Seven days after areas of West Texas started burning, it seems that emergency workers have the majority of a large Ft. Davis-region fire contained. Working tirelessly since Saturday, firefighters from all across the state descended upon Presidio and Jeff Davis Counties to battle the so-called Rockhouse fire. The high winds and drought-like conditions of West Texas made battling the already rampant fire even harder and by the time it was contained, it had burned over 100,000 acres, destroying buildings, incinerating crops and killing livestock. Luckily, no one has died as a result of this fire. more ›

Last week Warren and I went to West Texas. We didn’t have too many set goals. Mostly we went because it had been nearly a full four weeks since my last vacation and I hate letting a month go by without taking a break from my pressing duties as Austin’s Head Cheerleader—;all those free show tickets and gourmet meals can really wear a girl out, you know? It was my hope that I might actually relax for once, something at which I am admittedly pretty terrible. But I tried, really I did. West Texas lent an assist—phone and internet connectivity are a bitch out there, so for large chunks of time I was disconnected. And yet… somehow, over the course of five days, I managed to get into it with a Tea Bagger. I also was cornered, during a rare moment of wifi, by a woman who demanded proof I am not a big butch dyke. Both events left me contemplating Right Action and asking myself: Should I engage with these fuckers in the name of sticking up for myself and all of humanity? Or should I take a cue from Warren and just laugh it off? You can probably guess which path I took. Let’s begin with the Are You or Are You Not a Homo? Incident. more ›

The Texas state park system has long been seen as the "family jewel" of our state and a great source of pride for all Texans. Yet the park system is presently under threat, due to a serious lack of financial resources. Despite Gov. Rick Perry’s ardent public support for the foundering Texas state park system – managed by the under-funded Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) – it now seems quite clear, thanks to the... more ›

No matter how hard you squint through the yellow haze of pollen or rub your puffy, watery eyes, you’ll still see the same ridiculously high numbers at the gas pump. more ›