Bank of America Corporation

Country Club Sopranos

American banks are on a massive crime spree. Obama and Romney hope you won’t notice.

Shell May Sue Over Fake Party Video That Went Viral

Shell says it may sue over a viral video that purported to show a party disaster at Seattle's Space Needle. The video, which hit several national sites, depicts a ceremonial "opening tap" to begin drilling in the Arctic. But the prop misfires and the elderly lady who tapped it gets doused with liqu ... More >>

Capsule Art Reviews: "Ballast/Break," "Book Report," "International Discoveries III," "New Formations: Czech Avant-Garde Art and Modern Glass from the Roy and Mary Cullen Collection," "Toni LaSelle: Climate of the Heart: Paintings from the 1950's"

Capsule Art Reviews: "Ballast/Break," "Book Report," "New Formations: Czech Avant-Garde Art and Modern Glass from the Roy and Mary Cullen Collection," "Toni LaSelle: Climate of the Heart: Paintings from the 1950's"

Capsule Art Reviews: "Book Report," "New Formations: Czech Avant-Garde Art and Modern Glass from the Roy and Mary Cullen Collection"

Capsule Art Reviews: "Book Report" "Insperity Golf Experience" "Matt Magee," "New Formations: Czech Avant-Garde Art and Modern Glass from the Roy and Mary Cullen Collection," "Oil Sketches by Kim Dingle," "Working in the Abstract: Rethinking the Literal"

Capsule Art Reviews: "Book Report," "If you didn't get to Austin to see the Texas Biennial," "Insperity Golf Experience," "Katja Loher: Multiverse," "Matt Magee," "New Formations: Czech Avant-Garde Art and Modern Glass from the Roy and Mary Cullen Co

Capsule Art Reviews: "Book Report," "Building Arts: Alexander Apostol, Dias & Riedweg, Thomas Glassford, Marco Maggi and Clarissa Tossin," "Insperity Golf Experience," "Katja Loher: Multiverse," "Mary McCleary: A Survey 1996-2011," "Oil Sketch

Capsule Art Reviews: "Book Report" "Building Arts: Alexander Apostol, Dias & Riedweg, Thomas Glassford, Marco Maggi and Clarissa Tossin" "Insperity Golf Experience" "Katja Loher: Multiverse" "Mary McCleary: A Survey 1996-2011" "Oil Sketches by

Capsule Art Reviews: "Book Report" "Insperity Golf Experience" "Mary McCleary: A Survey 1996-2011" "Oil Sketches by Kim Dingle" "Raimund Girke 1930-2002" "Seth Mittag: We're Still Here..." "Working in the Abstract: Rethinking the Literal"

Capsule Art Reviews: "Book Report" "Helen Altman: Half-Life" "Mary McCleary: A Survey 1996-2011" "Raimund Girke 1930-2002" "Working in the Abstract: Rethinking the Literal" "Leigh Anne Lester: Beautiful Freaks/Nature's Bastards" "Seth Mittag: We're Still

Comment of the Day: Bank of America's Debit-Card Fees

We have some great commenters here on Hair Balls, and it's time we paid some damn attention to them. So we'll be highlighting a Comment of the Day each morning, from the previous day's work. Maybe two comments, even. This will all be determined by a highly rigorous scientific formula involving wit ... More >>

The Bank of America Five Dollar Fee Firestorm Reminds Us Timing is Everything

As old as paying bills with checks​Last week, Bank of America announced it would begin charging $5 monthly fees to any customer who wanted to use a debit card at retail establishments, setting off a wave of angry online protests by customers and people already infuriated by government bailouts ... More >>

Bank of America Debit Card Fee Hike Just the Beginning

In case you hadn't heard, Bank of America announced that, beginning in 2012, it was going to begin charging $5 per month for account holders who used their debit cards for retail transactions. The move is in response to the federal government via the Dodd-Frank bank reform law putting a cap on so-ca ... More >>

The Casual Bank Robber, Caught in Action

FBI​Politeness still counts for something, right? Above is a man who robbed a Bank of America branch inside a Food Town grocery store in the 9500 block of S. Kirkwood this morning. "At approximately 11:05 a.m., the man entered the bank and casually waited in line with other customers before ... More >>

Eddie Griffin

James Watson Jr: Texas Musical Festival Promoter Gets Five Years in Prison

James Watson, Jr.: Tough to write bad checks when you're handcuffed​James Watson Jr., the promoter who said his Texas Musical Festival would become an annual must-see on the Houston scene, will get five years in a federal prison for fraud. Watson kited a $400,000 check to the Bank of America ... More >>

Texas Music Festival "Promoter" Gets Five Years In The Can

​Remember the Texas Music Festival? The multi-day outdoor event that was supposed to happen around the Fourth of July weekend 2008 (we think) in Eleanor Tinsley Park? Headlined by Los Lobos? Yeah, Rocks Off doesn't remember it either. Most of it got rained out, but even if the weather was pe ... More >>

Trickle-Down Economics: Bank Robber So Successful He's Hired Help

Help wanted: Bank robbery is a growing field​Who says it's a tough job market? All it takes is a little success and employers will start hiring. Ask the dude who's wanted in at least seven local bank robberies since November. Let's put it this way: He's hiring. His latest escapade, at a Bank ... More >>

Weasels and Deer

Inman Gallery rocks the holidays with two great shows.

Money Rains From the Skies For HISD

Photo by Margaret DowningTerry Grier: Always nice to announce new money coming in​Houston ISD got a double dose of good news today when it learned it's getting $31.5 million in Teacher Incentive Fund grant money (spread out over five years) to help enable it to continue paying bonuses to teachers ... More >>

The Astros Host (Gay) Pride Night, And World Somehow Survives

Astros should have worn this uni, with rainbow-flag colors​Did you notice something unusual at Minute Maid Park Saturday night?Besides the Astros actually winning a game, we mean.It was Pride at the Park Night, and more than 1,000 members of Houston's GLBT community were there to watch Carlos Lee ... More >>

James Watson, Jr. Indicted Over Failed Texas Music Festival In Downtown Houston

The Texas Music Festival never rivaled Woodstock​The 2008 Texas Music Festival in downtown's Eleanor Tinsley Park was supposed to be the first of an annual event, but you might have noticed there haven't been any more.Why not? Part of the answer might have come today, when a federal grand jury ind ... More >>

James Watson, Jr. Indicted Over Failed Texas Music Festival In Downtown Houston

The Texas Music Festival never rivaled Woodstock​The 2008 Texas Music Festival in downtown's Eleanor Tinsley Park was supposed to be the first of an annual event, but you might have noticed there haven't been any more.Why not? Part of the answer might have come today, when a federal grand jury in ... More >>

A Genius Of Disguise, A Maid Of A Thousand Faces, Haunts Houston Banks

​See that woman on the left? Seems to be middle-aged?Now look at the woman on the right, obviously a fairly decrepit great-grandmother.PREPARE TO HAVE YOUR MIND BLOWN: It is the same person.The FBI has dubbed her the "Bad Granny" bank-robber because -- we can only assume -- she's "bad" because she ... More >>

Houston's Jesus Predicts Troubles

Who's A Dude Gotta Blow To Rob A Bank Around Here?

Photo courtesy FBI​ If there's one thing that sucks about society these days, it's how you have to wait in line forever before getting any service. Especially if you're trying to rob a bank.The gentleman pictured above no doubt thinks so. He walked into a Bank of America on the West Sam Houston Pa ... More >>

More Good News In the Lightnin' Hopkins Historical Marker Campaign

​ Eric Davis, whose application to erect a state historical marker for iconic Texas bluesman Lightnin' Hopkins was approved by the Harris County Historical Commission in November, said today his campaign to raise money to pay for the marker reached its goal of $1,800 dollars last month. "I'm just ... More >>

More Good News In The Lightnin' Hopkins Historical Marker Campaign

​ Eric Davis, whose application to erect a state historical marker for iconic Texas bluesman Lightnin' Hopkins was approved by the Harris County Historical Commission in November, said today his campaign to raise money to pay for the marker reached its goal of $1,800 dollars last month. "I'm just ... More >>

Filero Battles with the Past, Takes Control of His Future. Second In a Two-Part Series.

[Ed. Note. See Part 1 of Rocks Off's encounter with Filero here.] A hint of things to come? Filero (left) and SPM square off at checkers back in the day.​ When we talked to Filero about how much the rap game has changed since he saw the first Texas Latino rap album, actually a cassette, in the Gul ... More >>

Harris County Historical Commission Approves Lightnin' Hopkins Marker

​Over the weekend, Rocks Off received some very encouraging news from Eric Davis, whose efforts to secure local blues legend Lightnin' Hopkins a long-overdue historical marker we wrote about a couple of weeks back. Davis says his proposal was unanimously approved by the Harris County Historical Co ... More >>

Lightnin' Hopkins Historical Marker One Step Closer To Reality

​Over the weekend, our sister blog Rocks Off received some very encouraging news from Eric Davis, whose efforts to secure local blues legend Lightnin' Hopkins a long-overdue historical marker we wrote about a couple of weeks back. Davis says his proposal was unanimously approved by the Harris Cou ... More >>

No Justice

We've bailed out the banks. When do we go after the crooks behind our financial collapse?

If Halloween Is Coming, So Are Offensive Costumes

​The "Illegal Alien" costume causing uproar amongst immigrant rights activists, anti-immigrant supporters and free speech advocates is the first major faux pas of this Halloween season. While anti-immigrant supporters are scrambling to find the costume, immigrant rights activists are calling for ... More >>

Turning the Screw: Slim Thug & Lil Ray, Trae, Diddy, Necro, Master P, The Game, Beyonce/Lady GaGa, Drake, BET Music Awards, etc.

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: Slim Thug feat. Lil Ray, "Salute Me" Note(s): Yes, this is a remake of the same-named song from Fabolou ... More >>

Bank Of America Scamming Hispanics, Local Lawsuit Says

​All Jorge Gonzalez of Houston wanted was a safe place to keep his meager earnings. But in this era of banking scandals and swindles, that was apparently too much to ask. Instead, Gonzalez became the lead plaintiff in a sweeping class action lawsuit against Bank of America, AIG and several other c ... More >>

The World's Most Unfortunately Dressed Bank Robber

The FBI has put out the alert for a new bank robber, one who knocked off a Memorial Drive Wachovia and a west-side Bank of America last week.This is not just any bank robber, though. This dude has style. A very outdated, ridiculous style.Photo courtesy FBI​The FBI is calling him the "Sweatin' to t ... More >>

Moratorium Is Over, So Foreclosures Spike Locally

Photo by Paul KnightHarris County is seeing the result of failed government efforts to fix the housing crisis by issuing 90-day moratoriums on foreclosures.July was the worst month for foreclosures in the county since the savings and loan debacle, just 73 properties short of the record month -- Octo ... More >>

Proud Of Your Tattoos -- Even During A Bank Robbery

Here's today's tip for Houston bank robbers: If the FBI's press release about you is able to note a detail like "he even had a skull tattooed on the back of his head," you're probably not taking that extra step to disguise your identity.Now, if you hang out in a colony of a couple thousand people wh ... More >>

Questions Bellaire High's Whiz Kids Will Have To Answer

Hair Balls got that warm fuzzy feeling (don't worry, it's not swine flu) when a publicist called to tell us that students from Bellaire High will be competing in the 2009 National Economics Challenge, to be held in New York City May 18. The Challenge is done in a "college bowl tournament" style, fea ... More >>

Hard Economic Times Coming To Sports Franchises

The NHL doesn't have a team in Houston, so I'm pretty confident that most of you don't follow the league, and don't have any idea about some of the severe financial problems facing many of the southern teams.  The NHL has intervened in Phoenix in an attempt to find new ownership for the club.&n ... More >>

The Pitch Forks Come Out Near The Galleria

Photo by Blake WhitakerHolding a pro-union demonstration near Voss and San Felipe, a short distance from the epicenter of frou-frou that is the Galleria, seems likely to elicit a less-than-enthusiastic response from passersby. But economic trouble has turned things around a bit, and local activists ... More >>

BBB Poetry: Sam's Cafe on Studemont

Somewhere, Bono Is Screaming...

Am I Wrong to Laugh at Nacho Libre?

The Mexican replies

Costly Advances

Payday lenders take care of you till your check comes in, and for a long time after

Scene But Not Heard

Houston's student shortage forces the indie scene to go the blue-collar route

Best Drive-thru Bank

Bank of America

News of the Weird