Full Custom Gospel BBQ

Here at the Parlor, we eat BBQ, and there are a three jillion sites, and this one strikes as worthy of mention. Includes book reviews.  It's self-description is: BBQ MANIFESTO: "Some food does more than sustain us. Through the alchemy of smoke and time, there is food that can also nourish your soul. This site is dedicated to praising those that have mastered this art and perhaps even teaching a few to fish for themselves. While most BBQ review books, magazine articles, and websites will tell you the best places, this website will tell you which places are good, mediocre, and awful. We suffer through bad BBQ so you don't have to." http://fcg-bbq.blogspot.com/

Houston Chronicle's Today in Texas History

The Houston Chronicle blog Texas on the Potomac for last several months has been rather steady in adding 2, 3, or 4 entries a week to their Today in Texas History postings.  Enough to keep regular tabs on, good reading.  I've added it to my Yahoo homepage.  You may want to try it. http://blogs.chron.com/txpotomac/

Texas Family Stories - Caroline Pointer

http://texasfamilystories.blogspot.com/ This visually created blog features occasonal historical stories around Texas.  It is self-described as " Welcome to Texas... Growing up in Texas when we traveled anywhere, my dad would always pull over at each landmark and take a picture of it and then he'd take a picture of the family around the landmark...Do you realize how big Texas is, and just how many landmarks there are here? Well, I have a pretty good idea [and I probably have a picture to prove it]! Join me as I "travel" through Texas and discover family stories...one landmark at a time..." The blogger Caroline Pointer describes herself as "Wife, mother, genealogist, dog & cat owner [or they own me], chauffeur, doctor/nurse, counselor, teacher, basketball team equipment/uniform manager, and the list goes on. Oh well, you get the picture... "

Tejanos in Texas History

http://tejanapundit.blog-city.com/hispanic_heroes_you_wont_always_read_or_hear_about.htm   Teachers may wish to consult the Tejana Pundit regarding profiles in Tejano history. The Pundit also has a good list of Tejano blogs and self-describes her blog as " "It's all about finding strength from within. It's about learning from the past, persevering in the present and having the ganas, or desire, to flourish in the future. I'm an American, but I'm also Indigenous, Mexican, French and German and that's a wonderful thing. One can't be anything if one doesnt know who they are. For centuries people have been trying to break through barriers and I've gone and continue to go through them as if they dont exist."  .

San Antonio KENS5 History Blog

San Antonio's television station KENS5 has a history blog at http://www.beloblog.com/KENS5/sahistory/ with retrospective essays and newspaper clippings

UTSA Architectural Preservation

The University of Texas at San Antonio's College of Architecture's Preservation Blog is at http://utsapreservation.net/ began in August 2009

Urban Architecture Houston -Paul Martin

Just established and self-described as "Urban Architecture (UAH, Inc.) was founded by Paul E. Martin, AIA, in 1973 and has been active in forging new perspectives for the practice of architecture in Texas. Urban Architecture has been a leader in the development community, designing commercial office buildings and retail projects. Here, all members of Urban Architecture, as well as anyone who chooses to join the conversation, will discuss current events in the worlds of Architecture, Design, and Houston."

Arch-ive blog for Houston architecture

http://arch-ive.org/archive/about/ An excellent adaptation of the blog format as an archive of architectural images and news of older structures and for preservation advocacy. Self-description:  "Mission Statement: To photographically document and archive buildings and sites in Houston and surrounding areas, promote activism for present and future preservation of local architecture, and to increase awareness of Houston's architectural history. How/why/what? This site was created as a repository for mainly architectural photos...." Provides for several grouping options, e.g., architect, date, news, oddities, status, type, and zip code. Has a good list of related websites.

Book blogger Appreciation

See http://bookbloggerappreciationweek.com/index.php/site/about where last year and again this year Amy Riley declared a week in September as "Book Blogger Appreciation Week."  Hmmm, seems like a good opportunity to remind you of Will Howard's "Texas Blog Notes:  History, Literature, and Other Civil Blogs." at http://texasblognotes.blogspot.com/

Dana Lynn Smith - Publishing Consultant

Dana Lynn Smith is quite pleased to be a 5th generation Texan, and she is strongly informed about how to sell books in Texas, but that doesn't stop her from opening her publishing consulting shop to folks beyond the three rivers. Check her  Texana Publishing Consultants  http://bookmarketingmaven.typepad.com/texana/  within her "Book Marketing Maven" website, an interestingly adapted blog format.