THNX is saddened over the loss of Connie Williams, a dear friend of the pod, on December 30, 2025. He was an attorney for five decades, first at the Harris County District Attorney's Office then in the criminal defense arena. He grew up in Brenham, Texas, served his country as a tank commander earning both a silver and bronze star, and recieved his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Houston. He is survived by his wife and their sons.

Iliana de la Vega is a Chef-Owner of El Naranjo in Oaxaca, Mexico and Austin, Texas, as well as an educator, culinary consultant, and expert in Mexican gastronomy. Born in Mexico City, Mexico, she has dedicated her life to the study and dissemination of the country's foodways. She is a semifinalist and winner of numerous James Beard Awards, served as the Mexican/Latin Cuisines Specialist for The Culinary Institute of America, was granted the Ohtli Award by the Mexican government, was named Hispanic Female Entrepreneur of the Year in 2014, and currently serves as a consultant for Stanford University. Iliana makes her home in Austin, Texas.

Jasmine Hearn is an interdisciplinary artist, director, award winning performer, choreographer, organizer, doula, and teacher. They earned a B.A. from Point Park University, has performed in many cities nationwide, and received numerous awards, fellowships, grants, and residencies. Jasmine lives in her hometown of Houston, Texas.

Today - November 5, 2024 - is the last day to make your voice heard at the ballot box for this year's election. Go to usa.gov to find the polling location nearest you to cast your vote.

Caleb Hans Polashek leads a varied music career as a solo, orchestral, chamber, and collaborative performer, composer, and recording artist. He began studying violin at an early age, eventually earning a post graduate degree from The University of Texas at Austin's highly esteemed studio of Brian Lewis at The Butler School of Music. He has performed domestically and internationally, joined the violin section of the Austin Symphony Orchestra in 2012, and released an original album entitled Illumination in 2023. Caleb makes his home in Austin, Texas.

Jamonica Phoenix is a former board member of Houston Blues Society and helped organize Houston Blues Museum and Blues for Food. Aside from her involvement with the Houston Blues Scene, she worked for a mediator prior to retirement, was on the board of local Houston radio station KPFT 90.1 FM, and is an avid animal lover. Jamonica makes her home in Houston, Texas.

Amy Malkan is a Visual Artist, Muralist, Author, and Public Speaker. As an International Artist and High Performance Facilitator, she creates, designs, and builds creative spaces all over the world. Her educational background in psychology and 15 years of experience in corporate sales coupled with her passion for and development of her artistic talents contributed to the success of her business, The Malkan Group, LLC. Amy lives in Houston, Texas.

John Bishop is originally from Houston, Texas and has spent most of his adult life traveling the world. After exchange experiences in Mexico and Spain, he graduated from the University of St. Thomas, did graduate work at the University of Houston, and earned a Master's Degree from the University of Texas. His artistic interests followed him throughout his career as a librarian in Texas, New Mexico, California, Romania, The Emirates, New Zealand, and Russia. He returned to Texas in 2015 to care for his parents and work full time on his creative business in fine art at Silver Street Studios as well as work as the Executive Director of Aripa Arte, a nonprofit organization. John now makes his home in Houston, Texas.