Weather you like it or not

Chill out: Cold weather has some unexpected perks

You may have snowflakes on your lashes this week...FUN!
Use the cold weather to explore the neglected fashion realm of outerwear.

OK, so everyone in Houston is complaining about the cold weather. We get it. But as scary as sub-freezing temperatures are, there's an upside to this weather. So chill out (figuratively), and remember that cold weather means:

Better clothes - With the cold comes the opportunity to explore an entire realm of fashion that we Houstonians rarely get to break out. Don your best, most neglected trench or go for layers, layers, layers. Mary Kate would approve.

Sexy raspy voice - Kathleen Turner may have been born with it, but we can't all be so lucky. Take advantage of the effect of the climate change on your vocal chords and leave your significant other sultry voicemails, or your office nemesis threatening, anonymous ones.

Burn extra calories - You know well enough how hard it is to stay warm when your wardrobe is better suited for the tropics. But freezing temps also mean that your body has to work harder to keep you warm, burning more calories in the process, just by sitting there.

Excuses to stay in - Being out and about is fun, but sometimes you just want to kick back and do nothing. Shirking social obligations can be a chore, but nasty weather is the perfect excuse to pile on the comforters and indulge in a movie marathon.

Hot cocktails - You might switch it up when it comes to those cold concoctions, but lose touch with hot bevs like Irish coffee, mulled wine, or hot toddys. Cold weather is the perfect excuse to drink up to warm up.

Tell us: What do you enjoy most about the cold weather?

unspecified

Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

undefined

Pop megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has donated $100,000 to the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice Clinic through her BeyGOOD Foundation. The gift will allow the clinic to hire fill-time faculty to head it, benefiting the students who study there.

“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”

The clinic is one of nine at UHLC. It helps students learn to navigate the criminal justice system, especially on behalf of clients that are underserved by skilled attorneys. People of color are affected disproportionately by a lack of good, ethical representation.

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history and easily the biggest musical star native to Houston, has a long history of advocating for criminal justice reform. She was a staunch supporter of the police reform following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, asking law enforcement to “stop killing us” in a web post. In 2020, she penned an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general asking for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, established in 2013, Beyoncé has focused mostly on expanding the prospects of Black-owned business and offering education opportunities to students. Forwarding the cause of legal representation in Texas while also helping out marginalized communities compliments her other philanthropic work.

“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings,” Baynes said. “And together, through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the nation.”