Thumbs up, down
A good Samaritan, cartoon villainy, Baby Yoda, and an A&M-Harvard beef.
Diane McMaster was courageous and kind when she comforted 74-year-old Harry Vroulis during his last moments in this world after he collapsed at the Houston Marathon last week. Knowing that Vroulis, who had run the marathon for decades, died doing something that he loved was comforting, his brother told the Chronicle, and so was having someone by his side on his last mile. For her compassion, we award McMaster our medal of admiration.
Making fur coats out of dalmatians is passé ever since Cruella was imprisoned for it. And the Grinch has long since repented for absconding with Cindy Lou Who’s Christmas tree. So what’s someone looking to partake in some cartoonish villainy to do? How about suing your neighbors over a backyard playset used by a 3-year-old terminally ill child? That’s what a couple in Georgetown did, filing suit over claims that the playset is too tall and cannot be properly screened from view, violating HOA restrictions. While the playset would be the envy of many a neighborhood playground (it’s got two slides, three swings and a playhouse) it’s tastefully painted in white and green, is hardly an eyesore, and, oh, yeah, it’s being enjoyed by a terminally ill child with a rare genetic disorder. Public backlash led to the suit being dropped this week, but just in case the litigious couple isn’t done, watch out for damsels tied to railroad tracks.
Baby Yoda is everywhere — including under a sombrero. The breakout character from the Disney Plus series “The Mandalorian” can be seen adorably sporting the headwear and drinking from a mug in a Fiesta medal created by Merit Coffee shops in San Antonio. The medal is for sale starting in March, with all proceeds going to charity. Closer to home, and proving that comedy is best left to professionals, the “dessert planet” of Hurts Donut is offering “Baby Dough-da” donuts, according to the store. Unlike Star Wars, which comes to us from a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, the donuts are made fresh to order at the shop’s Katy location.
What’s the most iconic Texas brand? Website Texas Sports Life took to social media to find out, crafting an NCAA-style March Madness bracket that would finally settle which company ruled the rodeo and which ones fell a cow short of a herd. It was a hard-fought battle, with Pluckers shutting down Dell, H-E-B proving too hot for Blue Bell, and Shiner named the king of beers. In the end, it came down to two: Buc-ee’s vs. Whataburger. It was close, but the world’s cleanest restrooms proved no match for a Honey BBQ Chicken Strip Sandwich on Texas toast. We’re glad to know Whataburger still has game, despite being acquired last year by a Chicago investment firm.
Somewhere, Oprah is having painful flashbacks. A Texassized beef has broken out between Harvard and Texas A&M over whether it’s healthy to eat red meat. John Sharp, chancellor of the Texas A&M University System, sent a public letter of complaint to Harvard University president and Accidental Pun Lawrence Bacow this week, arguing that several Harvard researchers have attempted to discredit research, conducted in part by Aggie scientists, questioning the link between red meat and increased risk of cancer and heart disease. The, um, steaks are high in this ongoing food fight, with allegations including claims that the dueling researchers have industry ties and that the study itself is a bunch of bull looking to steer the conversation in the wrong direction. Experts should take stock of the situation and hash it out before it leads to an udder disaster. We’re here all week, folks. No, actually. Just Saturdays.