Newsletter
Entries for August, 2011 in The nature of things
-
Question of the day: What have you missed about the rain?
By dwray in The nature of things
"The coolness." - Mary Jane Martin, retired, Goliad. "The coolness and the green outside." - Donna Cellini, retired, Goliad. "The green grass. Everything is so dry and brittle." - Joyce Harzel, caretaker, Moulton. "The smell of the rain, the freshness." ...
-
A storm is abrewin' (and other news)
By dwray in The nature of things
Ever heard of the song "Mr. Hurricane"? It's one of those tunes with a beat that gets lodged somewhere in your spine and just kind of makes you groove with it. I'm listening to it now, and, yeah, I'm doing ...
-
The thing is, there's so much we don't really want to know
By dwray in The nature of things
Herman Melville's book "Moby Dick" is one of those quintessential Great Books that people like to bring up. It actually is good though and one of the best points Melville makes in his whale hunting tale is that people on ...
-
By dwray in The nature of things
"I haven't learned to deal with it yet." - Jack Wood, oil field consultant, Victoria. "I drink lots of water, and tomorrow I'm going to Wisconsin." - Grover Ellisor, oil field consultant, Victoria. "I've been staying indoors." - John Warek, ...
-
That's oil, folks: Jeff Bridges and other news
By dwray in The nature of things
While parts of the country are shaking and quaking in the wake of earthquakes, the environment beat has got plenty going on. Up north, the Philadelphia Inquirer is looking into concerns that fracking in the Marcellus Shale may be draining ...
-
Question of the day: What kind of venues would you like to see in the Victoria nightlife scene?
By dwray in The nature of things
"I'd like a comedy club. That would be fun to have downtown." - Kathy Ricotilli, retired, Victoria. "They don't really have anywhere to dance. Dance halls would be nice." - John Novak, retired, Victoria. "I'd like to see a family ...
-
By dwray in The nature of things
If you've never been to Indianola, get on the highway, and follow signs placed alongside the gently curving roads heading down toward Port Lavaca and take a look. You won't find much. It's a quiet place, so still you can ...
-
An imbalance in the world: Is the death of a gray whale a sign of the times?
By dwray in The nature of things
Early Tuesday morning, a gray whale died on the shore of the Klamath River in California. According to the AP story, the whale swam up the river from the Pacific in late June. The 45-foot whale and her calf swam ...
-
Question of the day: If you could be made into anything, what would it be and why?
By dwray in The nature of things
"A musician. I've always wanted to be one." - Shiloh Burton, student, Victoria. "I want to be a lawyer. You get lot's of money." - Lane Wright, student, Halletsville. "A hockey player. I just love hockey." - Robert Leng, Whataburger ...
-
Any aliens out there? SETI is listening
By dwray in The nature of things
Years ago I sat in a dark movie theater with my dad watching Jodie Foster press her ears to headphones as she listened to evidence that extraterrestrials do, in fact, exist. More importantly, these aliens were using our radio waves ...
-
Nevermind building a better mousetrap, the real money is in toilets
By dwray in The nature of things
No, seriously. After many moons where toilet technology has rested at a comfortable standstill, some enterprising researchers are working to see if they can update the toilet system. Once upon a time, way back in the days before plumbing and ...
-
Even Russians Can't Prevent Forest Fires, and Other News
By dwray in The nature of things
Today, while photo intern Kassandra Lau and I were out eyeballing some squash of almost fairy tale proportions, there was plenty going on out in the wide, wide world. Up in New England, new shrimping regulations have got area shrimpers ...
-
Question of the day: Have you ever helped a homeless person?
By dwray in The nature of things
"I have because I felt sorry for them." - Kala Esta, student, Victoria "I've given food and money before. I don't give if I think they're regulars, only if I feel they're really needy." - Kent Thomas, sales, Tomball. "I ...
-
Those turkeys: governments continue to disappoint
By dwray in The nature of things
Yesterday, it all came out that the Japanese Government knew the Fukushima evacuees were sitting downwind of radioactive emissions. Children played outside, people used contaminated water to cook with and it is only just now coming to light that government ...
-
It's hot as Hades, but we aren't radioactive and we don't have to water camels
By dwray in The nature of things
Things are still hotter than warm side of Hades down this way, but every time you take another swipe at the sweat on your brow keep in mind things could be worse - we could be living in Fukushima, for ...
-
Question of the day: Has the drop in the stock market worried you?
By dwray in The nature of things
"It certainly does, because I'm alive. If I was dead it wouldn't concern me, but I'm alive so it does." - Richard Fritz, retired, Victoria. "Sure, we all need an economy that keeps getting better and better. It doesn't affect ...
-
Question of the day: How are you dealing with the heat?
By dwray in The nature of things
"I try to stay out of the heat. I just stay indoors." - Ryan Sledge, Academy, Victoria. "I just like to stay inside buildings, and maybe go to the pool. That sounds nice." - Yu Wong, Academy, Victoria. "We work ...