The Wall Street Journal

Workers at ExxonMobil's Massive Baytown Plant (Almost) Went On Strike over safety

The folks over at Exxon Mobil's Baytown refinery were facing a possible Norma Rae situation last week when local United Steelworkers representatives threatened a strike if the Exxon people didn't put in the health and safety provisions they'd asked for in their contracts. Local USW rep Rich "Hoot" ... More >>

Sugar Daddies Are Paying For Lots Of Sugar Babies At UH, Company Claims

A young woman finds an older man on a dating website. She's drawn to him. What can it be? His age and experience? His Sean Connery-like looks? The fact that she's got bills to pay at the University of Houston and he has agreed to pay for her education just for the pleasure of her company? I know w ... More >>

Cupcakes Are Out: Five Treats That Are In

Cupcakes have been the rage in America for several years now. After stores were opened exclusively to sell cupcakes, television shows were centered on the little individual desserts and the public went crazy over different cupcake presentations and decorations, it seemed like cupcakes were the end-a ... More >>

Reaching Critical Mass

Suddenly fashionable Houston shows off its contemporary arts scene along Main Street in and around the Isabella Court building.

Why Do Mexican Men Like Classic Cars?

And why do Mexicans still bother with the United States?

The Top 10 Eating...Our Words Posts of 2012

Last week, we began wrapping up the year in review. We looked at the most notable restaurant closings of 2012, the restaurants we're most excited about for 2013 and our most popular Top 10 lists of the year. This week, we're looking at the best new restaurants of 2012 and -- today -- the 10 most po ... More >>

Spoiler Alert!

A handy infographic guide to the shelf life of fruit.

How to Speak Republican

Leaked document reveals the secrets of the GOP's coded language.

Corkage: A Privilege, Not a Right

In the wake of last week's post on The Wine Lover's Bill of Rights, I wanted to turn the tables (no pun intended) and address one of the wine lover's responsibilities in the unique social compact that is sealed when you sit down for a meal in a restaurant. In most states, corkage -- i.e., bringing ... More >>

Top 5 Champagnes Under $60 for the Holidays

Photos by Jeremy Parzen.Remember: Champagne doesn't have to be white. Rosé Champagne is often considered the more "muscular" expression of the appellation. Look for Bollinger Rosé, Ruinart Rosé, and our favorite, Billecart Salmon Rosé.​Okay, folks. There's good news and there's bad news. ... More >>

Exxon's New Giant Oil Find Could Meet World Needs For....A Couple of Months

Fighting with the feds over who gets that sweet, sweet oil​The energy world is marveling today at news that ExxonMobil's recent discovery in the Gulf of Mexico could contain up to a billion barrels of oil. "The only thing that surprised the energy industry more than Exxon Mobil Corp.'s mammot ... More >>

Perry For Prez Speculation Heats Up With His Key Aides Quitting Gingrich Campaign

New signs point to yes​The political world is buzzing with word today that key aides to the hilarious Newt Gingrich presidential campaign have resigned. Why? Because some of those aides are longtime Rick Perry people, and their presence on the Gingrich team was often cited as evidence Perry wa ... More >>

Comment of the Day: Rodeo Sissy Edition

​We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it's time we paid some damn attention to them. So we'll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day's work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula involv ... More >>

Rodeo Houston a Bit Too Highfalutin for the Wall Street Journal

Cowboys don't drink wine? Thems fightin' words.​The Wall Street Journal on Friday ran a story about the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo containing two things we thought we would never see. First, we never thought anyone would accuse the rodeo of being erudite. Second, we never imagined it w ... More >>

Texas To Put Humans to Sleep With Animal Drug

Texas' execution-bound inmates will soon know what it's like to be put to sleep.​Pretty soon, in-deep-doo-doo Texans will be able to exit the planet in the same style as deaf, blind and arthritic-ridden Fidos and Fluffys. As was recently reported by the Wall Street Journal, the state of Texas ... More >>

M.D. Anderson Making Mice Babies WITHOUT MOTHERS. That's Gotta Be Gay, Right?

Who needs Mommy?​Researchers at M.D. Anderson have created mice from two fathers, the Wall Street Journal reports. That has to be the gayest thing we've heard since sing-along Project Runway. Which we actually haven't heard of, but we can dream, right? The scientists "first engineered a fema ... More >>

Pardon the DeLay

Readers weigh in on politician's guilty verdict.

Dallas Cowboys: America's Most Popular Team, To America's Discredit

Dallas Cowboys: America has no taste​The Neilsen Company, the people who give you TV ratings, have done an extensive study on how popular various NFL teams are.According to the Wall Street Journal, the study examined "each team's local and national TV rankings, how often they're mentioned on the I ... More >>

Channel 39 Maybe Doesn't Want You To Watch Mia Gradney

Don't listen to the billboards!!!!​You know all those semi-sultry billboards with Channel 39's Mia Gradney asking you to watch her?Forget them.As we noted a month ago, Channel 39's owners, The Tribune Company, were looking to "bust the TV cliches" on its chain of local stations.And Houston gets to ... More >>

Game Time: Cush-Watch Day 5: AP Voters Get Their Sanctimony On

You talking to me? ​I'm not sure what it says about your franchise when the most highly anticipated Monday is not a Monday following a big game nor the Monday after the NFL Draft, but instead it's the first Monday of "organized team activities" (OTA's for those into acronyms) in May, and it's ... More >>

Beyonce's Naughty T-Shirt, Devin's Suite 420, Eric B Vs. Nicki Minaj, Rick Astley Chopped And Screwed...

Welcome back to Turning the Screw, Rocks Off's weekly rap post. It probably won't rhyme, at least most of the time. E-mail tips to introducingliston@gmail.com. Thanks, homies. Single of the Week: Kritikal Van Gogh, "Dog Eat Dog" Wire to Wire ​Beyonce had tongues wagging at this weekend's Coac ... More >>

Downing Street Pub's Downing Street Draft

Stirred and Shaken: Downing Street Pub's Downing Street Draft

Photo by Troy Fields​If you're on a scavenger hunt and anti-Obama bathroom graffiti pops up on your list, try Downing Street Pub (2549 Kirby, 713-523-2291). The place is how you might imagine The Wall Street Journal as a bar — lousy with white collars, cigars and masculine wood (the stai ... More >>

Houston, You Are One Hell Of A Tax-Procrastinating City

​If you're in Houston, we have a pretty good idea what you're doing -- anything but preparing your tax returns.Turbo Tax has put out a survey of the 10 Biggest Tax-Procrastinating Cities, and Houston proudly leads the list after coming in a measly second last year.Turbo Tax V-P Bob Meighan offered ... More >>

The Basics: Cookbooks

​We recently read an article in the Wall Street Journal on Alton Brown's top five favorite cookbooks. You remember Brown. He's the quirky chemistry geek on Good Eats and one of the commentators on Iron Chef. If you're one of the few non-Food Network junkies, you might recognize him from Welch' ... More >>

Measures of a Man

Harrison Ford is nothing if not useful.

Another Extension, Another Show

Photo courtesy ricornelproductions.comAnother day, another happy announcement about a Houston stage production extending its run due to popular demand.Yesterday it was Stages and Grey Gardens; today it's Main Street Theater's Awake and Sing.Main Street has announced additional performances of the Cl ... More >>

Martin Limón

The Wandering Ghost, a Sergeants Sueño & Bascom Mystery

The Nanny Diaries

Life as a young, hot, white, educated nanny in the city sure is a drag

The Simpsons Movie

Breathe easy, Simpsons fans

The Metamorphosis

Boy turns bug in redemptive kiddie-lit adaptation

The Show Band that Wouldn't Die

Three things you didn't know about Vince Vance and the Valiants

Play It Pretty for Cabaret Voltaire

A Rice grad stakes his claim as the inventor of the ironic "Freebird" request; also: there's a Lanky new kid on H-town's burgeoning pop-rock scene

Party Animals

Politically oriented matchmaking sites are surging toward the election

Best Community Newspaper

This Week's Day-by-Day Picks

Don't Call the Cops!

William Pope.L's "eRacism" crawls into town

Best Local Boy Made Good

Rusty Hardin

Hello, My Name Is Simon...

And I like to do drawrings

Executing the Truth in Ads

Just who is behind the McVeigh ads is called into question

Bet You Can't Vote for Just One!

Why did so many Houston Hispanics punch twice for president?

News of the Weird

News of the Weird

News of the Weird

News of the Weird

News of the Weird

News of the Weird

News of the Weird

Alison Cook looks back at 1997: The Year That Bit

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