Food Fight: Battle Pimento Cheese
In Memphis, where I grew up, you’re supposed to like pimento cheese. Let me rephrase that–you’re supposed to be born with an insatiable craving for and allegiance to pimento cheese in all of its smooth-yet-chunky, mild-yet-tangy glory. But I hated pimento cheese for most of my life. That is, until…
Cold Hard Cash to Fifth Graders in HISD Who Do the Math
Students at 25 Houston ISD schools — and their parents — will have a chance to earn cash by, get this: Doing their homework!”Why not?” was the consensus reached today by the seven trustees at a workshop meeting. Equipped with a $1.5 million private donation from the Texas-based Liemandt Foundation,…
Jim Carrey’s I Love You, Phillip Morris: This Time The Press-Based Movie Really Does Have A Release Date
It seems we’ve been writing forever about whether I Love You, Phillip Morris, the Jim Carrey-Ewan McGregor gayfest of a movie based on Houston Press articles, will ever come out. We’ve had dates promised. We’ve had those promises broken. But now Variety says the movie really, really really is coming…
Eight Songs That Make Us Want To Go Back To School
Last week, when Rocks Off was editing our former intern Matthew Keever’s article about the worst back-to-school soundtracks when Jerry Lee Lewis’ “High School Confidential” popped into our head out of the blue. Not really out of the blue, we guess, but the next thing we knew we were thinking,…
Michael Williams Is Running For Something Or Other
Running for….somethingIf you’ve seen these signs around the Heights and were wondering who is Michael Williams and what is he running for, you’re not alone. So far, we at Hair Balls have figured out the first of these two questions. The Michael Williams putting up campaign signs is better known…
Why Your Customers Hate You, Baristas
Last week, I interviewed three of my barista friends — two of whom remained anonymous — about behaviors that make them want to throttle the next person in line at their java joint. Of course, as many commenters pointed out, there are just as many obnoxious baristas as there are…
Jim Carrey’s I Love You, Phillip Morris: This Time The Press-Based Movie Really Does Have A Release Date
It seems we’ve been writing forever about whether I Love You, Phillip Morris, the Jim Carrey-Ewan McGregor gayfest of a movie based on Houston Press articles, will ever come out. We’ve had dates promised. We’ve had those promises broken. But now Variety says the movie really, really really is coming…
Anthony Bourdain: “There Has Never Been a Better Time to Eat in America”
Anthony Bourdain is a man who requires little introduction. The author of Kitchen Confidential — the book published almost exactly 10 years ago, which catapulted him to fame — and host of popular TV shows like A Cook’s Tour and No Reservations, Bourdain is the prototypical bad-boy chef, Marco Pierre…
Galveston: Accounts Of Our Death Are Greatly Exaggerated
There is a blog out there called 24/7Wall St., and it went out on the great search for web hits with a almost-scientific survey that produced a list of “America’s 10 Dead Cities.” Among them: Buffalo and Detroit. Also New Orleans, which is a little more debatable. And then there…
Musicians: Five Reasons Your Girlfriend Hates You
For ladies dating dudes in bands, life can get rough. You are either seen as a trophy or a hindrance to his true rock and roll dreams, arm candy and not the actual real live human being you in fact are. Depending on how successful his band is, your man…
Billy Elliott, Billy Elliott, in Houston, in Houston
Was Billy Elliott coming to Houston twice in one season? Had there been a gigantic goof? A faux pas? A lack of communication between two companies whose lifeblood is communication and the arts? Nope times four, as Art Attack discovered after sitting down to line out the next season of…
People Think A Plastic-Bag Ban Is Terrible, Plastic-Bag Industry Reports
Brownsville is getting ready to implement a ban on plastic bags in supermarkets, under an ordinance passed earlier this year.You know who doesn’t like that? The American Chemistry Council, which we’re sure just deals with the wonders of chemistry and how it can improve lives, through the use of, say,…
Wine of the Week: Navarro Correas Coleccion Privada Malbec
I like the tango, I love chimichurri, and beef is my buddy, so it’s only natural that a Malbec from Argentina is also high on my favorites list. It’s no secret that I’ve never met a Malbec that I didn’t like, and this gift from a friend is no exception…
Springsteen Darkness Reissue Includes 1978 Houston Show
Did you know Bruce Springsteen mentions bygone downtown venue Liberty Hall in his song “This Hard Land”? Of course you did, because Rocks Off is contractually obligated to mention it every time we post something about The Boss. So now that’s out of the way, here’s something else Houston-related Springsteen…
Birch Beer
I recently became re-interested in birch beer, having consumed it rather religiously when I was growing up on the east coast. Birch beer is (unsurprisingly) usually made from the bark of birch trees and comes in an assortment of hues, including light and dark brown, red, and purple. Several companies,…
Game Time: 10 Commercials Almost As Creepy As The Brown Hand Center Ads
So Michael Brown and his self-named hand center (which, given his propensity to slap women around, may or may not be the front for some kind of sick wife-beater’s dojo) are back in the news. The disturbing back story for this guy has been well chronicled over the last few…
Heights-Area Walmart: Meeting Is Loud, Resolves Little
It didn’t take long for the boos and jeers to start once developer Michael Ainbinder took the stage at last night’s meeting about a planned Walmart development near the Heights. It also didn’t take long for Mayor Annise Parker to reprimand the crowd. She actually interrupted Ainbinder to tell the…
Why Your Drama Teacher Hates You
In Hamlet 2, Steve Coogan plays a high school drama teacher forced to extreme, controversial measures when his class is threatened to be cut from the curriculum. He endures unenthusiastic and confrontational students, as well as poor reception for his lame film-to-stage adaptations (Erin Brockovich). While Coogan’s character is an…
Island Grill & Juice Bar: A Shock to the System
Feeling a little hung-over, I was looking for something to fix me up. I spotted Island Grill & Juice Bar (4024 Bellaire, 832-539-4254) next to the Whole Foods and decided to give it a try. I sat at the old-fashioned-looking counter and ordered breakfast, starting with a juice cocktail, the…
HISD’s K12 Radio Has Odd Definition Of Local Music… For Now
The stated goal for HISD’s K12 Radio is a local station powered by the students and teachers of the district dedicated to local music, but when Rocks Off tuned into the online stream earlier this week, that’s not what we heard. First up we got Shania Twain’s “Forever and For…
KTRU Debate: Rice Says Internet Radio Better Than 50K Watts
The ongoing debate over the University of Houston’s decision to buy Rice’s KTRU station and use it for classical music has had its moments, to be sure.Several of them have been provided by Linda Thrane, Rice’s V-P for public affairs.Among her arguments:1. Internet radio is soooo much better than a…
Odd Pair: Popcorn and Pinot
There is something so addictive about freshly popped popcorn. And while we most often think about pairing it with a soda, matching it up with a good wine can really elevate a snacking experience. Plus movies are always a little better when you have a slight buzz going…
The Weak Links In Seven Great Rap Crews
Logic suggests that being surrounded by artistic brilliance would give the less endowed a natural boost. But if talent were contagious, failure wouldn’t exist, and neither would this list. Every rap group, big or small has one member who simply can’t hold a candle to the others. Here are seven…
HISD Magnet Schools to Get the Once Over, Trustees Decide
Houston ISD trustees decided to bravely step into the middle of a whole pile of poop passion today when they voted 7-0 to authorize the administration to hire an outside firm to do an audit of the district’s magnet school system.The discussion began with asterisks, as Superintendent Terry Grier, mindful…
Benefits, Outdoor Shows Fill Up Fall Concert Season Quick
“Winter changed into spring, spring changed into summer, summer changed back into winter, and winter gave spring and summer a miss and went straight on into autumn” – Monty Python and the Holy Grail That’s what it’s starting to feel like at Rocks Off HQ, especially on the local front…
Recipe: Kevin Gillespie’s Cream-Less Creamed Corn
Kevin Gillespie is a doughy, bearded, jovial fella that loves himself some pork. I have been described in the same way, but the difference is, Gillespie was in the final three on season 6 of Top Chef (and was robbed, but that is a blog post for another day). The…
Unidentified Male, 45, Bayou Body Count No. 210
A convenience store worker was murdered in a robbery on the southwest side Wednesday night, and a suspect has been arrested.The victim, whose identity has not been disclosed, was working at a Chevron station in the 11300 block of Fondren about 9 p.m. Wednesday when Tony Mayfield, 26, asked him…
Gallery Scene: Opening This Week
Excellent options in visual art this week: Two openings at the University of Houston, an exhibit of rarely-seen modern and contemporary works at the Menil and two closing receptions. Here’s our roundup of places to see fresh artwork and enjoy some free-flowing booze. Peter Precourt – “Katrina Chronicles: Origins” Reflections…
Remember K-Rino’s Worst Rapper Alive?
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. K-Rino Worst Rapper Alive (Black Book International, 2006) K-Rino’s latest album, Annihilation of the Evil Machine, will officially go…
Seven Reasons Why Your Hair Stylist Hates You
Okay, we admit it — we don’t really care who cuts our hair. But we drafted someone who does, to find out the inner secrets of the scissors-wielding fraternity.She talked to one of the best hair stylists in Houston, and learned things that made her hair curl — and turned…
A New Home for Java Junkies in the West Side
Tuscany Italian Bakery and Coffee (11150 Westheimer) has only been open for about a week. The little coffee shop at the corner of Wilcrest and Westheimer hasn’t even had its grand opening celebration yet. But stopping in there yesterday for a reviving midafternoon latte, it seemed as if it had…
Last Night: Billy Idol At House Of Blues
Billy Idol House of Blues August 25, 2010 See a slideshow of snarls and sweat from last night’s show. Hot in the city. Tonight. Billy Idol, that ever-grinning Dorian Gray of rock and roll, didn’t really need to yell “Sweat! Sweat! Sweat!” during “Dancing With Myself” at House of Blues…
Dr. Michael Brown & The Astros: What Gives?
If you’re like me, you’ve always been bugged by those ads for The Brown Hand Center that are shown way too much during Houston Astros games. Maybe it’s that whole Stepford family thing, or the way the wife looks terrified, or the girl talking about being daddy’s little girl. Or…
Art Attack Is Looking for Bloggers With Attitude
Do you have a unique point of view on local and national arts coverage? Are you a pop-culture junkie jonesing to spout your opinions on movies, television and web culture? Got a scoop on an exciting event or a bit of juicy gossip? Art Attack wants bloggers with a knack…
Pop Rocks: 100 Episodes In, Here Are Futurama’s Finest
So what if the total run of episodes was broken up by six years? This still counts: Leela leads an army of underground mutants in a revolt against the surface people in the milestone 100th episode of “Futurama,” premiering Thursday, September 2 at 10:00 p.m. on Comedy Central. This sixth…
The Houston Act We Most Wish Had Happened
Every day Rocks Off trolls the tubes of you in search of videos to share. If you have something that you think deserves to be video of the day, send a link to jef_rouner at yahoo dot com. Several years back, your Daily VJ attended an open-mike event at Hollywood…
Recipe: Hue-Style Noodle Soup
Most people are familiar with the Vietnamese beef noodle soup, pho (pronounced “fuh”). Pho is good, but bun bo Hue (pronounced boom baw way), or Hue-style beef noodle soup, is great. If pho was like flying a kite, bun bo Hue would be like flying a jet fighter: intense and…
Pop Rocks: 100 Episodes In, Here Are Futurama’s Finest
So what if the total run of episodes was broken up by six years? This still counts: Leela leads an army of underground mutants in a revolt against the surface people in the milestone 100th episode of “Futurama,” premiering Thursday, September 2 at 10:00 p.m. on Comedy Central. This sixth…
KUHF-KTRU Deal: God Comments, And Lord He’s Pissed
Last week word broke that the University of Houston’s KUHF station was buying up Rice’s unique KTRU station. There were howls of protest. Sunday there was an actual protest, on the Rice campus. Tuesday God weighed in. And apparently He’s a KTRU fan. A “massive lightning strike” made a direct…
The Five Worst Dog-Movie Sequels, For National Dog Day
Today is National Dog Day, the annual event where we honor man’s best friend.Although man’s best friend has done some pretty crummy stuff to man, come to think of it, if you look at sequels to dog movies. Dog movies are generally not that great anyway, but a sequel is…
