Subject: Apple iPhone

• Drenched In Blog: Seeking Help! from the Beatles

  November 5, 2007

• Drenched in Blog: Nick Cave Digs Lazarus

  December 26, 2007

• A Grief Observed: Yao Ming's Injury and the Rest of the Season

  February 26, 2008

• Lindsay, Britney, Obama and Hello

  July 14, 2008

• In the Shade: Shady Shots

  August 2, 2008

• Slim Thug Breaks a Four-Year Dry Spell on Sophomore LP Boss of All Bosses

  April 2, 2009

• Turning the Screw: Bun B and Q-Tip Team Up, Jennifer Hudson, Ludacris, T-Pain, G-Unit, MF Doom, Cypress Hill and More

  October 27, 2008

• David Brown: “20/40”

  David Brown makes art with his iPhone

  April 2, 2009

• Five ( 3) Spot: Christmas With Weezer!

  Welcome back to Five Spot. Every week, we'll examine a recent bit of music news and list five reasons why it's either brilliant or dumb-assed. Send tips to introducingliston@gmail.com. Because God loves us: Weezer, one of our all-time favorite bands, has recorded six Christmas covers, the greatest musical holiday activity of all, to be used in an iPhone Guitar Hero-like video game, a game we totally own at. They've done this before ("Christmas Celebration," "Christmas Song") but doing more is c

  December 5, 2008

• Southwest Getting Ready To Offer On-Board Wi-Fi (Porn Users Rejoice)

  Some Southwest passengers flying through Houston yesterday were among the first to test the airline's new wi-fi system.There's no word on how well it went, Southwest spokesman Paul Flaningan tells Hair Balls, but the testing is expected to continue on at least four planes by MarchPassengers can, theoretically, open their laptops or iPhones, go to a Yahoo!-sponsored home page with detailed information, and spend the flight searching the web, he says.The airline is working with a company called Ro

  February 11, 2009

• Turning the Screw: Dustin Prestige, Kid Cudi, King Tut, Rick Ross/50 Cent, Ludacris, Lil' Kim, T.I./Chris Brown, Fat Pat and More

  Welcome back to Turning the Screw, Rocks Off's weekly rap post. It probably won't rhyme, at least most of the time. E-mail tips to introducingliston@gmail.com. Thanks, homies. Single of the Week: "Dope," Dustin Prestige Wire To Wire Kid Cudi was tasered at an NBA All-Star Game party in Phoenix for wearing Jordans. One day after being released from jail on bail, Dipset BFF King Tut was charged with stabbing a woman. (No word on whether or not she was wearing Jordans.) He was origina

  February 16, 2009

• Is Houston-to-Galveston Rail Actually a Real Possibility?

  Photo by hsjfender A couple of weeks ago Hair Balls was on the Island, quaffing a few pints at O'Malley's Stage Door Pub with several of the Islander By Choice bloggers -members of Galveston's small but increasingly feisty and vocal thirtysomething-age middle class. "We're all drooling over rail," said IBC blogger Adrienne Culpepper. "There were people for and against it before the storm, but now nobody can think of a reason not to do it." We agreed wholeheartedly with her sentiment, but as

  February 18, 2009

• The Sister Cities Of Houston: A Critical Appraisal, Part Two

  With the recent addition of Karachi, Pakistan, Houston now is a sister to 18 other cities around the world. Hair Balls is on the case - we studied all of them so you wouldn't have to. See the first half here.Sister: Luanda, AngolaHow we are sisterly: Houston's only African sister is yet another seaport/oil hub and its population (4.8 million) and hot climate are similar to ours. There is also this from Wikipedia: "Luanda's roads are currently in a poor state of repair, but are currently undergo

  March 13, 2009

• Santa Baby

  What a few musicians want under their trees this year

  December 25, 2008

• Single File

  August 7, 2008

• Eddie Izzard

  Dressed (Differently) to Kill

  June 5, 2008

• Here's the soundtrack to your future unemployment!

  Worked Up

  June 5, 2008

• Raveonettes

  Lust Lust Lust

  December 20, 2007

• 2007 Music Year in Review

  December 13, 2007

• The Holy Modal Rounders: Bound to Lose

  The bad boys of folk music hit the big screen

  November 22, 2007

• Laptop Battles

  Blogging: Hip-hop's new element?

  August 16, 2007

• Old Town School of Folk Music Songbook Vols. 2 & 3

  August 9, 2007

• Transformers

  As giant robots transform all around us (!), it's good to know Michael Bay won't ever change

  July 5, 2007

• Rapper Willie D Arrested Over Alleged iPhone Scam

  Rapper Willie D has been arrested and charged with wire fraud, US Attorney Tim Johnson has announced.William James Dennis, as he's more formally known, was arrested last night at Bush Intercontinental after an indictment was unsealed charging him in connection "with his purported sales of iPhones through a company known as Texas One Wireless," Johnson said.Here are the details:According to allegations in the criminal complaint, beginning in September 2008, Dennis, posing as an electronics salesm

  May 14, 2009

• Willie D Arrested on Wire Fraud Charges

  Willie D, member of Houston rap pioneers the Geto Boys and CEO of Relentless Entertainment, was arrested by FBI agents Wednesday night at George Bush International Airport as he returned from an overseas trip. According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's office, D, whose real name is William Dennis, has been charged with wire fraud in connection with a scheme to sell electronics over the Internet. The arrest warrant alleges Dennis, acting through a company called Texas One Wireless, arrange

  May 14, 2009

• The Willie D Scam: Read Along As It Goes Down

  Willie D is still cooling his heels in a Federal lock-up as we write this, but there's updates o'plenty. Hair Balls's old buddy Matt Sonzala posted a Willie D round-up on his blog yesterday. To us, the most fascinating link Sonzala unearthed was this one, in which you can document in real time the rise and fall of TexasWireless.net, Willie D.'s alleged iPhone-scamming empire. (Their slogan: "Order in bulk and save big!!!")(Also, please do not order anything from that hotlink above.)Highlights of

  May 20, 2009

• Cattle Decapitation

  May 21, 2009

• Texas Traveler: Bluebonnet Wine Trail

  While in Navasota lovin' on some alpacas, Texas Traveler had a hankerin' thirst. So we got on our trusty iPhone and found the closest winery, a funky l'il shack called the Purple Possum Winery. While in the air-conditioned comfort of the Purple Possum's tasting room, we met a lovely couple we'd seen earlier that day at a local diner. "Are you on the Wine Trail too?" they asked us. The Texas Highway 105 corridor might not be as well-know for it's vineyards as, say, Napa Valley, but there are a

  May 25, 2009

• Vince Young Can't Beat Out A Has-Been QB, But He Can Make It Rain

  Okay, imagine you're a third overall draft pick, and two years into your football career, you've lost your job as starting quarterback to an aging, recovering alcoholic, racist retread. You're teetering on the brink of being labeled one of the biggest busts in recent football history. What's more, your team fairly recently lost one of its star players in part because he "made it rain" at a performance by the rapper Nelly.What do you do?If you're Vince Young, apparently you go to a Nelly show at

  May 26, 2009

• Willie D Out on Bond, Still Can't Travel

  About a month ago, pioneering Houston rap star Willie D. (nee Willie Dennis) was arrested by the Feds at Intercontinental Airport and charged with wire fraud for his alleged involvement in an international iPhone scam. When last we updated the story, on May 20, the rapper was still behind bars, but apparently he bonded out at about the same time our posting hit the 'net. Hair Balls obtained a copy of the terms of that bond late last week. In standard bond conditions, Dennis was also ordered t

  June 8, 2009

• The Indictment Comes Down For Willie D

  We noted yesterday that Houston's own Willie D had finally gotten out of jail, bonding out under an agreement that limited his travel and internet use.If that was considered good news for the Geto Boys rapper, today brought more bad news -- he has been formally indicted on the iPhone scam charges that led to his arrest in May as he stepped off a plane at Bush Intercontinental.US Attorney Tim Johnson announced the 15-count indictment of Williams James Dennis today. Willie D faces up to 20 years i

  June 9, 2009

• Social Distortion: While You Weren't Tweeting

  Oh, by the way, the new iPhone came out. In case you hadn't heard.Yup. It's Monday morning. The weekend's indisputably over. You sucked down the last of Saturday night's spliff before bed, and you've pulverized the remaining vomit from your knees with a skin-scalding jet stream. You've blearily navigated the clogged arteries of familiar freeways to your place of employment. You've stumbled into the company kitchenette to pour yourself a cuppa joe into an abandoned Las Vegas souvenir mug. A

  June 22, 2009

• Willie D Arraigned, Pleads Not Guilty in Wire Fraud Case

  William James Dennis, the 42-year-old rapper best known as Willie D. of the Geto Boys, was arraigned on June 15. According to court papers, the pioneering Southern hip-hop MC pleaded not guilty to 15 counts of wire fraud. If convicted on all counts in the alleged international iPhone scam, Dennis faces 20 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. Dennis is expected in Judge Gray Miller's court for a pre-trial conference on July 27. Jury selection and his trial are expected to begin th

  July 1, 2009

• Texas Traveler: Angleton's Mysterious House of the Century

  It all started with an obsession. And a blog post. The House of the Century was built in 1972 by the Ant Farm Art Collective, a group that included architects Richard Jost, a then-recent graduate of the University of Houston, and Doug Michels, founder of the collective and professor at UofH. (Ant Farm is best known for the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, which they built in 1974.) The House was meant to celebrate man's journey into space, and was completed just three years after Apollo 11 landed

  July 20, 2009

• Turning the Screw: All-Houston Edition with GT Garza, Trae Day, Trouble Sum, Jay'Ton, Paul Wall, Z-Ro, Letoya vs. Slim Thug, Coast, Z-Ro, Juan Gotti and More

  Welcome back to Turning the Screw, Rocks Off's weekly rap post. It probably won't rhyme, at least most of the time. E-mail tips to introducingliston@gmail.com. Thanks, homies. Single of the Week: GT Garza, "52 Pick Up" (We've listened to a bunch of GT's stuff, but this remains to be the rawest thing we have ever heard from him. He is in full beast mode.) Wire To Wire Likely because Trae Day is this week, we're feeling especially Houston-y. Thus, all of the items in this edition of Turning the S

  July 20, 2009

• Social Distortion: Dear Social Media Swami

  Actual swami not pictured.​Dear Social Media Swami,I think my girlfriend's social media obsession is out of control.  At any given time, she's either on the computer or checking her iPhone for the latest stuff happening on Twitter, Facebook, or whatever.  She hates being bothered while she's doing it, and she's so into it.  It's really hurt our relationship.  I feel like we barely do stuff anymore without her totally tuning me out for the Internet.  The other da

  August 10, 2009

• Trying to feed the homeless? Not so fast! Meanwhile, METRO blows $80K congratulating itself.

  August 13, 2009

• What Do Your iPhone Apps Say About You?

  When you're an iPhone owner, not only are you better than everyone else (obvs), but the lifeblood of your technological slice of gadget heaven is your applications, or "apps," if you're nasty.  An integral part of your holy iPhone identity really shines through the apps you choose to rely on when you hit that home button.  And since iPhoneness is next to godliness, your home apps screen really is a window into your soul.  So let's ride with your iPhone's home app screen open so yo

  August 17, 2009

• Is He Cyber Playing You For a Fool?

  ​He's the cutest thing since a sweet-cheeked tabby soulfully cozied up to the ivories on a piano.  He makes you laugh harder than that time an errant seagull dropped a big ol' load in your sister's ice cream at the Pasadena Strawberry Festival in 1984.  He looks good on paper...and from behind, too.  And you're already hoping your kids will have his lips and your eyes.  And his ears and your nose.  But definitely not his hair.So you exchanged numbers under the thi

  August 21, 2009

• Names In the News Ask Collective Soul's 7even Year Itch: Collective Soul's Greatest Hits 1994-2001

  ​Rocks Off enjoys reading The New York Times on Sundays. It's one of the few things in our topsy-turvy lives we can count on. However, several stories in this past Sunday's paper gave us serious cause for concern. The best way to help these people, we figured, was to take their problems to Georgia rockers Collective Soul - who play House of Blues tonight with Kentucky hair farmers Black Stone Cherry - and look for answers on the grunge-pop group's 2001 anthology 7even Year Itch. Dear Collectiv

  September 1, 2009

• Social Distortion: Stuff Happened, Then Facebook 3.0 for iPhone Came Out

  ​You know, this week in current events really was a doozy, wouldn't you say?  Senator Ted Kennedy passed on to the crystal Kennedy camp in the afterlife, Dominick Dunne followed in his footsteps (ALERT: Old white dudes with cancer, don't walk under any ladders this week, okay?  The odds are clearly stacked against you), dogfighting sicko Michael Vick returned to the only team that'd have him in the NFL (definitely not the Texans, thanggod), and Michael J

  August 28, 2009

• Social Distortion: Getting Off the Grid in Texas, Sorta Kinda

  ​You've probably heard the expression "getting off the grid" more times than you can shake a BlackBerry at.  These days, completely eliminating yourself from civilization (temporarily, mind you; for other self-removals, please see here immediately) is a task almost exclusively reserved for David Copperfield and Harry Potter. Furthermore, "risky behavior" usually includes embarking on an extended trip without bringing your laptop.  Madness!  Absolute madness! But this is the gre

  September 8, 2009

• ACL 2009 Day One: Video Killed the Radio Star

  Although audio-visual equipment isn't technically allowed inside the festival, that doesn't prevent kids armed with iPhones and Flip cams from capturing their favorite shows from the crowd. Below are some of our favorite crowd-captured videos from ACL so far. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs

  October 3, 2009

• Gettin' Snatch? Slayin' Puss? Yeah, Pepsi Has an App for That

  ​One day, someone ridiculously wise (or someone that was obviously getting ripped a new asshole by the media) once said, "No press is bad press." Unfortunately, that old adage probably isn't applicable to Pepsi, and won't be in this lifetime.We suppose we shouldn't be too surprised that Pepsi developed an iPhone app to market its new AMP energy drink. Big corporate conglomerates always whip out their appendages in order to piss all over the fun technology left and right, don't they? Granted,

  October 16, 2009

• The Red Nation Manifesto, Honored Mostly In The Breach

  Photos by Monica Fuentes​The Houston Rockets hosted a party last night at Hotel Icon to celebrate the team's new Red Nation marketing campaign. Other than "alternative jerseys" for this year, the team -- as part of the campaign -- has developed a Bill of Red, "a document passed down from high and now ratified by the House of REDpresentatives."Hair Balls went to last night's event armed with the bill to see how well the party goers (we think about 200 people showed up) represented the Red Natio

  October 23, 2009

• I Wanna Be Your Dog (Or Cat): Listen Up, Class

  Alright class, settle down. We have a lot of work to do, as we were all off last week. Today's vocabulary lesson only includes canine breeds available for adoption at the Bureau of Animal Regulation and Care -- we didn't want to blow anyone's mind the first day back. But you still need to pay attention. Bobby, what did I just say?! Do you have something to share with the rest of the class, young man? That's what I thought. Now, eyes up front. That includes you, Samantha. Do I have to confis

  October 28, 2009

• Game Time: Sex For World Series Tickets

  ​There are people who like to go to sporting events, there are people who would pay anything to go to sporting events, and then there are people who would pleasure a complete stranger for World Series tickets.Meet Susan Finkelstein. If you haven't heard her story, she is a diehard Phillies fan in desperate need of some World Series tickets. So desperate is Susan to see Chase Utley and the boys bring home a World Series that she recently posted an ad on Craigslist that reads as follows: "Die

  October 28, 2009

• Game Time: Larusso Vs. Skywalker, The Death Match

  ​I'm not afraid to admit it, I'm a huge fan of The Karate Kid. And I'm not just talking "guilty pleasure" fan.No sir, not only do I actually own all three DVD's in the Karate Kid trilogy, but my Karate Kid III DVD actually has some scenes that skip because of wear and tear. Yeah, you heard me, the Karate Kid movie whose central storyline involved a Wall Street tycoon spending every waking moment of his day trying to figure out a way to mentally and physically destroy a skinny teenage kid fro

  November 4, 2009

• While You Weren't Tweeting: Mondays Still Suck

  ​It's raining, it's pouring, it's really Monday morning. Wait, did you blink? Then you certainly missed the brief appearance of the sun, radiating invisible rainbows over our fair city. Is that a pleasant breeze whipping your tailfeathers 'round? Well, it's about to turn arctic; give it a second. Oh, say, giant glowing orb, you're back? Probably not for long. It is November, after all. While you won't hear any true complaints about this mild Texas fall, you probably will hear audible gr

  November 16, 2009

• I Gave Her a Ring...: Musical Minutiae About Fingers and Birds

  ​Although we recently discovered how to access the primitive version of Facebook on our non-iPhone (so watch out), Rocks Off generally lives in an Internet-free bubble outside the office. And happily so, so it took until Monday's late local news for us to see - and subsequently laugh our fool heads off at - the video of Houston Oilers Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams going all Hopalong Cassidy with his middle fingers during last Sunday's Titans/Buffalo Bills American football contest. Naturall

  November 17, 2009