¯\_(ツ)_/¯ H-E-B shrugs at the Meta-verse: Last week, after Facebook changed its corporate name to Meta, the rechristened behemoth flirted with a handful of brands – including Texas’ most beloved grocery store. “Wonder what ordering groceries in the metaverse will look like @HEB 🤔,” @Meta tweeted. H-E-B declined to respond. (Via Texas Monthly)
💰 3D-printed kidneys? In 2018 a Rice professor and grad student founded a company, Volumetric Biotechnologies, that capitalizes on their breakthrough method of 3D-printing human organs, complete with blood vessels. Last week they sold the company in a deal that could be worth up to $400 million – and whose buyer, 3D Systems, says it intends to create “a world-class research capability in Houston.” (Rice News)
🍩 Drive-thru doughnuts and a show: Houston’s Shipley’s Do-Nuts chain has taken over the enormous Fingers Furniture warehouse on I-45, southeast of downtown, as its new world headquarters and “doughnut development center." Workers will make the yeast dough to be delivered to the 330 Shipley's stores across the Southeast – and somehow, you’ll be able to drive through the cavernous building and watch, like one of those drive-thru safaris. (Houston Chronicle)
⚾️ Altuve vs. the Braves’ organist: In Friday night’s World Series game, as the Astros’ 5’6” homerun king José Altuve walked to the plate, the Atlanta Braves organist played “I’m a Little Teapot.” For Saturday’s game, it was “It’s a Small World.” Altuve responded by blasting the ball 434 feet into center field. Next time Altuve was at bat? The organist played Brenda Lee’s “I’m sorry.” (ESPN and organist Matthew Kaminski’s Twitter.)
🐐 Greatest Of All Tests: At a two-acre-detention pond on Northline Drive, Houston’s public works department is experimenting to find the best way to control weeds on steep slopes. Will it be the current mowing and pesticides? Or a rented herd of 150 goats? (Click2Houston)
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