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Pop Rocks: Katy Perry, Kim Kardashian -- Can the Celebrity Marriage Be Saved?

Sometimes the jokes just write themselves. Russell Brand stands to land $20 million or more from his divorce from wife Katy Perry, reports said Monday. The British actor and comedian told New York magazine last year that he and Perry did not sign a prenuptial agreement. And since the two were marr ... More >>

6 Musicians and Their Charities

​The main knock on celebrity charity is that it's essentially a brand-building tool -- good for image and not much else. The tax savings don't hurt, either. But not all charitable connections are about image-burnishing and tax savings. (God, we sure hope not.) The number-crunchers at Forbes lo ... More >>

High-rise Robbery

Stealing from the rich to...oh, whatever. Funny is the message in Tower Heist.

Rihanna's Top 5 Most Controversial Videos

​Rihanna recently released yet another controversial video for "We Found Love," the first single from her forthcoming Def Jam album Talk That Talk. The Grammy-winning singer seems to love pissing off parents and anti-violence organizations with her musical visuals. But she's surely not the fir ... More >>

For Tyler Perry's Birthday, a Comprehensive History of Black Men in Drag

That's a man, baby.​Happy birthday, Tyler Perry. The media mogul is celebrating his 41st with the news that he topped Forbes list of highest paid men in entertainment: Thanks to five movies he has cranked out over the past two years and two TV series, Perry earned $130 million between May 20 ... More >>

What Hip-Hop's Cash Kings Should Buy With All That Loot

​Forbes has unveiled its annual list of hip-hop cash kings. The Top 20 includes 21 big shottas - who said math was a requirement to work at Forbes? - with whom we'd gladly trade bank accounts. Pop the hood to see Rocks Off's breakdown of the Top 10 earners and what they should buy with all th ... More >>

Openings & Closings: July 2011

Chef Raj Dixit takes over at The Inn.​Another busy week in the city where good things happen in threes: Three coffee shops are opening soon, three chefs have moved into new positions, and three restaurants are fast on their way to opening (or reopening, in one case). And bad things happen in t ... 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 >>

Top Five Most Overpaid Musicians In The World

​Last month Forbes released their list of the 25 highest-earning musicians of 2010, and the list contains several talents Rocks Off is happy to see keeping the lights on. No. 1 on the list, U2, is still a favorite of ours after all these years, and it's always good to see Tom Petty, Jay-Z, and ... More >>

The Drayton McLane Era -- Asking That One Question

Plus: this. Minus: Tim Purpura​The end of the Drayton McLane Era as owner of the Astros is imminent. With today's announcement that local businessman Jim Crane's purchase of our hometown ball club, we can begin to evaluate the "Houston Astros, version McLane" in full. There are a handful o ... More >>

Andy Surface: Alvin's Conde Nast Scammer Graciously Agrees Not to Keep the $8 Million He Got

Andy Surface no longer wants Conde Nast's money.​Andy Surface, the Alvin man who scammed the powerful Condé Nast publishing company of $8 million simply by sending a single bogus e-mail invoice, has formally renounced any claim to his ill-gotten gains. Forbes, which first broke the story, re ... More >>

Andy Surface: Alvin Man Sends Fake E-Mail Invoice to Fancy New York Magazine Publisher, Gets $8 Million

Andy Surafce: Alvin man dupes New York sophisticates​While we never endorse fraud, we have to give up some grudging applause for one Andy Surface, of Alvin. According to federal prosecutors, Surface set up a company with a name that sounded a bit like that of the company that does the publish ... More >>

Victoria's Secret? She Hates The Astros

Heidi Won't Touch The Astros​The Houston Astros are getting absolutely zero respect as the season prepares to open. The organization has been called one of the worst in baseball. The farm system is ranked 26th. The major league club is picked to be one of the worst in the game. The Forbes va ... More >>

Forbes: Astros Value Estimated at $474 million

$474 million will buy a lot of oranges.​Back in November, it was widely reported that Astros owner Drayton McLane was looking to sell his major league franchise. Today, Forbes released its annual list of MLB Team Values and it's good news-bad news for McLane. The good news is the team's overa ... More >>

The Axiston of Evil

Together at last...​If it's a month with an "r" in it, there must be another Jennifer Aniston movie coming out. Sure enough, the airwaves are littered with commercials for her latest, Just Go With It, and she's dutifully hitting the talk show circuit (Ellen, Conan) and also making the rounds o ... More >>

Five Terrible Rap-Related Business Ideas

​If you believe the bean counters at Forbes, rhyme still pays and the 2010 hip-hop cash kings (Jay-Z, Diddy, Eminem, etc.) are cashing major checks from their business ventures. But cashing in on rap commercialism is no cake walk. If you have no intention of ever making Forbes' Cash Kings list ... More >>

Giving Pledge: How Three Houston Billionaires Should Help

Houston billionaires haven't joined Bill Gates' and Warren Buffett's Giving Pledge. Yet. ​One of the big stories this week is Bill Gates' and Warren Buffett's Giving Pledge, where the super-billionaires have promised to donate half their money to charity. Even better, they've convinced 38 other ri ... More >>

Manchester United: Five Reasons To Hate Them

Yeah, yeah -- tradition yadda, yadda, yadda​Manchester United F.C. will be making their first trip to Houston as they play the MLS All-Stars at Reliant Stadium Wednesday. As one of soccer's most successful and most recognizable clubs, Man U is the sole reason why a record-sellout crowd is expected ... More >>

Built to Last

Iron Man 2 will lead to 3 and probably 4, but that doesn't mean it's good.

The Crucifixion of Juarez

On the front line of the U.S. war on drugs, a Mexican city bleeds to death.

Fails Of The Week: Glastonbury "Ice Ice Baby," Sony "No Beyonce On YouTube," Fat Mike The Peeing Clown And... Bono

If you're reading this, you're either on the Internet, or else you've mastered multi-dimensional thought-projection processes that would make Michio Kaku cry like a little girl. We'll assume the former, and just in case you don't already know, the Internet has decided that the word "failure" is too ... More >>

Ultimate Victory

Fences with Paul Wall mended, upcoming tour planned, Chamillionaire is comfortable being the rapper next door.

Are The Astros Worth What Drayton Is Asking?

Photo by verndogs​So Drayton McLane has made it known that he's really, really willing to sell the Houston Astros. And as his price, he's asking for $650 million.I'm sure the potential buyers are putting every aspect of Drayton's baseball empire under the microscope, but I thought I would pr ... More >>

Pop Rocks: The King Is Dead

​Last Friday -- January 8 -- marked what would have been the 75th birthday of Elvis Presley. The milestone was dutifully noted on most national new broadcasts and publications, tastefully hitting the high points of the King's life without dwelling overmuch on this drug- addled final years. ... More >>

Do You Know What Your Kids Are Eating? Be Careful -- It Might Look Like This

​While some schools around town go to great lengths to provide healthy options for students, most cafeterias reside outside the bounds of culinary decency: processed meats, stale breads, cups of colorless fruit. It's not that anyone wants our fine city's future to dine on lard and green turkey ... More >>

Houston: From Moron Metropolis to Genius City In Two Short Months

​Two months ago, the Daily Beast ranked all American cities according to their estimation of each place's municipal IQ.They measured how many residents had bachelor's and graduate degrees, nonfiction book sales, the ration of institutions of higher education, and political engagement, as measured ... More >>

Maybe Miley Would Be Better Off Dead Like Selena, Kurt and These Others...

In case you missed it - and if you value your immortal soul, we're sure you did - Hannah Montana star/future tell-all memoir author Miley Cyrus unveiled a newer, more "mature" look last weekend at the only venue appropriate for such things: the Teen Choice Awards. Nothing says "successful transitio ... More >>

R.I.P. Jerry J. Moore, In The Obscurity He Hated

A Houston businessman who makes the Forbes 400 list of richest people twelve times, who gained fame for his large and luxurious car collection....a guy like that dies, you kinda expect the Houston Chronicle to notice.But apparently not.Jerry J. Moore died November 23 and, as best we can determine, t ... More >>

What Mainstream Publishers Don't Want You to Know About Door-to-Door Magazine Sales

That kid at your door with a magazine order form will tell you a story -- part sad, part hopeful. The truth will be infinitely worse than you can imagine.

High Gas Prices: Protests, Segways and Prostitutes

Disney Channel fits Texan Demi Lovato for a glass slipper

Wishing Upon a Star

Billion Dollar Babies

Rappers and their ten-figure dreams

A Compaq with the Lord

Credit boyish heir Osteen for Lakewood's higher power

Queen of Clubs

Dance royalty is in the cards for remix diva Amber

Business as Usual

Despite a deregulated energy market, Houston is sticking with the home team

Lifestyles of the Ricas y Famosas

Daniela Rossell brings us inside the homes of Mexico's obscenely wealthy

Sex, Death and Oysters

Beneath the muddy waters of Galveston Bay lies one of the greatest seafood treasure troves on earth

Burying the Past

A farewell slap to a Chronicle columnist

King Kinder

Rich Kinder has made a cool billion dollars since leaving Enron. Now he’s ready to take over the world, or at least the nearest pipeline.

What's Wrong with This Picture?

MFA director Peter C. Marzio gets a bonus of $1.7 million while front-line museum employees say they have trouble paying their rent

Righteous Babe

Ani DiFranco, poetess, goddess, funky folker, comes to town

Business As Usual

The State Bar of Texas tries again to KAYO John O'Quinn but can't lay a glove on him

Press Picks

Greed Head

There's a darkness at the edge of Clutch City, but one thing is clear: Les Alexander will get his. And maybe yours, too.

Messing Up in Public

Ray Davies gets the kinks (if not the Kinks) out of his career

Don't cry for me, Amarillo

How once-fearsome corporate raider T. Boone Pickens was beaten at his own game -- by a one-time protege

Press Picks