Fossil Fuel Energy

Chevron Kicks Out Activists From Its Marathon Expo

​A group of marathon runners were kicked out and banned from the Chevron Marathon Expo for displaying material that was critical of the oil company, but one of the runners tells Hair Balls that the group is continuing as planned. "We are still going to, at least try to, run the race on Sunday. We ... More >>

Gas Station Sushi

Photos by Katharine Shilcutt​Only a few short days after Eating Our Words' body revolted violently against some inadvisedly consumed cheese enchiladas that had been on a steam table for far too long, as it turns out, we decided to show our stomach who's boss. Take back the night! And what bett ... More >>

Houston Companies Don't Do Too Badly In Survey Of Gay-Friendly Workplaces

​The Human Rights Campaign Foundation has issued its latest rankings of how businesses treat their gay and lesbian employees, and things look a little better than last year.The report gave 305 businesses a top score of 100 this year; that's an increase from last year's 260. Eleven of the top 20 Fo ... More >>

ExxonMobil Fined $600,000; We Think They Can Come Up With It

​Let's be honest.There aren't a lot of "bad days" for a global petrochemical company that made a record $45.2 billion profit last year, so we'll just say ExxonMobil had a less than stellar day on Wednesday when state regulators penalized it more than $600,000 for environmental crimes.ExxonMobil's ... More >>

Halliburton Corruption: The Gift That Keeps On Giving

​Earlier this year, Halliburton agreed to pay nearly $560 million in fines to the federal government to end an investigation into its former subsidiary, KBR, and its involvement in bribing Nigerian officials to get construction contracts. It was reportedly the largest fine ever paid by a U.S. comp ... More >>

$7 at Bell Street Cafe

Photo by Craig HlavatyChicken Veronique at Bell Street CafeWhere: Bell Street Cafe, 800 Bell Street (under the Exxon Building) What $7 gets you: Surprisingly fresh and cheap food. Dining under the Exxon building, right next to the Houston Press building, means that you will be eating with a millio ... More >>

How Can Exxon Make A Giant Profit And Conoco A Giant Loss? Gas Is Gas, Right?

After reading about ExxonMobil's record $45.2 billion annual profit, Hair Balls was scratching our head over why Exxon had a profitable fourth quarter, when Conoco lost $31.8 billion. Does Exxon jack up the cost of Little Debbies at its stores or something?Fortunately, we caught Hoover's Oil & G ... More >>

ConocoPhillips Keeps A Ball Or Two

Houston petroleum giant ConocoPhillips never realized just how much people loved their balls.Not "their balls" in the sense of the guts it takes to charge four bucks a gallon for gas (Am I right or am I right, people?!), but their balls as in the red, round "76" signs that dot their gas stations.Con ... More >>

At Least Some Houston Companies Might Not Fail, Magazine Says

BREAKING NEWS (MUST CREDIT HAIR BALLS!!!) -- The stock market is in trouble. We'd put up some links if anyone was bothering to cover what we, at least, think is an important story.One media outlet that is covering it is Forbes magazine. They've come out with a list of five companies that it might be ... More >>

ExxonMobil To Worker, Allegedly: Ignoring Racial Harassment Won't Make You An "Uncle Tom"

Tensions Are Rising

The Hits Keep Coming From The BP Refinery

What a Dump: British Petroleum Fined for Unauthorized Disposal of Hazardous Waste

Texaco Gets A Little Closer To Oblivion

Another Day, Another 1,300 Pounds Of Benzene Accidentally Released

ExxonMobil Isn't Making Enough Money

"Disgruntled" BP Workers Sue

Bummer: Downtown YMCA to Be Demolished

Bayousphere

Bribes in the Soviet Union, Jesus Christ on PBS and Gavin Newsom at La Strada

The oil business ain't pretty

Memories of ACLs Past: The Halliburton Shirt

H-town, Represent, Represent

Killing Fences: Totally Misconstrued

The department of homeland security is doing its best to get its message across

Woodwind Lakes subdivision built on oil and gas field turns on neighbor who pointed out the contamination

Re: It's Getting Hot in Heere

It's Getting Hot in Heere

Shell Hell

Shell Hell

The Austin Lounge Lizards

The Austin Lounge Lizards perform Saturday, January 6, at McGonigel's Mucky Duck, 2425 Norfolk, 713-528-5999.

The Cost of Doing Business

An oil-field services employee from Texas is shot down on the streets of Nigeria, martyr to someone's cause

Those Damn Kids

In Pasadena, it's those damn adults

Horse Shoed

HPD loses its cool at the Halliburton demonstration

This Week's Day-by-Day Picks

Clash Course

Warriors of the right take their battle against the left to the streets of New York

Spring Thaw

There's actual good news for CITGO's battling refinery union

Falun Follow-up

Plus: Porn Priorities?, House Woes, Sit on It

Red Light, Green Light

With billboards of windmills promising gentle, nonpolluting energy, Green Mountain offers Texans a new power avenue. Will they take it? Should they?

Win a Few, Lose One

Service station dealers record a couple of victories in their court battles with parent oil companies

Pumped Up

Threatened station dealers score big in wins against oil giants

Letters

Boiled by Oil, Try Gas Station Work, Rollin' with Ralph

Pumped Dry

Gas station dealers find big oil blocking the way in their struggles against extinction

Paying the Price

Major gas companies are driving away independent station operators, all in the name of greed

Station Breaks

What oil companies are doing to their dealers

Oil Giant's Policy Fuels Gays' Protest

Activists rally ExxonMobil for recognition of same-sex-partner benefits

Scenes from the Bayou Sphere

Shadow Over Texas City

Petrochemical plants and refineries are the lifeblood of Texas City's economy. But for Hester Joiner and her neighbors, all they've provided are foul odors, property damage and mysterious ailments.

The Fine This Time

OSHA spanks Exxon for safety lapses at its Baytown refinery

Gassed

A tankful of trouble lingers for some Houston motorists

The Fire Next Time?

Downsizing, outsourcing, deferred maintenance ... It all makes for a volatile mix at Baytown's Exxon refinery.

Days of Living Dangerously