Texas Quotes

When spy novelist Alan Furst was asked why he sold his papers to The University of Texas-Austin, he explained: “It’s like why do you subscribe to The New Yorker? It’s the best.”
“It was the worst time in my broadcasting career, and I wish people would stop bringing it up. It’s the most embarrassing thing I [...]

Greetings from Beijing

Mr. Lynn Ashby
H Texas
Dear Lynn,
Greetings from Beijing.
Where plans to expand solar power in the United States look a lot different from
my seat in a cafe near Tiananmen Square than from my office in Northern California
– where I am the CEO of one of America’s larger solar power companies.
Many of the measures — and half measures [...]

The Neighbor’s Porch

By Lynn Ashby
Just slip this little envelope into the mail slot and leave. They’ll never know who did it. When they cash the check they’ll…oops. Come to think of it, I paid by check rather than cash. That blows my cover.
This is my predicament and probably yours, too. The other day in my mailbox was [...]

2009 In Review

What a year it was for Houston. What fantastic events, what great people and wonderful victories. I am referring, obviously, to 1836. As for 2009, it ranks right down there with 1348, which gave Europe the black plague. Still, we must look back with joy — joy that 2009 is over. Remember the swine flu, [...]

THE RESTAURANT

by Lynn Ashby
The food is overcooked, the waiter is overwhelmed and the menu is overpriced. The bad news is, that’s the good news. This restaurant is so loud I can’t hear myself gag, and it took so long to get served that I had my food carbon dated.
A wise man (me) once noted that there [...]

The Mall

THE MALL — Colorful eggs, cute baskets and nice spring bonnets are being set up as stores gear up for Easter. Long gone are hearts and candy for Valentine’s Day. Christmas gifts left unsold have been repossessed by China and the yuletide wreathes are back in storage. Good thing, too. My neighborhood mall began setting [...]

The Restaurant

THE RESTAURANT — The food is overcooked, the waiter is overwhelmed and the menu is overpriced. The bad news is, that’s the good news. This restaurant is so loud I can’t hear myself gag, and it took so long to get served that I had my food carbon dated.
A wise man (me) once noted that [...]

Post Time Why Houston should still be a two newspaper town

The HOUSTON POST—the newspaper’s old home at the Southwest Freeway and the West Loop is still standing strong—a magnificent structure from the outside. But inside the front towers, all the interior walls are gone. There are only naked concrete ceilings and concrete floors (something about asbestos), torn window blinds and large air pipes stacked about, [...]

Post Time: Why Houston Should Still be a Two-newspaper Town

The Post was the pillar of Houston, and Ashby was its fifth column
Post Time: Why Houston Should Still be a Two-newspaper Town
By Lynn Ashby
The HOUSTON POST – the newspaper’s old home at the Southwest Freeway and the West Loop is still standing strong—a magnificent structure from the outside. But inside the front towers, all the [...]

Cruise Control How to stay above the ahoy polloi

This special issue of H Texas touts great escapes both near and far. As an international traveler (Nuevo Laredo counts, doesn’t it?), I shall now give you a few pointers on the most important vacation: the cruise.
Oh yes, I do know cruises. There is the temperature (about 110 degrees), the ocean spray (swamping my landing [...]

A Dine’s Worth of Difference Houston’s out to Lunch (and Dinner, Too)

Houston is known to the outside world for many splendors: oil, gas, traffic and their offspring, smog. Others have heard of NASA, the Texas Medical Center, the Astrodome and on and on. When it comes to touting our pluses, we all know the drill (on or offshore). But one of the joys of living here [...]

Our Forefathers’ Foreplay The Cutting Edge

The best kept secret around here is that Houston has a history. Oh sure, it’s hard to compare our past to Boston’s or San Antonio’s, but we can beat Dallas, Denver and Detroit without breaking a sweat. Houston has been a national capital, survived two military invasions, and endured what historians call the ninth most [...]

2008: The Year of Our….Lordy! (We have nothing to fear but the year itself)

Are we there yet? Have we reached 2009? Maybe we can crawl under the bed until 2008 is over, because we can’t take much more of it. This year we endured a massive hurricane, the implosion of our sports teams and a cascading stock market. Finger’s Furniture became Ashley’s, and the Downtown YMCA built in [...]

Lynn Ashby on Sam Houston and Bud Adams

If it needs cutting, I’ll do it.
Ashby gets historical at the mere mention of Sam Houston. He gets hysterical at the mere thought of Bud Adams.

By Lynn Ashby
The best kept secret around here is that Houston has a history. Oh, sure, it’s hard to compare our past to that of Boston or San Antonio, [...]

Curb Your Mustard Bottles and other tales of curbside calamities

“The city’s shimmering skyline may wear the label of the world’s energy capital, but deep in Houston’s dumpsters lies a less glamorous superlative: It is the worst recycler among the United States’ 30 largest cities.” — The New York Times
THE CURB — If this is the third Thursday of the month, but with no holiday [...]

Who Guards the Guards? Texas law enforcement agencies are failing to protect

It’s a good thing we live in Houston where we are safe from crime, guarded by three—count ‘em three—layers of crime fighters, four if you include the feds. Why not count the FBI? They’re counting you. Our first wall of protection from the Huns, garden snakes and the heartbreak of psoriasis is the Houston Police [...]

The Freshman Speech What your guidance counselor should have told you

Each year, college graduation ceremonies are held on campuses throughout the nation, and departing students are given wise words of advice – the “Onward and upward!” sort of speech. But if they don’t know where to go by then, it’s too late.
They have survived—and hopefully learned from—all the mistakes they made as students [...]

Galveston, We Have a Problem The solution to Galveston’s economic slump is casinos

July is high tide for tourism in Galveston. At this time of year, Houstonians — and even some Tulsans and Topekans — trek to the island for sun and sand. The key words here are “at this time of year.” When the first frost hits the oleanders and the Rosenberg Monument is as chilled as [...]

Blowhards Houston’s weather forecasters begin the annual hurricane hysteria

June 1 is the official beginning of hurricane season, marked by the Red Cross tossing out the first doughnut. With this warning, our usual slack-jawed calmness is put on hold until the end of November, during which time we cower in our bomb shelters awaiting the slightest breeze to send us racing to Amarillo. Our [...]

Houston: Insert Catchy Cliché Here Studies determine city has had enough studies

“Houston, we have a problem” must be the most overused cliché (is that redundant?) since “I’m the candidate of change” and “At the end of the day.” But, Houston, we do have a problem, and it’s a rather strange one. Which polls, studies and reports are we to believe? We are receiving mixed messages about [...]

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