My copy: 9780292721135 (image from The University of Texas Press). I lucked out when I got this book. It came to the bookstore in late January of 2010 and the store was closing by the end of the month. I hate when bookstores close, but it was the only way I could afford this one--marked … Continue reading Houston: Lost and Unbuilt, by Steven R. Strom
Recommend: from Dandelion Salad: Tis the Season To Wage Boycotts! I can't help it--I get suckered into good deals and the belief that I won't get stuck in debt every year. I'm sure I'm still paying for Christmas gifts from 10 years ago because I've never crawled from the hole I dug. I'm working my way … Continue reading Against Excess this Holiday Season…I will do my damnedest.
The Universe strikes again with something I can work with. I have excellent hearing. Even now I can hear Starbucks' sound system through my wrap-around headphones, which are on to diminish the noise so I can write. Also, it was to tune out a whole different noise that I couldn't define (but I assume was … Continue reading #048–Why do some people play music on their phones without headphones or earbuds in public places?
My Copy: 9780890965191 (image from amazon.com) A lifelong-resident of the Houston metro area, I am one of thousands of schoolchildren who has made what I like to call the "4th grade pilgrimage" to the San Jacinto Battleground, famous as the shortest decisive battle in history. Most people know about the monument (which wasn't supposed to … Continue reading Battleship Texas, by Hugh Power
I admit, I have tons of go-tos for getting out of a crap-tastic day. Sometimes I let myself wallow, but most of the time I get impatient and go looking for things that never fail to make me laugh or at least smile and feel good for a little while. And most of them are … Continue reading My Top 10 List: videos or moments that make me smile or laugh no matter what
(image from amazon.com) I admit right now: I didn't finish it. This one's been sitting on my shelf for a decade. I suppose I should've read it the day I bought it, then I may have liked it better. I've heard from people who have read this book long before I did that the best … Continue reading The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
My Copy: 9781402218996 (Image from amazon.com) I discovered slam poetry a few months ago and was blown away by the emotion in what I was seeing for most poems. Some were great, some not so much, some amazing--but they all had something to bring to the table. I wanted to learn how to write like … Continue reading Take the Mic: the Art of Performance Poetry, Slam, and the Spoken Word, by Marc Kelly Smith & Joe Kraynak
My Copy: 9780060248024 (image from fanpop.com) Shel Silverstein is the man. He's an amazing, fun writer, illustrator, and has loads of imagination to spare. It's early to be thinking about Christmas shopping, but when it comes down to it, Shel Silverstein is the one author I'd give to a kid no matter how old they … Continue reading Falling Up, by Shel Silverstein
Seriously, they're best buds, they belong together. Okay, I'm sure the basic question has cropped up a lot in the past few decades. Heaven knows there are already a million pages google can find for you. Correction, 86 million give or take a few. So what's one more? My basic research has come up with … Continue reading #047–Absurd Sunday Blitz Q: The Hot Dogs vs. Hot Dog Buns Question…good business or stubborn tradition?
My Copy: 9780965915908 (image from goodreads.com) I picked this book up at the Alamo's gift shop, and for the longest time that was the only place (other than the publisher) where you could find it. For those who want a copy, thank goodness for e-bay and book resell outlets. It still looks like getting a … Continue reading The Alamo: An Illustrated History, by George Nelson
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