Here’s a fresh idea that represents a real change inWashington. Interestingly it’s coming from a Republican, Richard Lugar of Indiana. In an op-ed in the Washington Post he suggested something that’s normally unthinkable among lawmakers– rais... Read more

The Shiner Brewery is celebrating is 100th in appropriate fashion – with a beer that says a lot about where’s this Texas institution has been and where it’s going. I bought a six-pack of Commemorator – a great name by a company with perf... Read more

The first step toward making things better is asking a good question. At a meeting last week the city’s bicycle-pedestrian coordinator, Dan Raine, asked for ideas as he works on Houston’s long-term plan for bike transportation. This account of... Read more

This week I ran across a vision of the future from the people who brought you the mortgage crisis. What caught my eye in the weekly email report from Greentech was an analyst report written by a man identified as the Cleantech Strategist from Merr... Read more

U.S. oil companies and automaker share a lot of history, with the fuel of one helping power the international growth of the other. Plenty has been written about how Detroit lost its innovative edge. That wouldn’t seem to be true of the U.S. oil... Read more

I’ve found a story that’s a sign to me that things could get better, that markets can correct themselves, and perhaps the price of a good beer will go down. The good news first came in a post on BNET pointing out that the price of hops has gon... Read more

A few days into what we’re hoping is a new era, it’s time top reflect on the poetry, and wonder of it all. As I reread the comments in Barack Obama’s inaugural address, I can only feeling humbled. Whatever I write about energy seems so prosaic ... Read more

 A passing reference in a recent newspaper story said something about bikes in Houston, and what constitutes a shovel-ready infrastructure project in bailout America. The item near the top of a front page story in the Houston Chronicle said the... Read more

  On the same day the reports came out showing the rise in the national unemployment, the Houston Chronicle printed a telling story by Brett Clanton showing nervous times are ahead for those working for oilwell service companies.  The hea... Read more

Christmas is over, time to go back to work and talking about trouble  This week a big bond rating firm pointed out that some exploration and production companies are headed for big trouble. While falling oil prices hurt every company, it's far ... Read more