Earth’s Wild Ride
We’ve so often gazed up at the moon and wondered what’s going on up there, but the tables get turned in the animated planetarium film Earth’s Wild Ride. The year is 2081, and a grandfather and granddaughter watch a solar eclipse from scenic cliffs overlooking their moon colony. Conversation leads…
Life in the Universe
Whether you’re a UFO enthusiast or just curious about the big bang theory, the Life in the Universe show at Houston Museum of Natural Science will have you asking that age-old question – “Is there life out there?” Inside the museum’s planetarium, viewers will see the universe through an astronomer’s…
reasons to be pretty
The idea of beauty and its worth is at the center of reasons to be pretty, currently making its Houston premiere at Theater LaB Houston. Things start when Greg makes a careless remark about how attractive a co-worker is and goes on to add that his own girlfriend Steph lacks…
“Body, Surface, Signs: New Work from Potter Albert Goldreich and Painter Becky Soria”
Unlike the vast majority of visual artists, potter Albert Goldreich holds a world record. He’s in Believe the Unbelievable for having continuously thrown on a potter’s wheel for the longest period of time: 18 hours and three minutes. Viewers will see more recent creations in “Body, Surface, Signs: New Work…
“Sixth Annual Open Call Exhibition: Good Gulf”
For most of the artists participating in the “Sixth Annual Open Call Exhibition: Good Gulf,” currently at the Art Car Museum, it was a question of both timing and talent. The museum accepted entries, all reflecting the Gulf of Mexico, on a first-come, first-served basis. (The response was so enthusiastic…
A Catered Affair
There is probably no musical better suited to the anxieties of our time than Harvey Fierstein and John Bucchino’s A Catered Affair. Set in the Bronx in the 1950s, the rewrite of Paddy Chayefsky’s 1956 television drama and the 1956 film focuses on an ordinary, working-class family trying to figure…
Comment of the Day: Rice Ideas Men Like
Katharine Shilcutt posted an ad for rice featuring a woman who plans to introduce the unexpected into her marriage…by serving her husband rice. But as commenter Rebecca Hadley pointed out, the ad doesn’t mention the most important aspect of man-pleasing-through-rice: Ah … but it didn’t say what she was wearing…
Former State Rep Ellen Cohen Gearing Up for a Council Race?
With Anne Clutterbuck term-limited out of representing her posh and semi-posh southwest side district in 2011, who’s going to take her place? Former state rep Ellen Cohen, fresh off being a victim of the GOP tsunami, apparently is ready to step up. Cohen told the River Oaks Examiner that she’s…
Houston’s Elusive Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Update: Croissant Brioche French Bakery
Continuing on my hunt for Houston’s perfect chewy chocolate chip cookie, I followed up on reader Meghan’s suggestion to check out Croissant Brioche. (I know, I know. I still have to try Tiny Boxwood’s. But they’re closed Mondays.) Despite my infatuation with baked goods, I had never been to Croissant…
Alton Lamarr Straughter, 49, Bayou Body Count No. 2
A woman who claimed a man had stolen her purse stabbed him to death Tuesday afternoon, Houston police say. The victim, who police say was aged between 40 and 50, was stabbed multiple times in an apartment complex parking lot in the 6100 block of West Tidwell about 3:15 p.m.,…
Whipped Cream Day & Other Delights
When you think of whipped cream, you probably think of doing whippets off the canister or dessert treats. Or how the kids at Starbucks always ask if you want whipped cream on every goddamned thing you order. Today is National Whipped Cream Day, another fake holiday for us to give…
The Five Worst Canned Foods You Can Easily Find In America
It’s easy to go to a foreign market and find items that seem strange and offensive to an American palate. Wandering through a Korean market, someone might offer you steamed silkworm pupae. In a South American market, you might get fried ant eggs. Yes, thanks to a mixture of poverty…
Facebook Bows Down to Houston’s Leaky Boob
We think Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich said it best: “NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE HEART OF A LEAKY BOOB!!!!” Facebook has learned that harsh lesson. Houston blogger/tweeter/Facebooker Jessica Martin-Weber, the founder of the Web site theleakyboob.com, appears to have won her battle against the social-media giant. Over the weekend FB took down…
The Best Concert Movies Of All Time
A quick note before CHL starts this hlist. We define a concert movie as a flick that documents one or more shows on a tour. More narrative-oriented rock flicks like D.A. Pennebaker’s Bob Dylan mash note Don’t Look Back, Charles Peterson’s grunge chronicle Hype!, and of course the lighthearted GG…
Chef Chat, Part 1: Tony Mandola
EOW recently sat down with Tony Mandola to get the inside scoop on his new restaurant. We met at Tony Mandola’s Gulf Coast Kitchen for a chat. Eating Our Words: Hello Tony! It is so nice to meet you. We have so many things we are dying to ask you,…
Tilman Fertitta: ATMs for Gold Bars Are Genius
Most people, when they read about the Florida ATM that disbursed bars of gold instead of cash, thought, “Good Lord, that is possibly the most idiotic thing I’ve ever heard in my life. And that includes the Matrix sequels.” Tilman Fertitta, the local boy whose leaden development touch has scarred…
PETA’s New Target: UT-Medical Branch in Galveston
PETA, fresh off claiming a victory over NASA about monkey experiments, has a new target in its sights: The University of Texas medical branch in Galveston. PETA has filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture alleging “abuse and neglect of animals housed and used in experiments at UTMB…
Hurley’s Cursed Lost Lotto Numbers a Winner in Disguise for Thousands of Americans
It’s been called a tax on people who can’t do math, but that didn’t stop millions of Americans from taking a shot at the 1-to-176-million odds for Tuesday’s $355 mega-millions jackpot. This morning it was announced that two tickets, one in Idaho, the other in Washington, matched all five numbers…
Lauryn Hill, DMX Hit The Rocky Comeback Trail
Ed. Note: According to our New York sister blog Sound of the City, Hill’s show Monday night at legendary NYC jazz club the Blue Note went much better, although she still didn’t go onstage until almost midnight. Lauryn Hill’s comeback campaign is off to a rocky start. Hill recently embarked…
Cover Story: Keeping Up With Old Man Tim
To get this week’s feature, I knew I would have to learn firsthand what it is to be a bike courier. While I have been an almost daily bike commuter for over a year, I knew that my bike was not up to the task…
Pollo Bravo: Laid-Back Peruvian Food at Laid-Back Prices
On my first visit to Latin Bites Cafe, the charming Peruvian restaurant that has taken over the former location of Ray’s Franks (and, before that, Dharma Cafe), I was immediately struck by how upscale it was. I suppose I had been expecting something more along the lines of its former…
Your Meme of the Week: Stick Your Head in the Freezer
This week, as I slowly came to life after what seemed like two straight weeks of food, booze, and inordinately large amounts of sleep, I found your Meme Of The Week. I didn’t need a meme to tell me that sticking your head in a freezer is refreshing and fun…
Jeff Bagwell Denied Entrance Into Hall of Fame
Rumors of steroid use likely prevented former Astro first baseman Jeff Bagwell from being elected into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame as voters denied him entrance today. This was Bagwell’s first time on the ballot. Bagwell will remain eligible for induction and has the chance to be voted…
Lard Prik at Thai Village
I am one of those annoying white people who order the triple-star hot dishes at restaurants and then request that the chef make them mild. When I lived in India, I developed a high tolerance for spice (“Look ma, no raita!”), but six years later I am a giant pussy…
Wade Phillips’ Job Interview: Snickers, Crayons and Battlefighting
“HOUSTON (KTRK) — Eyewitness Sports has learned that Wade Phillips will be hired as the Texans new defensive coordinator.” — Bob Allen on Twitter last night, 1/4/11 “Noooo!!! Wait!!! I talked to Wade Phillips second cousin once removed! He’s just INTERVIEWING!! He has NOT accepted the job!!” — Every other…
Sculptor David Adickes to Memorialize Charlie Wilson in Lufkin
Bill Davenport at Glasstire blogged today that a 10-foot statue of the late former Congressman Charlie Wilson will be unveiled on January 12, 1 p.m., at the Charles Wilson VA outpatient clinic in Lufkin (Wilson’s hometown). Houston’s David Adickes was chosen to create the sculpture, titled Standing Tall With Charlie…
Chanel Dizzle: Screwed Up Click Star In The Making
UPDATE (1:42 p.m.): Chanel just got in touch. She’s a 22-year-old UT senior. We’ll have a full interview with her soon. We didn’t set out for this to turn into “teenage girl week” on Rocks Off, but we’re not complaining either. It’s even kind of appropriate, since we’re also celebrating…
Brew Blog: Smoked Baltic Porter from Great Divide vs. Stone of California’s Smoked Porter
Doing a beer run while home over Christmas, we didn’t deliberately set up a smoked-porter battle. But when we got home from the store, we realized we had one of those varieties from both Great Divide of Denver and Stone of California, and thought we ‘d pit them against each…
Rob My Purse? Sure. Just Let Me Get My Cigarettes First
A classic radio skit by Jack Benny (look him up, young’uns) had his miserly character being confronted by a robber. “Your money or your life,” says the robber. Loooong pause. (Benny was the master of comic timing.) “Well?” says the robber. “I’m THINKING!!” says Benny. A similar scenario played out…
Hudson Lounge Situation Still Clear As Mud
The fallout from the December 28 “Hydeout at the Hudson” party continues to fester. As you probably know by now, the party organizers say Hudson Lounge’s owner threw them out and shut down the chichi Rice Village club because they were black, while the staff contends it was because too…
Suggested New Year’s Resolutions for Three Houston Arts Orgs
While 2010 brought several top-notch events, performances and exhibits to Houston (including Audi Fashion Houston, the 2nd Annual Cinema Arts Festival, Maurizio Cattelan at the Menil and Cai Guo-Quiang’s Odyssey at the MFAH), there are a few practices we’d like some local arts organizations to resolve to quit, kind of…
Comment of the Day: The Conflicted Life of a Texans Fan
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…
Food Safety Modernization Act Passes, But at What Cost?
Yesterday afternoon, President Obama signed what’s being called “one of the most expansive food regulation bills in living memory,” the Food Safety Modernization Act (FMSA), effectively creating a new arm of the Food & Drug Administration that will allow the agency to actively attempt to prevent outbreaks of foodborne illnesses…
Mary Sarah Ready For The World At Age 15
Each Wednesday, Rocks Off arbitrarily appoints one lucky local performer or group “Artist of the Week,” bestowing upon them all the fame and grandeur such a lofty title implies. Know a band or artist that isn’t awful? Email their particulars to sheaserrano@gmail.com. We’ve interviewed all sorts of folks for this…
Magic Johnson Takes Over Hotel Icon
The so-hip-it-hurts Hotel Icon’s foreclosure auction has a winner: Magic Johnson, the man who toyed with the Houston Rockets and every NBA team except the Boston Celtics back in the days of tight shorts. Johnson’s investment company, Canyon Johnson Urban Funds, had already assumed the debt on the failed property,…
Ingredient of the Week: Red Cabbage
What is it? Red cabbage is exactly what it sounds like. While it isn’t as exotic as a lychee or Chinese broccoli, it wasn’t something I ever ate growing up in Southeast Texas, so it is exotic to me. Until later in life when I experienced some tart, sweet and…
Ron Paul: Colbert Report Smackdown With The New York Times
The Colbert ReportMon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30cGold Faithful – Ron Paul & David Leonhardtwww.colbertnation.comColbert Report Full EpisodesPolitical Humor & Satire BlogMarch to Keep Fear AliveBrazoria County’s finest politician, in terms of name recognition, is of course Ron Paul. The Gold Standard Guru was on the Colbert Report last night…
German Santiago: Dulles Kid Becomes Gang Leader in West Side Story
It doesn’t matter that West Side Storycoming to the Hobby Center next week is about a half century old – the original Broadway show opened in ’57 and the movie version in ’61 (or centuries if we count Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet on which it’s based). Actor German Santiago who…
The Seven Most Entertaining Rappers On Twitter
Monday, Slim Thug tweeted about his ad in the Casual Encounters section of Craigslist. Thugga is known for being notoriously entertaining on Twitter, as evinced by his Houston Press Music award for Best Twitter Personality. But he’s hardly the only funny rapper on Twitter. We found six more. 7. Rhymefest…
Who Needs An Entrée? I’ll Just Take the Bread
On New Year’s Eve, I ate an early dinner at Reef with my husband. We enjoyed a ginormous raw platter, two plump, flavorful crab cakes, generous portions of red snapper and swordfish, and a massive block of fried macaroni and cheese. We also managed to eat a total of seven…
Dijwun Morgan, The Greensheet Bandit: Not Difficult To Find
Part of a master criminal planThe Greensheet is a good way to buy or sell a TV, a hopefully not-too-mysteriously stained mattress, or your antique china. But Dijwun Morgan found another use for it, according to Baytown police: He used it to rob people. Morgan confessed to the robberies, according…
Hudson Lounge: Still No Agreement On What Happened
Hudson Lounge. Again. Yesterday on Hair Balls and on the music blog, Rocks Off, we summarized the Hudson Lounge ordeal that has gripped Houston nightlife patrons, with accusations of racism and exclusionary practices strewn all over the comments section on both blogs, and on a few blogs written by other…
A Musical Field Guide To National Bird Day
Today is National Bird Day, and we are all gonna celebrate. Every year bird enthusiasts pick this day to promote bird watching, XTREME bird watching, bird adoption, and just plain ol’ loving the unholy hell out of birds. All kidding aside, the holiday is dedicated to raising awareness about the…
Houston Musicians Bring Back the Cool
To be cool doesn’t mean to be cold and indifferent. Being cool means possessing the character to remain strong under pressure. To be generous when times are tight. To find confidence inside of yourself even when a society is treating you like you’re not even human. In his book Flash…
Gary Kubiak Deathwatch: He Is Risen
Bob McNair’s decision to retain Gary Kubiak — yes, there’s a Hitler video about it — shakes at the very foundations of belief in a sane, logical universe. What kind of owner brings back Kubiak? The kind of owner who hires Wade Phillips as defensive coordinator, that’s who. Just think…
Sampler Plate: This Week in Food Blogs
Each week, we put together a sampler plate of the most interesting links from both local and national food blogs. Know a blog we should be paying particular attention to? Leave the address in the comments section below. Blue Jean Gourmet: Former EOW blogger Nishta Mehra’s first post of 2011…
The Strange Vendetta Against Jeff Bagwell
Should make the Hall of Fame todayBack when I was in law school, I was taught a basic strategy for handling a trial, or any type of legal argument. If you have the facts in your favor, but not the law, argue the facts. If you have the law in…
Comment of the Day
As Lennie Ambrose informed us, Chick-fil-A is offering free Spicy Chicken Biscuits this week. Lennie got his yesterday morning, and man, did it sound good. But commenter eatTX wrote in to remind us that while we may agree that a hot, buttery biscuit with spicy chicken sounds incredible right about…
January Weekends: Don’t Expect Much Light Rail
How long does it take to build a freaking pedestrian bridge across Fannin? Long enough that — on the heels of Metro having to suspend light rail service on some December weekends to accommodate construction — they’ll be doing the same for most of January, the agency announced today. Light…
Va-rice-ity is the Spice of Life (Or, It Was in the 1960s)
There’s something about the deer-in-headlights look of the woman in this 1960s-era ad that makes this entire thing more disturbing. Something that says, “My husband will slap me across the face if I don’t start coming up with better things to cook for dinner…” The Houston-based Rice Council of America…
Ron Franklin, Luv Ya Blue Voice, Fired from ESPN
Ron Franklin, the play-by-play voice of the Luv Ya Blue-era Houston Oilers, was fired today by ESPN, according to media reports. Why? Because he apparently has a workplace worldview developed closely on the tenets of Mad Men. Franklin, who was the voice of the Oilers throughout the ’70s, is apparently…
Meet Musically Oblivious Eighth Grader, Houston
Lately Rocks Off has been playing with the Musically Oblivious 8th Grader on Meme Generator, asking the soon-to-be freshman her thoughts on the Houston music scene. Not surprisingly, she has plenty of questions, and also plenty to say about the climate of the scene here in 2011. Let this be…
Double Cheeseburger at Southwell’s Hamburger Grill
It’s amazing how many burger places are closed on Sundays. I learned this fact recently when, at the end of the weekend, I was craving a cheap, greasy burger and began perusing the websites of Bellaire Burger Broiler, Lucky Burger, and a few other establishments. With my first, second, and…
Millet Harrison Jr.: Dude Who Removed His Mom’s Brain Says He’s Better Now
Millet Harrison believes in the first part of this message, at leastIt’s January, which means it’s time once again for Millet Harrison Jr. to ask a Jefferson County court if he can leave the mental hospital he’s been locked up in since he cut out his mother’s brain and heart in 1994…
R.I.P. Phil Lynott: Top 10 Thin Lizzy Songs
Thin Lizzy bassist and front man Phil Lynott passed away 25 years ago today due to drug and alcohol dependency in Salisbury, England. The hole Lynott, who was 36, left in the rock world has never been filled. First off, we should just post Lizzy’s entire Jailbreak album right here…
Searching for Subversive Art? Google It
We’re familiar with Google’s changing logos, recognizing international holidays and the birthdays of notable individuals. But an online “Banksy,” if you will, has hacked Google’s design to create some parody pages at the company’s expense. Argentinian designer Leonardo Solaas runs Google Variations, which offers several twists on the ubiquitous corporation…
Best Public School Bargains: UT, A&M But Not UH
Kiplinger’s has released its annual list of the best bargains among the country’s public schools and Cougars, you ain’t on it. Three Texas schools made the list — UT-Austin, Texas A&M and UT-Dallas, which is in Richardson but who’s asking? None of the schools really scored all that well –…
$7 at Poison Girl: The Tamale Lady
Where: Poison Girl, 1641 Westheimer, 713-527-9929, and various other locations What $7 gets you: A dozen of the best tamales that money can freaking buy. You all have seen the Montrose tamale lady. She shows up between 10 and midnight with a bin full of warm tamales, magically right about…
Angry Birds: One Man’s Torrid Affair with an iPhone App
I like to think I’m a pretty good guy. I work hard. I try to treat my friends well. I try to educate myself and grow as a human being. But, I have plenty of faults. I’m more than happy to admit that because it helps me to grow when…
Weekly Tip from Your Friendly Server
With the weather as cool as it’s been this week, it’s almost easy to forget the brutal temperatures we face each summer. During that time, most establishments have an equally fierce chill blowing from the air conditioning. I don’t know if lease agreements with retail stores, museums, or movie theaters…
listenlisten Burns Down The House In New Video
Locals listenlisten released a new video for “I Will Forget,” off last year’s sophomore LP, dog, this past weekend. The clip is another collaboration between the band and director Bryan Forrester, who last directed the video for “On the Water” in late 2009. The story line of the four-minute “I…
War On Christmas Revived: Federal Court Gives “No Jesus Pencils!” Principals Another Chance
Just when you thought the War on Christmas had been won — and by the good, God-fearing, Constitution-hating forces, too — along comes another setback. We told you last month about two Texas elementary principals who had failed to convince a federal appellate panel that they shouldn’t be sued because…
All Your Protein Bars Are Belong to Us
Nerds don’t tend to eat well. Whether you are watching an epic Dr. Who marathon or trying to vanquish your mortal enemy (i.e. Kenny in accounting) in World of Warcraft, it’s tough to take your hand off the controls or your eyes off the screen long enough to consume anything…
Elvis: 30 Famous Quotes About The King
Rocks Off is celebrating Elvis week this week – the King would be 76 years old on Saturday. (Or hell, maybe he will be 76 years old on Saturday.) That’s more than three-quarters of a century, but it just doesn’t seem like a very long time. Maybe that’s because whether…
Packing on the Pounds? Blame Reality TV
Americans like to watch. And in America, the preferred medium for our shared voyeurism is the television. Streaming video and the internet in general may be rising in popularity, but TV is still king and a report that we watched more of it in 2010 than ever before is proof…
If More Gary Kubiak Is Inevitable, Why Not Just Sit Back And Enjoy It?
“If there’s a way to solve the problem without it being so traumatic — and if you do it in a traumatic fashion, I believe it sets you back two years. So is your situation so bad that you think there’s no other recourse and the only way you can…
Great Gumbo and Even Better Boudin Balls at MerCheri’s
In my review of BRC Gastropub last October, I chastised the restaurant for serving tough little nuggets that they dared call boudin balls, and suggested the kitchen staff take a trip to the Fifth Ward to see how real boudin balls should taste, over at Samburger. Light and crispy on…
Chihuahua Invasion: Brace Yourself For Cuteness, Houston
The Houston SPCA is about to get hit with an airlift of 30 homeless Chihuahuas from Los Angeles. Officials are unsure if the city can handle the sudden influx of cuteness, but apparently have determined it is worth the risk. Chihuahuas are as common in LA as independent movie producers,…
My Top 5 Houston Food Experiences
Food is more than just about the actual food. Often times, it represents an experience. This experience encompasses the setting, the people, and obviously, the fabulous food. Here are the top five food experiences in our city. 5. Go to Leonard’s I listened to the expert. I drove into Acres…
Unidentified Male, 24, Bayou Body Count No. 1
A man came home to his southwest side apartment and discovered his roommate had been stabbed to death, police say. The name of the victim, 24, has not been released pending notification of family members. His roommate returned to their apartment in the 9400 block of Coventry Square about 5:45…
Fine Arts Fair Brings the Hamptons to Houston
If your travel schedule is like ours (okay, like we wish ours was), you’re spending the first week of the new year plotting your path among the high-profile art fairs of the world: Art Basel Switzerland, Art Basel Miami, maybe NY’s Armory Show, and of course, the Houston Fine Art…
Slim Thug: Single, Looking For Two… And A Fan?
Rocks Off loves just about everything Slim Thug does. We’re big fans of his music, of course, but our admiration has really grown since we started getting to know him via Twitter over the past year or so. Screw that Shit My Dad Says guy; we think Slim should have…
The Situation is Making Us Fat
Americans are voyeurs. We like to watch. Since the invention of the television, it has been the choice for peering into the world outside our living room and, despite the popularity of streaming video and the Internet in general, TV is still king of household entertainment as evidenced by the…
Upcoming: Hayes Carll, Menomena, Steve Miller Band, Etc.
Corb Lund: Tue., Feb. 8. McGonigel’s Mucky Duck. Come See My Dead Person, Hilary Sloan, Sara Van Buskirk: Fri., Jan. 14. Warehouse Live. The Cutters, The Mahas, Something Fierce: Thu., Feb. 17. The Mink. Davila 666: Mon., March 14. Rudyard’s. Hayes Carll: Tue., March 1. McGonigel’s Mucky Duck; Wed., March…
Health Dept. Roundup
City health inspectors finished the year on a somewhat light note, slapping a few moderate offenders and a clump of lesser foes. At Big A Food Mart (903 El Dorado Blvd.), a December 22 routine inspection found 13 violations, including plumbing and paperwork troubles and some equipment that was not…
Cupcakes at Valero
Gas station convenience stores are a treasure trove of cheap snack options. I look to them to satisfy my late-night cravings for king-size Milky Ways, pints of Blue Bell, and crunchy cheese curls. I do not, however, expect much from them in the way of baked goods, unless you count…
One Man’s Votes For The Baseball Hall of Fame
The latest class to the Baseball Hall of Fame will be announced tomorrow. This is a special year for all Astros fans as this is the first year that Jeff Bagwell is on the ballot. There’s a lot of talk among the voters (and non-voters) about Bagwell this season, much…
Common Social Media Mistakes Musicians Make
As we speak, Rocks Off is going through the concert listings one by one looking for something of interest for which to write amusing articles laced with the finest penis jokes. “What, ho?” says we. “This band Indiginis has a capricious moniker. Undoubtedly their music is equally full of whimsy…
New On DVD: The Last Exorcism, Machete, Case 39, Catfish, Dinner for Schmucks, Howl
(Capsule reviews by J. Hoberman, Dan Kois, Karina Longworth, Nick Pinkerton and Chuck Wilson.) The Last Exorcism With a small, well-chosen cast, sly script, and slippery, ambivalent characters, The Last Exorcism gives a welcome twist to the demonic possession movie. A fourth-generation minister, Cotton Marcus (Patrick Fabian) has grown out…
Comment Of The Day: Hudson Lounge Vs. The Big Easy
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…
Rap’s Top Five Dedication Songs
The hip-hop world is a less than sensible place – lots of times, you’re even required to clarify when bad means bad and when bad means good – so once a week we’re going to get with a rapper and ask them to explain things. Have something you always wanted…
Texas & Nuclear Waste: Federal Judge Opens Path For Expansion
Environmental groups are crying foul over a federal judge’s decision to lift a ban on allowing a state commission to greatly expand Texas’s ability to accept nuclear waste from other states. U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks said Tuesday he had no jurisdiction to stop the vote by the Low-Level Radioactive…
Where Are We Drinking?
That box of tapes you see on the picnic table below serves as the jukebox at this popular ice house. Does this setup look familiar to you? Think you see your old Kenny Loggins tape in there? If you think you know where we’re drinking this week, leave your best…
New Year’s Diet Tips: What To Believe? Seven Bits Of Crucial Information
The Downtown Y was packed yesterday morning, the first workday after all those New Year’s Resolutions were made. Is it likely to be as packed on a typical February morning? We’re guessing not. But everyone starts out the year with the same “eat healthy/lose weight” goals. And the advice out…
Comment of the Day: Watch This
Today, Katharine Shilcutt reported that Nation’s Restaurant News has named Tilman Fertitta an “Executive to Watch” in 2011. She agreed that we should keep an eye on him, if for different reasons than NRN’s. Meanwhile, commenter tinyhands had his own reason to not let Fertitta out of sight: “Executive to…
Bye-Bye, Books-A-Million (UPDATED)
BAM!! It’s gone!!We always thought a major bookstore downtown was a bit of a longshot, but Books-A-Million thought otherwise. Until now, that is. Swamplot reports that the store in the new-ish Houston Pavilions will soon be shuttered. Books-A-Million is kind of a southeastern Borders, with big stores in strippy kinds…
Hudson Lounge Racism Allegations Continue To Fly
Last Wednesday, as everyone around here was gearing up to leave for the New Year’s holiday, the Houston Press Twitter page was inundated with quick terse statements from our followers calling out the chic Hudson Lounge in Rice Village for being overtly racist after a party of African-American revelers was…
Paula Abdul Has Never Been Drunk and Other (Alleged) Celebrity Lies
Paula Abdul has never been drunk in her life. At least that’s what she told Julie Chen in an interview that aired yesterday on CBS Sunday Morning. Responding to Chen’s comment about the amount of unflattering images of the singer/dancer/former Idol judge floating around on the web Abdul said, “I’ve…
Free Spicy Chicken Biscuit from Chick-fil-A
At around 7:45 this morning, I strolled into an empty 290 Chick-fil-A with reservation paper in hand. I was there to take advantage of one of the free spicy chicken biscuits they are giving away all week long. While the drive-thru line was lengthy, it was smooth sailing up to…
Saturday Night: The Sword At Fitzgerald’s
The Sword Fitzgerald’s January 1, 2010 Aftermath wasn’t even nursing a hangover after New Year’s Eve, but the Sword’s headlining show Saturday night melted down whatever residual toxins we were floating in and washed them away across 90 minutes at Fitzgeralds upstairs. This show was in a sense a treat…
Thank You, Texans: Five Reasons Why 2011 Sucks Already
We don’t think it’s being unreasonable to declare that 2011 is a disaster. An unmitigated disaster, for that matter. Why? Let us count the ways. 5. Gary Kubiak is still going to coach the Texans Even presidents only get four years. Especially when they have a record like Kubiak’s. 4…
Escolar and Uni at Aka Sushi
Every time I mention enjoying a particular sushi restaurant, a commenter or two will chime in to tell me that I’m a blithering idiot for not enjoying Aka Sushi more. (Sometimes that’s an exaggeration, but not usually.) This also used to happen with Sushi King until I went over there…
Match.com Full Of Lousy Listings, Lawsuit Claims
A suit in Dallas federal court claims online dating site Match.com rips off subscribers by filling its listings with expired accounts and scammers and gives dudes an exaggerated perception of how many women are available. “Match falsely advertis[ed] that ‘millons’ of individuals are members of the service, when, in fact,…
The Next Big Thing from Ron Jeremy Isn’t in His Pants
No, it’s not a joke. Ron Jeremy is taking his talents from the world of hard-core pornography to the realm of hard liquor with Ron de Jeremy, a new line of “adult rum” (not to be confused with all the rum you drank as a child). The adult film industry…
A Tour-de-Force Trophy Room at the Station Museum
James Drake’s 1982 installation Trophy Room, crafted from cut and welded steel, is a raw tour de force. Its steel-walled 12-by-16-foot room is furnished with a throne-like chair, weaponry and animal heads, all in blackened steel. Simmering with barely controlled violence, it feels like the lair of a gun-nut Texas…
A Modest Proposal For Houston Concert Audiences
Don’t bother us in the morning until we’ve had our coffee, and don’t bother us – or anyone else, for that matter – at a concert until we’ve had our music. We’ve all been there. You spent $100 on concert tickets to a show, which you and your best friend…
Jesus & Wells Fargo: Thou Shalt Not Close My Checking Account
Our favorite self-proclaimed Second Coming of Jesus is vowing “retribution” against Wells Fargo for closing his checking account.Houston’s Jose Luis De Jesus Miranda, who claims hundreds of thousands of followers in 103 countries, says in a YouTube message to his flock that the bank inexplicably closed his account, but left…
What a Crock: Steel-Cut Oatmeal
Several weeks back, this article got me thinking about oatmeal, and specifically, whether I could find a good steel-cut recipe that utilized the crock pot. Well, I did. The rundown Are you usually in a rush in the morning? Got kids? Crock pot oatmeal is perfect for feeding you and…
More New Year’s Eve Fun From Around Houston
Rocks Off hopes you’re recovered from New Year’s Eve. We are…almost. You’ve already seen and read about Fitzgerald’s massive NYE blowout, but there was lots more going on around Houston to ring in 2011. Here are a few more highlights. The mechanical bull was about the only thing that got…
Sculptor’s Early Drawings Surprise in Menil Show
Tony Smith’s geometric steel sculptures are included in pretty much every modern art survey text – his drawings, not so much. And that’s a shame, because they’re pretty amazing. “Tony Smith: Drawings” is a little gem of a show curated by Bernice Rose, chief curator of the Menil Drawing Institute…
Notable Heights House Burns To The Ground
A three-alarm fire destroyed a prominent house on Heights Boulevard early this morning, taking away one of the signature sights on the unique street. HFD doesn’t know what caused the blaze. Heights historian Martin Hajovsky has tracked down the history of the home, and it appears it was built as…
Wine of the Week: Nino Franco Rustico Prosecco
This bottle’s appropriately rustic label design fits with the old-world-Italian feel that Nino Franco’s PR people (who sent me the sample) and the winery are going for – which makes sense, since the winery was founded almost 100 years ago. Prosecco is produced in the Veneto region of Italy -…
Slideshow: Art Cars Illuminate 2011
A phalanx of glowing art cars, scooters (and their artist/drivers) illuminated Discovery Green and the GRB New Year’s Eve for Gloworama. Mayor Annise Parker was in attendance for the event, which featured live music by Jesse Dayton, the performance-art group ArcAttack, and a 3-D video light show projected onto the…
Bunnies Left Homeless By Fire Need Help
Three women were killed in a Katy house file yesterday that also has left animal rescuers scrambling to take care of 23 rabbits. “URGENT HELP NEEDED: TRAGEDY LEAVES BUNNIES HOMELESS,” reads the bulletin from Special Pals, a rescue organization. Workers and firefighters saved 23 rabbits, the group said, but “Many…
Last Night: Kickback Sunday At SF2 Premium Clothing
Kickback Sunday SF2 Premium Clothing (215 Greens Rd.) January 2, 2010 7:59 p.m.: As a good a job as you like to think you’re doing as a parent, know that it’s never good enough. For example, we don’t cuss, smoke or drink in front of our sons. We don’t let…
Tilman Fertitta an “Executive to Watch” in 2011
Houston’s Tilman Fertitta made a short list of restaurant executives to watch in 2011, in part because of his recent acquisition of a trio of new restaurant chains: The Oceanaire, Claim Jumper and Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. The list, compiled by Nation’s Restaurant News, focuses on execs like Fertitta in…
Navy’s Lewd Videos: Captain Owen Honors Has One Fan In Houston
The big news on a slow post-holiday Monday comes from the Virginia Pilot, which has obtained videos that are being decribed as “lewd” that were shown aboard a U.S. navy aircraft carrier by one of its top officers. Captain Owen Honors, the ship’s executive officer, produced, wrote and starred in…
XBox or SexBox? Getting Kinky on the Kinect
It hit the market on November 4, 2010. On November 29th, a mere twenty-five days later, Microsoft reported sales topping 2.5 million units worldwide… …annnnnnd three weeks after that there’s a video on YouTube showing how the technology behind Microsoft’s “family friendly”, motion-mimicking Kinect console (“Now you are the controller”)…
The New Houston Collective* Picks Its Top Five Rappers
*Ed. Note: “New Houston Collective” is (as far as we know) a term coined by our own Shea Serrano to refer to the current wave of Houston rappers who have little interest in syrup, candy paint, wood grain, etc. Some rappers happen to be thoughtful, intelligent people. Every Monday that…
Recipe: Cabernet Beef Stew
I tend to spend the whole month of January making and consuming soups and stews. This recipe is for an opulent, fancified beef stew that is perfect for long, dark winter days, adapted from a recipe card I got at Central Market several years ago. The truffle oil and demi-glace…
Comment Of The Day: Second Life Represent!!
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…
Hudson Lounge Comes Under Fire For Supposed Racist Practices (UPDATED)
Updated with more allegations. See the end of the item. Last Wednesday, the Houston Press Twitter page was inundated with quick terse statements from our followers calling out the chic Hudson Lounge in Rice Village for being overtly racist after a party of African-American revelers was shut down early the…
Friday Night: FPH New Year’s Cataclysm At Fitzgerald’s
Free Press Houston New Year’s Cataclysm Fitzgerald’s December 31, 2010 See more photos from the Free Press’s New Year’s bash in our slideshow. Aftermath rang in 2011 at Fitzgerald’s Friday night, bathing in Houston music, liquor and a mass of hearty revelers. At one point we escaped down the street…
A Funeral for 2010…And the Past in General
See more photos for the Funeral for the Living in our slideshow. Starting off the year with a funeral has to be bad, right? Not if you attended artist Emily Sloan’s Funeral Party for the Living at 14 Pews on Saturday, January 1st. The evening began with an introduction by…
$13 at Gelato Blu
Where: Gelato Blu, 5710 Memorial, 713-880-5900 What $13 gets you: A simple and sweet dessert date for two. Houston’s weather during the winter time is undependable. This particular night, it was in the 40s and my companion was set on getting gelato, insisting we go to Gelato Blu. There was…
Saturday Night: The Adolescents At Walter’s On Washington
The Adolescents Walter’s on Washington January 1, 2010 In a revealing scene during the seminal punk documentary Another State of Mind, Minor Threat plays a show to a swelling and heaving early 1980s crowd in Baltimore. The P.A. system was yanked away by worried sound engineers, but the band carries…
The Houston Aeros Present Leggy Blonds In Red Bikinis
It may have been a leggy blond in a red bikini that grabbed the attention of most of the 10,552 fans that attended Saturday’s Houston Aeros game versus the San Antonio Rampage. And the new Ms. Aero was very worthy of the attention. But the real stars of the Aeros…
Rice Owls De-Horn The Frogs, Prepare For C-USA
The Rice Owls won eight basketball games all of last season. But things change, and yesterday, after defeating the TCU Horned Frogs 70-61, the Rice Owls have win number eight and they’ve yet to reach conference play. The game didn’t play out quiet the same way for Rice as last…
8-Bits Ain’t Nothin’ But Hos And Tricks
Rocks Off got Donkey Kong Country Returns for Wii for Christmas. Big deal, right? We’re willing to bet there are less than a thousand 29-year-old American males who didn’t receive some kind of video game as a gift, but it’s a big deal for us. See, we actually kind of…
Five Comedies You Should Be Watching on Netflix
Just a couple of years ago, a list like this would appeal to a narrow base of readers. But Netflix now has almost 17 million subscribers, 66 percent of whom streamed a TV show or movie last year. In other words, if you’re reading this, you probably pay a few…
Saturnino Aguerta, 57, Bayou Body Count No. 302
A man was killed during the robbery of a southwest side gas station Friday evening. Houston police say Saturnino Aguerta, 57, was leaving a Conoco gas station/convenience store about 6:30 Friday evening when three men entered with ski masks. They robbed and shot him, police say, then robbed the store…
Where Are We Eating?
We’re ringing in the New Year by indulging in some oysters at this new Houston haunt. The photo below might not be a lot to go on, but there are only a few places in town where you can get a side of naan with your oysters. Think you know…
Texans 34, Jaguars 17: Will Strong Finish Outweigh Weeks of Futility?
For the first nine seasons of the Houston Texans franchise, the biggest problem for owner Bob McNair has been his inability to properly handle or frame success. The beast could be about to rear its ugly head yet again. A week ago, the thought was that eight losses in nine…
Free Spicy Chicken Biscuits from Chick-fil-A
What is better than chicken in the morning? FREE chicken in the morning, of course. We took advantage of another Chick-fil-A promotion in June and loved the spicy chicken sandwich. And now, the chicken magicians have done it again, but this time it’s for breakfast. From this morning through January…
This Week in Deliciousness
Welcome back to the weekly roundup here at Eating Our Words, where our Christmas leftovers are starting to get a little ripe. The week or so leading up to Christmas this year was about as Christmassy as a late-July outing to Splashtown, so we figured “screw it” and went out…
Comment of the Day: Happy New Year’s!
We’re going to end the year here at Eating Our Words on a positive note. Katharine Shilcutt listed the top ten EOW posts of 2010, and commenter Albert Nurick left her some well-deserved words of encouragement: Brava! You had a great run in 2010. Looking forward to what comes from…
Downtown’s Hotel Icon In Foreclosure
I suppose the Hotel Icon has its charms: an historic building, quirky rooms (this reporter once spent a night in a room that had a clawfoot bathtub in the living room). But for my money, it’s always had a whiff of lonseome weirdness to it. Was it the overly-trendy, trying-too-hard…
Year in Review Appendix — Five More Stories For The Road
I love the last week of December. Between Gary Kubiak and the option to just pick out some category from the past year and recap it, it’s ready-made content. Just add snark! So in the spirit of lazy “Year in Review” style posts (one of which I’ve already submitted today!…
Reviews For The Easily Distracted: The King’s Speech
Title: The King’s Speech What King Are They Talking About Again? George VI, the reluctant successor to Edward VIII, who abdicated the throne of England on the eve of World War II. Oh Right. Why Did Edward Abdicate Again? What am I, a history professor? Edward VIII proposed to an…
Miguel Antonio Valencia-Mejia, 33, Bayou Body Count No. 301
A man who was attempting a home invasion was shot to death by one of the residents, Houston police say. Miguel Antonio Valencia-Mejia, 33, was pronounced dead at the scene. No charges have been filed. Police say a woman knocked on the door of an apartment in the 8600 block…
Openings & Closings: December 2010
The best thing about December wasn’t the Christmas presents, the Hanukkah donuts or the Festivus pole. It was the fact that, citywide, restaurant openings far outweighed restaurant closures this month. That’s something to be thankful for this time of year. Here’s a recap of what you may have missed: Closings:…
Rocks Off’s 2011 New Year’s Resolutions
Editor’s Pick: To “support the scene” more in 2011. Just kidding. Marc Brubaker: Houston, I have a confession to make. As far as music writers go, this one is pretty bad, too: I have a terrible habit of sleeping on bands just because they are popular. Often, when a new…
Pearland Bank Hostage Situation Drags On
The daylong drama at a Pearland bank continues, as a thwarted robber holds a hostage after letting five others go free. It began this morning when a 911 caller reported guys with masks entering the bank. Shots were exchanged with no one being hurt; Pearland police do say, however, that…
Justin Aaron Conrad, 27, Bayou Body Count No. 300
Photo courtesy HPDEric Cooper, charged with murderA murder in a northwest side record store was likely drug-related, police say. Justin Aaron Conrad, 27, was killed in a shootout at the Urban Soundz store in the 8600 block of North Houston Rosslyn about 6:40 p.m. Thursday, HPD says. Eric Cooper, 26,…
Music’s Biggest Surprises Of 2010
Editor’s Pick: The renewed, and continuing, interest of local indie-rockers and hipsters (and people who are a long way from neither) in traditional honky-tonk as played by Robert Ellis & the Boys and as documented by a certain Lonesome Onry and Mean and myself this summer. Encouraging, refreshing and amusing…
Real Food Company in IAH
While you and yours were airing grievances on Festivus, I was flying the friendly skies on a single-day round trip, chasing Platinum status before 2010 elapsed. Free airline food has gone the way of the dodo unless you’re sitting in First Class. Fortunately, the MSY (New Orleans) to D-FW circuit…
Say Vanderland Industries! IAH Gets New Baggage Handling System
With pat downs and body scans and full cavity searches (we’re pretty sure those are all real), it seems like airports are taking our safety pretty damn seriously. Sure, it’s an inconvenience and there’s a chance naked mannequin-like images of our naughty parts could end up on the internet, but…
Rocks Off’s Favorite Non-2010 Music Of 2010
Editor’s Pick: It was probably Uncle Tupelo’s Anodyne, same as last year. So how about Nirvana’s In Utero, which I dragged out of mothballs when we did our article about Nevermind’s anniversary in September. In Utero fried my hair all over again, and then got me thinking about the band’s…
Top Ten Houston Sports Stories in 2010 (Alternate Title: “Here Comes The Prozac”)
Putting together a “Top 10 Sports Moments” list is not supposed to invoke these feelings of anger and depression. But then again, I live in Houston, so try as I might to make this a list that is uplifting and inspiring, I can’t. In fact, this may be the second…
Bartender Chat: Meagan Groves of Leon’s Lounge
If you talk to anyone familiar with Houston’s bar scene, they are likely to bring up the newly renovated Leon’s Lounge. EOW recently stopped by to check out the new digs, grab a cocktail, and have a chat with bartender Meagan Groves. Groves has only been bartending for a short…
Music’s Biggest Disappointments Of 2010
Editor’s Pick: I’m tempted to say myself on this one. I just didn’t connect to a lot of music this year. Especially new music, most of which I was either indifferent to or outright loathed. I’m not really the navel-gazing type, though, so I’ll just chalk it up to an…
Comment Of The Day: Ken Starr, A Cross To Bear For Baylor Fundraisers
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…
Chef Chat, Part 3: Joe Phillips of Oh My! Pocket Pies
After talking with Joe Phillips of Oh My! Pocket Pies, curiosity and an empty stomach compelled me to try the shrimp burger first. It was my introduction into the world of shrimp burgers, and I didn’t know what a treat I was in for. The burger was massive and set…
Rocks Off’s Favorite Shows Of 2010
Editor’s Picks: Mary J. Blige, Reliant Stadium (RodeoHouston), March: Exquisite. Beach House, Walter’s on Washington, April: Can’t hate on this one either. Magical. Wu-Tang Clan, Numbers, December: Against all odds, they brought the motherfuckin’ ruckus…
Dead Tree Guilt? Don’t Curb It; Mulch It
Happy New Year, Houston. There are two-kinds of hangovers for which you may be at risk this week. There’s the obvious, champagne-induced variety–and then there’s the dreaded tinsel-and-lights hangover, or the time-to-undecorate flu. Although there’ve been times when I hewed strictly to the liturgical calendar, annoying my family and friends…
DWI Crackdown Begins — With Arrests Of Two Galveston County Law-Enforcement Officers
Police departments, sheriff’s offices and district attorneys have been loudly getting the word out about DWI crackdowns at the end of the year. Maybe some of their employees should have paid attention. Fox 26 reports that two law-enforcement officials in Galveston County were arrested in a DWI crackdown that put…
Five Bad New Year’s Eve Party Guests: Don’t Be This Guy
New Year’s Eve means parties, which can be either lots of fun or a forced march through dull hell. Here’s hoping yours is the former. How can you tell you might be at one that fits in the latter category? You meet one of these five people. 5. The “amateur…
Upcoming Events
As you know, today is New Year’s Eve. Huzzah! And those of you without plans for tonight need look no further than our great New Year’s Eve guide and Lauren Marmaduke’s suggestions for where to eat out tonight (although you’ll have to steer clear of the ones that require reservations,…
The Worst Music Trends Of 2010
Editor’s Pick: Shit. I spent my whole year either avoiding or ignoring trends. No reason to change now. Marc Brubaker: Many a person instructed me to place Ke(Dollar Sign)ha in this spot, but she’s become so ubiquitous that I can’t help but laugh when I hear her now. No, fine…
The London vs. Houston Psychedelic Smack Down
The time: Mid 1960s. The location: Planet Earth. The zeitgeist: Psychedelic rock. A style of music where every precedent developed not exclusively but simultaneously in two completely different global centers, London, England and Houston, Texas. How is this possible? What did these two cities share at that time other than…
Rocks Off’s Favorite Songs Of 2010
Editor’s Picks: Jamey Johnson, “Lonely at the Top”: Ouch. Merle Haggard, “I’ve Seen It”: Double ouch. Patty Griffin, “Move On Up”: Help me, Jesus. Please…
Food Fight: Battle Alternative Party Chips
When it comes to the all-American pairing of football and snack food, New Year’s Day doesn’t have the same cachet as Super Sunday ®, especially now that the bowl season extends until January 10 and most of the big-time bowls that used to be New Year’s Day fixtures are scattered…
Top Ten Celebrities This Decade Who Crashed and Burned with Video Evidence
Last week, we gave you our list of celebrities who manage to save their careers after difficult times. This week, we go a different direction. If we have learned anything from TMZ, it’s that people love celebrity scandals and the more salacious it is, the more people like it. The…
Five Ways Robots Can Improve the World of Food
Recently, Eating Our Words learned about a restaurant in China run entirely by robots. While we applaud the technological innovation necessary to create this bizarre and somewhat terrifying reality, we think the Chinese may have gone too far. We aren’t worried about robots enslaving humanity or turning us into batteries…
The Worst Local Crowds Of 2010
Editor’s Pick: I am so sick of complaining about Houston crowds, ill-behaved as they are, but I will say to whoever decided it would be funny to take Bobby Bare Jr.’s glasses off the stage at Hayes Carll’s Warehouse show Tuesday night and put them on: That was not cool…
Last Night: Soul Asylum At House Of Blues
Soul Asylum House of Blues December 30, 2010 ’90s alt-rock mainstays Soul Asylum took the House of Blues stage Thursday night, 18 years after their breakthrough release Grave Dancers Union. Front man Dave Pirner is conceivably regarded as one of the era’s most colorful alt-rock personalities, remembered for his signature…
Odd Pair: Jell-o and Shiraz
Jell-O in and of itself is somewhat odd. It’s simply a mound of gelatinous sugar that jiggles when poked. From time to time, I’ll get a craving for it and decide to make some. While I usually stick to basics with this treat, last week I felt experimental and decided…
Before Networking Was Social: Ten Early Social Websites That Are Dead or Dying
Social networking today is a foregone conclusion. Many of us wake up and check Twitter on our smart phones or pull up Facebook on our laptops. We surf YouTube videos in our spare time, find dates on Match.com and spend hours reading music, politics, health and life on blogs all…
Rocks Off’s Favorite Albums Of 2010
Editor’s Picks: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Mojo: Big surprise, I know. But not only did “I Should Have Known It” vault into my Top 5 Heartbreakers songs the first time I heard it – and make me a bigger Led Zeppelin fan in the process – but others like…
December 25-31: The Week in Photos
Each week, we take a dip into the Houston Press Flickr pool and see what our talented photographers have been up to. This week: to everything, turn turn turn. Be sure to post your pics to our photo group. You never know which images we might choose. As always, for…
Cougar Basketball: Thanks for Playing Hillcats, Now Bring On Conference USA
No. I said Hillcats, not Top CatRogers State University is located just outside of Tulsa, Oklahoma. They’ve only been playing basketball for four years. They’re part of the NAIA, not the NCAA. They’ve yet to defeat a Division I NCAA program in their history, and coming into last night’s game…
My Personal Top 5 Favorite Restaurant Dishes of 2010
Having a young child, a spouse with a crazy work schedule, and no family in town to baby-sit can certainly put a damper on one’s culinary pursuits in a city blossoming with delicious dishes. However, when I do get to sit down to a nice dinner that doesn’t involve wiping…
College Football Bowls — This Week’s Best Bets
Since it’s Week 17 of the NFL season, we’re changing it up a little bit this week. I don’t know about people who actually know what they’re doing when it comes to wagering, but my experience with the NFL in Week 17 is that it’s a good time to stay…
Comment of the Day
We here at Eating Our Words don’t shy away from service journalism, letting you know where to eat on New Year’s Eve and such. Another service? Letting you know you’re not crazy. When Lauren Marmaduke wrote “Study Finds Women Think About Food Almost as Often as Men Think About Sex,”…
The Best New Year’s Eve Shows In Houston This Year
Reckless Kelly, House of Blues: They may originally be from Oregon, but having moved to Texas and occupied it for nearly 15 years, we’ll give Kelly a pass as honorary Texans. And if you don’t already have plans, a four-pack of tickets is only $20. So save some dough, call…
The 10 Biggest Posts of 2010
With the end of the year in sight, we wanted to look back out our most viewed, most commented and overall most popular posts from the past 12 months. Some are silly, some are informative, some are thought-provoking. And all of them went viral in ways we couldn’t have expected…
Texas To EPA: Keep Your Hands Off Our Rubber Stamp!!
As expected, Texas state officials are not just going to roll over and accept the Obama administration’s taking away their right to rubber-stamp every application to let companies pour greenhouses gases into the air. Texas AG Greg Abbott went to court today, filing a petition to stop the EPA’s takeover…
Houston Texans — Home For Wayward NFL Coaches?
When the final gun sounds on Sunday after the Texans game with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the home team is either 5-11 or 6-10, change is coming for the Texans. At the very least, you’d have to think that Frank Bush and David Gibbs will be asked to vacate the…
Happy Hour Scene: Marquis II
The Place: Marquis II2631 Bissonnet St. 713-522-2090The Deals: Most drinks are $1 cheaper than normal. Cans of Pearl Light and PBR are $2.50. Also nightly drink specials. The Hours: Monday through Friday 5-9 p.m.The Scene: A man to our left at the bar at Marquis II, the popular dive in…
Things We Never, Ever Want To Hear Again
Editor’s Pick: Vampire Weekend’s “Holiday.” Everything I hate about indie rock (cloying, fey, highly irritating) and car commercials (they’re car commercials) in about 15 seconds.. Repeated seven or eight times a fucking hour. Marc Brubaker: “Check us out on Twitter!” or anything else Twitter/Facebook related. Bands, it’s great that you’re…
Rice Basketball: What’s New, Pussycat?
The Owls turned the LSU Tigers into pussycatsThere are droughts, and there are droughts. And fittingly, on a day when the city of Houston was submerged under a continuous downpour of rain that may have helped to end a drought that’s been dragging down the city, the Rice Owls found…
Houston Rap High-Fives For 2010
Earlier this week, the official Top 10 Houston Rap Albums of 2010 list was posted. Though initially the only real surprise on the list seemed to be the discreet Preemo wiggling his way through the thorn bushes all the way up to the No. 2 spot, there were plenty of…
New Year’s Brunch Star: Crab Strata
For those (very few) of you who will wake up on New Year’s Day sans debilitating hangover, this crab strata recipe would make an excellent brunch to start out the new year. Surprisingly light in texture, yet full of flavor and absolutely filling, it would pair wonderfully with some pepper…
Your Meme of the Week: YOU!
You know what, screw celebrities. Who deserves to be a meme more than you, the common man? I know what you’re saying, “But I’m not as fun and interesting as Keanu Reeves,” and I’m inclined to agree with you, seeing that you more than likely didn’t star in Point Break…
10 Trivia Pursuit Questions Whose Answers Have Changed Since 1982: Can You Get Them?
You may be playing board games as a way to ease through the holidays with family and friends. Back in 1982, everyone was playing Trivia Pursuit. Everyone. Some of the answers back then, of course, are no longer valid. And there are people who track this. Can you get the…
Slim Thug: Now Tweeting Church!
Welcome to another fabulous edition of Magnolia City Mixtape. Rocks Off doesn’t want you to miss even a smidgen of news from Houston’s music scene, so we mine the Internet, sifting through Twitter feeds and Facebook profiles and harvesting every piece we can find. So without further adieu, here’s what…
Looking to Ring In the New Year at a Restaurant?
Sick of lame parties and crowded bars and a night that rarely lives up to its billing? Can’t bear the thought of another New Year’s Eve with Ryan Seacrest? Need a place to grab a bite before hitting the dancefloor? It’s been a hard year, Houston. Why not ease your…
Jonathan Paul Foster, 12, Bayou Body Count No. 299
A family friend has been charged with capital murder in the horrible Christmas death of a 12-year-old boy. The body of Jonathan Paul Foster was found charred almost beyond recognition and abandoned in a northside ditch. He had been missing since Christmas Eve. Mona Yvette Nelson, 44, has been charged…
A Toast to the New Year
Whether you want to provide a memorable evening for your friends and family or try to impress a New Year’s date, nothing classes up a joint like well-spoken, thoughtful toast. Especially if you came up with that toast yourself. Of course, not all of us have the talent and skill…
New Year’s Eve Survival Guide
Rocks Off and our friends have developed something of a pet-name for New Year’s Eve. We call it Shitfest, and we’ve chronicled a long list of happenings gone awry at NYE parties over the years. Confused? Don’t be. Chances are you can relate. For the past seven years or so,…
Comment Of The Day: Hugh Hefner Lines Things Up
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…
Chef Chat, Part 2: Joe Phillips of Oh My! Pocket Pies
This week we’re getting to know do-it-yourself street food entrepreneur Joe Phillips of Oh My! Pocket Pies. Today he tells the story of the truck’s paint job and talks about the challenges of owning of a food truck in Houston. EOW: Who did the graffiti on the truck? JP: We…
The Adolescents: Still Punk Rock Kids From The Black Hole
“We were little pricks, but bored out of our minds…” For 30 years, seminal Orange County punk band the Adolescents has unleashed anthemic teen angst, since mutated into wise adult aggravation, in intermittent bursts. Sure, members come and go at revolving-door speed, but core kids from the black hole Steve…
Top 5 Champagne Cocktails
New Years Day is right around the corner. When most people think of drinking on New Year’s Eve, they think of drinking champagne, a general symbol of wealth and prosperity (and tastiness), as they toast at midnight. So, we gathered up our favorite champagne cocktails for those who want a…
The Texas Lege: Five Crazy Things It Will Debate In 2010
We regret to inform you that 2011 is one of those godforsaken years when the Texas Legislature will be in session. We further regret to inform you that Republicans have a supermajority in the House, and almost half of those GOPers are proud members of the Tea Party Caucus. So,…
New Shows for 2011 (That Might Not Suck)
This is always a rough time of year for TV viewers — most series are in holiday repeats, leaving you to fend for yourself with Netflix or actually having a conversation with someone — but it’s about to get better. In addition to the slew of returning shows we’ll get…
Top 5 Celebratory Foods
There are certain foods that come to mind when we think about celebrations: splurge foods that, once they hit your palate, let you know life is good. Although we each have our own special food traditions, here are my choices for the top 5 foods to eat when it’s time…
Remember Propain’s #Departure?
Houston’s history is dotted with albums that, fairly or un, have been swept aside. We’ll examine them here. Have an album that you think nobody knows about but should? Email sheaserrano@gmail.com. Propain #Departure (Self-released, 2010) Propain is one of the (if not the) most devastating forces within the New Houston…
Gone To The Dogs
Hey, it’s been a while since Tucker Carlson said something exceedingly stupid: While setting up a segment on President Obama’s recent telephone call to Jeffrey Lurie, the owner of the Philadelphia Eagles (wherein the president praised the Eagles for giving ex-con quarterback Michael Vick a second chance after being incarcerated),…
11 Musical New Year’s Resolutions For 2011
Craig’s Hlist stopped making New Year’s Eve resolutions the older and more stubborn we got. We normally don’t quit or change things forever unless we are forced to do so. (‘Sup, ladies?) This makes it hard for us to keep any New Year’s Eve resolutions. If anything, it’s easier to…
Study Finds Women Think About Food Almost as Often as Men Think About Sex
On Monday The Daily Mail reported on a recent study of 5,000 men and women conducted by UK based Shape Smart that found that while men are thinking about sex (36 percent fantasize every half hour), women are focused on food–nearly a quarter of female participants reported thinking about food…
Dogging Michael Vick
I guess someone got tired of playing third fiddle to Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly: While setting up a segment on President Obama’s recent telephone call to Jeffrey Lurie, the owner of the Philadelphia Eagles (wherein the president praised the Eagles for giving ex-con quarterback Michael Vick a second chance…
Rockabilly Cereal: A Cliche In Every Bowl!
Rocks Off readers will remember Zachary Byron Helm as the founder of SORP Films and the director and star of League of Extraordinary Retards, Part 1, a scathing parody of the industrial-music scene that show Helm on a quest to murder Ronan Harris of VNV Nation and restore industrial to…
It’s Your Funeral
On Saturday, January 1st, 2010, starting at 5pm at 14 Pews, 800 Aurora Street, artist Emily Sloan presents Funeral Party for the Living, described in the press release as an “interactive funeral.” The party will include eulogies written and read by anyone wishing to participate, a funeral pyre burning, and…
Chime In: We Want Your New Year’s Resolutions for Us
Earlier this month, commenter Eric left the following comment on a post about chicken pho: These are my favorite type of posts on this blog. Introduce me to an outstanding dish at an out of the way restaurant I never would have heard of otherwise. More like this in 2011,…
DWI: Six Tips For Avoiding A Conviction This New Year’s Eve
New Year’s Eve is upon us, and that means drinking, parties, celebration, and drinking some more. If getting behind the wheel after a few beers and a champagne toast is your style, be prepared to deal with the horde of cops out there to catch you. “Even prosecutors like to…
New Year’s Eve at Laurier Cafe
From 5:30 to 11 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, Laurier will be serving a special four-course menu for $70 per person. Customers can choose from three different plates for each course. Choices include seared scallop, Vichyssoise and oeuf salad for the first course; lemon risotto, seasonal fish and vegetables, and…
New Year’s Eve at Sugar Land Town Square
There will be a free New Year’s Eve party in Sugar Land Town Square this year, with a children’s celebration from 7 to 9 p.m. which will be followed by a more adult celebration from 9:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Entertainment will include stilt birds, candy sculptures, a musical performance…
Neil Diamond Tribute
Superstar crooner Neil Diamond has come to Houston! Sort of. Actually, it’s impersonator Keith Allynn performing in a Neil Diamond Tribute. Allynn looks and sounds almost exactly like the singer himself – the one from back in the ’70s, when his blow-dried coif was full and his tunes sent shivers…
Disney Live! Mickey’s Magic Show
In Disney Live! Mickey’s Magic Show, the beloved cartoon characters team up with human illusionists to recreate magic sequences from various Disney films, including turning Cinderella’s rags into a ball gown, the levitation of Princess Jasmine and the dancing brooms of Fantasia. While sleight-of-hand may be a bit more difficult…
Home Alone
Of all the cases of child neglect, no incident is more egregious than the 1990 case of eight-year-old Kevin McCallister in the film Home Alone. Bullied by siblings and forgotten by his jet-setting parents on Christmas Eve, Kevin (played by an adorable Macaulay Culkin) is accidentally left on his own…
Funeral Party for the Living
Do something a little different to start off 2011 and join artist Emily Sloan for a Funeral Party for the Living. Sloan, who bills herself as an “internationally unknown artist,” says the event is “a time of reflection on new beginnings and the passing of time.” Partygoers will be able…
Ralphie May’s New Year’s Eve Show
It was several years ago that legendary comedian Sam Kinison suggested to a then-young comic Ralphie May that he move to Houston to hone his craft. Lucky us. Local audiences were able to see the larger-than-life May (Translation: He shops at the big-big and tall store) develop his early routines…
Jurassic Park
Director Steven Spielberg’s 1993 film Jurassic Park was based on the book by Michael Crichton about an amusement park filled with regenerated prehistoric dinosaurs that got a little too, uh, realistic. At one point, it was the highest-grossing film ever, worldwide. While the then-state-of-the-art CGI effects and dinosaur models seem…
No-Good Goods
No-Good Goods Online readers comment on “American Grocers,” by Paul Knight, December 15: Unjust: Still blows my mind that this man stole soooooo much money and potentially harms our soldiers, and he only gets two years in prison and continues to live the good life with his family. People who…
Cine KIDS
For all the societal evidence that computer science and biology degrees pave the path to riches, it’s a pretty safe bet that five years hence a large number of American teens will elect to go to film school. An opportunity for a nose up for your kid comes this week…
New Year’s Eve at Brenner’s Steakhouse
Brenner’s Steakhouse will be offering a special four-course menu at $85 per person on New Year’s Eve. Its hours of operation will be from 5 to 11 p.m. For information, call 713-465-2901 or visit www.brennerssteakhouse.com. Fri., Dec. 31, 5-11 p.m., 2010…
New Year’s Eve Masquerade Party
Winetopia will be celebrating New Year’s Eve with a New Year’s Masquerade Party, complete with hors d’oeuvres and a bar that’s open all night long. Entrance into the party is $100 per person or $180 per couple. For information, call 832-858-1149 or visit www.winetopiatx.com. Fri., Dec. 31, 2010…
New Year’s Eve at Pete and Shorty’s Kitchen and Tap
Ring in the New Year at Pete and Shorty’s New Year’s Eve Party, complete with door prizes, live music and a champagne toast at midnight. There will also be a dinner special of $29.99 available starting at 4 p.m. The event will be happening at both locations.For information, call 281-492-7555…
New Year’s Eve at Manor on Washington
On New Year’s Eve, Manor on Washington will celebrate the year’s end with live performances by DJ Pollo and DJ David Cruz. Presale tickets are $20 for table packages with liquor. Naturally, there will also be champagne and special treats as well. This event is only open to customers 21…
Taco Palenque
“My father and I have the same name, but he’s known as Pancho,” says Juan Francisco Ochoa, owner of the new Mexican fast-food restaurant Taco Palenque (2410 S. Wayside, 713-923-9733). “My father developed the Pollo Loco chain in 1975, then sold it in 1983 and returned to Mexico. He started…
It’s the Final Countdown
Don’t feel like risking getting popped in the eye when you pop the cork? Feel awkward shouting the end-of-year countdown in your living room? This New Year’s Eve, head to your local bar, where everybody shouts together and champagne comes in a glass! Don’t miss the musical attractions or balloon…
Capsule Stage Reviews: A Fertle Holiday, Panto Pinocchio, Santaland Diaries
A Fertle Holiday In the mood for a big wedge of Mildred’s butter pie? A Fertle Holiday is Radio Music Theatre’s penultimate show before its final farewell begins in January. If you’ve never tasted this talented trio of inspired lunatics, it’s time. Holiday never stales. It’s the epitome of Christmas…
Eating to Live in the Third Ward
See how that luscious salmon burger is made and check out Conscious Cafe’s tranquil dining room in our slideshow. There came a moment of realization halfway through my slice of bean pie at Conscious Cafe the first night I ate there, when everything around me finally added up and I…
Special Year-End, Mexicans-Do-Assimilate Edition
Dear Readers, Wish I could say I was back on the rancho, but you know how that drug war of ours (both Mexican and American) is going, so the Mexican decided to stay home for the holidays for the first time in decades. Besides, there’s too much work at mano…
Cheesefake
You may wonder why anyone would want to make a “cheesecake” without cheese. The answer is simple: It gives those on a nondairy diet the opportunity to indulge. This is the idea behind Snap Kitchen (3600 Kirby, 713-526-5700), a new, healthy, takeout food emporium. The peanut butter “cheesecake” ($3.75) is…
The Whipping Boy
Former Texas governor Mark White wants to know, if class size in public schools isn’t important, “then why does every private school in America brag on ‘we have a small class size?’ ” Texas politicians and education administrators (note, not teachers) have upped the drumbeat in recent days, saying Texas…
No Fools
Warpaint live is a disconcerting experience. They’re smiling! The bass player is dancing (and wearing overalls)! People in the crowd are dancing! There’s a crowd at all! You’re not alone in your bedroom, curled up in the fetal position, bawling uncontrollably! The all-female L.A. quartet generally seems built for solitude…
Still Standing
On any given day, music fans stroll in and out of a dilapidated shack on Houston’s Southeast side and buy CDs with such titles as Thangs Done Changed and Still Standing. A decade after the death of its founder, and years of weathering an avalanche of music-industry changes, Screwed Up…
2000 – 2010: A DECADE TO FORGET
The decade from 2000 to 2010 — one that began and ended without anyone knowing what to call it — is finally nearing its finish. Good riddance. You don’t think it was bad? Harken back to the “good old days” of 2000 and compare them to the present. Back then…
Prison Pays
Anthony Ferrell left the Ben A. Reid halfway house in northeast Houston on October 25, 2010, to go to work. He never came back. Just over two weeks later, a Meyerland gas station security camera recorded him walking inside shortly after midnight. When he exited, a mother of three was…
Prison Pays: How It Started
Texas’s reliance on private prisons was borne out of a landmark prisoners’ rights case that completely restructured the state’s corrections department. A 2003 report by Abt Associates Inc., for the National Institute of Justice offers a history of the industry’s presence in Texas. In 1978, Judge William Wayne Justice of…
Asylum Street Spankers
This is it, then. After nearly 17 years and more than 50 members, the Asylum Street Spankers are folding up their all-acoustic shop for good, but not before one last Houston tussle with that demon electricity on the “Spanks for Everything!” farewell tour. However many Spankers were onstage (it’s seven…
Soul Asylum
When the alternative wrecking ball composed mostly of grunge, flannel and teen angst came to level the palace of hair metal and dance-pop that the ’80s had built, Soul Asylum were right there at the demolition site with bleeding-heart lyrics and an unkempt look that defined a certain moment of…
Free Press Houston New Year’s Eve Cataclysm
Not only is this year’s edition of Free Press Houston’s annual New Year’s Eve bash free for those over 21, it’s also a good way to catch up on a few bands who released some of the best albums to come from Houston this year, and also see some bands…
The Adolescents
If Orange County was suburban hell in the early 1980s, then Agent Orange, Social Distortion and the unruly Adolescents were its tour guides. Truly the offspring of punk itself, the Adolescents melded the melody of the Buzzcocks, the nihilism of the Germs and the songcraft of X. Led by skinny…
The Sword, Venomous Maximus, Black Congress, Omotai
Two thousand ten was quite a year for young Austin metal-lords The Sword. After a two-year recording layoff, the band released its third album, Warp Riders. Then powerful drummer Trivett Wingo left the group due to exhaustion and anxiety just days after the Sword played the Austin City Limits Music…
Capsule Art Reviews: “Anthony Thompson Shumate: Cocky,” “Dynasty and Divinity”
“Anthony Thompson Shumate: Cocky” When you’re an artist, people offer you all kinds of comments on and advice about your work, something they would never think of doing to, say, an accountant. Anthony Thompson Shumate decided to use those remarks as fodder for his show “Cocky” at Barbara Davis Gallery…
