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King Street Patriots Party Hardy At The Rice Lofts

Finding a watch party in Houston for election night was a bit of a chore. About the only thing in town was Bill White's, and since Hair Balls already had that covered, we had to look elsewhere. Even the New Black Panthers can't stop us​We decided on the King Street Patriots' bash at the Rice Lofts ... More >>

Dan Wallrath: A CNN Hero Has Shot At $100,000

Houston-area homebuilder Dan Wallrath is a finalist with a chance for $100,000 if he's chosen as a "CNN Hero" for his work providing homes for Iraq and Afghanistan vets.You just have to vote for him.For five years, Wallrath has been building homes for wounded vets.

Katrina, Five Years Later: A News Consumer's Guide To The Anniversary Stories

Brian Williams emits manly concern over the situation​If you aren't aware that this weekend marks the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, you will be by the time Monday rolls around.Newspapers, TV shows and websites will be heavy on commemorating the event. Here's what to look for:1. The use o ... More >>

Debbie Riddle: For Your Own Sake, Avoid CNN

State Rep Debbie Riddle doesn't need career advice from us. But if she were to ask, we'd tell her stay the hell off CNN. Stick to Fox News.Riddle went on Anderson Cooper's show last night and -- well, she showed the nation the Debbie Riddle we have come to know and be horrified by here in Houston.

Viet Tran, Young & Recessioned: You Can't Be Afraid To Be Goofy

​Today's installment of Young & Recessioned features Viet Tran, a 27-year-old University of Houston grad who has used reality TV, YouTube episodes and street corner stunts to find his dream job. I went into commercial real estate right after I graduated. I did that for about three years. I had ... More >>

Light Rail Vs. Bus: The Video

What's it look like when a Metro light-rail train broadsides a Metro bus? Now we know!!The agency has released security video of the incident; here's CNN's version of things.We think two very, very different thoughts were going through the minds of the engineer and the bus driver.The engineer was t ... More >>

Gettin' Kinda Crowded -- Texas Grows More Than Any Other State In Past Year

​Further proof that we're not being hit as hard in the Great Recession as some -- Texas added more residents in the past 12 months than any state in the union, the Census Bureau reported today.Texas added 478,000 residents in the previous 12 months, beating out California, which added almost 100,0 ... More >>

Pop Rocks: Tiger By The Tail

​With apologies to William Blake:Tiger! Tiger! Feeling lowIn the forests of OrlandoWhat errant hydrant (or 5-wood)Put that dent in your Caddy's hood?That silliness out of the way, here are some thoughts on the whole Eldrick Woods...thing.1. The instantaneous news cycle really is something to behol ... More >>

Mass Shooting At Fort Hood

Madness has come to Fort Hood in Central Texas.Various media outlets are reporting that gunmen have killed seven people and wounded up to 20 others, and the situation is still fluid.Schools are on lockdown.CNN and others are following events; head there for more info."At least one person is 'neutral ... More >>

A Preview Of CNN's Latino In America: Disappointing, And Where The Hell Is Houston?

​CNN unveils its take on the Latino experience tonight with the widely publicized debut of Latino in America.Hair Balls admittedly enjoyed the broiled shrimp and free wine at the 50-minute preview two weeks ago when CNN was using Houston Latinos as a test audience for the program and we're somewha ... More >>

Dancing With the Stars: Do The Hustle!

​It's week five of Dancing With the Stars, but I don't know how many are left. I don't have the commitment to count the couples and do the math, plus there could be special eps or extra fillers or reunion shows or who knows what all. Basically, I know there's an end in sight, I just don't know ... More >>

$13 at Reggae Hut

Photo by Mike GiglioWhere: Reggae Hut, 4814 Almeda Rd., 713-520-7171What $13 gets you: Any main course or seafood dish, which will be more than enough. Favorites include the jerk chicken and garlic shrimp, along with a Jamaican take on oxtail. We tried that, mainly because we weren't quite su ... More >>

Who Do We Have to Blow Around Here to Get a Lady in Late Night?

Okay, fine. We can deal with not having a lady president (still), but with the recent overflow of testicle-wearing late night hosts, it got me thinking, why no late night lady hosts?Joan Rivers tried once and was ridiculed (and yeah, Joan isn't my favorite lady comedian of all time, but come on, ... More >>

The Big Tweet: Wild Moccasins Tour Edition

Kim DouglassIt's now been exactly a week since the Wild Moccasins kicked off their first-ever extended tour with a sweaty show before a packed house at Mango's, and like a lot of people (we imagine), Rocks Off is curious how the H-pop heroes are faring on the road. Luckily, instead of having to rely ... More >>

D. L. Hughley

The original king of comedy is back on track

Death Rumors Swirl About Houston's Patrick Swayze

Patrick Swayze, one of a handful of famous Hollywood types from Houston, has been sick for a long time.Today, rumors started coursing throughout the Internet and Twitter and whatever that the end had finally come.His publicist, however, is denying the rumors, according to this article that doesn't q ... More >>

National Black Book Festival

Readers, writers and wannabes all have a spot at the NBBF

Clorox in the Rio Grande

A VERY SPECIAL PANDEMIC EDITION

The Ron Paul Revolution Begins Its Next Step

Photo by fixermarkIf you weren't annoyed enough by the baying hordes of Ron Paul supporters in 2008 (Fiat money!! Plague on both their houses!!!), get ready for The Ron Paul Revolution: The Next Generation.The Texas congressman has a son named Rand, who we really hope -- likely in vain -- is not nam ... More >>

Texas Arab American Festival

Web exclusive!

Literacy Advance of Houston to Honor Hannah Storm

Every now and then I like to step away from the snark and write about something good that's going on. Today is one of those days. On May 1, 2009, Literacy Advance of Houston will be honoring ESPN SportsCenter anchor Hannah Storm as its Champion of Literacy as part of the organization's Champion ... More >>

Literacy Advance of Houston to Honor Hannah Storm

Every now and then I like to step away from the snark and write about something good that's going on. Today is one of those days. On May 1, 2009, Literacy Advance of Houston will be honoring ESPN SportsCenter anchor Hannah Storm as its Champion of Literacy as part of the organization's Champion ... More >>

Fathom/National CineMedia: Beyond the Secret

Web exclusive!

KTRH Gives Up On The Extended-Morning-News Experiment, Goes Back To Choir-Preaching

We noted in October that KTRH, pretty much the only news operation left on the AM dial, had expanded their morning news program by getting rid of San Antonio shouter Joe Pags' show.Sure, since then the expanded "news" hole was often filled by a chaotic hodgepodge of whatever guest the station's inte ... More >>

The Ten Ugliest Buildings in Downtown Houston

Spurred on by CNN’s recent list of the ten ugliest buildings in the world, we decided to make a Houston version. This one confines itself to downtown, and does not include places of worship. (Not that there are many ugly churches downtown.) We’ll get around to churches, pretty buildings, and ... More >>

Breaking News -- Texas Goes McCain!!

The Hurricane Bear Is Getting The Most Out Of His 15 Minutes

Can't Anyone Just Predict "Slightly Breezy And Seasonably Cool"?

CNN To Open A News Bureau In Houston

Overnight Express: Woman Hit by Metro Rail Near Continental Club

Lifting the Veil

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy shows us the lives of women in Afghanistan

Is Lou Dobbs Lying about Hospital Closings?

Mexican-American Culture

Cocaine and Toddlers: Sometimes You Just Gotta Agree with Nancy Grace

Is Fred Thompson a Real Conservative? And Wouldn’t It Be Cool If These Things Were Still Held in Train Stations?

We Blame the Chicken Fried Steak

Channel Surfing

There's more than one way to play with your Wii

Let's Give Them Something to Talk About

Why do Mexicans and Irish get along so well?

Brian Keane, Wayne Sutton and Rachel Loy

Friday, February 10, Dan Electro's Guitar Bar, 1031 East 24th Street, 713-862-8707.

On the News

Henry Rollins brings Kabul home

Hell on Earth

Both sides in a Houston fight worship the same god: publicity

Peace Through Art

"Made in Palestine" humanizes the Middle East conflict

Land of the Free

"Made in USA" gives patriotism a twist

Walla Confusion

Death Cab for Cutie sees itself as just a guitar band. You might not agree.

Wild on the Web

Someone's mad at Channel 26, and they're going on-line

More of the Same

Houston braces for an invasion of TV news

How to Divorce a Millionaire

Georgette Mosbacher offers a guide for gold diggers

Night & Day

October 29 - November 4, 1998

After the Crash

When victims' rights advocate Pam Lychner and her daughters died on TWA Flight 800, her husband knew what he had to do: Find justice for Pam.

Storm Troopers