: Dallas.(PAT'S PICK)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] THE STURGEON WAS THE dish we all wanted to hog. In the interest of sharing, everyone passed their plates around, but the impeccably fresh fish--dressed up in a mild wholegrain-mustard sauce--always provoked a "Wait,...

Liberty Bistro: New Braunfels.(NEW + NOTEWORTHY)(Restaurant review)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... At this patriotic spot in the former city hall, founder Darren Scroggins has concocted a brick-and-mortar civic lesson. Portraits of presidents, and a few first ladies, preside (benevolently, we hope) over the tables, and even the private...

Joe DiMaggio's Italian chophouse: Austin.(NEW + NOTEWORTHY)(Restaurant review)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Would the legendary New York Yankees center fielder be pleased with this use of his name? No doubt. The restaurant (with one other location, in San Francisco) has a thirties-supper-club vibe, cool fifties music...

The filter: dining: our favorite restaurants, bistros, cafes, and joints.(restaurants and bars in the US)(Restaurant review)(Bar review)
December 1, 2007... The Filter: Dining POLICIES AND DEFINITIONS The Filter: Dining 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...

Dickens on the Strand: Galveston.(JORDAN'S PICK)
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] IF THE GHOSTS OF Christmases past were to go on vacation, there's a strong chance you'd find them lounging on the beach in Galveston. No other city in the state--or the country, for that matter--is as eager to revive...

Out of sight.(The Filter: Events: WHERE TO GO, WHAT TO DO, WHO TO SEE)(modern art exhibition)
December 1, 2007... HOUSTON When an institution as large as the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston decides to pull some of its rarely seen works out of storage, the resulting exhibit is often just as rewarding as those touring blockbuster shows. "Modern and Contemporary...

Double take.(The Filter: Events: WHERE TO GO, WHAT TO DO, WHO TO SEE)(American art exhibition)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... DALLAS Two disparate but equally enriching exhibits open this month at Southern Methodist University's Meadows Museum. If you plan on poking around--and you should--here's what to expect. Title: "Coming of Age: American Art, 1850's to 1950's."...

Hit parade.(The Filter: Events: WHERE TO GO, WHAT TO DO, WHO TO SEE)
December 1, 2007... DALLAS We've been humming along to "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" since October, but the holiday season doesn't officially start--in Dallas, at least--until the Neiman Marcus Adolphus Children's Parade wends its way through the streets of...

Winter wonderland.(The Filter: Events: WHERE TO GO, WHAT TO DO, WHO TO SEE)(The Snow Queen)(Theater review)(Brief article)
December 1, 2007... DALLAS Premiering at Undermain Theatre just in time to distract you from all that holiday shopping you still haven't finished is "The Snow Queen." Dubbed "a fairy tale for strange adults," the play is loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen's...

Lost and found.(The Filter: Events: WHERE TO GO, WHAT TO DO, WHO TO SEE)(exhibition of found items)
December 1, 2007... HOUSTON, NACOGDOCHES, AUSTIN, DALLAS Davy Rothbart is the kind of guy who saves his gas station receipts when he goes on road trips--for sentimental purposes. In fact, the self-confessed pack rat has parlayed his fascination with the odds and...

Go figure.(The Filter: Events: WHERE TO GO, WHAT TO DO, WHO TO SEE)
December 1, 2007... AUSTIN A fluffy white pillow hangs vertically on a wall, strapped down by five taut cords that are attached to springs, which are nailed into the wall. Once you've seen it (or envisioned it, as the case may be), the questions begin to arise:...

Craigslust: the birthday boy had to have a motorcycle jacket. I wanted him to have one. So I arranged a noncasual encounter.
December 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I emerged from the vegetative coma I'd slumped into while finishing my last novel, stretched, looked around, and discovered that (a) our house looked as if the Collyer brothers--the notorious pack rats overcome by...