The print edition of the Houston Press almost made it to its 30th birthday. However, we have received news from editor-in-chief Margaret Downing herself that the alt-weekly that Voice Media has pulled the proverbial plug after several years of questionable fiscal viability. Most of the editorial staff have been laid off. See the link below to longtime HP utility infielder Jeff Balke's encomium.
So. Many. Thoughts. Here are just a few.
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With the weekly blog post and lefty news roundup, the Texas Progressive Alliance really encourages you to cast a ballot tomorrow—because with turnout like this, your vote is going to carry a lot more weight than usual.
Off the Kuff looks at the third quarter campaign finance reports for Texas Democratic Congressional candidates.
Socratic Gadfly offers his detailed take about the bombshell Donna Brazile dropped on the Democratic Party.
An Astros fan almost since birth, PDiddie at Brains and Eggs posts his 56-year remembrance of growing up with the team and celebrating their first World Series championship. And Houstonia has pictures of the victory parade, which 700,000 were predicted to attend, but officials estimated a million people showed up.
So. Many. Thoughts. Here are just a few.
- It wasn't that long ago—what, two years?—that Free Press Houston also went web-only. BTW, if you're among the handful of Texas residents likely to vote tomorrow, FPH's Chelsea Thomas has some recommendations.
- For those of us who remember the early days of Public News, when the all-volunteer staff of music- and art-lovers did the layout by hand, the evaporation of city weeklies in print form brings big tears.
- Balke's blog entry lists many of the talented journalists and others with whom he worked at HP, mention how many of them have graduated to more stable, less alt media sources. Possibly before his time, there were also folks like Lisa Gray (now curating the Gray Matters blog at the Houston Chronicle) and the redoubtable city-beat analyst Tim Fleck.
- Elephant in the Room time: One factor that helped keep the Press afloat for too many years, as with other Voice publications, was thinly veiled back-page line ads from human traffickers and other questionable businesses, via backpage.com and elsewhere. FPH ran several pieces on that matter: here's one of them from the "Worst of 2011" issue.
===========================
With the weekly blog post and lefty news roundup, the Texas Progressive Alliance really encourages you to cast a ballot tomorrow—because with turnout like this, your vote is going to carry a lot more weight than usual.
Off the Kuff looks at the third quarter campaign finance reports for Texas Democratic Congressional candidates.
Socratic Gadfly offers his detailed take about the bombshell Donna Brazile dropped on the Democratic Party.
An Astros fan almost since birth, PDiddie at Brains and Eggs posts his 56-year remembrance of growing up with the team and celebrating their first World Series championship. And Houstonia has pictures of the victory parade, which 700,000 were predicted to attend, but officials estimated a million people showed up.
Texas Vox patiently explains the difference between "weather" and "climate."
The TSTA Blog chastises educators who punish flag protesters.
jobsanger has the charts and explanations for the massive Latina pay and gender gap.
Jeff Balke eulogizes the Houston Press.
The Lewisville Texan Journal has news about that city's Vista Ridge Mall being acquired and repurposed as a live entertainment venue 7 nights a week (and still a mall).
Neil at All People Have Value attended a rally in Houston to call for the release of 10-year-old Rosa Maria Hernandez. Rosa was seized by ICE lowlifes as she recovered from major surgery in Corpus Christi. Thankfully the pressure on this issue for all over the country made a difference and Rosa has since been freed. APHV is part of NeilAquino.com.
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In other Texas news (and blog posts):
Just hours after the mass shooting at a church in Sutherland Springs, Think Progress reports that Attorney General Ken Paxton was on Fox News suggesting that more people bring their guns to church.
(Why can't Texas Democrats find anyone to challenge this guy?)
Energy Secretary Rick Perry made the ludicrous claim that fossil fuels were the key to ending sexual assault in Africa. The Sierra Club called for him to resign "before he causes any more damage."
Grits for Breakfast lists six states that Texas should emulate when it comes to criminal justice reform and associated solutions.
Joseph Fanelli at the Houston Press saw Russian trolls behind both sides of a protest at an Islamic Center in downtown H-Town.
The Somervell County Salon finds a few recent examples of the church and the state collaborating on a few things, and complaining about when they can't. Rebuild that wall!
Juanita Jean at the World's Most Dangerous Beauty Salon has had enough of John Kelly.
Therese Odell at Foolish Watcher is all about Indictment Day.
Shea Serrano at The Ringer finally gets the allure of baseball.
The Current introduces us to the San Antonio Satan Fish.
And BeyondBones gives the science on vampires.
The TSTA Blog chastises educators who punish flag protesters.
jobsanger has the charts and explanations for the massive Latina pay and gender gap.
Jeff Balke eulogizes the Houston Press.
The Lewisville Texan Journal has news about that city's Vista Ridge Mall being acquired and repurposed as a live entertainment venue 7 nights a week (and still a mall).
Neil at All People Have Value attended a rally in Houston to call for the release of 10-year-old Rosa Maria Hernandez. Rosa was seized by ICE lowlifes as she recovered from major surgery in Corpus Christi. Thankfully the pressure on this issue for all over the country made a difference and Rosa has since been freed. APHV is part of NeilAquino.com.
===========================
In other Texas news (and blog posts):
Just hours after the mass shooting at a church in Sutherland Springs, Think Progress reports that Attorney General Ken Paxton was on Fox News suggesting that more people bring their guns to church.
(Why can't Texas Democrats find anyone to challenge this guy?)
Energy Secretary Rick Perry made the ludicrous claim that fossil fuels were the key to ending sexual assault in Africa. The Sierra Club called for him to resign "before he causes any more damage."
Grits for Breakfast lists six states that Texas should emulate when it comes to criminal justice reform and associated solutions.
Joseph Fanelli at the Houston Press saw Russian trolls behind both sides of a protest at an Islamic Center in downtown H-Town.
The Somervell County Salon finds a few recent examples of the church and the state collaborating on a few things, and complaining about when they can't. Rebuild that wall!
Juanita Jean at the World's Most Dangerous Beauty Salon has had enough of John Kelly.
Therese Odell at Foolish Watcher is all about Indictment Day.
Shea Serrano at The Ringer finally gets the allure of baseball.
The Current introduces us to the San Antonio Satan Fish.
And BeyondBones gives the science on vampires.
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