SE Texas Has Been Battered by Rita and Ike
In conversation after conversation here in Southeast Texas, the topic of hurricanes Rita and Ike comes up. So many lives were uprooted, and nature was changed in such profound ways, I learned. We spent the morning today on the Village Creek, with water the color of weak tea and downed […]
From a Cuban Emailer, An Explanation
I interrupt this continual coverage of my trip to Southeast Texas for a poignant reminder that the world close to us is indeed not free. I just got an email from a man whose first name is Rolando, who lives in Cuba. I had noticed that someone was sending out […]
Texas Tales: Terry Thomas and the Bobcat
We beached our canoes and kayaks on a sandbar on Village Creek, a tributary of the Neches river here in Southeast Texas. It was time for lunch and stories. Our guide had plenty of both, we soon found out. The day was sunny and the paddling along this gorgeous stretch […]
Passing Tapas at Easy’s in Beaumont
Last night we got a chance to visit one of Beaumont’s favorite restaurants, which is known for being easy. Wayne and Karen Ingwerson opened up Easy’s six years ago on the main drag, Calder St. here in this oil city. “We wanted to attract an older crowd, and be a […]
A Mickie Dees Secret Told by an Angler
On the plane to Houston, I sat next to a contractor from Rindge, NH. He told me he was on his way to a fishing tournament sponsored by McDonalds. Ironically, most of the work he does is remodeling their restaurants so they can serve their new McCafe offerings, making the […]
A Call from the Reader’s Digest Fact Checker
I’m at the gate at Logan, having just consumed a delicious bowl of Starbucks instant oatmeal. They give you packets of nuts and fruits so it’s all in all a lot better than a fatty croissant or an even fattier meat-filled breakfast sandie. I gotta hand it to the battered […]
The Secret and Sad Lives of Adult Film Stars
I’ve been on a roll lately watching documentaries about the adult video business. It’s surprisingly easy to shoot these docs, because all they consist of is interspersing 8-10 interviews with people in the business, and throwing in some scenes of them hard at work to make it more interesting. The […]
No FastPass? Well, You’re Gonna Wait, and Wait
Continuing my series on life’s little joys, I get to a topic that is lighting up talk radio and the pages of the Boston Herald this week. It’s about the Mass Pike and Fastlane passes. I’ve had one of these little white boxes just above my car mirror for many […]