Craigslist Inc.

Arraignment Today for Huffman Woman Who Put Son Up for Adoption on Craigslist

Having trouble raising the kids? Put them up for adoption on Craigslist. At least that's what one area mom did for her son. Stephanie Redus of Huffman sent out a desperate plea to the Craigslist community, saying the responsibilities of parenthood were just too much and she couldn't handle the pres ... More >>

For Musicians, Little Sucks Worse Than Stolen Gear

In 2010, Johnny Marr of The Smiths recovered his $45,000 '64 Gibson SG, after it had been stolen at a gig ten years earlier. Unfortunately, most musicians who have lost their gear to theft haven't been so lucky. The local musicians I talked to recently reported suffering similar losses. Occasionall ... More >>

Houston's Top 10 Record Stores

Record Store Day (recordstoreday.com) is six weeks away, but a good Houstonian should never need an excuse to visit one of our city's many record stores. These fine brick-and-mortar shops have been doling out music for years and even decades in some instances. Run by some of the finest music lovers ... More >>

There's Also Puppy Love On Valentine's Day: These Photos Prove It

As you scramble to find that all-important gift that says so much -- the finale to a project to which you've given months seconds of support -- you are taking part in a time-honored tradition celebrating the love that can thrive between two people. But what about the dogs? Surely they have feeling ... More >>

Open Letter to the Bar Owner Who Wrote the Open Letter to Musicians on Craigslist

Dear Guy Who Owns a Bar in Tampa and wrote this letter to musicians on Craigslist, I've been playing music for over 25 years. I've worked in a lot of different places from absolute ratholes to really wonderful venues. I've seen all sorts of bad behavior on the part of musicians, fans, sound guys, b ... More >>

Tavarius Williams: Alleged "Dog-Flipper" on the Loose

One of our alert friends from the animal welfare community just alerted us to a sad story from Tanya Wisler, a Chihuahua breeder in Kingwood, who says she was looking for a forever home for one of her dogs, but the dog wound up in the hands of an alleged dogflipper. This was the first time we've h ... More >>

Omar Daniel Gonzalez-Torres: Craigslist Prank Backfires, Leads to April Fool's Day in Jail

According to what he told police, Omar Daniel Gonzalez-Torres was upset at the way a woman was treating his girlfriend, so he chose the route of high-tech vengeance. Posing as his girlfriend's alleged antagonist, the 21-year-old College Station man took out a Craigslist "casual encounters" ad offeri ... More >>

José Gustavo Diaz-Velasquez: Used Craigslist, YouTube To Recruit Immigrant Smugglers

Doing business in this modern world can be cutthroat -- you either keep up with the times, or you die. Any good business gets itself on the web. Even if that business is smuggling illegal immigrants. The U.S> Attorney's Office in Houston has announced the arrest of José Gustavo Diaz-Velasquez, 29 ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 1: Kevin Naderi of Roost

Photos by Mai PhamChef/Owner Kevin Naderi of Roost​It's not often that a small restaurant becomes an instant hit, but from what I could see on a busy Tuesday night with a small line forming at the door, neighborhood eatery Roost possesses everything it needs to make it -- a small, cozy space; ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 2: Roberto Castre of Latin Bites Cafe, On Opening His Restaurant After Kidney Donation Surgery

Photos by Mai PhamExecutive Chef Roberto Castre of Latin Bites Cafe​Yesterday, we talked to Latin Bites' Executive Chef and Owner Roberto Castre about his long and winding road to settling in Houston. Today, he tells us the story of how Latin Bites came into being. EOW: You, your sister Rita ... More >>

If the Wikipedia Boycott of SOPA Spread: Seven Examples of Horror

​With Wikipedia boycotting the Stop Online Piracy Act today by shutting itself down for 24 hours, the powers that be at the crowdsourced information giant hope we all get freaked out enough by their absence that we tell Congress we think SOPA should not be passed. If you don't know what SOPA i ... More >>

Libra Soul: The Singing Voice Of The 99 Percent

Photos courtesy of Aiton Extea/Libra Soul​Around this time last year, Rocks Off told you about a man named Aiton Etxea and his quest to find "reason-filled musicians" for the purposes of forming a band. His use of the term "reason-filled" caught our attention because we were regular trollers o ... More >>

Songs About Houses, Castles, Mansions, Shacks, And Apartments (And Yurts)

​In Rocks Off's seemingly never-ending quest to live alone, we have been looking at Craigslist listings (so, that's where you got the idea for that blog!), getting help from a realtor friend, and driving aimlessly around the neighborhoods surrounding our office. We have even thought of buying ... More >>

Where to Meet a Houston Millionaire

An evening at the Petroleum Club.​Of all the cities in all the countries in all the world, Houston is attracting the most millionaires. Houston's millionaire population swelled 9.6% in just one year, according to Forbes. There are now 96,700 millionaires living in our city. Of course, the maj ... More >>

Thieves Suck: How to Protect Yourself When Your Stuff Is Stolen

​Sunday evening while I was out for a jog, my car was broken into and my purse was stolen. By some miracle of paranoia, I happened to have both my cell phone and wallet with me on the run, not for fear of them getting jacked, but because I'm always worried I might get lost, or need my ID if I ... More >>

CNN Won't Answer Questions About Its Child-Sex Trafficking Crusade

​CNN reporter Amber Lyon has made a crusade out of trumpeting the "fact" that "100,000 to 300,000" children are enslaved into sex trafficking each year. As our sister paper the Village Voice pointed out, in a piece we ran in the print edition, those numbers are almost certainly a gross exagge ... More >>

Avoid Cheap Fog Machines: Building A Better Stage Show

Erica O'BrienProvision​If Rocks Off could talk to ourselves from six years ago, the advice we would give that young aspiring rock star would be to not bother with any gigs for the first year playing with the band, and instead have everyone save up as much money as possible to fund a truly magn ... More >>

David Beauchemin: Fugitive Louisiana Snake Farmer Busted Again In East Texas

Wood County JailDavid Beauchemin: High End Herps is a great company name​Authorities from several law enforcement agencies and a handful of private-sector reptile experts raided the snake farm of David Beauchemin yesterday in Wood County. Before the day was done, the deputies, game wardens and ... More >>

Benjamin Childress: High School Orchestra Director Busted for Soliciting Underage Boy

Manvel PDBenjamin Childress: Says he answered a Craigslist ad.​The orchestra director at Pasadena's Dobie High School has been arrested for online solicitation of a 15-year-old boy, police in Pearland say. Benjamin Clark Childress, 26, met the boy through a Craigslist ad and was found drunk i ... More >>

Women's Funding Network sex trafficking study is junk science

Schapiro Group data wasn't questioned by mainstream media.

Houston: Least-Generous City (When it Comes to Free Stuff on Craigslist)

These kids are obviously not from Houston​Houston is many things, but one thing it apparently isn't is one of those hippie, commune-type places where people dig the vibe of being generous with things they no longer want. In short, we are not Portland or Seattle. Or Detroit, for that matter. ... More >>

Wangcaster Rules: Rocks Off's Top 10 Stories Of 2010

Insert "wanking" joke here.​It's been a wild and crazy year. And while we're still wrapping up some of our personal favorite stories of 2010, Rocks Off throughout we'd take a look at the Top 10 most-read stories of the most recent solar rotation. Relive the magic with our links below... 10. N ... More >>

Craigslist's Houston Missed Connections: Highlights, Including Leia Doing Han Solo In His Car

Occasionally we take a look at Craigslist's "Missed Connections" for Houston, an ephemeral limning of the psyche of our town in these desperate days. Five recent highlights:1. I am looking for the kind of person who leaves their kid sweltering in a hot car.​

Book 'em, Danno

Constables go after HISD students' unreturned books

Craigslist Prank Turns Sour For Katy Woman Who Didn't Want To See A Whole Bunch Of Penises

The "anal" was a nice touch​If you have a falling out with a friend or a significant other, there are a number of responses. You can hold your head high, wish the other party the best, and move on with your life; you can shoot up a Luby's; or, as a girl we'll call Paula learned lately, you can pos ... More >>

Ashka's East Meets West

For Sale: One Guitar, Slightly Peed On

​Here's a lovely way to start off the week. Naturally, it comes to us from Craigslist. Just in time for summer vacation, in case any of you recent grads are thinking about starting a band, or a summer tour if you're already in one, a local musician posting under the name "Dean Vendetta" - which we ... More >>

Jonathan Akinola, Secret Shopper Scams: Everyone's Warning About Them

Let's be smart out there, people​What gig could be better than a "secret shopper"? Go spend someone else's money and get back at the useless sales staff who don't immediately bow to your every whim. (This is assuming, of course, that the entire idea of shopping doesn't sound like the freshest kind ... More >>

Will You Be This Guy's Date To Kenny G?

​"Would anyone like to listen to the rich, one-of-a-kind tapestry of samba and salsa, ballads and bossa nova with a well-dressed man?" All right, the Kenny G show at the Arena Theatre is in less than five hours or so, and this guy needs a date. Not us, because we are probably going solo since our ... More >>

Quickest Way To Become A Local Celebrity? Have Your Stuff Ripped Off

They say any press is good press, but Marc Brubaker might beg to differ. The Rocks Off photographer, Houstonist editor and Prairie Cadets front man who recently lost several thousand dollars in computer equipment in a burglary - but recovered his desktop the next day after tracking it down on Craig ... More >>

Sarahmania Hits Houston

What did we learn?

Best. Roommate. Ever.

​If were weren't already comfortably ensconced in a house, with no particular need for a roommate other than the stray cat that comes begging for food every day, we'd have already fired off an e-mail to Chris Smink, the author of what might be the greatest Craigslist roommate posting ever, for ... More >>

Wanna Make $100? Kill This Guy's Drummer.

[Thanks to our buddy, former Meridian talent buyer John Escamilla, for posting this on Facebook.] ​ The New Year's Eve gig must not have gone well at all. Twenty minutes into 2010, a La Porte man posted a Craigslist invitation to kill his drummer for the low, low bounty of $100. Applicants need no ... More >>

Yes, Anastasia, You Too Can Cyber Land a Job in a Recession

​Pardon us, but we're about to impart some useful, seasoned knowledge on you. Don't get too accustomed to it, however. We'll return to our regularly scheduled programming of a wee bit of technology talk with a whole lot of intertwined innuendo in no time.But for today, we educate. Our topic? E ... More >>

The Search for Christmas Tamales

​Fresh-cooked pork tamales are going for $7 a dozen at Gerardo's, and they're very good. After eating a sample dozen, I decided to get my Christmas tamales there this year. There is a sign on the front door warning customers to order their holiday tamales in advance. Gerardo's is expecting a r ... More >>

Hole-A-Balloo, Kaneck Kaneck: Aggie Journalist Wonders Why A&M Is Riddled With Glory Holes

Screensave from 40scressports.com​When we struggled our way through J-school before finally dropping out in a PICA-pole induced snit, we never thought that the day would come when we would find ourselves on the Texas-Louisiana glory-hole beat for a blog called Hair Balls, but here we are...Shortly ... More >>

Tamale Time: A Hot Tamale Sandwich

​Forget the dollar menu at Taco Bell, the tamale torta at Doña Tere on Bissonnet is a full meal for $1.79. I got the chile beef tamale and doused the bolillo with salsa to lubricate the rather dry-looking combo of starch on starch. It tasted better than it looked. But next time, I think I'll ... More >>

Capsule Art Reviews: "The Art Guys: New Clichés," "Casual Encounters," "New Art in Austin: 20 to Watch"

Capsule Art Reviews: "Casual Encounters," "Literally Figurative," "New Art in Austin: 20 to Watch"

Defending Bob Dylan and the Mac Guy

Capsule Art Reviews: Bryan Wheeler: The Souls of Texans Are In Jeopardy In Ways Not Common To Other Men, "Casual Encounters", Round 30: Home. Space. Place.

Craigslist To Give Up "Erotic Services" Ads

Photo by Nick VlcekCraigslist -- which we recently described in a feature as being at a crossroads -- seems to have decided which road to take.Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced the company will be dropping its "Erotic Services" ads.The ads have played a role in a series of recent murd ... More >>

Craig Newmark speaks at victim's memorial in wake of Craigslist killings.

Craigslist's Founder Speaks At Memorial Service For Victim Of A "Craigslist Murderer"

Over the weekend Craig Newmark, the founder of Craigslist, spoke at the memorial service for Katherine Olson, the woman murdered after answering a false ad seeking a nanny.It was a culminiation of sorts of the intense pressure Craigslist finds itself under now, as publicity-hungry elected law-enforc ... More >>

Craigslist At A Crossroads

Criminals being dubbed the latest "Craigslist Killer" seem to be popping up everywhere.There was Michael Anderson in Minnesota, who lured to her death a woman answering an ad for a nanny; a 16-year-old S/M enthusiast who killed a New York City radio newsman who posted an ad; and a yuppie who used th ... More >>

Homemade Tamales R Us

The question around town is: "Where can I get some homemade tamales?" For a great many Texans, tamales are a necessity of the holiday season. But the tamales you buy in the grocery store are usually disappointing. And while we all love the giant dollar a piece tamales at Doña Tere, they aren't th ... More >>

From Té to Sauté World Bistro

Not Bad for a 22-year-old